Noble Exchange: A Return to Africa

I couldn’t sleep last night. I got out of bed, went into my home office and pulled out an old journal to read. The year was 1997. I was 19 years old and had just finished my freshman year of college. I was on a plane headed to Africa for a speaking tour I was a part of called “Journey of Love.” I had forgotten how miserably homesick I was on that 12-nation tour and laughed at my younger self counting the days till my return. I also had forgotten how frustrated I was that the pace of the trip was so fast I couldn’t spend more time getting to know the people and the culture.

The highlights of my trip were small, brief one-on-one encounters with the people … I noted their names so I could remember them in my prayers. Several pages noted a desire to return one day with more time to spend with the people. Well, you know how life takes over and some dreams or desires get pushed off to that far away place called “one day.”

But, as I looked at each page, each journal entry meticulously dated, it dawned on me. Last week, nearly 12 years to the day of my African voyage, Halogen sent a production team to tape one of our original series, “Noble Exchange: Africa.” This series was pitched to us by one of our own team members, Tamara Park, who expressed a longing to celebrate the beauty and cultures of people around the world and create a show about what the West can learn from them. First season: Africa. I loved it!

Though I am not there with them, I do feel a part of this trip and am amazed at how life works all things out somehow in its time; in this case, a trip that we can share with the world. I am so excited for the conversations, the experiences, the mysteries and beauties that they are discovering and soon will share with all of us in a Halogen original series, “Noble Exchange.”

Becky Henderson is the General Manager for Halogen.