Some photos of Port Harcourt Nigeria, Nairobi Kenya and Exchange here...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24716&l=d9ce9&id=571308387
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Exchange Summit
Hey sorry I haven't written for a while - been kinda busy - most days up at 7am and collapse into bed about midnight each night....(I'm writing this at about 12.45am)
The Exchange Summit has been amazing though. We've been dancing & singing and hearing some amazing preaching, and there's been some incredible discussion sessions. I've been in a couple of 'breakout sessions' on Leadership Development where we've had leaders from Africa and Australia share about the barriers and challenges to leadership in both continents and explore ways to work within the cultures to develop leaders. Some very powerful stuff really.
This whole thing is amazing. On the weekend and Monday we had to go pick up various people from the airport as they arrived in Nairobi for the summit. Sometimes it's a 90 minute trip to or from the airport because of the traffic. (Sunday was a lot better). I went to pick up some of the guys from Congo whom I'd met when I was there. (my French is still not very good!) I picked up a man who is the Congolese Government Minister for Mining & Resources in Congo who is at the summit. Another Congolese who has an incredible story about how he grew up in a slum, had his arm cut off when he was 12 and was kicked out of home. He studied hard, got a MBA in the UK, and a Doctorate in the USA - has headed up World Vision in Congo, then Africa among other very significant roles. Some of the people at this conference are just incredible in terms of what God has done through them - it feels very humbling to be here in the middle of it all. I really sense there have been some very significant connections made here this week and it will be great to see what will happen over the next couple of years as a result.
Part of what has been scheduled through the summit has been some more "social" events. Today Daniel & I "had" to host a game of golf. We played at a club called Windsor, which was kind of like playing Royal Melbourne. It was and incredibly beautiful club - it seems very prestigious. So much so that they had a dress code to which I did not comply (and which I didn't know about - I didn't realise we were going to such a prestigious club!) Tried very hard for about half an hour to negotiate with the club management and a senior player to get on the course wearing jeans but they had had 3 'incidents' in the last month so they couldn't bend the rules for me!! So I had to buy some shorts from their pro shop which cost more than double the green fees. When I was trying to negotiate with them I told them that showing my legs in shorts would be far more offensive than my rather nice jeans! What was worse, I had to then tuck my shirt in!! Thank goodness for no video cameras being there...
I played with Daniel, Phil Camden & Apostle Zilly. I tell you, Apostle Zilly can hit a ball!! He won quite convincingly from Phil and me. The course was incredibly unforgiving - if you were off the fairway, you were in the jungle and your ball was gone - actually probably stolen by the monkeys!!! (of which we saw many)
Anyway, my brain has just about switched off. I'm putting some videos & pictures up very shortly (have to do it in the middle of the night when not many people are chewing up the internet bandwidth here)
The Exchange Summit has been amazing though. We've been dancing & singing and hearing some amazing preaching, and there's been some incredible discussion sessions. I've been in a couple of 'breakout sessions' on Leadership Development where we've had leaders from Africa and Australia share about the barriers and challenges to leadership in both continents and explore ways to work within the cultures to develop leaders. Some very powerful stuff really.
This whole thing is amazing. On the weekend and Monday we had to go pick up various people from the airport as they arrived in Nairobi for the summit. Sometimes it's a 90 minute trip to or from the airport because of the traffic. (Sunday was a lot better). I went to pick up some of the guys from Congo whom I'd met when I was there. (my French is still not very good!) I picked up a man who is the Congolese Government Minister for Mining & Resources in Congo who is at the summit. Another Congolese who has an incredible story about how he grew up in a slum, had his arm cut off when he was 12 and was kicked out of home. He studied hard, got a MBA in the UK, and a Doctorate in the USA - has headed up World Vision in Congo, then Africa among other very significant roles. Some of the people at this conference are just incredible in terms of what God has done through them - it feels very humbling to be here in the middle of it all. I really sense there have been some very significant connections made here this week and it will be great to see what will happen over the next couple of years as a result.
Part of what has been scheduled through the summit has been some more "social" events. Today Daniel & I "had" to host a game of golf. We played at a club called Windsor, which was kind of like playing Royal Melbourne. It was and incredibly beautiful club - it seems very prestigious. So much so that they had a dress code to which I did not comply (and which I didn't know about - I didn't realise we were going to such a prestigious club!) Tried very hard for about half an hour to negotiate with the club management and a senior player to get on the course wearing jeans but they had had 3 'incidents' in the last month so they couldn't bend the rules for me!! So I had to buy some shorts from their pro shop which cost more than double the green fees. When I was trying to negotiate with them I told them that showing my legs in shorts would be far more offensive than my rather nice jeans! What was worse, I had to then tuck my shirt in!! Thank goodness for no video cameras being there...
I played with Daniel, Phil Camden & Apostle Zilly. I tell you, Apostle Zilly can hit a ball!! He won quite convincingly from Phil and me. The course was incredibly unforgiving - if you were off the fairway, you were in the jungle and your ball was gone - actually probably stolen by the monkeys!!! (of which we saw many)
Anyway, my brain has just about switched off. I'm putting some videos & pictures up very shortly (have to do it in the middle of the night when not many people are chewing up the internet bandwidth here)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Settings adjusted...
