Embedded Files
We add new stories and monthly updates here. We aspire to post ministry newsletters or videos quarterly.
We add new stories and monthly updates here. We aspire to post ministry newsletters or videos quarterly.
Where are the Pogues?
Where are the Pogues?
We live in Lilongwe, Malawi. Lilongwe is the capital city of the Republic of Malawi, and is located in the center of this vibrant country of more than 20 million people.
Malawi is located in southeastern Africa, along the Rift Valley. Lake Malawi covers roughly 1/5 of the country and is the size of a US Great Lake. Comparatively, Malawi is a similar size to the eastern US state of Tennessee, stood north-to-south...but with three times the people.
Malawi is known as the "Warm Heart of Africa" despite it being one of the poorest countries on the continent, and in the world.
Places to learn more about the country:
General Facts about Malawi: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malawi/summaries
10 minute weekly Malawi current events podcast: https://rorshok.com/malawi/
Pictures from Zambia - Ambassador International University and Lusaka
(Above) Ambassador International University (AIU) Graduation Ceremony and Vice Chancellor Jim Gerhart preaching a powerful message on his last weekend as an ABWE missionary serving in Zambia. AIU is an excellent institution providing theological education to students from Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi (and a few others over the past 15 years). Their programs offer biblically sound, accredited degrees and is worth checking out. AIU Website
(Above) Touring AIU campus. AIU is working to establish an egg-laying business as a way to generate income and train the students through a work study program. The aim is to improve self-sustainability for the school and for future pastors who will leave the college with a theological degree and a marketable skill.
Photo with a Zambian tribal prince, with Dr. Gary Mojer and Jim and Christal Gerhart
While in Lusaka, we visited Dr. Rodney Masona (on the AIU board) and toured the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zambia. We also visited African Christian University.
We also had some work done on our 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (below).
Pictures from Zambia - South Luangwa National Park
With Isaac - our excellent guide
African Painted Wolves
Kudu and Impalas
Guinea Fowl
Fish Eagle
Carmine Bee Eaters
October 2025 Update
Makanjira Trip
I (Brad) was blessed to travel with three other men to Makanjira, a very remote part of Malawi, in support of modular training delivered by the Central African Preaching Academy (CAPA). I served as the team’s driver, observed the CAPA training, and learned from local believers about ministry amongst the Muslim majority in that area. I hope this short video gives you a glimpse of what it was like. May we all consider what it means to count the cost, lay down our lives and follow Christ into difficult places.
VIDEO UPDATE (4 minutes): Contact us if you'd like to view the video. We won't post it publicly to protect those ministering in Makanjira. We encourage you to watch it so that you can begin praying for the training and pastors in this remote area of Malawi.
Pogue Family Update
We are now past the 6-month point in Malawi! We praise God for His grace. Over the last few months, the Lord refined our ministry plan and brought spiritual growth as well. Most notably, we are now pursuing local church membership at Lilongwe Bible Church (LBC). LBC is one of the four churches with oversight over CAPA. We are grateful for opportunities to plug into a midweek fellowship group and begin LBC membership classes this week. As CAPA's Registrar, Brad is currently working to help the faculty and staff prepare for the eventual start of formal training on our campus in Lilongwe. We continue to learn Chichewa as a family and Kayla and Seth have found a good rhythm with 4th grade homeschool.
What’s next (October/November):
- Membership at Lilongwe Bible Church
- Attend graduation ceremony at Ambassador International University, an ABWE-affiliated school in Zambia. We will also visit Lusaka and stop at a Zambian national park (belated 10th birthday present for Seth)
- 2026 Academic Year Planning and Faculty Development Sessions at CAPA
Prayer Requests:
- Biblical fidelity, steadfastness and godly wisdom for the churches and pastors in Makanjira.
- Spiritual maturity in the churches here in Lilongwe.
- CAPA’s Modular Training program to train local pastors where they are located (including Makanjira).
- Our family as we join Lilongwe Bible Church and for Christ-honoring faithfulness as we serve here.
