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Lucy Sudworth is serving in Mayotte:
God placed mission on my heart after my first trip to the Philippines in 2012, and it is something that I have assumed as being part of my calling. When this opportunity came up and God opened the doors for me, I saw it as a great experience to further explore God’s calling on my life. When I arrived in Mayotte, there was a feeling of excitement and nerves. My main role is to homeschool some of the children of the missionaries on the island. Homeschooling enables other team members to carry out their ministry while I am able to spend quality time with the children.
My experiences of the Mahorais culture have been eye opening. One of the highlights has been attending a local wedding, which was so much fun! The women wore their traditional dresses and expensive jewellery. They danced and sang songs, throwing money at the bride as a sign of blessing and celebration. The meal was amazing too, we sat on the floor in a circle and shared local dishes. I love how welcoming they were, but it also allowed me to see how people are stuck in a system of works and traditions.
One of the challenges has been learning the language because it is an oral language. Language lessons have been fun but frustrating because of how much I don’t remember. A lot of women have invited me to their houses to teach me the language and help me practice. Language can be a huge barrier to spreading the gospel and God has encouraged me to continue to learn and be with the local people more, even if I just manage to share a little bit.
I have loved being part of the team, praying and meditating on the word together and building each other up to continue both God’s mission in our lives and on this island.