Today was our last day in The Gambia. We had just enough time for one more meeting with a church leader. Pastor Forbes is head of an umbrella organization for a number of churches--all this required, among other things, for religious liasing with the government. He immediately impressed us with his hi-tech knowledge and skill. He owns and operates a business school, conducts a weekly television program, and pastors a church. He seems to have a good grasp of the challenges facing the Gambian Christians in the areas of education and leadership.
The surprise moment for me came when I mentioned the name, Dr. Pat Francis, the founding pastor (she is Jamaican)of a mega-church in Toronto, Kingdom Covenant Church. Forbes and I formed an instant bond as he watches her on television and admires her preaching and visionary leadership. She is already broadcasting in many parts of Europe and Africa. Next step, I took a picture of him to give to Pat, and he gave me one of his business cards to give her. Wants her to come to The Gambia. Steve realized in that moment that he just might be faced with organizing a "Pat and David" campaign to The Gambia! Can't you just see it? I don't know who was scared more by that little flash of fantasy, Steve or me?
I can't close out our tour blog without a last word about Skippy, our toilet froggie. We had not seen him for a few days and feared he had left us. Then yesterday he appeared unannounced to Steve. Well, this morning I was prepared, with camera in hand, for an appearance as I made my first visit of the day to the bathroom. Would you believe it--I saw him, no mistaking his little froggie legs and that stunned look in his eyes! But today was different. He just kept going. No explanation, no cry for help, no goodbyes. As I shuffled back to my bedroom I thought, how fitting. Providence just may have known that we were strangers in the land and needed comfort. I know this because I would sometimes hear Dr.Taylor sobbing quietly during the silence of the African night. Steve, on the other hand, would keep saying things like, "I could live here for the rest of my life," and "Do I really have to pack?"
Well, maybe far fetched for some of you, but we do likely agree that Providence (God) does care, does promise to be our comfort and companion. Skippy is not a sacrament, but he just may be a little sign. For now, that is enough.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
It's not goodbye forever
Well I am sitting in our little Ice cream shop, typing my last blog in The Gambia. I am starting to feel the typical sadness I associate with leaving this place. I have been here so many times that I have stopped counting, and the place feels like my second home. I am pretty tired, it was a jam packed 10 days full of a lot of meetings, a lot of early mornings and a lot of late nights (Dr. Reed we are leaving now! Pack up your computer.) We have one meeting left, the president of the Evangelical Fellowship of The Gambia. Both the organization and the man that heads it up are key players in the Gambian Christian community. Please pray for this meeting and our safe travel tomorrow as we head out for London. Oh yeah one last mission, Skippy! I captured him on my cell phone camera yesterday but the image is so fuzzy. I know when I bring it back it will be like those grainy sasquatch/loch ness monster photos. You know the kind. Oh well, I have never been so determined in my life to succeed.
Heartbeak and Hearts United
Ok, I told you this would be a special day. First, I discovered when I arrived here that The Gambia was a critical centre for the slave trade from the Africa side. The real surprise was finding out that the village which features in Alex Haley's book, *Roots*, is in The Gambia, not many miles from Banjul. So I immediately put in my pitch to spend a day there. That was today. It is an hour ferry ride across the river, then a 1.5 hour car ride to the village. a short boat ride took us to James Island where over 600 slaves would be packed into obscenely small quarters for three years, precisely to take from these strong young men their energy, strength and will. This made them sufficiently docile to manage the long journey to America. Other acts of inhumanity were presented, which only compounded the horror of what we were witnessing in this island memorial. For me, the trip was a memory horrible and a must.
The caption on the memorial plaque on the beach reads: *Never Again*. The hidden and sometimes subtle varieties of slavery being practiced today leaves me with little confidence that the warning has been heeded. But hope of course is never deterred by evil.
The other event today was a heartwarming event at the CVM house. Remember Martin from Sudan (in my first blog after arriving here)? It turns out that his second marriage was celebrated as a traditional African wedding. He and Rachel now have a 6-week old baby. So this evening the house was decorated brightly in lights and petals. Friends and volunteer staff were present. I officiated at a Blessing of their marriage and Glen led in a dedication of their newborn. Then a big chocolate cake. What a wonderful way to wind up our trip!
We are all still hoping to get a pic of Skippy, the little frog who lives in the toilet. Can you imagine Steve peering into the toilet bowl with that look of satisfaction that appears only on the face of a little boy who was just toilet trained and discovered the reward waiting for him in the bottom of the bowl!! Well, whether or not Skippy pays us a last visit, we leave tomorrow for London, and will be home Saturday night. We are squeezing in one last meeting tomorrow morning with an important Christian leader.
We have been filling in a lot of blanks and noting confirmations as one leader seems to corroborate the insights of another. Like building blocks in something that is a lot larger than what we have in place now. But this is why we came.
