First, I want to say Thank You for your contribution to my Medical Mission trip to Malawi, Africa. I am truly blessed by your support in something that means the world to me and has filled my cup so I can continue pouring into others.

Malawi is known as the “Heart of Africa”. Our team was fortunate enough to meet a wide variety of Malawian’s by serving at the Good Samaritan Ministries grounds which houses the church and children’s home, as well as a few rural villages. From day one, it was easy to see the heart in all those we met. My first thought when I found out this mission trip would be working with the children’s home, I was unsure of how I would feel. I expecting to see a lot of sadness. However, what I saw was the most wonderful thing. I saw children that were well cared for and loved. After speaking with some of the older children they told me they felt blessed to be living at the children’s home where they were loved unconditionally. They were given a safe place to sleep, food to eat, and an education. All the children there always had the biggest smiles and funniest personalities. I was hoping to be a light to them when in so many ways they were a light to me in return. One saying that will stick with me that was said often there, that is so simple but so meaningful is, “ Up Up Jesus, Down Down Devil”. They reminded me that we have to make the best of our situations and always trust in God. He is good all the time. When it came time to travel to the rural villages , I was overcome with all kinds of emotions. How could I be in awe of the beauty in the mountains, landscape, crops, trees, and sunsets. While families are living in homes that look like they have been demolished, begging for food and water on the streets. How could one place have so much beauty while it also has so much devastation where the majority of its population can’t afford homes, food, clean water and medications.
Since I have returned home, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I saw. My roll in clinic as a nurse was to distribute the medications prescribed by the providers that week. I saw a variety of patients from children who just got a well visit to others that could barely hold their heads up due to a variety of illnesses. Adults who looked like they have been dealt a hard life and have to work hard for everything they have and maybe that was very little. But one thing in common was the smiles I received from both adults and children. The smiles came from the adults in appreciation for our help. But, the smiles from the children were so innocent. They didn’t know that the life they were dealt was hard, that’s all they know. They understand that to get anything in life they have to work hard for it. Where as in the USA, the majority of children and adults feel they are owed the best things in life. The one thing I have been reminded of and taken away from this Medical Mission trip is that nothing is possible without God. No matter what we are dealt in life we must give our hearts and minds to him and trust in him wholeheartedly. It may be a simple saying but it’s everything we need to know and want to leave you with, “ Up up Jesus, Down down Devil”.