I am retired and Steve is not

My Friend Steve Chaloner sent the following text via an MS Doc. Steve is the Regional Director for Africa with our Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Steve is the person that I worked closely with on trip to Africa in 2007.

Steve is a very busy person. If you will take time to read what he does in the course of the week – and I have been harried with feeding four mouths.

I am retired and Steve is not. Bless you my brother Steve…. Bless you and slow down a little.

You can contact Steve at chaloners@hotmail.com to tell him you are praying for him.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

From Steve Chaloner RD for Africa
RD stands for Regional Director (for Africa), but what does an RD do? Here’s a bit of a snapshot based on this past week:

Monday night I arrived back in Nairobi from Canada – RD’s (there are 5 of us) go to Canada twice a year for top-level leadership and strategy meetings with PAOC’s National Leadership team. That’s where we report on progress and challenges in our mission to see nations changed through transformed people. I usually stay a little longer to connect with our supporting churches and find new ones. This time I also took in 2 District Conferences (Alberta and N.W. Territories, Eastern Ontario) and interviewed 4 couples for ministry opportunities in Africa.

Tuesday morning, jet-lagged (8am Kenya time is 1am in Ontario) I went into the office for devotions with the staff, showed off a photo of my new grandson, and signed the forms for my Burundi visa for my Friday trip. I’m excited about my first trip there and the upcoming seminars with pastors in this land of 8.5 million. Later that morning after a few telephone calls to announce my return, I checked on my vehicle and the battery was totally dead and after vain attempts to resuscitate it with jumper cables and a mains charger, I capitulated and bought another. It was good to go for a walk up our street and meet and greet so many familiar faces – Mohammed the taxi driver, different vendors, some rough and tumble guys from one of the neighbouring slums who I have befriended, and then to plunge my fingers into some good Kenyan food – Wimbi, Sukuma Wiki, and Cuku (thick brown maize meal, bitter greens, and chicken) - “finger-licking good! “Rain stopped play” later that day, so I didn’t get my headlight change finished.

Wednesday after devotions I looked after some of my emails and then received Rev. Godiah, a District overseer of PAG (Pentecostal Assemblies of God) a fellowship of thousands of churches that the Lord used PAOC to pioneer and plant in Kenya. It was good to see him again and to learn that he wanted to schedule another leadership development seminar for the pastors he supervises. We have a growing relationship and he likes to bounce ideas off me and to know how we handle certain issues in PAOC. High on my list of priorities that day was to nail down the fine details of my Burundi trip including finances, ministry expectations and to plan the upcoming ministry in Uganda with the PAG General Superintendent, Rev. Simon Peter. We will be together in Burundi and then travel to various ministry locations in Uganda. Once I leave for Burundi on Friday I will not be back in Kenya until May 28th. Mental note to cram 2 weeks of clothing into my carry-on – I’m getting this packing deal down to a science!

Thursday I started packing my bag for my Friday 5.30 am departure – started my check list – visa, ticket, passport, vaccination book, cash, data-projector, mp3 player etc. and then headed to an 8.30am Board of Governor’s meeting of Pan Africa Christian University. This is one of PAOC’s most strategic training initiatives in the world and I am glad to be a part of it. Our agenda Thursday was the formalization of trustees, the composition of the Council and deliberations on current developments including the construction of the new academic building which began in March. If you are still with me, make a note to pray for PAC University – you can find a link to it through the Kauufeldts on this page. Back in my office – more emails, preparation for the weekend including buying a few meds for just-in-case scenarios. It’s always easier to have them with you than try and find them somewhere! Late Thursday afternoon I met with an exiting missionary from Mozambique, Mark McGyver Haug and his son Jonathon. Heather and I have been Jonathon’s (and his sister, Esther’s) guardians while attending RVA Boarding School. Mark and Donna have had to make a tough decision to leave the field to look after Esther’s educational challenges, so it was good to debrief with Mark and just be with Jonathon who just loves Africa and hates to leave it. It was great to hear how the Lord has provided for the continuance of the ministry in Zambezia and for the Haug’s personal needs in terms of housing, a donated vehicle, and all kinds of other interlocking details - “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes”.