The caption on the memorial plaque on the beach reads: *Never Again*. The hidden and sometimes subtle varieties of slavery being practiced today leaves me with little confidence that the warning has been heeded. But hope of course is never deterred by evil.
The other event today was a heartwarming event at the CVM house. Remember Martin from Sudan (in my first blog after arriving here)? It turns out that his second marriage was celebrated as a traditional African wedding. He and Rachel now have a 6-week old baby. So this evening the house was decorated brightly in lights and petals. Friends and volunteer staff were present. I officiated at a Blessing of their marriage and Glen led in a dedication of their newborn. Then a big chocolate cake. What a wonderful way to wind up our trip!
We are all still hoping to get a pic of Skippy, the little frog who lives in the toilet. Can you imagine Steve peering into the toilet bowl with that look of satisfaction that appears only on the face of a little boy who was just toilet trained and discovered the reward waiting for him in the bottom of the bowl!! Well, whether or not Skippy pays us a last visit, we leave tomorrow for London, and will be home Saturday night. We are squeezing in one last meeting tomorrow morning with an important Christian leader.
We have been filling in a lot of blanks and noting confirmations as one leader seems to corroborate the insights of another. Like building blocks in something that is a lot larger than what we have in place now. But this is why we came.
"Special Assignment" and Fun
Well, we can tell that our assignment here is winding down. Last night Glen delivered his last lecture. Steve has shifted from conference-running to follow-up admin and the local to-do list.
Two events occupied my attention today. First was a request for a meeting by the head of a major African governmental organization. she was told of our visit by her secretary, someone who was present at our Sunday evening healing service. Two members of her family are seriously ill. She came seeking pastoral counsel and prayer, both of which we provided as best we could. This is just one of the kinds of surprise moments in trips like this. She thanked Glen and me for accepting this "special assignment."
Then we had some fun. I now had time to relax and see a little of the Banjul sights. One of the best is the seashore, a few minutes walk from the CVM house. A few of us made the journey. But would you believe what we found...riding horses for hire along the beach. Two sets of eyes lit up like fireflies in an African night. No, they weren't the eyes of the young men who were renting out the horses, though they gave us happy smiles as they made their pitch. The bright eyes came from a couple of western Canadian guys who for a moment thought they were performing in the Calgary Stampede! Steve and Glen couldn't wait to pay their money (I bet they didn't even try to barter) and ride off into the sandy horizon. Fantasy is a wonderful gift! Me? I didn't need any more opportunities for inner organ massage...the Land Rover and Steve's driving is enough.
Tomorrow is our last full day here, and it's going to be a special day. Don't miss my next blog!
Two events occupied my attention today. First was a request for a meeting by the head of a major African governmental organization. she was told of our visit by her secretary, someone who was present at our Sunday evening healing service. Two members of her family are seriously ill. She came seeking pastoral counsel and prayer, both of which we provided as best we could. This is just one of the kinds of surprise moments in trips like this. She thanked Glen and me for accepting this "special assignment."
Then we had some fun. I now had time to relax and see a little of the Banjul sights. One of the best is the seashore, a few minutes walk from the CVM house. A few of us made the journey. But would you believe what we found...riding horses for hire along the beach. Two sets of eyes lit up like fireflies in an African night. No, they weren't the eyes of the young men who were renting out the horses, though they gave us happy smiles as they made their pitch. The bright eyes came from a couple of western Canadian guys who for a moment thought they were performing in the Calgary Stampede! Steve and Glen couldn't wait to pay their money (I bet they didn't even try to barter) and ride off into the sandy horizon. Fantasy is a wonderful gift! Me? I didn't need any more opportunities for inner organ massage...the Land Rover and Steve's driving is enough.
Tomorrow is our last full day here, and it's going to be a special day. Don't miss my next blog!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Poverty and wealth
Discussing poverty and wealth may sound easy if you haven`t moved mentally more than a block from your birthplace. But even a brief immersion in another culture will raise questions to ponder for a long time. On Monday we drove to the village of Jidda, about an hour`s drive from Banjul. A community of about 1700, Jidda is one of the villages selected for development projects by CVM.
One area of need is obvious, the other requires an explanation. The land is dusty and almost barren of foliage. Water is plentiful (especially under the ground) but accessibility is limited. There are a very few wells that are working, but they are not located conveniently close to the various 'compounds' (Jidda has 197 compounds of about 10-plus persons). So the project will build a water tower, a solar-powered pump to move the water up to the tower, and then run by gravity feed pipes to the various compounds. This will make water accessible to the various 'living centres' in the village.
But then came the surprise. The land is very fertile and responds well to planting, and water is not totally absent. We even visited a compound where the owner has irrigated his small plot and is growing bananas and other vegetables. So why is this not happening throughout the village? I learned something about what happens when ideas and skills are not passed from one generation to another. Though people live in this rural village, they are not 'agricultural.' They have not been taught the skill of farming land. So the next greatest need is for creating a resource pool of knowledge and wisdom that can be passed on to future generations. This village has all the potential to be a lush fertile and fruitful land.
