The Initial Wanderings of 2009

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! (have to get that out of the way)

This is likely to be a real scrambling of ideas and thoughts - so be warned.

2008= a good year. I kicked it off by celebrating with my wife and a solitary friend on a balcony in Ethiopia, smoking a cigar, and ended it with family and a lovely little daughter in wintry Calgary. Pictures from our delightful holiday season can be found on Facebook here. I am simply too lazy to post them here again.

2009 = more unknown. I am currently taking a break (heck, actually I haven't even started, but I've been trying) from finishing up my first Masters application (of two) and hopefully 2009 will be the year of jubilation as I get accepted and finally see the first glimmer at the end of the education tunnel. We'll be out of Victoria again, still in Canada though, and still dreaming of Africa.

African news: Ghana has a new President and a seemingly 2nd peaceful transition of power. You only hear of coups and wars in Africa - but in some places, progress is happening unheralded. Go check it out.

Also an interesting article that a friend passed along (thanks Gill!): an atheist writing that Christian missionaries are good for Africa. You can read it here. I am a little torn on reading it. I believe that Christ is indeed the hope of the nations, not just Africa. Yet, the tone of the article irks me a bit; as if for some reason Africa needs faith because of.... their backwardness? Their history? Their inability to get along? Their mob mentality? Whatever reason they need faith, the writer doesn't seem to have that same reason. I applaud the honesty of the article, the seeking and openness, but wonder if it is nothing more than a poorly thought out observation. Christianity and missionaries have failed so many times in Africa and in large part because they didn't take the time to think out the implications of their actions. They had good intentions (at times) but failed in Christlike qualities such as justice and mercy. The article seems to follow in this good intentioned yet oblivious vein. Other things, like the image of NGO workers debating strategies in tourist hotels, strike a chord but... from experience I think it has more to do with the person (and their motivations and convictions) than their faith as to if this is true. Anyways, definately a thought provoking article. Anybody else have thoughts after reading it?


Back to us: New Years resolutions: find more time to read rather than being computer dependant, lose some of the 1000+ plus lbs I've gained since Ethiopia (everybody has to have a weight resolution, right?), become more sensitive to insensitive people, keep questioning the things that need to be questioned and trusting in the one who is unchanging to guide my wanderings.