For 32 years Livingstone traveled 29,000 miles in Africa, mapped out large regions which previously had been blank, and discovered famous geographical features. He was the first European to see the Victoria falls and the first European to cross the entire width of Southern Africa.
He never lost sight of his primary goal - Christian missions and trade to be established in Africa.
Pushing deeper into the continent, Livingstone completely lost contact with the outside world for six years and was ill for most of the last four years of his life (wikipedia.com).
It was on this day in 1871 that Stanley found Livingstone in present-day Tanzania. For four months, Stanley tried to convince Livingstone to return to England, but to no avail. His body was very weak, but his heart was already set to where he could glimpse the smoke of a thousand villages, where no missionary had ever been.
Six months after the famous meeting, Livingstone's men found him in the bed kneeling, his face in his hands; he died praying.
His last written words by letter were: All I can say in my solitude is, may Heaven's rich blessing come down on every one, American, English, Turk - who will help heal this open sore of the world.
His body was sent back to England, but the tribe buried his heart near the spot where he died. They put a note on his body saying, "You can have his body, but his heart belongs in Africa!" (biographyonline.net).
Matthew 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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