Wealth is here. First, the beautiful children. I am grateful to belong to a faith that cherishes each child as being of inestimable worth. And it is impossible not to imagine the gifts of mind and heart that bounces around in each of these little bodies.
A second source of wealth is questionable for some on our team! It`s called 'attaya.' This is a local tea brewed in its own special way with sugar, 3-4 water boilings and lots of pouring from teapot to glass (a small shot glass size). The first round is thick but after boilings and pourings it gets thinner. Tastes are recognizable but the process gives it its own inimitable flavour...a memorable and tasty moment!
Today we began the day meeting with leaders of the Gambia Christian Council--the Catholic and Anglican bishops and head of the Methodist Church. We were warmly received and encouraged to continue to explore educational possibilities with them. All groups recognize the need and each is doing something. But they all acknowledge that none of the initiatives are very successful. Gambia is a small country (half the size of Toronto) and the Christian community is very small (less than 10%) and religiously isolated in this region of Africa. This means that financial and human resources are limited.
This evening, Glen gave the last lecture of the conference. He picked up a cold by the end of the weekend and has been managing its journey through his system for the last two days. He will survive!
I think Steve is missing his family, a lot! He seems to be emotionally bonding to various little critters here--a development that some of us think is not 'normal.' It's all about 'Skippy.' Skippy is a little frog the size of an over-sized spider. He appears occasionally but unpredictably on the inside of the toilet bowl AFTER a flush has occurred. Some of our team are afraid he will jump, you can imagine where! But it is pretty obvious to me that, looking at the terror in his eyes, Skippy is just trying to hang on for his life. I have been commissioned as the official photographer to take my camera to the bathroom with me every time I make a visit. I do think this is way over the top, but I am trying to keep with the team spirit. We'll see if my vigilance pays off. I now have to drink water every 15 minutes so that I can justify the numerous trips to the bathroom that my little 'African Safari' assignment is demanding of me.
One area of need is obvious, the other requires an explanation. The land is dusty and almost barren of foliage. Water is plentiful (especially under the ground) but accessibility is limited. There are a very few wells that are working, but they are not located conveniently close to the various 'compounds' (Jidda has 197 compounds of about 10-plus persons). So the project will build a water tower, a solar-powered pump to move the water up to the tower, and then run by gravity feed pipes to the various compounds. This will make water accessible to the various 'living centres' in the village.
But then came the surprise. The land is very fertile and responds well to planting, and water is not totally absent. We even visited a compound where the owner has irrigated his small plot and is growing bananas and other vegetables. So why is this not happening throughout the village? I learned something about what happens when ideas and skills are not passed from one generation to another. Though people live in this rural village, they are not 'agricultural.' They have not been taught the skill of farming land. So the next greatest need is for creating a resource pool of knowledge and wisdom that can be passed on to future generations. This village has all the potential to be a lush fertile and fruitful land.
Wealth is here. First, the beautiful children. I am grateful to belong to a faith that cherishes each child as being of inestimable worth. And it is impossible not to imagine the gifts of mind and heart that bounces around in each of these little bodies.
A second source of wealth is questionable for some on our team! It`s called 'attaya.' This is a local tea brewed in its own special way with sugar, 3-4 water boilings and lots of pouring from teapot to glass (a small shot glass size). The first round is thick but after boilings and pourings it gets thinner. Tastes are recognizable but the process gives it its own inimitable flavour...a memorable and tasty moment!
Today we began the day meeting with leaders of the Gambia Christian Council--the Catholic and Anglican bishops and head of the Methodist Church. We were warmly received and encouraged to continue to explore educational possibilities with them. All groups recognize the need and each is doing something. But they all acknowledge that none of the initiatives are very successful. Gambia is a small country (half the size of Toronto) and the Christian community is very small (less than 10%) and religiously isolated in this region of Africa. This means that financial and human resources are limited.
This evening, Glen gave the last lecture of the conference. He picked up a cold by the end of the weekend and has been managing its journey through his system for the last two days. He will survive!
I think Steve is missing his family, a lot! He seems to be emotionally bonding to various little critters here--a development that some of us think is not 'normal.' It's all about 'Skippy.' Skippy is a little frog the size of an over-sized spider. He appears occasionally but unpredictably on the inside of the toilet bowl AFTER a flush has occurred. Some of our team are afraid he will jump, you can imagine where! But it is pretty obvious to me that, looking at the terror in his eyes, Skippy is just trying to hang on for his life. I have been commissioned as the official photographer to take my camera to the bathroom with me every time I make a visit. I do think this is way over the top, but I am trying to keep with the team spirit. We'll see if my vigilance pays off. I now have to drink water every 15 minutes so that I can justify the numerous trips to the bathroom that my little 'African Safari' assignment is demanding of me.
