You've visited southern Africa previously on shorter trips. What motivated you to come for an extended stay?

 The seed for devoting our first year of joint retirement to live and serve in Africa was first planted when we visited Kenya in 2005. We made several more trips to East Africa in the years that followed, fell in love with the people, and saw many needs and opportunities to encourage both individuals and the churches. In 2014, we moved from Charlotte, NC to Columbia, SC. We were immediately inspired by the Columbia church's support of the southern Africa churches and the newly established Africa Missions Association. We travelled with Paul and Candy Ramsey in 2015, and visited several churches on a whirlwind trip to five congregations in southern Africa in less than three weeks. We returned with a larger group from Columbia in 2017, spent a week with the HOPE Compassion tour in Johannesburg, and then split into smaller groups, and each group spent about 10 days with one of the southern Africa churches. We became convinced that even longer stays would allow for developing deeper relationships and serving in a more effective way. 

We've had the privilege of spending six to eight weeks each in the Central and Soweto regions of the Johannesburg church, as well as the churches in Gaborone, Botswana and Lusaka, Zambia.  We've especially loved our short visits to some of the small house churches in southern Africa: the house church that meets in Palapye, Botswana; the couple that serves God in Tsabong, Botswana; the few dozen disciples that worship in Monze and Livingstone, Zambia.  Our plans before returning to the US are to make short visits to Harare, Zimbabwe and Durban, South Africa and spend six weeks in Windhoek, Namibia.

What has impacted you the most, either on a church or individual basis?

Each stop has provided a unique experience and opportunity to form new relationships and learn more about how God is working in His kingdom. Our focus in each church has been helping to build strong, spiritual families. It has been so encouraging to see the humility to learn and change in order to be better parents, build stronger families, and bring glory to God. The small group parenting discussions have been most rewarding.

I (Beth) have been most-touched by spending time with individual disciples and hearing their stories of faith, perseverance, sacrifice, gratitude, and love.  I have been reminded over and over again that one of our greatest needs as humans – no matter where we are from – is to feel loved, believed in, heard, and valued.

What is your encouragement to other disciples around the world, to visit other churches elsewhere (and specifically, Africa)?

We believe there are many mature couples, whether or not they are currently serving in leadership roles that have much to give to other churches in Africa. Many US disciples have heard lessons from great evangelists and teachers over the years, and what they have learned and experienced would be of great value to churches that have not had access to those resources. Others have had careers in business, education, health care, or social services. Those experiences could benefit church administration, benevolent programs, and strengthen individual disciples in other countries. Senior ministry staff, nearing or in retirement, and those currently serving as elders, would have specific experiences that would benefit less-experienced ministry staff and those aspiring to leadership roles, including the eldership. Also, for American disciples willing to spend a month or more with a church in Africa, it is life-changing. Our experience has required us to deepen our convictions and rely on God in new, deeper, and daily ways.   

The southern African churches of Christ are very grateful that the Radcliffs are sharing their hearts and lives with us.