The Morrisburg Pentecostal Tabernacle’s Reverend Duncan Perry and wife Sandra, will be heading to Africa on October 12th along with 14 volunteers from other Pentecostal Churches.
According to Perry, this particular trip was organized by Sandra Gill, the Women’s Ministries Director for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
He told the Leader that Gill “has done several of these trips (and she) does them once or twice a year.”
Gill is the one responsible for bringing Perry and his wife together with the other 14 travelers, of which there are five couples and four women traveling solo.
Perry shared that going on a mission has been “something (he’s) wanted to do for a number of years.”
He “likes exposing people to missions.”
“Our congregation is very mission minded. We give a fair chunk of change to missions every year.”
Perry’s group will be heading for the Villages of Hope (VOH) – Malawi in Lilongwe where, according to the VOH website, “over one million children (age 0 – 17) have become orphaned” as of 2009.
Perry said that HIV/AIDS is responsible for the large numbers of orphaned children.
Malawi, also known as the “warm heart of Africa,” is a country in the southeast of Africa bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
The VOH “provides the children of Malawi with food, shelter, health services, and education.”
To go on this mission, the group was expected to raise $6,000 and Perry says they’ve actually raised $10,000, so they will “be able to do more than (they had) anticipated.”
Perry told the Leader that there are “no administration fees” and that “all” of the money will go straight toward helping the children of Malawi.
In addition to money, Perry and his group will be taking along things like clothes, tools, food, and even Tim Horton’s coffee.
While there, they will be doing a host of different things including house repairs due to termite damage, painting, windows, installing new screens, and fixing playground structures.
In addition, the women will be working in the schools and ministering to the women of Malawi.
At present, Perry says there are “about twelve missionaries” in Africa. “One, (a woman from Ottawa), is in a very remote part of Kenya.” He says “she hardly ever sees anybody.”
Perry has tremendous respect for those full-time missionaries who volunteer for these stations, saying they’re “the heart of God. They’re amazing people.”
As for Perry himself, he says that this trip is “going to be an eye-opener.” He believes that his “outlook on life is going to be drastically changed.”
He even talked of doing missions once or twice a year following retirement.
Perry explained that while this trip happened to be planned for Africa, it just as easily could have been planned for one of a number of other mission countries, like India or El Salvador for example. He shared his wish to do mission work in India.
To get ready for this trip, the group had to be immunized against yellow fever, typhoid, Hepatitis A and B. In addition, they will have to take malaria pills and “travelers diet” pills while there.
The group will arrive back in Canada on October 28th.
Perry promises to take lots of pictures to share upon his return.
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