- Our family as we travel to Zambia in late October/early November.
July 2025 Update
Much has happened since our last update. We praise God for several developments that help us settle here in Lilongwe over the past several weeks. Aside from the things mentioned below, Kayla is gaining confidence with driving around Lilongwe. Seth (and I) attest that she’s doing great! Driving in an African city is not for the faint of heart. We’ve also enjoyed getting to know the Dickerson family since they moved to Lilongwe. They are a new missionary family who joined the CAPA team at the end of June.
Container Arrived
Our container arrived on 1 July, after about 4 ½ months at sea, including stops in South Africa, India, Abu Dhabi and Mozambique. Many of our friends showed up to help unload the container on the day it arrived. After a few hours’ delay (the customs officer was stuck in a line at the bank), we were able to open the container and found our belongings in good condition. Processing the duty-free customs paperwork the following week went very smoothly. Many of you prayed for this process to go well, and God truly showed favor to us. We are now mostly unpacked. We have hosted some friends and look forward to more opportunities to share the house and hospitality.
We are learning Chichewa (Tikuphunzira Chichewa)
We started Chichewa lessons in July and are learning as a family. Generally, we will learn 3-4 days per week, 2 hours per day. Our teachers, Amess and Mable, are both excellent language tutors. We have already seen very positive reactions as we use the small amount we’ve learned so far. We’ve been reminded many times that not many folks who look like us learn their language. It’s both a joy and somewhat humbling to see Seth pick up the language faster than his parents. This is a big investment. It will unlock cultural understanding and conversations with most Malawians who live in rural areas and do not speak English. Pang’ono pang’ono...little by little.
Faithful Church Conference
The four churches associated with CAPA hosted a church conference last week (24-26 July). The 2025 Faithful Church Conference theme was the Attributes of God. We had the opportunity to attend and serve during the event. Roughly 100-150 people attended each day. The preaching and breakout sessions were very good. We pray that all the conference attendees will reflect on the truths they learned about our great God to glorify and serve Him better. Here is a link to session recordings and pictures.
What’s Next (August):
- CAPA is being assessed by the Malawi National Council for Higher Education (4-7 Aug). Accreditation depends on the result of this visit.
- Kayla and Seth start 4th Grade – Poor kid didn’t get much “summer” (winter) break
- Brad starts Fall Semester Seminary classes (Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)
- Brad begins faculty development and other prep-work at CAPA for formal training launch
- We are taking time to visit like-minded churches in Lilongwe
Prayer Requests
- Praise God that the container arrived and the customs process was smooth.
- Join us in thanking God that our adjustment here seems to be entering a new phase that has more rhythm.
- Pray for CAPA’s NCHE assessment to go well and ultimately help us train pastors most effectively.
- Pray for our diligence (and memory) as we invest in learning Chichewa.
- Please continue to pray for our faithfulness to Christ and that God might continue to guide and strengthen our relationships with other believers here.
See pictures below from the past several weeks.
May 2025 Update
Kayla, Seth and I pray that you are well. May’s update is a bit late, but it allows us to share a big praise with you. We have asked many people to pray for my Employment Permit, which was originally due to be approved in March. I received my Employment Permit Friday (Jun 6th)! We thank God for this big milestone. The timing is noteworthy, but first I want to acknowledge the many people who prayed for this permit as well as the diligence and effort by the CAPA staff, particularly Chisomo Goddia, in submitting the documentation and regularly following up over the past several months.
God’s Gracious Providence
Our sovereign God not only created all things, He sustains and orders all things big and small (Nehemiah 9:6; Proverbs 16:33; Matthew 10:29). As Christians, we reject the idea of random chance. God works all things according to His will (Eph 1:11). The shipping container with our belongings arrived on Africa (Nacala, Mozambique) this weekend. One day after the permit was granted. We need the Employment Permit to process the container as it heads toward Malawi. His timing is perfect. How these events lined up is a neat example of God’s providential grace to allow key events to occur in time related to our missionary service. Until the container arrives in Lilongwe (hopefully in June), we’re grateful to use many borrowed furniture and kitchen items from CAPA and friends.
