It has been a Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) this year. It began with 3 days of meetings at the Shituru church plant. We met Sunday through Tuesday and the choir came from another church with their keyboard. Pastor Kabamba preached from Ezekiel. An interesting choice for Christmas but as he proclaimed dry bones would live the Holy Spirit came down and moved in power! The presence of God was so strong in our little bar we use as a church. People’s lives were touched as we cried out to God together for His will to be done in our lives.
I did a separate program outside with all of the children. Children is so not my area but the pastors said they were going to kick the kids out of the church because they would disturb the service so I felt I didn’t have a choice. I have identified some teenage girls who are great with the kids. Right now they are leading the children’s choir. I have ordered a curriculum for children in francophone Africa. Please pray that it arrives as mailing things to Africa is always a gamble. I think that with a curriculum those girls could do an awesome job of teaching the kids the word of God.
On Saturday we had a big Christmas part for the kids. It was quite the event. We had somewhere between 200 and 300 kids. The 70 orphans we have been working with plus the 50 other kids that come to our church showed up and so did every other kid in the area it seemed. We met on our land we bought to build the church which is a wonderful location with plenty of room for games. We began by explaining why we were celebrating and explained the story of Christmas. We sang and sang.
Afterwards we played games. We did three legged races, sac races, football matches, water games, jump roping, and some Congolese games I learned for the first time. The little kids colored pages from the Christmas story and we had a blast. I have been praying for some time that God would keep the rain from falling during our program. At 8 when I arrived the sky was gray with rain clouds and by 9 it had begun to sprinkle but God was faithful as He always is to answer our prayers and the sprinkling stopped and we had no rain until 5 after our program was over! It was a big miracle. After games we went to our church where the food had been prepared. We had bukari (in Zambia nsima basically thick grits or corn mush), fish, and beans, with popcorn, cookies, and candy. I thought some people might get trampled in the process though. Congolese people aren’t good at patience so they pushed and shoved to get to the front of the line. It was chaotic but we all survived.
I am so thankful for all the people who came together to help out. Mama Isa, our church administrator took over all the food. She assembled a team of women to cook the food, put her kids to work stuffing bags with candy. It was wonderful to not have to even think about that part of the party because I knew she had it totally under control. We had about 15 teenagers helping with the games and hauling water up the hill for our water games as well as doing crowd control during the eating time. Then the pastoral team was helping me with whatever I needed. I appreciate their patients with my poor Swahili as I attempted to explain the games and the concept of a rotation from game to game.
We also gave out noise makers which were a huge hit with the kids. In fact Sunday everywhere we went we heard kids blowing on them. I’m sure their parents love me. On Sunday countless children ran up to me and shook my hand saying “Da Sheri merci beacoup.” I couldn’t help but feel I was unjustly getting the thanks. So I pass it on to all of you now. Thank you for your support through prayers, encouragement, and financial contributions. A special thank you to the church who gave the money for the party.
I’ve recently found some other expatriates who live in this area of Congo. We got into a conversation about the street children and I passed on to them all of the information I had. They said they would like to do something for the kids for Christmas and I suggested buying shoes. We gave out 70 pairs of shoes to the street kids many who had previously been walking around barefooted. Every time I go into town they chase me down just to say thank you.
I also found out who the Samaritan Purse’s Operation Christmas Child representative is in this area and organized to get Christmas boxes for each of the almost 100 orphans Noah Ministries is working with as well as the over 200 street kids in Likasi. The boxes are being collected now in the US and will arrive here in March or April next year. I have worked with OCC in Zambia and know from experience how much joy it brings to children who would have otherwise received nothing for Christmas. It will be especially exciting here because I don’t think the street kids have any toys at all.
Hopefully on Wednesday I will go to Lubumbashi to spend Christmas with some other Americans. It’ll be great to have running water and internet for a few days. Speaking English is always a treat too. It’ll also be nice to go to our church their. One of my friends recently had a child I haven’t seen yet. If everything goes according to plan on the 28th I’ll go down to Zambia for a month. I’m looking forward to seeing old friends, working with the churches and orphans in Zambia, and of course speaking English and Tonga! Please pray for safe travel.
22 December 2009
10 December 2009
Buying a Motorcycle in Congo
When I was in America I was so blessed to receive the money to buy a motorcycle. Since August when I got back I’ve been doing my homework trying to find the best one. First I had to go to all of the government offices asking what I would need and how much everything would cost. Everything is a scam and corrupt in this country. The insurance government run program demands that you pay them but in the case of an accident wouldn’t give you a penny. In each office they wanted money before they would even tell me the price. Thankfully I pulled the missionary card and convinced them to tell me without a bribe. Then inevitable someone in the government office will ask me to marry them and that’s my queue to leave. One office I had the hardest time finding. It turns out that’s because it no longer exists. They changed buildings and then separated the division and then decided it was no longer necessary for motorcycles to have license plates.
The funny part about it all is most people in Congo never bother to get their government documents. The country is corrupt so there is a large police force whose sole occupation is blowing a whistle and then asking for money. So whether you have your documents of not they’ll demand you pay them money. I’m trying to do the right thing and follow what I can figure out about the system that supposedly exists but each step of the way I realize why so few others do.
Next I had to find places selling motorcycles. In Likasi there are maybe 100 tiny shops that may have one or 2 motorcycles for sale. It took days to go into each shop and discover who had what. Then I had to investigate the Chinese name brands to discover which ones were at least better than others. A lot of people have motorcycles around here so I would just ask them questions about theirs. They always thought it was hilarious and informed me that women can’t ride motorcycles.
Then it was time to haggle down the price. Some people see my white skin and jack up the price. They don’t think I need a discount because I am obviously a millionaire (and that’s why I live without running water because I have so much money). So some people get offended that you even ask them to change the price. Finally you find a reasonable person and I thought I had found my motorcycle. I went in to test it to be sure it worked then buy it. I had informed the shop keeper of my intentions a week before so everything would be ready. When I put some gas in to test it the gas spilt all over the floor. Definitely not going to work.
So I repeated the process time and time again one time the brakes weren’t connected properly and another time the battery was dead. My friends told me to buy in Lubumbashi. It’s hard to find the time to go there and then it is hassle because no one knows me there. Then if there is a problem with it I have to take it back. But I thought I was out of options so I planned to do it in January.
Then while walking through town one day I randomly saw a new one that must have just come to the tiny shop named Mattieu 6:33. The first day they wouldn’t negotiate the price. When I went back I haggled it down and tested it. To my amazement it actually worked. Then they even agreed to take it to a mechanic and pay the costs so I could be sure there were no problems. I went to each of the government offices where they asked for money and someone wanted to marry me, but left without adhering to either of their requests. They also all looked at me in total shock when I told them it was my motorcycle that I would be driving.
I keep trying to explain to these people that women are capable. This normally means don’t call women stupid and refers to the need to send your daughters to school as well as your sons but of course works for driving motorcycles too. The motorcycle may be bigger than I am but I am strong. I proved to a couple of my Congolese friends that I can lift the motorcycle if it happened to fall, I can push and maneuver it, and most importantly that I can (although barely) touch the ground while straddling it. They were amazed. And then I rode it which caused them to drop their jaws. Apparently they thought there is something so difficult about kicking gears up and down that women can’t do it. If only they could have seen me doing that on ATV’s when I was 6.
It was an experience buying a motorcycle in Congo. It’s such a blessing to have a means of transportation. There are so many ways I was limited before. Like I said on facebook I have a feeling my shoes are going to start lasting a lot longer.
The funny part about it all is most people in Congo never bother to get their government documents. The country is corrupt so there is a large police force whose sole occupation is blowing a whistle and then asking for money. So whether you have your documents of not they’ll demand you pay them money. I’m trying to do the right thing and follow what I can figure out about the system that supposedly exists but each step of the way I realize why so few others do.
Next I had to find places selling motorcycles. In Likasi there are maybe 100 tiny shops that may have one or 2 motorcycles for sale. It took days to go into each shop and discover who had what. Then I had to investigate the Chinese name brands to discover which ones were at least better than others. A lot of people have motorcycles around here so I would just ask them questions about theirs. They always thought it was hilarious and informed me that women can’t ride motorcycles.
Then it was time to haggle down the price. Some people see my white skin and jack up the price. They don’t think I need a discount because I am obviously a millionaire (and that’s why I live without running water because I have so much money). So some people get offended that you even ask them to change the price. Finally you find a reasonable person and I thought I had found my motorcycle. I went in to test it to be sure it worked then buy it. I had informed the shop keeper of my intentions a week before so everything would be ready. When I put some gas in to test it the gas spilt all over the floor. Definitely not going to work.
So I repeated the process time and time again one time the brakes weren’t connected properly and another time the battery was dead. My friends told me to buy in Lubumbashi. It’s hard to find the time to go there and then it is hassle because no one knows me there. Then if there is a problem with it I have to take it back. But I thought I was out of options so I planned to do it in January.
Then while walking through town one day I randomly saw a new one that must have just come to the tiny shop named Mattieu 6:33. The first day they wouldn’t negotiate the price. When I went back I haggled it down and tested it. To my amazement it actually worked. Then they even agreed to take it to a mechanic and pay the costs so I could be sure there were no problems. I went to each of the government offices where they asked for money and someone wanted to marry me, but left without adhering to either of their requests. They also all looked at me in total shock when I told them it was my motorcycle that I would be driving.
I keep trying to explain to these people that women are capable. This normally means don’t call women stupid and refers to the need to send your daughters to school as well as your sons but of course works for driving motorcycles too. The motorcycle may be bigger than I am but I am strong. I proved to a couple of my Congolese friends that I can lift the motorcycle if it happened to fall, I can push and maneuver it, and most importantly that I can (although barely) touch the ground while straddling it. They were amazed. And then I rode it which caused them to drop their jaws. Apparently they thought there is something so difficult about kicking gears up and down that women can’t do it. If only they could have seen me doing that on ATV’s when I was 6.
It was an experience buying a motorcycle in Congo. It’s such a blessing to have a means of transportation. There are so many ways I was limited before. Like I said on facebook I have a feeling my shoes are going to start lasting a lot longer.
24 November 2009
Preaching at a Baptist Church Conference
I was asked by the Pastor of the EPROBA (Eglise Protestante Baptiste, Protestant Baptist Church) in Shituru to please preach for a special conference at his church. I accepted not really knowing what I was getting myself into.
The first day I spoke at their women’s meeting from Acts chapter 2. I talked about how it is women’s job to preach the gospel to their children. That whenever women neglect this duty is sets up the next generation for failure. I talked about how what is happening now is we know all of our neighbors business and we gossip about it but God’s plan is for women to use their position at home (not one of the women I was talking to was employed) to encourage people through the word of God when they are going through difficulties. To pray for the sick and cast out demons. The same Holy Spirit that gives the power to men to do those things is also given to women.
People haven’t stopped talking about the message since then. Everybody got excited and the women felt empowered to be ministers of the Gospel and the men have been almost more excited about it than the women. I heard one of the elders talking to his wife telling her that he wants her to do more ministry in the church and outside of it. Even the pastor said we need more women like you in our churches it’s not right for only the men to be preaching.
The rest of the meetings also went great. The church turned out to be really open to the move of the spirit. We had altar calls that were really powerful. Lots of people got healed. Many others wanted more of God in their lives and the power of the Holy Spirit. I was especially impressed by how many men came forward or even attended at all. They were at the altar crying out for God to use them and empower them to accomplish his will on earth at it is in heaven. The church even game me money for transport which was the first church to ever do that for me in Congo. They told me I had to come back again and thanked God for my ministry and the sacrifice I had made to come to Congo.
Who knew the Baptist church would be so great?
The first day I spoke at their women’s meeting from Acts chapter 2. I talked about how it is women’s job to preach the gospel to their children. That whenever women neglect this duty is sets up the next generation for failure. I talked about how what is happening now is we know all of our neighbors business and we gossip about it but God’s plan is for women to use their position at home (not one of the women I was talking to was employed) to encourage people through the word of God when they are going through difficulties. To pray for the sick and cast out demons. The same Holy Spirit that gives the power to men to do those things is also given to women.
People haven’t stopped talking about the message since then. Everybody got excited and the women felt empowered to be ministers of the Gospel and the men have been almost more excited about it than the women. I heard one of the elders talking to his wife telling her that he wants her to do more ministry in the church and outside of it. Even the pastor said we need more women like you in our churches it’s not right for only the men to be preaching.
The rest of the meetings also went great. The church turned out to be really open to the move of the spirit. We had altar calls that were really powerful. Lots of people got healed. Many others wanted more of God in their lives and the power of the Holy Spirit. I was especially impressed by how many men came forward or even attended at all. They were at the altar crying out for God to use them and empower them to accomplish his will on earth at it is in heaven. The church even game me money for transport which was the first church to ever do that for me in Congo. They told me I had to come back again and thanked God for my ministry and the sacrifice I had made to come to Congo.