In the Company of Bishops and Chairman
Well today was a historic moment for theological education in the Gambia. Glen, David and I met with the Bishop Ellison of the Catholic Church, Chairman Greg of the Methodist Church, and Bishop Johnson of the Anglican church. I am still in awe of the good spirit and the positive working relationship these men have. I guess when you work in a predominantly Muslim nation, you need to work together. In Canada we can hardly get a congregation to agree on something, let alone a diverse group of people such as these. That being said, the meeting was better than I could have ever anticipated. The Methodists, Catholics, and Anglicans all are supportive of our proposal to bring theological education to the Gambia. All have tried various initiatives on their own, and all have only had limited success in their opinions; a joint venture, they feel, is the answer to the need they have in The Gambia. We as a neutral third party are poised nicely to come alongside these groups and move forward. Only one key group remains, the Evangelical Fellowship of the Gambia, who I assume will be supportive. It has been a long road and many meetings but I think that we have accomplished what we set out to do. Thanks for all your prayers over the last week. We just have a few last meetings to wrap up.
It has been a good experience, getting to know Glen and David on a more personal level. I have some stories that you can ask me about later (not suitable for publication). Also, neither of them are really morning people from what I can gather. I feel that I have had a foretaste of what it must be like to have teenage kids. Dr. Reed insists it is because he doesn’t have an alarm clock, but that is a weak excuse. In the mornings Dr. Reed’s mood can be apocalyptic. I laughed when I read revelation this week; it reminded me of Dr. Reed walking down the stairs in the morning.
“I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters.”
Once you get a little coffee in him (or a coke), he gets back to normal. If you feed him, I find he is a little more friendly.
Update on skippy the toilet frog, he was spotted last night but David didn’t get the camera in time. We only have three more days to get him on film.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Real African Experience
Why should I have been surprised? I have been here before. Unless you are sporting a tourist badge and wear a Tilley's hat, you are called into service. This really has something to do with a disproportion in certain types of resource. For us, it is education and preaching. If you are ordained, you are quickly recruited to "minister the Word" over and above the task you came to do. Glen and I have been honoured to share in this way. But we are constantly aware that we are trying to bridge into another culture that is different in so many ways. All of this, of course, makes the schedule very full and little respites scarce.
As I see the rich life and resources of this continent, and yet it is so scarce in a certain kind of resource (money and education) that would fit it as a major global player, the immediate feeling is one of frustration. It came home to me more than once this week in conversations with church leaders, when I saw the deep hunger for learning and no money or opportunity to acquire these riches so street-common in the West. This is why our exploratory trip makes all the sense in the world. We just need to see if this little idea will get legs!
Now, to more mundane things. Someone should have warned me what a bad driver Steve is. After only one week, he has acquired a reputation of being the original Rough Rider. It's enough that we are in an antiquated Land Rover that rides on what feels like iron wheels and no springs. But he is magnetized to find bumps and pot holes. I finally blurted out that if I wanted my internal organs massaged, there are more humane modalities. His learning curve on this one hasn't changed a centimeter since we arrived. What is remarkable and relieving, however, is his steady cheeriness.
Glen had his African experience immersion this weekend. Friday evening I laid on him some ghost stories (based on some documentary work I am doing). Guess who didn't want me to turn the bedroom light off! I just prayed that he didn't want to climb under my mosquito net with me. When he gets home, of course he will tell you all that it was a joke...and it probably is. But it was fun. The next day the subject came up with some leaders regarding the African experience of spirits and the ancestors. Glen was getting lesson 2! Then he got recruited for assisting in this evening's healing service. For those in the know, the last drip of Dispensationalism was finally wrung out of his soul tonight!
As I see the rich life and resources of this continent, and yet it is so scarce in a certain kind of resource (money and education) that would fit it as a major global player, the immediate feeling is one of frustration. It came home to me more than once this week in conversations with church leaders, when I saw the deep hunger for learning and no money or opportunity to acquire these riches so street-common in the West. This is why our exploratory trip makes all the sense in the world. We just need to see if this little idea will get legs!
Now, to more mundane things. Someone should have warned me what a bad driver Steve is. After only one week, he has acquired a reputation of being the original Rough Rider. It's enough that we are in an antiquated Land Rover that rides on what feels like iron wheels and no springs. But he is magnetized to find bumps and pot holes. I finally blurted out that if I wanted my internal organs massaged, there are more humane modalities. His learning curve on this one hasn't changed a centimeter since we arrived. What is remarkable and relieving, however, is his steady cheeriness.
Glen had his African experience immersion this weekend. Friday evening I laid on him some ghost stories (based on some documentary work I am doing). Guess who didn't want me to turn the bedroom light off! I just prayed that he didn't want to climb under my mosquito net with me. When he gets home, of course he will tell you all that it was a joke...and it probably is. But it was fun. The next day the subject came up with some leaders regarding the African experience of spirits and the ancestors. Glen was getting lesson 2! Then he got recruited for assisting in this evening's healing service. For those in the know, the last drip of Dispensationalism was finally wrung out of his soul tonight!
