It’s a beautiful and warm February evening in the middle of winter. The temperature is in the 70’s, a rare occurance even for a Georgia winter, and the sun is shining and pleasant. It’s a great night for a walk around the neighborhood. As I begin my walk down the familiar sidewalks on this most remarkable of winter days, I’m reminded of a similar February day twenty-four years ago. My son had just been born about a month earlier in January and I was taking him out for a walk on the first warm day. When you have a baby […]
Burundi is in central Africa between Rwanda and Tanzania.  It is one of the poorest nations with 70-80% living below the poverty line.  The country is highly in debt, and gained its independence from Belgium in 1962.  Christian workers were expelled by the volatile regime between 1970 and 1985, and few have returned.  However, there is a new development of Christian universities in the country, with the most notable being the Hope Africa University (Free Methodists) and University of Light (Anglican). Many of the children have lost parents, are undernourished, and suffer from malaria and AIDS.  Violence against children is […]
Bolivia is only one of two landlocked countries in the Americas.  It is on the southwest side of Brazil.  Once it was South America’s richest area, but corrupt governments and the fall of silver prices have made it one of the poorest.  They gained their independence from Spain in 1825 but have had 200 coups and revolutions since then.  Most of the economy is agriculture but about 70% illegally grow the coca plant used in cocaine. The church and the people are in crisis here.  Most are baptized Catholic but are practicing Christo-pagans or animists.  Christo-pagans combine Christian and witchcraft […]
Benin is wedged between Nigeria and Tongo in Africa.  One of the trends I am seeing in many of the smaller countries like Benin is that they have gained their independence within the last half of the 20th century.  Indeed the world dynamics are changing in many ways. Benin is split religiously between Christian, Muslim, and Ethnoreligionist.  Ethnoreligionists are various faiths that are usually confined to a specific ethnic group.  It encompasses ancestor-worship, polytheists, folk religionists, cults and tribal movements.  The birthplace of Voodoo is in Benin and each year they hold a Voodoo festival.  There is another dark side […]

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About the Author

Sue McCusker is a writer, Bible teacher, and web developer who loves to share the stories of life, hope, and faith she sees around her every day. She has written for Guideposts and Angels on Earth magazines, and teaches the story of God in women's Bible study.