Isn't it great to be back home ???

It actually is good to be back in Manchester. Seeing family and friends, catching up with people and being able to share whats happened in the last few weeks has been great fun

Some things though, do make you scratch your head a little bit in bewilderment!

I've been back at work 3 days. The credit crunch is hogging all the headlines. Ive been working in London today. I shared my flight back with a girl who works for my company and has just been made redundant. She has worked for the company for over 8 years , won't get much in terms of a payoff and to be honest, was in a bit of a state this evening. Where do i want to put my own security, in a multinational corporation or something with much more permanence,. Yes im talking about the creator of heaven and earth, God himself. I know where my loyalties lie!!! I've also been watching with interest the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the struggles of AIG and Merill Lynch amongst countless others this week. Listening to the doom and gloom merchants in the media, the world as we know it is about to end . Once again, Im grateful for being able to put my faith in a God who does not change and remains a constant in my life throughout everything!

Tonight, i went out to catch up with a good friend. We visited a fairly well known bar in South Manchester to have a chat and watch some footy. We must have been there 30 minutes when the guy next to us interrupted to ask why we were talking so much and would we shut up so he could watch the football in peace. Not surprisingly, this moron was sitting by himself. I was quite proud of myself for ignoring this idiot, walking off and finding somewhere else to sit. I was tempted to respond, but he was probably just looking to light up his pathetic little life with a fight. Im sure you can find people like that anywhere in the world, but its a bit depressing...i've only been back in the UK 3 days and have to put up with that rubbish. I'll pray for that guy anyway!!!

Chariots of Fire

I made it home this afternoon...finally. My journey home was not without its problems unfortunately. I actually landed at Heathrow yesterday evening, but because British Airways took over an hour to deliver my bags i missed my train to Manchester. Not the end of the world, I guess I should be thankful they at least managed to get all my luggage delivered to the right place!!!

On the flight home, I watched the film Chariots of Fire. Its a great film - the story of Eric Liddle is very inspiring. A devout Christian, he remained loyal and faithful to God, even when it looked like observing the Sabbath would make him miss his event, the 100 metres at the Olympics. Of course, he ended up winning the 400 metres and went to China to complete his calling as a missionary soon after.

His kind of unwavering commitment, complete faith in God makes a remarkable story. Its something I really need to think about now Im back home in Manchester. What has the last 6 weeks been all aboout? Where is it leading to? It would be easy just to settle back into things here, where everything is clean and comfortable, but its really important now that i don't just settle for a life that is second best, that i really push on and try to see everything that God has for me. The last 6 weeks has been an amazing experience, but i don't want it to just stop there. At least i don't think i do!! Please feel free to challenge me if you see me around in 2/3 months and see that im falling into this trap. For me, its quite an easy thing to do!!!

Anyway, im going for a hot bath, putting some clean clohtes on and heading out to catch up with a few friends. Speak soon!!!

Botswana

On Sunday we crossed the border into Botswana. As i've ventured further and further south, its just got hotter and hotter. Yesterday we measured 42 degrees at about 2pm. Sitting in our 4 wheel drive was hard work

So we crossed the border at a place called Kasangula. A ferry takes you over the Chobe river into Zambia! It was the usual story as far as Africa is concerned - people trying to get bribes out of you for everything...one guy for getting us to the front of the queue, one guy for showing us where to park on the ferry. Im sure you can imagine what its like, complete chaos!

The next challange was getting the accommodation sorted. Having just come from Zambia, where you can pretty much walk into any lodge, hotel or campsite and get a room for that night, we thought we'd find a similar situation in Botswana. Boy how wrong were we!!

You see, Botswana is a lot more developed than Zambia. Its full of tourists from South Africa, Namibia, Europe and North America. It was a lot of hassle to get somewhere to sleep! Botswana, predicatably, has made its money from diamonds. They even have streetlights here - you don't get them in Zambia, even in Lusaka! Everything is bigger, more modern and better looked after, but you know what i miss Zambia! The people there are just so relaxed, chilled out - it doesn't seem to be the same here in Botswana

Anyway, we've spent the last 2 days in Chobe National Park. Last night was just one of those evenings that will stay with me forever. The game in Chobe is incredibe, i spotted most of the big 5, lion, buffalo, elephant, rhino plus hippo, zebra, sable, springbok etc etc! you get the picture - the park has everything! We camped in the reserve, in an official campsite. The offical campsites in the park offer you no protection though, not even a fence! So, last night as the sun came down i was looking out on the chobe river, at the crossroads of four countries - Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with the cries of all these animals in the background. There was a herd of elephant in the distance, monkeys and warthog all around us. I have to admit i didn't sleep much - i was too scared! What an experience though

We will leave Botswana for Livingstone tomorrow and i only have a few more days left in Africa. I fly back to Heathrow on Saturday!

Livingstone

So, livingstone ....this is where i am now!

I left Chingola on Thursday and travelled to Lusaka. Yesterday i got on the bus to Livingstone. It was a bit nuts - it took 7 hours. It was hot, sweaty, african music blasting out of a very poor stereo system, and trying to get hold of a ticket was bonkers. I sat next to an amazing person on the bus though and we chatted for almost seven hours..most Zambians are very chilled out and relaxed they are so easy to get on with!

Today i've been exploring Livingstone. The undoubted highlights was the Victoria Falls - an absoloutely awesome experience and very cheap as well...30p to see one of the 7 wonders of the world..not bad at all. Trust me, i came back to livingstone and wasted a load of money on tacky African art. Livingstone has a very chilled out feel to it...lots of cool bars and safari lodges and not too many tourists! i could see the Zimabawe side i didn't try crossing lots of police everywhere and exorbitant visa charges. The Zimbabweans don't seem to like us Brits too much at the moment, at leat there government doesn't!

