Oh man. When I said goodbye to my two girls on the airport at Zanzibar, it was a terrible feeling. I knew the plane was taking them away from me and I had to continue my journey and nothing of it was pleasant. But I was so thankful that we had a great time.
In my last update I told you about my awesome accommodation upgrades in Zanzibar thanks to the kindness of a family I had just met and a generous overseas friend. After two weeks in Zanzibar I can tell you it is all and more than the pictures in magazines tell you. The colour of the water is probably what impresses most. The humidity is hectic of course and although they have winter now, it sure is no winter I am used to. I have a tan like nothing else now.
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I thank God for His grace and goodness to me. I truly needed those two week s of no driving myself, being able to walk a lot (so good for my legs after the sitting in the car all day), good food and time with my girls.
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We hooked up with so many people as I like to talk to anybody. Quite a few South Africans were at our resort as well. But God placed a Hindu couple next to us for this week and we did all our excursions with them. They were on honeymoon and we had such a lot of fun together and of course I shared my God stories. They could not get enough of that and we had many discussions around religion and faith.
And I must be honest. I learn a lot from the other religions when I ask them how they see Christians. I want to write an article on this subject. It is an eye opener of note. Things they have against Christians. It is never what we believe. All the people I spoke to had things to say about how Christians treat them. But this for another day.
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I always ask myself in situations: If Jesus was here now, what crowd would He choose to sit with? And then I allow the Holy Spirit to lead me and it is seldom the Christians I end up with.
I also spent a lot of time with our Muslim tour guide. What a nice human being. He had a lot of fun with me and the girls. And I asked him a lot of questions about Islam as their Ramadan had just ended and they had fourt days of celebration. It allowed me to share on my faith and he walked away feeling loved. He came to the airport to say goodbye and brought us each a gift with our names on and to see if we were okay. He had nothing to do with the arrangements of our departure, and yet he came to say goodbye because he felt a connection.
And then I asked the Lord: “How can they be converted if they do not see YOU?!!” For their belief system is who they are. A whole country affected by the faith they practice. So interesting. And I just realised how fortunate we are who have choice and the freedom to exercise that choice. Nobody is going to stop you from being a Christian and openly exercising your belief system.
People… please love those around you who is not like you. It is easy to love those who is similar to you and whom you like. But love those who are not like you and even of a different religion for who will be Jesus to them if not you and me??
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” — 1 John 4:8 NIV
I met with a Christian in Zanzibar — they are all undercover. Nothing in the open. They use fronts for everything. We have no idea of how “lucky” we are.
I met people from Belgium, Cameroon, France, Hawaï, Tanzania, China, SA, Nigeria, UK, Madagascar and then Egypt. I am telling you, it changes everything when you are among all these cultures. It makes God so much bigger than what you have made Him in your mind’s-eye. Just so much bigger.
And then the time came for me to leave Zanzibar and continue my road journey. It was a very difficult decision for me of where to go next, but it was actually decided on my behalf as the border between Burundi and Rwanda is closed. You can go into Burundi from Rwanda, but not other way around. So I was “forced” to go to Kenya first. Three more months on the road before I can go home.
And for the final leg of my journey I really need your prayers as I will have to cross the “difficult” countries — some with unrest and even war raging. So would appreciate if you can pray for me. God has provided my every need up to this very moment and I am so thankful. He has also protected me against illnesses and other things and also protected me on these roads. I trust Him to continue this until I am safe and sound, back in Kleinmond. And without your prayers and support….I would not have been able to make it this far.
I have a mandate from God and that comes first, but boy oh boy when that plane took off with my girls…. My heart was in that plane. But that is not my path for now
And so, just like that, I was back in Dar Es Salaam and able to continue toward Mombasa, Kenya and I am writing to you now from Nairobi.
I looked at my map yesterday and realised I have come a loooooong way. I surely am an Africa traveller now as yesterday, I drove in the very centre of the Nairobi CBD, known for the absolute madness of the traffic — and I felt comfortable. It was no problem to me whatsoever as I now understand what they are doing. And I suddenly understand our taxis in SA as they come from these countries. Problem is SA has rules. You stop at a red traffic light for instance. Not in Africa. I do not know why they even waste money on traffic lights. Yesterday, I stopped at a red traffic light in town and a traffic officer came up to me and said… no stopping…. Go, go, go! Hehehehhe.
