Josh Potter of Calvin Christian High School in Grandville, Mich., saw firsthand the immensity of God’s universal church during a June trip to Malawi, in southern Africa.
“Outside of the Grandville bubble, God’s people are all over the place,” he said.
Potter was one of 10 students who went to dig latrines, care for orphans, and interact with Malawian villagers.
While joining in village chores, Alison Bouman enjoyed the unspoken union between villagers and Americans.
“We went with the girls to draw water and carried it on our heads. That provided a lot of laughs when we got all wet,” she said. “I was concerned about language, but we all got along with our humor. We’re not so different.”
The Grandville group sat in on classes at a Malawian high school and noticed many similarities there too.
The Malawian students showed intense curiosity about their visitors. “They asked nonstop questions,” Potter said. Bouman said, “It opened their eyes to the image they have of Americans—that we’re not so different.”
The American and Malawian teens felt their unity in Christ at a church service. “We did a song with their choir. Their faith is so strong,” Potter said.
Bouman said a large number of Malawian young people made profession of faith, including three who converted from Islam.
