Indianapolis, IN

Washington, DistrictofColumbia

Durban, South Africa

In the morning I did a video of Andre van Belkum talking about LifeNets. We want to make a promotional video about our African projects. We had a long breakfast then got our things together to go to the airport and fly back to the United States. It’s been a wonderful trip We feel that we have contributed positively to the Feast of Tabernacles in both Malawi and Zambia and deepened our relationships with so many people in both those countries. I spoke a total of 13 times starting with the Sabbath before the Day of Atonement. It was interesting to perform a wedding in Lilongwe and take part in a funeral in Mumbwa. Visiting our LifeNets projects was essential to ensure their continued success and continuation of the programs. Both Bev and I are ecstatic about this particular trip to Africa that will help us serve the people even better here. After flying back from Johannesburg, we met up with Bill and Cheryl Jahns and Bruce and Phyllis Anderson from Minnesota as well as Herb Teitgen from North Dakota. The Anderson’s and Herb T. are also flying back to the United States, but they are on a flight to New York while we go to Washington D.C. Well, that’s it for this trip. Thanks for following our journey..

Johannesburg, South Africa

Durban, South Africa

Today is our last full day in Africa on this trip and we just drove around. I tried to get my email downloaded and some sent from where Neville Smith works, but my laptop just couldn’t get connected to the wireless or the ADSL line. We then drove around Durban and just spent time at their home in afternoon. We had lunch at a garden supply store. Open restaurants in Garden shops are typical here. In the evening the van Belkum’s took us out to dinner at an Italian restaurant.

Durban, South Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa

Lusaka, Zambia

Kambani and Shirley Banda arrived at 5:45 am to take us to the Lusaka airport for our flight to Johannesburg and continuing down to Durban where Andre and Elize van Belkum live. We have gotten very close to the Banda’s and admire their service to the Church people as their minister and his exceptional skill as administrator of the LifeNets projects. He is tough and disciplined, but that is the what it takes to get RESULTS in this part of the world. He doesn’t take excuses and demands that people do their part and holds their feet to the fire. Now after doing this for five years in Mumbwa, we can see outcomes that are quantitative leaps economically from where they had been. In the process they are taught to be more disciplined and to work hard and see the correlation between hard work, good management and prosperity. I thought we were getting to the airport a bit too early, but it took all that time to first pay the airport departure tax of $25 a person, then stand in line for the first security check. Then you check in. Then you go through immigration which took more than half an hour. Then another security check before being put on a bus to go out to the waiting South African Airways Airbus to Joburg and then to Durban where the van Belkum’s live.. It was great to see Andre and Elize again. He has been a special friend of ours the past 15 years – to me if there is any human for being one who has no guile, he and Elize are it. He’s a great pastor and takes life as it comes whether he is exalted or abased. With them we just enjoy sitting around and talking whether it be Church or LifeNets. He is the LifeNets chairman for LifeNets Southern Africa. Their main contribution has been with the Developing Nations Scholarship Program. They sent a young lady of Indian origin to University in Cape Town for three years and she now has a high profile job with Shell Petroleum in Durban. LifeNets SA is also sending Zimbabwe students for their higher education. They also send teens from impoverished families to summer camp. In the evening local church elder Neville Smith came over for dinner and we just had a great time telling stories and enjoying each other’s company.