Yes, life in Canada is different than life in
Malawi.....I was reminded of this everyday as we would drive to the villages to install
the wells. I had to remember to get in the
opposite side of the truck to drive, had to shift with my left hand instead of my right
and most importantly, I had to remember to drive on the opposite side of the road. Our Toyota land cruiser would typically take a
route starting on a paved road (or ‘the tarmac’ as it was called) onto a dirt
road and from there ‘off road’ entirely, sometimes relying heavily on 4-wheel
drive to get us ....across small rivers....through fields....up and down very steep
banks.... and finally to the general vicinity of the village in which we were seeking. Along the way we would encounter people (often
women and children) walking with a bundle of firewood, water or food balancing on top of
their heads.....we would pass people on bicycles, balancing an extra person or a load of
some sort on the back....we would see a variety of animals and always slowed down for
goats and pigs, who could never be trusted to NOT dart out into the road. And sometimes we would even encounter other
vehicles....often trucks with a load of human cargo...a taxi of sorts that would pick up
and drop people off and which always had room for ‘one more’. When we arrived in the general vicinity of a
village, our field officer, who lived in the region would seek out the assistance of
someone more local to direct us to the specific village.
In a landscape dotted with villages, it was necessary to be guided by a
local if one had any hope of arriving at the ‘target’ village.
We would eventually arrive at
the desired village.....never arriving early nor late.... because the villagers were not
expecting us at a certain time, but more typically expected that we would be arriving on a
certain day, give or take a day or two...
When our truck arrived, it was often met with the same
reception..... some one would announce our arrival to others in the village, one or two of
the women would make a loud, high pitched noise created by moving their tongue rapidly
from one side of their mouth to the other. This
sound served as a call to gather people as well as a type of ‘applause’ made in
response to something favourable that was said or done.
As we would unload the needed parts and pipes from the back of the truck,
villagers would start to gather.....the elders and leaders of the village would often come
to shake our hands and greet us, while others were eager to help carry the materials. Some people, especially the young children, kept
their distance and just watched....astounded and slightly frightened by the novelty of our
light coloured skin, hair and eyes. We
would then follow one another down a path, either a long or short distance until we
eventually arrived at the well site.
The installation of a well
in a village was, without a doubt, an event to celebrate.
Nearly every village leader or chief, in thanking us, spoke of how
happy they were to know that now the villagers would no longer get sick from the water and
that the women and children would no longer have to make long and arduous trips to the old
water source. One chief indicated that he had
been waiting for a well since 1974 when his village was first promised one by another NGO
and that he was happy to still be alive to see the day when his village finally received a
well.
Typically while the well was being installed, the women of the village would sing and
dance and would invite me to join them, which I did -
and what I lacked in skill and rhythm, I tried to make up for, in enthusiasm. As part of this volunteer
project, I had the privilege of being present
during the final stage of the shallow well process - when the final pipe and a basic
T-handle pump was installed to make the well operational - when in actuality much of the
work had been previously done in the weeks prior to my arrival.
So, I was there for the best
part – to witness the joy on the faces of the villagers when the first streams of
water flowed from the well. I was
surprised by how overcome with emotion I would get each and every time I witnessed this. It really never got ‘old’. I felt blessed to be a part of something that
was bigger than me....bigger than Marion Medical....but something that grew out of a love
for God...Christians 10,000 miles away uniting with villagers in Malawi (most of whom were
Christians themselves) in an effort to take care of all of God’s people as we are
called to do. Each shallow well had the words
‘Glory to God’ inscribed in the top slab, both in English and in the tribal
language. This was to serve as a reminder of
Christ’s love for all of his people.
As I reflected I read from
Revelations: “There was a multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from
all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne” and they worshiped
God singing “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and
power and might be to our God forever and ever!”
The image of all of us standing around the well came to mind. I stood amongst people who spoke a different
language, who looked very different from me....whose daily life and reality showed little
resemblance to mine ....in yet we were united as children of god....and perhaps even as
saints ourselves.
I
like to think that as Saints we are united. Regardless
of what time, geography and circumstance we live in......regardless of the different
hardships that we may face and the variety of things that may be beyond our control,
whether it be access to clean water, fluctuating stock markets, relational difficulties,
war or illness....We are united in our belief that there is a God who is in control, who
loves us and who calls us to love one another....and it is that belief that not only
unites us but challenges us to be a person through whom the light of God shines everyday.
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