Today it is the 16th of January 2014, it is clear I am in the midday of my life, if not in the early afternoon. My birthday was two weeks back, there is no need for new resolutions each year as long as you know what you live for, each year is a building block on the bigger picture. We are all pieces locked together in this jig-saw puzzle of life, each misfit totally dislodges the whole picture.
I have been to Lubumbashi and back in December, a journey that cannot be summarized in a few paragraphs. A 44 hour journey by bus with stops at border posts where you never know what to expect. The deep conviction that it is God who said we should do it, kept us going and the knowledge that He who said we should do it will make us fulfill it kept us strong. The company of Cedric and Kgaotsang made the journey very enjoyable and doable.
We were supposed to spend the night in Lusaka, but after our hosts advised us to proceed, we spent the second in the bus. The Joy of it turned the whole journey into an adventure. After the two days and two nights on the road we arrived there to find wonderful hosts waiting for us. It was like we knew each other for ages, although it was for the first time we met. Language barrier was overcome by common convictions and goals. Human beings are able to communicate in silence, where you feel at home just by feeling the warmth of the other. Pastor Sera and the congregation were such amazing hosts. We could not imagine better hosts, we thank God for leading us to them through Malemela although he could not remember him at all. Angelique and friend who assisted in preparing for us Congolese dishes, were also very wonderful despite the absolute language barrier. Within the two days we had started to mumble a few words in Swahili and French.
One striking feature after the vast differences in the countries we touched en route to Lubumbashi is the stark differences at the border posts. Some officials were very friendly, while others at other border posts were just arrogant displaying full anger that had been bottling up over the years. The one stop Chirundu border post at Zambia- Zimbabwe border should be emulated, it shows great co-operations between the two countries, and it makes it much easier for the travelers. At Kasumbalesa border it seems one can walk between countries with or without a passport. It was the only border where our passports were stamped in our absence. Not sure how it is done, we were just happy it was done. After travelling that long all you need to do is arrive where you are going although the mind keeps reminding you, you have to pass here again on way back home. That is when you appreciate the comfort and speed of airlines, if only money was always available. Flying also robs one all the experiences you get along the way, mingling with people and chatting with a few, getting the real feel of our motherland, continent of Africa, craddle of humankind, where humanity learn to be human. Kasumbalesa was quite an experience, you never know is the official and who is after your money. They would demand anything and everything. The yellow fever cards we were told to religiously carry at every border post as we would not be allowed entry, at this one we were told never to show it. Fatigue was taking a toll on us, we watched with amazement as different people discussed about us, not hearing a word of what they were saying.
It was very sad to see Zimbabwe after 18 years, such deterioration in such a short space of time. We had a WSCF Southern African sub-regional conference there in August 1995. The place was beautiful, clean and very peaceful. Very serene, a place everyone would wish to live. Crime was unheard of then. Whatever happened to this beautiful land, may there be restoration. The beauty of the Livingstone border remains intact, especially on the Zambia border as one enjoys the view of Victoria falls. What a beautiful, breath taking place. One of those places that gives you affirmation that indeed we serve a great and creative God. Beauty beyond measure and description. The apes keep us coming here, as if to say "you are almost there". The European tourists that we found there seemed to love these apes and they kept taking their pictures. This kept reminding us how rich our continent is with fauna.
In Zambia, the currency was very confusing. They use two currencies, one has 000 and the other does not have. Meaning if the other is K1 000, the other would be K1. The Kwacha and the new kwacha exchange rates from the rand seemed to change every minute. When you are that far from home you are just happy to get something to buy with, so you can get anything to eat. It did not matter how much they took from us at the black market as long as we could get something to buy water with. Thanks to the generous offerings of many who had been praying and encouraging us, where would we have been without them. We had under-estimated the costs of the journey by far, we only had one thing in mind, the one who said we should go, will see us through every step of the way and He surely did. Awesome God!
The services in Lubumbashi were just amazing. The church was just out of this world. If it was near we would definitely visit there often and make sure we learn the language. It came out very clear how much of a barrier language is, especially the ones imposed on us by the colonial masters that come with cultural baggage.