The ups and downs I mentioned last month continue, but so does progress in settling here. We spent the last four weeks getting our long-term house fully functional with appliance purchases and many visits from plumbers, welders, carpenters, etc. We also installed a solar/battery backup system, so that we can have sufficient electricity to keep fridges going and lights on through most power outages (which occur almost daily). We praise God for the resources to install this system. We hope it will be a useful asset in ministry as we plan to start an evening bible study in our home in the coming months.
What’s Next
June/July:
- Work with shipper for container border/duty clearance and delivery.
- Continue serving at GBC and starting duties at CAPA.
- Finishing 3rd Grade (Kayla and Seth).
- Taking possession of our second vehicle (2013 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado).
- Start Chichewa lessons with our tutor, Agatha (Brad, Kayla and Seth).
- Assisting a new CAPA missionary family as they arrive in late June (The Dickersons)
Prayer Requests
- Praise God for the Employment Permit being granted.
- The ups and downs continue. Please continue to pray for all three of us, especially that Kayla and I would have wisdom and remain faithful to Christ as we learn, adapt and settle our family here.
- Pray that all three of us might connect well with the church families around us.
- Pray that God would bless GBC’s Kids Club ministry to the village children, and that more people would come labor with us as we teach these children the Bible.
- Pray that our container arrives soon without further delays.
- Pray for the upcoming conference (24-26 July) hosted by the CAPA-affiliated churches in Lilongwe
See below for pictures from the house and church events. We’d love to receive replies to our updates so we can hear how you are doing and how we can pray for you.
April 2025 Update - Ups and Downs
Our first full month on the ground in Malawi flew by! Over the course of April, the initial excitement of our arrival on the mission field transitioned into the ups and downs of settling into a very different place. God provided encouraging early ministry opportunities last month. He simultaneously grew us through many challenges that come with getting established in a foreign country like Malawi.
The “Ups” for which we are thankful
The early ministry activities brought great encouragement. We joined men and women’s Bible study groups at Grace Bible Church (GBC) and are attending membership classes at the church. I observed teaching sessions during an informal training program at the Central African Preaching Academy (CAPA). In our previous email, I mentioned the GBC weekly ministry to school-age children from surrounding villages. We are now serving with others at GBC to minister to 70-110 kids each Wednesday. We praise God for this opportunity!
The “Downs” for which we are thankful
From the start, our life in Malawi has been more challenging than our life was in the US. We knew it would be. We were well-prepared as pre-field missionaries by our ABWE family and others to expect this. However much we’ve been taught, it’s still a tough transition. This hasn’t been an easy month for us.
Yet, in this we rejoice. Every trial we face here is ordained by an all-powerful, all-knowing, purposeful and good God who cares for His children. God is using these challenges to stretch and grow us (James 1:2-3; 5:11). Spiritual darkness, our lack of cultural understanding, regular power and water outages, bug infestations, dramatic price inflation, and being surrounded by extreme poverty have caused us to pray more, trust God and His Word more, and communicate more as a family.
Here are some other ways these trials are growing us:
- They expose our elevated expectations of what temporal comforts we think we “deserve.” Our hope is not in reliable electricity, or even other people’s abilities to help us. Our hope is ultimately in our resurrected Savior in the eternal life He earned for believers.
- Our cultural missteps and misunderstandings help us see our own limitations and that our own “wisdom” and “glory” falls short. All glory must go to our all-wise God.
- As the Bible says, all experiences, including trials and discouragements, are useful to sanctify believers and conform us in various ways to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).
We are compelled in our service by Christ’s love. Jesus’ ultimate condescension to save us from our sins by dying on the cross (Philippians 2:3-11) is infinitely greater than a comparatively slight change of our living conditions. The faithful and compassionate Lord placed us here and commissioned us (Matthew 28:18-20). He promised to always be with us and Scripture says He will provide what we need in real-time with new mercies each day (Lamentations 3:22-23). It is our desire to daily please God by living and serving well in Malawi, even amid trials or discouragements.
