Who's Coming With Me?

I really wish I could take these two with me to Africa.           Luke is 3.5 years old, and wishes he could go with me.  Allie, 5 years old, has been making pictures and picture books for kids in Africa.  She is sending some gifts and clothes along with me to give to children there if we have the opportunity.               Our Children's Ministry at Delaware Grace has sent along the following gifts for kids in the Central African Republic:

- Crayons for kids at our orphan school

- Coloring books

- Soccer balls (deflated ones) and two pumps with needles.

- Bubble Gum

- Colored pencils and sharpener, for our orphan school.

- About 75 "bouncy balls" - those little rubber balls that bounce so high...

- Some clothes from Allie, as mentioned before.

- A care package for our teacher at the Sakpa Orphan School - including a tote bag, candy, gum, crayons, and some note cards and notebook.

- Thanks to the Meijer clearance rack, Jennie and I have made a care package for Ursulla and her mother.  Ursulla is the child we sponsor through Vision Trust, and I believe I have already written a blog entry about her.

- I am also taking lots of ball point pens for teachers and pastors I meet.

- I have packed about ten neckties for pastors and leaders there, if they would work as gifts.  We were encouraged to bring ties and ball point pens..

Please pray that these gifts would be small tokens of encouragement and love from Christians here in the U.S.  Even more, that people we meet in the C.A.R. will know most importantly that God loves them. 

Itinerary for trip to Africa...

Tuesday (9-29) - fly from Columbus to Atlanta.  Leave Columbus @ 2:48pm and arrive in Atlanta at approximately 4:30pm.

In Atlanta, I'll be thinking of some wonderful praying friends like the Coopers, Kijankos, Egans, Willards, and the rest of the Coopers.  I'll also be thinking of some wonderful Christian leaders who inhabit the ATL, people like Andy Stanley, Mark Price, Gabe Lyons, Reggie Joiner, and of course, Tim Cooper. 


Tuesday (9-29) - fly out of Atlanta @ 6:00PM EST.  That's just 90 minutes in Atlanta.  Hardly enough time to warrant the triple shout-out to Cooper.  But we fly then from Atlanta to Paris.  From 6pm Atlanta time to 8:00am France Time.  It will be an 8-hour flight, and we'll arrive @ Wednesday (9-30).  Paris is 6 hours ahead of us.  In other words, I won't call home when I arrive in Paris.  It will be 2AM in Ohio.  I'll probably wait until, you know, more like 2pm to call.

In Paris, we have a SEVENTEEN hour layover.  If only Paris was worth seeing.  LOL.
Any recommendations?

We'll be in Paris until 11:20pm departure.  The flight from Paris to Bangui should be about 6.5 hours... and we arrive there on Thursday (10-1) @ 5:00AM Bangui time.  Bangui is capital city of Central African Republic.

Our team will stay in Bangui until Thursday (10-8) @ 10:15pm.  Seven days that everybody says will change my life.  Will they?

Trip Question #1...

QUESTION #1 - WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE TO ACTUALLY MEET SOME OF THE ORPHANS IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC?

ANSWER: A few thoughts on this... Our church has helped promote child/orphan sponsorship through both Compassion International and Vision Trust ministries.  Both of these help link orphans in poverty-stricken nations with sponsor/donors who are able to help financially.  At right is a picture of Ursulla, a young girl that our family has started to sponsor this year.  A sponsorship helps provide food, clothing, medicine, and schooling... Just a wonderful, powerful opportunity to impact a precious young life. 

We selected Ursulla because she lives near Bangui (in the Central African Republic) and because she is about the same age as our daughter, Allie.  If you click on Ursulla's profile, you can read a description of her life and situation. 

While in Africa, I will get to see and meet orphans.  I will meet leaders connected with an orphan school that our church is sponsoring with "Sakpa" Church near Bangui. 

Today, I have also connected with people that may help me get to actually meet Ursulla, our sponsored "daughter" in Bangui.  Our daughter Allie has already set out clothing and other things she would like me to give her.  While I don't know exactly if or when I'll meet her, or what I will take for her...

I do wonder what it will be like to meet a child like this. 