Due to overwhelming demand*, I have modified the settings for this blog to enable anyone (whether a gmail user or not) to comment. Comments will, of course, be moderated! Feel free to leave me a message and let me know if you want me to get you any african beads.
*ok... it was just one person, but it was overwhelming nonetheless.
*ok... it was just one person, but it was overwhelming nonetheless.
In Nigeria
We stayed at Safari Park in Nairobi for one day (Tuesday), which I spent mostly trying to organise PA equipment and instruments for the conference. Met with a pastor from Nairobi Lighthouse church who is doing a great job trying to help us out, however it is a bit of a process to try and get things organised. I'm glad to have come to Nigeria to catch up with our friends here, but at the same time it makes it a bit difficult trying to sort some of these logistics out. We have a PA system now, and I think a keyboard, which was confirmed yesterday. The main critical item we need now is a drum kit. I'm going to Nairobi Lighthouse church on Sunday so hopefully I can possibly borrow theirs for the week. We have some musicians & singers from that church that have offered to help us out, and I'm meeting with them on Sunday to go through what songs we're doing etc. I think they're a bit hesitant to help us out because they want to make sure they can do something that will be of good quality and if they don't know the songs they think they may not be able to do a good job. I ensured Ps John that we're doing very easy songs that they'll learn very quickly!
In Nigeria at the moment. Left the hotel in Kenya at 4am Wednesday (yesterday) to catch 7.30am flight which left 1 1/2 hours late. Transition in Lagos then another flight to Port Harcourt which also ran late, so we got to Port Harcourt at about 6pm and rushed straight to church (which started at 5.30pm) at Royal House of Grace church. I played a couple of songs with the band (taught them the songs in about 5 minutes while the service was going on!) - it was fun though - felt like home. Caught up with Paul & Abraham, a couple of guys I met last time who are great musos and fantastic young men - wish I could bring them home with me!
Things have improved vastly in Port Harcourt since last time - the curfew has lifted and the International Airport has reopened (we landed at the army base last time we were here).
RHOG have spoilt us by putting us in a very nice hotel (Le Meridien) overlooking a polo/equestian field.
As I write this (lunchtime Thurs) we are 'resting' (as in working on Exchange conference preparations!) and awaiting our next move. As usual, things are on a need-to-know basis so we have no idea what is happening with us the next couple of days before we go back to Kenya!
Hurry up and wait.....
More when I get back to Kenya, including some video & pics hopefully!
In Nigeria at the moment. Left the hotel in Kenya at 4am Wednesday (yesterday) to catch 7.30am flight which left 1 1/2 hours late. Transition in Lagos then another flight to Port Harcourt which also ran late, so we got to Port Harcourt at about 6pm and rushed straight to church (which started at 5.30pm) at Royal House of Grace church. I played a couple of songs with the band (taught them the songs in about 5 minutes while the service was going on!) - it was fun though - felt like home. Caught up with Paul & Abraham, a couple of guys I met last time who are great musos and fantastic young men - wish I could bring them home with me!
Things have improved vastly in Port Harcourt since last time - the curfew has lifted and the International Airport has reopened (we landed at the army base last time we were here).
RHOG have spoilt us by putting us in a very nice hotel (Le Meridien) overlooking a polo/equestian field.
As I write this (lunchtime Thurs) we are 'resting' (as in working on Exchange conference preparations!) and awaiting our next move. As usual, things are on a need-to-know basis so we have no idea what is happening with us the next couple of days before we go back to Kenya!
Hurry up and wait.....
More when I get back to Kenya, including some video & pics hopefully!
Monday, April 21, 2008
April 2008 - Exchange Trip
Well here we are again - on the way to Africa. This time principally for the conference our church is hosting called "Exchange" in Nairobi, Kenya. (see www.africa-australia.org) More about that later...
Right now as I write this, I'm in Johannesberg airport (and have been for the last 6 hours) and it's FRRREEZZING!!! Who would have thought we'd be cold, but Melinda & I are rugged up here, waiting for our connecting flight to Kenya, which leaves at 1:10am. The lounges and shops are all now closed, so we're just trying to get a little sleep on some seats at the airport... (*Daryn sneezes*) With such a long layover, we've managed to try out every coffee establishment, at least walk by every shop twice - even got a massage. Now, as happens in Africa.... hurry up and wait!
More later.
Right now as I write this, I'm in Johannesberg airport (and have been for the last 6 hours) and it's FRRREEZZING!!! Who would have thought we'd be cold, but Melinda & I are rugged up here, waiting for our connecting flight to Kenya, which leaves at 1:10am. The lounges and shops are all now closed, so we're just trying to get a little sleep on some seats at the airport... (*Daryn sneezes*) With such a long layover, we've managed to try out every coffee establishment, at least walk by every shop twice - even got a massage. Now, as happens in Africa.... hurry up and wait!
More later.
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