Gambia 6 Days In
Well it has been an interesting last couple days. Friday for our first session of our conference on theological education we had our highest turnout of over 30 pastors. Many key leaders were there from a wide range of denominations. Glen gave a great talk on the importance of theological education. We had quite an interesting discussion afterwards. In light of the evening I planned for food 30 for lunch on Saturday. Unfortunately, Saturday failed to be the success we were hoping for, with only 5 pastors coming. It wasn’t a complete loss, the vice president of the Evangelical Church of the Gambia was there and he was quite excited about the project. Additionally, the current director of IFES came and put his support behind the project. The downside was that we had a lot of benechin to eat, which our team subsequently ate for 3 meals. Oh yeah a team, we had 4 people join the project working in various capacities for CVM and so the house has a little more activity. They will be working on various health and community development projects over the next 6 weeks.
Friday afternoon we also met with Rev. Alieu Bayo who heads the BBTC (Banjul Bible Training Centre). It was a really encouraging meeting as he sees our project as the logical next step for graduates from his program and also he offered use of his facilities for courses.
Today (Sunday) we had a pretty full day. Glen was off to the cathedral to preach and David and I headed to a rural charismatic Anglican church in a village called Lamin. Not growing up with liturgy I found the 2 and a half hour service a little lengthy (partly due to Dr. Reed’s sermon and the 15 minute processional). I personally think you are walking too slowly if you have to restart the hymn over. It was pretty formal liturgy with charismatic parts inserted in various places. The church seemed alive and vibrant; there was a testimony of the prayers of the people healing an insane adolescent. I would go back to that church again and I may during one of my future trips. Tonight Dr. Reed led a healing service, giving a great sermon. More than 30 people came forward for healing. It was kind of funny because Glen got roped into praying for the sick when he was not expecting to. The pastor just announced for Glen to come up to the front and start praying for people. It was a great Christ-centered service and I think it was a real blessing to that church.
On a lighter note I have found a new species of frog in the Gambia, the toilet frog. We have a little friend, whom I affectionately call Skippy, who lives under the rim of the toilet bowl in our upstairs bathroom. Don’t ask me how he got there but he has been there all week. About one in ten flushes he will get washed down the side and then hang on for dear life. After the water stops he just climbs back up to his home. David and I have been trying to capture this elusive creature on film, because I know those who are reading this do not believe me. It is true, I assure you. I have reflected a lot about Skippy, life and purpose. It is just a strange existence, but I think he is happy.
One prayer point is for a meeting we have on Tuesday with the Gambian Christian Council. We will meet the Chairman of the Methodist Church, the Catholic Bishop and the Anglican Bishop about our proposal. This is the most important meeting that we will have here. Ok I am signing off here. I will try to write again on Tuesday.
Friday afternoon we also met with Rev. Alieu Bayo who heads the BBTC (Banjul Bible Training Centre). It was a really encouraging meeting as he sees our project as the logical next step for graduates from his program and also he offered use of his facilities for courses.
Today (Sunday) we had a pretty full day. Glen was off to the cathedral to preach and David and I headed to a rural charismatic Anglican church in a village called Lamin. Not growing up with liturgy I found the 2 and a half hour service a little lengthy (partly due to Dr. Reed’s sermon and the 15 minute processional). I personally think you are walking too slowly if you have to restart the hymn over. It was pretty formal liturgy with charismatic parts inserted in various places. The church seemed alive and vibrant; there was a testimony of the prayers of the people healing an insane adolescent. I would go back to that church again and I may during one of my future trips. Tonight Dr. Reed led a healing service, giving a great sermon. More than 30 people came forward for healing. It was kind of funny because Glen got roped into praying for the sick when he was not expecting to. The pastor just announced for Glen to come up to the front and start praying for people. It was a great Christ-centered service and I think it was a real blessing to that church.
On a lighter note I have found a new species of frog in the Gambia, the toilet frog. We have a little friend, whom I affectionately call Skippy, who lives under the rim of the toilet bowl in our upstairs bathroom. Don’t ask me how he got there but he has been there all week. About one in ten flushes he will get washed down the side and then hang on for dear life. After the water stops he just climbs back up to his home. David and I have been trying to capture this elusive creature on film, because I know those who are reading this do not believe me. It is true, I assure you. I have reflected a lot about Skippy, life and purpose. It is just a strange existence, but I think he is happy.
One prayer point is for a meeting we have on Tuesday with the Gambian Christian Council. We will meet the Chairman of the Methodist Church, the Catholic Bishop and the Anglican Bishop about our proposal. This is the most important meeting that we will have here. Ok I am signing off here. I will try to write again on Tuesday.
