Mission trip to Malawi was 'incredible'
Hello All!
First off, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for contributing to my trip to Malawi. I cannot express how thankful I am for your willingness to help me, both financially and prayerfully. With that said, let me fill you in on our month spent in Malawi!
We visited Lilongwe schools our first week
Our first week in Malawi was spent in Lilongwe with the National Pastor of Gospelink, Booker Banda. Booker is one of the greatest people I have ever met. From the minute we arrived at his house, we were treated like family. We learned about his years spent in the ministry, as well as gaining countless points of wisdom from him.
During our time with Booker, we traveled to schools, where we were welcomed and encouraged to preach. We shared our testimonies, performed skits, and sang songs. We met a lot of students, and were able to encourage them to continue with their education.
1,000 Makanjila villagers came to see The Jesus Film
After our stay in Lilongwe, we traveled to Makanjila, a Muslim village on the border of Mozambique. Makanjila is located on Lake Malawi, and is a prominent fishing region.
This village had never been visited by white people, and was the most remote area we saw during our time in Malawi. While in this village, we had no electricity, no running water, and no bathrooms. We slept in tents in front of the chief headman’s house, and only had communication through our translators that came with us. During the day, we would travel throughout villages around the area and preach to the large groups of people that would come to listen. Then, at night, we would set up a projector, screen, and generator, and show The Jesus Film.
On our first night showing the film in this area, nearly 1,000 people came to watch. It was an incredible sight to see; hundreds and hundreds of people who had never seen a film in their lives, watching the life of Jesus in their own language. They loved that Jesus was a fisherman, and erupted in applause when he rose from the dead. After the film, we would explain what they had seen, and pray for those who wanted to accept Christ, as well as those who were sick or hurting. Every day, we would preach in the mornings, play with the kids in the afternoons, and show the film at night. Each night, people accepted Christ, and at the end of our stay, we were told that 18 new members had joined the local church.
After our stay in Makanjila, we traveled to the Gospelink Training Center for a week-long stay. The Gospelink Training Center is used for teaching locals how to farm, as well as training pastors. It is built very similar to an American farm; we stayed in a two-story house with an American couple that is stationed there for the summer. There are houses on the property where the workers live, as well as a barn that is used to store the crops they sell.
While at the training center, we built a sand volleyball court and ping pong table for the workers, as well as learned a lot about farming in the area. Because we arrived at the peak of rice harvesting season, we were able to learn how to harvest, how to sell, as well as learned about the struggles with farming in such a remote and poverty-stricken area.
We were able to learn a lot from the workers there, and build many relationships. We got to play with the children from the local village every night, and picked up a lot of the local language, Chichewa.
Our week at Leatha Orphanage was life-changing
After a week at the training center, we finally made our day-long journey to the Leatha Orphanage. It took a 45-minute drive off the paved roads through the bush to reach, but once we got there, we were blown away by what we saw. Thomas Tambula is a 61-year-old pastor that owns about 6 acres of land. He cares for 29 orphans from the age of 3 to 15. He has three houses on his property where the orphans stay that consist of dirt floors, straw mats, and mosquito nets that all of the children sleep under. His property is surrounded by rice fields, which brings in a lot of the profit that helps him support the orphans. The children are fed three meals a day consisting of rice and beans, and walk about 4 miles each day to primary school.
We spent our time getting to know the children; from sun up to sun down, we spent every moment we could with those children. Whether we were playing games, reading stories, flying kites, playing soccer, or sitting watching the sunrise, we always had a child by our side. They would fall asleep on our laps around the fire at night, and grab our hands as we walked through the fields. By the end of our stay, it was nearly impossible to leave.
Our week at the orphanage was life changing. It is hard to put into words how much these children impacted my life. Their courage and love for the Lord is undeniable. We traveled to Malawi not knowing what we would find. We had no idea what The Leatha Orphanage would be like, but could not have imagined anything better.
Our time in Malawi was incredible. The Lord worked in miraculous ways, and changed each one of our hearts. From preaching to thousands, to holding a malaria-stricken child in my arms, to celebrating my birthday on top of a mountain, our trip was truly an experience we will never forget. I am so thankful for all of your support. I pray that the Lord will continue to work in my heart, and that my desire to share the love of Christ with the people of Malawi will only continue to grow. Thank again St. Mark's for all you have done!
Katie Kascel