In September of 2008, my husband and I found ourselves traveling with a team of people to Malawi, Africa. After supporting a local organization that worked to eradicate HIV/AIDS in our city for some time, we were feeling called to extend our focus overseas. The purpose of our trip was to investigate ways that we could partner with ministries in Malawi in their efforts to manage and eradicate HIV/AIDS.
To say that I was changed by my experience in Malawi doesn’t even begin to describe the impact that the trip had on my heart and my faith. It was sobering to be surrounded by poverty, sickness, starvation, and precious homeless children. And yet, there was hope in Malawi. God was there and He met me in the slums of Ungona in a very powerful way.
We had visited many villages over the two weeks in country but the anticipation of going to the slums of Ungona caused me immense amounts of fear. I knew it was going to be difficult. It was a very dark place…filled with witchcraft, crime, substance abuse, sickness, the worst poverty ever seen, and hundreds of orphans. So, as we drove to the slums I found myself praying that God would give me what I needed to be all that He was calling me to be there. As I prayed, He spoke to my heart saying, “Look for Me there”. I confess that I wanted so much for the van to break down on the way to prevent us from going but God continued to remind me to look for Him in the experience. Shortly before we arrived God added to the encouraging words, “You are going to see My face.”
When we arrived, we parked our van in the open area of an adjacent village. We were greeted by a chorus of African women dressed in their colorful costumes, dancing and singing praises to God. It was beautiful.
After touring the adjacent village, the woman chief took us to an area café where we had lunch. The whole time, I was thinking, great maybe that was our exposure to Ungona… from afar.
But, we returned to Ungona and assembled by the vans to pray before entering the village. Prior to praying, the team leader had the “brilliant” idea to divide us into smaller groups so that we would draw less attention to ourselves. Now, I can do almost anything with my husband by my side but… all couples were divided up to travel through the village. We were told to stay close to our group because this was an unsafe place. People had disappeared there never to be seen again. I could feel myself panicking inside; my chest tightened and breathing became labored. As we prayed, the fears began to release their grip on me.
Ungona was a two and a half square mile area, the home to fifty thousand people. There was little to no vegetation. The terrain was primarily dirt and rock. Homes were built on top of each other with dirt floors, many sharing walls of burlap, mud, or wood. Alleys separated this sea of houses and streams of contaminated water ran through them. It was the worst conditions you could ever imagine.
As we entered the slums we saw a naked baby less than two years old standing all alone in the alley crying…no one came to care for him. It was heartbreaking.
There was a school right in the middle of the slums. Hundreds of children filled the school yard. A heroic teacher watched his class of two hundred children. How did a teacher attend to so many? Those were the lucky ones.
Our mission that day was to accompany the workers from a health care organization as they visited the homes to evaluate and care for patients, most of whom had AIDS. We encouraged and prayed for each person we met. I continued to pray for God to meet me there.
We stopped to visit a woman who was clearly dying from her illness. She looked far-older than her actual age. As we paused beside her in the warm sunshine, I found myself wondering about her life before she was struck with this debilitating illness. Did she have a family or were they “gone”? My deep thought was soon interrupted by our team leader asking me to lay hands on the woman to pray. Fear rushed in once again, but as I prayed for the dear woman smiling up at me, I was filled with an amazing peace.
It was nearing the end of the day and we were getting ready to leave the village when my life was changed forever. As we traveled down a small alley, I saw some children playing. I had seen hundreds of children that day but there was one who caught my eye. She was about ten years old, and when she looked in my direction her face lit up like an angel. I was sure she had recognized someone she knew because the excitement on her face was way beyond understanding. I glanced over both shoulders to see who she was looking at, but no one was standing there. She had one of the most beautiful faces I had ever seen. Her eyes were bright and alive, her face filled with joy. Then she started to run… at full speed she ran…and before I knew it this precious little angel was in my arms. Then she spoke. Her voice was soft and very kind… a sweet melody to my ears. I was surprised when she spoke perfect English to me. She told me that her name was Portia. We spoke for only a few minutes, most of which escapes me, but when she left, she said, “God bless you.”
I was thankful that two members of our team were standing close by to witness this amazing event in my life. It would be easy to think that I had just imagined it but they experienced it, too, as they watched. Then, I understood. I had just had an encounter with the God of the universe.
Later, my team leader shared a photo she had taken of the young girl, but the photo before me did not capture the angel that I experienced. This was merely a photo of a child. The Light was gone.
Through a young girl, God chose to reveal Himself. You will see My face. He spoke to me in the slums of Ungona and I will never be the same again.
This is my story of how God moved in my life in Malawi, Africa. Where have you seen God at work? What’s your story?
