August 18, 2010
Someone who went: Anna
Posted by Anna Hamlett
Well, I’m back from Africa and the trip was amazing! Malawi and its people are beautiful. It’s incredible to see people who love so fully regardless of circumstances. The love I was shown was overwhelming. I’ll never forget how the kids rushed to dust off my dirt-ridden skirt, while they remained covered in it. I was genuinely moved by that act of service.
It was hard to keep track of time while in Africa, but I almost didn’t need to. I just lived. The days were long and full. For once I felt as if I was living in the moment. It was amazing talking to strangers who genuinely wanted to know your name and were eager to learn more about you. People never seemed to be in a rush to end conversations. They value and enjoy community life.
My favorite thing to do in Africa was listening to the singing and watching the dancing. The people of Malawi are gifted with rhythm and soul. As I look at the pictures from the trip, I can I see myself filled with joy and a sense of freedom.
To make a long and beautiful story short, the trip was incredible. Being in Africa has taught me that to live simply is to live joyously. It was a joy to serve the people of Malawi. I hope they received half as much as we received from them. It’s hard to put into words everything I learned, but I experienced first-hand that God moves, God works and God is good all the time.
“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10
