Day 2

Our second day in Malawi was on a Sunday, and we traveled to a United Methodist Church congregation for worship like no one we’ve experienced before
On this day, we joined the UMC congregation that meets within the Dzaleka refugee camp located in the Dowa district of Malawi. This church is found tucked in between brick and tin roof structures down a winding, narrow path deep in the refugee camp. The church congregants live in the camp, which includes refugees from the Congo, Rwanda, and other areas. We were happy to learn that children living in this camp receive a meal and classes from the local church team on weekdays.
As the service began, we didn’t know what to expect. Soon, we were standing and clapping as we were enthralled by the drums, piano and guitars giving background to beautifully confident, loud songs of praise in Swahili, many accompanied by exuberant, joyful dancing. The whole service lasted 3 1/2 hours (yes!) with about 3 hours filled with songs of joy and praise. Our very own Dave Rock delivered the message, focused on lessons from John Wesley’s life that unite us as Methodists and followers of Christ, even though we come from very different places. The message of uniting to serve, love, and be the light of the world was shared in English and Swahili through an amazing local interpreter who served through entire service.  We were each deeply moved by the active, fully embodied praise and worship experience, and the warmth and joy we were welcomed to join.
Following this service, we traveled to the Opulence demonstration garden, affectionately called the Farm, where we learned much from their team about their work to advance understanding and practices of permaculture and sustainable farming and land management, to support local residents to achieve food security and, beyond this, economic mobility. We enjoyed a lunch made from the Farm’s produce and then learned directly from the Opulence staff who are training Malawi residents and equipping many in train-the-trainer models about the incremental steps even small plot farmers can take to conserve water, improve food production, and reduce crop risk. The folks in our team asked many questions, and we were awed by the techniques of practical science applications they are advancing.
As we concluded our evening from a long,  very full day, we reflected on our many blessings as people who have not experienced loss of community and country as many refugees do and blessed to have access to food, clean water, and homes. Yet, we reflected on the joy and the love we experienced—not just saw, but were welcomed into—across our day. We are energized to seek and find ways to be the light of Christ to our world.