Jason Woolford of Mission Cry says, “[Global] instability is disrupting shipping routes and affecting humanitarian work around the world.”

Photo courtesy of Mission Cry

A few months ago, Mission Cry sent a container of Bibles and Gospel materials to Uganda, where many people are eager to own a Bible and grow in faith. The shipment was delayed at sea, like many others, and route managers began making changes.

“They were rerouting it, which was going to take it into a Muslim port, which would have been continuous problems,” says Woolford.

Now, however, the container is headed to its intended port. It carries $500,000 worth of free Bibles and Christian books, ready for distribution through local partners.

Woolford says, “We’re seeing a very big need in Malawi and Uganda and some of these countries that are landlocked.” He adds that these regions are often overlooked due to logistical challenges and cost.

As the geopolitical landscape shifts and economies remain unpredictable, pray that ministries involved in humanitarian aid and logistics will find creative solutions in Christ. It is urgent.

“These disruptions have slowed, or hurt the Gospel from reaching people who are waiting for it,” Woolford adds.

Photo courtesy of Mission Cry

Pray for ministries navigating present challenges. Consider donating spare Bibles or biblical materials to Mission Cry, and pray for provision to deliver them to communities hungry for the Word of God.

Woolford points to the urgency of the need: “There are people in one of our shipments to China who risked their lives for a copy of the book of John and to distribute it in the north. And so there’s a real need.”

Header photo courtesy of Mission Cry.

Days blurred together, marked only by the shift changes of prison guards. Then, he received Scripture from World Missionary Press.

“This man had a life-changing encounter with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through a booklet he received,” Helen Williams of WMP says.

“It transformed his heart of stone into a heart of flesh and made him alive in Christ.”

After being released from prison two months ago, Emmanuel “shares this message of hope and salvation with the people in his community,” Williams adds.

World Missionary Press sends Scripture booklets and other materials free of charge to Daniel, a local pastor living on the Malawi-Mozambique border. Learn more about WMP’s ministry here.

Filling the gap

Many communities in Malawi and Mozambique still lack access to Scripture in their heart languages. While national languages like Chichewa and Portuguese are common, several local dialects remain underserved. Low literacy, poverty, and limited infrastructure further hinder Bible access.

“We have groups of women who teach each other the Word of God. These books have made our groups grow spiritually. Sometimes we can be confused about where to share words from because we do not have Bibles, but with the arrival of these books, things will be easier.”
(Photo, caption courtesy of WMP)

Along with encouraging prisoners like Emmanuel, Daniel shares the hope of Christ in remote villages. After each visit, he leaves a Scripture booklet in Chichewa.

Villagers often respond with gratitude.

“We’re very happy for this help, and it came at the right time,” one villager told Daniel, while another added, “I thank God for the books I have received. My life will never be the same again, and it was a very difficult life.”

Most people in these remote areas don’t have access to a Bible in their heart language. That’s why believers like Gloria treasure the WMP booklets, which contain only Scripture.

“I thank God because today I received a wonderful gift,” Gloria says. “This booklet will help me and my family a lot. Thank you so much for reaching out with the Word of God.”

Your gift can help WMP keep materials free for local partners by covering printing and shipping costs. Find giving options here on WMP’s website.

Header and story images courtesy of World Missionary Press. 

“They say the blood of the martyrs [has] so fertilized the soil of Africa that everywhere you plant the gospel, it germinates,” says Ray Mensah with OneWay Africa. 

With that missionary history of sacrifice comes responsibility.

“The Bible says to him that much is given, much is expected or required. So now that Africa has the largest number of Christians, Africa has to play a significant role in world evangelization,” Mensah says.

“Africa cannot continue to be a mission field. Africa has to be a mission force. We believe we are [a] mission force but want to be [a] full-scale mission force, sending praying, supporting in every area.”

That’s why Mensah and other African leaders are planning the Africa Missions Conference September 23-27, 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya.

(Photo courtesy of Annie Spratt via Unsplash)

“It will be a place for networking, for partnerships, for new movements to rise up,” he says, adding, “We’re hoping that some of the denominational heads in Africa will come and churches that are not missionary, and they will catch the fire for missions.”

The conference carries an open invitation for you to come in person. Mensah calls for anyone around the world interested in missions to attend — whether field workers, leaders, intercessors, trainers or [those] carrying other roles.

“I challenge all those with passion for missions to stand with us globally. Especially also if someone is listening and you are African in the diaspora… we are calling you, come!” Mensah says, sharing that many nationalities will be represented. “Be part of the mission movement. God is doing wonderful things in Africa, and we invite you, come back home.”

Jesus Film Riders (Image courtesy of OneWay Africa)

The conference committee is also praying that the gathering will lead to national missions associations being launched in every sub-Saharan country. These have already begun in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya and Malawi in the past decade or so.

