The March Update

Princess Zulu from World Vision & I just kickin' it!

Welcome to the most exciting newsletter/ blog/ update from me, allan and Africa Revolution. It's rumored this is going to be the most visited site after e-harmony.com !

Intro
The purpose of this blog is to keep y'all informed by posting short thrilling narratives of the journey and development of Africa Revolution. So why not a traditional prayer letter you ask? Why a Blog? Well, my complex global survey showed that most of you would prefer email over paper. (if you would like paper, send me your address and I will get right on that .) I figured that a blog is a far more dynamic, interactive way to allow you guys to see God at work through this vision. When I travel I will be able to post images and stories while they happen. I hope this update will be something creative and slightly different from the average newsletter out there. Oh, I must warn you too that I am going to try to avoid speaking Christanese... and will also share doubts, frustrations and failures as I believe life and ministry are full of these… and besides, telling honest stories are the best stories of all.
So welcome, post comments, ask questions, explore.

This month in a nutshell-
March has been the grindstone! I am past the exciting honeymoon stage of setting up this ministry and am tirelessly digging away in the trenches. Here are a couple of highlights to show y’all what’s been cookin’ this last month-

• Along with Dr. Bill Rapier, my mentor, I got to go on Moody Radio’s Prime Time America and speak about what we are doing in Africa. I got to use the word “holistic”. It was very exhilarating.

• On an equally exciting but less ministry minded note; I some how ended up on the evening news as an eye witness to the arrest of a bank robber. I filmed it on my camera and they showed it on the news. I know this has nothing to do with AR but I shamelessly tried to put in a plug for Africa…but they were only interested in the bank robber.

• I had a wondefully long breakfast meeting with Princess Zulu from World Vision. She was very excited about AR and encouraged me greatly with what we are venturing to do. This lady is incredible and has meet everyone; George W, Tony Blair, the Clintons, the Annan’s, Colin Powell, pretty much every head honcho out there. She invited me to come with on some of these high powered shoulder rubbing evenings. Me thinks...will they let me wear a hoody or will I have to get a suit?

• I met with my pastors, who fully encouraged me and let me know that our church and leaders are behind me in this. The local church is a big deal to me and having my local church behind the vision means a lot.

• An invite was extended, to speak at a winter retreat in Canada this month, about Africa and how our faith interacts with global issues. But at the last minute my visa did not come through and I had to cancel. I was so disappointed but at least I have 4 talks ready to go...that was a lot of work! The trip is postponed for the summer where I will attend their summer camp and give them then.

• Lastly, from May 4th to June 5th I will be leading a trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland to meet with our partners and set up our internship programs, assess the communities orphan care and widow care needs. We will basically do the foundational work that cannot be done from this side. 3 folks will be going with me to help in this work- Evangeline whom I met last year, is our social worker with a focus on Orphans and AIDS in Sub-Sahara Africa. Jenn, our Urban Ministries guru is helping develop the spiritual formation track for the interns and Bac, who is a professional photographer, will be doing what he does best.

Please really pray for this critical trip and for our needs to make this happen. Please consider getting involved by supporting this trip. These foundational first steps are so critical and your prayers and support is so highly valued. I feel like I need to say that I don’t want Africa Revolution to be one of those “arm-twisting-give-us-your-money ministries” but I do want to let those of you who believe in this vision to have an opportunity to give to a ministry that serves the people of Africa from a grass roots level.

I look forward to hearing from y’all. To leave a comment, click on the comments link below. (If you are not a regular blogger click on anonymous and it will let you leave a comment without making you sign up.)

Last Words
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.