New Meaning to: Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude

I think initially I was interest in the Malawi Mission because my daughter wanted to go, and I wasn't about to let her go to Africa without a parent along to look out for her. But it didn't take me long to really buy into the mission. Now, I'm very excited about the trip. Not only for me, but also for my daughter. I think we're both going to gain a lot from this experience.

I haven't been on a mission trip before, but I've always gotten great satisfaction from participating in smaller service projects here in central Iowa. I've been told Malawi is one of the poorest countries on earth, yet the people of Malawi have an unmatched richness of spirit. I want to see and understand their poverty, so we'll have a better idea of what we, as a church, can do to provide help. Hopefully we will be able to forge lasting relationships that will help us in providing assistance. For me personally it will be very important to see and understand how the people of Malawi, despite their dire condition, achieve such great enrichment through religion. We have so much in this country, it's easy to see how we can be grateful for what God has given us. But what about places like Malawi? What drives their faith? I think it's something we can all learn from.

This trip will be a challenge for me. I consider myself to be very religious. I was raised in the church, and my faith has always been an important part of who I am. But I've always treated my faith as a very private relationship with God. I would guess I'm like a lot of quiet Christians, who attend church regularly, pray routinely, contribute monetarily, and participate when requested. My understanding is that the Malawi church isn't like that. There's nothing quiet about their faith. I'm sure I'll have some awkward moments. I just hope no one is video taping them.