Participant Blogs

Facts cannot explain our South Sudan journey and I am afraid my words cannot either. Returning to South Sudan after two years I was equally excited and nervous. I had an idea of what lay ahead for our team. Yet, our completely inefficient budget, the drowning of our host’s daughter, an emigration officer’s irrational behavior and the way God worked caught also me off guard. Once again I was overwhelmed by the need I saw, and I realized that my best place to start helping, is to tell their stories to the world. Summary -Overland from Kampala to Juba -Spend...

  I am sitting down at the Museum café; overwhelmed, disturbed and hungry. There is a revolution in my heart. My mind keeps repeating “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” (Edmund Burke) I am convinced of man’s fallen state – an inherent evil nature – expressed in extreme violence and extreme silence. The Genocide memorial in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, paints the picture of a bloody past. In this clean, rather orderly and safe country almost everyone older than 18 years remembers a murdered relative and friend or has murdered a...

  I’m home… After halve an hour in a hot bath, I put on a Nicole Nordeman CD and pore a glass of Amarula cream. While supper is boiling on the stove I place my laptop on the granite kitchen counter top and as I glance at the Africa map against the wall my thoughts drift back… Back to the red dust and the beautiful African sunset, to the mountains of Burundi and the white beaches of Zanzibar. I remember the bumpy two day bus ride across the country of Tanzania, the live chickens that did not survive the baggage...

After a great weekend of intense preparation, we are finally on the Island of blue beaches and white sand where locals are still enslaved by Islam. The  first weekend was devoted to getting to know the Zanzibar and Islam context, getting to know one another, preparing ministry like a dance and puppet show and mainly making sure that everybody is spiritually ready for what is coming. I know that this team is handpicked by God and it is amazing how well we work together. One theme started with the planning of this journey and continued to surface during the weekend:...

During the September school holidays, 11 high school kids and 1 final year student gave their holiday to go and help at the Thlakuli orphanage in Butha Buthe, Lesotho.   During this ten days we spend two days on the road and worked hard for the rest. Four members of the team were also part of the July outreach to Tlakuli and two of them returned after an outreach September 2008. The ophans enjoyed seeing the familiar faces return. The team finished the vegetable garden we worked on in July and also put the shade net covering over it.  ...

IN Global Challenge we often talk about servant leadership and what it entails. After every conversation I yet again realise how far I have yet to grow in this. The past week I had the privilege of listening to a convesation between my fathers previous colleagues about my father and his leadership. Hearing what impact servant leadership has on the people you lead made my want to live this even more. I learned that: Servant leadership is modelled, not taught. A servant leader sets an example and principles which is followed long after the leader has left. Respect is earned...

“In His law the Islands will put their hope”  Is 42: 4 At 00:40 on 9 December our team of four will leave for Zanzibar – an island off the cost of Tanzania. We have seen the Lord change hearts before and trust Him for even more this time. Our mission is to encourage the church to stand strong and equip them to make an even bigger difference. We will visit both the institutional church and a few house churches. Though we are only a few going for only two weeks, I trust the Lord to do big things in...

Zanzibar is not only a honeymoon destination, but also an island of poor people hungry and ready for the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Zanzibar was Arab territory for centuries. They brought slavery and Islam onto the island.  Slavery was abolished, but the overwhelming influence of Islam lingered. 95 % of the population in Zanzibar is Moslem, most of them very devoted. Few women are educated, and speak only Swahili.  8-22 December a team of 10 young people will visit the island to serve and support the few Christians in Zanzibar. We will stay in a town called Bububu on the west coast....

Extremist rebels are ruling districts in Mali with an iron fist and foreign troops are planning to invade. Thousands of civilians are fleeing Mali into neighbouring countries, including Niger – a country recently hit by famine and flood and unable to take care of extra mouths to feed. We cannot ignore this evolving crisis. Muslim extremists have strictly implemented Sharia law in the districts of Gao and Timbuktu. This means, for example, that a lady cannot leave her house without her husband or she will face stoning. If you are accused of stealing, your right hand is cut off and...

  As I prepare for my second Zanzibar trip, I am equally excited and nervous. Excited to see the people and the island again, excited to see what God has in store for us and the people of Zanzibar, excited to once again go off to a new place and tell them the good news.  I am, however, also nervous. Nervous, because I know God planned this trip way ahead. The team leaders have been thinking and praying about returning ever since they went to Zanzibar in June 2007. I have been thinking and praying about returning since my trip there in June 2008. I know...