When??

WHEN does this mission begin…

When will I be leaving?

As of the day I post this blog, I will be leaving in 140 days, but who is counting! It is still a little bit too early for my plane ticket to be bought, but as of right now my tentative date of departure is August 23rd, 2017. Leaving on that date will mean that I will arrive in Blantyre, Malawi on August 24th, 2017! Although this is when this crazy journey will physically begin, with the help of all of you, my journey to Malawi has already started with all of your prayers, donations, love and constant support.

When does the school year start?

I am not leaving until August because the school year in Malawi does not start until September. By arriving a few weeks before the start of the school year, I will have the opportunity to settle into my new surroundings. I will hopefully have time to beat jet lag from flying so far from home and unpack the few items I have brought with me. I will also use this time to get to know the other staff members of the school (Teachers, Headmaster etc.) and read over the curriculum to the classes I will be teaching. Since I have never made a lesson plan before I am hopeful I will be able to contact my sister Heather and my Aunt Debbie, who teaches High School Science for some expert advice!

When will I be returning home?

My plan as of right now is to remain in country for one full year. Which will mean that I will most likely return to the United States sometime in August of 2018.

When did I live in Malawi/Travel to Malawi?

This will be my fourth time spending time in the “Warm Heart of Africa”. It has been 6 years since I have been back to Malawi. The last trip that I went on was in May 2011, my mom was the only other member of my family that was also on that trip. We lead a group of students from Waynesburg University where my mom teaches, and some of my friends who I was working with at Camp Crestfield. The time before that, I returned to Malawi in 2008 with my dad and a few members of our church. It was on this trip that I first visited our sister Church, St. Andrews. Little did I know at the time that someday I would be returning to that place to live and work at a school that hadn’t even been built yet! The first time I went to Malawi was when the entire Merry Family lived there to live for a year in 2004-2005! I was 14 at the time and the year we spent there was life changing. We have not had the chance to travel back to Malawi as a family since we lived there. I am hopeful that we will once again be reunited as a family in Malawi during my year there. I absolutely love to travel and explore new places, but going back to Malawi never seems like traveling to a far off exotic place, it simply feels like going home, which is a very comforting feeling.