Friday, February 20, 2009
The Strange and the Familiar
For anyone who has travelled internationally, you know the experience of feeling that the plane is like a giant time machine which transports you swiftly and rather painlessly to another world. I experienced this again when we disembarked in the small African nation of The Gambia. The air was warmer, the terrain was browner (more earth than asphalt), the sights and sounds were stranger--another continent and another culture.
Fortunately, I have been "here" before. Not exactly here, but in Africa. Nearly 30 years ago Carlynn and I spent over a month in the Sudan. But it does not take long to realize that vast differences exist here as well--language, customs, religion. It's like saying to a Torontonian, "I have a friend in Vancouver; do you know her?"
Differences, as we know, can be the kindling wood that fuels wars and violence. Add to this that great global beast called the internet and you simply magnify the differences. This should humble those of us who naively assume that such global communication will soon make us one big happy planet family. Really, looking at some people up close is not an invitation for a kiss! Of course like most things in this world, differences can be the occasion for enrichment as well as animosity.
I have been fortunate in recent years to experience other cultures and learn from them, which gives me an increasing sense of the familiar. Within hours my memory bank was pouring out wonderful images of African colour, sound and taste that I remember so fondly.
But the big surprise came when I met Martin, the national staff person at the CVM Centre. As I told him of my first visit to Africa, one of those memorable moments happened. Martin is Sudanese, and an Anglican. Within moments we were bouncing around names and persons that we both know.
A delightful moment of the familiar within a swirl of the strange!
Fortunately, I have been "here" before. Not exactly here, but in Africa. Nearly 30 years ago Carlynn and I spent over a month in the Sudan. But it does not take long to realize that vast differences exist here as well--language, customs, religion. It's like saying to a Torontonian, "I have a friend in Vancouver; do you know her?"
Differences, as we know, can be the kindling wood that fuels wars and violence. Add to this that great global beast called the internet and you simply magnify the differences. This should humble those of us who naively assume that such global communication will soon make us one big happy planet family. Really, looking at some people up close is not an invitation for a kiss! Of course like most things in this world, differences can be the occasion for enrichment as well as animosity.
I have been fortunate in recent years to experience other cultures and learn from them, which gives me an increasing sense of the familiar. Within hours my memory bank was pouring out wonderful images of African colour, sound and taste that I remember so fondly.
But the big surprise came when I met Martin, the national staff person at the CVM Centre. As I told him of my first visit to Africa, one of those memorable moments happened. Martin is Sudanese, and an Anglican. Within moments we were bouncing around names and persons that we both know.
A delightful moment of the familiar within a swirl of the strange!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Musings of Glen
Hi everyone, it’s Glen here. First a big thank you to all of you who are prayerfully following this blog. It has been a great experience so far. The weather has been perfect: neither too hot nor too humid. The country reminds me geographically of the coast of Israel: sandy soil, trees and shrubs here and there, and flat. Views of the coast enchant the eye. The country is poor overall, but the people are warm and friendly. We have met several church leaders including, today, the Anglican bishop. The Christian population makes up only 5% of the total population, so Christians of various stripes feel a bond; that said, it is a challenge to think with the local Christian community how the problem of a lack of theological education by most church leaders can be overcome. There is an appetite for biblical teaching, but differences (Anglo-Catholics, charismatics, dispensational pre-milliennialists, etc.) put the venture at some risk. Prayers for unity, for a willingness not to be territorial and to focus on major theological elements that unite us are in order.
The staff here have been great. Among them is a Sudanese Christian who has been helping me with my Arabic reading, and Jennifer, a pharmacist from Regina, who was of great help getting me some migraine pills.
I have a new nickname for David Reed: The Colonel! It’s the white hair, moustache, and dignity of age.
Apart from massive onion burps and a few migraines, health has been good. A highlight for me has been seeing places where my son David was a few years ago. Today, for example, David Reed and I visited YWAM’s discipleship training school. Tonight David spoke to pastors on Healing and was met afterwards by a man named Patrick who gave his life to missions after being healed of diabetes. (He has papers documenting the diagnosis that no longer applies!) Thanks for tuning in.
The staff here have been great. Among them is a Sudanese Christian who has been helping me with my Arabic reading, and Jennifer, a pharmacist from Regina, who was of great help getting me some migraine pills.
I have a new nickname for David Reed: The Colonel! It’s the white hair, moustache, and dignity of age.
Apart from massive onion burps and a few migraines, health has been good. A highlight for me has been seeing places where my son David was a few years ago. Today, for example, David Reed and I visited YWAM’s discipleship training school. Tonight David spoke to pastors on Healing and was met afterwards by a man named Patrick who gave his life to missions after being healed of diabetes. (He has papers documenting the diagnosis that no longer applies!) Thanks for tuning in.
A London Moment
As in most enterprises, there is a host of anonymous supporters who will never be given public recogniton. Many of them like it that way, because it is of their character to be both generous and humble. But sometimes we are privileged to meet them face to face. On this occasion, their names are Zac and Liz, along with their three lovely children and their congregation. They live in London and serve CVM and its mission work as a home of hospitality for those in transit to and from The Gambia. We were blessed to be welcomed so warmly and offered the comforts of food and rest.
