Starry Africa
Cookeville teen returns from eye-opening African mission trip
by AMY DAVIS
TENNESSEE BIBLE COLLEGE
COOKEVILLE — The stars shone brightly that night in the vast African sky.
Even though 18-year-old Mallory Hill had seen ample twinkling gems back home in far away Cookeville, Tenn., the stars just never had the same impact as the infinite heavenly glitter above the brush arbor gospel meeting in the remote bush of Siamafumba, Zambia.
"The stars were absolutely breathtaking" said Mallory, a 2007 Cookeville High School graduate who recently returned from this excursion, her first mission trip to the remote lands of Southern Africa. She had gone along with her father, David Hill, public relations director at Tennessee Bible College in Cookeville, and Ronald D. Gilbert, missions director.
Mallory Hill
The three of them had shared that spectacular view of the southern hemisphere with almost 2,000 native worshippers who attended the three-day crusade, an annual event that draws in men, women and children from more than 50 area church congregations. Most make the long journey by foot, carrying children and supplies, to hear hours on end of gospel preaching.
This particular gathering had encompassed just one weekend of Mallory's approximate three-week stay in the country of Zambia, which was like a different world for this Cookeville teenager... a land where she slept under a mosquito net, boiled contaminated drinking water, had limited electricity, swatted at countless flies, and even used an outhouse.
"I got a crude awakening!" Mallory said.
TEACHING IN THE BUSH
Mallory Hill, an 18-year-old Cookeville High School graduate, has Bible study with a large
group of African children during her recent mission trip to Zambia. Shortly after returning
home, Mallory began her first semester at Tennessee Tech University, where she is majoring
in business.
But the trip was also enlightening — truly an "eye-opening experience," she said. And that's why she wanted to go in the first place.
The budding business major had decided that before settling into the busy new life that loomed before her — a full course load at Tennessee Tech University, a job, new adult expectations — she wanted to "see what else is out there in the world," she said.
Mallory had heard stories about the mission work being done in Africa from her dad, who had been twice before as part of his work with Tennessee Bible College. Seeing the change it brought about in him had inspired her to go along as well. Representatives from the college have been making the annual pilgrimage since the early 1990s, helping the Africans in various ways... bicycles for preachers, funds and supplies for a new preacher training school, Bibles, songbooks, religious tracts, food, medical aid and more.
Mallory planned to contribute this year by collecting reading glasses for elderly preachers and others having trouble seeing their Bibles clearly. And that she did, having taken over more than 100 pairs which were distributed during the big brush arbor meeting in Siamafumba.
"They were so happy," said Mallory of those receiving their new reading glasses. "Someone said, 'They can see clearly now!'"
Her mission also included teaching children's Bible classes. Out in the bush, she found the experience to be more than she had anticipated.
BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN
A young African girl walks down a dusty road carrying her baby brother. Mallory said the African
children "are so beautiful."
"They swarmed me!" she said of the group of approximately 100 children of all ages that surrounded her. And most of the younger ones seemed more interested in the strange, pale color of her skin than her message. She managed, however, to teach three Bible lessons, which were translated to the children in their native language of Tonga. They sang as well.
"They had such beautiful voices," Mallory said.
The next day was more orderly, though, with the group being narrowed down to girls ages 13-15.
BRUSH ARBOR MEETING
Mallory Hill, along with her father, David Hill, and Ronald D. Gilbert, both of Tennessee Bible
College in Cookeville, joined almost 2,000 Zambian natives for a brush arbor meeting in the bush
of Siamafumba.
"I think it was probably the best lesson I've ever done," she said. "I needed it as much as they did."
When she wasn't teaching the children, she sat among the multitude under the brush arbor covering — a far cry from her air-conditioned home congregation in Cookeville. She recalls scolding herself for complaining about the narrow wooden pews being hard to sit on.
"There I was complaining when a little girl close by with no shoes and a deformed hand was sitting there patiently and calm," Mallory said. "I met another girl with deformed feet, too... I hope I remember the things I saw in the bush when I start complaining."
When night came, the dry, sandy grounds abounded with a host of overnight campers. Mallory observed mothers blanketing little ones with bits of straw from the brush structure which had earlier that day shielded the multitude from the African sun. Others convened as best they could for some shuteye before the 7 a.m. wake-up call. As an American guest, Mallory was one of the privileged few to sleep indoors. She and new friends Mary and Charity boarded in a classroom inside a nearby community school building.
While in Africa, Mallory also got her first taste of college when she enrolled in a course at the Zambia School of Biblical Studies. Her dad and Gilbert served as guest instructors, and the three lodged in a small brick house next to the school in the town of Livingstone.
"It was a cramped building with a concrete floor," Mallory said. "This is what most Africans would say is a rich place to live."
Livingstone — where the three spent most of their time — is much closer to Mallory's standards of modern living than the primitive bush area, which is an approximate four-hour drive away. Stores, restaurants and market places are aplenty, although still far below caliber with the likes of Cookeville.
She also attended several other worship services, Bible studies and religious functions, including a youth meeting at Falls View Church of Christ (located near the world famous Victoria Falls) where Mallory says she "grew spiritually" and "got to experience true African culture."
In addition, she recalls traveling down a dusty road to visit friends of her dad and Gilbert.
"As we were driving out to the Hensons' we passed by the poorer side of town. It was sad. The little kids were so intrigued to see white people that they waved and smiled. The older ones just stared. Their houses were huts, and it was like they had a little hut village, all of them being pretty close together... We passed several just walking or riding their bicycles."
As for the food in Africa, Mallory was pleasantly surprised to find that she liked it and kept full. Meals consisted mostly of starchy foods such as bread, rice and corn.
And the people have "sweet personalities," she said. And the children are "so beautiful."
"One of the kids from Bible study who couldn't speak English was outside the building, and he smiled and waved at me," she said. "His smile was so precious. The parents let their kids just go off and play wherever."
She concluded that the simple life in Africa is "so much better" because it's easier to talk and get to know people. Even though she suffered from homesickness, she knew she had found a new kind of home with her friends in Africa.
Mallory said, "As we took off from Livingstone, I thought of a good song: 'God Be With You Till We Meet Again.' Those words are so true to these African people. Africa was another home away from home in some ways. God be with those people."
For her mission work in Africa, Mallory will receive credit from Tennessee Bible College.
For more information about TBC and its African mission work, call (931)526-2616 or visit the Web site, www.tn-biblecollege.edu.