The Reconciliation of All Things

I read this today and thought it was so revealing the special place forests have in God's creation!  Click the link to read, then watch the short video. 

Waking up with wood smoke in your nostrils. Everyone cooks with wood. Sand everywhere you walk. Some is so fine you don’t get very far as you step. No point in wearing shoes as sand finds its way into everything. Sounds of donkeys braying through the day and night. Stares of people because you’re the only white person they’ve seen in years. Feet that are stained filthy because of walking in sandals all day, taking them off at each person’s mat to sit for hours. Sun that is so hot it will sunburn you quickly, and air that is so dry in the dry season you don’t notice you are becoming dehydrated. Sun stroke for the unprepared. Multiple greetings are exchanged in the street as you walk by people. "Peace be upon you" I say. They respond with "And peace to you too". Other greetings continue back and forth, done without thought sometimes, but out of habit. Give eye contact and you need to greet usually. Don’t use left hand to greet. If unable to use right hand, use r...

I recently returned from a trip to central Africa, from a place that is groaning, longing for the reconciliation that the cross brings...the death and decay, the suffering is evident, and only the gospel will really have a lasting impact to bring true transformation to the people and the land. One of the challenges is that due to decades of drought and famine, many IDP's, or Internally Displaced People move to other parts of the country where they think they'll be better off--be it for work, or simply for growing crops to survive. This video shows a drive by view of one of these villages of IDP's that pop up outside established cities/towns.