SOUTH AFRICA

The temperature change was 50 degrees from Germany to South Africa. We are thawing out in the land we love. For 17 years, we called this our home. Visiting here brings back a flood of memories… the food, the sounds… the colors… and most importantly: the people. People who have impacted us and we have influenced them.

The first day off the plane, I attended a prophecy seminar/workshop presented by Marc Blackwell. For a decade he mentored, encouraged, guided and trained me in ministry and the Christian life. Joan and I are grateful for his finger prints on our life… an impact that still reverberates in our life and ministry.

This week we had the privilege of visiting the Okavango Delta, in Botswana with long time friends, Mike and Lydia Lomas. They ministered in every church we started and worked in here in South Africa. What a thrill to visit this unique eco-system and view African game together in this unique setting. The rains in Angola take six months to filter down into this delta, creating a lush swamp hundreds of square miles, right in the middle of the Kalahari desert. This was one of my long time dreams to be able to visit this place.

It has also been a thrill to visit a variety of churches. Some are just getting started. Some are standing on its own, pastored by a South African. They vary from affluence to dire poverty. The common ingredient is that there are people who have found the Lord. What a tremendous privilege to re-visit our old stompin grounds.