God taught me many lessons while I lived in Mozambique. It is not easy to leave our comforts, and take the risky step of faith into something we are not familiar with. But as you will see in this book, God will be with you every step, and will use you to do things you never imagined. When you look back one day, you will see that following God was the best step you could have taken!

When we were children, Rachel and I traveled in dreams to worlds we'd seen only in words. We lived the passions of our printed heroes, especially those whose hearts were summoned and spent in Africa. With those true tales, God seeded a vision, planting us in vastly different fields where only He could be glorified for the harvest. This is His story and hers, told with the same compelling power that first stirred us. Honest about her humanity and earnest about the redeeming power of Jesus Christ, she compels you to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel what the summons of God means. Refreshing in her candor and humor, Rachel relates their family's journey from the couch to the culture of Zambia. She will engage you in experiences from the very funny "Tea Party with Aliens" to the agonizing funerals of pandemic death. Crack this book and it will draw you into the realities of another world and God's ability to effect change at home and abroad. I know. I've already been reading the book of Rachel's life for over fifty years, and I'm moved beyond words. Loving sister, Linda Mohler

For many Americans the mention of Africa immediately conjures up images of safaris, ferocious animals, strangely dressed "tribesmen," and impenetrable jungles. Although the occasional newspaper headline mentions authoritarian rule, corruption, genocide, devastating illnesses, or civil war in Africa, the collective American consciousness still carries strong mental images of Africa that are reflected in advertising, movies, amusement parks, cartoons, and many other corners of society. Few think to question these perceptions or how they came to be so deeply lodged in American minds. Mistaking Africa looks at the historical evolution of this mind-set and examines the role that popular media plays in its creation. The authors address the most prevalent myths and preconceptions and demonstrate how these prevent a true understanding of the enormously diverse peoples and cultures of Africa. Updated throughout, the fourth edition covers the entire continent (North and sub-Saharan Africa) and provides new analysis of topics such as social media and the Internet, the Ebola crisis, celebrity aid, and the Arab Spring. Mistaking Africa is an important book for African studies courses and for anyone interested in unraveling American misperceptions about the continent.

What is the church to make of the many new expressions of worship springing up across the nation and the world? A gathering of academic theologians, New Worshiping Community practitioners, and leaders from within Presbyterian councils met at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to start the conversation. New Worshiping Communities documents those discussions and provides theological and biblical foundations to the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The participants in this conversation have sought to put flesh on the bones of what a New Worshiping Community is, by defining it as: New Seeking to make and form new disciples of Jesus Christ Taking on varied forms of church for our changing culture Worshiping Gathered by the Spirit to meet Jesus Christ in Word and sacrament Sent by the Spirit to join Gods mission for the transformation of the world Community Practicing mutual care and accountability Developing sustainability in leadership and finances

Documents the experiences of African Americans in Saratoga Springs, New York, and Newport, Rhode Island - towns that provided a recurring season of expanded employment opportunities, enhanced social life, cosmopolitan experience, and, in a good year, enough money to last through the winter.

From one of Africa’s most influential and eloquent essayists, a posthumous collection that highlights his biting satire and subversive wisdom on topics from travel to cultural identity to sexuality “A fierce literary talent . . . [Wainaina] shines a light on his continent without cliché.”—The Guardian “Africa is the only continent you can love—take advantage of this. . . . Africa is to be pitied, worshipped, or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed.” Binyavanga Wainaina was a pioneering voice in African literature, an award-winning memoirist and essayist remembered as one of the greatest chroniclers of contemporary African life. This groundbreaking collection brings together, for the first time, Wainaina’s pioneering writing on the African continent, including many of his most critically acclaimed pieces, such as the viral satirical sensation “How to Write About Africa.” Working fearlessly across a range of topics—from politics to international aid, cultural heritage, and redefined sexuality—he describes the modern world with sensual, emotional, and psychological detail, giving us a full-color view of his home country and continent. These works present the portrait of a giant in African literature who left a tremendous legacy.