I talked with Lisa from Vision Trust.  Just a few weeks ago, she met her sponsored child in the Dominican Republic.  She helped me think through what could happen in that meeting.  Would Ursulla be too afraid to interact?  Would her mother or other family members be blessed by a gift that I could bring?  Would I be shocked to see that she is far smaller than the average 4-5 year olds that I see here in Ohio?  Will I be overcome with all sorts of emotions, compassion, hope, desire to rescue... you name it? 

I have no idea.

I do know that it would be a powerful moment.  I hope God allows it to happen.  Helping orphans is a priority to our church, our missions team and strategy, and - without a doubt - close to the heart of God. 

If nothing else, I pray that God will fill me with even more love and compassion for children and families in need...

Destination: Bangui

Thanks to any and all who are reading these blogs.  I am spending most of Monday packing for Bangui.  Bangui is the capital city of the Central African Republic.  Bangui is described as a "sprawled out village" that goes on for quite a ways. 

Here is some information about Bangui, where our team will be staying for seven days. 

Bangui lies on the northern banks of the Ubangi River just below a series of rapids that limit major commercial shipping farther upriver, on the southern border. The navigable Ubangi River turns sharply south below Bangui and connects to the Congo River just south of the equator near Brazzaville as its chief northern tributary. The river marks the border between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Congolese town of Zongo sits opposite the river from Bangui.

The city centre lies near the river and features a large triumphal arch dedicated to Bokassa, the Presidential Palace and the central market. Lying 5 km further north, the heart of the residential area has the largest market and most nightlife. North of the city lie rolling hills.

The Central African Republic is situated just north of the Equator and consequently throughout the year daily high temperatures rarely fall below the high 80s Fahrenheit.^[3] The rainy season lasts from May until October. Bangui, being in the south of the country and thus closest to the equator, is slightly hotter and wetter than the northern parts of the country.^[4]

Several of the neighborhoods of Bangui are in low-lying areas and are prone to recurrent urban flooding. For instance, severe rains in June and July 2009 left 11,000 people homeless.^[5]

I've Packed the Essentials...

I spent a good deal of time this past week getting things ready for Africa.  This "Engage with Africa" Pastors Trip begins on Tuesday @ 2:48pm.  I'll check a two bags (max 50 lbs each) in Columbus that will go all the way to Bangui (Lord willing!).

One bag will be a trunk full of flashlights, letters, and gifts for friends in Africa.  Friends of missionaries and also missionaries. 

The other bag, I suppose, is the "Gary bag" of my clothes, some food, and anything else I'll need while I'm in the Central African Republic.

I've had all the shots I need, including Yellow Fever, Hepatitus A & B, Polio, Tetanus, Meningitis, and probably a couple other that I'm forgetting now.  I've got malaria medication (which may or may not prevent it...), stomach medication (strongly recommended Imodium and Pepto Bismol, along with some pro-biotics that the lady at Whole Foods said would help my intestines). 

Tomorrow morning, I still need to pick up some sunscreen.  I hear that, when you're staying near the Equator, the heat and sun tend to be a little stronger.  I get a week to test that "theory" out, and should be prepared.

I also need to find some strong mosquito repellent, preferably in wipes.  I don't like mosquitos, and they don't like me. 

Tomorrow (Monday), we'll put the finishing touches on packing and preparing personally and ministry-wise to be gone for ten days. 

Today, however, I was given some tremendous gifts to take with me to Africa.

This morning, our church family prayed for me and the end of each worship service.  Our Elders came forward to pray, along with Jennie and my parents and Dave Pacheco, our youth pastor.  It was a powerful and emotional moment for us. 

This afternoon, we got to celebrate my mom's birthday at home and have lunch and dessert.  Mom and Dad also asked lots of questions about the trip and are excited and praying for me.

Tonight, we spent more than an hour with five special couples from our neighborhood home group.  We prayed, we laughed, we cried... and they deeply encouraged me and Jennie on this Africa adventure we are about to begin.

At the end of the day, my heart feels extremely well-prepared for Africa.  This has nothing to do with the packed bags, the immunization shots, or the final shopping list for tomorrow.

