A letter from Debbie Chase in Malawi
September 2010
Dear Friends,
Warm Greetings from Malawi!
As most of you know, I spent the first half of this year on Interpretation Assignment in the United States, traveling to 11 different states, from Hollywood to Washington D.C., speaking to various congregations, groups and organizations, such as Rotary International about life in Malawi, and giving updates on the University of Livingstonia, College of Theology, where I still serve as lecturer and Dean of Academic Affairs. I greatly enjoyed seeing so many of you during this time in the States, and I had wonderful hosts who took me sightseeing and made me feel so very much at home.
Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement and continued support of my work and other ministries in Malawi. Your ongoing covenant commitment to sharing life with our sisters and brothers in Malawi is a gift of life and blessings overflowing to every life that is touched through this covenant relationship. Special thanks to all of you for the many gifts you have given: gifts for the College of Theology, my position as lecturer and dean at the college, scholarships for secondary school students, earthquake relief, shallow wells, and many other ministries that give life to people in Malawi.
Throughout my time in United States and also since I’ve returned to Malawi I have experienced the blessings and hope of living into the ongoing changes and challenges of life. Change always means letting go of something and taking on something new. Often taking on the new brings new life to changing circumstances in life. But sometimes change is merely giving in to the way of the world as we slide down the slippery slope of mediocrity, power and wealth. Perhaps this happens because we are often overwhelmed with the fast pace of life and the deluge of new information and technology that comes our way. Often, however, we just seem to lack the diligence, discipline and courage to go against the flow of life to take action to assure quality, dignity and integrity in life for ourselves and future generations.
An illustration of this challenge to live life with quality, dignity and integrity is the diverse worship I experienced in my travels this year. Many services of worship are blending traditional and contemporary forms in a meaningful way with depth and integrity to enrich our lives and make the faith relevant to an ever-changing world. These are worship services that impart new revelations that deepen faith and change our lives, inspiring us to act with compassion and justice to liberate the oppressed, heal the brokenhearted, bring peace to the nations, create ecological balance and assure fair distribution of the world’s resources for abundant life for all people today and in the future as well. I also experienced a growing number of worship services that have become shallow informality and entertainment, meant to stroke our egos and require little of us in our worship experience and in our daily living. These services of worship lack preparation and order and meaning and leave us feeling empty. I see this in some Presbyterian churches in the United States and in Malawi as well.
Morning worship
At the College of Theology we strive to address this challenge as we deepen the knowledge, wisdom and spiritual life of our students who are preparing to be the future ministers of Malawi. The last week of July we began a new academic year with a new class of diploma in theology students. They join our second-year diploma and licentiate students and fourth-year bachelor degree students, making a total of 39 students in four different classes. In this new class we have our first two female candidates for the ministry. They join the two lay women in the fourth-year class — a total four female students. Most of our students are deeply dedicated to their preparation for ministry and are performing well.
To begin to meet the demand for more lecturers to teach a growing student body in three different programs, the college has been blessed by the arrival this year of two new members of the faculty, the Rev. Grayson Munyimbili and the Rev. C. C. Mambo, making a total of six full-time and four part-time members of the faculty. These include the principal, deputy principal and deans of student and academic affairs, who must focus a great deal of their attention on administrative work in addition to their teaching responsibilities. So we are still in need of more full-time faculty as well housing for these lecturers and resources to pay them an adequate salary commensurate with their training, experience and responsibilities.
The College of Theology campus is situated adjacent to our sister college, the College of Health Sciences. The two colleges share some common ground on which the College of Health Sciences has recently built a new library, which it graciously shares with the College of Theology. The new library has shelves for all of the College of Theology’s over 3,500 books plus study desks for students of both colleges and an ITC room with computers for Internet access and typing papers. Indeed, we are greatly blessed!
|
|
|
Reference section of the new libraryAs many of you have already heard, the general secretary of the Synod of Livingstonia, the Rev. L. N. Nyondo, was arrested on August 20, 2010, and charged with speaking seditious words against the nation of Malawi. In truth he spoke against some government policies and decisions but made no threats against government or president. He was released on bail on August 23 and awaits trial, scheduled to take place September 14. Please keep Nyondo, his family, the Synod and the nation of Malawi in your prayers.
May God grant us hope, courage and blessings as together we live into the challenges of life with quality, dignity and integrity!
Grace and Peace,
Debbie
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 59
