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Central African Republic

1996

We landed in this war torn land at the airport in Bangui . Troops were everywhere. Local army men and police mixed with French paratroopers.

We had tried to land the day before but the fighting was too fierce around the airport. Today there was no firing so the plane landed!

We took a taxi to the hotel and then discovered that it was located just a few yards from the front lines of fighting. Troops were dug in all around the hotel and had positions even in the hotel! At the restaurant soldiers had their guns ready and even had hand grenades on their tables!

Day after day Denise and I carried the cross in different parts of the city. We could not tell where the lines were and simply walked with the cross and gave gospel material to everyone. No one stopped us but it was very dangerous, to say the least.

We had a powerful witness to the French troops. They were just young men at war in a far off land.

Fighting was all around us. We flew out of the city one morning and heard in the news that night that the hotel where we were staying was attacked and the airport was closed again.

I drove through the Central African Republic in 1974 in my Land Rover. I came in from the Cameroon and left by crossing the river at Bangui. It was peaceful at that time. I will never forget the millions of beautiful butterflies filling the air. I drove on a road the ruler had built in front of his palace which was the widest street in the world.

Now there was war and even worse poverty.

God bless and heal this land.

Pilgrim followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1