My First Trip to Africa
On Friday, October 21, 2011, I boarded a plane in Waco, Texas. About 26 hours later, after stops in Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Brussels, and Banjul, I arrived in Conakry, Guinea West Africa. I arrived back in Waco on Wednesday evening November 2nd.
Conakry has a population of close to 2 million people, most of whom seemed to be walking, driving, or otherwise occupying the streets whenever my hosts drove me around town. If any of you have taken a cab ride in New York, you can begin to have a small sense of what traffic is like in Guinea. (For additional photos and videos, email me at ssappington@gmail.com, and I will send you a link. You will need VLC or another Media Player to watch the videos.).
Since I arrived in Guinea on a Saturday evening, I was privileged to attend 2 worship services the next day. Both services were in 2 languages: French and an African dialect. While the translator was speaking African, one of my hosts was kind enough to translate for me into English, since the French I studied at OBU in the early 1970’s was rusty at best.
I met many wonderful people in Guinea, and I know I will see many of them in Heaven. Unlike most Americans, many of these people have to depend on the Lord daily just to subsist. In the section of town where I stayed, electric power was out all but one day during my stay, so I had plenty of time to pray! And looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Below is a photo of the bed where I slept, sweated, prayed and took refuge from mosquitoes.
On Monday we began meeting with various pastors, embassy and government personnel, bankers and businesspeople. The purpose of my trip was to find investment opportunities. I learned that in Guinea, there are numerous ways to invest for profit and there are many opportunities to invest in the Kingdom of God.
Guinea is 85% Muslim. It is a country of stark contrasts. Frequently you can see people carrying large loads on their heads, walking in the streets right next to motorcyclists dressed in Muslim robes and simultaneously talking on their cell phones.
Many of the streets are not paved. I stayed only 2 blocks away from the U.S. Embassy, but the streets leading to my quarters were rocky and muddy, often accessible only by 4 wheel drive.
Our family would appreciate your prayers, as we feel that there are several ways that we can invest in Guinea so that streams of income are created which can bless these people. In other words, rather than giving these wonderful people a fish, we want to teach them to fish. We need God’s wisdom to accomplish that task.
We would love to hear from you, especially if you have time, energy or funds to contribute to this work. If you want to donate to our ministry, you can make your tax deductible contributions to “7 Cord Ministries,” P.O. Box 21836, Waco, TX 76702.
