Greetings From Africa

We arrived in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning around seven, having been in route from Florida since Sunday evening. Melanie and I were both exhausted and felt slightly sick from the jetlag. Thankfully, today I feel normal for the first time since arriving in Africa.

On Wednesday morning, I spoke to the staff at Trans World Radio in Johannesburg, then recorded a pilot program for a plan we are discussing together which would be translated into French and broadcast across Africa. I’ll give you more details on that possibility as things unfold. Please pray with me about it because this opportunity could open the door to reach literally millions with the grace walk message.

Yesterday we drove five hours to Swaziland, where we will be until Monday. This morning (Friday) I speak to a Pastor’s Conference here in the city of Manzini and will preach in a local church on Sunday. I will also be on the radio today through Voice Of The Church, a ministry started by Trans World Radio years ago.
As we arrived in Swaziland yesterday, one of the first things I saw was a newspaper box with the headline on the paper, “Life Expectancy 30 by 2010.” In a country of 1.2 million people, 20,000 die every year from the AIDS virus. The hospitals are only equipped to handle 2000 per year, so the overwhelming majority suffer greatly as they die at home. In fact, once an AIDS patient approaches death, they are sent home to die in order to make room in the bed for someone who will be able to receive a measure of physical comfort as they progress toward their own death.

Our host here, Rev. Nelson Vilakati said that a little more than five years ago the life expectancy in Swaziland was over 60 years old. Today it is 32 and, as the headline said, in three years it will 30. He said the reason for this is because the problem was ignored early on due to the social stigma associated with HIV-AIDS. Consequently, the disease was allowed to spread like wildfire until now it is pandemic here. He said that, unless there is a miracle, the future of Swaziland looks bleak. He believes that apart from divine intervention, the nation may literally face ultimate extinction.

The Minister of Health for Swaziland recently said publically that the only hope for this country is “salvation by God.” Melanie and I already find our hearts being deeply stirred by what we are seeing and hearing. I have no doubt that the visit here will have a life-transforming effect on us. I already sense it happening.
Please pray that the ministry we do here will find supernatural response. I’ve never been anywhere in the world where I had such a sense that the message we share has such potential to make a difference in a nation. Check my blog here regularly. I’ll give updates as I am able. Thanks for praying!