It's about the people

While not every member of the team has been able to post their "now that I am back home" reflections, many have done just that. As you can see from the eloquent, passionate and moving thoughts shared, the Malawi Partnership of Hope is something very special. Every year our trip to Malawi is amazing and inspiring. This year exceeded all expectations. In previous years we arrive in Malawi, load up the bus and head to the hotel. This year (unbeknownst to the team) we left the airport and headed to the village where the borehole funded by the Lenox UMC was located. Welcome to Malawi everyone. That afternoon set the tone and energy level for the rest of our time in Malawi. Every day was overwhelming. Sometimes uplifting and sometimes hard to comprehend. "We have to do more" is a comment made over and over again. Abject poverty is everywhere. As we travel for hours on the bus that is practically all you see. People everywhere just struggling to survive. But....Those same people (up close and personal - like at the churches we visit) show a strength of faith and hope that is humbling and sometimes more than a little embarrassing. It is easy to say we have so much and they have so little. The fact of the matter is it is just the opposite. Not only is their faith strong in the face of great adversity, they welcome the opportunity to share that faith with all of us. They know what's important (faith, family and community). We know we need more stuff. Always the stuff. I can say with complete confidence every member of this year's team came back saying " I need to do better about not so much stuff". It's hard. Stuff is everywhere. Phones, cars, clothes, houses, boats, RV's and on and on. Not saying stop it all, just saying create "Malawi moments". When you are coveting that next cool thing stop and take a deep breath. Do you REALLY need that iPhone 5q or whatever the next cool thing is? Moderation would do wonders. In spite of all that there is one more certainty in all this. We all come back filled with joy, hope and a stronger faith.
As you read through the posts below you will see the following over and over:

LOVE - FRIENDS - PRAY - RELATIONSHIPS - PRESENCE - JOY - MUSIC - CELEBRATION - BLESSING - PEOPLE.

The final word is "GO!". Josh said it best when he said  "Please go".

Peace and Blessing to all of you and thank you for your ongoing prayers and financial support. There is a team that goes to Malawi but in reality the team is the Ankeny FUMC. In the finest Methodist tradition " Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow".

Dennis

Malawi 2013

For those of you who read these posts, I am here to say that this truly is a life-changing experience. I urge everyone of you who haven't had the opportunity to travel to Malawi, PLEASE GO. You don't realize what our presence there means to the people of Malawi. The love that we felt on this trip was something that I was in no way prepared for. We were treated like family literally everywhere we went. Our presence there gives them so much hope. To know that we came all the way to Malawi to spend time with them, create relationships, praise God with them. It means so much. It will also mean so much to you. You will witness many acts of genuine love. Love towards you, love towards God, love towards the simplest things we take for granted here in the states. It will change them and it will change you. All for the better. It is hard to explain this concept. to people once you've been and they want you to share your story. Questions like, "What did you build?" , "How many wells did you dig?", "What kind of animals did you see?". The cock-eyed looks I get when I say, "We built relationships." Not many have understood when I tell them this and a lot shake their heads as to signal "Oh, I get it." I can tell that they don't. But that's okay. That is exactly why we have a responsibility to come back and share our amazing stories and spread the word about Malawi. Of course money and gifts and supplies are needed and accepted with open arms, but the relationships,  the friendships mean so much more to them. And it means so much to those of us who have been blessed to go. It is such an accomplishment that our church has been able to send all of these teams to Malawi for the past several years. The only way this can continue is by participation of our church members. I ask you, look in your heart. Is there something missing? I know that I felt like something was missing. I witnessed how people with so little praised God so much more than I ever had. It woke me up. It set off some alarms. It has absolutely made me a better person. To God be the glory!

Josh Matics