Dear ministry partners,

Sometimes, my trips to Africa offer me opportunities to sit under the stars in the bush country, leisurely talking with beloved African pastors, sharing our lives with each other. Other times we travel to nearby villages to visit people in need, offering prayers and assistance, ministering to the hurting.

However, this trip was nearly entirely consumed with the “business” of Pathways training, which is a joy and delight. After receiving my negative covid test results just a few hours before my departure on Saturday (yes, I was stressed), I traveled about 40 hours till I reached my hosts house in Lusaka, Zambia at about 3AM. A few hours later, I was up and heading to a local church to offer training to our Pathways network.

The reunion was so sweet as I shared from 1 Thess. 2:17-20 that although Paul had been kept from the Thessalonians physically, yet he held them in his heart. In fact, they were his joy! And so with my African pastors. I have been kept from them for a time, but have held them in my heart constantly, and indeed they are my joy.

Days were filled with training the pastors, refreshing Pathways principles and offering new training from recently updated workshops.

Early mornings and into the evenings, I needed to run around town to get another covid test prior to departure, meet with local ministry leaders, and preach in a church service Wednesday night. The Wed night service was focused on the theme for 2021 “Supernatural Exploits,” so I tried to offer an expository sermon from Luke 10:17-20 related to this theme.

One of the highlights was meeting with Dr. Conrad Mbewe, one of the professors who teaches with my host and Pathways coordinator, Dr. Paul Kayumba. Dr. Mbewe is affectionately termed “the Spurgeon of Africa,” for he is well known for his writing, preaching, teaching, and conference speaking. I spent an hour talking with him about the importance of offering training in Bible study skills to African pastors, which he wholeheartedly endorsed, and he offered some helpful insights into how to move those we train further on their hermeneutical journey.

Being in Paul’s home with his family was a delight, and although the time was a bit rushed, we were able to carve out some special times of sharing and prayer together. Paul and Susan’s daughter, Jemmimah, who is 16, got connected with our daughter Alyssa (17) and they have been enjoying writing each other.

The journey home was again tedious, but it was sweet being back with the family. Within a day, I began planning out my trips to Tanzania (October) and Kenya (November), eagerly anticipating reunions with those networks as well. God’s grace was evident throughout, and I’m deeply grateful for the prayers of the saints who upheld me and the Spirit who energized me.

In His service, Eric