Who knew the Baptist church would be so great?
20 November 2009
Christian Education
I'm trying to get you all filled in since it has been so long. Too much good stuff to skip
It has come to my attention that Christian Education seems to be the area most ignored by Churches in Congo. I noticed it first with the kids. Kids seem to know so little about the Bible. Not even the children’s stories everyone seems to know something about. I noticed few people in Congo seem to own Bibles and even fewer still seem to read them. The church I am working with theoretically has a whole program for Christian education but unfortunately in reality does nothing. So I began to pray about what I could do and got some ideas.
First I teach at the church on Wednesday (the midweek service) and Thursdays (prayer day). I was asked to use Thursdays to teach on intercession. As God works things out supernaturally, the church I was attending in the US did a Wednesday night service on intercession using Dutch Sheets book Intercessory Prayer. So I spent the last 3 months going through the book with the Thursday group. It took a lot of work putting the main points of the book into French. It went awesome though. People were so excited about what they were learning and putting it into practice. Not only that but they were using the papers I had made up for them in French to teach their friends and neighbors the principles from the book! It was awesome and we started seeing God answer our prayers and more people being excited about praying.
I have been long suggesting and praying that the church would start a Bible study. There is so much preaching but no teaching. So I finally figured out I should just do it myself on Wednesdays. It is so much more difficult to teach in a foreign language. This is why I have been waiting for someone else to do it. But my language skills are improving so I figured I’d give it a try. Still in the mind set that surely people knew plenty about the Bible I decided to start in Galatians. We would go through it chapter by chapter talking not only about what salvation is which Paul beautifully and strongly describes but also talking about simple techniques for how to understand the Bible I had learned in college. I thought it would be great, but it was a disaster. I then got the idea to take a person and give them homework sheets to fill out. So I chose David and we have been going through different stories. I make up homework sheets in Swahili with questions about the story and they fill it out. Everyone has been doing it and thanking me for helping them get in a habit of reading the Bible and helping them understand it. We also talk about what God taught you through the passage and that has been my favorite part. It gives people a chance to participate, and helps them expect and allow the Holy Spirit to teach them something. It also demonstrates to them how they can be used as “preachers" (Rom 10) of the Word of God in every day life. It has been so effective that some people have requested me to be in charge of Christian education for the whole church. For right now I haven’t accepted but I will be making available what I am doing now to any other churches who are looking for a curriculum.
Finally I’ve been wanting to help the kids. I did research and finally found a curriculum online for kids in francophone Africa and ordered it. It won’t be here until January though (hopefully). So in the mean time I’ve been trying. I do a weekly program for the orphans in Shituru where we also provide food for them. It has been going well. I just started offering candy in exchange for the kids memorizing scripture. Hopefully that works out. I also started doing a monthly program in Toyota where we are sponsoring kids through school. I am teaching them some Bible stories too. It is so little but has really made a difference. I am looking forward to the arrival of the curriculum. I’m hoping to help churches and schools all over start Christian education programs.
It has come to my attention that Christian Education seems to be the area most ignored by Churches in Congo. I noticed it first with the kids. Kids seem to know so little about the Bible. Not even the children’s stories everyone seems to know something about. I noticed few people in Congo seem to own Bibles and even fewer still seem to read them. The church I am working with theoretically has a whole program for Christian education but unfortunately in reality does nothing. So I began to pray about what I could do and got some ideas.
First I teach at the church on Wednesday (the midweek service) and Thursdays (prayer day). I was asked to use Thursdays to teach on intercession. As God works things out supernaturally, the church I was attending in the US did a Wednesday night service on intercession using Dutch Sheets book Intercessory Prayer. So I spent the last 3 months going through the book with the Thursday group. It took a lot of work putting the main points of the book into French. It went awesome though. People were so excited about what they were learning and putting it into practice. Not only that but they were using the papers I had made up for them in French to teach their friends and neighbors the principles from the book! It was awesome and we started seeing God answer our prayers and more people being excited about praying.
I have been long suggesting and praying that the church would start a Bible study. There is so much preaching but no teaching. So I finally figured out I should just do it myself on Wednesdays. It is so much more difficult to teach in a foreign language. This is why I have been waiting for someone else to do it. But my language skills are improving so I figured I’d give it a try. Still in the mind set that surely people knew plenty about the Bible I decided to start in Galatians. We would go through it chapter by chapter talking not only about what salvation is which Paul beautifully and strongly describes but also talking about simple techniques for how to understand the Bible I had learned in college. I thought it would be great, but it was a disaster. I then got the idea to take a person and give them homework sheets to fill out. So I chose David and we have been going through different stories. I make up homework sheets in Swahili with questions about the story and they fill it out. Everyone has been doing it and thanking me for helping them get in a habit of reading the Bible and helping them understand it. We also talk about what God taught you through the passage and that has been my favorite part. It gives people a chance to participate, and helps them expect and allow the Holy Spirit to teach them something. It also demonstrates to them how they can be used as “preachers" (Rom 10) of the Word of God in every day life. It has been so effective that some people have requested me to be in charge of Christian education for the whole church. For right now I haven’t accepted but I will be making available what I am doing now to any other churches who are looking for a curriculum.
Finally I’ve been wanting to help the kids. I did research and finally found a curriculum online for kids in francophone Africa and ordered it. It won’t be here until January though (hopefully). So in the mean time I’ve been trying. I do a weekly program for the orphans in Shituru where we also provide food for them. It has been going well. I just started offering candy in exchange for the kids memorizing scripture. Hopefully that works out. I also started doing a monthly program in Toyota where we are sponsoring kids through school. I am teaching them some Bible stories too. It is so little but has really made a difference. I am looking forward to the arrival of the curriculum. I’m hoping to help churches and schools all over start Christian education programs.
18 November 2009
Street Kids
I hardly know where to start. I will try to recap.
Section 1: Street Kids
I have been touched by all the street kids around Likasi. I started inquiring about who is helping these kids. Maybe social welfare or some government program is available. Maybe a church is doing something to help them. Perhaps an NGO or non profit. Maybe just ordinary Congolese people are doing something. The story that really touched me was Francois a 12 year old boy with a peg leg. He was abandoned by his parents as a child because of his disability. He just wasn’t worth the effort. He has never been to school. He spends his days sitting under a Jacaranda tree about a kilometer from where he sleeps at the start of town. He mostly just sits there hoping someone will give him some food. I realized the kids go somewhere at night and finally tracked down where it was.
That’s when I met Mama Betty a Catholic sister who has been working with these kids for 17 years. Seventeen years ago she heard about a baby girl named Linda whose parents both died of cholera and she had no one to care for her. Mama Betty was heart broken and took her in. From there it has grown and now she helps 207 kids. She does everything a Congolese person can do. She has a field, the older kids are street venders, using an old bus for public transportation, but it isn’t enough. The kids go hungry and only about half of them are in school. So the kids go out to the streets to beg for food. Mama Betty had tears in her eyes as she showed me the rooms and explained they sleep 4 kids to a bed (no mattresses on the beds) and more are just on the floor. She can’t take in new kids but she does anyways because it is so heart breaking. Rainy season has started so what choice does she have. The kids walk around with worn out clothes and no shoes asking for a piece of bread or anything you can spare.
It is beyond overwhelming. There are just so many of them. Even at $10 a kid for 207 kids is $2070 far more than I have. I bought them a soccer ball and I’ve never seen the kids so happy. They played and played while other kids looked on jealously since I had bought them a nice ball and the other kids had to play with their homemade trash balls made from old plastic bags. Normally helping street kids is very difficult in Africa. A huge advantage here is many of these kids have been influenced or even raised by Mama Betty who has taught them Christian values. I want to help these kids. I am praying for the wisdom and means to do so. Please pray with me.
Section 2: Christian Education
I am out of time so this is to come.
Section 1: Street Kids
I have been touched by all the street kids around Likasi. I started inquiring about who is helping these kids. Maybe social welfare or some government program is available. Maybe a church is doing something to help them. Perhaps an NGO or non profit. Maybe just ordinary Congolese people are doing something. The story that really touched me was Francois a 12 year old boy with a peg leg. He was abandoned by his parents as a child because of his disability. He just wasn’t worth the effort. He has never been to school. He spends his days sitting under a Jacaranda tree about a kilometer from where he sleeps at the start of town. He mostly just sits there hoping someone will give him some food. I realized the kids go somewhere at night and finally tracked down where it was.
That’s when I met Mama Betty a Catholic sister who has been working with these kids for 17 years. Seventeen years ago she heard about a baby girl named Linda whose parents both died of cholera and she had no one to care for her. Mama Betty was heart broken and took her in. From there it has grown and now she helps 207 kids. She does everything a Congolese person can do. She has a field, the older kids are street venders, using an old bus for public transportation, but it isn’t enough. The kids go hungry and only about half of them are in school. So the kids go out to the streets to beg for food. Mama Betty had tears in her eyes as she showed me the rooms and explained they sleep 4 kids to a bed (no mattresses on the beds) and more are just on the floor. She can’t take in new kids but she does anyways because it is so heart breaking. Rainy season has started so what choice does she have. The kids walk around with worn out clothes and no shoes asking for a piece of bread or anything you can spare.
It is beyond overwhelming. There are just so many of them. Even at $10 a kid for 207 kids is $2070 far more than I have. I bought them a soccer ball and I’ve never seen the kids so happy. They played and played while other kids looked on jealously since I had bought them a nice ball and the other kids had to play with their homemade trash balls made from old plastic bags. Normally helping street kids is very difficult in Africa. A huge advantage here is many of these kids have been influenced or even raised by Mama Betty who has taught them Christian values. I want to help these kids. I am praying for the wisdom and means to do so. Please pray with me.
Section 2: Christian Education
I am out of time so this is to come.
28 October 2009
Testimonies
I guess it is time for some testimonies.
Papi is a man in his late thirties notorious for his drunkenness. He has such a bad reputation that he has never been able to find anyone willing to marry him. Somehow he found out about us and showed up at church one Sunday in Shituru. God just got a hold of him and he realized his life was messed up and he could change. He came again the next week and declared to us that he was giving up drinking and the Holy Spirit helped him and he hasn’t had a drink since that day! The next week he came he laid his whole life before Jesus and declared he wasn’t going to live for himself any more but would live for God. He said he hated his sins and was leaving them behind. He was just so passionate and serious. Everyone who knew him dropped their jaws. It isn’t just some emotional experience it has been over a month now and he is still following Jesus ready to serve in any capacity we ask him too!
I was walking around like I always do and we went to a new house I had never been too. Grace, a total stranger to me and my team, had requested that we show up so we did. She introduced us to her 2 daughters and then began to tell us her story. When she was in high school she met a boy who said he would marry her even though he refused to meet her parents or do anything formally that would imply such. As soon as she got pregnant he took off leaving her with a baby and stopping her chance at an education. To make matters worse her daughter has some sort of mental disorder. So a few years go by and she starts up an affair with a married man and gets pregnant again. He denies everything and refuses to take care of his daughter much less her and her other daughter. She looks at us with eyes filled with shame and says “I know I sinned and I need to repent.” So Pastor Kabamba asked her what she wanted from us. I was expecting her to say money for her kids but she looked at us and said “I heard that people who meet with you can change their lives and get a second chance. I heard people who meet with her get healed.” It is such a privilege to represent Jesus and to know that my work here is giving Him the reputation he deserves to have. She got saved right then and there and is ready for her second chance this time as a child of God.
Seven months ago Phani’s husband out of the blue wrote down on a piece of scrap paper we are divorced and handed the paper to her. She was crushed and the marriage was over. He then kicked her and her children out of his house in Lubumbashi and she moved to a cousin’s house in Likasi. He had a girl friend and they started making plans to get married. I was in the US at the time but Pastor Kabamba knew her and began to encourage her. She started coming to our church. She first talked to me about her situation in August. She said she needed a miracle. She needed a huband to support her but if she remarried her new husband wouldn’t accept her children and they would always suffer. We told her she was in luck because we actual serve a miracle working God. We all began to pray several times a week. Phani was always in church and eager to learn anything she could. Last week I went to her cousin’s house to visit and she told me her ex-husband left his girlfriend came crawling back and begged her to forgive him and come back. I was skeptical at first and wondered if she should give him a second chance but when he came to talk to her it became obvious he had repented and was changing his life. In all the months I’ve known Phani I’ve never seen her so happy! She says she prayed and God gave her a miracle against all odds. Now her and her kids will be taken care of and the God of restoration prevails again.
Divine is a 5 year old girl who is all about being the center of attention. But when I saw her one day she wouldn’t come near me or anyone else. She bad a terrible fever and just wanted to be held by her mom as she cried softly to herself because of the headache and stomachache and body aches. She had malaria. I’ve had malaria 8 times so I knew just how much she was hurting even if she hadn’t been crying. We gathered around her and cried out for God to touch her. She stopped crying while we were praying but the fever was still present. We got word the next day that she was much better! Yes she was also taking malaria medicine but the recovery was much quicker than usual. Although malaria is common and curable people die from it all the time. I just saw her today and she was dancing around her living room competing with her little brother for my attention talking about how excited she was to go to church tomorrow and pray!