“We have realized that mission movements, or national mission associations, help to push or propel missions in the country to reach the unreached,” Mensah says, adding, “Once those movements are formed, it will be a turning point in missions in Africa.”

Mensah sees [that] God is raising every part of His Church to be active. Learn more about the conference and register here. 

“I believe the Africa Missions Conference will be that part of the global Church in action, and Africa taking its place and playing its role, together with North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, together for the Great Commission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth,” he says. “Amen!”

Header photo of Jesus Film Rider courtesy of OneWay Africa.

According to Joshua Project, this southern African nation has a more than 74% Christian population. But Victor Kaonga, TWR’s international director for East and Southern Africa, wishes more believers would grasp the Lordship of Christ.

“By that, I mean I wish every Christian believer understood and practiced making Christ Jesus as Lord over every aspect of their lives — actually submitting and ensuring that their work is surrendered to Christ,” he says.

Victor Kaonga, TWR’s international director for East and Southern Africa (Photo courtesy of Trans World Radio)

“People will confess, ‘Yeah, I’m a Christian and all that.’ But their works, their fruits, show differently.”

Government corruption can be found even among leaders who confess to being Christians.

“The followers, and even those who are not believing in Christ are disillusioned,” Kaonga says. “[They say,] ‘What’s really going on? What’s the Christian testimony here? Is it any better because a Christian is there? It looks like sometimes it’s worse.’”

Around 17% of Malawi’s people follow Islam, but Kaonga says radical Islam is not present in the country.

“There have been clashes here and there — clashes where one camp has felt offended, and maybe they will chase people out,” Kaonga says. “These have been selected minor incidents in particular districts in the country.”

Radio reaches people who might not otherwise be able to access God’s Word for themselves. (Photo courtesy of Trans World Radio)

However, the prosperity gospel does present a challenge. It is a core tenet among some of the prophetic ministries active within Malawi.

“To counter that, TWR has continued to provide balanced teaching of the Word of God,” Kaonga says. “Being a nondenominational radio ministry, we believe in biblical teaching that is balanced — I mean, to remain true to the Word of God, to preach and teach the Word of God, and to call people to faith in Christ Jesus.”

TWR Malawi has also offered radio programs on agriculture, health, and apologetics. They look to develop into new platforms and especially reach young people in Malawi.

“It will be not doing justice to our people in our generation if we don’t attend to them through the digital platforms that are prevalent now,” Kaonga says, pointing to podcasting, WhatsApp groups, Facebook Live pages, YouTube, etc.

Please pray with Kaonga for God to reveal Himself as Savior and Lord to the people of Malawi. Pray for opportunities and staffing capacity for TWR to reach the next generation with content that guides them toward Christ.

Learn more about TWR Malawi and a recent award their gospel work received here.

Header image of TWR Malawi’s staff with Victor Kaonga and the award they received in 2025 for their pioneering work in Christian broadcasting. (Photo courtesy of Trans World Radio)

For the past two years, FMI has hosted pastor trainings in Malawi — and they’re bearing abundant spiritual fruit.

FMI’s Patrick Anthony says, “Out of 86 pastors last year, they were able to teach and share with over 2,400 people. They reported that in this past year, 450 churches had been planted; and they also reported that over 30,000 people placed their faith in Christ!”

The training is also helping pastors and their churches recognize and resist false teaching.

“One of the coolest stories that I heard was that there was a self-proclaimed prophet who had walked into one of the villages where three of the pastors from the first conference were from,” says Anthony.

“As this prophet came into this area, he was apparently preaching a prosperity gospel. When he came in, the villagers told him, ‘You’re not preaching the right gospel. You’re preaching the prosperity gospel. You need to leave.’”

Pastor Chikumbu, a pastor in Malawi who received a Bible and training with FMI. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

In addition to training, FMI provides each pastor with a Bible. But the need is even greater.

“One of the pastors, he said, ‘Listen, we’re really appreciative that we all have a Bible now. But our people need Bibles too,’” Anthony shares.

You can help. By donating to FMI’s tangible resources fund, you can put the Word of God in the hands of spiritually hungry villagers in Malawi.

Click here to give!

Then, pray for pastors in Malawi to grow in wisdom and biblical knowledge as they make disciples for Jesus. Pray for continued growth, boldness, and discernment in the Malawian Church to reject false teachers.

Header photo: Historic brick church in rural Malawi. (Photo by Chisomo Gondwe/Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/historic-brick-church-architecture-in-rural-setting-29306403/)

In rural Malawi, there has been a critical need for pastoral leadership. While some Christians stepped into leadership roles, many were untrained and unequipped to handle the spiritual challenges of their communities. The challenges stem from both local and global factors. Malawi ranks low on the Human Development Index, with 72% of the population living below the poverty line. Access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare is limited, especially in rural areas. Additionally, the crisis in Mozambique has led many to flee, adding to the pressure on Malawian churches.

