Good News - June & July 2026
- Elizabeth's Library
- Aug 12
- 9 min read
For the past twelve years, ELI has introduced libraries, literacy programs, and oh so many projects that have shaped and changed communities. As our Director Jacob has stated, “The impact of these programs is not abstract, it has a face and that face has a name.”
So as you read about the many projects ELI is involved with, please remember to pray for the people that are being impacted with your gifts and prayers. These are precious people with beautiful faces, and they have names, like Mr. Benson, Grandma Alefa, teacher Grace, a little boy named Shepherd, who loves to read and Tiwonge, who longs to go to school. How wonderful if we remember to speak their names aloud in our prayers, knowing that God hears, for they are precious in His sight.
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.” - Philippians 1:3-4
Pastoral Conference
This past July, a one-day Pastoral and Christian Leadership conference was held at Pastor Crispin's church in Brunelli - not far from Susu, but it is accessed by a much better road. More than 80 rural pastors and church leaders walked or rode their bicycles long distances to hear great studies taught by the pastors which attend Pastor Larry's weekly zoom teachings. These Zambian pastors love encouraging the rural pastors, who have few opportunities for fellowship and need to be encouraged with the Word, and excitedly ask for the date of the next meeting.
Early Education Program
Mr. Kenneth and Ms. Natasha are delighted with the progress of the Susu children who are attending the twice weekly classes. The children enjoy every new activity as it is introduced, but some children are already demonstrating a preference, by rushing into the classroom to choose their favorite. Building blocks are aways enjoyed, with children building ever more complicated structures, giving challenge to the older boys; but everyone enjoys completing a puzzle and painting. Could there be a famous future artist or architect in this group?
Playground Update
The new Susu Library playground is almost complete, but the excited children just can't wait anymore. As soon as their classroom activity is over, the children run to use the swing and see-saw. The news of a playground has spread throughout the entire Susu community, and more village children are coming every day to experience all the joy of a playground. Mr. Kenneth says, "This is wonderful, but I think we already need a bigger playground." What a wonderful problem to have!
Susu Farm
Thank you for praying for good harvests for the different crops. The oranges have done well for their first big harvest and enough watermelons survived the frost to give the children a very special treat after class. The winter season is almost over and a new watermelon crop will be planted. Please keep praying for those watermelons!
Jesus Film Outreach
Mr. Jacob reports:
Elizabeth's Library Malawi was privileged to host a Jesus Film outreach at the newest reading center in Mphonde Village. It was an unforgettable community gathering; drawing together men, women, children and elders in a way that village elders described as a rare event for their area. Approximately 400 people attended filling every available space and remaining together in the cold night air until the very last scene had played.
The evening began with fellowship. Before the screening, the EL team hosted a meal of snacks and juice. This was really a very special treat for everyone, and children were laughing as they enjoyed slices of bread and a small glass of juice. After the children were fed, the remaining food was distributed first to the elderly residents, and their joy was as great as the children. They said that they had never witnessed anything like this ever happening for them and they openly praised God for this kindness.
Before the film began, Mr. Jacob gave welcoming remarks and prayed with the audience to prepare their hearts for the gospel message they would see and hear.
The report continues:
As dusk fell and the screen lit up, the crowd continued to grow. Despite the cold night, entire families stayed together to listen attentively instead of returning to the warmth of their homes. Even the area's senior traditional leader remained seated among the people. The event was the answer to his prayer that his people would hear the gospel message.
“Such things are rare in my community. It is a joy to see a crowd this large come together simply to watch the Jesus Film.
If outreaches like this continue in my area, it will help our people to turn away from harmful cultural practices. I am asking you to come back and show the Jesus film again."
Senior Chief Khonthi
The Chief's words carry particular weight. As the area's most senior traditional authority, his public endorsement and his personal invitation for EL to return signals a genuine openness to the gospel message and the heart change it brings.
We do not know the exact number of people that responded that night, but the local pastors will do their best to follow up.
One of the local pastors, Pastor Yolamu was delighted to receive an illustrated Children's Bible as a gift to his congregation. His reaction was a powerful reminder of how a single resource, which is ordinary to many of us, is a new treasure to many. "This is the first Children's Bible I have ever seen with such beautiful illustrations. It will go straight to our Sunday School teacher. It will help so much in teaching our children. I would be glad to see more Bibles like this one."
Before darkness fell, Grace gathered the children together for story time. The children love looking at the pictures while Grace reads aloud.
Shepherd’s Story
Three years ago, the ELI US team travelled to Malawi to see the Mobile Library Program in action. During the visit to Dima Village, Lana L, the ELI Director was invited to read to the children gathered under the tree where the outreach program was held. Very soon after starting the story, a small young boy leaned into her shoulder and began to read out loud with her. His ability to read for someone so young and living in a rural African village was astounding. Lana wanted to know more about this amazing little boy, but in the confusion of all the activities, he just slipped away. Lana said that she had never forgotten this encounter and always wondered about him.
Then last spring, Mr. Jacob sent a report and pictures about a little boy named Shepherd (aka Steve), who joins story time at Grandmother Alefa's (community library) and is frequently found reading to other children. Lana recognized his picture and asked Jacob to learn more about this boy who had touched her heart.