I went into a Belgian grocery store in Lubumbashi and the owner happened to be there. He asked me what I was doing in Congo (thankfully he spoke English because although my Swahili is getting better by the day my French is rusty). I told him I help orphans and he loaded me up with food for them. So this Saturday I got the 60 orphans we are trying to help in Shituru together and taught them some praise songs (a lot of these kids have never been to church) then taught them a lesson from the Bible and gave them some food. You could tell those kids felt so special. Normally if they are ever singled out it is because they get less than the other kids. Now I have no doubt they all know just how much they mean to Jesus. I am looking forward to helping them more in the future. Please pray for everything to go well as I continue to search for information and government approvals to help those kids.
Papi is a man in his late thirties notorious for his drunkenness. He has such a bad reputation that he has never been able to find anyone willing to marry him. Somehow he found out about us and showed up at church one Sunday in Shituru. God just got a hold of him and he realized his life was messed up and he could change. He came again the next week and declared to us that he was giving up drinking and the Holy Spirit helped him and he hasn’t had a drink since that day! The next week he came he laid his whole life before Jesus and declared he wasn’t going to live for himself any more but would live for God. He said he hated his sins and was leaving them behind. He was just so passionate and serious. Everyone who knew him dropped their jaws. It isn’t just some emotional experience it has been over a month now and he is still following Jesus ready to serve in any capacity we ask him too!
I was walking around like I always do and we went to a new house I had never been too. Grace, a total stranger to me and my team, had requested that we show up so we did. She introduced us to her 2 daughters and then began to tell us her story. When she was in high school she met a boy who said he would marry her even though he refused to meet her parents or do anything formally that would imply such. As soon as she got pregnant he took off leaving her with a baby and stopping her chance at an education. To make matters worse her daughter has some sort of mental disorder. So a few years go by and she starts up an affair with a married man and gets pregnant again. He denies everything and refuses to take care of his daughter much less her and her other daughter. She looks at us with eyes filled with shame and says “I know I sinned and I need to repent.” So Pastor Kabamba asked her what she wanted from us. I was expecting her to say money for her kids but she looked at us and said “I heard that people who meet with you can change their lives and get a second chance. I heard people who meet with her get healed.” It is such a privilege to represent Jesus and to know that my work here is giving Him the reputation he deserves to have. She got saved right then and there and is ready for her second chance this time as a child of God.
Seven months ago Phani’s husband out of the blue wrote down on a piece of scrap paper we are divorced and handed the paper to her. She was crushed and the marriage was over. He then kicked her and her children out of his house in Lubumbashi and she moved to a cousin’s house in Likasi. He had a girl friend and they started making plans to get married. I was in the US at the time but Pastor Kabamba knew her and began to encourage her. She started coming to our church. She first talked to me about her situation in August. She said she needed a miracle. She needed a huband to support her but if she remarried her new husband wouldn’t accept her children and they would always suffer. We told her she was in luck because we actual serve a miracle working God. We all began to pray several times a week. Phani was always in church and eager to learn anything she could. Last week I went to her cousin’s house to visit and she told me her ex-husband left his girlfriend came crawling back and begged her to forgive him and come back. I was skeptical at first and wondered if she should give him a second chance but when he came to talk to her it became obvious he had repented and was changing his life. In all the months I’ve known Phani I’ve never seen her so happy! She says she prayed and God gave her a miracle against all odds. Now her and her kids will be taken care of and the God of restoration prevails again.
Divine is a 5 year old girl who is all about being the center of attention. But when I saw her one day she wouldn’t come near me or anyone else. She bad a terrible fever and just wanted to be held by her mom as she cried softly to herself because of the headache and stomachache and body aches. She had malaria. I’ve had malaria 8 times so I knew just how much she was hurting even if she hadn’t been crying. We gathered around her and cried out for God to touch her. She stopped crying while we were praying but the fever was still present. We got word the next day that she was much better! Yes she was also taking malaria medicine but the recovery was much quicker than usual. Although malaria is common and curable people die from it all the time. I just saw her today and she was dancing around her living room competing with her little brother for my attention talking about how excited she was to go to church tomorrow and pray!
I went into a Belgian grocery store in Lubumbashi and the owner happened to be there. He asked me what I was doing in Congo (thankfully he spoke English because although my Swahili is getting better by the day my French is rusty). I told him I help orphans and he loaded me up with food for them. So this Saturday I got the 60 orphans we are trying to help in Shituru together and taught them some praise songs (a lot of these kids have never been to church) then taught them a lesson from the Bible and gave them some food. You could tell those kids felt so special. Normally if they are ever singled out it is because they get less than the other kids. Now I have no doubt they all know just how much they mean to Jesus. I am looking forward to helping them more in the future. Please pray for everything to go well as I continue to search for information and government approvals to help those kids.
13 October 2009
Hissing and Kissing
Hissing and Kissing
As I walk through Congo I constantly hear hissing and kissing noises. The hissing sound is a way to get someone’s attention used in many parts of Africa. They hiss at you like a snake and you are supposed to turn around and go talk to the hisser. Hundreds of people hiss at me and there is simply no way I could talk to them all. They are curious about the strange white girl who lives among them. Of course in Congo they are more curious about how much money they can convince me to give them. So if I acknowledged their hissing it would be this everyday conversation
“Muzungu unipe cent francs” (white person give me 100 francs)
“apana” (no)
“Ju ya nini?” (why?) as if they are flabbergasted I turned them down.
To which I don’t respond as it needs no explanation to me.
To which they respond by following me and asking me 100 questions half of which I understand.
And then I ask them to please stop bothering me
to which they respond “no I’m not bothering you.”
That one really gets me. But eventually ignoring them works either that or I enter a shop or stop to talk to a friend and they get bored and leave me alone.
So I ignore all hissing sounds. My friends in Zambia know this and instead use my name. In Congo my name is big problem. I discovered this problem in college when I became friends with a guy from Mauritius named Kevin. He laughed when I old him my name and never used it. We were friends for 4 years and he never called me Sheri. It was always hey you, her, Zambia, Jones, or just pointing at me. I didn’t care because he told me my name means Sweetheart. So I hear my name constantly. Often by half drunk men or daydreaming school boys trying to get me to marry them as they yell out “Cherie, ma cherie!” So I’ve worked hard with my friends here to try to pronounce it in a more American way so I will know the difference. It usually comes out like Shayreen but at least I know they know me.
Which leads me to the kissing noises. Again this has been a common experience for me in many parts of Africa. As I walk by men make kissing noises. How they expect me to respond to that I have no idea because I always just ignore it.
So everyday as I walk around I hear hissing and kissing. The difference in Congo is that I’ve never lived in such a large city before in Africa so I get it more here. The other difference is the persistency from the youngest to the oldest to follow me around asking ridiculous questions I only half understand and not begging for money but demanding it. I find it funny hopefully some of you do too.
As I walk through Congo I constantly hear hissing and kissing noises. The hissing sound is a way to get someone’s attention used in many parts of Africa. They hiss at you like a snake and you are supposed to turn around and go talk to the hisser. Hundreds of people hiss at me and there is simply no way I could talk to them all. They are curious about the strange white girl who lives among them. Of course in Congo they are more curious about how much money they can convince me to give them. So if I acknowledged their hissing it would be this everyday conversation
“Muzungu unipe cent francs” (white person give me 100 francs)
“apana” (no)
“Ju ya nini?” (why?) as if they are flabbergasted I turned them down.
To which I don’t respond as it needs no explanation to me.
To which they respond by following me and asking me 100 questions half of which I understand.
And then I ask them to please stop bothering me
to which they respond “no I’m not bothering you.”
That one really gets me. But eventually ignoring them works either that or I enter a shop or stop to talk to a friend and they get bored and leave me alone.
So I ignore all hissing sounds. My friends in Zambia know this and instead use my name. In Congo my name is big problem. I discovered this problem in college when I became friends with a guy from Mauritius named Kevin. He laughed when I old him my name and never used it. We were friends for 4 years and he never called me Sheri. It was always hey you, her, Zambia, Jones, or just pointing at me. I didn’t care because he told me my name means Sweetheart. So I hear my name constantly. Often by half drunk men or daydreaming school boys trying to get me to marry them as they yell out “Cherie, ma cherie!” So I’ve worked hard with my friends here to try to pronounce it in a more American way so I will know the difference. It usually comes out like Shayreen but at least I know they know me.
Which leads me to the kissing noises. Again this has been a common experience for me in many parts of Africa. As I walk by men make kissing noises. How they expect me to respond to that I have no idea because I always just ignore it.
So everyday as I walk around I hear hissing and kissing. The difference in Congo is that I’ve never lived in such a large city before in Africa so I get it more here. The other difference is the persistency from the youngest to the oldest to follow me around asking ridiculous questions I only half understand and not begging for money but demanding it. I find it funny hopefully some of you do too.
06 October 2009
Starving
I went to Shituru as usual. I went to a lady’s house who I had seen a month before. At that time she had been very thin because she had been sick. When I saw her on Sunday she wasn’t just thin she was starving. You could tell her body was attacking itself eating away at what little muscle she had. I’ve seen it a thousand times. When she saw us she struggled with what tiny bit of energy she could muster to stand up and move inside to sit down. You could tell every movement even breathing was a challenge. She smiled at first then when we asked her what was going on in her life she could no longer hold back her tears. She cried as if it were shameful to cry trying her best to hold it back and hide her tears from our view but her grief overwhelmed her and she bawled. “Chakula inaisha. Hakuna chakula ku nyumba.” The food is finished, she said. There is no food in the house she cried. Had the story ended there I might not have written about it in my blog. This is Africa people are hungry some are even starving and I see them constantly. In fact I have always seen them.
The point is not to make you all feel guilty about throwing away food and over indulging at times nor is it to convince you to give money to the starving Africans. I think the world had its fill of the “aid porn” poured over the television during the famines in Ethiopia and war torn Sudan. I write this to explain what happened next which as you will see is also typical of Africa. I do not wish to explain this merely for your benefit to understand this culture or to give you a moving story but to explain my thought process and what I am going through at this time.
At that point her husband walked in. He was by no means fat but he was healthy. He was no where near starving. In fact I had just past him and he was eating some bread. Of course the bread had been given to him by someone else and to take it to his wife would have been rude but I think if my spouse were starving I would have just been rude. Because in fact his wife is maybe a month away from starving to death depending on what little she is able to ingest during that time. I burned with anger towards her husband. So much so that I couldn’t look at him.
In African you generally find that people have a survival mentality especially the poor. This means if you have only a small amount of food give it to the strongest person and the weaker can go without. The idea is the weaker may die anyway so cut your losses and let one person live. In less dramatic circumstances it means the husband is the bread winner so he has to remain strong in order to continue his job and bring home what little amount of money he can. I understand the mentality and the logic enough to realize it is logical. But she is starving…
A thousand thoughts run through my mind. First, how many houses have a visited that day alone that have offered me something to eat? Several. Why did no one see this woman’s pain and offered her some food? Africa the “communal society” didn’t seem very communal all of a sudden. Where was her family when she needed their help?
Then I thought if it were me months ago I would have moved out to the village. I could have built my own hut to live in on nearly free land given to me by the chief and I could have grown food. Congo doesn’t have droughts so likely they would be poor but at least not starving. I wondered why the husband who works as a street vender didn’t do something else. Why didn’t he go out and make bricks to sell? Its hard back breaking work with little profit and at times hard to find a buyer but desperate times call for desperate measures. There are thousands of ways that Congolese people create jobs even where there is seemingly no demand. Why hadn’t he done more? At that exact moment there were men working tirelessly in the river next to where we were searching for gold. Why wasn’t he out there searching? The economy is bad in the mineral driven Likasi. Jobs are few and money is hard to come by but when your wife is starving to death how can you do so little to prevent it?
Of course there are a hundred reasons why. None of my options would have been instantaneous and none of them were sure things. He already has little energy and likely wouldn’t have the strength to do much more. More than likely he had lost hope. But still I will never understand how he could justify to himself not doing more to save his wife.
So I bought her some food and I will keep buying her food because it is impossible to not help her. She is genuinely starving with no hope but the food I am giving her will save her life. I can’t save everyone but I will save her. As I hand the bag of food to her husband I pray in my head asking God to take away my burning anger for this man who would have let his wife starve to death. To him it isn’t as black and white as it is to me. To him he was behaving honorably in the only way he knew how. And God answers my prayer.