It is madness. But there is order in the chaos as they mostly arrive home safely. The drives in between towns are a challenge as the roads are filled with hundreds of trucks and it truly is just so dangerous. After a day on such roads, every part of my body is in pain.
I met up with three other overlanders who have been following me on FB and I was able to share the Gospel. Most overlanders are people who sold their businesses or homes and use that money to travel. They cannot understand that I can do this without having a large sum of money somewhere and when I explain about God being my provider, they are in awe but still do not understand hehehehe.
And I am in awe! Let me quickly share just one testimony. I got lost in Mombasa. Hectic, hectic city if you have no clue of where you are going. So I called out to God after an hour and I said: Please Lord, You need to show me the way out of here. Holy Spirit, be my GPS! I looked up and right in front of me was this huge bus and it said: “We lead others follow.” And I knew I had to follow the bus!!
So I did. At one time a taxi came between us, the bus turned and I went straight as I could not turn in time and I was feeling desperate. I could not turn anywhere and after 10minutes or so I saw a sign –NAIROBI.
Even the taxi that came in between me and the bus was sent by God to put me on the right highway. And this has been my journey. God going before me all the time. I have a lot to share about things happening here in Nairobi, but that I will keep for my book.
I am being hosted by a Bishop Stephen for a few days. I had the opportunity to minister to his worship team and what a God appointment! And what a man of God. In his 70s already, but he testified to me on how he ran away from home as a child because of poverty. Trying to find a better life on the streets to support his mother and siblings at home. No school education, could not read or write at the time or speak English. And then at the age of 14, street evangelists came to his part of town and preached the Gospel of JesusM saying that it does not matter how filthy you are, Jesus also died for you and you can come to Him just as you are.
People! Never underestimate the power of the truth of the Gospel!!! That filthy street boy gave his heart to Jesus that day and asked the Lord to just help him to the next day to not fall back into his old ways. The next day the evangelists came back and he went forward and testified that Jesus saved him the previous day. In a moment God filled his mouth to speak English.
Many years later, this boy founded YWAM in Kenya. He has planted churches all over Africa. He started gathering pastors from all over Africa to claim Africa for Jesus and when they get together, more than 1 000 pastors from different countries come together.
God has used him all over the world. He preached in South Africa as early as the 1980s. If ever I have met a man of God, it is this beautiful man. He cares about the saved and unsaved and is a pillar in his community, nation and continent. And all for the glory of God. His testimonies are mind blowing and as he was testifying to me, I heard the voice of God in his voice. He shared so many things and I knew, God is doing something in me. There is a stirring for Africa.
He shared on the time of the colonists and I just cried and cried and cried. As a young boy he saw how a group of women working in their fields, were killed by a soldier who had a machine gun on his truck. The soldier just stopped and shot them. Imagine what that did to the kids who saw that. And yet, there is no hate towards the British as God restored him completely.
I am currently visiting with a scientist whose life job it is to teach the people how to survive during times of drought and how to not to overgraze. He provides grass seeds to the tribes of the northern parts of Kenya and Uganda so as to conserve those lands.
Simply amazing the stories. One of them is about a Maasai elder. The scientist asked the gentleman why he didn’t sell 50% of his livestock during the druught so that when it is over, he will have money to buy livestock again.
The Maasai elder answered: “You do not understand young man. I asked God to provide enough cattle so that my whole village could survive the draught and also the hyenas and lion could survive. So if I lose 50% of the herd because the carnivores have to survive, it is because God provided.
And I am thinking: who has the wisdom? People thinking they must have money to survive, or an elderly man who is thinking of all of creation around him and also feeds the hyenas and lions in troubled times even though it will leave him poorer according to the standards of this world? I do not know what the answers are. Every one needs to decide for themselves. All I know is that God has His children everywhere; He uses whoever He chooses and He simply loves.
He loves, loves, loves everybody. Saved and unsaved. He wants not one soul to be lost. What a God!
This morning I am ministering in a church and I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store. I was also able to visit with a missionary friend of mine from the US who was here in Nairobi at the exact same time I was. And what a God ordained time! It was good. The individuals God sends on my path are just such significant encounters. To God be the glory.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35
By the way, Kenya is amazing– you drive on the highway and there next to road are zebra, giraffes and elephants. Not behind fences. Right next to the very busy highway. AFRICA!!!
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