Coffee Klatch for Malawi: My Mission Trip

MISSION TRIP TO MALAWI, "THE WARM HEART OF AFRICA"
NOVEMBER 7 - 18, 2006 - BY JUNE

Why did I go to Malawi, Africa? Why Africa?

I had just returned from a Mission Trip to Mexico, in February 2006, and was attending a small group, Living Prayer. The group members had lots of questions about the Mexico Mission. As I had been so blessed I was very excited as I retold my experience. Someone asked me if I would go on another mission trip and where. My answer was YES, and the place was Africa. I was thinking Sierra Leone, as I did not know there was a Malawi trip planned. A few days later Fran approached me, and the rest is history. Fran said there were four airline seats left, three more would be added later. The nature of the Mission Trip was to assess need, educational, medical, irrigation, planting, and nutritional, as seen by the people of villages along Mission Road. I felt that I could add to this mission with my spiritual experience, education, missionary work, and Social Work skills.

ARRIVAL IN MALAWI

Eight months later we arrived in Malawi, Africa and joined up with groups from Minnesota and Saskatchewan. Fortunately all fourteen of our suitcases of donated items arrived safely. When combined with the other members of the group there were 44 suitcases, maybe more, filled with supplies. We were met at the Airport by staff from the

MVUU Camp to start our overland trip of five hours, by bus, and then by boat, arriving in time for dinner. It had been a very long few days. For the next week we would travel everywhere, first by boat and then by pick-up truck.

TOUR OF AREAS TO BE ASSESSED

After breakfast the next morning, we set out to familiarize ourselves with projects along mission road, then on to the job site where the Nanthomba Primary School was being built. With much excitement everyone jumped out of the truck and immediately started to move the mounds of bricks into stacks for the bricklayers to cement in place, pushing wheelbarrow loads of cement mixtures and anything else we could do. The children were dismissed from school and were very excited. They also began to help moving the bricks. They could be heard singing and laughing along with the workers who were wonderful with the children. This exciting work proceeded into the scorching hot afternoon.
Each morning, we left Camp at 7 am to go to the work site. It soon became clear to us, that even though we were really keen, we could not continue to do manual labour in the 40+ C heat of the afternoon, so we left the building site at 1 pm for lunch. After lunch we worked at the Camp on various tasks, and sorted out the contents of the luggage into school and medical supplies. Smaller teams were formed to visit the schools and medical center to assess what the villagers saw as needs.

MISSION TRIP TO MEDICAL CENTER

On the first day we visited the abandoned Medical Center with a vision of hiring help and opening it for operation. It soon became apparent that this was going to take some time, hard work and a lot of money and would need to be done at a later date. A particular concern was the lack of electricity, the supply of which would be necessary before significant progress could be made. This needed to be discussed with the village chiefs and overall government, we would have to wait for now.

Three trips were taken to the existing Medical Center in Ulongwe, 20 kilometers away, an hour's drive, to assess need, in particular, medical supplies they deemed necessary. We spoke to three staff members and left a number of suitcases filled with supplies for them. More suitcases of supplies were sent on the following two assessment trips.

MISSION TRIP TO - NANTHOMBA PRIMARY SCHOOL

A new school was being built for the children. The cost of supplies, bricks, cement etc. was paid for by the donation money we raised and sent beforehand. As there was no building yet, and the sun was scorching they were being taught in the church and had some of their classes in the shade in the yard. A blackboard was propped against the wall as the teacher taught the children. The children were orderly and attentive. A little boy, about one and a half years old, climbed up on my lap to listen as well. This was a memorable occasion for me as I sat there and listened to the children’s input. I thought how wonderful that a Volunteer Teacher would put so much energy into teaching these beautiful children. Even though these were the same children that crowded around us after school, while I sat there, their attention was on the task at hand of learning.
Part of our investment with these five volunteer teachers was to sponsor two teachers to study to qualify for their Teaching Certificates. Part of the sacrifice for these two teachers would be that they would have to leave the village for one year of study to attend Teacher’s College in a city that was far away from the villages. It is hoped that all five volunteer teachers will be educated at Teacher’s College over time. This will become a Ministry of Education school, where all teachers will eventually be required to be qualified. I am pleased to say that we broke some ground in this regard on this trip. Prayer is needed for the teachers and this initiative.
My dream is that eventually we will be able to put in a Breakfast Program in this and surrounding schools to provide nutrition for the children, especially during times of famine. The children attend school from 6:30 am and are dismissed at 11:30 am, due to the scorching heat of the day. It is a long day if one is hungry.

MISSION TRIP TO EXISTING SCHOOL

In all, three teams of people went to the existing school on three different occasions. This was an older structure with classrooms, six teachers some with desks, others without furniture and few supplies.

On my first trip to the existing school the staff was wonderful. They were grading examinations, but took the time to answer our questions. The children were playing on the playground, and we recognized many of them from the school, the church service, the feast, and just walking along the road as we went to and from the building site. Their beautiful smiles, friendliness, warmth and vulnerability were very evident, and I knew we had to be sensitive and not hurt these children when we left to go home by not promising what we could not deliver.

Later that week we returned with school supplies. The children were happy. They would shake our hands, introduce themselves with their limited English and ask our names. On this trip we were invited into a classroom while the students sang and danced. We also visited a typical classroom where the children sat on the floor, as there were no desks and I saw no evidence of paper, pencils and school supplies.

We returned a third time on graduation day for the children. Parents, leaders in the community, and the Minister of Education attended this special day. The children performed, dancing and singing. Three of our team were invited to present special papers to the top students who graduated from each form. This was an exciting day as the teachers said that they had nothing to give the children until we brought our gifts of supplies. The remaining supplies were to be distributed to the orphan children at the new school year in January. There was much pride displayed. I was honoured to be part of this celebration.

CHURCH SERVICE AND FEAST FOR 2000

The church service on the Sunday was an amazing experience. The chapel was full of people and the service lasted two hours. No one could move. The music of both choirs, especially the Women's Choir brought tears to my eyes. The volunteer teachers were evident in both choirs. The sermons were rousing and inspiring, and were translated for our benefit. I will mention here that the thatched roof of the church was damaged. The money required to replaced it was provided by one of the members of the Minnesota Church after our return. After the church service we went to the Feast where we were honoured with music, dance and song. 1000 were expected but approximately 2000 were fed. The feast lasted a few hours and a number of the team walked back to the boat to be taken back to the Camp. What a day!!!! What a people!!! Amen, I could hardly do justice to the wonder of this mission and the overwhelming need of the people of this village, which is truly "The Warm Heart of Africa". Thank you Linda for asking me. The chance to write has given me a new resolve that this mission must be repeated over and over again until we make more progress.