Africa

When I was young, I remember thinking that Africa was an entire country. World geography was distant lands that I couldn’t comprehend as a visual learner. I must admit, that it was far into my adulthood that it finally registered that Africa is one of the seven continents of the world. And, with our recent trip (as recent as typing this post in the Johannesburg, South Africa airport awaiting departure) I learned that Africa is made up of 54 countries, all unique as the 50 states of America.

Before this trip, my only taste of Africa was documentaries on African wildlife, where a cheetah is chasing impala across open plains. (A little trivia for you - remember the Chevy Impala named after this fast and graceful African antelope?) Having visited only three African countries–South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique–I am by no means an expert on the continent, but I do know that I have had a small glimpse into some of the history and cultures within Africa, not to mention a better understanding of the Wesleyan work on this continent. 

Over the past week Dennis and I have had the privilege of joining our Africa missionary team for an annual retreat in Mozambique. We flew into Johannesburg to meet up with each other. Dennis had spent a week in the Philippines prior to his arrival. This was my first time to visit Africa, which gave me the pleasure of adding continent number six to my list, and most likely, my final one. I have a feeling Antarctica isn't going to make the list, and I’m not interested in making it a part of my bucket list.

Usually we have little time for touring any significant places in any given country, though we count it a privilege to often see what tourists don't see, which is far more the real world than any touristy area. But, this time, Bob and Brenda Bagley, our Africa Area Directors, asked if we would be interested in stopping by Kruger National Park in South Africa on our drive up to Mozambique. We didn’t hesitate at the opportunity to see African wildlife in this park named after Paul Kruger, a South African soldier and statesman (1825–1904). 

Though no hunting is allowed in the park, our eyes were on the hunt for wildlife as we drove slowly - about 25miles/hour - searching for movement in the bush or sweeping the area for stripes and spots. It was more than once that we stopped and backed up to see a grayish rock that looked like a rhino or a brown anthill mound that was mistaken for a wildebeest or any number of wildlife.   

Below you’ll see some of our finds at Kruger. We were told that the cheetah was a rare treasure. 

Giraffe. Monkeys. Kudu. Elephant. Cheetah.

Crocodile. Rhino. Hippo.

Fever Tree on left - once thought to be the cause of malaria before the discovery that it was mosquitos - the tree grows in swampy areas.
And, I just liked the bare branches of the other tree outlined so vividly against the blue African sky. 

From Kruger, we headed north to Swaziland for the evening and a night’s stay, which is the location of one of our Bible colleges. The students were waiting for us upon our arrival at Emmanuel Wesleyan Bible College. As we walked into the chapel they were singing and dancing, obviously passionate about their love for Jesus. I was encouraged to see both men and women preparing for the ministry. An open forum was held with Dennis, giving the students the opportunity to ask questions, particularly about Global Partners and ministry in the Wesleyan Church. 

Emmanuel Wesleyan Bible College in Swaziland

Early the next morning we began our final leg of the journey to Mozambique, with the Swaziland missionaries joining us in travel. A lunch stop in Maputo, capital city of Mozambique, gave us the opportunity to visit the nearly constructed ministry center for the Mozambique Wesleyan Church, a prime location in the city where vocational classes will be held, as well as ministerial training, meetings, and gatherings.

After lunch, we added more travelers to the convoy and headed to the retreat location. We turned off the main road onto a sandy drive and drove 10K to the shores of the Indian Ocean. The Mozambique coastline extends the length of the east coast in the U.S. It was a beautiful spot for the retreat. We were close enough to see the ocean in all its glory, not to mention, hear the ocean waves thundering against the sandy shore as the tide came in. Three full days of encouragement, connections, and learning proved to be a fun, relaxing, and meaningful time. Dennis and I love attending these annual retreats in the Global Partner parts of the world. It’s such a wonderful way to meet all our M’s at once, yet get to spend one-on-one time with many of them as well. I had the opportunity to share two devotionals and Dennis taught 6 sessions. My greatest joy, though, is to connect personally with the M’s. 

Africa Team

The Wesleyan Church in Africa is growing and thriving. We are in 16 countries, with over 1,000 churches, 2 hospitals, and 7 Bible schools. We thank God for the opportunity we had to serve our missionaries who so faithfully give of themselves on this great continent.