My trip to Malawi held a lot of firsts for me : first 3rd world experience, first time eating chicken gizzards, first time peeing over a hole in the ground, first time trying pineapple fanta... I'm sure there's many, many other firsts I'm forgetting to mention, but I have never been to a country where it's common place to express joy and the celebration of God openly at such an intense level. Where people are put first and where giving God the very best is always most important. This open atmosphere allowed us to let loose in ways that we would never dream of doing at home and I have to say it's really liberating to just be yourself without feeling judged - especially with regard to appearance ('cuz there were a couple days where no clean clothes made it a bit ugly). Regardless, seeing the contrast between their way of life and ours was eye-opening to say the least. Dennis said 'Perception is everything.' and man is that the statement of the century. My perception of many things has changed since Malawi. I value people over time constraints more now than I did before, I'm not as focused on money because I have a new outlook on the phrase 'God always provides', I appreciate the luxury of hot showers, flushing toilets and toilet paper like you wouldn't believe. Most of all, my perception of faith has changed. I have a new appreciation for the 'big picture'. We are all just vessels in God's big plan and everything that we do makes a difference whether we see it or not. Our presence in Malawi makes a difference and with each passing year, our impact becomes more visible. I pray that I will make it back to Malawi again so I can reunite with friends and see the changes that we have created on the Farm, in Mzuzu, and the communities that benefit from each new borehole we drill.
Cherann B.
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