I feel so fortunate to have spent a week on a mission trip in Africa in May and June.
It was our second time in Malawi and the people there will capture your heart in a matter of seconds. They are supremely grateful for what they have, which is very, very little. We’re miserable with everything. They’re grateful for almost nothing.
Their desire for God is deep, begging for Bibles in their language. Their kindness is palpable; every small hut you visit gives you royal treatment. They lay out their best mat or chair and show kindness we have trouble understanding.
The villages in the middle of nowhere are filled with people waking up to survive, yet smiling. The country is beautiful. The people are amazing. We were invited to take part in a ministry where they feed orphans and widows. It’s one of maybe two times a year the people in the village eat what we would consider a very small portion of meat. It’s a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal to them, but what we have three times per day back in the States.
The travel is tough. There are challenges to get from village to village. Sometimes there’s power and warm water, sometimes not. You’re skipping lunch and don’t realize it. You’re exhausted, but don’t need sleep. It’s a sacrifice worthy of a little inconvenience. The challenges of our journey there and back can be very difficult, but nothing comparable to their everyday lives.
To share the experience with my church family and new friends is a blessing beyond words. You go there to give, but what you receive is immeasurable.
by Brandon Speck – Mission trip Participant
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