ICOC EASTERN AFRICAN CHURCHES

FIFA TRIP
Posted 26 DECEMBER2009

Reported by Gilbert Wandera

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance," Psalm 16:6
As the year comes to an end, I cant help but share what God has done in my life in the last one month.

I particularly want to thank God for using our leaders to share with us great insights from the bible that has transformed my life in a great way.
Three months later I still remember vividly the profound lessons we learnt from the book of Psalms and Proverbs as shared to us by our dear brother and personal friend Jarret Odwallo.

Psalm 16:6 was one of our memory scriptures in one of the classes he taught us and I am excited to share that this has been true in my life this past one month.

I am a sports journalist working for one of the leading newspapers in the region and three weeks ago I got a very rare opportunity to accompany the Fifa World Cup trophy on its tour in East Africa and ending in Cape Town South Africa .

For those who love football, you must be aware that the World Cup trophy is a rare and priceless object. Actually no price can be put on it if you consider its intrinsic value.

In all the countries it toured in Africa only the Presidents were allowed to touch it! The rest of the people could just see it from a distance.

The most exciting thing for me is that initially I was not even supposed to be on this trip.

What happened is that one of my bosses had been slotted to go but somehow he got caught up with work and could not make it and he chose me to go instead!

The first stop with the trophy tour was in Tanzania which is about one hour flight from Nairobi where I live.

Being in the tour party I enjoyed an amazing reception only accorded to heads of states. I could not believe my eyes that traffic was stopped on either side of the road as our entourage cruised through uninterrupted.

It just reminded me why many leaders struggle to get out of power.
Here I was enjoying one of the trappings of power first hand! Praise God !

It also humbled me to be accorded unfettered access to the airport where I was allowed to go anywhere even on the tarmac where planes are parked.

This is considered a high security area on any normal day and one needs special passes to get here.

After spending a night in the Tanzanian capital (of-course everything was five star),
we flew to the beautiful island of Zanzibar just 15 minutes away.

The most exciting thing about this trip is that I had an opportunity to fly in the presidents own jet! Initially Zanzibar was not part of the trophy tour but Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete asked the organisers to include it and offered one of his personal planes to transport the crew across the Indian Ocean .

You should have seen us as we fought to seat where the President normally seats while on this plane!

On our way back to the mainland, I finally got an opportunity to fly in the same jet that carries the World Cup trophy and the experience was memorable.

Of course you do not even get to know where the trophy is kept and security is tight inside the cabin. While aboard I got an opportunity to take some priceless pictures which I will show my grandchildren.

I was one of the very few journalists not more than three in the whole continent who got an opportunity to board the trophy jet.

Back home, I began praying that I will get the opportunity to go for the last leg of the tour which coincided with the World Cup draw in Cape Town .

A few days later, God answered my prayer and I was profoundly astonished! I had only a few hours to get a visa to South Africa since my previous one had expired.

My trip was scheduled for a Tuesday so Monday morning found me at the Embassy anxious to put in my visa request. The man at the Visa Encounter was not very friendly at first and he told me to my face that I wouldn’t get a visa to leave the following day.

Almost in despair, I continued praying for God to come through for me and I talked to some of my contacts to see whether they could help me.

The Embassy normally closes at noon but at 2p.m I was back there having got through to a senior employee.

The same person who had turned me away just in the morning gave me my visa in thirty minutes flat!

Being in Cape Town was a thrilling experience. I couldn’t believe sharing the same platform with some of the world’s top sports celebrities and political leaders.

Seeing David Beckham face to face was particularly humbling. I consider him to be one of the greatest sportsmen in the World and here I was with him in the same room.

Like the patriarch David I can only say that ‘Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever,’ Psalm 23 : 6.

My lessons: Let us not give up on God, no matter where we are in our career or life. At the right time he will come through for us.
Secondly, we are far more important before the eyes of God than we can ever ever imagine.