September 1, 2004
Mission trip tests teen
Paul Taylor spends part of summer building AIDS orphan rescue unit
By
Herald staff writer
When Paul Taylor signed on to take part in a mission trip to Malawi, he was hoping to make a positive change in the lives of others, what he wasn't expecting was the change that would take place in his own life.
Taylor, a 15-year-old sophomore at Traverse City St. Francis High School, spent six-weeks this summer with Teen Missions International, in part building an AIDS orphan rescue unit in a remote village in the southern African country.
"I wanted to go and help out because I knew how bad it was there. I've always wanted to go to Africa, and I thought this would be a good way to help people and to experience something new," said Taylor who had heard about the mission trip from a family friend.
"I wanted a challenge and a way to make a difference," said Taylor, who chose the Malawi group from among the dozens of Teen Mission International volunteer groups that travel to 25 countries on six continents.
A challenge is exactly what Taylor got. The trip, described by literature from Teen Mission International, as "not for the faint of heart," included two weeks of boot camp type training in Merritt Island, Fla.
"We were out in the middle of nowhere, there was nothing around but bugs. We learned basic building skills, carpentry and how to work with each other, to get us ready for the trip," Taylor said.
From Florida, the group of 27 traveled on to Malawi after a two day stop in Ethiopia. For several days, at their base camp in Chipoka, the team worked on projects that would eventually be moved to the remote site of the rescue unit.
The primary project, the 8' by 16' rescue unit building, is just large enough to house two staff members and their small stash of supplies. They also worked on a storage place for chicken feed and took turns with kitchen duty.
With their preparations complete, the team traveled 2 1/2 hours to a remote village of 200-300 people who live as subsistence farmers.
"The people seemed happy to have us there, it made all the hard work and bad conditions bearable," said Taylor, noting that nearly everyone on the team got sick from the water in the first few days on site.
Several team members, including Taylor, also contracted malaria.
"At first I thought, wow - I've got malaria, but then I realized that other people had it too and they were doing all right, so I just didn't worry about it."
A diet of goat meat, wild chicken and an occasional monkey or two, along with illness and hard work, contributed to Taylor loosing 30 pounds over the course of the trip.
Health problems were only one of the challenges faced by Taylor and his team mates.
"It was in the savannah region, so it is very hot during the day and gets extremely cold at night," Taylor said.
"The nights were the most difficult time. There is just a sense of hopelessness you get when you are that cold. You think, we could all die here and no body would even know about it. During the day it was really hot and we worked hard, but we felt very appreciated. That is what made it worth it," Taylor noted.
With the goals he set for himself - making a contribution and challenging himself - met, Taylor was surprised to find he also came away from the experience with a new perspective on his own life.
"The people there were so happy. They didn't have very much - nothing really, no cars, telephones or enough food to eat - but they were happy. It seems like the less you have, the more you have if the people around you love you. The time you have with everyone is really precious."