“The churches just have a wonderful opportunity to be the light of Christ, to look outward from themselves at their communities, and really provide people who are fleeing Mozambique with a testimony, showing them a good example of who Jesus is and what He is like”, comments Patrick Anthony from FMI.

Person hugging a Bible (Photo courtesy of Ivan Samkov via Pexels)

This urgent need for training led a local church leader to reach out to FMI partners, requesting a conference to train pastors. The ministry responded eagerly, holding the first conference last year. Patrick Anthony of FMI recalls: “Ninety percent of those pastors work and minister in rural areas, and up until just months before the conference, they did not have their own personal copy of the Bible.”

Many of these pastors had relied on sermons they heard from others, making it difficult to build a solid theological foundation or address the spiritual needs of their congregations.

To address this, FMI provided each pastor with a Bible and basic training on how to study it. This year, the focus shifts from foundational training to deeper theological discussions. Patrick Anthony explains:

“We plan on building on that foundation, continuing with different theological topics, with an emphasis this year on what a healthy church looks like. We want to spend time really stressing that the Lord looks for us to be productive and fruitful. Yes, we need, and we receive what we need, but He wants to see fruit born out of our lives, individually and as a church.”

However, one challenge remains: transportation. Many pastors live far from the conference site and cannot afford the travel costs. Pray that every pastor who wishes to attend will find a way, and that the FMI training in Malawi will have a lasting impact.

To learn more about the ministry and how you can help, visit their website.

Featured photo courtesy of Abrahan Echeverria via Unsplash.

“We have had an influx coming into the southern part of Malawi, and at the moment the numbers are staying above 3,000.”

Mozambique’s opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane has staged widespread protests in the wake of Daniel Chapo’s election this week. The violence has caused several deaths as well as economic disruption. Since the protests began, civilian life has halted. 

“People were not able to go to work or school,” Mtali says, “Mostly people would just remain in their homes for weeks on end.”

But in the meantime, Malawi is facing its own series of crises. Since covid, the country has been hit with two years of consecutive cyclones, followed by a dry spell that affected last year’s harvest. Additionally, the unrest of neighboring countries has affected landlocked Malawi’s use of ports. 

“It [presents] a challenge in terms of the transportation system – like transportation of oil and food coming from the ports into Malawi. 

Mtali says many refugees have been housed in primary schools, but that is becoming difficult as the schools reopen after holiday. A food shortage is ongoing too, as local people themselves struggle to find nourishment. 

“I think for the people that are fleeing from Mozambique,” Mtali says, “they find that even though the food might not be enough: just because of the peace that’s here, they find that it’s much better to come to Malawi.”

TWR broadcasts Christian radio programs across Malawi and even as far as some parts of Mozambique. Mtali says the messaging affects both hosts and refugees. 

Courtesy of Tim Donahue via Pixabay.

“As they listen to God’s word on the radio, that is part of the spiritual nourishment and encouragement that they get during this time,” Mtali says. 

Please pray for Malawi as the country hosts its Mozambican neighbors. Pray for a return of economic recovery and food security, and pray that the church of Malawi would continue to be a beacon of hope during this time. 

Looking forward, Mtali says Malawi faces elections in September. People are not impressed with the current government because of the struggling financial situation and high cost of living. She asks for prayers regarding this matter too: that people would have hope during the election period, “and that people would embrace peace even during their political differences.”

Featured photo courtesy of Tim Donahue via Pixabay

Malawi prisons are known for overcrowding and violence. Its 23 district prisons and other facilities are meant to hold only 7,000 people yet currently hold more than 16,500. 

Helen Williams with World Missionary Press (WMP) explains that a new local partner has forged a positive relationship with prison officials just this year. They visited the Zomba and Domasi facilities, where they shared worship songs, teaching, preaching and testimonies, plus WMP scripture booklets with inmates. 

“The prison authorities, chaplain, and those in charge of the prisoners took [our partners] aside and told them the best way to interact with the prisoners. It was well organized,” Williams says. “There was a foundation to build on for this. It wasn’t just ‘walk in and hand out something.’”

(Photo courtesy of World Missionary Press)

At the Zomba prison, the team met with 350 inmates, and 210 of these men accepted Christ! 

“When they were finished there, the authorities that had let them come in and share said, ‘You’re welcome to any prison in Malawi to reach out and win souls, because your help is urgently needed where the inmates are desperate to get a hold of God’s Word.’” 

Talk about an open door! 

