What is the least evangelised country in the world? Africa, Asia, South America, the lands of the 10/40 window? The countries of the former Soviet Union? True, these are all poorly reached countries, but let me put forward another destination.
A continent barren not only spiritually, but also physically: Antarctica. 26 countries contribute towards a summer population of 10,000 in small bases on the world's most remote continent and yet in all but a few cases, such as at the American bases where chaplains are included on the staff, God's representation is conspicuous only by its absence.
I have spent two summer seasons working as a scientist at an Antarctic research station for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). A season's work involves four months away from the UK between November and March. Only half of that time is spent carrying out work and the rest of the time is spent in transit; from England to the Falklands by aeroplane, and then from there to the frozen continent by ship. That time is shared with approximately 50 others, some of whom are known from working at BAS headquarters in Cambridge, but the majority are complete strangers from professional and social classes that are seldom encountered in the closed life of academia at home. A small number of people spend a two year period in the Antarctic, including winters when there are three months of darkness. Each year BAS sends nearly 300 such scientists, support staff and ships crews down to the Antarctic and yet I have only heard of one other Christian apart from myself making the journey.
