Original Recipe

We arrived in South Africa after a 16 hour flight (with a stopover in Dakar, Senegal). The "we" so far includes myself, Rob Weingartner (Exec Director of the Presbyterian Outreach Foundation), and Tom Biery (a pastor from suburban Orlando). After going through customs, we found our driver for the Dove's Nest Guest House. The name makes it sound like a quiet romantic getaway, but it is in fact a little compound in a rough neighborhood near the airport, surrounded by a security fence. Unfortunately, our reservation at the Dove's Nest was no longer reserved, so we were shuttled to another facility: the One World Guest House, in a slightly less secure-feeling neighborhood. But the sign on the iron security gate said, "Accommodations fit for a king." Hmmm.
The hour was late, and the only remaining dinner possibility was taking a taxi to a nearby KFC. Not exactly what I had in mind for our first meal in Africa, but that's globalism for you. As we were eating our Original Recipe, we heard the faint sound of people singing African-sounding songs. It started in low and rose to a glorious crescendo. A small church was meeting in a ramshackle building next door. Through the window, under the fluorescent lights, I could see hands raised in worship, and an occasional colored head scarf, bobbing up and down on the tiptoes of praise.
The next morning we returned to the O R Tambo airport in Johannesburg. I hadn't noticed the night before what a beautiful modern facility it was. I noted it to Rob, who smiled and said, "When we land in Blantyre (in Malawi) you'll know we're in Africa.
Off to Blantyre...