What in the World will we be doing in Zambia?

We first met Jerry and Jody Manwaring a number of years ago at our home church in Camden, New York. Little did we know then that we would one day be joining them in the field. (That is Jerry and Jody pictured behind several gals from our congregation).

It was on their most recent trip home and visit to our church when we were having lunch after the service that Jerry overheard me say to another aspiring missionary – “Carol and I submitted our names to World Hope several years ago to serve as photographers and journalists, but we never heard back from them.” Jerry jumped in on the conversation at that point and said, “Are you serious?” I could tell he was being serious, and in fear and trembling I said… “Yes.” (In hindsight, I wondered if my reply sounded more like a question than a statement.) Jerry then revealed one of his and Jody’s assignments while in the States was to search for a couple who might replace another retiring couple who had done photography and reporting for the church in Africa. A short time later, Jerry and Jody and Carol and I were sitting in our home with the sole purpose of exploring the possibility. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What will Carol and I be doing on this preliminary trip to Zambia?

A general description was provided by Jerry when we were introduced via correspondence to national church leadership. What follows is part of that message:

“Gary and Carol VanRiper recently received final release for ministry in Africa. As GP [Global Partners] Africa Area Correspondents the VanRipers will visit Wesleyan work around Africa gathering material to create articles, AV presentations, and the like to enlighten and inspire the North American Church… Gary and Carol will be under the direction of the GP Africa Area Office. They will be coming to Africa for short periods of time to visit targeted Wesleyan works then returning to North America where they will prepare promotional materials. The time they have to dedicate to Africa will be limited as Gary continues his responsibilities as Senior Pastor of the Camden Wesleyan Church.”

From the moment the word was released we were officially approved by Global Partners, the outpouring of warm welcomes via e-mails and the mobilization of what struck us to be a very special family within the Family of God working together to make sure we were smoothly transitioned, was at once amazing and humbling. We look forward to this adventure with this special team of authentic believers and with Him, discovering what those good works are which He has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Angels in the Basement

Maybe there was only one.

One day last week Carol tried to call me from the road. She was traveling with her brother south to take their parent’s car to the AutoTrain near Washington D.C. “You’re not going to believe what happened,” she said.

“Can I call you back?” I said. “You are not going to believe what just happened here.”

We finally reconnected an hour or so later and took turns relating our stories to one another and saying, “Whaaaat?”

Carol and her brother were in a 20 car pile-up on a highway slippery with black ice. She described a car that was spinning out of control and coming directly at them when at the last second it hit the edge of another car sending it careening like a pin ball off the road. Three hours later, the police let her drive off, both the car and its two passengers without a single scratch.

The same hour, I was walking home with the church mail and opened the door. My parents, who had decided to visit unannounced, were just inside, and as I opened the door it knocked my father, as upright and stout as a bowling pin, all the way down the cellar stairs (see photograph) where he landed on the cement floor below. I watched helplessly as he moved almost sideways in slow motion through the air. My mother screamed and I ran down the stairs to his side. Laying on his back, his head landed on a small bag of empty soda cans that acted like bubble wrap. Stunned and laying there, staring up at my poor mother, all he could say was, “I told you I wanted to stay home today!” He sat up and stood up and walked back up the stairs, completely unharmed. He is 86 years old.

We have more than 50 prayer partners praying now for our imminent trip to Africa. No one will ever convince me that the prayers of God’s people were not at work that day and that there were not angels on the highway and at least one in that basement during that same single hour. A different outcome in either one of those scenarios would have changed everything, and forever. Thank you for your prayers!

Gary.

Learning the Ropes

It seems most writers I know have blogs these days. Is it about self-indulgence? Is it to be helpful, that is, can I add anything of real value to potential readers here? Is it simply for the love of writing? 

Technically challenged, this is simply a test. If successfully launched - we'll see where this one leads.