Three hours sleep on our trans-Alantic flight and a full English breakfast were enough of an energy-pak to sustain us for the day at the British Museum. Once there, we spent most of our time in the Ancient Near East section, the world of Glen Taylor's expertise. While Glen was overjoyed to enlighten us on all things semitic--including the Akkadian language (the lingua franca of the ancient near eastern world)--I was rewarded enough just to lay my eyes on artifacts like the Rosetta Stone that I had seen only in my seminary textbooks.A real highlight for me was meeting face to face--well, sort of--an ancient cousin, a few thousand times removed no doubt. He is presently a quite well preserved Egyptian mummy whose birth certificate dates him at approximately 3500 BC.
All this triggered for me a cascade of reflections on the meaning of life, time, and the transiency of power.. As I stared at my human bother, studied the grand symbols that chronicled the ancient empires of Assyria, Bablon and Persia, I thought this: life passes through the shifting sands of time, empires rise and fall, but it is grounded in something much firmer. As I write this, we are flying over that small piece of water which separates Europe and Africa, and that small but sturdy landmark called the Rock of Gibraltar.
Oh yes, I recalled another moment in the life of the Bristish Museum. It was here more than 150 years ago that Karl Marx spent most of his life writing what became the manifesto for empire builders of the 20th century.
David
Three hours sleep on our trans-Alantic flight and a full English breakfast were enough of an energy-pak to sustain us for the day at the British Museum. Once there, we spent most of our time in the Ancient Near East section, the world of Glen Taylor's expertise. While Glen was overjoyed to enlighten us on all things semitic--including the Akkadian language (the lingua franca of the ancient near eastern world)--I was rewarded enough just to lay my eyes on artifacts like the Rosetta Stone that I had seen only in my seminary textbooks.A real highlight for me was meeting face to face--well, sort of--an ancient cousin, a few thousand times removed no doubt. He is presently a quite well preserved Egyptian mummy whose birth certificate dates him at approximately 3500 BC.
All this triggered for me a cascade of reflections on the meaning of life, time, and the transiency of power.. As I stared at my human bother, studied the grand symbols that chronicled the ancient empires of Assyria, Bablon and Persia, I thought this: life passes through the shifting sands of time, empires rise and fall, but it is grounded in something much firmer. As I write this, we are flying over that small piece of water which separates Europe and Africa, and that small but sturdy landmark called the Rock of Gibraltar.
Oh yes, I recalled another moment in the life of the Bristish Museum. It was here more than 150 years ago that Karl Marx spent most of his life writing what became the manifesto for empire builders of the 20th century.
David
Gambia 3 Days In
We arrived in Gambia to uncharacteristically cold weather, 26 degrees Celsius. Three of our staff came to meet us at the airport: Mike who is working in community development, Jennifer who is our pharmacist/team leader who works in healthcare development, and Martin our national staff. We had a nice drive in the landrover to our house about 30 minutes away from the airport. Before we got home though, we had to make a ritualistic stop at one of my favorite places in the world, McFadi’s. Not so long ago, a Lebanese man by the surname Fadi was given a great vision. He wanted to bridge two of the great food traditions of the world; he dared to ask the question, “What if Ronald McDonald was Lebanese?” So McFadi’s was born, a fusion of American fastfood and Lebanese haut-cuisine. Glen and David kinda chickened out and ordered pizza, unwilling to explore some of the more exotic choices on the menu. We will be back though, I guarantee it!
We have had the opportunity to have a couple of meetings with a few key church leaders in the last few days. Our task is not simple; we are trying to set up an ecumenical theological institution, in a diverse denominational landscape. We met with Bishop Johnson of the Anglican Church today. It was an encouraging meeting to see his heart for theological training, preaching the “undiluted gospel”, and balancing evangelism and social responsibility. He is excited to be a key partner in this future endeavor. We also met with pastor Tayo at New Creation Bible Church, who has initiated an in-house seminary DVD program. Also, Dr. Reed was able to meet with Pr. Chinedun, of Christian Missionary Fellowship, who will be hosting Dr. Reed in a healing service. Dr. Reed can be quoted around the house saying, “I am going to bring some Holy Ghost fire!” Well he really didn’t say that, but it would be kind of cool if he did. That is coming Sunday night.
Dr. Reed and Taylor have delivered some amazing lectures, of which Wycliffe can be proud. About 30 pastors and church leaders have come out to see the lectures. Glen gave a great talk on the messianic nature of the Psalms and David talked about Christian healing. Tomorrow will be the big conference. Keep it in your prayers.
