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What I saw in Africa.


What I saw in Africa a personal reflection

I have just returned from a brief trip to Africa, since my return I have been asked if I enjoyed my trip and what did I see in Africa?Having been brought up in Africa, I consider myself to be more African than British or Kiwi. I found this question a little ponderous to answer, because once you have been brought up in Africa it's in the blood, it's like going home for the very first time after leaving. Therefore no amount of words can ever express the joy one feels as you are once again wrapped and enveloped by the sights sounds and smells of Africa.

The answers to the questions are; yes I did enjoy myself, I saw many things, I was pleasantly surprised in fact. I expected to see countries, once prosperous and well run, bent and on their knees, in rack and ruin.  This due to the rule of dictators and despots, who have ruled for too long and have treated their nations as their own personal piggy banks, to rob and plunder at will. I saw all of this is, but I saw much, much more.

I saw people who still laughed and danced in that special way that you will only find in Africa. I met Christians who were not afraid to live out their Christian faith in public. I met Christian leaders of all ages ready to defend the cause of Christ, to let their love and light of Christ shine through the corruption and decay so evident around them. But three encounters stood out perhaps more than all the others.

I met a Christian leader, retired, who at 75, with no pension to speak of, still once a week, travelled three hours from his home to feed the widows and orphans. Who ensured that the old had medical treatment and blankets and ministered a word of faith and encouragement.

I met another Christian leader 76 years old in ill health. Once a month, would drive for nine hours on roads that are barely tracks,  to a very remote area to minister to a group of rural pastors, to help train them encourage them and give them help wherever they needed it.

The most memorable meeting was with a Christian leader of 77, who's body was racked with Parkinson's decease and who, on the morning we met, was about to drive five hours to take a series of meetings that weekend. Even though his body was falling apart his mind, wit and desire to serve God still coursed through his veins. He spoke to me with fire in his eyes, as he, in all seriousness was looking for the next big thing that God could do through him. He spoke of church planting and mission work, of preaching and teaching. He winked at me and said "I am not dead yet" He placed his hands on my head and the head of my wife and right there, in a loud voice, in the middle of a packed restaurant, he prayed Gods blessing on us both.

So when people ask me what did I see in Africa? I look at them and say I saw hope.


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