“These opportunities to take God’s Word and put it in [inmates’] hands, spend time with them, and then leave it (Scripture booklets) there for the Spirit to do the work is a stark example of sharing the light in the darkness,” Williams says. 

Would you pray for WMP’s partner as they move forward with this opportunity to serve? 

“My understanding from the communication we’re getting is that they are establishing Bible studies in these prisons, which their team members will help monitor. It will be recurring trips, but they will also now have an open door to other prisons,” Williams says.  

Pray for this growing work in Malawi, that God will call more people out of darkness into the light of Jesus. 

“This is a time to really ‘take advantage,’ if we will, of the ministries that are there that are willing to go,” Williams says. 

“Pray that the Lord would send the harvesters, bless them, and use His Word to establish a strong work for the gospel in Malawi.”

Header photo is a representative stock photo courtesy of Ehsan Habashi via Unsplash.

Earlier this year, the ministry sent another shipping container to landlocked Malawi in southern Africa. (More on that update here.) The Bibles and Christian books in that container are now getting into peoples’ hands! 

Jason Woolford, the president of Mission Cry, says of their local partner in Malawi: “They do three things, and do it very well: minister to orphanages, [engage in] prison ministry, and then they have a mobile library.”

This bookmobile is a truck loaded with potential to reach anyone with the gospel.

“We stop, we put out signs, start distributing and then move on to the next town,” Woolford says. “So we’re able to get into some of these areas where someone may not be in prison or in the orphanage, [they] might not be in church, but they’re willing to take a book and read about our Lord and Savior.” 

You can play a part in this story! Is there a Christian book on your shelf you think someone in another country could benefit from? Consider donating it to Mission Cry! Visit Mission Cry’s website to learn how to send books.

Woolford says these books could be “any Bibles, Christian-authored books, seminary materials — and what I mean by seminary materials would be Bible commentaries, Bible dictionaries, study Bibles, etc — and then Christian education [materials].”

(Photo of Malawi courtesy of Mission Cry)

If you don’t have books but want to sponsor this Malawi shipment, Mission Cry invites you to join them. Because of the generosity of partners to date, they have been able to ship more than 480 million dollars’ worth of Bibles and Christian resources to 278 countries.

“[Malawi] is a regular place that we send to when we get the containers funded,” says Woolford. It usually costs $11,000 to send a shipping container with half a million dollar’s worth of Christian materials.

“Malawi is double that cost because it’s landlocked and it’s very difficult to get to those areas. We sent this on faith,” he explains. “If those that are listening [or reading] want to partner with us in supporting this container, we would appreciate that.”

Header photo of Malawi courtesy of Mission Cry.

Among those “some” is FMI, which strives to empower indigenous church planters around the world. Today is an exciting season of growth for them as they build partnerships with church planters in three new countries: Malawi, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco.

“We do work in predominantly Muslim-dominated countries [and] cultures,” says FMI’s Patrick Anthony.

“However, if we take one step back, our mission is to work in places [where] it’s difficult for the church to grow and expand because of persecution and or poverty. A lot of times that is in a Muslim context. But not always.”

In Morocco and Saudi Arabia, FMI is still in the networking phase. Anthony says this takes time. For example, when believers in Malawi reached out to FMI to ask for training, several years of conversations followed. Only recently was FMI able to host the first training conference with a network of pastors, which was received with great joy.

FMI empowers indigenous church planters around the world. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

“In a ministry like FMI, trust between leaders is essential, because you’re dealing with people in very hard situations. A lot of them are dealing with some level of persecution,” Anthony says. “They need to trust you and, and vice versa.”

Once that trust is established, the pace can abruptly switch from conversation to dynamic action. 

“They [church planters] have such a heart for their country. They want the necessary support, whether it’s training or whatever it might be. They want ministry to happen. So once they trust you, they want to be off and running,” says Anthony.

Pray for wisdom for FMI as they connect with believers in these new countries — especially Saudi Arabia. 

“How we try to expand into new countries wherever we go — in particular in places like Saudi Arabia — is [by] trying to follow prior contacts,” Anthony says. 

“[In Saudi Arabia] it’s going to be more conversations over tea, more network sharing. The first big goal for us is trying to identify potential leaders, people that could oversee a network of church planters in a country.”

Pray that FMI will effectively help church planters share the gospel and strengthen other believers. (More on FMI’s work here.) Pray also that young Christians will stay in these nations even when it’s hard. Church leaders in Morocco are seeing many of the next generation leave and not return. 

“Pray for job opportunities. Pray for [young] people to be willing to stay in their country or return to their country after university,” Anthony says. 

Header photo of the Hisma Desert in Saudi Arabia is a representative stock photo courtesy of NEOM/Unsplash.