The wheels in my head refuse to stop turning. How did “we” as the whole world get to this place? A place where so many go hungry. Was it the Europeans and their colonization that caused the hunger? Was it the evil dictators their blatant theft backward economics and policies of corruption? Perhaps the war lords with their greed for wealth and power, their false promise of freedom through the loss of countless lives and millions of dollars in infrastructure? Or was it the rich nations in the world their stinginess and lack of consideration for the rest of the world or even their methods of giving so that the majority of the money is stolen by corrupt officials? Was it the UN who spends millions of dollars on expensive luxuries for their officials who sit around getting drunk pretending to talk about the world’s problems? Was it the Africans themselves and their poor work ethic, sin, witchcraft and refusal to help each other? Perhaps it was the climate the unavoidable diseases the terrain its proximity to other places hindering its ability to trade? Am I the problem possibly I do too little and too often turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to their situations? Was the situation any better 20 years ago? 50? 100? 1000? Perhaps it’s a cruel combination. Perhaps it’s something I haven’t yet thought of. Perhaps… and the wheels keep spinning in my head.
The only conclusion I have and the only hope I cling to is found in one of my favorite stories in the bible. Read 2 Kings 6. It’s a great story. The answer to starvation is not to blame God. It’s not to give up hope and live in unbelief. The answer is Philippians 4:6-7. In all things through prayer. God is mighty. He sees them he hears their cries and he is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or even think. In one days time he can transform even the direst of situations. Church let us pray. And please pray for me as I daily deal with these kinds of situations to not become weary or discouraged but to be a light and salt to the world I live in.
The point is not to make you all feel guilty about throwing away food and over indulging at times nor is it to convince you to give money to the starving Africans. I think the world had its fill of the “aid porn” poured over the television during the famines in Ethiopia and war torn Sudan. I write this to explain what happened next which as you will see is also typical of Africa. I do not wish to explain this merely for your benefit to understand this culture or to give you a moving story but to explain my thought process and what I am going through at this time.
At that point her husband walked in. He was by no means fat but he was healthy. He was no where near starving. In fact I had just past him and he was eating some bread. Of course the bread had been given to him by someone else and to take it to his wife would have been rude but I think if my spouse were starving I would have just been rude. Because in fact his wife is maybe a month away from starving to death depending on what little she is able to ingest during that time. I burned with anger towards her husband. So much so that I couldn’t look at him.
In African you generally find that people have a survival mentality especially the poor. This means if you have only a small amount of food give it to the strongest person and the weaker can go without. The idea is the weaker may die anyway so cut your losses and let one person live. In less dramatic circumstances it means the husband is the bread winner so he has to remain strong in order to continue his job and bring home what little amount of money he can. I understand the mentality and the logic enough to realize it is logical. But she is starving…
A thousand thoughts run through my mind. First, how many houses have a visited that day alone that have offered me something to eat? Several. Why did no one see this woman’s pain and offered her some food? Africa the “communal society” didn’t seem very communal all of a sudden. Where was her family when she needed their help?
Then I thought if it were me months ago I would have moved out to the village. I could have built my own hut to live in on nearly free land given to me by the chief and I could have grown food. Congo doesn’t have droughts so likely they would be poor but at least not starving. I wondered why the husband who works as a street vender didn’t do something else. Why didn’t he go out and make bricks to sell? Its hard back breaking work with little profit and at times hard to find a buyer but desperate times call for desperate measures. There are thousands of ways that Congolese people create jobs even where there is seemingly no demand. Why hadn’t he done more? At that exact moment there were men working tirelessly in the river next to where we were searching for gold. Why wasn’t he out there searching? The economy is bad in the mineral driven Likasi. Jobs are few and money is hard to come by but when your wife is starving to death how can you do so little to prevent it?
Of course there are a hundred reasons why. None of my options would have been instantaneous and none of them were sure things. He already has little energy and likely wouldn’t have the strength to do much more. More than likely he had lost hope. But still I will never understand how he could justify to himself not doing more to save his wife.
So I bought her some food and I will keep buying her food because it is impossible to not help her. She is genuinely starving with no hope but the food I am giving her will save her life. I can’t save everyone but I will save her. As I hand the bag of food to her husband I pray in my head asking God to take away my burning anger for this man who would have let his wife starve to death. To him it isn’t as black and white as it is to me. To him he was behaving honorably in the only way he knew how. And God answers my prayer.
The wheels in my head refuse to stop turning. How did “we” as the whole world get to this place? A place where so many go hungry. Was it the Europeans and their colonization that caused the hunger? Was it the evil dictators their blatant theft backward economics and policies of corruption? Perhaps the war lords with their greed for wealth and power, their false promise of freedom through the loss of countless lives and millions of dollars in infrastructure? Or was it the rich nations in the world their stinginess and lack of consideration for the rest of the world or even their methods of giving so that the majority of the money is stolen by corrupt officials? Was it the UN who spends millions of dollars on expensive luxuries for their officials who sit around getting drunk pretending to talk about the world’s problems? Was it the Africans themselves and their poor work ethic, sin, witchcraft and refusal to help each other? Perhaps it was the climate the unavoidable diseases the terrain its proximity to other places hindering its ability to trade? Am I the problem possibly I do too little and too often turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to their situations? Was the situation any better 20 years ago? 50? 100? 1000? Perhaps it’s a cruel combination. Perhaps it’s something I haven’t yet thought of. Perhaps… and the wheels keep spinning in my head.
The only conclusion I have and the only hope I cling to is found in one of my favorite stories in the bible. Read 2 Kings 6. It’s a great story. The answer to starvation is not to blame God. It’s not to give up hope and live in unbelief. The answer is Philippians 4:6-7. In all things through prayer. God is mighty. He sees them he hears their cries and he is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or even think. In one days time he can transform even the direst of situations. Church let us pray. And please pray for me as I daily deal with these kinds of situations to not become weary or discouraged but to be a light and salt to the world I live in.
25 September 2009
Visitors and Life in Congo
The urinators are back. I don’t know why but after months of not having to deal with people peeing on my house it has become an issue again. I heard it a few days ago and thought just as I had before surely it is just someone emptying a water bottle. But then the smell of fresh urine fills my nostrils and I realize the urinators have returned. I don’t know why they pick my house when there are so many other houses around. Even as I sit here now the smell of urine lingers… disgusting. The battle continues
My parents came with 2 men from the US who started Global Orphan Relief. It was a wonderful time being able to speak English for days. For the most part we had no problems and everything went smoothly. Congo is not as nice as Zambia. The guest house they stayed in which is one of the best in Likasi didn’t have running water. The men washed out of buckets didn’t have a sink or a toilet seat. When they complained about needing a toilet seat the owner said “no one in Congo has a toilet seat.” I do but I brought it from Zambia. We arrived to no electricity but thankfully at 10pm it came on which helped because we could use fans since it is so hot here. Sunday morning the electricity went out again so I got a fire going and we cooked breakfast and made coffee just a little behind schedule.
Everyone endured the difficulties with joy. Probably the biggest difficulty was the language barrier. Even the Congolese with the best English here are about half as good as the average educated Zambian. We sat in the mayor’s office and he explained to us his socialistic ideals but even though someone translated it into English no one but me had any idea what the interpreter was trying to say. He talked about how the cell phone companies in Congo make millions of dollars off of the poor Congolese so he wants the phone companies to give their profits to him so he can set up a health care system. Just one of his brilliant ideas.
We went to a church with true Congolese style traditional music and dancing. It was great. Sunday evening we went to Shituru where I am planting a church. It was incredible. More than 50 people packed into the little room. We prayed for people and saw God do some incredible things. I will include some testimonies soon. There are so many people in need there both spiritually and physically. We are trying to figure out what more we can do to help. Please pray that we have wisdom and are able to get the necessary information.
On Monday I went to Chingola, right across the border in Zambia. It was incredible to “be back in civilization”. I took a shower, washed my hands in a sink, brushed my teeth in a sink, watched CNN, ate ice cream, and spoke in English. It is hard to explain but Zambia just makes me happy. I spent so many formative years in that country so I truly get it. I loved talking to my taxi driver about life, love, politics, religion, agriculture, economics, and everything else. I loved being able to use kwacha (their currency) and being able to fit money in my pocket instead of needing stacks of money.
On Tuesday I came back to Congo. I caught public transportation just right and actually got decent seats and didn’t have to wait too long. There was no water for the last 2 days my parents were here so I was out of water. I saw the water was on at our communal tap and started to fill my containers but then saw the water was coffee brown. Thankfully the next day we had clear water though. I started washing my clothes and just as I finished the clothes line broke and so I had to rewash everything. The normal trials of life in Congo.
My parents came with 2 men from the US who started Global Orphan Relief. It was a wonderful time being able to speak English for days. For the most part we had no problems and everything went smoothly. Congo is not as nice as Zambia. The guest house they stayed in which is one of the best in Likasi didn’t have running water. The men washed out of buckets didn’t have a sink or a toilet seat. When they complained about needing a toilet seat the owner said “no one in Congo has a toilet seat.” I do but I brought it from Zambia. We arrived to no electricity but thankfully at 10pm it came on which helped because we could use fans since it is so hot here. Sunday morning the electricity went out again so I got a fire going and we cooked breakfast and made coffee just a little behind schedule.
Everyone endured the difficulties with joy. Probably the biggest difficulty was the language barrier. Even the Congolese with the best English here are about half as good as the average educated Zambian. We sat in the mayor’s office and he explained to us his socialistic ideals but even though someone translated it into English no one but me had any idea what the interpreter was trying to say. He talked about how the cell phone companies in Congo make millions of dollars off of the poor Congolese so he wants the phone companies to give their profits to him so he can set up a health care system. Just one of his brilliant ideas.
We went to a church with true Congolese style traditional music and dancing. It was great. Sunday evening we went to Shituru where I am planting a church. It was incredible. More than 50 people packed into the little room. We prayed for people and saw God do some incredible things. I will include some testimonies soon. There are so many people in need there both spiritually and physically. We are trying to figure out what more we can do to help. Please pray that we have wisdom and are able to get the necessary information.
On Monday I went to Chingola, right across the border in Zambia. It was incredible to “be back in civilization”. I took a shower, washed my hands in a sink, brushed my teeth in a sink, watched CNN, ate ice cream, and spoke in English. It is hard to explain but Zambia just makes me happy. I spent so many formative years in that country so I truly get it. I loved talking to my taxi driver about life, love, politics, religion, agriculture, economics, and everything else. I loved being able to use kwacha (their currency) and being able to fit money in my pocket instead of needing stacks of money.
On Tuesday I came back to Congo. I caught public transportation just right and actually got decent seats and didn’t have to wait too long. There was no water for the last 2 days my parents were here so I was out of water. I saw the water was on at our communal tap and started to fill my containers but then saw the water was coffee brown. Thankfully the next day we had clear water though. I started washing my clothes and just as I finished the clothes line broke and so I had to rewash everything. The normal trials of life in Congo.
15 September 2009
God Is up to Something Good!
It has been incredible. Before my Northern Katanga adventure I did a crazy 2 weeks of 8 sermons in 9 days. I was really praying God would give me revelation and he did. First off I’ve been teaching on intercession to a group who feel called to pray more. It has been so incredible. Every time I see the people from my group they are explaining concepts to their friends and encouraging their communities to pray. A hunger for prayer has been birthed and it is growing! Not only are people praying more but we are seeing God answer more than ever before!
Pastor Kabamba decided we would do 3 days on meetings at Shituru. We arrived early and met with people to talk about their needs, problems and questions. The Holy Spirit was with us powerfully and he would immediately speak to us and give us the perfect solution from the Word of God and we encouraged so many. People we had never even seen before heard about us and came. People are hurting so much but God is so big!
The Lord told me to preach a three part message on how the devil uses fear to kill steal and destroy us. It was awesome. I surprised myself with how well it went. People’s eyes were opened and were discouragement had reigned supreme encouragement took the throne, where fear had held them captive love and faith set them free. I could tell people were changing and looked forward to seeing the results.
Here are a few of their testimonies. Gisele has been fighting TB for a while and the pain in her lungs was so intense she could barely move. She is skin and bones and told her she thought she was going to die. The first day some people practically carried her to the meeting. The second day she hobbled on her on. The third day she walked as normally as I did. I asked her about it and she told me that whenever she walks to church God takes away all of her pain! I met with her again after that and she told me the Lord has spoken to her and told her she I supposed to go around visiting with people in her community using her testimony and the Word of God to encourage those who are discouraged!
A lady named Irene has been sick for months is also skin and bones no doctor knows what is wrong with her and she also thought she would die. Her husband has been out of work and they have no money left. By Tuesday she told her she felt her strength coming back and the pain diminishing. After the service a friend went to their house and told her husband a mining company would be looking for workers the next morning. Her husband woke up early to pray and then went to apply for the job. There were maybe 100 or more people there all looking for work. He recognized some of them as having been his previous bosses and knew they had more experience than he did. But he refused to be afraid or discouraged. The company only selected 10 people and he was one of them! His old boss was passed up for him, what a miracle! They are not keeping silent about how God has blessed them and through their testimony we are already seeing more people understanding that God loves them and is provider.
