Africa: Finding the Certainty of God in an Uncertain World

Preparing to enter Africa again brings up a flood of memories of God’s faithfulness in the midst of fragility, uncertainty, and risk that goes with the adventure of Africa travel.

As we prepare to head toward customs, I am reminded of the time we were hauling two extra large suitcases of girls’ pads for the school only to be told that we could not take them into the country without paying a hefty ‘duty tax’, i.e. ‘bribe’, to get these to the village girls who desperately needed them. We decided to hold out rather than give in to this unfair treatment of a humanitarian donation. This meant waiting for hours as one official after another came by to inspect all of our belongings and repeat their warning that we were not entering the country without payment. Despite our tiredness after days of travel, we held firm. Finally, a woman supervisor came by, recognized the need for our gift, and waved us through.

Or, getting ready to head into Nairobi reminds me of the time that we were half a block away when a terrorist bomb destroyed a shop that we were walking toward. Or when, in Kitale, we were minutes away from an electrical explosion taking out the building next to the hotel we were planning to stay at. Or when we foolishly went into a refugee camp as dusk was setting only to find a mob forming who recognized that we may have valuables on us worth stealing. They were correct, but God opened up a way through the crowd and moved us to safety.

There are just so many uncertainties in life, and Africa just seems to bring out a host of them. But the adventure comes in discovering that God is always faithful in the midst of whatever situation comes our way.

This is the reminder that comes to mind as Africa beckons once again. That, and the reality that your prayers are the essential component. God has good things just ahead. Thanks for traveling with us!