Mallory's Mission

CHS graduate collecting reading glasses for African mission trip

By AMY DAVIS
TENNESSEE BIBLE COLLEGE

COOKEVILLE — She has a vision... and 18-year-old Mallory Hill of Cookeville hopes that vision will help others to see as well.

Literally.

The Cookeville High School graduate will soon be leaving the comforts of home for a mission trip to Zambia, Africa, where, among other things, she'll be distributing reading glasses.

It's a project she's been working on over the past few months, having collected funds to purchase new reading glasses and cases to give to African preachers and others in need who are getting older and having difficulty reading the Bible.

Mallory Hill of Cookeville, Tenn., is collecting reading glasses for her upcoming mission trip to Zambia, Africa. The 18-year-old Cookeville High School graduate will be going along with her father, David Hill, and Ronald D. Gilbert, both of Tennessee Bible College in Cookeville. Anyone wishing to donate to her project should call TBC at (931) 526-2616.

She'll be making the journey with her dad, David Hill, and Ronald D. Gilbert, both of Tennessee Bible College in Cookeville. It'll be a first for Mallory, third for Hill and 13th for Gilbert, who serves as TBC's director of missions.

Even though departure time is drawing near, Mallory says there's still time for the community to help her campaign, either by contributing funds or donating like-new reading glasses with cases.

So far, almost 100 pairs are ready to go.

"We're getting a ton... a good variety of glasses to take over there," Mallory said. "Most are for reading."

The reading glasses collection project was initiated when Mallory expressed interest in being part of this year's annual mission trip headed by Gilbert. It was a way she could personally contribute to the African cause.

"I had talked to Ron earlier on, and we decided that would be a good plan."

What inspired her to go?

"It wasn't something I always wanted to do," Mallory said. "My dad came back the first year he went, and he had changed. You could tell. And when he got up (at church) to tell about Africa, he almost had tears in his eyes when he talked about it. That changed my feelings toward going. I just decided, 'I'm graduating, I'm going to college, and I need to see what else is out there in the world.'"

"You tend to get stuck in high school on you and what you're doing and school work and stuff. Now that I'm out, I'm thinking about future plans. I want to see what Africa is like and see how other people live and just see if I can help."

In addition to handing out reading glasses, Mallory will also be teaching Bible classes to African children and teenaged girls in the churches she'll be visiting. Hill and Gilbert will be taking part in several gospel meetings during the three-week excursion, including a brush arbor meeting in the primitive, remote bush area of Zambia, where more than 2,000 worshippers from 50 congregations are expected to gather for three days of gospel preaching and question-and-answer sessions.

Mallory Hill

The men will also be teaching classes at the Zambia School of Biblical Studies in Livingstone, Zambia, which is located next to the small house where the three will lodge. While there, Mallory will take the opportunity to pick up some college credits herself, having enrolled in a course along with the Zambian students. She'll also earn credits from Tennessee Bible College for going on the African mission trip. She plans to transfer the credits to Tennessee Tech University, where she'll begin studies this fall toward a business degree.

Those wishing to help Mallory with her African mission work should call Tennessee Bible College at (931)526-2616 and speak with Ronald Gilbert or David Hill or visit the college at 1616 McCulley Road, Cookeville.

"If you find a good deal on reading glasses, tell us because we're looking!" Mallory said. "Or get some and bring them to us. We'll be glad to take them."

The community can help in other ways as well.

Funds are being collected for the completion of a new preaching school in Siamafumba, as well as Bibles, textbooks and suits for the student-preachers. Another goal is to purchase bicycles for preachers who otherwise make the trip to church by foot. And food is always on the shopping list.

It's a long way from home, but Mallory feels she's ready.

Ready to experience a land very different from her own, where she'll see starving children, young men and women with terrible diseases, and poverty beyond her comprehension... not to mention the spiritual needs.

It's an experience sure to change her life — and that's why she's going.