The Beginning of a New Road

As Thursday morning rolled around, we finally had our first real break from projects and activities. Our team was wearing down from all the hard work that we had put in over the past several days, so it was a well-needed rest period for us all. After a morning of restoration and some laundry, we spent some quality time with our sponsor kids. The COTN staff had rounded up the kids and brought them over to Njewa, where we shared a cheerful meal together and simply enjoyed each other’s presence. As we butchered the language of Chichewa and tried to speak English to several children, we still had plenty of fun with card games, sports, and lots of silly hand gestures to cross the language barrier. It’s an amazing experience to just sit next to children of a completely different background and have a sensation of pure joy without fully understanding what they’re saying. Their smiles were all we needed to feel the love and spirit of God at work. Our afternoon of smiles, laughter, and interaction is something that I’ll never forget. As we ended our luncheon with our sponsor kids, we headed out to visit Chitipi, which is home to several orphans sponsored through COTN. Within Chitipi, there are two homes: one for the university students, and one for the younger children. Although I had spent much time at Chitipi during my trip last year, this was the first time I had seen the home for university students, which was established back in December 2012. The university students were out doing ministry when we visited, but the house mom was kind enough to show us around the facilities. Afterwards, we walked across the street to the children’s home that I had become so accustomed to last year. As we arrived, we were welcomed with joyful faces and outstretched hands. Hand in hand, several of the kids led us to the common room, where introductions were made and the history of Chitipi was shared. Then in typical COTN fashion, the kids displayed a showing of what they do best: dancing! It’s truly amazing to see how much fun these kids have while simply dancing to a drum beat with no music. After their performance, we spent some time just playing and talking with the kids. I had a personal objective of playing with my favorite chubby, little trouble-making buddy from last year, Thomas! And just as I had remembered, he was just as chubby, rambunctious, and cheerful as before. The fact that he was living off of water for six days and is now this fun ball of joy is something that will always bring a smile to my face. We left Chitipi with smiles on our faces, but in my heart I had a bittersweet moment when I realized that I wouldn’t be spending any more time there during this trip. The next day, Daniel was given the honor of leading the end of the year devotional for COTN’s secondary school. He was clearly nervous about giving his first ‘sermon’, but once he was up in front of the crowd, he delivered a great message on the parable of the talents. The rest of the morning was spent visiting the widows’ ministry of Mtsiliza, which is one of the most life-giving ministries I’ve ever seen. We got off the bus to a train of women who were singing, dancing, and inviting us to join their celebrating. They brought us into their shop, and shared that all of the widows are either teaching or being taught how to sew, crochet, knit, various items to be able to provide for their children. It’s quite empowering to hear how these women have overcome adversity and have become leaders in the community. Once the singing, dancing, and sharing were over, we were able to support their ministry by purchasing their products and thanking them for their skilled work. Just as they had welcomed us with song and dance, they saw us off with the same joyful acknowledgement. In the afternoon, we headed down to Chirombo for a friendly soccer match against the village’s soccer team. As competitive as our team is, we wanted to put on a good showing. However, as Azungus (white people), we weren’t exactly fit for such a showing. In the end, we all had a good time playing as a team with the secondary students of COTN, and were amazed to see the community of Chirombo come out in full force to enjoy the match. Chirombo won the match 3-1, but we shared in the victory with a round of sodas and said our final farewell. When Saturday arrived, the team was excited to take a retreat to Lake Malawi. The two hour drive was well worth the wait, as we stuffed our faces with westernized meals and desserts, and then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and laying out on the beach. On our way back, we stopped by a row of huts to shop for memorabilia, which was an event on its own. All of us bartered and purchased our way into bags full of artwork and artifacts. To some of us, the experience was a fun game, while to others, it was a stressful ordeal. But in the grand scheme of things, the items are well worth the skilled labor put into making them, and are a great way to share a piece of Malawi with friends and family. On our last full day in Malawi, we checked out a traditional Malawian church, Calvary Family Church. The few things that stood out to me about the service were the worship songs where almost everyone was dancing with a smile on their face, the wedding announcements where the couples sat several rows apart from each other, and the amount of time that the service actually took to complete. The three hour service was great to experience, but I’d be lying if I said I was attentive throughout the entire time. When we returned to Njewa, we spent the rest of the afternoon with our sponsor kids for the last time. And as we all spent our final afternoon together, I couldn’t help but reflect on our mission as a team, and how we had achieved more than we could have ever imagined through our partnership with COTN and its sponsorship program. Not only were we able to visit our sponsor children, paint a few rooms, and reach out to village communities, but we were able to establish and extend meaningful relationships that most people could never fathom, while discovering a different culture and loving a unique way of life. The COTN sponsorship program has received people like Callie and Taylor, who saw God’s call to help His children in need, and has brought them face to face with the ones whose lives they have forever transformed; and in that experience, have also been transformed themselves. The program has introduced people like Daniel, Jake, and Kirsten, who were moved to compassion upon meeting impoverished, yet joyful children; so much so, that they decided to take on the responsibility of sponsoring the children on their own, and forever impacting four more lives. And the program has welcomed me, someone who was initially looking for an escape and an adventure, but fell in love with a community of God-loving, self-sacrificing, joyful, spirit-filled individuals that consist of village children, sponsored students, in-country staff, traveling consultants, altruistic volunteers, and passionate team members. After my second trip to Malawi, I can see how God has worked through me and increased my faith and passion by leaps and bounds. And yet, when all the goodbyes and tionanas have been said, I know that this is only the beginning…