Lilongwe
July 2013 Malawi
The closest any of us will ever see Bill Austin to a beach was at our mission in Malawi. Set up on the banks of beautiful Calendar Lake, named for its 365-mile-long length, this mission had the team feeling like they were on vacation. However, the mission team’s method for relaxing at the beach was to fit more than 2,300 hearing aids over three days.
Fighting off baboons attempting to steal hearing aids, the mission team worked late into the night to ensure each person who arrived at the mission left with the gift of hearing. Several large school groups were fitted with hearing aids, and among them, Tani Austin identified two hearing ambassadors to help other students with their hearing aids after the team leaves. Secondary school students Ida and Andrew, who picked up quickly how to change batteries and operate their new hearing aids, impressed Tani. After the two students happily agreed to take on their new responsibilities, Tani spent significant time training them on the additional skills they will need to succeed in their new tasks. The team was amazed to see pride and confidence grow in Ida and Andrew as they realized that they too would be able to give back and contribute in a valuable way to their community.
Special Thanks
Leigh Kassner; Clement Maliro; Alex Botha
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