Mr. Jacob reports:
In the quiet village of Dima, among the children who gather at Grandmother Alefa's library center, one young face stands out, a boy named Shepherd (aka Steve) age nine. Week after week, Sheperd faithfully arrives at the small center, drawn by the books, resources and the sense of belonging to the reading program.
Shepherd's life journey thus far has not been easy. He lost his father at a very young age and his mother was not able to care for him. He now lives with his grandmother Emily and six other children in a house beyond repair. Emily depends on daily piecework to provide food for the family, doing whatever labor is available to keep the household going.
Emily is a determined woman and despite her very limited resources, she has never wavered in her commitment to educate Shepherd. She understands, perhaps more deeply than most, how much a child's future depends on learning. She ensures Shepherd attends school consistently and somehow finds the funds to buy him a pencil and notebook. When it is time for the library center to be open, she makes sure that Shepherd is there. It is a discipline born out of the love of his grandmother's heart. Grandmother Alefa reports that he is not a passive attendee; but is one of the center's most enthusiastic participants. His presence and eagerness for learning encourages the other children. He is loved by all.
Mr. Jacob concludes:
The visit to Shepherd's home revealed the great physical needs of this family. Our Basic Needs program provided a month's worth of food supplies for this family and Grandmother Emily could not believe that her little family had received this blessing. We also brought a box of crayons, drawing paper and a new pencil and notebook for each child - unimaginable gifts. Of course, we had to leave a few books for Shepherd to read to his family and the neighborhood kids.
Shepherd's story is remarkable. A personal connection between a child in a rural Malawi village and an international partner is exactly what our Village Reading Program is designed to foster, a bridge between communities built on the shared belief that every child deserves access to learning and books to read. “Our program is not an abstract idea. It has a face. It has a name and that name is Shepherd.”
Poultry Project Update
Mr. Jacob recently visited all six poultry projects to evaluate their progress and impact on the family's nutrition. He was delighted to see very healthy chickens and lots of eggs. All the project owners reported that the eggs were adding much needed protein to their diets and they were also able to trade some eggs for other food items such as cooking oil and corn meal. EL Malawi hopes to continue this amazing program and has already identified the next recipient.
A few months ago, when the Basic Needs Program supplies were delivered to an elderly couple who had very little support, the team met their neighbor Mrs. Mafe. She does her best to help this couple despite the challenges she faces. She and her husband have had very little formal education, so both of them look for daily piecework to support the family and help their elderly neighbors. She helps them with a few chores and also walks to the water source to draw and bring water to them. A chore they can no longer do.
Basic Needs Program
For the people living in the villages of Dima, Mphonde and Chimutu, the struggle for sufficient daily food is always a challenge. Finding sufficient piecework, like gardening or working in a field is sometimes difficult to procure. The water source is too far to carry to water even a small garden.
When funds are available to purchase food for families in need, Mr. Jacob and his team pray over the funds and asks for wisdom in determining which families to bless. This is a very difficult decision when the need is so great, but Jacob's stories always tell of a blessing that arrives just in time. The Lord guided him to the elderly grandparents that are Mrs. Mafe's neighbors where they found them boiling a few vegetables - their meal of the day. Mafe was sad that she had nothing more to give them but rejoiced with them as the food supplies were presented.
ELI hopes that you will consider a gift of any amount to the Basic Needs Program. It meets a very real immediate physical need and comforts hearts and souls with the knowledge that God loves and cares about them.
Mrs. Mafe has four children: Joy age 5, Latire age 10, Mayamiko age 13 and Tiwonge age 18. Tiwonge had to drop out of school to help her parents and this is a great sadness for both her and her parents.
Mr. Jacob was very impressed with Mafe's compassionate heart and how hard she and her husband work to provide for their family and their elderly neighbors. He knows that a poultry project for this family would greatly improve their life and perhaps Tiwonge can return to school.
Please pray about a gift of $500 to build Mafe's poultry project, and perhaps for something extra to the Basic Needs program. This family could use some help until the project is built and the hens are producing eggs.
It was a joy for us to share the faces and stories of the people you bless with your prayers and financial gifts. So many lives are impacted because of your generosity. Thank you.
Mr. Jacob and his Malawi team hope to take the Jesus Film to a new village location once a month. They know that hundreds of people will attend the showing and hear Gospel - many for the first time. The cost of the fuel and food is $400 per trip; our prayer is that many trips will be sponsored.
Mr. Kenneth in Zambia recently sent the following message to the ELI US Board. It blessed and encouraged our hearts and we know it will yours too. Thank you again for all your prayers and gifts. We are hopeful that Mafe will be blessed with a poultry project and many widows, children and elderly people will receive a month's supply of groceries, and maybe a blanket or two to make dirt floors a bit more comfortable.
We hope that you will consider a gift of any amount that will help support our programs and allow us to keep expanding our outreach.
Dear Mama Lana and the Board,
On behalf of everyone at Susu Community Library, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your incredible support and unwavering commitment. Your generosity is transforming many lives in our community by giving children and families access to education, hope, and opportunities for a brighter future.
Susu Community Library has truly become a life-changing center because of your kindness and belief in our vision. Every book, every program, and every smile from the children is a testimony to the impact of your support.
Thank you for standing with us and investing in the future of our community. May God richly bless you all as you continue to change lives.
With sincere appreciation,
In Zambia we say (twatotela)
Kenneth Kumwenda
Thank you for partnering with ELI to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.
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