Chris’ Monday Travel Diary: A Bump In The Road
It’s been quite an eventful couple of days since my last report. I am sitting in the airport in Lusaka, Zambia writing this post, but the path here has been anything but smooth.
It’s been quite an eventful couple of days since my last report. I am sitting in the airport in Lusaka, Zambia writing this post, but the path here has been anything but smooth.
We finished up our Apologetics Summit today. I was mostly a spectator. But before the day was over I had to take a close look at what how God wants me to spend the next few years with the intent of developing an ITEM youth ministry using apologetics as a springboard. I think I gained some clarity but there is more time and prayer needed to figure this out.
We are finishing up our long day of the East Africa Apologetics Summit and I must tell you that I have been blown away by what I have heard today as speaker after speaker shared what they are doing individually in this critical area. I must admit that I felt like a rookie in the ministry of apologetics. At the same time, I felt right at home. Click Read More Below and Find Out Why.
Friday has been another long day. Up at 5am to leave for the airport at 6am to catch a flight at 8:30. Then it was just a one-hour flight to Uganda to settle in and prepare for the East Africa Apologetics Summit that was organized by Adventurous Apologetics (A2). We started with dinner at 5pm followed by introductions, and presentations by A2 and ACFAR, African Center for Apologetic Research. They focus on the cults that are present in Africa many of which are prominent in America. I must say that the discussions were similar but different than those I have had at pastors’ seminars.
Day three in Malawi and after waking up a little late I proceeded to the bathroom to engage in my daily morning battle with the sink faucet. Unfortunately, my sink has not seen fit to make brushing my teeth easy. Nevertheless, a very happy surprise was waiting for me when I turned on the shower: a stream of water that eventually became hot! If you have every traveled in the majority world, you know what a luxury a hot shower can be. This had all the markings of a red letter day.
Our second day in Malawi began with an early wake-up call and a bathroom faucet that continues to mock me. In my previous post, I mentioned the trickle of water coming from the shower. Well, this morning it was the sink’s turn, except it wasn’t a trickle of water, it was a drip, drip, drip of water. Do you know how difficult it is to wash your hands and toothbrush handle in a sink of dripping water?
I am in the airport in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania waiting for my second flight of the day. This one taking me back to Nairobi before my trip to Uganda tomorrow. It’s been a long day already but something came up in my conversation with Joseph (ITEM Coordinator) on the way to the airport this morning that opened up another application of the apologetics ministry that I am seeking to launch under ITEM’s banner.
By God’s grace, after a poor night of sleep Wednesday was pretty much on schedule. It included a way-too-early start followed by two short flights and a meeting with the ITEM team. We were able to refocus the ministry here and make good plans.
After 15 hours of flying and an 8-hour drive in a very small car our team finally arrived in beautiful Mulanje, Malawi late last night. The lodge in which our team is staying is adjacent to majestic Mount Mulanje, which is the third highest peak in all of Africa. After sleeping for precious few hours, I awoke looking forward to getting a hot shower and loosening up my joints and muscles. When I travel to Africa, one of the amenities I’ve learned to ask for in every hotel or lodge I stay in is hot water. I’ve done enough cold showers to last a lifetime.
It is Tuesday evening in Nairobi, Kenya and everything is on track. Chris and Jayson are in Malawi with no internet so I am not sure how much we’ll hear from them until they get to Zambia. As I mentioned, things are on track and tomorrow the schedule picks up steam. CLICK BELOW TO READ MORE.