A FOX TAIL ON FIRE IN MALAWI
- ODBM
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
Few people in Sub-Sahara Africa are More Needy than the Yao
Taken from Paul & Melinda Schlehleins Prayer Letter
We pray that the gospel spreads among the Yao Muslims in Africa like a fox tail on fire in the Philistine fields. Before that happens, it will take small, slow, unnoticed steps from faithful evangelists that are willing to die to self and preach the gospel in a dark place.
Yao in Malawi
In May, Melinda and I traveled north to survey the Yao Muslims in Lulanga, Malawi. This was my third trip there in the past year and a half. After flying into the capital (Lilongwe), we reunited with many of the missionaries and Malawian brothers there. I spoke in chapel at the Central African Preaching Academy (CAPA). The men there are doing a great work. However, we quickly pursued our chief goal of visiting the poorest and most Muslim-dominated region of Malawi— the peninsula on the easter shores of Lake Malawi, north of Makanjila town.
We continued to research what steps it would take to create a beachhead among the people there and what future missionaries would need to do to reach the Yao Muslims. It was a treat to fellowship with Pastor Paul and his wife Rachel. He oversees several churches in that region, many assemblies with leaders that are not well-trained.
Paul exhibits a humble, teachable spirit and is fluent in Yao, Chewa, and English. Some unexpected sicknesses cut short our time but the trip was again illuminating and fruitful. We continued to make contacts and learn more about costs, transportation, and language. Most importantly, my wife was able to see the place for herself.
We returned filled with joy—not smug happiness like the cat that ate the canary—but with tempered gratitude that God still uses us in this sacred task of world missions. Please pray the Lord would send missionaries to the Yao Muslims in Lulanga, Malawi.
Pray the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers to serve among the Yao.
Pray for Paul & Melinda for wisdom, open doors and clear vision as they spearhead surveys among the Yao to strengthen and establish church planting efforts among this unreached people group in Malawi. The Schlehleins have served in disciple-making, church planting and Christian Education among the Tsonga people of rural South Africa for nearly 20 years.
