Final Thoughts

We are glad to be home but also glad to have been privileged to have been able to be a part of this trip. We talked about some of the things we missed, will not miss. We missed our families and friends, our own beds and familiar food. We didn’t miss TV, cell phones or e-mail. We will not miss passport wallets, malaria pills or mosquito nets. We learned some new words, like “Zicomo”, Thank you and “Nzunga” which means White Person. We talked about how this has been a life-changing experience and we will each process it differently and in a different time frame. One evening Kari mentioned that she was excited to see how the trip will impact each of us in the future, especially the 8 in our group who are 30 and under and have not fully established their life’s path. Only time will tell what and how wide the impact will be.

I hope I have brought you enough information so that you’ve gotten a taste for our group’s experiences but not so many that you only get the ingredients without the overall flavor. Malawi showed us that it is truly “The Warm Heart of Africa.” We experienced it over and over. We stuck out as a group of visitors but I never felt unsafe or threatened. Each of us has a different view of what we saw and experienced and each will process these experiences in different ways and at different times. On behalf of the team, I want to thank each of you who supported us in so many different ways. Your prayers lifted and held us up and lightened our feet when they tired. For that we are grateful. It was always comforting to know there were many who cared actively for us. This beautiful country has many and tremendous needs which we saw as overwhelming. Where do you start? Please take time to talk to the team members. We will try not to dominate the conversation but will try to share what we’ve seen and experienced.
We believe that the Y-Malawi organization is a viable one to help to not only improve individual lives but to impact them for the Gospel. This is why we came and our goal has always been to support those already on the ground here and not impede or interfere with what they are doing. Please do your research and see where you should plug in, whether in an organization that works in Malawi or somewhere else, it is important that each of us reaches out beyond our own walls. We have seen that things aren’t enough but God is enough and his timing is always perfect no matter our plans.

Thank you for reading.