Malawi 2019 - May Edition
We are absolutely thrilled to have such a great group of young people to serve and learn in Malawi this May! For some, this will be a return trip, and for others, their very first time to Africa.
Learning is at the heart of serving on a Love a Village team. As teams join in village life in Luhomero, they add to our understanding of both the capacity and significant needs in the community. Each team strengthens our partnership with our wonderful Malawian friends and builds our capacity to cultivate hope.
Please join us in praying for this terrific team and consider how you can financially support them.
If you'd like to support anyone in reaching their goal, please click the support button by their name.
You will be taken to our Donation page where you will have options of how you can support them.
​
Ensure you include your full name (with middle initial), mailing address, email address, and name of team member.
​
Tax receipts are issued for all donations of $25 or more.
Julie
Hello! My name is Julie. I'm the founder of Love a Village Mission, and I have the unique and wonderful privilege of taking Canadian friends, new and old, to Malawi to see how LAV is changing lives!
​
Malawi has changed my life forever. In some really incredible ways, both with excitement and with a great deal of gut wrenching challenges. God has opened my eyes in ways I never knew possible. I have learned to question the ways our society, culture, background and experiences impact us and create "norms" we put our faith in so wholeheartedly.
​
I've learned to look at my own life, and where I live, through a new lens. One that has caused me to rethink what we call " the blessings of living in Canada". I've begun to question why, without a choice of my own about where I was born, should I be given such "blessings". And if I've been given them without merit, what am I to do with them? I really do believe more and more wholeheartedly, because of my faith, that because we can't take anything with us, and that because all things belong to and come from God, that we are to take care of the poor, to not consume and keep things that have no eternal future. We are to give generously and live life simply.
​
Ok, enough of the soap box - and please, no guilt - I'm just a girl who's been gripped by the paralyzing effect of extreme poverty and shaken to the core regarding what I'm to do about it. Much love all!
FUN FACTS: The team this May is made up of so many interesting connections for me. Two teammates are daughters of two of the closest girlfriends I've had in life. Sandy (mom of Joy) and I have been friends since Grade one, making Sandy my oldest friend. Pam (mom of Emma) and I have been friends since 1999. Both of these women have played incredibly significant roles in my life. I would have to say that part of who I am today is because of the impact their friendships have had on my life. I really can't explain how mind boggling it is for me to think about being on the other side of the planet, sharing something I love, with the daughters of two of my life's best friends. I pray that the influence this trip and I myself might have on these girls can, in some small way, compare to the influence these women have had on my life. Then there's Joel ... he and I have known each other since High School through a church group. We lost track over the years and caught up again a couple of years ago. Olivia's mom is also a friend from the past. She and I were a grade apart in High School. And Sam I met through Emma. I'm really excited to be able to go with this group, of the past colliding with the present, with the hopes of impacting the future. It'll be amazing to see what God has in store!
Joel
Joel is a photographer, graphic designer, and educator. In addition to running his own business (Joel Clements Photography), he teaches photography part-time at Durham College.
Joel is intrigued by the storytelling role of the photographer – questioning what he sees and recording moments that are often overlooked and lost to time – and by the ability of photographs to communicate a story in a precise and moving way that transcends the barriers of written and spoken language. His documentary work combines the elements of sound recording, still photography, and video.
Joel has a heart to capture and share the difficult stories of the oppressed and marginalized. He has documented the work of NGO’s throughout North, Central and South America. His documentary project “The Weight of Your Heart: A Walk with Chanie Wenjack”, exploring the experience of a student at an Indian Residential School in Ontario, was screened to a sold out crowd at the Richmond Centre for Performing Arts in October 2017.
​
Love a Village looks forward to having Joel use his creative talent to share the stories of Love a Village and the marginalized villagers we are working hard to help. Joel will be documenting our work and story through photos, videos and blog. We will have more details about how to follow us in the months to come.
Hi! My name is Kyle. I've recently spent some time in South Africa learning about how the government and organizations have, and are working with the marginalized people of the country. When I first arrived, although very different from Malawi, I realized how much I missed Africa and the people there.
I’m really looking forward to being back in Malawi and spending time deepening my friendships and growing in my understanding of the needs and strengths of this country.
I'll be going for a longer time - 3 months - to be able to shadow Love a Village's partnering organization to learn what it's like on the ground on a day to day basis. I'm really excited to be able to spend time with Daniel and Khezzie, learning about what they do to implement LAV's projects, and offering help in whatever way I can.
I’ve seen many ways that God is working in Malawi and met many really great people there. I’m really looking forward to being back!
Hello! My name is Emma and I am in my last year of studying psychology with a desire to go into nursing school and starting a career as a nurse. This will be my third time returning to Malawi and I am extremely excited to see what God has in store this time around. My heart has tremendously grown to love Malawians and the people of Luhomero. There is just something so special about them and I am thrilled to be partnering alongside Love a Village yet again to assist in helping them come out of a place of extreme poverty. I am excited to learn about the new projects that I have not been there for, such as beekeeping and mushroom farming. I can’t wait for this year’s trip and hope that God opens my eyes and heart in a new way. Let’s work together to bring amazing people out of horrific situations and shine God’s light and love while doing it!
Hi everyone! My name is Samantha. This is my second trip to Malawi with Love a Village. I am excited to return and help provide assistance to those in need – and to learn more about Malawi, and what it's like to live in extreme poverty.
​
On my first trip, I found myself shocked at the complete lack of resources the villagers experience. Basic necessities, such as water, nutrition, and education – things I often take for granted – are not readily available.
​
On this trip I will be there 5 weeks. With this additional time I hope to spend more time with the children – further developing my skills in Child Development – while also providing as much assistance and education as possible. I hope to also grow spiritually – as these missions help me feel closer to God. I believe that this trip will allow me to further explore how my work and dedication can make a positive impact on other communities.
Hello! My name is Joy and I will be a part of the team going to Malawi in May. I am 19 years old and am in my second year studying Urban Development at Western University. This will be my first time to Malawi and I am super excited to experience, observe, learn and grow through this mission. In relation to what I am studying in school this mission will give me a tangible and real understanding of poverty and the relationship between people and their environments so that I can apply what I learned from Malawi within and beyond the classroom. I have a passion for serving people and showing God's love to others. I look forward to seeing how God is working in Malawi and believe that through his power our team will do good work. I anticipate that this trip will open my eyes to many realities of extreme poverty and its adverse effects on those in Northern Malawi. However, I have hope that God will do great things through Love a Village and I am excited for what he has in store!
Hi everyone! My name is Olivia and I’m a part of this year’s May Malawi team! I’m 18 years old and in my first year of International Development at Guelph University. I love what I’m learning, but would also love the chance to apply it to a real world context. I am excited to learn as much as possible on this trip and experience many new things. Trips and work like this is what I currently feel God is calling me to do with my life. I’m passionate about connecting with others, seeing more of the world, and getting the chance to grow and love others. I can’t wait to see what God has planned for this trip.
