The Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly, Colin Sinclair, is touring Zambia nearly half a century after he first went to the African country as a Scripture Union (SU) worker. 

Sinclair is former SU Chair and has previously described his time with the charity as life-changing.

As a young man in the 1970s, he lived out of a car in Zambia for three years as he travelled all over the country speaking at schools, churches, hospitals, colleges and camps. 

Last month, he was reunited with Lucie Kasanga, who first attended one of his SU camps in Kitwe in 1974 when she was 19. 

She said: "It's incredible and so good to see Colin after so many years.

"He is a great human being who was so dedicated to his work.

"He travelled alone to places across Zambia in his car and we were so scared for him but he literally created a roadmap for all those who followed him."

Mr Sinclair, who is also minister of Palmerston Place Church in Edinburgh, met with representatives of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) and preached in front of 1,000 people at Holy Trunity Church in Lusaka on the first Sunday of Lent. 

He is spending the rest of his visit travelling around the country learning about the work being done by the UCZ, which has historic links to the Church of Scotland. 

"When I left Zambia in 1977 I always hoped that one day I would return so, for me, it's turning the clock back and I have come home," he said.

"It's a great thrill and lovely to come back with my wife Ruth and other members of the Church of Scotland.

"I have changed a lot since 1977 but so has Zambia. When I left it had a population of around five million people but there are now around four times that.

"During my visit I hope to see things that connect with my past and the changes and developments within the country and UCZ.

"We will also be looking at the impact of climate change on Zambia and her people."