Traveller, Tour Guide & Friend of Bethlehem
Because of his many links with thousands of people world-wide, David has been privileged to travel widely. These have not been holiday trips to tourist resorts (although he has been to a few of those!), but missionary trips to places which tourists never reach. For David, the whole world has been his congregation, and he has held the view that Christians should consider that all ethnic groups are loved equally by God. Often, when staying in a remote village, he has been the only white-skinned person for hundreds of miles, and never felt under threat or in danger. Some of his brightest memories are of conversations with people who live in primitive homes, without any modern facilities.
Because of his many trips overseas, and as a result of his wide reading, David makes an excellent tour guide. Within Britain, he has led tours to many historical sites, and fascinated those accompanying him by his attention to detail. In a talk about what has happened in a particular place, David will intersperse so many little references about all kinds of things, that hearers are often left overwhelmed.
David holds the view that Bethlehem is really special, and so there is nothing that he loves more than walking through Bethlehem’s streets, talking to everyone he meets. He especially loves the view of Bethlehem from the Shepherd’s Fields (see below), in which he has spent many happy hours. For this reason, David was devastated when Bethlehem was surrounded by tanks and soldiers at the end of September 2000, leaving the inhabitants cut off from their employment, schools, colleges, relatives, and shops. Because of this, David has made sacrificial efforts in order to raise money, for the distressed Christians living in the Bethlehem area, ever since the siege began. He distributes a little newsletter about this tragedy, which can be obtained from him direct.
