East Africa:
Recently I returned from East Africa, I had the privilege of traveling to Kenya, Burundi; Rwanda and Uganda for the purpose of training researchers. East Africa is without power for the better part of the days so it was an interesting experience trying to adjust culturally.

Unlike the power grids of East Africa the Light of the Gospel is certainly far from failing, it continues to pierce the darkness that once held this continent captive. Sitting in a church in the outskirts of the City of Bujumbura in Burundi the sound of Praise echoed off the tin roof out into the surrounding village carrying with it words of adoration and praise to the risen King.

As the drum continued to beat a familiar melody I began to realize that this beat, the African beat is not unique or localized to one African country but its a sound that rings true in many of the African countries that I have visited, from the lake shores of Malawi to the jungles of Madagascar, from the great lakes to the sweltering West coast this sound, this African beat that is found in so many praise songs carries a familiarity with it that can be heard in all regions of Africa, it dawned on me that the light of the Gospel has so far and wide spread through this continent that atop the sounds of beating drums in every corner comes sounds of praise to a living God!

As I traveled from city to city, country to country I was amazed and shocked at the number of street children I saw that lined the streets in search of food, or the hope of a coin or two. HIV has ravaged this continent and left scores of children to fend for themselves. The Africa word "zungu" meaning "White man" brings with it a twinkle in the eye of the chanters for surely the arrival of this "zungu" increases the odds of them getting something, anything.