Donnie Estep visits Lilongwe, Malawi

Classes Continuing

Throughout the month of February, our men studied three different Bible topics. First of all, Donnie Estep came from America and taught the Scheme of Redemption before teaching the same in Ekwendeni. Following Donnie, Foster Zimba taught the students about the New Testament Church. I taught a survey class of Old Testament history from Joshua through Esther the third week of month. Leann is teaching a ladies class each Friday focused on servanthood and Navie is teaching the women the Life of Christ on Tuesday nights. 

The last week of the month was designated as a research week for the men. They used the week to catch up on assignments and papers. It also allowed them to do a little work in their gardens that help supplement their food stipend.

Now that their program is one-fourth of the way finished, the entire family is learning about the time required for their studies. This time comes at a cost to family time. All students, both men and women, were encouraged to set aside some time in the research week to spend time with their families in order to keep their relationships strong. 

Meet the Students

As a missionary and director, I feel it is very important to help you know the individuals you are supporting. It seems like the best way for you to meet the students is through a monthly introduction. For the next few months, I will introduce one of our families who are attending Bear Valley Lilongwe. Please take time and pray for these families by name. As you will see, they have left jobs, families, and homes to come and study God’s word for two years. 

The Wilson Phiri Family

Wilson was born in 1992 in the Kasungu district in northern Malawi. In 2020, he moved to the Nkhata Bay Area near Lake Malawi. Wilson is married to Cecilia who was born in 1990. Wilson was baptized in 2005 and Cecilia was baptized in 2014. They have been married for 10 years. They have two boys. Hubert is 9, and Blessings is 5. 

Before coming to school, Wilson cut wood with a hand saw, farmed, and did some contract farm work. After school in Lilongwe, Wilson would like to continue learning the Bible and help others grow in their Bible knowledge. 

Here are a few fun facts I see in Wilson and his family. Wilson is an amazing husband and father who has very well behaved children. Cecilia is a dedicated wife and mother who stays focused in her school work. Both of them have amazing smiles which show their inner joy and peace. Hubert is a quiet one who is always thinking like his dad. If I ever need to find Blessings, he is hanging out with his buddy, Flasko, maintaining the campus. Please pray for Wilson and his family as they work hard to increase their Bible knowledge. 

Posted on March 14, 2023 .