Laura's trip to Africa: Malawi...The Warm Heart of Africa!

So as you may have heard, I have just returned from a 2 week trip to Malawi. This was definitely a life changing experience. I went with a team of 20 people. From there we split into 5 teams (1 large medical team & 4 smaller teams). I was on a small team of 3 with 2 translators. My team visited 8 villages. We went into these villages and showed the Jesus film, taking breaks to give personal testimonies. After the film we worked with the local pastor and offered a response time where people could come and pray the salvation prayer. The morning after the film we had a follow up service where we taught the people basics of Christianity (praying, Holy Spirit, salvation, etc.). I was in charge of journalism for my team. Basically I took pictures, video, and recorded the numbers from each village we visited.


Our overall group leader said that I have all the good stories from the trip. I might have to agree. Anything that can happen to someone on a mission trip, happened to me! My car got stuck in a ditch. I had to walk 5 mi. in the dark to a village where the girls leading us didn't speak the common language (Chichewa). I ran out of fresh bottled water & had to wait to fill my bottles up at a water well. The first projector we used broke at one of the first villages, so we had to visit 2 others without showing the Jesus film. The car broke down & we had to push it, with the help of villagers, about 6 mi. up & down hills. It took us 3.5 hours in the blazing sun! I got sick for 3 days from some sort of bacteria I picked up in one of the villages. And my bag is still somewhere south of the equator, possibly in South Africa!





Despite all the bad things that happened, this trip was fantastic & life changing! I will admit that there were times I wanted to give up & go home, but God showed me his power & control by coming through for us every time! I think that going through all of those difficult things helped me to see God's love for people & his power to overcome everything that comes up against us. I've heard of his love & power all my life, but actually seeing & experiencing it was amazingly reassuring!! He really is almighty and so powerful! Being a musician myself, I was really amazed by how much the people worshiped. They constantly praised God by singing & dancing, which really blessed me and brought me to tears a few nights. I wish I had a video to put up here for you to hear their beautiful voices, but at this moment I don't. Their songs were perfectly harmonized and the rhythms were incredible! It just amazed me! Most people don't get to experience worship like I experienced in Malawi. These people have nothing in comparison to the material items we have here in the USA. It seemed to me that they worshiped wholeheartedly (which most Americans don't). So many times we take things for granted & get caught up in our daily lives that we don't slow down to soak in the things that God has for us.



I'm not sure what else I can say about the trip. My life was greatly affected and changed through the people I met and the ways they touched my life. I went into the trip thinking I would bless the people of Malawi, which I did. However, I think I was even more blessed by the Malawians! I will never forget the people I met and the villages I visited. I know that I will always carry these memories & experiences with me. I hope to visit Malawi again & I hope that some of you get the chance to experience it as well. It has forever changed my life! The pictures I have posted will not really do any justice to the actual beauty of the country or the people. But hopefully it will give you somewhat of a glimpse into the life I experienced for 2 beautiful weeks! Thank you all for your support in funding & prayers!! I love you all!!

Laura