In the summer of 1951, Billy and Doris Davis got on a ship in NY City with three young children and headed for Brussels, Belgium. That year would be a one year crash course in French, all in preparation for missionary work in Africa. Their baby girl was my wife Sue (see picture).
There are many stories worth telling from those years in the old Belgian Congo, especially since 1960-1964 was a period of civil war, especially in the southern Katanga region where Sue grew up. In 1960, the Davis family evacuated their mission compound when Communist influenced rebels got too close for comfort. Her father Billy stayed behind in a dangerous situation while Sue's mom piled four young kids into a United Nations rescue plane and headed for Salisbury (now Harare) in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
Meanwhile, in Salisbury, a young English mother of six named Angela Barberton was part of the Christian community there who took these "refugee" missionaries into their homes. Hundreds of missionaries were cared for by people like Angela as post-colonial Africa was chaos for every person in those wild 60's.
Now, fast forward 55 years to Scotland ... it is indeed a small world.
In 2018, Sue and I went to Brora in the north of Scotland for six weeks, fulfilling a life-long dream for our retirement summers. Brora could not possibly be any further away from Zimbabwe or the Belgian Congo, either geographically or culturally. Sue was walking near our apartment with a friend when they noticed a most unusual and beautiful garden, full of every imaginable flower. They stopped to chat with the elderly lady tending her garden and thus began a friendship that proves how small the world can be.
New friends - Barbara, Sue, Angela, Thelma
That lady had a wonderful southern Africa accent. Her name was Angela Barberton. Their routine opening conversation was something like this -
"Where are you from?", asked Angela.
"Kentucky, but I grew up in Africa", said Sue.
"Oh, my, where in Africa?"
"The Belgian Congo. We went to school in Zambia."
"Oh my, we spent most of our life all over southern Africa, including Salisbury in Southern Rhodesia."
They quickly calculated that Angela was living in Salisbury in 1960 and recalled her days of taking in 'refugee' missionaries. She didn't remember the Davis family specifically, nor did Sue remember the Barbertons (she was about nine years old when all this happened) - but they quickly calculated that they were in the same city on the same days surviving the same tragic circumstances in 1960.
Now, 58 years later, tears flowed from Sue and Angela as they recalled those terrible days.
That 2018 encounter in the Brora garden has led to a deep friendship full of stories of life in Africa in the 1960's, a common love for the northern regions of Scotland, and the goodness of God for 50-plus years.
Our first stop every summer when we return to Brora is always the Barberton household, where Angela lives with her two daughters Thelma and Felicity.
This summer was melancholy as we were told that Felicity, the youngest daughter, is fighting cancer. This dear saint is dying with a rare cancer that seems to be taking her to heaven. She is smiling through the pain, knowing she is on her way to a wonderful place with a wonderful Savior, but still, the sadness covers the Barberton garden like the dew. Our visit with dear Felicity felt like a good-bye until we meet someday in our heavenly home.
Interesting how one stop in a garden can change everything. Jesus loved gardens. Indeed, life started in a garden, He prayed in a garden, He was buried and raised in a Garden tomb. Now, His presence in the Barberton garden in Brora is quite real, bringing peace to an otherwise sad situation. God's garden in Brora is doing just fine.
On July 3 this year, I spoke at the Fisherman's Hall about God and His garden. You can listen to the message below.