Friend, how do you view your life in light of God’s purposes, which are revealed in the Bible? Do you daily praise our purposeful God in both easy and difficult times? Pray for God to reveal where you can grow in this way.
What’s Next
Some of the big things for May/June:
- Move into our long-term rental house around the 15th. We are purchasing most of our appliances next week (possible through your generous donations!) and will live there with just a little furniture until our container arrives (ETA: June).
- Continue serving at Grace Bible Church
- 3rd Grade homeschool continues (Kayla and Seth).
- Hunt for a 4x4 vehicle and begin taking on light responsibilities at CAPA (Brad).
- Start Chichewa lessons with our tutor, Agatha (Brad, Kayla and Seth).
Prayer Requests
- Please continue to pray for all three of us, especially that Kayla and I would have wisdom and remain faithful to Christ as we learn, adapt and settle our family here.
- Pray that we would be able to connect well with the church families around us.
- Pray that God would bless GBC’s Kids Club ministry to the village children, and that more people would come serve with us as we teach these children what the Bible says about God and the gospel.
- Pray for my Malawi Employment Permit approval. It is overdue and our current visas expire in mid-June. We also need this to import our container.
- Pray that our container would arrive soon without further delays (but after the employment permit).
Kayla, Seth and I are very grateful for you. We know many of you are regularly praying for us as we get settled on the mission field. We praise God in his provision through your prayers and financial contributions to the ministry. It has also been great and timely encouragement in recent weeks when some of you have reached out to say hi. Thank you!
March 2025 Update - Ministry in Malawi Begins
We are now in Malawi!
The Lord provided smooth travel from the US on 19-20 March. Our friends from Grace Bible Church and the Central African Preaching Academy provided a very warm welcome as we arrived in Lilongwe. They've hosted us and provided us meals for this initial period in Malawi. Their thoughtfulness and efforts to help us have been an incredible blessing to Kayla, Seth and me.
The current newsletter shares details from our last weeks in the US and brings you up-to-date as our full-time missionary service in Malawi begins. Please see the prayer requests and pictures from the last two months.
We praise God that we're here in Lilongwe and beginning to worship Christ and serve His church alongside our faithful Malawian brothers and sisters! Our ministry in Malawi dawns...
Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul. - Psalm 143:8
March 2025 Update - Pre-Departure
Moni abwenzi (Hello friends),
Grace and peace from the Pogue family as we spend our final weekend in the USA and are on the cusp of traveling to Malawi.
Zikomo kwambiri (thank you very much)!
On behalf of Kayla and Seth, I praise God and sincerely thank you for your part in this journey. Your interest, support and prayers for us as we prepared for this ministry has been such a great blessing to us. It's all truly been a godsend to us! Zikomo kwambiri!
We praise God for these last few weeks of visits with friends and family and final preparations. They have been full and have flown by. We have said farewell to our family and will spend this last Sunday (16 March) at our home church. We are thankful to those friends and family who spent time with us over the last few weeks. We were pleased to provide in-person updates at supporting churches, and for the saints at Grace Fellowship (Hixon, TN) and Ramah Baptist Church (Palmetto, GA) to pray over us.
I was also given the opportunity to say the prayer to open an Alabama House of Representatives legislative session in late February. It was an honor to pray for government leaders in their midst (1 Timothy 2:1-2). We praise God that prayer remains part of the legislature’s daily schedule. Remember to regularly pray for government leaders at all levels--in the US and in Malawi.
What’s Next
We drive to a hotel near the airport in Atlanta on Tuesday and fly to Africa on Wednesday of this coming week, arriving in Lilongwe on Thursday. Kayla, Seth and I will stay in a furnished short-term rental until our belongings arrive (ETA: May-ish). We'll then move into a long-term rental house. Our brothers and sisters in Malawi are already reaching out and planning for our arrival. Their support over the next few weeks will be an incredible help to us!
