Malawi, Africa

Pastor Wisick Jeffrey (pictured with his wife) of Malawi is a member of the Yao tribe, a people group of two million people, which is predominantly Muslim due to historic contact with Arab slave traders. While he was growing up, Jeffrey became friends with children who attended Sunday school at a local Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA)—Malawi congregation. He accepted their invitation to go to Sunday school with them. Over time, the Holy Spirit worked through the gospel message Jeffrey heard in class and he began confirmation instruction. At about the same time, his mother began to pressure him into memorizing passages from the Koran. On the day of his confirmation, Jeffrey told his family his intentions to convert to Christianity. His family then refused to help pay for his schooling.

Eventually Jeffrey continued his education in the town of Zomba, where Deverson Ntambo, the first Malawian pastor of the LCCA—Malawi, was serving. Ntambo is also from the Yao tribe, and he gave Jeffrey the encouragement and Christian guidance that was missing in his life. Ntambo encouraged Jeffrey to consider studying for the ministry and began taking him through the LCCA’s pre-worker training courses. Jeffrey was ordained in 2008 and currently is serving at Kanyepa Lutheran Church, the oldest LCCA congregation in Malawi.