“privileged to make just a little difference”
This was my first time going on mission, and I was feeling quite anxious, as I didn’t quite know what to expect. I knew I would be seeing heartbreaking situations, but I didn’t quite know how to emotionally prepare for what was to come. However, I was excited to see what God was going to do with us, and was praying that I would make the most out of this amazing experience.
The team met at Manchester airport, and everyone was lovely and friendly. We were a small group, but I could already tell we would click. We headed on a long journey, only to arrive and find out suitcases hadn’t come! We all felt pretty helpless, as the medicines and medical equipment were distributed in our cases. We trusted in God and began praying frantically. Thankfully they came that night.
Theuns seemed a lovely man, and I was sure that he would be an inspiration to me throughout the mission, which he most certainly was. We travelled a long journey from Lusaka to Sinazongwe, and I was amazed at the beauty of the mission base! God’s creation really shone through here, especially with the lake and breathtaking stars at night.
Throughout the two weeks, God really challenged me. Both with the situations we saw, and the words from other team members and missionaries. I couldn’t have asked for a better team leader in Rob, he was great. What really struck me over the two weeks was the children; they were so happy and had nothing. The way their faces lit up when they saw us just melted my heart. Church was also an amazing cultural experience. The way the Tonga tribe worships God is unbelievable. Their words and singing is so passionate. I really felt at home in their church. I also shared my testimony in church which was a great experience for me. During the clinics we came across some really sad situations. Such as the man who fell out of a tree and cut his finger, the open wound on the foot, snakes bites and countless malnourished babies. There were so many patients with malaria, aids, TB and joint pains. What hit me the most regarding the medical side of things was the fact that if most of these things had happened in the UK, they would have been treated instantly, with no long lasting effects. However, in Zambia, the young lady with the infected foot will probably never fully regain function.
The whole trip was just amazing, and I am so thankful to God that he called me to mission. I am so excited to keep sharing my experiences with my friends, family and church, and am especially excited about the conference in November! God is doing amazing things with the Tonga people through the fantastic work of Theuns and Karin, and I felt so privileged to make just a little difference as part of the bigger picture. I loved my team and we had so many laughs, which was great! I would love to go on mission again, it was life changing. Praise the Lord!!