We are bound to face unexpected difficulties as we transition to Africa and our new life in full-time ministry. Yet, God has already provided a church family, close friends, good accommodations, vehicles to use and other necessities on the Malawi side. God is faithful and gracious! We trust our sovereign God and are excited for this big move to serve Christ in Malawi!
Prayer Requests
- That God blesses our final few days in the USA.
- That God provides smooth travel to Lilongwe (Tues – Thursday; 18-20 March).
- That the Lord will help all three of us transition well in the first few weeks upon arrival to Lilongwe.
- That God will show favor regarding Brad’s Malawi Employment Permit (still pending approval) and with the household goods shipment.
January/February 2025 Update
Kayla, Seth and I pray that you are well as we send this update…and send our belongings to Malawi. As I type this, the packers are finishing packing and about to load our container bound for Lilongwe, Malawi (arrival estimated in early May…or so).
We praise God for the time over the past month with friends and family. We praise God and thank you for the prayers and your support towards our family and preparations for the ministry. Through your contributions, God has richly provided for both our recurring support and our relocation expenses. Thank you for your generosity!
We were fully cleared by ABWE for departure to the field at the beginning of February and our one-way flights have been booked for mid-March. Our ABWE family has been such a help and encouragement in this process. We thank God for them! In addition to move prep, I continued to prepare for my service as the Academic Dean/Administrator of the Central African Preaching Academy (CAPA) in January and early February. I participated in a very helpful workshop to learn more about teaching and curriculum tools available to the faculty at CAPA through The Masters Academy International (TMAI). Kayla and Seth continued 3rd grade homeschool until early February. Homeschool is now on pause until we arrive in Malawi.
Things have gotten very real. :)
What’s Next
We plan to spend the next month visiting friends, family and supporting churches in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. This time will be full and bittersweet, as we say goodbye to loved ones before the move overseas. Brad will travel to California for CAPA and TMAI meetings in early March. Then, after a brief tour in mid-March to see family and friends in Georgia and Tennessee, we will fly to Malawi.
How you can help: Pray!
Prayer Requests
- That God will grant Kayla and I wisdom in how to best use our time faithfully during this transition period.
- That God will help Seth during the transition from Alabama to Malawi and that Seth might know more about God’s faithfulness through this process.
- That God will show favor to us regarding the Malawi Employment Permit and Household Goods shipment processes.
- Praise God that He provided the funds necessary to get us to the field.
December 2024 Update
2024 has been an exciting year for the Pogue family! Kayla and I thank God for the grace and progress He granted this year as I retired from the military and we turned towards service in Malawi. God providentially used your prayer, encouragement and giving to help with this new trajectory. All your discussions with us about the various aspects of the ministry, your interest about how God is working in Malawi and questions regarding what our life will be like there, etc., were meaningful to Kayla, Seth and I.
Over the past month, we’ve been able to visit supporting churches as well as see some of our family during the final Thanksgiving and Christmas in the USA for a while. We also had the pleasure of hosting our friend, Allan Maganga, at our home. I look forward to serving alongside him and Pastor Kondi at Grace Bible Church in Lilongwe once Allan completes his Master's degree in education policy at the University of Pennsylvania and returns to Malawi. This week, I received word that my Malawi Employment Permit (visa) application was submitted to the immigration office in Lilongwe. We thank God for this progress and await the decision from the Malawian immigration authorities (sometime in the next 3 months...or so).
What’s Next (Jan-Mar)
Even as we make plans, we trust God and know that our times are His hands (Psalm 31:14-15; Proverbs 16:1-3). The turn of the year brings our final weeks of preparation for missionary service in Malawi. In addition to all the small, practical preparations that encompass an overseas move, we will travel to an ABWE event in Florida in January to hopefully encourage prospective missionaries and spend time with our ABWE leadership team. Lord willing, we’ll pack and send household goods in mid-February via an overseas container. It should take the container a few months to arrive in Lilongwe. In early March, I’ll attend The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) Symposium and Shepherds Conference for meetings regarding the Central African Preaching Academy (CAPA) and to spend time with CAPA supporters. Two weeks later (mid-late March), we plan to fly to our new home in Lilongwe, Malawi.