Another man named David has been out of work for over 6 months. He got word the day after the final meeting that someone wants to hire him! God is putting it all together. We even started the process of getting land for our church because of building is once again getting too small! Every time we go there people beg us to please talk with them. They tell us they have given up hope and are afraid but decided to give it one more try by asking us for help. A lady named Maria has been demon possessed for years with a demon that causes her to feel snakes crawling through her body and she scratches so much trying to make them stop she is covered head to toe in scabs. She is so afraid she can’t even sleep at night. Her family has disowned her saying she is a curse. We were able to tell her the truth of God’s word and she is changing. She slept soundly.
God is moving and I’m so excited to be apart of it. My parents and 2 men form the US are coming on Friday. Please pray for safe travel and a great trip here.
Pastor Kabamba decided we would do 3 days on meetings at Shituru. We arrived early and met with people to talk about their needs, problems and questions. The Holy Spirit was with us powerfully and he would immediately speak to us and give us the perfect solution from the Word of God and we encouraged so many. People we had never even seen before heard about us and came. People are hurting so much but God is so big!
The Lord told me to preach a three part message on how the devil uses fear to kill steal and destroy us. It was awesome. I surprised myself with how well it went. People’s eyes were opened and were discouragement had reigned supreme encouragement took the throne, where fear had held them captive love and faith set them free. I could tell people were changing and looked forward to seeing the results.
Here are a few of their testimonies. Gisele has been fighting TB for a while and the pain in her lungs was so intense she could barely move. She is skin and bones and told her she thought she was going to die. The first day some people practically carried her to the meeting. The second day she hobbled on her on. The third day she walked as normally as I did. I asked her about it and she told me that whenever she walks to church God takes away all of her pain! I met with her again after that and she told me the Lord has spoken to her and told her she I supposed to go around visiting with people in her community using her testimony and the Word of God to encourage those who are discouraged!
A lady named Irene has been sick for months is also skin and bones no doctor knows what is wrong with her and she also thought she would die. Her husband has been out of work and they have no money left. By Tuesday she told her she felt her strength coming back and the pain diminishing. After the service a friend went to their house and told her husband a mining company would be looking for workers the next morning. Her husband woke up early to pray and then went to apply for the job. There were maybe 100 or more people there all looking for work. He recognized some of them as having been his previous bosses and knew they had more experience than he did. But he refused to be afraid or discouraged. The company only selected 10 people and he was one of them! His old boss was passed up for him, what a miracle! They are not keeping silent about how God has blessed them and through their testimony we are already seeing more people understanding that God loves them and is provider.
Another man named David has been out of work for over 6 months. He got word the day after the final meeting that someone wants to hire him! God is putting it all together. We even started the process of getting land for our church because of building is once again getting too small! Every time we go there people beg us to please talk with them. They tell us they have given up hope and are afraid but decided to give it one more try by asking us for help. A lady named Maria has been demon possessed for years with a demon that causes her to feel snakes crawling through her body and she scratches so much trying to make them stop she is covered head to toe in scabs. She is so afraid she can’t even sleep at night. Her family has disowned her saying she is a curse. We were able to tell her the truth of God’s word and she is changing. She slept soundly.
God is moving and I’m so excited to be apart of it. My parents and 2 men form the US are coming on Friday. Please pray for safe travel and a great trip here.
12 September 2009
The Craziest Trip of My Life
We actually went to Molongo which is right on Lac Kabamba and at least 500 kilometers away but one man claimed it was 630. Our odometer was broken so we don’t know.
We left around 4:30 in the morning. Only half an hour late what an accomplishment. I was shocked to see that my interpreter had chosen not to come at the last minute. I also had been told we would take a different vehicle. This car had no seat belts none of the gauges worked and it looked in less than great shape. I decided to just trust the church and go. They told me the road had been fixed and we would make it in 12 hours.
The road went from bad to worse and then right when you were certain there was no chance the road could get any worse it got worse. Every bad thing you can imagine for a road and vehicle took place. Sand, rocks, mud, water, mountains, caved in sections, poor bridges, break downs, car running hot, broken shocks, broken transmit ion, leaking fuel tank, seriously everything you could imagine all packed into this one trip with an extra helping of poor driving. We reached one sunk in place full of water. I saw vehicle stopped just after and inquired about it. They said “inakufwa” It is dead. No doubt it has been a gas engine and the water had killed it and they had to wait for it to dry out before they could use it again. I asked the 2 important questions “Does the truck have 4 wheel drive and is it a diesel engine?” To both they replied “Apana” no. I was ready to turn back but the driver was already gunning it. He got stuck but thankfully the water didn’t kill our truck and after cutting some branches and plenty of pushing we made it out.
It took us 33 hours to make it there. We were completely exhausted, sore, and dehydrated when we arrived only to parade around for an hour while the church showed off their visitors dancing and singing around us one of their traditions to honor guests but considering the circumstances it was pretty miserable. I was sore and couldn’t feel my backside at all. I was so thirsty but the only water to drink was river water cloudy and disgusting but I drank tons of it. Mulongo is on Lac Kabamba so it was crazy hot and humid all the time. It was nearly impossible to sleep because the house was 95 degrees at night. I went to sleep and woke up drenched in sweat.
The next day was better. I preached but my interpreter backed out at the last minute from coming so it was tricky. The singing was the best part. The Baluba cut down huge trees maybe 3 feet wide and 6 feet long then hollow it out with a line down the middle the long way and two holes. They make them with all different sizes and sounds and use them as drums. They have a unique and wonderful sound. They also use the normal Congo instrument of clanging metal together and using plastic funnels to sing into and hit with sticks to make more noise. The people were so excited to have visitors. After the service we ate leaves and maize meal as usual took a rest and then went back to church. In the afternoon from 3 until 7 we talked about questions and problems in the churches and defined some of the basic doctrinal problems like what the differences are between our church and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The people loved it and thanked us so much for coming and helping them.
The next morning we were off at 3:30. With 2 goats the church had given us. I would never have taken the goats because there already wasn’t a lot of space but they also peed and pooped everywhere. It was disgusting. We had more break downs than on the way there and I really started to pray we would make it back. At 9pm the truck flipped over. Five people were sitting in the back of the truck and there were no seat belts inside the cab either. Someone could have easily died or at least been injured but there was barely a scratch on any of us. The roof rack on the truck really saved us to. It prevented us from flipping upside down. Even the goats survived and all of our fuel. I began to think we would be there for days but we were able to flip the car back over and miraculously kept going.
We stopped at Kubo to help a church there facing a lot of difficulties. After a few hours we were off. With only 60 kilometers left it got dark again. This time on a road with traffic so each time a car passed us the dust was so bad we had to stop because we couldn’t see at all. It took us 3 hours to do those last 60 kilometer. God was with us. We saw a car stopped because it had hit a man that the bus wasn’t able to see in the dust. God protected us. We finally arrived 42 hours later at 9:30. We prayed and then went to our homes. I arrived at 10:30 at my house and by the time I washed the dirt caked on me and made something to eat and got into bed it was midnight. I am exhausted and still a little sore but I guess I have something to write home about.
We left around 4:30 in the morning. Only half an hour late what an accomplishment. I was shocked to see that my interpreter had chosen not to come at the last minute. I also had been told we would take a different vehicle. This car had no seat belts none of the gauges worked and it looked in less than great shape. I decided to just trust the church and go. They told me the road had been fixed and we would make it in 12 hours.
The road went from bad to worse and then right when you were certain there was no chance the road could get any worse it got worse. Every bad thing you can imagine for a road and vehicle took place. Sand, rocks, mud, water, mountains, caved in sections, poor bridges, break downs, car running hot, broken shocks, broken transmit ion, leaking fuel tank, seriously everything you could imagine all packed into this one trip with an extra helping of poor driving. We reached one sunk in place full of water. I saw vehicle stopped just after and inquired about it. They said “inakufwa” It is dead. No doubt it has been a gas engine and the water had killed it and they had to wait for it to dry out before they could use it again. I asked the 2 important questions “Does the truck have 4 wheel drive and is it a diesel engine?” To both they replied “Apana” no. I was ready to turn back but the driver was already gunning it. He got stuck but thankfully the water didn’t kill our truck and after cutting some branches and plenty of pushing we made it out.
It took us 33 hours to make it there. We were completely exhausted, sore, and dehydrated when we arrived only to parade around for an hour while the church showed off their visitors dancing and singing around us one of their traditions to honor guests but considering the circumstances it was pretty miserable. I was sore and couldn’t feel my backside at all. I was so thirsty but the only water to drink was river water cloudy and disgusting but I drank tons of it. Mulongo is on Lac Kabamba so it was crazy hot and humid all the time. It was nearly impossible to sleep because the house was 95 degrees at night. I went to sleep and woke up drenched in sweat.
The next day was better. I preached but my interpreter backed out at the last minute from coming so it was tricky. The singing was the best part. The Baluba cut down huge trees maybe 3 feet wide and 6 feet long then hollow it out with a line down the middle the long way and two holes. They make them with all different sizes and sounds and use them as drums. They have a unique and wonderful sound. They also use the normal Congo instrument of clanging metal together and using plastic funnels to sing into and hit with sticks to make more noise. The people were so excited to have visitors. After the service we ate leaves and maize meal as usual took a rest and then went back to church. In the afternoon from 3 until 7 we talked about questions and problems in the churches and defined some of the basic doctrinal problems like what the differences are between our church and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The people loved it and thanked us so much for coming and helping them.
The next morning we were off at 3:30. With 2 goats the church had given us. I would never have taken the goats because there already wasn’t a lot of space but they also peed and pooped everywhere. It was disgusting. We had more break downs than on the way there and I really started to pray we would make it back. At 9pm the truck flipped over. Five people were sitting in the back of the truck and there were no seat belts inside the cab either. Someone could have easily died or at least been injured but there was barely a scratch on any of us. The roof rack on the truck really saved us to. It prevented us from flipping upside down. Even the goats survived and all of our fuel. I began to think we would be there for days but we were able to flip the car back over and miraculously kept going.
We stopped at Kubo to help a church there facing a lot of difficulties. After a few hours we were off. With only 60 kilometers left it got dark again. This time on a road with traffic so each time a car passed us the dust was so bad we had to stop because we couldn’t see at all. It took us 3 hours to do those last 60 kilometer. God was with us. We saw a car stopped because it had hit a man that the bus wasn’t able to see in the dust. God protected us. We finally arrived 42 hours later at 9:30. We prayed and then went to our homes. I arrived at 10:30 at my house and by the time I washed the dirt caked on me and made something to eat and got into bed it was midnight. I am exhausted and still a little sore but I guess I have something to write home about.
04 September 2009
Going North
I live in Congo, but I live extremely close to the Zambian border. Not by road but by air. All the places I’ve gone have been along the border. The people are extremely different to have lived in such close proximity but that is the result of colonization I guess. I have always understood that this would be the perfect first place to live in Congo for me because of its close proximity, friends, similar tribes, and most of all peace. But the thing is I live in this huge country the size of the US from the Mississippi river east, but I have barely seen any of it. There are very few roads in Congo most are impassable and beyond what the UN just helped them with, none are paved. It makes traveling difficult and expensive.
I was talking to some church leaders about how I wanted to travel. They told me they had planned a trip for September but it was falling through. They have a vehicle they can use and I’m guessing we’re sleeping in the church and will be fed by the people so the only problem was gas money. I agreed to provide the gas money and all of a sudden we are going to Northern Katanga and I don’t think any of us have ever been there before.
Apparently we will travel about 400 kilometers north to Malemba-nkulu. Supposedly they have fixed the road but I’m sure it’s horrible no matter what they tried to do. We will leave at sun rise (6AM it’s nice to be back in a country where the sun rises and sets at 6 America really confused me) and drive until we get there. The estimates for arrival times have ranged from 6PM to 11PM so we will see what happens.
North Katanga is in the same province I live in, but Katanga is the largest province in Congo and even tried to secede at the time of independence from Belgium but after 2 years gave in. According to the law Katanga is supposed to be broken up into smaller provinces in 2009 but no one seems to expect that to happen or maybe it already has but nobody knows about it (classic Congolese situation). Where I live is the traditional home to the Basanga people but North Katanga is the home to the Baluba people. The Baluba is the largest tribe in Katanga province and in fact it is out of the Baluba that the Basanga came and the Babemba in both Congo and Zambia and probably even the Batonga whom I grew up with.
According to what I have read the Baluba people were not treated well throughout Congo history. I believe the conflict has existed for quite some time even before colonization. The Belgians didn’t prefer the Baluba and treated them poorly. All of this animosity helped fuel the civil war in the 1960’s following independence. Like most wars in Congo it had nothing to do with the Baluba but because they were angry about how they had been treated they were used to provide angry soldiers with vengeance on their minds even though the people they fought with were just as at fault for hurting them as the ones they fought against.
