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Chitenges, Chalk, and the Catechism
By Caroline VanDyken
On Tuesday afternoons, I follow a winding path down to a small village set within the larger village of Nkhoma Mission. At the path’s end are the homes and gardens of the seminary students of Josophat Mwale Theological Institute, named to honor one of Malawi's first ministers. The seminary is located on the other side of Nkhoma, but here, surrounded by small, red-bricked homes, stands a second education building: Yoswa Women's School. This is the training center for the wives of the future pastors and the school where I have been teaching a class on the Heidelberg Catechism since last October.
There are currently 21 women enrolled in Yoswa Women's School, whose mandate is to prepare the wives of the seminary students to be godly examples, teachers, and leaders in the communities their husbands are called to. They are equipped through a variety of classes: theology, counseling, home management, sewing, and cooking. Most of the women are mothers of young children and the location of the school within the village makes it possible for them to attend classes while their children play outside. Babies come along to class, asleep in chitenges (large, colorful pieces of fabric) tied to their mothers' backs. At the end of three years of training, the women will graduate alongside their husbands.
 Many of the classes are taught by Mrs. Agnes Chimkhoka, headmistress of Yoswa, widow of an Nkhoma pastor, and my faithful translator. I have become particularly grateful for her excellent English skills on the afternoons that she is absent and one of the students must take her place. Blank or confused expressions tell me my message is not being communicated. The education level of these women varies widely, from post-secondary degrees to others who did not finish elementary school. Their English skills generally correlate with their level of education and some understand virtually no English. And although my ability to say hello, goodbye, and a few other phrases is greatly appreciated by Malawians, that ability is the extent of my Chichewa. Agnes' proficiency at grasping my meaning in English and passing it on clearly to the students in Chichewa is a gift from the Lord to each one of us in the classroom.
It is an exciting challenge bringing the truths of Scripture through the structure of the Heidelberg Catechism in a way that is relevant and comprehensible to this group of African women. I have found using illustrations, object lessons, and stories in my lessons to be particularly meaningful for them. Many of the ladies have few experiences beyond their lives in small rural villages and I must always remember this when I'm teaching. As I was planning for one lesson, I thought I could explain the idea of our obedience to God's law resulting in joy and blessing by using the example of a train that only functions well when it travels as it was designed to: on its track. I was pleased with the analogy until I realized that many of my students have never seen a train!
Agnes Chimkhoka, headmistress of Yoswa
I make liberal use of the classroom's chalkboard and my limited drawing skills to illustrate various truths. A bridge labeled “Jesus” over a large chasm labeled “sin” shows how Christ our mediator makes it possible for God's people to be united with Him again. A simple sketch of some waves and two stick people, one drowning and the other lying dead on the bottom of “Lake Malawi” induces some giggles, but hopefully also increases my students' understanding of why salvation involves being born again. We are not able to call for help and reach out a hand to grasp our Savior. We are like the man dead on the bottom of the sea, unable to do anything to save himself. Our salvation is completely the work of Jesus Christ. And what a joy for this teacher to watch as a simple drawing or story causes eyes to light up with understanding and then to hear the questions the women eagerly ask, searching for more truth.
There have also been opportunities to try to bridge the gap between the white teacher and the black students; to show them that the msungus (white people) are perhaps not as different from them as they think and to help me understand them a little better. A lesson on the image of God in man teaches that for all mankind, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, powerful or weak, our true value and significance lies in our being made in the image of our Creator. A story from my life, used to illustrate a point, is always received with rapt attention. I hope these personal examples help the women understand that I, too, struggle with sin, pain, and unanswered questions. We begin and end each lesson with prayer and I am touched by their requests for rain, a good harvest, God's blessing on their school. These women have so little materially, but many of them are beautiful examples of contentedness in the richness of relationships with family and friends and thankfulness for the countless benefits they possess in Jesus Christ.
The women of Yoswa School will soon be promoted to positions of honor in the communities their husbands serve. Malawians give much esteem and distinction to their leaders, which will provide these women with a special opportunity to teach and influence their neighbors. May the Lord use Yoswa School to build its students up, imparting new skills, knowledge, and wisdom. And may each woman be equipped to share the deep comfort she knows in being not her own, but belonging to her faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
Caroline Van Dyken is volunteering in Malawi with her husband Scott and children. They are members of Trinity Orthodox Reformed Church, in St. Catharines, Ontario. They will be returning home, God willing, this summer. The Yoswa Women’s school is not funded by Word & Deed.
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