Grandma's Letters from Africa
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We set out into the night with the Suba man in charge of the motor and rudder. The voyage would take an hour and a half so we settled in. The wind had died down, and we saw only an occasional flash of lightning in the distance. We puttered past a couple of little islands; they had no electricity so we didn’t actually see them, we only sensed large shadows beside us. We hadn’t traveled long when the motor sputtered. My heart sputtered, too. Oh, Lord, please don’t let us break down. We chugged on. Then it happened. The motor coughed—and died altogether. We sat there in the hushed blackness. No one said a word. Then the Suba man’s deep, rich voice split the darkness. He drew out each word slowly, “Eet eez a loooong sweem.” I caught my breath. Could he be serious? I don’t know how to “sweem!” I sat petrified in the stillness. Waves slapped against the side of the boat, but no one said anything. What could I say? What could I do? Swimming to the mainland was not only beyond my ability, it was beyond my comprehension. I struggled to calm myself. Then I devised a plan. If he were serious about swimming, I’d speak up. I’d suggest that we simply drift around in Lake Victoria until morning. When the rest of the world woke up, surely someone would rescue us. “But,” the Suba’s slow, velvety voice interrupted my thoughts, “you weel not sweem, because the lake eez fool of crock-o-diles!”
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About the Book
Linda Thomas expected that when she grew old, she'd be a quaint little grandma—the kind that sits in a rocking chair and knits blankets for new grandbabies. But God and her husband had other ideas: Africa! This is Linda's story of her first four years working in Africa as a missionary.
In this narrative, uniquely told through letters to her granddaughters, Linda shares how she stumbles into adventures most grandmas could not imagine—a hippo charges her, a Maasai elder spits at her, and a baboon poops in her breakfast. As she faithfully answers God’s calling—and its challenges—she recounts both hilarious and frightful incidents, joys and heartaches, answered prayers, and those God seemed to leave unanswered. While drinking tea from a pot cleaned with cow’s urine, suffering through an embarrassing breast exam, and narrowly escaping a carjacking by a murderer wielding an assault rifle, Linda falls in love with Africa, its people, and the work God presented her.
Grandma’s Letters from Africa is a chronicle of God’s heart, His delightful creativity, and His amazing power to help those in need.
About the Author
Linda K. Thomas served an eight-year assignment in Africa where she worked in journalism. She currently teaches memoir classes based on Deuteronomy 4:9, "Always remember what you've seen God do for you, and be sure to tell your children and grandchildren!" Linda and her husband live in Missouri.