It’s Not the Destination; It’s the Journey!

A Letter from Rev. Paula Cooper, mission co-worker serving in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Winter 2024

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Whew!

It has been a hectic season for me. Since late June into July, my journey has taken me throughout Zambia and over to Malawi and Zimbabwe. I had the opportunity to travel with the community school coordinator and general secretary of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Zambia. We connected with the headmasters and pastors at the community schools within Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. The schools are located near a local CCAP congregation, and some church members who volunteer and are trained to teach also serve as Sunday school teachers. The CCAP has many community schools offering free education for the needy. However, the schools have their challenges. They need supplies to be more effective, such as  paper, educational books, chalk, chalkboards, desks and chairs. The teachers could use stipends to continue their work. The teacher turnover is high because, after training, they may leave the school to acquire a paying teaching position. The schools are located near a local CCAP congregation, and some church members who volunteer and are trained to teach also serve as Sunday school teachers.

My journey took me to Malawi in August to touch base with our CCAP partner congregations and ministries in Lilongwe (the capital of Malawi), Mzuzu, Embangweni and Mibiri. The CCAP General Assembly (CCAP GA) office was bustling with business in Lilongwe. They were preparing for the church’s Centennial Celebration scheduled for August 23–25. Church members, church officials, and chaplains who work in both the military and hospitals were coming and going to purchase memorabilia sold from the CCAP General Assembly office for the church’s upcoming celebration. They sold bulk rolls of chitenge material, golf shirts, and computer bags. I could feel the excitement in the air as the date was approaching! Also, the president of Malawi, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwere, a politician and theologian, was the guest speaker. This visit presented a different type of opportunity, allowing us as partners with this church to be present and available in the life and celebration of the church as we worked together to continue to connect and build relationships.

I connected with several ministries of the CCAP Synods of Nkhoma and Livingstonia. Nkhoma is in Nkhoma, Malawi, and Livingstonia is in Mzuzu, Malawi. I visited Nkhoma Mission Hospital (NMH), where an ambulance was donated to assist the Synod of Nkhoma with medical assistance to the retired pastor and widows. The ambulance will be housed at the NMH. A few constituents of the Malawi Mission Network in the U.S. donated to the Synod office to purchase an ambulance.

I had the opportunity to have meaningful conversations that could impact continued relationship-building and connections with our constituents in the U.S., lecturers, and their student bodies at both Josphat and Nkhoma Universities. At Nkhoma University, I was taken on a tour of the location and another prospective location for the university. They hope to relocate the university because they are outgrowing any development possibilities in the present location.

In Livingstonia, Tyler Holm, a mission co-worker serving in Mzuzu at the University of Livingstonia Faculty of Theology, joined me on this journey. Tyler assisted me with making many connections; We had the opportunity to reconnect with CCAP Synod of Livingstonia’s officials and officials of their institutions, such as the University of Livingstonia (their Ekwendeni and Kaning’ina Campuses) and the Livingstonia Mission Station, where the Stone House is located and where Dr. Robert Laws lived for 25 years. It is now a museum.

They shared their challenges and their hopes for a better future. There was discussion regarding how they can link to more PC(USA) constituents in the U.S. During these conversations, we learned of their successes and significant struggles as their donations dwindled. A need for visiting lecturers arose. The few professors are hopeful for students’ success, but they need more professors to instruct and guide these students into the best futures available to them. They would love to engage in a conversation about visiting lecturers. Would you like to teach at one of these universities for about a year?

The journey in Malawi ended in Lilongwe where PC(USA) Africa Area Coordinator Rev. Cheryl Barnes and I joined the celebration of the CCAP’s centenary. Rev. Cheryl and my presence at the GA was an authentic witness to PC(USA)’s dedication to a dynamic partnership with the CCAP.

The weekend’s activities began with the CCAP GA hosting a dinner and book launch on Friday evening. The book, “The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 1924-2024: A Centenary Assessment,” was auctioned starting at one million Malawian kwacha, equivalent to $574.14. The book is a compilation of research about the church by different authors. Information about the book can be found HERE.

On Saturday, after a celebration of singing and the unveiling of the marker of the new office, we marched through the streets for a 5K walk to the Civo Stadium for speeches and singing.

Sunday’s celebration was exhilarating, with many choirs representing the five different synods: three in Malawi, one in Zambia, and one in Zimbabwe. Reverend Humphrey Zgambo, the moderator of the CCAP Blantyre Synod, offered the sermon. Listen to President Lazarus Chakwera’s speech HERE.

I left Malawi and traveled to Livingstone, Zambia, to attend the CCAP Synod of Zambia’s Synod meeting from August 27 to September 1. The different ministries presented their reports at the synod meeting, and the officers were elected. The newly elected officers are:

• Friday Kapakasa, Moderator
• Gift Nyirenda, Moderator-elect
• Lazarus Chilenje, General Secretary
• Lloyd Mithi, Deputy General Secretary
• Abraham Banda, Treasurer

I have asked our partners to write a letter or an article so we can continue to nurture connections with their donors, update them on the ministry, share their successes and challenges, thank them for their prayers and support, and continue to build on established connections.

Thank you very much for your support and prayers and for taking the time to take this journey with me. Please keep me and our partners in your prayers and thoughts!

Rev. Paula Cooper