Congo isn’t very tribal any more. Lots of Baluba live here in Likasi and they harbor no hostility. In fact I bet I know more about the conflicts than most of the young Baluba do. History doesn’t seem very important here that’s probably why it keeps repeating itself. I’ve been told that although most people where we are going speak Kiluba they also speak Swahili and tend to use it more often. This is very good news for me.
So this should be quite the adventure. Me with like 8 other Congolese men crammed into an SUV for only God knows how long on terrible roads going to a place we’ve never been. We shouldn’t have to worry about getting lost there is only one road. I’ll be eating plenty of leaves and hearing oowing and aawing and getting touched by all the children and a few curious adults who have never seen a white person before. Hopefully I’ll have some good stories for you guys. Pray we make it.
I was talking to some church leaders about how I wanted to travel. They told me they had planned a trip for September but it was falling through. They have a vehicle they can use and I’m guessing we’re sleeping in the church and will be fed by the people so the only problem was gas money. I agreed to provide the gas money and all of a sudden we are going to Northern Katanga and I don’t think any of us have ever been there before.
Apparently we will travel about 400 kilometers north to Malemba-nkulu. Supposedly they have fixed the road but I’m sure it’s horrible no matter what they tried to do. We will leave at sun rise (6AM it’s nice to be back in a country where the sun rises and sets at 6 America really confused me) and drive until we get there. The estimates for arrival times have ranged from 6PM to 11PM so we will see what happens.
North Katanga is in the same province I live in, but Katanga is the largest province in Congo and even tried to secede at the time of independence from Belgium but after 2 years gave in. According to the law Katanga is supposed to be broken up into smaller provinces in 2009 but no one seems to expect that to happen or maybe it already has but nobody knows about it (classic Congolese situation). Where I live is the traditional home to the Basanga people but North Katanga is the home to the Baluba people. The Baluba is the largest tribe in Katanga province and in fact it is out of the Baluba that the Basanga came and the Babemba in both Congo and Zambia and probably even the Batonga whom I grew up with.
According to what I have read the Baluba people were not treated well throughout Congo history. I believe the conflict has existed for quite some time even before colonization. The Belgians didn’t prefer the Baluba and treated them poorly. All of this animosity helped fuel the civil war in the 1960’s following independence. Like most wars in Congo it had nothing to do with the Baluba but because they were angry about how they had been treated they were used to provide angry soldiers with vengeance on their minds even though the people they fought with were just as at fault for hurting them as the ones they fought against.
Congo isn’t very tribal any more. Lots of Baluba live here in Likasi and they harbor no hostility. In fact I bet I know more about the conflicts than most of the young Baluba do. History doesn’t seem very important here that’s probably why it keeps repeating itself. I’ve been told that although most people where we are going speak Kiluba they also speak Swahili and tend to use it more often. This is very good news for me.
So this should be quite the adventure. Me with like 8 other Congolese men crammed into an SUV for only God knows how long on terrible roads going to a place we’ve never been. We shouldn’t have to worry about getting lost there is only one road. I’ll be eating plenty of leaves and hearing oowing and aawing and getting touched by all the children and a few curious adults who have never seen a white person before. Hopefully I’ll have some good stories for you guys. Pray we make it.
28 August 2009
Helping Orphans
My neighbor is a teacher at a local primary school. We were talking about how she teaches in a very poor part of town and often meets orphans who are unable to go to school. Orphans are usually taken in by and aunt or uncle or grandmother. If they are taken in by the grandmother she barely has means to feed herself so school is out of the question. If they are taken in by an aunt or uncle they are never treated the same as the actual children of the aunt or uncle. They are often told to work by doing chores and aren’t worth spending the money on to send to school. She met with people in the community and found 21 orphans between the ages of 6 and 15 who wanted to attend primary school, most of them girls. Because culturally the girls do the washing, cleaning, and cooking and their destiny in life is to do that for their husband and produce children; an education is seen as meaningless. That is why widows are in such a horrible position in Africa. Without their husband they cannot function in society (in the cities like Likasi). I sat down with my neighbor and calculated all the costs: school fees, supplies, and a uniform and the total came to $60 per child or $5 a month.
I tried to do something like this last year but I hit plenty of road bumps. My neighbor works at a Christian school that best of all teaches the Word of God and will be honest regarding money. This being said I’m looking for 21 people who will commit to giving $5 a month for the next year or $60 all at once so that these orphans can know the love of Christ and have a chance to pursue their dreams. It is so little to us but it will mean so much to these orphans. Contact me at noahministriescongo@yahoo.com and I will send you more information and the name of the orphan you will be supporting through this school year with pictures to follow. Thank you for caring.
I tried to do something like this last year but I hit plenty of road bumps. My neighbor works at a Christian school that best of all teaches the Word of God and will be honest regarding money. This being said I’m looking for 21 people who will commit to giving $5 a month for the next year or $60 all at once so that these orphans can know the love of Christ and have a chance to pursue their dreams. It is so little to us but it will mean so much to these orphans. Contact me at noahministriescongo@yahoo.com and I will send you more information and the name of the orphan you will be supporting through this school year with pictures to follow. Thank you for caring.
25 August 2009
And the Ministry Begins
Wow how can I sum up the last few days? I preached on Wednesday but on Thursday, my birthday, I was able to preach/teach for the new intercession group. God has been preparing me for this for such a long time. I was told I would be doing it before I left for the US. Just as God tends to work things out, the church I was attending did a Wednesday study through Dutch Sheets book on Intercession. So I’ve been anticipating this sermon for quite some time. It was awesome. Such a great birthday present to be able to see God open people’s eyes and grab a hold of their hearts. Friday night was an all night prayer meeting that I had no idea would last all night. Its winter here and I was not prepared so it got a little cold but was crazy anointed. I know God is raising up powerful intercessors.
Sunday after church we went to Shituru, where we are planting a church. When I left we were meeting in a crowded tiny living room. We had been praying for Mimi’s husband who was a drunk and not a Christian. God spoke to him in a dream and he totally turned his life around and said God called him to fix up a room in his house for a church. It has been amazing to watch but I wondered is Edmund would keep the course. Once I get there we immediately start walking around visiting people. Every house there was a different sad story. Nearly everyone was sick, one lady had a miscarriage, and others lost their jobs and are barely surviving. It seemed like there was no good news. Then it was time for church and I saw that Edmund had indeed converted the room he used to use as a mini bar for himself and his friends into God’s house! It is so much roomier than the livingroom and all 20 of us fit fine. Then I saw a new man leading the service. The more he spoke the more I liked him. I could just tell he had a Pentecostal background which I easily relate to. It turns out he is a pastor but doesn’t have a church at the moment so he is working with us and hopefully will be the answer to our prayers for God to show us a pastor! Even more so he will be answering my prayers for a pastor who really believes God is powerful.
It has been the cry of my heart since I left Congo 6 months ago for God to show me how to communicate his power to his people. He has been giving me really great sermons. Some times I think the sermons he gives me are too good that I won’t be able to effectively describe them with my limited vocabulary. Well I randomly met this guys who works at World Vision and speaks English and he told me he lives in Shituru. I invited him to our church meeting and he came and offered to interpret for me. He did and said he would come every week! I preached from 1 Sam 11 and it says essentially no one had any hope until the Holy Spirit made Saul angry the people united together and God gave them victory. As I was preaching I felt a holy anger come over me for how the devil was abusing God’s people and defaming God of his power. After service it was time to pray for people and I prayed with more faith and authority than I have prayed with for a long time. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me and it was awesome. I feel so encouraged about the church to be. God provided a building, a pastor, and an interpreter. He kept Edmund on the straight and narrow and he started out my being back by doing a new thing. I am waiting in eager anticipation to see God turn every bad situation I found into a beautiful testimony of His love and power.
Sunday after church we went to Shituru, where we are planting a church. When I left we were meeting in a crowded tiny living room. We had been praying for Mimi’s husband who was a drunk and not a Christian. God spoke to him in a dream and he totally turned his life around and said God called him to fix up a room in his house for a church. It has been amazing to watch but I wondered is Edmund would keep the course. Once I get there we immediately start walking around visiting people. Every house there was a different sad story. Nearly everyone was sick, one lady had a miscarriage, and others lost their jobs and are barely surviving. It seemed like there was no good news. Then it was time for church and I saw that Edmund had indeed converted the room he used to use as a mini bar for himself and his friends into God’s house! It is so much roomier than the livingroom and all 20 of us fit fine. Then I saw a new man leading the service. The more he spoke the more I liked him. I could just tell he had a Pentecostal background which I easily relate to. It turns out he is a pastor but doesn’t have a church at the moment so he is working with us and hopefully will be the answer to our prayers for God to show us a pastor! Even more so he will be answering my prayers for a pastor who really believes God is powerful.
It has been the cry of my heart since I left Congo 6 months ago for God to show me how to communicate his power to his people. He has been giving me really great sermons. Some times I think the sermons he gives me are too good that I won’t be able to effectively describe them with my limited vocabulary. Well I randomly met this guys who works at World Vision and speaks English and he told me he lives in Shituru. I invited him to our church meeting and he came and offered to interpret for me. He did and said he would come every week! I preached from 1 Sam 11 and it says essentially no one had any hope until the Holy Spirit made Saul angry the people united together and God gave them victory. As I was preaching I felt a holy anger come over me for how the devil was abusing God’s people and defaming God of his power. After service it was time to pray for people and I prayed with more faith and authority than I have prayed with for a long time. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me and it was awesome. I feel so encouraged about the church to be. God provided a building, a pastor, and an interpreter. He kept Edmund on the straight and narrow and he started out my being back by doing a new thing. I am waiting in eager anticipation to see God turn every bad situation I found into a beautiful testimony of His love and power.
21 August 2009
Settling in and Readjusting
The border is always a mad house. Lots of fights break out. I’m friends with the Congolese Immigration Officers now so it isn’t a problem for me. I changed money and when I was handed the stacks of Congolese francs I was dumbfounded. I had completely forgotten how to deal with their money. In addition to it being a different currency all the numbers are in French and they put the money is stacks on 25 instead of 20. I had to take a moment to think and remember each stack is 12,500 and I was then able to count it. It was my first indication that I had forgotten way too much. The second was when I was getting the number of my taxi driver and he replied quickly zéro quatre vingt et un trois cent nonant cinq... I had to stop him and go over each of the numbers one by one as I repeated them to him. That was the kind of thing I had been able to do without even thinking about it. When we reached Lubumbashi the road became bad so I was going to make conversation and ask him if they were finally going to fix the road, but I couldn’t remember the words. Then he said in Swahili they are fixing the road finally starting on the other side. I recognized the words as soon as he said them. So it’s still in my brain but I just have to bring it into focus.
I knew that when I got back my house would be covered in dust. I’m glad I thought to take some pictures before I started cleaning. For hours I just dusted, got rid of cobwebs, swept and mopped. Then came unpacking everything. It’s been 24 hours now and I finally feel on top of it but there is still much to be done. Everything is fine except I can’t get my generator to work. Please pray I can get it working.
Then when I woke up of course there was no electricity. I walked to the market bought charcoal started the fire and boiled water. An hour later I had coffee. After that I had to haul water and now I’m feeling a little bit sore. I also washed clothes, not something you would think of as a physical activity, but actually wringing out clothes really works on your forearms and finger muscles. I then had to go into town and by groceries. It’s always a tough choice to decide how much stuff to buy in a single trip. It’s over a mile walk to my house so with 30 extra pounds you start to regret that heavy thing you bought. Its amazing how much muscle I lost in the US, but like it or not I’ll get it back soon.
When I walked past the market by my house I was greeted by the normal array of languages “Goowd maning” “How a oow?” “Bonjour” “Comment?” “Bishi?” “Jambo” “Habari?” and I responded out of habit thankfully not forgetting any “Good morning” “I’m fine” “Bonjour” “Bien” “Bimpa” “Jambo sana” “Muzuri”. It was a good experience. There is nothing like being home. I’ve been preaching my heart out too which is great. In the US I had plenty of opportunities to share about my life and what God is doing, but I sure did miss really preaching!
19 August 2009
Death - The Sad Entry
I was a little frustrated at having picked such a slow bus until I saw another bus that pulled up to Kapiri Mposhi right after my bus did. You have to understand African bus stops to understand this story. There are buses of all sizes and taxis everywhere parked in all different direction with no seeming order if they are passing through. If they are waiting to fill up each place has a section. There are a few stands set up where venders are selling things. But most of all there are dozens maybe even a hundred people with baskets full of items to sell and they rush up to every incoming bus and desperately try to sell anything they can to people on the bus before it takes off. When this other bus pulled up a seller who was by my bus quickly ran over to the other bus hoping to be the first one over to sell. The buses are huge and it’s hard to see. The situation is completely chaotic and anyway the general philosophy in Africa is people watch out for cars not the other way around. The other bus ran over that man. We tried to see over the crowd but couldn’t. The general consensus was the man must have died because we never saw him or heard him and no one tried to find a hospital or doctor. I am so thankful I was not riding the bus that killed someone. God was looking out for me.
