In August of 2010, St. James’ sent a youth mission team on a special Bicentennial trip to Malawi. Since the start of our Partners in Mission program in 2005, nearly ninety people from St. James’ have traveled to Southern Malawi, but this was the first trip designed solely for youth. It was also the first time we worked alongside a specially-designated team (another youth group) from the Anglican Diocese in Blantyre.
The joint team – 28 members strong – worked together on a construction project in the rural village of Njobvu, helping lay the foundation of a new house for a priest. By day, the youth collected sand from a riverbed, moved bricks from a kiln to the worksite, and hauled water from a newly installed pump. By night, the youth gathered for prayers, hymns, conversations, and endless games of Bao, a version of a favorite African board game. Our presence in the village also attracted participation by dozens of other children and adults, who joined the group for work, singing, and soccer.
Youth reflected on their most vivid memories:
Whenever I think of Malawi now, I always think of how happy and exuberant all of the Malawians were. The part about this that truly inspired me was how little they owned and how they were still happy even if the only things they had were a family, their small house, a few small fields for planting and their church. And this made me think about how privileged we really are. It made me think about all the things we have such as clean water, having necessary nutrients and vitamins available every day, comfortable cloths and shoes, and also paved roads that most Malawians do not have.
What struck me most was the importance of water. I had the opportunity to hand-pump water, which was used for everything from drinking to bathing, to mixing concrete. Containers were just as important; women from the village carried ten- to fifteen-gallon buckets of water to and from their homes several times each day. At the worksite, little kids would ask us for plastic bottles to carry their own drinking water with, but we often didn't have any to spare. It's unsettling to think that Malawians walk long distances for something we in the U.S. usually take for granted.
Before I left, I was excited but nervous. When the departure date arrived, however, my confidence wilted. After an impossibly long plane ride, I entered the African country very tired and worried. It was then that Geoffrey, a Malawian youth, opened his arms wide, smiled, and said, “welcome to Malawi!” He the embraced me and expressed how happy he was that we had come. Almost immediately, all my worries, doubts, and fears went away. This trip offered everything that I was looking for. It gave me such joy to help the people of Njovu, but the image of Geoffrey welcoming was by far the most memorable part of the trip. The true happiness of the people of Malawi was really inspiring.
Serena Eggers, 14
My most vivid memory (or one of them) is of Craig playing his ukulele, and all of the Americans and some of the Malawian youth singing (more or less accurately) Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” while we were passing bricks. All the Malawian youth liked this the best of the songs in Craig’s songbook because it had the word “Hallelujah” in it, and so it counted as a religious song.
It was one of the outstanding moments of connection—through shared happiness—between all the different groups that were there: the Americans, the Malawians from Blantyre, and the Malawians from Njobvu. This lightheartedness characterized all of our workdays. Moments like this created bonds that bridged the lingual and cultural gap, and made us not a group of missioners but a group of friends who were having a really good time. What struck me most was how our differences had next to no impact in the face of all our similarities.
Helen Nickerson, chaperone
What I loved about the community in Njobvu and the surrounding area was their willingess to get involved in anything we were doing, even if the purpose was not clear. One day I had taken a group of the St James’ and Malawian teenagers to the river to haul sand to load onto the truck for cement making. It was backbreaking work, and they were all suffering. Soon we had an audience [of children] who must have been wondering why we were carrying sand up a steep hill. After awhile some of the children stepped forward and wanted to help. Soon we had every type of carrying device (including Leeanna's best shopping tote) that could be extracted from the van, full of sand and being carried by dozens of laughing children up the hill. It was a marvelous moment.
St. James’ Partners in Mission trips are immersion experiences in partner dioceses within the Anglican Communion. They combine service, worship, and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The 2011 trips are open to all members of St. James’, and are geared for adults and youth age 14 -18 if accompanied by a parent.
Another two-week trip to Malawi is scheduled for June 14-26. The deadline to apply is December 31. application
St. James' Church 865 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10021 (212) 288-4100 www.stjames.org