Rather, it has all to do with the excitement, thrill, and encouragement of doing life with an open-hearted community of believers in Jesus Christ.  Our church, our friends, and our family... we are truly blessed.

And, as we began the entire morning with that wonderful song, we must always begin AND end by giving God the glory.

"Not to us.... but to Your Name!"

Seven Days till Liftoff...

Next Tuesday, I get to join a team of ten other pastors and missionary leaders on a one-week trip to the Central African Republic.  This week, a lot of the final details and shopping and packing are the focus.

I would love to be able to update this blog and keep a timeline of all of our events and visits, but I don't know how realistic that truly is.

On a previous mission trip to Argentina, we had high speed internet access for nearly the entire two weeks.  I blogged the whole experience.  However, I doubt that we will have internet access while in the Central African Republic. 

I should clarify - the place that we will be staying "might" have internet access, as long as we have electricity.  Forget about high-speed.  So, updates from Gary while in Africa may number from zero to none.  We'll see.  I'll do my best. 

For now, I'd like to share a few prayer requests for the trip in general.. and a few in specific.

-- PRAY that God would allow each of us to have open hearts, minds, and conversations about what HE wants us to see, to hear, to know, and to do.  Any other prayer requests such as for health, travel safety, logistics... would be underneath the greater HIGHER priority that God would have His way on this trip.

-- PRAY that God would help us hear the hearts, thoughts, words, and feelings of our African brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are going to meet leaders in churches, schools, ministries, and government.  Should be some tremendous time meeting and getting to know leaders in the CAR.

-- PRAY for us as a team of pastors and leaders, that God would give ideas, clarity, direction, connection, and conversation about current and future partnerships as churches in America come together to support churches in the Central African Republic.

-- PRAY for the timing of our flights... to Atlanta... and then to Paris... and then to Bangui... I hear that there's only one flight per WEEK in and out of Bangui.  So... don't be late to that flight in France!  Pray for traveling timing and protection for our team at each stop along the way. 

More prayer requests... and thoughts on travel... coming up in the next few days!  Thanks for reading!

My World View

At left is a picture of our planet.  I pulled it off of Google images.  I searched for the word "globe," and that's what came up.

I am used to seeing globes pictured this way.

Notice the spotlight on North America.

Notice the darker shade of green on other continents.

Consider how you and I view the world - we often see it from our own point of view.  The view from home.  Home is central.  North America is home.  Thus, it feels familiar and safe to spotlight and picture the world as this picture to the left does.

Sadly, few people develop the ability or desire to see the world from other points of view.

We should be grateful for our homeland.  We should cheer on the USA in the Olympics and pray for our people around the world.

We should also be aware that the rest of the world has a lot to teach us.  We should be willing to listen and learn from people who view the globe from a different perspective.

Now, as I prepare to leave for Africa on September 29th, I know for certain that I will see a very different part of the world.  Several have told me that I'll never be the same again.  Interesting...

...I wonder how God sees the world.  What is God's "world view."  Jesus told his disciples to go "into all the nations." 

All the nations. 

I'm glad that God's "target" for His blessing includes America.  

It also includes every other nation and people group on the planet.

...I would love to have you read along as I visit Africa and experience a faraway land. 

...Even more, I dare you to pray that God would give you a heart for the nations. 

The whole globe.  Other continents.  Other people.  Different cultures.  Foreign languages.

...When Jesus left the earth, He commanded His people to represent Him "to the very ends of the earth."

From my perspective, the Central African Republic will probably feel like the "very ends of the earth."


At the same time, I wonder how our friends in Africa view the United States.  To them, our country represents the "very ends of the earth." 

Connected with GBIM for this Trip...

In late May, our church Missions Team met to discuss a variety of ways to be involved in the Central African Republic over the next 3-5 years. 

After this meeting, I wanted to bounce our ideas off of some people "on the ground" - experienced missionaries connected with the C.A.R.  So I sent a sketch of our ideas to Dave Guiles, Executive Director of GBIM.  He gave me and our team several insightful responses - one of which rocked my world...

First, Dave shared his excitement and encouraged our work to this point.  Basically, "you guys are doing great and thinking ahead based on the needs in the C.A.R. that you sense God leading you to help with!"