Friday – still struggling with jet-lag – I was on my feet at 3am, so the 5.30 departure to the airport was a breeze. Checked-in, I was delighted to meet Pr. Franco from Kampala Pentecostal Church in the airport. He was just returning from an international conference in Hong Kong on the theme – Discipling the Nations. We RD’s had just been given a copy of the book so it was great to interact with Franco on the subject and benefit from his first-hand exposure to the author’s teachings. The central idea is that Conversion brings transformation to society. I’m still struggling a bit – not with that so much as what I see as a problematic title. Did Christ send us to disciple nations – or to make disciples out of the nations? – I’ll let you know how I resolve it. Caught my flight to Bujumbura – several empty seats which surprised me. Guess it’s not a totally popular destination – it is one of the poorest countries in the world and has suffered so much from the ravages of war. Arrived on time and got my first contact with Burundians. Interesting! They don’t seem to understand British decorum and the concept of a queue! One guy barged right in front of me in the passport inspection line-up without any comment or hesitation, Others did likewise. Whites are not owed any privileges here. I was in no hurry but admit I was chuffed when an official boosted me up to the front of the line. Soon I was in the airport arrivals expecting to see Bishop Katihabwa. He showed up about 3 hours later! Sooo – I put in a few hours waiting, trying out my pidgin French and learning a few words in Kirundi. People were sympathetic to my wait and soon someone told me there was a coffee shop upstairs – 40 stairs to be exact! I took one of the customs officials for coffee with me. I do enjoy meeting people!

After Bishop Katihabwa and a group of pastors arrived we went to meet 100 Congolese pastors who had crossed the border for a 1 day conference and were waiting to meet us before returning. These pastors are heroes! I talked with Clement who had WALKED 300 km to get to the meeting and asked him what he saw on the way - “rebel soldiers who had to be bribed for safe passage” … snakes by the dozen … a leopard … chimpanzees … monkeys, and lots lots more! I wondered if could ever walk 300km – I guess I could, but not in the 6 days he took – 50k’s a day! Men like Clement walk all over Congo and Burundi risking their lives to preach the Gospel – what an example to Canadian arm-chair Christians! After sharing a word with the pastors we started off on our journey to Ngozi. It’s amazing that we made it in one piece and didn’t kill anyone on the way! Bosco was the worst (or best) driver I have ever been with. It seemed like whenever he saw the roads crowded with pedestrians he sped up as he blasted on the horn! Was I ever glad I had given Simon Peter the front seat! We later decided that Bosco must have been a soldier who was trained to drive as fast a possible to avoid the explosion of landmines.

On arrival at Ngozi (meaning Drum) we went immediately to the church – albeit 3 hours later than expected! A loyal crowd of local believers and some pastors were still waiting for us – others had gone home or to wherever they were staying. We sang and danced and then greeted the church shared a few words from Scripture and dismissed them in favour of the next day’s meetings. We were then escorted to the hotel where they had decided we should stay – the best hotel in town! My chance to protest that we do not need the best – but they wanted to make sure that we were safe. It would merit about 2 stars in our hotel system and at $20 a night I slept with an easy conscience!

Saturday – Breakfast over we met with the provincial leadership of the PAG (Pentecostal Assemblies of God) Church. All protocol observed - the essence of the meeting was for the them to brief us on the challenges they are facing and allow us to respond on how PAOC and the PAOA (Pentecostal Assemblies of Africa) might assist them. The rest of the day was spent in leadership seminars – one of our major contributions to church development.

Sunday – Tipped off by my interpreter, I suggested that I would to do two seminars in the church where I ministered. Simon Peter was not so fortunate and sat through 5 hours of choirs before being allowed to preach!

Monday – checking out the hotel at 7am, we headed for breakfast at the home a local pastor who would take us to Bujumbura’s Maximum-Security jail for a service. Over breakfast we heard how he started the ministry. Imprisoned for 3 months, Pr. Yamba Muhabura is a living example of how God brings good out of bad. Instead of mourning his predicament he used his time to win convicts to Jesus. Upon his release he left his first convert, saved and filled with the Holy Spirit to pastor them. I will never forget the service in the jail – 600 of the 3,000 convicts dancing and praising the Lord! Such life! Such liberty! My mind flashed to the book of Daniel where his friends, bound by the King and thrown into the furnace, not only survived but were found walking lose in the presence of the Son of Man. Think of it – hundreds of convicts serving thousands of years in prison sentences are now saved, baptised in the Holy Spirit and evangelising their fellow-inmates. More than 20 prisoners gave their lives to Jesus that morning before we witnessed the ordination of the new pastor and leadership team for the prison-church (along with several others, the existing pastor is scheduled to be released after 10 years of jail time). Without a doubt we want to serve into that ministry and look forward to linking them with Dean Skinner and Emmanuel Press which specializes in evangelistic literature and discipleship courses. Join us in prayer for this exciting next step!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com