Y-Malawi

A Warm Heart is a contagious infection.

I’ve been to a place where it runs rampant.

Though attempts have been made to stifle the outbreak,

It’s apparent in every village encampment.

 
When caught, the symptoms are quite evident,

Changed perspective, altered thought, priority confusion.

I think back to the time when my life was ideal,

But now it’s messed up and my ideal an illusion.

 
Though come to think of it, I feel vitalized.

Perhaps these people aren’t sick, but have been cured,

Of a disease that spreads the westernized realm.

A plague that so long I had mindlessly endured.

 
Nevertheless it remains contagious,

But from compassion you want it to spread.

Your friends, your family and mostly the Church,

Because it exhibits the Wine and the Bread.

 
So you remember your trip with great affection.

Changed perspective, altered thought, priority confusion.

I caught a major bug that took over my body.

And God woke me up from a life of delusion.

We here at Y-Malawi want nothing more than for you to go to Malawi and experience the life transforming power  of God in heeding his Great Commission! When you are there, you encounter the richness and fullness of the Spirit in the lives of our Malawian partners. You get the opportunity to humble yourself and serve those in severe poverty. You gain a global perspective and recognize how it fits into the purpose of the Christian life. We encourage you to join us next summer and see why our 500+ alumni speak so highly of their experience in Malawi.

However…if we haven’t convinced you yet, maybe you’ll respond to a “Late Night with David Letterman” Top 1o list. I mean, if you are not convinced after reading these…I don’t know what will. Enjoy!

Reasons to Go on a trip with Y-Malawi:

10. You think you can sing and dance? …You just wait.

9. Try an organic, free-range, Malawian Sausage! It’s packed with protein…discard the tail.

8. Sky Miles…lots of sky miles.

7. You haven’t lived until you have gone to the bathroom in a hole in the ground.

6. If you give blood in Malawi, you can get out of doing it in the U.S. for a whole year!

5. Guys, nothing impresses a girl more than a picture of you with your sponsored child.

4. Looking for a pigs head? Head on over to the Nkhoma Market–they have the guaranteed lowest prices around!

3. Witness a myriad of mysterious, white dots in the night sky!

2. More sky miles…seriously.

1. Maui or Malawi, what’s really the difference?

-Compiled by Jeff Jordan

This is Margaret. We encountered Margaret and her mother sitting outside their tiny brick home while hiking down from praying onNkhoma mountain back in April. Their smiles and giggles were absolutely contagious as we began to sit and talk with them! They were breaking off and shucking maize from the fresh harvest.  It was beautiful to be sitting with them amongst their environment and their lifestyle, talking, laughing and just being in fellowship. Then, emotionally unprepared, the next question we asked struck us with a bitter truth. “Who is this baby you’re holding?”

The baby with Margaret in this picture is her own. Margaret is 13 years old. She was taken advantage of by a young man who promised her financial security and then left her pregnant and all alone to care for the baby.

By the grace of God, her family has not abandoned her. Nor does He abandon her. Though, this will bring both trouble and isolation for both her and her family. Her father, already struggling, will have to face the fact that there is another mouth to feed. She will have to drop out of school and this baby will be threatened by malnutrition. Our hearts broke.

Whereas we want to relish in the joys, fun, and warm people of Malawi, (something very important to Y-Malawi), we certainly can’t ignore the fact that much of Malawi is broken and in pain. Poverty is real, disease runs rampant, water sources are unreliable, and little girls are becoming mothers far too soon. Daily, let us count our blessings and passionately pray for our brothers and sisters in the warm heart of Africa.