Second, he encouraged me to think with similar openness, prayer, and planning about other parts of the world as well.  Obviously, God's Kingdom is moving all over the world, and our church would have the resources and opportunities to invest strategically in other places as well.  (Pray for wisdom and guidance and patience on that one - and I totally agree with Dave's thoughts there!)

Third, and finally, the dude rocked my world.

He said, "You should come with us to Africa in September."

Okay, actually, he wanted me to prayerfully consider it.  To talk it over with my wife, Jennie.  To think about how it might help our church's mission efforts.  To look over the schedule, the plans for the trip, and the team of pastors who were going. 

Yikes - the trip was less than four months away.  Does God really want to open this door for me to go to Africa?  To be engaged with other leaders here and serving brothers and sisters in Christ on the other side of the world? 

That was definitely a lot to pray about and consider! 

Fast Facts about the Central African Republic...

Population: 4,511,488  (note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
 

Background: The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Unrest in neighboring nations, Chad, Sudan, and the DRC, continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well.

Geography: Bigger than Ukraine, slightly smaller than France (622,984 sq km).

Average Life Expectancy: 44 years.   One of the 10 lowest in the world.  In the USA, our average life expectancy is 78 years. 

Television: Only one TV station in the entire C.A.R. 

If you'd like to find out more, here's a link to the CIA Factbook on the Central African Republic.  Nothing like a little research from the CIA when you're headed overseas, right?  =)

Our partner church... SAKPA!

Through Project Hope and Charite, our church (Delaware Grace) is going to team up with a church on location in the Central African Republic to start a school for orphans.

Our partner church is called SAKPA Church.

At right is a picture of Pastor Tizokoe, whom I plan to meet at the end of this month.  The church is in a village just outside Bangui, the capital city of the Central African Republic.

This week, people at our church will be invited to give financially to this new partnership.  The overall cost of running an orphan school for an entire school year is $4,000.  Each family in our church will be invited to give at least $19 to this opportunity.  $19 sponsors the school (food, teacher, curriculum, supplies) for a day.  Your family can sponsor an entire orphan school for a day for just $19!   Of course, many will be inspired to sponsor more than one day's worth, but it is really nice to be able to measure our family's contribution that way.

Our trip to Africa will provide many opportunities to meet with and learn from African pastors and leaders.  I am one of several pastors heading to Africa very eager to meet people from our partner church!

This just in... Pastor Gary is headed to Africa!

In two weeks, I am headed to Africa for a very unique world-missions opportunity.

I've started this blog - "Underwood in Africa" - as a way of keeping a journal of the highs and lows and lessons along the way.  I also hope that some of you will read along throughout the prep and travel and encounters - and pray for me!

I will join with seven other pastors, two missionaries, and two directors of missions for a seven-day trip to the Central African Republic.

On this map (left), the Central African Republic is right below Chad, in the very middle of Africa.


For the past three years or so, various people connected with our church have gotten involved in ministry opportunities and developed friendships within the C.A.R. 

Hunter Frey (a young boy at our church) and his mother, Robin, have taken up the cause of helping orphans in this poverty-stricken country.  In conjunction with a tremendous organization called ICDI, the Freys have helped raise awareness, financial support, gifts for children, and clean water opportunities for children and families in the C.A.R.

Bob Belohlavek, a former assistant pastor at our church, is on staff with ICDI now in the C.A.R.

Miriam Pacheco, the mother of our youth pastor (Dave Pacheco), has been to the C.A.R. numerous times with a terrific partnership ministry called Project Hope and Charite'.  Miriam Pacheco and Barb Wooler visited our church in May, and our church now enters a partnership with a church in C.A.R. thanks to their ministry.

I could go on and on about the 'unique' connections God has brought together here - connections between our church and the Central African Republic.  Our own Dave and Ruth Ann Martin now serve with Project Timothy, where people can sponsor African pastors-in-training.  Dave Guiles, a missionary we have supported for decades, is now the director of Grace Brethren International Missions.

Speaking of Dave Guiles, he's the one who invited me along on this trip to Africa.  As the trip approaches, I plan to write a blog every day (or less) to give more background and share details about the upcoming trip!