Why Africa

“Why in the world are you going to Africa?”

A question I have heard frequently since I made the decision to move to South Africa, but one to which  I was only recently able to fully articulate an answer.  Africa is a land of contrasts. We watch Discovery Channel shows about lions and migrations and imagine ourselves on safari experiencing the stunning beauty and the freedom of open spaces. But, Africa is often that place we try to forget about – war, famine, greed, racism, hate, corruption, child soldiers...  Our subconscious tries to convince us that if we don’t think about it, it’s not really happening.  Maybe we can avoid facing the truth of the pain and sorrow that is so common in Africa.  Often it all seems so overwhelming that we tend to give up even thinking about making a difference. 

As I started down this path with Christian Veterinary Mission I often wondered “What good can I really do?”  Will leaving my home, stepping out of my comfort zone, and asking others to financially support this project actually result in any benefit for those I go to serve?  While pondering these thoughts, I happened to stumble onto a movie called “Blood Diamond” (2006) and several thoughts from the dialogue stuck in my mind.  The movie is set in Sierra Leone during their bloody civil war in the late 1990’s. 

Danny Archer, a character in the movie speaks, I believe, for many in Africa when he say,  “Sometimes I wonder... will God ever forgive us for what we've done to each other? Then I look around and I realize... God left this place a long time ago.”  Those words struck my heart and stuck with me for days.

Later, just after the chaotic and viscous take-over of the city by the rebel forces, an American reporter covering the war is asked to help one local man find his son.  Her initial response is “The entire country's at war. Why should I help this one person?” and then “I can’t believe I just said that.”  That was my revelation. Although I cannot eliminate South Africa’s lingering racism and poverty, God can use me in little ways to touch a few individuals.  Perhaps I will bring His hope to a student who has none, His peace to a troubled heart, or His healing to a broken spirit.  I will focus on one person at a time as they move through the small animal clinic and then God can send them out to touch others.

Thankfully, South Africa is currently peaceful and its people are “equal,” but it was not long ago (1989) that war and conscription and apartheid were the norm and the country is still healing.  Despite many improvements, two thirds of the Children in South Africa are still living on less than $1/day and at least 10% are underweight. Perhaps even worse, 40% of sexual assault charges filed were committed against children and you can imagine that many sexual assaults by family members go unreported. Startlingly, over 25% of pregnant woman are infected with HIV giving birth to over 300,000 HIV positive babies per year and over 1.2 million children have lost their mother to AIDS.

Although many in South Africa are better off than elsewhere in Africa, there are still to many with damaged hearts who have never had the opportunity to be unconditionally loved or to hear of Christ’s overwhelming love and forgiveness.  Christ’s love alone can bring the healing needed by these many hearts and I pray that God will use me to share that love with those I encounter there.