By Lee Forland
Shunned and persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, a couple from south east Malawi chose to respond by doing something incredible.
Mayamiko and his wife Mercy were raised in a Muslim community and were rejected by their community when they accepted Jesus as their saviour.
But, even though they lost many friends and felt very alone, they knew they had to stand firm – so firm, that they decided to become pastors and share the love of Christ with the very people who were persecuting them.
With the help of sponsorship from SIM, they each began a two-year journey at the Evangelical Bible College of Malawi (EBCoM) to receive training that would make them more effective in their outreach ministry.
The culmination of those studies came in October, when they both graduated with a Certificate of Bible Studies (CBS) within the English speaking programme. Not only that, but Mercy received the “Best Academic Student of the Year” award for being first in her class.
After the graduation ceremony, Mercy said, “Today is an exciting day! I enjoyed the evangelism and discipleship courses at EBCoM the most, and I am now looking forward to returning to my community where I can help people understand just how much Christ loves them.”
Mayamiko and Mercy are now serving home communities as ministers in the evangelical church, from where they continue reaching out to their Muslim community.
They graduated alongside four more SIM-sponsored students from the Africa Evangelical Church (AEC), Samuel Thenford, Joseph Chanunkha, Patrick Tayali and Blessings Milisi.
Samuel, who had worked as a pastor before joining EBCoM, was the best academic student in the Chichewa programme.
These four will now serve a one-year internship in the AEC before becoming pastors of their own churches.
Please pray
- For Mayamiko and Mercy, that God will continue to protect them and bless their ministry as they reach out to the unreached in their community.
- For Samuel, Joseph, Patrick and Blessings, that God will shepherd them and guide them as they continue to develop as pastors during their one-year internships.
- That God will continue to raise up future EBCoM graduates, and that the graduates will continue to be a blessing to their communities.
You might also like
More than 40 nations gathered in Nairobi for the Trauma Healing Institute’s Global Community of Practice, the first held outside North America, celebrati...
When a new mum found herself overwhelmed by depression and doubts about her worth, SIM mission worker and psychologist Gina McConley stepped in with gentle...
Stephanie served in Syria and Lebanon for over 25 years, sharing the gospel, supporting migrant workers, and co-founding a daycare that still cares for 75 ...
After 13 years serving in Benin with SIM, Sarah and Lee have returned to Germany, their sending country. Lee, who served as a finance manager and later tea...
A young Muslim boy in a remote village encounters the love of Jesus through a Christian school. As trust grows, Abdu discovers the truth of the gospel, bra...
After stepping into mission work at 26, Jang Doo‑Sik discovered that calling rarely comes with certainty. Today, as only 2% of Generation Z are reached w...
For mission workers, a prayer letter is a way of inviting others into the story God is writing. SIM mission worker Mark Azzopardi reflects on how to write ...
In the glittering cities of the Arabian peninsula, one worker’s encounters with migrant lifeguards become a vivid reminder of the urgent call for Christi...
In West Timor, where poverty and limited opportunities leave families vulnerable to exploitation, anti-trafficking work is focused on walking alongside com...
As Ramadan approaches, mission worker Nate based in Strasbourg reflects on why respectful interfaith dialogue matters — and how genuine friendship, peace...
In 2026, we renew our call to stay connected: to Christ, to one another, and to the communities where the gospel is least known. Join us in prayer as we pu...
When León and Mari arrived in the spiritually resistant town, they faced hostility and isolation. But through patient presence, genuine relationships, and...