4th October 2018 was the day I was told I was going to Malawi (the day after my birthday) it was the best birthday present I could have ever asked for, God really took my breath away with that one. About 2 weeks later I was on my way to Pre Departure Training to meet the team I would be going away with, I was super excited but overwhelmed with nerves at the same time. But we clicked instantly. These 6 girls are incredible and I’m so blessed that God gave me such an amazing group of girls to go on this journey of personal strength and faith with.
You will notice there are only 5 other girls excluding me in this picture that is because the lovely Ester was unable to make it to the Pre Departure Training week but I promise you she is here with us
In the days leading up to leaving I began to get extremely nervous and scared for the placement. I was kept up at night sometimes due to the fact I was shaking with nerves. If you know me then you’ll know I’m not a nervous person at all, and I love flying but for some reason I was terrified. I was thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong instead of focusing on the real reason I was going. For God. Once I focused on the fact that this wasn’t for my benefit but for God to use me and my skills (Still not sure what my skills actually are but I know that God knows) to share his word in Malawi and be there to support the people in Malawi in their faith the best I could.
First full day 16/03/19. With a 6am wake up after almost 2 days of travelling it was a very early difficult start. We headed off to ABC Bible College to pick up the students we would be volunteering with at the 6 Ministry of Hope centres throughout our time here. Once we got to the children’s centre they welcomed us with open arms and invited us up 1 by 1 to introduce ourselves through dance which they do as part of their culture. Around 100 children were there from ages 2-15 when we first arrived. Throughout the day more and more children began to arrive and by the end there were roughly 500 children. When talking to one of the ABC students, Mike, he explained to me that these kids come to see us – white people. He told us that some of these kids walk for miles to see us when they heard we were at the centre. We could not believe that these kids wanted to see us so badly. He also told us “it is a privilege to have you girls with us. It gives these kids hope and encourages them in their faith”. We were blown away to think that us coming over here just for a few months would make such an impact on these kids. It was an incredibly surreal experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Obviously a lot more happened during the day but I’ll be here forever if I explain it all.
The next day (Sunday – 17/03/19) we attended an English church service at 7am and were called to the front and welcomed into the church. It’s very different from churches at home but it’s so interesting to experience. We got the afternoon off and got to relax and chill as a team which was lovely
The utter love, faith and passion these people have in God is so inspiring to see. The fact they have so little compared to us and yet are so happy and make the most of everything they have is heartwarming to witness. I finally understand why they are called “Ministry of Hope”. They have such hope in every situation. They had asked us to share with the children in our group a time in our life when we had suffered/struggled . And as I sat in my group I honestly couldn’t think of anything bad in my life that could compare to the things these children go through every day. It all seemed so minuscule to their problems. It really opened my eyes, I know I am extremely privileged to have what i have in life but it really hit home when I saw these peoples lives and how little they have but what a love they still have for God through it all and they don’t complain about anything. I’m so excited to learn a lot from the people and children here and it’s only been a few days.
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