We could not have gotten by without our translators: Fauna, Umodzi, Leo and Dyton.  They were a necessary and integral part of the mission.  There were many people living in the villages that spoke good English, but on the whole, they understood everything better when spoken to them in their native Chichewa tongue.  Fauna and Umodzi mainly helped out with the medical mission, but also lead the centers in song.  Leo did the majority of translating with the bible stories and crafts and Dyton helped with the medical mission as well as with scripture reading with the secondary kids.  All four of them were going to school at the African Bible College at the time and were such a delight to work with and be around.  Everyone the Lord brought us into contact with made some impression on our lives.


Our driver was Amos.  He never spoke unless spoken to.  He was an excellent driver I might add- he went fast and furious over the paved roads, slow over the bumpy dirt roads, and was 5-stars when it came to dodging and swerving around pedestrians and bike riders.  He knew what he was doing.  I made sure to tell him "thank you for getting us here safely" after he delivered us to a MOH center!

Our cook was Davidson.  He rode his bike to and from work every day.  At noon he would break and go home to have lunch with his wife.  He also never spoke unless spoken to.  He was an incredible cook and after our long days away, coming home to his meals was such a blessing.  He made us spaghetti, french toast, and hamburgers to name a few.  He cooked from a Betty Crocker cookbook left by one of the missionary families.  But his breads that he made were some of the best I have ever had.  You can't find those recipes in a cookbook!

Josephine cleaned, helped cook and even did some laundry.  She worked on the ABC Campus with many other missionary families and we had the privilege to get to know her while we stayed there.  She was such a sweet lady who took her work seriously.  Clean clothes had never smelled fresher, but that red African dirt never would come out of our socks!

I'll be honest.... I at first felt horrible about the idea that we came to Malawi on a mission trip and here we were being pampered with a cook and a maid.  This was too easy.  I should be completely dirty and smelly and hungry while traveling through and working in a third world country.  I have always been the kind of person that thinks "if you have to have someone clean your house for you, you shouldn't have the house to begin with...  downsize."  And having someone cook for me was even worse.  I don't know, maybe it's a pride thing.  Nevertheless, I came to realize that they WANTED to be there, they NEEDED work, they needed money to be able to provide food for their family.  And all my insecurities about having people do things for me clouded the knowledge that God had them there for a reason.  It was such an incredible blessing after being gone all day, to come home exhausted, and have a shower, clean clothes and a hot meal waiting on you.  God had it all worked out, all these things, before I was even thought of, before I was even born.  All the people and the circumstances that He brings into our lives are there for a reason.  He brought the team there to do His work, just as much as he had all these people working with us and for us doing His work.  He showed me so much there in Africa.  He had to take me thousands of miles away to open my eyes to many things.