Becoming Undignified

The life of a refugee begins with the impossible choice: To brave a dangerous journey toward an uncertain future in an effort to escape a violent and grim present day.   "Chai?" (Tea?) "Talg/Shrien?" (Bitter/Sweet?) After offering tea to an Afghan refugee family of 8, they invite us into their 8m x 5m container which they have been calling "home" for the past 22 days. The mother of the home at once instructs one of her daughters to put a pillow behind our backs and to put a tray of oranges and cookies in front of us. She also offers...

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living, just because He lives   As we sing this song in a church in Kigali, my eyes fill with tears and my heart with compassion for the people of Rwanda. Because for them, these words actually carry a lot of weight.   It is hard to think that exactly 22 years ago the streets we are walking at the moment were filled with blood and dead bodies. That there was no security whatsoever...

Quoting my last blog: “Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.” Well, the heartbeat came. The heartbeat went. 8 years ago I attended a church service where someone stood up and said he feels there is people in the audience God is calling into Africa. Something struck my heart, but at the time I was studying Industrial Engineering and sort of just laughed the idea away. Those words did not return empty (Is 55:11). This year God has chosen me (what a privilege!) to shepherd the Explore Africa team through the Middle East and Africa. Training the 2 nd...