We have had the opportunity to have a couple of meetings with a few key church leaders in the last few days. Our task is not simple; we are trying to set up an ecumenical theological institution, in a diverse denominational landscape. We met with Bishop Johnson of the Anglican Church today. It was an encouraging meeting to see his heart for theological training, preaching the “undiluted gospel”, and balancing evangelism and social responsibility. He is excited to be a key partner in this future endeavor. We also met with pastor Tayo at New Creation Bible Church, who has initiated an in-house seminary DVD program. Also, Dr. Reed was able to meet with Pr. Chinedun, of Christian Missionary Fellowship, who will be hosting Dr. Reed in a healing service. Dr. Reed can be quoted around the house saying, “I am going to bring some Holy Ghost fire!” Well he really didn’t say that, but it would be kind of cool if he did. That is coming Sunday night.
Dr. Reed and Taylor have delivered some amazing lectures, of which Wycliffe can be proud. About 30 pastors and church leaders have come out to see the lectures. Glen gave a great talk on the messianic nature of the Psalms and David talked about Christian healing. Tomorrow will be the big conference. Keep it in your prayers.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Layover in London
I decided to take Dr. Reed and Dr. Taylor on an educational experience at the British Museum. There are few things that I learned on this little excursion. A lot of people don’t know this about me but I am a pretty competitive person. So I challenged Dr. Taylor to a competition on Biblical archaeology. On paper, I was a little outmatched. He holds multiple degrees from distinguished institutions; my undergrad is in biochemistry. He is also an expert in Semitic languages. I have taken Hebrew. So to even the odds I decided not to tell him we were in a competition. The defeat was slow and painful; I lost by a long shot. Oh well, there is always next year. I can attribute my loss mostly to my lack of sleep on the plane (Glen slept like a baby). Also today, Dr. Reed outran me on the stairs in the London underground. Don’t let him deceive you; he is in a lot better shape than he leads on. Too many defeats today. Tomorow they will be on my turf. On a more serious note we are settling in to prepare for the task we have ahead. We are excited to see where God leads this endeavor. Tomorrow we fly out to Gambia.
Here is our tentative schedule:
February 18th
Meetings in the morning
Evening – Sample Lecture 1 given by Glen Taylor Old Testament/Biblical Interpretation
February 19th
Meetings in the morning with
Evening – Sample Lecture 2 given by David Reed Pneumatology/History of Pentacostalism
February 20th - Conference
Light Morning Meeting
Evening – Conference Talk 1: Importance of Theological Education in the Life of the Church - Glen Taylor
February 21st - Conference
Morning – Conference Talk 2: The Relationship Between the Holy Spirit Experience and Theological Education
Afternoon – Consultative workshop on developing theological education in the Gambia – Facilitated by Steve Hewko
February 22nd
Morning – Preaching tour.
Evening – Healing Service David Reed setup in conjunction with major church
February 23rd
Day Off
February 24th
Meetings in the morning with potential Students
Evening – Sample Lecture 3 given by Glen Taylor Preaching/Homoletics
February 25th
Morning – Meeting with the University of the Gambia
Afternoon – Meeting with potential Students
I decided to take Dr. Reed and Dr. Taylor on an educational experience at the British Museum. There are few things that I learned on this little excursion. A lot of people don’t know this about me but I am a pretty competitive person. So I challenged Dr. Taylor to a competition on Biblical archaeology. On paper, I was a little outmatched. He holds multiple degrees from distinguished institutions; my undergrad is in biochemistry. He is also an expert in Semitic languages. I have taken Hebrew. So to even the odds I decided not to tell him we were in a competition. The defeat was slow and painful; I lost by a long shot. Oh well, there is always next year. I can attribute my loss mostly to my lack of sleep on the plane (Glen slept like a baby). Also today, Dr. Reed outran me on the stairs in the London underground. Don’t let him deceive you; he is in a lot better shape than he leads on. Too many defeats today. Tomorow they will be on my turf. On a more serious note we are settling in to prepare for the task we have ahead. We are excited to see where God leads this endeavor. Tomorrow we fly out to Gambia.
Here is our tentative schedule:
February 18th
Meetings in the morning
Evening – Sample Lecture 1 given by Glen Taylor Old Testament/Biblical Interpretation
February 19th
Meetings in the morning with
Evening – Sample Lecture 2 given by David Reed Pneumatology/History of Pentacostalism
February 20th - Conference
Light Morning Meeting
Evening – Conference Talk 1: Importance of Theological Education in the Life of the Church - Glen Taylor
February 21st - Conference
Morning – Conference Talk 2: The Relationship Between the Holy Spirit Experience and Theological Education
Afternoon – Consultative workshop on developing theological education in the Gambia – Facilitated by Steve Hewko
February 22nd
Morning – Preaching tour.
Evening – Healing Service David Reed setup in conjunction with major church
February 23rd
Day Off
February 24th
Meetings in the morning with potential Students
Evening – Sample Lecture 3 given by Glen Taylor Preaching/Homoletics
February 25th
Morning – Meeting with the University of the Gambia
Afternoon – Meeting with potential Students
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