Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible
I fly a lot. Airline snacks usually consist of pretzels or peanuts, unless you pay extra for Pringles. But not on Air Botswana. I received not one, but two packets of Chile Biltong – a spicy form of beef jerky. Plus a toothpick for when you are finished. Awesome!
Biltong – Beef or Game Jerky in Southern Africa
Fan at Victoria Lodge in Gaborone, Botswana
For some reason, I love the name of the fan I noticed recently while at a conference in Africa. Wonder if I can get one here?
The student leaders at the University of Botswana hosted our group of ministry leaders for a prayer walk of their campus on a sunny afternoon. And when I say sunny, I mean hot and sunny, with temps hovering just over 100 degrees. As we strolled in small groups and prayed for their fellow students, I found myself subtly guiding our group to the few patches of shade along our route. A few minutes later, I found myself praying, “Lord, don’t let me fall over from heat exhaustion in the middle of this campus!” The Botswana students certainly have a higher heat tolerance than this North American.
I was in Botswana for several days of meetings with Cru African student ministry leaders. Men and women attended from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Mauritius, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Tanzania. Many of these are young leaders, in their 20’s or early 30’s and many are pioneering new ministries and attempting to reach new campuses. The conference covered aspects of leadership, coaching their staff and students and launching new campus ministries. Their goal is to get to hundreds of new campuses by 2020.
I spoke a couple of times, including a talk on Servant Leadership and a devotional talk on the spiritual realities we face as ministers. We also attended a student meeting one evening at the University of Botswana. Student meetings on different continents often look different, but it’s encouraging to see the common threads of a commitment to growing in faith and reaching friends with the gospel. And, trying to meet members of the opposite sex. This aspect never changes!
Please join me in praying for these young leaders in Africa. Pray for their success in launching new campus movements and pray that many of their peers will come to faith and influence their continent for Christ!
In the 1970’s, the nation of Botswana, at the time one of the poorest in the world, was struggling to develop their national university. A fund-raising campaign called One Man, One Beast, was started to raise the money necessary to fully launch the university. Every family in Botswana was asked to contribute anything they could, including cash, cattle, grain, eggs – literally anything! It took several years, but by 1982 the university was established. Today it’s a large, modern, beautiful campus, one of which any nation would be proud. The One Man, One Beast campaign is immortalized in this statue that stands outside the university library.
The One Man, One Beast statue at the University of Botswana. Seated are some students, several of whom had grandparents who gave cattle to help start the university.
Stories to encourage you with the leadership experiences of overlooked men and women of the Bible. Their lives will inform your story, and move you to step out and lead.
This book contains reflections on the Lordship of Christ, the Great Commission, and a life of adventure and eternal significance. Read this book and you won't be able to sit still!
© 2024 Dave Dishman
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