What a journey. A sense of contentment that we did it. We learnt that we need to be united and that the great commission remains the Great Commission, the only mandate our Lord Jesus Christ left us with.
Yoked!
I have been to Lubumbashi and back in December, a journey that cannot be summarized in a few paragraphs. A 44 hour journey by bus with stops at border posts where you never know what to expect. The deep conviction that it is God who said we should do it, kept us going and the knowledge that He who said we should do it will make us fulfill it kept us strong. The company of Cedric and Kgaotsang made the journey very enjoyable and doable.
We were supposed to spend the night in Lusaka, but after our hosts advised us to proceed, we spent the second in the bus. The Joy of it turned the whole journey into an adventure. After the two days and two nights on the road we arrived there to find wonderful hosts waiting for us. It was like we knew each other for ages, although it was for the first time we met. Language barrier was overcome by common convictions and goals. Human beings are able to communicate in silence, where you feel at home just by feeling the warmth of the other. Pastor Sera and the congregation were such amazing hosts. We could not imagine better hosts, we thank God for leading us to them through Malemela although he could not remember him at all. Angelique and friend who assisted in preparing for us Congolese dishes, were also very wonderful despite the absolute language barrier. Within the two days we had started to mumble a few words in Swahili and French.
One striking feature after the vast differences in the countries we touched en route to Lubumbashi is the stark differences at the border posts. Some officials were very friendly, while others at other border posts were just arrogant displaying full anger that had been bottling up over the years. The one stop Chirundu border post at Zambia- Zimbabwe border should be emulated, it shows great co-operations between the two countries, and it makes it much easier for the travelers. At Kasumbalesa border it seems one can walk between countries with or without a passport. It was the only border where our passports were stamped in our absence. Not sure how it is done, we were just happy it was done. After travelling that long all you need to do is arrive where you are going although the mind keeps reminding you, you have to pass here again on way back home. That is when you appreciate the comfort and speed of airlines, if only money was always available. Flying also robs one all the experiences you get along the way, mingling with people and chatting with a few, getting the real feel of our motherland, continent of Africa, craddle of humankind, where humanity learn to be human. Kasumbalesa was quite an experience, you never know is the official and who is after your money. They would demand anything and everything. The yellow fever cards we were told to religiously carry at every border post as we would not be allowed entry, at this one we were told never to show it. Fatigue was taking a toll on us, we watched with amazement as different people discussed about us, not hearing a word of what they were saying.
It was very sad to see Zimbabwe after 18 years, such deterioration in such a short space of time. We had a WSCF Southern African sub-regional conference there in August 1995. The place was beautiful, clean and very peaceful. Very serene, a place everyone would wish to live. Crime was unheard of then. Whatever happened to this beautiful land, may there be restoration. The beauty of the Livingstone border remains intact, especially on the Zambia border as one enjoys the view of Victoria falls. What a beautiful, breath taking place. One of those places that gives you affirmation that indeed we serve a great and creative God. Beauty beyond measure and description. The apes keep us coming here, as if to say "you are almost there". The European tourists that we found there seemed to love these apes and they kept taking their pictures. This kept reminding us how rich our continent is with fauna.
In Zambia, the currency was very confusing. They use two currencies, one has 000 and the other does not have. Meaning if the other is K1 000, the other would be K1. The Kwacha and the new kwacha exchange rates from the rand seemed to change every minute. When you are that far from home you are just happy to get something to buy with, so you can get anything to eat. It did not matter how much they took from us at the black market as long as we could get something to buy water with. Thanks to the generous offerings of many who had been praying and encouraging us, where would we have been without them. We had under-estimated the costs of the journey by far, we only had one thing in mind, the one who said we should go, will see us through every step of the way and He surely did. Awesome God!
The services in Lubumbashi were just amazing. The church was just out of this world. If it was near we would definitely visit there often and make sure we learn the language. It came out very clear how much of a barrier language is, especially the ones imposed on us by the colonial masters that come with cultural baggage.
What a journey. A sense of contentment that we did it. We learnt that we need to be united and that the great commission remains the Great Commission, the only mandate our Lord Jesus Christ left us with.
Yoked!
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