On this date, March 14, 1841, David Livingstone who was an explorer and a missionary, arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. He was vital in making the public aware of the atrocity of the slave trade in Africa.
I recently read the excellent biography by Jay Milbrandt titled The Daring Heart of David Livingstone: Exile, African Slavery, and the Publicity Stunt that Saved Millions. Milbrandt is an excellent writer and I highly recommend it. In it he not only points out the accomplishments, but also the failures of Livingstone. One of his greatest failures to me, and I know that travel was so different back then, but he would leave his family to go exploring by himself for years at a time. God help me to be made aware of my weaknesses and faults so that I may conquer them with His help.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Livingstone
“God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours.”
“There is one safe and happy place, and that is in the will of God.”
“Sympathy is no substitute for action.”