Re-entry part one...

I realise as I write that it's two weeks now that I've been back in the UK. As I've commented to a number of people who have asked me if it's strange to be back, the oddest thing is how 'normal' everything has seemed. In various books about cross-cultural missions and travel, the reader is warned about "reverse culture shock": a struggle to re-adapt to life in the home country after having adapted to a new culture overseas. And yet whilst I was momentarily bemused by the sea of white faces, and the phenomenon of moving staircases (escalators), it feels in many ways like I never left.

Yet the reality is that I was in Angola for nigh on six months. As much as it has been a huge joy to be reunited with friends and family in the Northern Hemisphere, parting did prove to be difficult during our last days in Lubango. Two of the highlights of that last week were the 'farewell' celebrations: one organised by some members of the church in Lage that we had been part of, and another where the missionary community gathered for a braai (an Afrikaans term for a barbecue).

At this stage, I don't know if God will ever have me back in Angola, but I thank him for the privilege it was to spend those months getting to know people and helping out where I could, not to mention all that the Lord taught me through my time there. It almost goes without saying, but just because I've left does not mean the work is complete: do see my last prayer letter -- as well as future blog entries -- if you'd like to support the work in southwestern Angola. Perhaps you're even thinking of going. If so, let me encourage you in that. It's true that "the harvest is great but the workers are few"...

DEBRIEF
Last week was a brilliant chance to catch up with some of the other workers who have been labouring in many different fields around the world. On Tuesday morning, after meeting the Scottish and Northern Irish GAP contingents in London, we trundled north and east to SIM UK's headquarters in Suffolk. (I say trundled because driving a Metro on flat British motorways doesn't seem nearly as exciting as bouncing over unmade roads in an Angolan-registered four-by-four, but of course in comparison to driving progress in Africa, we positively whizzed and zoomed.)

GAPers' stories came thick and fast. Some spoke of joy, like Beth and Jenny who had two of their Thai English students (Noon and Aom) commit their lives to Christ. Others had tales of intrigue, like the Senegalese boys Isaac and Colin taught, whose Muslim parents one by one forbade them from hearing the Bible stories as they moved from talking about the prophets to talking about Jesus... but who, each day, would meet up with the boys that hadn't been forbidden from coming to find out what the story had been about that afternoon. Still others shared sorrow, like Hannah and Connie wondering who will now love and care for the Kenyan children who were often left out or had no-one to play with.

Just a taste, but one that I hope will encourage you to pray for the GAPers as we all learn to readjust to life here, and to be a witness for Christ wherever he would next have us go.

THANKS
Look out for the last edition of "A Year In" from this GAP year shortly... but in the meantime, thank you so much for your ongoing prayers and support!