Renita Mwangachuchu

Ms. Elsbeth Mantler

English 121
October 14, 2013
Inspiring Global Happiness
Frazier & Virginia Mathis, an Adventist couple from Columbia, MD, are
known at the Emmanuel Brinklow SDA Church for their numerous mission trips
around the world. On one particular trip to Arusha, Tanzania, they noticed a broken
down two bedroom house a man had been keeping. He lived in that house with
about 22 children. They were deeply touched by his act of kindness and thought
they could do something to help. In their efforts to fix up the old orphanage and
provide proper care for the children already there, they realized that there was a
need in Arusha that they had the means and ability to fill. They gathered up a group
of volunteers from their home church and returned to the country. Among their long
list of finished projects today is the aforementioned shack, which is now known as
the Havilah Village Orphanage as of 2005. Together, the Mathis run a non-profit
organization under the name of Global Vessels Inc. Global Vessels (GV) is a 7 th Day
Adventist organization that sends volunteers to Ghana, Tanzania, and South Africa
every year. At first, they went just to build orphanages for children displaced from
losing parents to war and disease. As years went by they ended up donating
clothes, helping out with food, and performing outreach efforts. They extended help
to not only to the children there, but anybody they could reach. Getting volunteers
involved in helping the impoverished makes a big difference in the lives of those
being helped, in how the volunteers view their own lives, and also is making a
difference in how the global community positively views itself as a whole.

During the trips to the Havilah Orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania and

surrounding areas, a major change was occurring. The GV organization brought
together individuals, and built orphanages and churches in order to provide a stable
Christian environment for many impoverished Tanzanians. The GV mission trips
paved the way to give them a chance at a new life. This major change occurred as a
result of one act of kindness. The impoverished children began to receive the care
they needed. They were getting within reach of simple things like having constant
access to food, shelter, clothing, and education. They could look forward to going to
school, participating in church, and even had the option now to enroll into
universities. The children were finally experiencing the stability that fostered the
growth necessary to lead a new life. They could now choose what theyd do of their
own choice, gain new viewpoints, and experience new things. The impoverished
people being helped were very appreciative. They were often moved beyond words,
overjoyed and bewildered by how someone could be so kind and give so much. An
organization like the Global Vessels team was especially strange to see in their
reality, which had previously been smashed by senseless greed. They now had the
ability to take their new found freedom and use it to impact the lives of others.
These children now had a source of newfound hope, which is something the
volunteers had gotten a dose of themselves as they embarked on the trip.
After the GV volunteers returned from their mission trip, friends and family
immediately noticed a change in the volunteers & how they conducted their lives
from then on forward. A lot of the volunteers that came back from having served in
Tanzania were visually happier. They had this musical spark about them. How many
times had they had the means to give the homeless shelter, or the poor
considerable wealth & hope? They knew theyd achieved something great in

planting seeds of happiness within others who couldnt do it for themselves. They
came back bursting at the seams, sharing stories about scaring off snakes and how
they got around to building churches and clinics faster than theyd ever seen them
go up before. Every volunteer would come back holding pictures of a child theyd
been assigned to during their stay. Each and every one of them damn near adopted
the children as their own and showed off pictures of them together to anyone whod
look, just like a proud parent would show off their own growing children. It was an
extreme contrast to how a lot of people liked to spend their time feeling better by
putting others down. They finally realized just how good they have it. Their peers
watched, baffled, as the returned friends expressed their joy in seeing everyday
things, like sidewalk, pavement, cars, toilets and running water. The GV volunteers
gained a new sense of appreciation, having seen first-hand what it was like to be
without. They also gained a sense of hope. If they, being regular people, had the
power to make that positive of an impact on that one village, then what was the
world capable of? If they worked together, through God, they could create a better
world than what we have today.
The Global Vessels organization creates venues of happiness for any and
everybody involved. The orphans and impoverished citizens of Tanzania get
attended to. The volunteers demonstrate great acts of kindness in taking aside their
time for the mission trips. The volunteers and natives of Tanzania come together to
worship God, do his work, and provide for each other and those in need. They form
bonds and friendships that last a lifetime. Their acts of kindness have the potential
to tip the balance of good in the world as a whole. Just like the Mathis were touched
by that one mans act of kindness in taking those orphans into his already crowded
little house, and like the volunteers were touched by their encounters with those in

need, others who view the volunteers act of kindness are touched by witnessing
how powerful an act of kindness can be. They do what they can to help, be it by
volunteering themselves, or by donating to and growing the organization. The
Global Vessels community continues to perform their amazing feats. Whether they
know it or not, they are setting an example for others in the world to follow suit. Its
sending a message that one act of kindness can change lives. Hope is being instilled
in all who participate. As a whole, the work of the volunteers provides global change
for the better. The happiness of those involved with Global Vessels has the potential
to inspire global happiness.

Works Cited

Robert Wallace & Global Vessels, Inc. dedicate main orphanage building in honor
of Irene G. Wallace
Bithgroup Technologies. 6 Aug 2007.
<http://www.bithgroup.com/news/press/080607.html>
The Havilah Village Childrens Home Website. Global Vessels Inc.
<http://havilahvillage.blogspot.com/>
Holzberg, Janine. Columbia couple uses mission trips to help poverty-stricken
children in Africa.
<http://archives.explorehoward.com/news/79111/columbia-couple-usesmission-trips-help-poverty-stricken-children-africa/>

Gods Vessels and a Dream Havilah Childrens Village. Bith Group Technologies.
<http://www.bithgroup.com/news/articles/article_asi.pdf>