Hello Everyone! This is really the first chance that I have had to sit down and write an update to all of you. I thought what I would do is just list the events day by day, so here goes...
Monday 01/08 Plane departs from San Diego. On the leg from Amsterdam to Dar es Salaam I sat between to older women. One of them was a feminist so we got into a small* debate on abortion, capitol punishment and the use of condemns to prevent aids. I am sure you can imagine what that conversation sounded like. :). I was told be one of the brothers traveling with me that he could hear my conversation and he was 3 rows forward!
Tuesday 01/09 We arrive in Dar. at 10:40 pm. Pastor Curt and Jeff's luggage did not show but mine did!
Wednesday 01/10 The Pastor's Seminar at Goshen Village begins at 11:00 am. 28 pastors present. I taught on "The Perseverance of the Saints" Jeff Kazoolas taught on the Trinity and Pastor Curt Arrend taught on "The Glorious Church"
Thursday 01/11 Rob Smith joins us at the seminar and teaches on the dangers of legalism. 28 pastors were in attendance.
Friday 01/12 Last day of the pastor's seminar and there are 38 pastors in attendance. We gave all of the pastors books that we had shipped from the U.S. Each pastor received 5 books!
Saturday 01/13 we finally had a day to relax so we too a 2 hour drive down to Bagamoyo. Bagamoyo was the last stop on the mainland for the slaves that were being exported from East Africa. They have a museum there with many of the relics and the stories. We had lunch at the Paradise Hotel and we got to see an orphan singing group. I will show you the pictures later. Rob and Curt went sailing in a small wooden sailboat. For some reason I had no desire to have dinner.
Sunday 01/14 It becomes evident that I have some kind of food poisoning at about 2 am. I stay in bed all day on Sunday with out eating anything. Rob Smith leaves to go to Johannesburg South Africa.
Monday 01/15 I am felling a little better but still have not eaten. At 3:30 pm I take a flight to meet Rob in South Africa. I eat my first meal on the plane. We spend the night at Rob's brothers house.
Tuesday 01/16 I woke up fealing like a new man. Rob and I head to the airport to pickup 4 pastors, I don't know all of their last names at the moment so I will give you there first names, Mike and Jesse fro Seattle, James from Dallas and Dave from Carlsbad Ca. We then drive about 4 hours to pick up to So. African pastors in "Warden". The we head to "Welkom" pronounced "Velcome", where we will be having the next pastors seminar. We arrive at "The Pines" children’s center. A new orphanage that has 6 children that is being run by a young marries couple from Iowa. Great couple!
Wednesday 01/17 The pastors seminar begins and there are about 20 pastors. We will be here on early Saturday morning and then we will be heading to Durban to relax at the beach for a couple of days. We will fly to Lusaka, Zambia for the BIG conference (350 pastors) that begins on Wednesday of next week. I haven't been able to upload any audio because the connections are just too slow. I will however when I return. Thank you for all of your support and prayers. ~Gene~
