Our Stories

Callie-
I have always had a heart for Africa....this will be my 4th trip and second to Malawi!  The country and people are like none other; it really is the Warm Heart of Africa.  Two years ago I was able to meet my sponsor child, Yusufu, while backpacking through Malawi.  When Flood offered a trip to Malawi, through COTN,  I knew I had to go back.  The opportunity to serve, in this capacity, along with other people from Flood is going to be a new experience for me, as my first mission trip.  I'm very excited to get to know the other people on my team on a deeper lever, and of course see how Yusufu has grown!  It's so important to me, to convey to my sponsor child (and his village), that I am invested in his future, as well as the people of Malawi.

Jason-

I've traveled the world and seen many things in my lifetime. But one of the most enlightening and empowering experiences of my life was a mission trip to Malawi in 2012. I was welcomed with the most jubilant of greetings, and overwhelmed by the presence of the Spirit. I was immersed in compassionate relationships which broke through boundaries of all proportions. I arrived with an open heart, to share and to serve, but returned with life lessons of perseverance and humility. And for that, my life had been forever changed. One year later, I now have the opportunity to build upon that amazing experience with five new brothers and sisters. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us!

Kirsten-

I am very excited to be going on my first mission trip abroad! I am looking forward to serving Children of the Nations on this trip and being able to spend time with the children in the villages through VBS, one-on-one time, playing soccer, and just hanging out with them! Learning about and being in a culture much different than my own is also something I am looking forward to. I can't wait for this 17 day adventure and to see how God is moving in Malawi! 

Daniel-

I am looking forward to our trip and learning more about Children of the Nations and the people and culture of Malawi.  I am hoping to be a blessing to my team and everyone we come in contact with in Malawi.  I have never been to Africa and I'm excited for what God will teach me through this short term missions trip.

Thanks for your prayers!

Jake-

Hello, my name is Jake Minich and I am going to Malawi for a few reasons. I've never been on a missions trip out of the country and I am really excited to spend time with followers of Jesus from another culture. For the past several years, I have been very interested in aquaculture and its potential in alleviating poverty and providing a sustainable source of protein in the developing world. Last fall while checking out a COTN info night in San Diego, I met Debbie Clark.. and she asked me why I was there and what were some of my passions or dreams. I shared with her how I would love to be able to use my skills learned in molecular biology/genetics to help fish farmers improve their yields and potentially get new farms started. COTN actually had a fish farm for several years in Malawi but had some technical issues with it as they did not have anyone specifically trained to help keep it going. For the past 6 months, I've been networking with others in Malawi to meet with them while I'm there to learn as much as possible and make in country connections. Ultimately I will put together a feasibility outline for COTN on continuing with new aquaculture activities. There is a great demand in fish throughout Malawi and with natural populations of fish decreasing over time, there is a huge economic opportunity within Malawi for fish farming which could potentially help generate income for the orphanages not to mention provide usable skill sets for men and women in the community. The Lord told Peter 3 times to feed His sheep. As followers of Christ, there is an urgent need to take care of the family of believers for those who cannot take care of themselves. 

Taylor-

I am so excited for this adventure God is about to take me on! I've always had the desire to go to Africa but have never felt the timing was right. Year after year, I came up with reasons as to why I couldnt go, whether it be lack of money or unable to take time off of work.  Once I found out Flood was hosting a sponsorship trip to Lilongwe, Malawi this summer, I knew The Lord was calling me to go. I made the decision to put all my trust in God that He would provide the resources and the time off work to go, and He did! God is so good! I can't wait to meet my beautiful sponsor girl, Florence, who I've been writing to and supporting the past 3 years. It will be a beautiful moment to finally meet her! I pray that I am able to lavish God's love on the children and people there. In return, I know I will learn more about the character of God and his amazing grace for all of his beautiful sons and daughters!