Dirty Fingernails: Journals from the Field - Mary Shamburger

Indescribable ("seeing is believing") - a verbal expression that best describes what we saw and felt on our mission trip to the poverty stricken country of Malawi.

At our orientation the night before going into the field for work, Theresa Malila, spoke to us about her local organization, Somebody Cares, who we would partner with us in the villages.

The interpreters of Somebody Cares were mostly young men, totally committed to serving our Lord and sincere about helping those in need. Their spiritual maturity amazed me! They minister physically, emotionally and spiritually in the name of Jesus, to people of various remote villages, schools, slums, street children, the hospital, etc.

We were in teams of 7-10 people going to different villages. Our first day of seedling planting and loving people was in the village of Mvunguti. When I first looked upon hundreds of people with nothing but the clothes on their backs, I was overcome with tears of compassion, love and humility toward these people!

As their culture would have it, the first thing we did was stand before the village chief(s), introduce ourselves, and state our purpose for being there. Then the chief proceeded to either welcome us...or not. We were of course welcomed because of our life-sustaining purpose. We planted cabbage, lettuce, pumpkins, parsnips, tomatoes, onions, and banana trees. There were two small watering holes from which we drew water with watering cans, carried them to the gardens and poured. Playing with the children and trying to communicate in Chichewa were the most enjoyable memories for my son Grey and me . Even though we could not communicate with words, our spirits connected as we interacted in love. I really enjoyed holding the babies and singing “Jesus Loves Me” to them.

What “sunk in” that day was that these people we were with for a mere 7-8 hours, live this life of poverty day in and day out.

When we were ready to leave the village we were given an opportunity to express our hearts with the people. As I made eye contact with several of their precious faces, I explained to them that in the Bible, God says His people are the “light of the world”, and that their smiling faces were His light to me that day.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

I intended to say more, but felt my throat swelling as I choked up with tears, so I just thanked them for letting us be there and told them that I would pray for them and for their gardens to be bountiful.

Isn’t it amazing what it takes for us to realize and appreciate how much we have in America? It is just as hard for us to imagine how little they have, as it is for them to imagine how much we have. A tissue, a ball, a matchbox car, a bottle of water, hand sanitizer - these are just a few things that they have never seen. They live daily with little to nothing that they can call their own, and yet they are not hopeless. These dear people do not base their hope on their possessions. They find their hope in Christ, and that is what brought us to this poverty stricken land, to share the love and hope of the Savior.

Indescribable – yes, “seeing is believing”. I invite you to go and see for yourself.