Out of Africa... Paul's time in Africa was in Muwanza (Tanzania) helping as a handy man on a base called ‘Living Waters’ which had a small school, it also helped with the re-housing of street kids. He also spent a lot of time at a children’s home where many had HIV/AIDS and he worked with the street kids that lived in the local town’s back streets.
Paul felt that he did not have much to offer, but what little he could do with Balloon modelling and playing the guitar etc brought such joy to them! He was able to bring them comfort at a time of great despair and poverty. Working and living alongside the locals opened his eyes and his heart in a real big way and was also very challenging.
Paul could certainly relate to his work there because his own childhood was troubled. He had also lived on the streets and experienced abuse, yet in comparison his life appeared so much easier to him than those of the people he met in Africa.
The hardest place for Paul to be was the AIDS orphanage, seeing such young lives ending so soon he could only hold them and try to give them peace. Interestingly, the older children he saw there played and laughed, they were just so happy to have folk around to be with them. On one occasion Paul was taking a short cut through the slums when he saw a young boy waving a bush around and crying. On closer investigation he saw that he was trying to push a snake away from him.
In Africa Paul carried a knife, without thinking he ran over, jumped on the snake and killed it. He then continued on his way, walking off down the hill. When he got to the bottom of the hill where he was staying he passed out (he's not sure how long for). After Paul 'came round' he managed to get back to where he lived, the security guard there saw him and ran to get his boss. The guard and Paul's boss put him into a Land Rover and took him to the local doctors, where he passed out again.
Paul was told that he had actually ‘died’ on three separate occasions, whilst being taken to three different hospitals. He ended up in a coma. To this day Doctors are astonished that he survived (they do not know how). Paul had been bitten by a Black Mamba (one of Africa's most feared venomous snakes) - It took quite some time for him to recover.
After this Paul was given the African name ‘Magungul’ which means ‘white man with an African heart’. On one occasion he was invited to a hotel for a meal and drinks, later he was taken to a room where he was shown eight girls and was told that he could have any one he wished. Paul naturally refused and they spoke for some time about why he believed it was wrong. A week or so later he found out that the room where this practice normally took place was closed and other jobs were found for the girls.
This is where the first seeds where sown for the area of work Paul has now entered into and continues to do so worldwide. For the immediate future most
most of Paul's time will be spent in Thailand. God in his grace and mercy has helped Paul turn so much of his own past around. The result of which is that he is now able to help others to find the same hope and future in practical ways.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Click the play button to watch a short clip of the African children Paul worked with.
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