It was not the first time I watched someone die. Scarcely has a week gone by without at least hearing of a death. On the trip I read a book called When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin. Godwin, born a white African, had this to say about it “In Africa you do not view death from the auditorium of life, as a spectator, but from the edge of the stage, waiting for your cue. You feel perishable, temporary, transient. You feel mortal. Maybe that is why you seem to live more vividly in Africa. The drama of life there is amplified but its constant proximity to death.” The book is about Zimbabwe’s recent collapse seen through his eyes and experiences. I witnessed the country go from the bread basket of Africa to a horrible place myself. I thought it was interesting that in the middle of the book I stayed at a guest house run by a wonderful white Zimbabwean. One who managed to get out unlike so many others.
When I arrived back in Congo I was greeted by all kinds of stories. Some students had graduated since I left. There was so much that happened in the half a year I had been gone. People had had babies or become pregnant. But the news that sticks with me the strongest is that Fidele, a wonderful Deacon at the church I attend, had lost his daughter Orneli. He was really the best person you could ever hope to meet. Studying to be a pastor, super friendly, and always serving everyone in any capacity he could. His daughter Orneli was about 2 and super outgoing just like her papa. I remember telling him that I thought Orneli would be a public performer some how because she just had the personality for it. Apparently she was fine on Sunday, dancing and singing in church as always, but Monday night she got sick and had a bad fever so they took her to the hospital where the doctors had no idea what was wrong with her so they sent her home. The fever didn’t go away so Fidel carried her to a better hospital farther away and just as they reach it she died in his arms. What a tragedy.
This is my sad entry, but there is more to come of joyous occasions filled with God’s goodness. Please keep Fidele and his wife and other 3 children in your prayers. The world needs our prayers and our help desperately. In this world we have so many troubles but take heart because Jesus has overcome the world. Some people believe things will continue to go from bad to worse, but I can’t accept that. I believe and cry out for things to get better and better. I thank God that for the first time in a really long time Eastern Congo has had peace from Congolese armies. God hears us and he answers.
It was not the first time I watched someone die. Scarcely has a week gone by without at least hearing of a death. On the trip I read a book called When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin. Godwin, born a white African, had this to say about it “In Africa you do not view death from the auditorium of life, as a spectator, but from the edge of the stage, waiting for your cue. You feel perishable, temporary, transient. You feel mortal. Maybe that is why you seem to live more vividly in Africa. The drama of life there is amplified but its constant proximity to death.” The book is about Zimbabwe’s recent collapse seen through his eyes and experiences. I witnessed the country go from the bread basket of Africa to a horrible place myself. I thought it was interesting that in the middle of the book I stayed at a guest house run by a wonderful white Zimbabwean. One who managed to get out unlike so many others.
When I arrived back in Congo I was greeted by all kinds of stories. Some students had graduated since I left. There was so much that happened in the half a year I had been gone. People had had babies or become pregnant. But the news that sticks with me the strongest is that Fidele, a wonderful Deacon at the church I attend, had lost his daughter Orneli. He was really the best person you could ever hope to meet. Studying to be a pastor, super friendly, and always serving everyone in any capacity he could. His daughter Orneli was about 2 and super outgoing just like her papa. I remember telling him that I thought Orneli would be a public performer some how because she just had the personality for it. Apparently she was fine on Sunday, dancing and singing in church as always, but Monday night she got sick and had a bad fever so they took her to the hospital where the doctors had no idea what was wrong with her so they sent her home. The fever didn’t go away so Fidel carried her to a better hospital farther away and just as they reach it she died in his arms. What a tragedy.
This is my sad entry, but there is more to come of joyous occasions filled with God’s goodness. Please keep Fidele and his wife and other 3 children in your prayers. The world needs our prayers and our help desperately. In this world we have so many troubles but take heart because Jesus has overcome the world. Some people believe things will continue to go from bad to worse, but I can’t accept that. I believe and cry out for things to get better and better. I thank God that for the first time in a really long time Eastern Congo has had peace from Congolese armies. God hears us and he answers.
17 August 2009
African Bus Rides
Public transportation is always an adventure. I was “booked” on the 9:00 bus from Kalomo to Lusaka but because the company gets more money from a person leaving from farther south they didn’t hold my spot. I couldn’t get on a bus until 12:30. At 7:30 we finally arrived and I got onto a taxi and headed for the guest house. In the morning my taxi driver didn’t come. I have no idea why. Thankfully, I have several numbers for taxi drivers in Lusaka and within 10 minutes was loading up a cab to head back to the bus station. I picked the first bus I found and then I waited for the bus to fill up. Four buses were all going to Solowezi at 6 but really none of them leave until later. I picked the slowest bus and it didn’t leave until 12:30 and I didn’t arrive until 8. I got in another taxi and I stayed the night which was nice to have one more night in Zambia. The next morning I got in another taxi and headed for the border between Zambia and Congo, After I crossed the border I entered yet another taxi that took me the 60 miles to Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga province. After that I got on yet another bus and headed 75 miles to Likasi where I live. I then took my final taxi to Kampumpi where my house is and was greeted by lots of friends.
So there are a few things you have to understand about African bus rides. The seats make airplane seats seem roomy. You are literally scrunched up against the person next to you the entire time. It’s bumpy and the drivers may or may not be any good. You make a lot of stops but it’s just to let people off and other people on. There is actually only one break for people to get off and buy food or use the bathroom. This creates a problem because now 50 people want to use the disgusting bathroom and there is a line. My solution is to drink less. I usually drink 500 milliliters in the morning and 500 in the afternoon. By the end of the afternoon though I get a slight dull headache, a dehydration headache. The headache is dull and for me a much better choice than the alternative.
Another thing to remember is the smells. Its dry season now so it’s burning time in Africa. This is the time of year when people begin to burn everywhere. They burn the fields with the maize husks and they burn the elephant grass and they burn and burn. Some say the burning leads to erosion and the nutritious top soil being blown away but others say it adds nutrients to the soil. I’m no agricultural expert so I don’t know if it does any good or not but they do it. Especially by the road side so the entire 2 days I smelled smoke. The other thing is there are lots of babies on the buses. These babies leave plenty of smelly surprises that their parents change. The changing part is the smelliest but they don’t have ziplock bags and they don’t use disposable diapers so the smell lingers the rest of the trip. These smells are coupled with plenty of BO and whatever food people happen to be eating.
I realize that I have way too much to say so I’ll break it up into sections. I’m back in Congo and after just one day’s normal work am sore. I know I’ll get used to it soon. Thanks for your prayers they helped me get here safely.
So there are a few things you have to understand about African bus rides. The seats make airplane seats seem roomy. You are literally scrunched up against the person next to you the entire time. It’s bumpy and the drivers may or may not be any good. You make a lot of stops but it’s just to let people off and other people on. There is actually only one break for people to get off and buy food or use the bathroom. This creates a problem because now 50 people want to use the disgusting bathroom and there is a line. My solution is to drink less. I usually drink 500 milliliters in the morning and 500 in the afternoon. By the end of the afternoon though I get a slight dull headache, a dehydration headache. The headache is dull and for me a much better choice than the alternative.
Another thing to remember is the smells. Its dry season now so it’s burning time in Africa. This is the time of year when people begin to burn everywhere. They burn the fields with the maize husks and they burn the elephant grass and they burn and burn. Some say the burning leads to erosion and the nutritious top soil being blown away but others say it adds nutrients to the soil. I’m no agricultural expert so I don’t know if it does any good or not but they do it. Especially by the road side so the entire 2 days I smelled smoke. The other thing is there are lots of babies on the buses. These babies leave plenty of smelly surprises that their parents change. The changing part is the smelliest but they don’t have ziplock bags and they don’t use disposable diapers so the smell lingers the rest of the trip. These smells are coupled with plenty of BO and whatever food people happen to be eating.
I realize that I have way too much to say so I’ll break it up into sections. I’m back in Congo and after just one day’s normal work am sore. I know I’ll get used to it soon. Thanks for your prayers they helped me get here safely.
09 August 2009
Off To Congo
I will leave my parent's house on Thursday and hopefully arrive at my house on Saturday. Please pray for my travels as anything can happen on public transportation rides to Congo. I know my Swahili and French are still in my mind but they have been pushed to the way back so pray I can pull them out and communicate on the way. I will have 3 inches of dust covering everything in my house (I predict) so cleaning it will be fun. Pray the transition goes great and God does great things. Thanks for your prayers.
I have been in Zambia for a wonderful 2 weeks. It has as always been full of good stories. A team came from the Outerbanks of North Carolina and we headed to see the great Victoria Falls. I picked the lodge we would stay in basically because they had wireless internet but of course the day we happened to be there it was down and I couldn't get online. Then we went to a restaurant and the electricity was out for we could only get drinks. Then the car broke down on the way home. It all worked out in the end though.
Then we went out to Mapampi to our orphanage. There is no electricity and it is pretty primitive. There were lots of new kids to meet and each one has a special story and is so precious. Unfortunately the new ones are pretty afraid of white people and 7 at once was just way too much. I guess because I speak some Tonga or maybe it was the fun games I came up with using oranges they warmed up to me really quickly.
It's the end of the term right now so the kids each brought us their test scores because they were so proud of them A's and B's for all that I saw. Unfortunately, most of the kids are really behind in school. Some of our kids are 12 years old and in 3 grade. Please pray that the orphanage will find a teacher who can help the kids catch up in school. Right before I got back one of my favorites, Constance, was extremely sick. She is HIV positive and death knocked at the door for weeks but she was released from the hospital the week I arrived here. It was incredible to play with her and see the miracle her life is and the testimony of God's goodness. She has been through so much but God has never left her and now she knows that which is priceless. I can't wait to open an orphanage in Congo. It'll be amazing to see God transforms lives there in a similar way.
I have been in Zambia for a wonderful 2 weeks. It has as always been full of good stories. A team came from the Outerbanks of North Carolina and we headed to see the great Victoria Falls. I picked the lodge we would stay in basically because they had wireless internet but of course the day we happened to be there it was down and I couldn't get online. Then we went to a restaurant and the electricity was out for we could only get drinks. Then the car broke down on the way home. It all worked out in the end though.
Then we went out to Mapampi to our orphanage. There is no electricity and it is pretty primitive. There were lots of new kids to meet and each one has a special story and is so precious. Unfortunately the new ones are pretty afraid of white people and 7 at once was just way too much. I guess because I speak some Tonga or maybe it was the fun games I came up with using oranges they warmed up to me really quickly.
It's the end of the term right now so the kids each brought us their test scores because they were so proud of them A's and B's for all that I saw. Unfortunately, most of the kids are really behind in school. Some of our kids are 12 years old and in 3 grade. Please pray that the orphanage will find a teacher who can help the kids catch up in school. Right before I got back one of my favorites, Constance, was extremely sick. She is HIV positive and death knocked at the door for weeks but she was released from the hospital the week I arrived here. It was incredible to play with her and see the miracle her life is and the testimony of God's goodness. She has been through so much but God has never left her and now she knows that which is priceless. I can't wait to open an orphanage in Congo. It'll be amazing to see God transforms lives there in a similar way.
27 July 2009
From London To Zambia
It has been a really long time since I have done this. About my time in the US I can say this: It was needed and very good.
I am writing this from the Heathrow airport in London because I am afraid I might just fall asleep and miss my flight if I do nothing. For the last couple of nights I had in the US I didn’t sleep much but I figured that would just make me sleepy and I would sleep on the plane but I didn’t sleep a wink. At 2AM Dallas time 8AM London time I exited the plane with a lot more energy than I now have. My plan for this time in London became John Wesley, so I decided to go to West Minister Abby, the Methodist Cathedral, and Wesley’s Chapel. It was incredible. If you ever go to London I would seriously recommend Wesley’s Chapel. I was able to see John Wesley’s house, chapel he preached at every morning, his grave, his prayer room, and much much more. It was a mystical experience I must admit. I would probably deny it but… I was tearing up just a little bit at certain parts. The kingdom of God being expanded in amazing ways just gets me. I could go on and on about social justice and the letters Wesley wrote to Wilberforce encouraging him to not give up on his fight against slavery, or how in the Methodist movement there was finally a place for women and they started shaking the Kingdom, as in the famous quote, “the world was his parish” it wasn’t about building a church, but living the gospel to the deepest level- the level no one can see but God. It was about missions and reaching every tribe and tongue. It was about love, community, breaking worthless traditions, and doing things nobody had ever done before. It was the start of so much that I am so grateful for. I even saw the very chair he used to sit in and write the books that I read today. I saw a portion of his personal book collection and who would have guessed it, we have a lot of the same taste in books ;)
I am now in Zambia writing this. I arrived only 40 minutes late with all of my luggage and no problems with customs! Thankfully, I slept for the 4 hour car ride home to Kalomo and all night long. Then I went to church here in Kalomo, and it was a little different because there is a new pastor and some of my favorite people have moved away from Kalomo mostly following work. The tri nations rugby tournament is on (I’ve been watching the highlights of games I missed) and SA is dominating! It was so wonderful to sing in Swahili, Bemba, and Tonga again. My little 2 year old buddy, Prince, asked his mom if he could sit with me during church. I thought he would have forgotten me, but nope I’m still his favorite. Lucky for me their isn’t a lot of competition, who else has weird white skin?