Anyway, im off to Botswana in the morning. to Chobe National Park. Can't wait

The Gold Rush

I have just come back from an area of Zambia called Lumwana, in NorthWestern Province. The chief has given a friend of ours 400 hectares of land which was nice of him. Its a nice place, nothing spectacular but there are rapids and waterfalls, its pretty cool!

There is a new copper mine being developed in that area, so my friend is really developing his area to try and bring in some of the rich whites who run the mines. Its a big gamble and these guys have so much money that they tend to fly off to wherever they want. A lot, for example, will fly back to South Africa, not stay in Zambia at the weekend. We did some ministry stuff up that way with some of the churhes as well.

There are mines all through this part of Zambia, from Kitwe in the CopperBelt right up to NorthWest Province. They are all foreign owned as you would probably guess, South African, Chinese, Indian, Australian. The Zambian government does not have the funds to invest in the infrastructure...these foreign companies do! Thats all very well but i wonder if the benefits will get back to the local people. It doesn't seem to do in most cases and the copper won't last forever. I imagine you can apply the same scenario to most countries in this region...Angola with its oil, the Congo with its own copper, cobalt and uranium, the diamonds in Angola and Sierra Leone...you could go on and on forever. It would be a national tragedy for these countries if they did not reap some of the benefit. Corrupt governments don't help either!!!

Anyway, on a lighter note, my time in Chingola is drawing to a close. In 2 days time, i will head down to Botswana to Chobe National Park for a bit of a holiday. On the way back, we will travel through the Okavango delta in Namibia and then back to Livingstone and Victoria Falls. I fly back to the UK a week on Saturday.

The last 4 weeks have really allowed me to focus on God, and specifically my future. God is certainly leadining me in one direction. Those of you who know me well will know what im talking about. The rest of you will have to wait and see. Being able to focus on God, and not worry about work and the other stuff i tend to get caught up in at home has been great!

Mbila

Those of you who go to my church will know the name Mbila. For those of you that don't, its a village out in the bush where we have been involved in doing various things. We've built a clinic there amongst other things. The village is also served by one of the worst roads i have seen in my life!

Well i've spent 4 days there this week, camping out again. Its a farily remote place, deeper into the bush than the places we visited last week its been incredibly hot as well...in case you didn't know the dry season in Zambia peaks in October. It seems to be getting hotter by the week at the moment - we measured 29 degress in the shade this week

One of the things i've noticed about being in the bush is that most things just don't work very well...you get a bit fed up with it after a while. I've seen a school where all the desks are broken and the teacher hasn't been paid for months, ive seen a coffee plantation that has been ruined through terrible management, government workers who haven't been paid by corrupt officials who bank the money for themsleves, local people planting the wrong type of crop in the wrong type of soil

and don't get me started on some of the churches in the rural areas. One of the pastors here runs 13 churches...how is that possible? you often end up with a situation where a local from the village gets left in charge of a church, usually the teaching is very poor and the church remains very week

maybe this helps to explain what we are doing out here? not just teaching the leaders, but discipling entire communities. Strengthening the church, helping people to change their mindset., that they are the ones who can transform their communities...they don't need outsiders to do it for them! Trust me these people would be utterly lost but for the work of these few hardy pastors we have met and the work that Dignity are trying to do as well

Get behund them because its really amazing work..im only here for 6 weeks but the other guys from dignity are out here for 3 months. Its just the start....

Remembering

So im back in Chingola...after a week camping in the bush in Zambia. OK, i find camping in the UK challenging at times, so you can imagine how i was feeling about a week camping in the Zambian bush. Its incredibly dirty just about everywhere, its very difficult to find any shelter from the burning sun and then to top it all, on Wednesay, i woke up in my tent to find a rather large, very poisonous spider in my tent. I was starting to wonder what on earth i was doing out here...it felt a very long way from home!!!

Then i had a conversation with one of the pastors out here, a guy called Joel..a truly inspirational guy! He gave me a very similar prophetic word to one i had recieved several months ago at my church back in Manchester. It brought me sharply back to God and exactly why i had bothered to come all this way. It was about responding to what God had put on my heart, faithfulness, responding and obeying him, and the promise that he would use me!

I have preached 4 days this week....yes 4 DAYS....to various churches in the bush areas outside Chingola. The teaching has all been very simple, on prayer, but the people have really responded. It has been hugely encouraging for me to see God working so visibily. The people have really engaged, and have made some very small steps towards transforming their communities through the power of Jesus!

On a personal note, God seems to be opening up so much at the moment. Up until about 12 months ago, i had always thought my sense of calling related to practical work, using my finance skills maybe. Over the last 12 months, another avenue has opened up as well. Teaching, preaching, Gods word....we can help people with practical skills, but we can set them free with his Word. These two parts of my ministry have really started to come together as one ...its exciting!

What else has been happening. Well the president of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa has died this week. He was widely regarded as a strong leader, very much anti-corruption. This presents a big challenge for the Zambians? They are rightly proud of their peace and development since gaining independence. When you think of their neighbours, places like the Congo, Angola, Mozambique and Zimababwe, you can see why. Those countries conjure up images of violence, war, poverty, and insecurity.

Zambia has 73 different tribes, all living together peacefully. There is a lot of interest in who will take on the mantle as the new leader and when the elections will be. There is some concern at the moment that there are no suitable candiates...we shall see!!!