Category: Blog
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Turning Down the Queen’s Invitation
Back in 2017, I received an invitation from the Queen to join her at Buckingham Palace. I turned her down. Why? Because I’d already heard her on the radio. I’d read her written messages. I’d seen her on TV plenty of times. That was enough for me. Seriously? Of course not! Lizzie and I went…
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Inspired as Ever!
Ben Kwashi is one of my heroes, so I was thrilled to get to interview him today. You can hear it here. A little on him: Benjamin Kwashi is the archbishop they just couldn’t kill. Three times, the terrorists tried. Each time, they failed to take his life, crush his faith or dampen his joy.…
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Burundi Bread and Butter Needed Now!
Great Lakes Outreach is a lean machine, I’m proud to say. And we use donated money carefully, accountably, and strategically. Today is the culmination of 6 months’ intensive work, and is the launch of our spanking new website. You might think we commissioned a marketing agency for £20k, but no, it was all done in-house, so…
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Nuts for Life!
Guys, I love hearing great stories, so here are the three most recent podcasts – so good! We’ve just launched this today: Alli ‘Mbabazi’ Blair is nuts (in a good way)! What compels a 67-year-old a few months ago to pack all her earthly belongings in two 23kg bags and move to the jungle in…
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From Beggars to Entrepreneurs in Burundi!
This is a guest blog by my Norwegian friend Arne. It’s something we’re looking to get involved in. It is so strategic, so empowering, so beautiful. This short film (under 4mins) explains the concept: Over to Arne: Hello folks! Why do we think that the solutions for those who are poor in Africa are different…
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You did it and they’ve got it now!
Do give yourself 57 secs of joy by watching this! This is just the briefest of messages feeding back on your beautiful response to our Christmas appeal to provide health cards to several thousand desperately needy folks. £2.50/$3 was what it cost to provide them and their immediate families three years of access to medical…
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The Satisfying Death of CIP… or the RIP of CIP!
Last Friday in Bujumbura, CIP was shut down, wound up, put to bed. Let me explain why that is probably GLO’s greatest satisfaction to date in our involvement in Burundi: In April 2015, a political (and therefore national) crisis came to a head as the sitting President announced he would indeed stand for a third…
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Celebrating a Short Life Well-Lived…
On this day last year, my dear friend Caleb Meakins graduated to glory after days battling to overcome injuries sustained in a car crash in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His death left many of us reeling, because he had so much love, energy and passion to give, and it all felt so wrong. To understand Caleb, you…
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Building Now to the Glory of God!
I’m seriously excited, because this last week has been almost 12 years in the making. Check out this 1-minute clip with photos… But honestly, there were times when I doubted we would we ever get to this point. Let me explain: We helped Scripture Union launch the King’s Conference Centre in 2009 (See this video). It’s a sustainable success story and…
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Declared Dead but now About to Give Birth!
Providence died in 2012, but will be giving birth this coming Monday… Say that again? On 13th September 2012, Provi plunged over a cliff at Butomangwa with her three RTNB colleagues (Burundi’s national Radio/TV) after a day’s news-reporting on a UNICEF project. All four were declared dead on the spot. Their bodies were taken to…
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Encourage One Another!
Lizzie and I are doing the Navigators’ Topical Memory System scripture memorisation thingy (check it out here) with a few friends, which involves learning two new verses each week. This week’s ones included Hebrews 10:25, which speaks of ‘encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.’ Mark Twain said:…
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Why I’m no longer a Christian… Part 2
This blog will only make sense if you’ve read the last one, please do so… Done? OK, I’ll carry on. I felt the need to write a follow-up to the last blog because a number of highly intelligent and spiritual people, whom I respect deeply, responded unfavourably to it, expressing disappointment and loving concern for me.…
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Why I’m no longer a Christian…
It might surprise some of you when I say that I stopped being a Christian about ten years ago. Last week’s picture of the world’s most powerful man holding up a Bible for what was in my view a questionable photo-opportunity polarized many, and prompted much discussion and outrage. It certainly got me thinking, and…
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Trophy of Grace!
Another story of the impossible in Burundi – from street kid to being a national sporting hero and using his gifts to promote reconciliation and forgiveness, this is a beautiful testimony of hope…
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Nuts to be Normal
Should this become a book? That is the question I’m wrestling with. Maybe your honest feedback will help me make my decision. During our year of travel, I started with writing a book as my intention, and below is what I’d begun with. But then a few months in, a few key folks said I…