How you can help:
Prayer Requests
- That God will grant Kayla and I wisdom in how to best use our time and serve faithfully during this transition period.
- That God will show favor in the Malawi Employment Permit and Household Goods Shipment processes.
- That God would provide the remaining funds needed for our relocation.
Giving towards Relocation Costs
Please prayerfully consider contributing towards our relocation costs (estimated: $29,000). This is currently the greatest financial need, and we’re about halfway to this goal as of today. We’re very thankful for those of you who have recently donated!
You can support us via the secure ABWE website: https://give.abwe.org/worker/9202. I’ve also attached a contribution form if you prefer to mail a check. Simply follow the directions at the bottom of the form and mail it with the check. Today is a great day to support our ministry with a tax-deductible donation through our ministry page at ABWE.
We’d love to receive replies to our updates so we can hear how you are doing and how we can pray for you. Our most recent newsletter can be accessed here.
May God’s grace be with you in 2025. All glory to Christ!
November 2024 Newsletter
November 2024 Newsletter
Please find our latest newsletter [link below]. We’re about four months from our planned move to Malawi. Check out the information and photos from our activities over the last few months. See what's up next and how you can pray for and support us. I’ve also included a brief update about the work on-campus to support the formal education program at the Central African Preaching Academy (CAPA).
1 Thessalonians 5:18: Thanks be to God for all things!
There is a lot for the Pogues to be thankful for in this transition season. We praise God for the future opportunity to serve Him in Malawi. We're learning a lot now as we prepare for the mission field. We’ve been through ups and downs over the last few months. We praise God for a rental house and great training and we praise Him even for difficulties. We see how disappointments are useful to refine our understanding of God’s Word and biblical missions. We also see God using difficulties to humble and help us to trust Him more, especially His timing and provision.
We are thankful for everyone who has been praying for us. It is such an encouragement to know we have friends across the US and in other parts of the world praying for us as we prepare for the field. These prayers are key for our spiritual growth and preparation mentioned above. Please regularly refer to our prayer requests and keep praying! Let us know how we can pray for you as well.
Also, we are thankful for those who have supported our mission financially. We praise God for the way He has provided through some of you at just the right time, such as meeting the costs of our training and travel in October and November. We look forward to seeing how God will supply for the ministry going forward, particularly as we are facing the large relocation expense soon.
NEWSLETTER LINK: Pogues in Malawi Newsletter - November 2024
October 2024 Update
Malawi Prep Update (October)
Kayla and I attended training at ABWE headquarters (Harrisburg, PA) earlier in October. The “Good Soil” training supplied us with a great tool for evangelism and teaching the biblical storyline. We also attended a great class on instructional techniques called “Moving Beyond Lecture.” We enjoyed learning with Joe and Abbey, another new missionary family headed to Africa. We were also greatly helped by several conversations with faithful, seasoned ABWE missionaries, especially John, Chris and Craig. We thank God for their ministries and willingness to share with us.
A couple weeks ago, we were encouraged by the opportunity to speak to our church. We spoke to about 100 people over lunch and had a great Q&A session after the presentation. We wanted our sending church to understand what their missionaries would be doing, and feedback from the group was positive. We trust the Lord will use this to further missions-mindedness at Gateway Baptist Church.
What’s Next (Nov-Dec)
In November, we will travel to ABWE Headquarters for final in-person meetings prior to our move to Malawi (March 2025). We’ll receive additional training (including personal security) and talk to our ABWE teammates about medical, visa and financial clearances. We’ll then work on accomplishing the requirements through the turn of the year. We’ll also work to schedule our household shipment and other long-lead time things.
How can you help?
Pray. And then consider giving to support our work in Malawi. Many people donate to ministries/charities at the end of the year. Now is a great time to support our ministry with a tax-deductible donation through our ministry page at ABWE. Use the link below to provide a special gift towards our upcoming relocation costs (estimate: $29,000) and/or partner with us to meet our year-end goal for monthly recurring donations.
