Everyone on Team Fellowship agrees, our in Malawi is what we expected the entire 11 months to be. We slept under mosquito nets, used squatty potties, took bucket showers, and ate in the dark. Best of all, we became part of a Malawian family and village. I loved Haiti and South America, but we had many of the amenities of the 1st world (except hot showers). Often I felt like part of the lower class in those places because I wasn’t eating at the best restaurants and wearing the latest fashions like a lot of the people we met. However in Malawi, no matter how modest I was in speech or dress, I was aware of my privilege at all times.
It was hard in many ways living in Malawi as an American. There was constant conflict within me of when to help and when to refrain from helping because ultimately I would cause damage with my good intentions. Every day people stared at us, sometimes for hours at a time because we were a novelty. Families begged for money, work opportunities, and food because their nation is poor and ours is rich. People laughed because we were the ridiculous Americans that weren’t accustomed to holes in the ground and cooking meals on charcoals. I listened to many sermons and speeches about how we as individual Americans should give more because by default we have more. Constantly being singled out was tiresome. Many days I wanted to go home not for the material comforts, but for the comfort of an untested faith that allowed me for so many years to easily believe in God’s abundant grace and mercy.
Malawi is without a doubt is one of the most monetarily poor countries in the world and the people know it. But the people of Malawi are not poor in spirit. There is a joy that I have found in every person that I don’t quite understand but definitely feel and it was contagious. We only knew one person in our village who owned a car. Most did not have running water or electricity and those who did could only utilize them a few times a week due to constant power outages and shortages in clean water supplies. Over 95% of the people in the churches we visited had never owned or read the Bible yet they praised the Lord and prayed with fervor in the church daily, at 4:30 am, 5 pm and sometimes 11pm. Every time we joined them or led them in worship and prayer it was impossible to be in a bad mood no matter the time of day or how tired we were when we walked in the door.
Our time in Malawi highlighted in my mind the power of prayer. Our brothers and sisters in Christ in this part of the world are literally sustained by prayer. Most of the time we attended service on a plot of land staked out for a church to be built one day in the future when they have the money. There were at most 4 Bibles in circulation and 2 were in English which few people spoke or understood. There were no pews or chairs (unless rented from another nearby church), no fancy sound system or electricity, no meals after service, or bread and juice/wine for communion. Still people in the congregation led worship songs during every service whether part of the choir or not. Everyone took part in thanking and uplifting the name of the Lord daily.
I laughed, danced, and sang more while in Malawi than at any other time on the Race so far. Having more than enough had its benefits, but I saw how having less allowed the light of God to shine through the brightest. Though we came here to help preach and teach, we have been sweetly humbled and forced to learn what means to “worship God in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).
We were in Malawi during the worst flooding in years which caused thousands of homes to collapse and destroyed the crops that were to feed much of an already starving country. Rains also brought more mosquitoes which brought malaria and other diseases. Yet during our time there I saw nothing that resembled self-pity or despair. Instead I only saw the practical application of Romans 12:12 which tells us to “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
The joy and resilience of the Malawian people left a lasting impression on my heart and mind. I know we were a blessing to our friends and family in Malawi but sometimes I think we were more blessed by having met them in their home country. God is faithful and just even in the midst of man-made poverty and natural disasters. I hope somewhere inside of me that my faith and joy have increased after having visited Malawi, and that my selfishness and doubt have decreased. May I hereafter remember to give God the praise and glory in all circumstances!
