Africa

In an email conversation I had recently someone who had been to Africa remarked, 'Bury my heart in Africa.' He had been there for three weeks and it left that deep an impression on him. Africa seems to do that. I lived there for nearly six years and although I have never been back I can't really get Africa out of my system. I have revisited it through reading and researches and especially in writing about Edwin W Smith. More recently there have been the missionary history conferences and the papers I prepared on the Zambezi valley, African missionaries in Zambia etc. I find that when I think I have finished researching Africa, it pops up again in some way. So, just last weekend 2 people contacted me who had come across my papers on dacb and thought I could help with something they were looking into. It was back to the notebooks, microfiche and books to find information for them. And it seems that I did get useful things for them.
Three years ago I meet the man who would replace me at Tonypandy. A man from Zambia! And I found that I could still hold a sort of conversation in Tonga after all these years.
Fred Welbourn introduced me to Africa with his 'Religion in Africa' seminar at Bristol, 1968-70, and that made a very positive impact though I never thought I would actually go there. I met Africans at Methodist International House and then when we offered to work overseas the call came from Zambia. The appointment as a chaplain to a girls secondary school was a surprise but turned out to be a great blessing. My interest in local history was put to good use when I was asked to prepare the church archives which I did at Kitwe.
And now I am down to give a talk at the Guild on experiences of Zambia - I decided to talk about surprises; quite a few to mention.
Why does Africa have such an impact?
The physical environment contributes. The scenery, mountains and valleys, Victoria Falls... and life that teems in the heat - birds, mammals, insects.
The social enviroment contributes too - with its communal emphasis, its spiritual openness and cultural features such as song and drama and dance. Music, and especially the religious choral music produced by country people sends a shiver down the spine. And after years of slow progress in mission the church has taken off immensely.
I was born in India and I have a feeling about India too and a hankering to go there - and Indian music has its effect too and I like meeting Asian people too. But Africa made a big impression.
Places we have been to make leave their impression. Africa made a big impression.