Finding Family Across Africa

Seated at a table are a West African, a Chadian, and a German, playing Memory. The cards feature Swiss motifs such as the Matterhorn, the Federal Palace, or a post bus. Where language fails them, the three players communicate with gestures and body language. There is much laughter. What are they doing here? They are waiting for the other participants of the first ACP Sub-Saharan Africa Conference.

From all corners of the globe

African patience is required upon entry. The Ethiopian border authorities are very thorough, so it takes a while for all 28 guests to arrive at the retreat center near the capital, Addis Ababa. They come from Mali, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, South Sudan, Sudan, and Chad, as well as from Germany, Italy, Austria, Greece, and Switzerland.

At first glance, the guests have little in common. What connects them: ACP. They are key figures from our African project countries and their European project partners. Most of the Africans present, who do the hard work on the ground year after year, do not know each other. Yet they often face similar challenges: increasing Islamization, migration, economic difficulties, unemployment, and the lack of prospects for the younger generation. “So why not bring them together so they can exchange ideas and learn from one another?” asks ACP project manager Sebastian Friedrich.

Taking a Breath and Exchanging Ideas

The atmosphere at the get-together on the first evening is somewhat tense. People are strangers to one another, and it is not yet clear to everyone what the coming days will bring. The organizers have created a framework that combines keynotes, best-practice examples, worship, and personal exchange. At the same time, there should be time to take a breath. Many participants come from difficult contexts: persecution, war, the threat of takeover by jihadist groups, refugee flows, and political tensions shape their daily lives.

This makes the peaceful setting all the more important. The property by the volcanic lake feels like a little paradise: colorful plants, exotic birds, small secluded spots, and benches that invite conversation with God or the person sitting next to you. The guesthouse offers space for both privacy and community. Relationships and trust grow over the coming days.

Community is formed

On the first day of the conference, ACP project manager Martin Niklaus challenges his audience and sends them off in pairs. They are to reflect on their mission and the vision that drives them. The intense exchange causes most of them to even forget about lunch.

Another goal of the gathering is to present ideas and solutions from other project countries to the African partners. From Mali, we hear best-practice examples of a school being self-financed through an agricultural project and the construction of a community for persecuted Christians in the south of the country. Burundi presents a microcredit system that helps Christians become economically self-sufficient. During the coffee breaks, the conversations intensify; contact information is exchanged, and initial plans for mutual visits are made.

Just a phone call away

A highlight is the presentations by our guest speaker, Yassir Eric. A native of Sudan and bishop for Muslim Background Believers (Christians with a Muslim background), he provides those present with captivating insights into Islamic thought.

Yassir explains how our partners can better understand Muslims, engage with them, and effectively share the Gospel.

Spontaneously, an intercultural evening emerges before departure: The Africans take turns singing and dancing in their native languages. An incredibly moving moment. By now, all reservations and any sense of distance have fallen away. The next day, it is not colleagues but friends who say goodbye. “I have found a spiritual home here,” says one participant. These leaders often find themselves in isolated posts. Now they know that there are others with whom they can feel connected and who are just a phone call away. “The conference was a success,” says Sebastian Friedrich happily. “But actually, it was a family reunion.”