Before leaving the UK to go to Malawi, I made the “mistake” of telling God that I would do whatever was asked of me. This promise caught up with me just a few months after I arrived in Malawi, when I was asked to conduct a women’s Bible study. Though hesitant, I remembered my vow and agreed. The experience went beyond simply teaching the women in the group, and taught me the significance of spiritually equipping others through discipleship.

News of the Bible study spread quickly, and soon I agreed to lead four weekly Bible classes for Malawian women in different locations. I was still learning the local language, so Grace Mvula, who was eager to learn the Bible, served as my interpreter.

Grace and I found plenty of time to chat during our travels to and from the distant villages, and our relationship grew. While I taught her more about the Bible, she helped me understand the language and culture in a deeper way. As she grew spiritually, Grace gradually began to take on larger roles in the Bible studies. She progressed from giving the lesson introduction to completely taking over on days that I could not teach.

The studies flourished, and through the years we saw many of the women come to Christ. We watched in amazement as they grew into maturity. Several women took on responsibilities to lead singing and prayers and share their testimonies. Grace and I encouraged them to pray for one another in times of need. Some of the women walked miles, even in the rainy season, to get to the studies.

As the time of my home assignment neared, the future of the Bible studies became unclear. Once I left, Grace would not be able to get to all of the studies alone, so we needed to find additional leaders. Within the groups, we identified women to train for leadership, and we began to spend extra time with them, building them up and praying with them.

Six weeks before I was due to leave Malawi, it became clear that God was moving us to another country and I would not be coming back. I was so grateful that He had led me to disciple these women. Although my time there was cut short, God’s work continues to grow through these Bible studies. We should always be looking to work ourselves out of a job by equipping and enabling others. Malawian women are so much more able to teach other Malawians, if only they have the right tools.