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Zambia, Africa

ZAM18a - Samfya Bible School

• View report dated: May 15, 2018

• View report dated: May 31, 2023

• View report dated: July 16, 2024

• View report dated: July 22, 2025

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Report Date: May 5, 2026

Update from Samfya Bible School

Key People: Wathabu Samuel Mululu and Joseph Mutale 

Recent Events

Maize Grain Sales

I wanted to share a brief update on the maize grain sales. This year, the sales turnover in Mwewa has been very slow, likely due to higher supply against lower demand. This has resulted in reduced selling prices, which affected our earlier projections.  

However, with our new strategy, we managed to collect and transport much of the grain to Samfya. Thankfully, the market here has been overwhelmingly positive. This has eased the pressure we were facing, and we have just finished selling. This season, sales were from two locations—Samfya and Mwewa. We have not yet fully reconciled with George from Mwewa as he fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. However, we collected 255 bags of 50kg each from Mwewa and transported them to Samfya. Sales from Samfya alone amounted to K96,950. 

Bible School Farm

On the farm side, broiler margins for the year have generally been low. That said, we have still managed to cover all farm expenses through farm activities. 

We are encouraged that 2026 has started on a positive note—we have already sold two batches, and one of them generated a healthy profit of K14,111 (US$750). From these profits, the farm was able to support Samfya Bible School Ministry with K4,000.

Milton, the previous farm supervisor, is no longer with us, as he has been offered employment with the government. His colleague Emmanuel, a former Samfya Bible School student, has since taken up the supervisory role of the farm and is doing a good job.

Church Extension Programme

The extension programme makes theological training accessible to rural believers, equips them with ministry and life skills, and strengthens local churches through discipleship and leadership development. Over the years, it has also played a vital role in identifying and preparing leaders for the on-campus foundation program in biblical studies at Samfya Bible School.

Measuring the impact of our ministry in numbers can be challenging, but the life transforming testimonies we witness among individuals and families speak volumes. Through these stories, we can confidently affirm that the Lord’s work is effectively changing lives, encouraging love, deepening faith, and building stronger relationships.

Traditionally, rural norms have often kept husbands and wives from attending training together, with women expected to remain in the kitchen and care for children. Yet, we are witnessing a remarkable shift. Couples are now joining classes side by side, supporting one another in both ministry and family life. This change not only strengthens marriages but also enriches the spiritual growth of entire households, showing us that God’s Word is reshaping cultural patterns and bringing unity in service.

This year we have managed to start 10 new classes in rural areas around Samfya, and we may add five more classes due to the demand. The problem is the financial pressures to add more classes.

Thank you for the continuous support of finances and bemba bibles. We really appreciate it.

- Pray for provision.

- Intimacy with the Lord.

Personal Stories

Lazarus

The hunger for growth! Lazarus, one of our former students, refused to miss the extension work retreat. Even without a tube in his bicycle tyre, he improvised—stuffing old tyres into a better one—and cycled over 70 kilometres just to be part of the learning.

Once he arrived, we of course helped him to fix his bicycle tyre!

 

Prayer Points

1) Staff: Pray for God to raise up more laborers in the field, strengthening the current staff with wisdom and endurance

2) Finance: Ask for God’s continued providence and sustaining grace during these difficult economic times

3) Students: Pray that students will adapt well, grow spiritually, and discover God’s purpose for their stay at the school

4) Programmes: Lift up the discipleship extension work and on-campus programs, asking for God’s provision and fruitfulness in every effort.

 

Comments

In rural Zambian villages, studying God’s Word is both privilege and sacrifice. Students leave behind families, fields, and familiar rhythms of village life to be trained in Scripture.

One shared, “It is an act of courage and faith. I don’t know how my family will be looked after, yet I trust God as I prepare to return equipped with His Word.”
Another said, “It is one of the greatest satisfactions of the heart—finally learning how to interpret the Bible is beyond words.”

These testimonies reflect the heart of Samfya Bible School’s mission: training rural ministry leaders who will not migrate to cities, but return to their villages and churches, bringing light and truth where it is most needed. Their courage is for the communities they serve, planting seeds of faith that will bear fruit for generations.

Let us continue to pray that their desire for the Word grows stronger, and that their training equips them to faithfully serve in rural Zambia, ensuring the Gospel remains rooted where it is most needed.