In Summer 2018, Kristoff and I visited Africa for the first time together with our church! It was AMAZING. Africa is a continent that I look forward to exploring a lot more after experiencing her immense beauty for just 2 weeks.
I graduated from college on May 12th, 2018. Kristoff watched me walk across the stage along with my parents, siblings, and grandparents. Then he jumped in a car and headed for CLT to catch his flight to London that night. I flew from CLT —> JFK on Saturday, May 13th post a Mother’s Day brunch. Then I flew from JFK to Amsterdam, while Kristoff had about 10 hours to walk around London. The FIRST country that he visited will forever be London. Want to know something funny? God had me visit London that same day … unexpectedly! We (me and the majority of the mission’s team from the Methodist Student Network) RAN through AMS airport only to arrive at a CLOSED gate. I normally don’t have problems on airplanes, but the flight from JFK to AMS was difficult (the last couple of hours) as I was feeling nausea, so missing the next LONGEST plane trip was slightly a blessing because it gave me a chance to have my feet on solid ground for a few hours. We then had to take a plane to London. It was so weird being in the airport that Kristoff had just been in hours before.
In London, we hoped right on our plane to Johannesburg, South Africa. Kristoff arrived in Johannesburg about 12 hours before me and was able to sleep in the Airport Inn Bed and Breakfast located within 15 minutes of the airport. The flight from London to Johannesburg is about 12 hours, so it was another night flight. My attitude was surprisingly good despite the fact that we were supposed to be at the Airport Inn too. It brought me comfort knowing that Kristoff was safely there and getting some good rest!
Tuesday, May 15th our plane arrived in Johannesburg in the early morning. I turned my phone off “airplane mode” and found a text from Kristoff. He was eating breakfast and would be to the airport soon. I remember the adrenaline pulsing through me. We had both been through so much since the last time we saw each other. I couldn’t wait to hear about his adventures around London!!! I was so proud of him for stepping out and discovering a new city. I could already tell that this trip had uncovered yet another layer of him that I couldn’t wait to fall in love with. We went through customs and everything … I remember feeling so tired, but so ready to just feel his arms wrap me up in a hug. Then we walked out to the common area and there he was …. waiting for me. We embraced + kissed and then found our next flight …. to Malawi.
Forever and ever for the books the FIRST country we were in together outside of the U.S. was South Africa. And the first plane we were on together was from SA to Malawi. So for the country we arrived to at the same time, hand in hand, …. well that one is Malawi <3. The second being South Africa on the way home.
In London, our dentist and doctor missed our flight, so we were unable to begin the clinic on the first day as planned. We spent all of Wednesday touring! First, we went to the Kuti Wildlife Reserve and got to see a lot of zebras. You can see how close we were able to get in the pic below! 🙂
Then we ate packed sandwiches off of the bus we had been driving in this gas station/shop area. We were all kinda huddled around one another eating, when Kristoff and I saw these seven hungry boys (ages 7 – 13). We decided to go and see what was for sale in the gas station store. We found that a whole pack of coconut cookies is 480 kwacha, so we purchased two packs. We walked back out and ate a few cookies. They were yummy! 100% tasted like something you can purchase in the States. We were elated because we wanted to buy them something that would actually taste good. We gave out the rest of the one pack and then the full pack. The little boy we handed the full pack to shared with all of his friends, which really touched my heart. We went back and walked back with 2 more packs. And then went back for two more packs because they were a huge hit. This was such a tiny, tiny part of our trip, but I knew that God has placed us right there for a reason. I knew that we were supposed to be in Malawi with every fiber of my being.
We then headed for a Croc Farm. What is a Croc Farm? Awe well friend … a Croc farm is basically lots of enclosures filled with …. well … crocodiles!!! They raise them and then kill them for their hides and meat. Apparently countries like China will purchase the skins from them. (Yes I tried ONE bit of crocodile tail at dinner one night. It was like a combo between fish + chicken).
After the crocodile farm we headed to Sunbird Livingstonia to use their beach access. This “resort” is gated and located along Lake Malawi. It was unreal to drive through all of these remote areas and villages and then BAM … here you are at a wealthy resort where many come to vacation. Kristoff and I were racing each other along the beach, as four men in suits, underneath an umbrella, with their feet in the sand where talking. We just went running right on by. There were sweet village boys there playing, and we chased them and tickled them lots. K had fun climbing the boulders!
The following day we began running an optometry, medical, and dental clinic in a small community, Chingombe, for 3.5 days – Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then a few hours after church on Sunday. Sunday morning it was my first time worshiping in an AME church (I tried to once in Columbia, but the puppy I was fostering that weekend threw up at the front of their church, so I left …. slightly embarrassed). These three days serving God’s people aren’t days I will soon forget.
In Chingombe, I encountered many children who were starving. This tore my heart a part. It is hard to believe that in 2018 there are children that do not have access to clean food and water when they are hungry or thirsty. It blows my mind. Here in the United States we have RESOURCES abound. Every single person in this country is rich with resources compared to so many others all over the world.
From Unicef.org: Since the early 1990s, Malawi, a landlocked and predominantly agricultural and rural nation, has ranked amongst the world’s 20 least developed countries on the Human Development Index. More than half of the population (52 percent) lives on less than USD $ 0.32 a day. This includes around four million children living in poverty. Moreover, one in every five Malawians lives in ultra poverty or on less than USD $0.20 US cents a day and cannot afford to feed themselves.
After visiting Chingombe, we were able to run the clinics for two days in Lilongwe (the capital). The need here was different, but there was still a need. We were in a medical facility here and had separate rooms to work in, whereas in Chingombe the entire optometry clinic team was in the one room AME church there; the dentists were working outside in an alleyway type thing & the medical team was working outside underneath a huge tent that was filled with ants. It was great to work in two very different environments … very eye opening.
We stayed at a hostel called Mufatse Lodge. I would totally stay here again because it was clean, and the meals were good. On the way home we flew back to Johannesburg and stayed 1 night the Airport Inn Bed and Breakfast that Kristoff got to stay in on the way to Malawi. This time we got to experience it together which was pretty amazing. I’ll never forget sitting next to him on a bench on top of this like playground structure looking at the airport … and watching planes come and go. It was pretty magical. This B&B was amazing and it had so much character and charm. I would absolutely love to go back here more than once … like every time I fly through South Africa haha. They had rooms with bunk beds + cribs … I was like majorly dreaming:)
There were no missed flights on the way home, so Kristoff waited at CLT for me for a few hours. When I arrived we waited around for a bit while the ride dilemma got sorted out, but then we were on our way … two hours until we were HOME. We got back and slept and slept. I think coming home and sleeping crazy good after a fulfilling trip is its own kind of heaven.
We scattered more seeds & saw God at work. We experienced His grace and beauty. I also feel as though we loved more easily after Africa with definite dreams of returning to see more countries and places. Here’s to loving others near and far, forever and ever.
–Team Tolbert
Tolbert Travels 
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