Over the course of less than two weeks, 400 Malawi citizens celebrated their new vision, thanks to the work of Olivia Halvorson and USC’s Methodist Student Network.
Halvorson, a third-year marketing student, was part of a 17-person group made up of students, alumni, a doctor and a dentist that set out on May 8 to serve the people of Malawi and spread “the love of the Lord.”
During the trip, the doctor and dentist saw over 2,000 people, while the group’s optometry clinic provided roughly 400 Malawians with new glasses.
“They were always incredibly thankful,” Halvorson said of the locals. “There wasn’t really a sad soul that left the optometry clinic.
“Then you have every occasional person who just completely rejoices when they get their glasses. They can see again, they can finally read their bibles.”
Now that she’s been back for a week, Halvorson has already noticed how the trip has changed her life in the U.S.
“I was stuck in traffic not too long ago for like an hour,” Halvorson said. “And I was annoyed because I really want to get home, but then I think about the problems that people in Malawi face on a daily basis.”
“It helps you realize what’s important. Cherishing my family and my friends. Making people feel loved,” she added.
As Halvorson and her group worked their way around Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, and the surrounding villages, the love of the locals was particularly striking. Halvorson described the culture as very inclusive, where people lift each other up.
“They made us feel welcome. They made us feel more like Malawians,” Halvorson said. “... [They taught us about] being more hospitable to people and making people feel like they’re valued.”
With another mission trip in the books, MSN will focus on serving the local community through the rest of this year, just like the organization did in the past, assisting with flood and hurricane relief. The group does a mission trip during spring break and another during May each year, and there are plans to make a return trip to Africa, in addition to serving the people of Ecuador.
“A lot of it is going and putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations so we can stand in solidarity with these people,” Halvorson said of her mission trip experiences. “We need to realize what they’re going through on a daily basis. I think it’s really important going on these trips to experience those hardships for ourselves and try to improve their qualities of life.”