A brief overview of our time in Malawi

Let’s take a quick look at what the team got up to in Malawi

We spent approximately 55hours traveling to and from Malawi. The journeys included 2 times we had to run through the airports to make the overnight flights due to delays in both 1st flights.

We attended the 6am English language service at Ndirande CCAP Church. We were welcomed by the Minister, his 4 session clerks and members of the executive team. The service, which lasted just over 2 hours, included singing and dancing by 4 of their 14 church choirs and then we were asked to perform! Thomas preached a sermon and Edward gave a word of encouragement.

After the service we visited 4 Sunday School classes and were welcomed with songs in each one. Edward spoke a short message to each group and we sang My God is So Big

We were given a very warm welcome and lots of smiling kids greeted us with plenty of waving, high fives and fist pumps. We were given the chance to go inside 2 classrooms. In the 2nd classroom we had the privilege of seeing the class teacher, Lessa, teach a lesson about ‘staple foods’.

We visited Chifundo3 on three occasions

The first visit we travelled to Chifundo3 We met with the sponsored students and watched performances of dances and songs as well as speeches from the Chifundo3 committee and students. We presented the students with bags containing gifts of stationery, toiletries and underwear made up with donations from Cregagh, as well as bags containing maize, rice and other staple foods purchased with the sponsorship money from James and John’s Belfast marathon efforts.

The second visit we headed to visit the children’s corner. We were greeted with dancing and singing and lots of smiley children who were very excited to see us and asking us how we were. We went inside and were treated to some performances from the children, and then were asked to teach them a dance of our own!

We were split into groups and had the chance to go and visit some of the committee members houses.

On the 3rd visit we had the chance to meet with the nursery children. When we arrived the children were having porridge served in bowls which were donated by Cregagh YF.

We had a meeting with the committee to find out a little more about Chifundo 3 does for the community, how it operates, plans for the future and were given the opportunity to ask questions.

We had the chance to meet with Rev Dr Billy Gama, General Secretary, at the Blantyre Synod.

The congregation of Cregagh had helped them to reconnect to the mains water supply. At Malabada we had a tour around the facilities, including the maternity room which was so very basic compared to what we’d see in Belfast.

We attended Mulanje Mission CCAP service which started at 7am. Edward preached at the service this morning and the team introduced themselves to the church. There was plenty of dancing and singing.

We enjoyed a rest day bonding as a team and reflecting on the past few days by staying at a Game Haven and going out on a safari drive to see the animals and enjoyed watching the sunset.

We headed to the Mozambique Border. We were able to walk over the border and see some of the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy. We spoke to a police officer who had lost everything including his uniform.

We then went further into the Malawian village which was most affected by Cyclone Freddy. It is impossible to put into words the devastation we saw, and yet the children we saw along the way had the biggest smiles on their faces.