I’ve sometimes wondered about doing a book of the year feature for this blog. Last year Surprised by Hope would clearly have been my winner followed by The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time. This year, though we are only at the end of February, I reckon I may well have […]
Month: February 2009
Mission and Worship
John Piper’s words “missions exists because worship doesn’t” (from Let the Nations be Glad) have been an inspiration to many since they were written and have gained a quasi-sacred status among some Christians. It is surprising, but refreshing, then to see this concept challenged by a couple of Aussies: Someone once challenged us that in […]
By Bus from Bamenda
By Bus from Bamenda John Hamilton… no longer in Ndop, NW Cameroon He had pills. he had powders, he had little bottles of liquid – he had the cure for virtually every ailment possible among the seventy of us on the Amour Mezam Express bus from Bamenda to Yaounde! He grounded his spiel in a […]
God in the Small and the Mundane
Tim Chester has just posted a great little post on the spirituality of washing up. At first glance it sounds silly, but if we are serious about having Christ in all areas of lives, that must include when we are up to our elbows in soapy water: How do you know a legalist has done […]
Hopeful signs in Madagascar
There are encouraging signs that the political power struggle which has been going on in Madagascar over the last few weeks may be moving towards resolution: Madagascar’s president and his political rival have agreed to try to calm tensions that have seen about 100 people killed in the last month. It was the first meeting […]
We don’t know right from wrong
The British Government will soon be publishing a pamphlet giving advice to parents on how to talk about sex to their offspring. Stunningly, the pamphlet includes the words: Discussing your values with your teenagers will help them to form their own. Remember, though, that trying to convince them of what’s right and wrong may discourage […]
“I know that if I die today, I have this book. My language is written down – it is a legacy!” John Hamilton with the Ndop Cluster, NW Cameroon It was the final day of the eight day Pre-Reader Literacy Primer Workshop for eight of the ten Ndop languages in NW Cameroon. Using the template […]
Operation Clean Water in Ndop
Operation Clean Water in Ndop John Hamilton with the Ndop Cluster, NW Cameroon The Ndop Team certainly do not live in linguistic ivory towers. How could they when Cameroonians elsewhere apparently sum up the Ndop Plain in the words “No development or progress”! Water has been scarce this dry season and pumps are producing less […]
Ben has just interviewed a colleague from the US who spent three years studying in Africa. His insights are fascinating and well worth a read. How do you think your three years here will impact your future? Good huge question. I suspect my understanding of God and this world, of people and community, of the […]
Endangered Languages
The Guardian has a report on a UNESCO survey of endangered languages which makes interesting reading. “We as human beings should care about this in the same way as we should care about the loss of the world’s variety of plants and animals, its biodiversity,” said Christopher Moseley, editor-in-chief of the Atlas of the World’s […]