Children ask for Bibles in Malawi

God’s word is changing the lives of Malawi’s children. Now more and more of them are asking for Bibles, as Alan Kember explains.

I’ve recently returned from Malawi, and this had been the situation in every church I visited. Families are too poor to buy children’s Bibles of their own, and churches often see children’s ministry as unimportant. It’s up to us to provide God’s word to these little ones, so they can learn about Jesus and grow in faith.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, and more than half the population is under 18. You see this as soon as you enter a township; there are children everywhere, barefoot, playing in the dirt, roaming in groups and jumping rubbish-strewn streams.

Many youngsters I met had few toys and not a single book at home. On Sunday, these children turn up at church in their hundreds. Volunteers do their best to retell stories from Scripture, but it’s a challenge. So for the last few years, our colleagues in Malawi have been providing children’s Bibles to Sunday schools.

These Bibles are changing the lives of children. I met Wanga (right) at his home in a Malawi township. He’s been going to church all his life, but he never really understood God’s word until a delivery of children’s Bibles arrived last year.

Now, he says, the simple language and pictures bring the stories to life – and his faith is growing. This studious, articulate boy has even preached to the congregation of 400 people since he received a children’s Bible.

Wanga invited me along, and it filled me with joy to see these children proudly read from their own Bible books. Hearing their beautiful voices sing praise to God made me more certain than ever: we must provide more Bibles to Malawi’s children.