The sandy breeze envelopes senior Novali Elvelyck as she moves alongside the ocean of kids. Traveling through continents, her summer journey ends with her two-week trip to Africa. As Elvelyck sees her mission’s message being conveyed in front of her, she realizes that serving and reaching others is an achievement she pleasures in.
Over the course of the summer, Elvelyck traveled to various locations, from Yosemite, San Francisco to Mbeya, Tanzania. As part of a devoted church group, Elvelyck volunteered to be a part of a mission group that shared the gospel with the community of Tanzania. Multiple teams were out daily, some in the streets and others with kids, while other groups within the church helped with donations and provided healthcare.
“I chose to go to Tanzania because I loved the idea of going on a mission trip,” Elvelyck said. “Helping people, whether by donating supplies or providing healthcare is extremely rewarding to see unfold in front of you; these people need to know that someone is putting them first.”
In Mbeya, the church group’s goal was not to convert nor force any religious influences on the people, but to help the community in all aspects of life. According to Elvelyck, there is a division between preaching the gospel, transferring the donations, and providing medical assistance where needed.
“While Mbeye, Tanzania was a bit of a rough city, it was stunning,” Elvelyck said. “It wasn’t just the city, but the people were so welcoming, kind, and appreciative of what our group was doing. The community was fun to explore and learn about overall.”
In the city, there were “little villages,” or “neighborhoods” that the local people lived in. As Elvelyck and her mission group stayed, they grew to learn about the community’s way of life, morals and living styles.
“Living their way was eye-opening to the different lifestyles that we all can have and live by,” Elvelyck said. “The only part of their lifestyle I would change might be the food after [my] incident with the stomach bug.”
While staying there, Elvelyck grew accustomed to several aspects of Tanzanian culture, though the food sometimes became hard to swallow as her digestive system couldn’t handle some of the changes in cuisine. During the three days of their trip, Elvelyck and the majority of her group fell sick with a stomach bug that had them bedridden for their remaining days there.
“I guess we just couldn’t really stomach what they could but they were very apologetic to the situation,” Elvelyck said. “They provided us with everything we could have needed and continued to be pleasant throughout the process.”
As the sickness was cured away and the remaining days came to an end, the focus of what the group accomplished was still there. The community as a whole was positively impacted by either the preaching of the gospel or the materialistic aspects that created a healthy foundation for the community to grow.
“I really wouldn’t change anything about the trip at all and hope to come back again next summer,” Elvelyck said. “Everyone should be willing to humble themselves and serve others because it truly makes a difference in people’s lives, including your own.”
