Missionary writes book on her experiences in Malawi

From 2003 to 2007, Laura Tope and her husband served as missionaries in Malawi, returning to the United States once a year. They planned to continue their work at a different locale in India, but were delayed by visa problems. Meanwhile, they have been working at the Miracle Valley Bible College in Arizona.


“I work in the kitchen and at the assisted living facility at night. We stay for a few months each year,” she explained. “We are right on the border of Mexico and the illegals pass through at night. The border patrol hovers over the property searching for the guys. We minister in Mexico and at the Whiteriver Apache Reservation while we are here. Both the Apaches and the Mexicans are gracious people to us.”

A desire to write about their experiences in Malawi led to her book, “The Jali Road.” It took her four months this past summer to write the book, which is being published by PublishAmerica and will be released Feb. 11.

“This is my first experience having a book published, so I'm learning as I go,” Tope said. “I want to use most of the royalties for the work in Malawi and in India. We were supposed to be in India now, but there was a problem with the visa process. So, for now, we are here. God's will is fine with us.”

She was a nurse in Port Charlotte, Fla. when she and her husband, Gary, decided to become missionaries.

“After our three daughters were raised and married we had the call to go on the mission field,” she recalled. “We contacted several organizations and churches, but, for this or that reason, we were denied. We decided to go with God. He made a way for us to go to Malawi. I had not heard of it so I researched a little.

“We made our first trip in 2003 and made great friends. They are now our banja (family). We did experience culture shock, but it was when we returned to the U.S. The cleanliness and abundance were overwhelming!”

She noted the major differences between Malawi and this country.

“The Malawians truly have freedom of religion. Bible knowledge is taught in school and they pray every morning in class. The youth are hungry for education. Most never go to high school, let alone college. They can't afford to go. They will climb the mountains for fasting and prayers. The youth have all night prayers. They pray for relief from poverty, hunger, malnutrition, malaria, AIDS, cholera, TB.”

She added that the life expectancy is 35 and that many funerals are attended every week. Coffin making is a thriving business in Malawi.

“Our greatest blessing was to build a church in a small village,” she said. “The word spread and many pastors joined the Revival Miracle Ministries. There are now 28 churches in Malawi and four in Mozambique. We will be going back, there is much work to do. We support the Revival Miracle Ministries. It is not based in the U.S., but totally run by Malawians and we aren't even on the board. We wanted them to be in control of everything, without having to ask the Muzungu (white person) permission.”

Born in Indianapolis, she and her husband have purchased a house in Rushville.

“The first time I saw Rushville I was in love. I knew I had to live there,” she said. “It reminds me of Bedford Falls in ‘It's a Wonderful Life.’"