Prayer Requests
- That God will help us learn and grow in our faithfulness to Christ during this transition period.
- Safe travels and productive training and discussions at ABWE Departure Readiness Training.
- That God would provide the funds needed for our relocation.
P.S.: Good Soil training isn’t just for missionaries. This would be a good course to attend if you are looking for help in how to share the gospel and teach the Bible more effectively. You can find more information about it and other ABWE training courses here.
September 2024 Update
A Big Change: Brad’s Military Retirement
After 20 years and 8 days in the US Air Force, I (Brad) retired on September 1st. We are still settling into the new rhythm. We are so grateful to God for the formative experiences and growth He provided through the military career. Seminary classes (Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) and other ministry-related prep work have kept me gainfully active…and out of Kayla and Seth’s way as she homeschools him for 3rd grade.
Malawi Prep Update (Aug-Sep)
See the link below for our summer newsletter. In the last month, God provided us the opportunity to share about our mission to Malawi with churches and pastors in Tennessee and Georgia. It has been very encouraging to hear pastors’ desire to effectively and biblically further the Great Commission. Kayla and I will continue to develop these relationships with like-minded partners and promote biblical missions-mindedness with local churches. We also started regular pre-field coaching sessions with our ABWE mentor. Ken Lorow will work to keep us on track. He has his work cut out for him! Pray for him. He and his wife, Eileen, (in the picture) are a real blessing to us.
What’s Next (Sep-Oct)
We plan to speak at a church in Georgia at the end of September and then at our local church during the third week of October. Between these events, Kayla and I will travel to ABWE headquarters (Harrisburg, PA) to attend a week of training that will better equip us to practice and teach others about evangelism and celebrate the good news of the gospel.
Newsletter Link: Pogues in Malawi Newsletter - August 2024
Prayer Requests
- Thank God that He used Brad's military career to grow and equip us for missionary service.
- Ask God to help us learn and grow in our faithfulness to Christ during this transition period.
- Ask God to help us deepen our relationships with our church family, ABWE family, mission partners and supporting churches.
July 2024 - ABWE Missionary Orientation
We attended an excellent week of training at the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) Headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This ministry is a great partner for us as we prepare to serve in Malawi. We were commissioned as ABWE missionaries at the end of the training and will work with our regional leadership and pre-field coaches to prepare for the mission between now and March 2025.
We put Jesus in first place
We celebrate the gospel
We strive for a biblical family atmosphere
We pursue humble confidence
We share our lives and possessions
June 2024 - Mission Survey Trip to Malawi
Survey Trip Weeks 2 and 3 (June 20 - July 3)
We used these two weeks to fellowship with several families in Lilongwe, explore the city and evaluate what living here will be like for our family. Brad attended a church planting seminar held by Acts 29 Africa and attended by pastors from several locations across Malawi. These two weeks were very beneficial, full of warm hospitality from our friends, time worshipping with other believers, and getting a feel for the city where we will live. We thank God for the confirmation so far!
Week one highlight video
We had a smooth trip to Africa, followed by great meetings in Lilongwe with the team at CAPA, worshipping on Sunday at Grace Bible Church and a few days at Lake Malawi.
May 2024 - ABWE Doctrinal Interview Completed
May 29, 2024
Andy Kirby, the Africa regional director for ABWE, traveled to Montgomery to hold our doctrinal interview in person. It was a 2.5 hour oral interview/exam for both Brad and Kayla covering the major doctrines of the Christian faith. We passed!
We are grateful for the accountability and faithfulness to sound doctrine displayed by ABWE in this process. It was a great morning where we got to open God's word and discuss His truth with Andy, as well as Rick and Greg (Gateway Baptist Church elders). The next events are our trip to Malawi in June, followed by ABWE Missionary orientation later in July.
April 2024 - Announced as missionaries at Gateway Baptist
April 14, 2024
Brad was able to present about our mission to our local church family on Sunday, April 14th. The presentation begins around 29:40 on this livestream link.
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