A Letter from Jeremy and Luta Garbat-Welch, serving in Malawi
Spring 2022
Write: Jeremy Garbat-Welch
Write: Luta Garbat-Welch
Individuals: Give online to E132192 in honor of Jeremy and Luta Garbat-Welch’s ministry
Congregations: Give to D500115 in honor of Jeremy and Luta Garbat-Welch’s ministry
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Dear friends and supporters,
“Mulibwanji?”
If you make any attempt to learn a language, on the list of first things to learn are greetings. “Mulibwanji” means “how are you” in Chichewa and is one of the first things I (Jeremy) learned how to say upon arriving in Lilongwe eight years ago.
The Garbat-Welchs in their garden in Malawi.
A lot of things have happened during those years! Luta and I redefined our roles and job descriptions halfway through, but the general direction of our work and ministry has stayed the same throughout. Luta focused on CHE (Community Health Evangelism), mentoring the CHE trainers and helping build their capacity. I focused on the existing CCAP chaplains, learning from them about their settings and ministries, sharing my relevant knowledge and experience, and encouraging them as they built their own departments and worked for recognition in their synods.
“Ku nyumba ali bwanji?”
“How are things at home?” If you get a bit more advanced in Chichewa learning, you will quickly learn that the basic greeting is often not enough. There are a variety of ways to greet people and find out how they’re doing. It is not uncommon to ask people about their homes and family.
The suddenness with which we announced our end of mission service has prompted many similar questions from our friends and supporters. A common question is, what’s next for the Garbat-Welchs? Right now, we are casting wide the nets as we discern where God would have us be next. We are grateful to be able to return to the house and routines in Kentucky that we had developed during the two years trapped away from Malawi during the pandemic. We are picking those up for now while we go through the grind of job hunting.
“Tsalani bwino! Muyende bwino!”
Many outtakes were required to get a decent family photo!
If you say hello, you eventually say goodbye. “Stay well! Travel well!” We said this a lot in the past eight years. And we said it a lot in the past few months as we said farewell to our colleagues and friends. We hope to see them again, but as always, the future is not known to us.
We have greatly appreciated all of your support. Your financial gifts, your prayers, your emails and conversations enabled us to go and live in Malawi and work with the CCAP. They strengthened and nourished us through the good times and hard times. The opportunities to visit you, whether in person or virtually, were always a blessing. Thank you so much for your support of God’s Mission and for supporting us.
Those who wish to continue meaningful connection to partners in Malawi, such as we helped to nurture, should consider partnering with Rev. Cheryl Barnes. She serves as Education Facilitator for the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian in Lilongwe, with a special focus on safeguarding the rights of children and protecting young girls against violence. Gifts to support the ministry of Presbyterian mission co-worker Cheryl Barnes may be made to E132192 in honor of Rev. Cheryl Barnes.
Tidzaonana, Mulungu akalola. See you later, God willing.
Jeremy (for the Garbat-Welch’s)
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