Headed for Africa

Friends,

I am sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for my flight out to Paris and on to Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I will be traveling with Doug Welch, who covers that part of the world for the Worldwide Ministries Division, and vice-moderator Jean Marie Peacock. I'm very excited about this trip, and about all there is to learn.

I confess that I know little about Africa in general and the Congo and DRC in particular. I have always learned best by traveling and meeting people and hearing their stories. In preparation for this trip, I've been reading an amazing book on the history of the Congo called "King Leopold's Ghost." If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

As I travel, I will do my best to get to a computer and post at least a couple of reflections. I ask for your prayers, not just for those of us who are traveling there, but for those folks in our partner churches who are struggling to be faithful there.

Blessings on you. We'll be back in the U.S. on May 30th.

Rick