Tad and Carly Glibert have led fulfilling and exciting lives since graduating from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Tad, a former IWU men's soccer player, and a 2014 graduate was working his dream job at Northwestern University in Chicago, serving as the assistant director of basketball operations. Carly, on the other hand, was a successful nurse.
But on Monday, the Glibert's will be starting a new chapter of their lives, working as missionaries and doing God's work in one of the poorest areas in the world – the African country of Malawi.
Malawi is a small, landlocked area in the southeastern portion of the continent, bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique to the south, southwest, and southeast.
Tad and Carly will be working with Circle of Hope International, an organization that served in Malawi over the last several years. Carly has participated in missions trips with Circle of Hope since 2012, and Tad finally joined her in 2017 – falling in love with both the work of the organization as well as the community in which they were serving.
Tad returned to Malawi in 2018 to participate in more missions work, and despite a few unforeseen circumstances, which included being robbed by 15 men with machetes and clubs early on in the trip, he knew that this is where he needed to be.
“During that time, I felt that the Lord was very clearly calling Carly and I to move there,” Glibert said. “That was kind of an interesting thing to hear because I had no desire to live outside the country or become a missionary. It wasn't an easy decision, because I love my job and Carly loves her job. Working at Northwestern was kind of a dream come true for me – growing up in Big 10 country and loving college basketball. As I said, it wasn't an easy decision, but we knew deep down that this is what the Lord was calling us to do. Since we made the decision, He has been really reassuring us that this is where he wants to be.
“The Lord really showed me a different side of His part in caring for the poor and just His compassion for very broken people.”
When they arrive, the Glibert's will be the first missionaries to work in Malawi alongside Circle of Hope International. They were fully funded and committed for the next two years, and are open to staying in Malawi for as long as is needed.
Circle of Hope runs a church, a K-8 school, a boys and girls orphanage, and a medical clinic in the area. Carly will work at the medical clinic and begin the process of creating a maternal center, which will be a safe place for women to deliver their babies as well as receive pre and post-natal care.
Tad will be working at the school, teaching math at different levels, working in an administrative role, and working with both the orphanage and the school's sports teams.
Though there will certainly be a transition period, Tad is ready to get started.
“I think the big part of doing is living in community with the people and seeing how they live,” Glibert said. “It's amazing when you experience those types of environments, [because you see] how little you can live on and really how spoiled we are in America. It's definitely going to take some time getting used to. It will be a little uncomfortable at first, but we are excited to get going.”
As the Glibert's prepare for what could be a life-altering two years, Tad credited Indiana Wesleyan University for not only giving him a stronger faith in God, but for preparing him for this next stage in his life's journey.
“When I got to Indiana Wesleyan, I grew up in a Christian family, but I didn't have a real, authentic relationship with Jesus,” he said. “College is a big part of discovering who you are and what you believe. I was fortunate enough to be on a soccer team where they had a bunch of true believers of Jesus that mentored me and allowed me to grow. It was a pivotal part of my life, and going from Indiana Wesleyan to a secular place like Northwestern, it was important to have a firm foundation in the Lord.
“That was a huge part of what I am today, and ultimately, us making this decision of trusting that the Lord has called us to do ministry in Malawi.”
To learn more or to follow along with the Glibert's click HERE. You can also follow them on social media by visiting their Instagram page.
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