Surprisingly, I Found Healing on This Solo Trip

Written by Eunice Tossy

I don’t think I was escaping life, but I surely needed a refuge. On December 2018, I travelled to Malawi, after a long time of planning for that journey. It was to be a work-related trip, where I was going to intern as a social worker at When the Saints, an organization that provides support to girls who have been sexually abused.

The journey was to take place a day after my graduation, but a little bit of backstory, I left a job because I didn’t think the leader was living what he preached, they were some signs of narcissism and sexism from a leader who used the Bible to perpetuate that. I couldn’t stay in that environment and I was starting to question these Christian organizations, it should go without saying that the one I was going to in Malawi was also a Christian organization.

In my head I thought a lot of stuff honestly, I also postponed the trip to Tuesday instead of Monday, because I was still contemplating my decision to go to people who didn’t know me, to people I didn’t know, with a limited budget, to a different country. Add onto that everything else that makes us (read women) question our decisions to take a solo trip. In fact, it was my first solo trip.

But I went, and God took my time there to restore my faith in Christian leaders, God used my time there to heal my heart with His Word, and I had so much fun. I loved Mponela where I lived, I also loved Lilongwe where we went to church to. I loved having lunch in Lilongwe every Sunday, where most of the times I ate Biryani, because I fell in love with their Biryani and I was having it every chance I got.

I loved the kindness of Malawians, in a small circle that surrounded me they were so kind, good listeners and always looking out for me.

I still remember the conversations I had with Malawians, where we talked about faith, food and even the Lake Nyasa/ Malawi issue. I still remember the friendships that I made, the fun times I had, the places I got to see and the work that I had the privilege of doing while I was in Malawi.

One memorable experience that always comes to mind is I left one of my teeth in Malawi. While there I went to see a dentist to get a tooth removed, and I left it in Malawi, how special! (Am coming back for you dear, thank you for giving me a reason to visit again.)

I do believe healing is a journey, and sometimes it literally is. Just like the way I travelled to a different country to heal my wounds. In Malawi, I felt so at home, and I still consider that country my second home. And that’s how Malawi got a piece of my heart.