A team from North Carolina is coming to Kalomo on Wednesday. My parents are going to pick them up, but I’ll stay behind to spend some more time with friends and cook supper for everyone. It should be a great time in Zambia with plenty of ministry going on. Then I’ll go back to Congo around August 14, maybe. I’ll keep you guys informed.
I just wanted to thank you all for making my trip to the US wonderful. Thanks for making my life possible through your prayers and donations! Please keep praying I know God has great things in store, because hey, He’s just a pretty great person!
I am writing this from the Heathrow airport in London because I am afraid I might just fall asleep and miss my flight if I do nothing. For the last couple of nights I had in the US I didn’t sleep much but I figured that would just make me sleepy and I would sleep on the plane but I didn’t sleep a wink. At 2AM Dallas time 8AM London time I exited the plane with a lot more energy than I now have. My plan for this time in London became John Wesley, so I decided to go to West Minister Abby, the Methodist Cathedral, and Wesley’s Chapel. It was incredible. If you ever go to London I would seriously recommend Wesley’s Chapel. I was able to see John Wesley’s house, chapel he preached at every morning, his grave, his prayer room, and much much more. It was a mystical experience I must admit. I would probably deny it but… I was tearing up just a little bit at certain parts. The kingdom of God being expanded in amazing ways just gets me. I could go on and on about social justice and the letters Wesley wrote to Wilberforce encouraging him to not give up on his fight against slavery, or how in the Methodist movement there was finally a place for women and they started shaking the Kingdom, as in the famous quote, “the world was his parish” it wasn’t about building a church, but living the gospel to the deepest level- the level no one can see but God. It was about missions and reaching every tribe and tongue. It was about love, community, breaking worthless traditions, and doing things nobody had ever done before. It was the start of so much that I am so grateful for. I even saw the very chair he used to sit in and write the books that I read today. I saw a portion of his personal book collection and who would have guessed it, we have a lot of the same taste in books ;)
I am now in Zambia writing this. I arrived only 40 minutes late with all of my luggage and no problems with customs! Thankfully, I slept for the 4 hour car ride home to Kalomo and all night long. Then I went to church here in Kalomo, and it was a little different because there is a new pastor and some of my favorite people have moved away from Kalomo mostly following work. The tri nations rugby tournament is on (I’ve been watching the highlights of games I missed) and SA is dominating! It was so wonderful to sing in Swahili, Bemba, and Tonga again. My little 2 year old buddy, Prince, asked his mom if he could sit with me during church. I thought he would have forgotten me, but nope I’m still his favorite. Lucky for me their isn’t a lot of competition, who else has weird white skin?
A team from North Carolina is coming to Kalomo on Wednesday. My parents are going to pick them up, but I’ll stay behind to spend some more time with friends and cook supper for everyone. It should be a great time in Zambia with plenty of ministry going on. Then I’ll go back to Congo around August 14, maybe. I’ll keep you guys informed.
I just wanted to thank you all for making my trip to the US wonderful. Thanks for making my life possible through your prayers and donations! Please keep praying I know God has great things in store, because hey, He’s just a pretty great person!
22 February 2009
Zambia
This past week has been incredible. I arrived in Zambia without any difficulties. A couple of my friends are here from America so that has been nice. We took a trip to go visit some of my friends who live here in Zambia and that was great. The only bad part was havign top take the two wheel drive van on dirt roads in rainy season. Thankfully we never got stuck.
I leave on Thursday and arrive in the US on Friday. It hasn't hit me yet. Seeing as this is about my life in Congo my blog will be postponed until I get back to Africa in July. Thanks for all of your prayers and please pray that I have safe and good travels.
I leave on Thursday and arrive in the US on Friday. It hasn't hit me yet. Seeing as this is about my life in Congo my blog will be postponed until I get back to Africa in July. Thanks for all of your prayers and please pray that I have safe and good travels.
10 February 2009
Today My Friend Died: In memory of Da Ladie
I went to Panda to say good bye to some friends and after walking through the rain and mud got home and started packing up my house. Then I received a text message “Da Ladie est morte.” My heart sank into a million pieces. Death is hard here because there is little warning and no closure. We will never know why she died and certainly were not expecting it. I gave her $40 so the doctors could run every test they have available to try to find out what is wrong with her. The results were due today. She was my friend. I did everything I could to help but it wasn’t enough.
The worst part is everyone will believe she died from being witched and the devil will get glory. She was married to a man from Kasai and in their culture if their wife ever tries to marry another man regardless of the circumstances a curse is placed upon her and she dies. Da Ladie’s husband left her 5 years ago and in that time never even bothered to call her. She met another man and planned to marry him. Her husband finally came back for a visit and when she told him she had found someone else he repeated the tradition to her and said “you will die.” It’s hard for an American to grasp the power of curses and witchcraft but I promise you it is very much a reality. Of course God is greater but for many people their faith lies more in tradition than in the Word of God. The whole family was coming around and putting their faith in Jesus and now it’s like they saw Him fail them. I pray they have the wisdom to stand with Jesus even in this confusing and painful time.
The best part is she was living a life of sin without Jesus on her mind until I met her. The last time I saw her she openly confessed and repented of her sins and proclaimed Jesus to be her Lord and Savior. I know she is in heaven right now with Jesus crying Holy Holy Holy with the angels free from the pain and turmoil that plagued her here. And I know that through our encounters they came to know the love of God in a new way.
She leaves behind seven year old twin girls. They will live with their grandmother who already takes care of her son’s children who died a few years ago. I don’t know if they will be able to go to school and I know their grandmother has trouble finding enough food to feed her family already. I so badly want to have an orphanage here so I can take those 2 little girls and promise them love, food, shelter, and a future. I want to build God’s kingdom and show His love by giving people some hope and I know an orphanage will do that.
As I am trying to mourn her death and celebrate her life I know this was not the first friend I have lost and sadly will not be the last. I wish I had a better grip on how God thinks and why some times things don’t turn out how I hope they would. Good bye Da Ladie and I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to you that you would pull through.
04 February 2009
Government Stuff
I’ve been really busy recently going to government offices trying to get information. These things take a lot of time and the worst part is you never know if what they are telling you is the truth or not. I went all the way to Lubumbashi on buses filled to twice their capacity on the only free day I had for a meeting at 3PM. Of course it was wishful thinking to believing it was actually possible to schedule a meeting and it actually work out. It was one thing after another “wait a little while longer” over and over again. There ended up being no meeting because I could only wait so long I was preaching at the midweek service.
I went to the labor office and they, thank God, had a book on all the laws regarding working in Congo. When I asked about it they told me to go to a local bookstore they are selling them for $50. The pastor I was with went to negotiating and explaining this is for the church and he agreed to allow us to photocopy it and bring it back. When we were photocopying the book we saw stamped on numerous pages “not to be sold” but this is Congo. I looked over it while I was waiting and was extremely irritated that on the same page that stated women must be treated with equality it also said under no circumstances can a woman work at night. I’m sure the idea is protection as it is not safe to walk around at night time but please how horrible to impede on half the population’s freedom by not making any exceptions. It makes me really happy that I “work” at night teaching English so at least in a miniscule way I am proving how ridiculous that law is.
I leave Likasi on Wednesday go to Zambia Thursday and will make it to Kalomo on Friday. I am already starting to transition. I shook a child’s hand and asked “kwaamba”? much to the child’s confusion because it’s a Tonga greeting. One more week to go and I hope it’s amazing.
I went to the labor office and they, thank God, had a book on all the laws regarding working in Congo. When I asked about it they told me to go to a local bookstore they are selling them for $50. The pastor I was with went to negotiating and explaining this is for the church and he agreed to allow us to photocopy it and bring it back. When we were photocopying the book we saw stamped on numerous pages “not to be sold” but this is Congo. I looked over it while I was waiting and was extremely irritated that on the same page that stated women must be treated with equality it also said under no circumstances can a woman work at night. I’m sure the idea is protection as it is not safe to walk around at night time but please how horrible to impede on half the population’s freedom by not making any exceptions. It makes me really happy that I “work” at night teaching English so at least in a miniscule way I am proving how ridiculous that law is.
I leave Likasi on Wednesday go to Zambia Thursday and will make it to Kalomo on Friday. I am already starting to transition. I shook a child’s hand and asked “kwaamba”? much to the child’s confusion because it’s a Tonga greeting. One more week to go and I hope it’s amazing.
26 January 2009
January 24th, a historical day
I started off January 24th like any other day. At 8:30 I headed off to meet Pastor Kabamba to get started. As we began to walk to Shituru he shared the awful news that a member of our church had died the previous day. She died from high blood pressure or so they say. Its so sad how many people die from things that are treatable. She was a wonderful lady in her early 40’s with a baby boy less than 2 years old who unlike many of the children here was thankfully not afraid of white people and actually insisted on me holding him whenever I came over. She had a great sense of humor and was an encouragement to everyone she met. I had visited her from time to time and knew she was sick but because they always said it was high blood pressure it never occurred to me that she would die especially not so soon.
It was difficult to shake the frustrations of death and illnesses in the third world because in Shituru we were visiting Da Ladin. She is the aunt of the former prostitute. It turns out the entire family is in very poor health and there is a deep problem with sexual sins like a generational curse. Da Ladin was the second wife to a man from Kasai. Apparently he decided he hated her even after 7 years of marriage and kicked her out. He threatened to steal their twin daughters and take them to Kasai to be raised by his first wife. That would of course mean that the mother would never see them again and that the girls would not be treated fairly by the other wife. She had also developed I’m guessing an allergy or something that caused her entire body to swell. It was so bad she couldn’t walk or open her eyes. She said the doctors had advised her to take antibiotics but she had no money. I bought her the medicine and since then the swelling has been steadily going down. The entire family came to church on Sunday. It was a beautiful sight to see so many people who had given up hope for things ever getting better and had decided to follow their own paths instead of the ways of Jesus returning back to the fold with a new glimmer in their eyes that said clearly they had found a glimmer of hope at last.
We walked and walked and walked all day long. We went all over the city visiting the sick, discouraged, and those seeking truth. We must have walked 15 to 20 kilometers but it was worth every step to share the gospel with people. My message for 2009 has come from the book of Joshua. In the places I preach weekly I’ve been taking story after story from the book to explain what a believer must do to walk in victory. For the people I met briefly I shared only Chapter 1:7-9. My message is simple the answer to walking in victory is guard yourself from the devil’s tactics of discouragement and fear which will prevent you from working from God, instead be strong and courageous ready to do the will of God. Study the Bible constantly and be careful to follow God’s will for your life as sin will open the door for the devil to destroy your life. It was funny after I had said it all day in broken Swahili it was difficult to explain it in English to my sister when I talked to her on the phone. I guess that’s a good sign.
In the midst of our walking around we began to hear people making the sounds of celebration and heard the wonderful news that General Laurent Nkunda, the notorious rebel leader in Eastern Congo, had been captured by Rwanda! Nkunda began his campaign around the same time the Second Congo War was finally finishing up. He took to stealing children for his army and doing unspeakable things to civilians to earn “respect”. To explain him in a word he was evil very evil. He contributed to the deaths of over a million people not by bullets alone but mostly disease that without his tactics and war would have lived. In less than the past year he caused well over half a million people to flee for their lives. He was evil and a huge determent to peace in Congo. I thank God he was captured. In Lubumbashi there was dancing in the streets, school was cancelled and so was work in honor of this victory.
It is an interesting thing to be in a country when a war ends. The celebrations here were all filled with skepticism because they have heard it all before. Ever since the First Congo War began the promise of peace has always been promised and many agreements signed and people captured but unfortunately never held up. You could see it in their eyes they hoped maybe just maybe this was it but their memories told them it probably wouldn’t last.
There is another problem brewing in Eastern Congo. The notorious Lord’s Resistance Army of Northern Uganda has for many years been hiding in various places in the jungle of Congo. Congo has been so volatile there was nothing it could do to stop the terrorists of its neighbor (who was by the way continually invading them to steal their gold). For the most part they hid there only until last year. This past year over 400 children have been abducted from Congo and over 500 civilian brutality murders with the ruthless tactics the LRA is notorious for.
I couldn’t help but reflect upon my day realizing it was a historical one. In so many ways a day of victory both through the ministry I accomplished that day and the nation accomplished by capturing such an evil rebel leader. It was encouraging and exciting to realize God is truly moving in Congo. The other depressing problems here cannot discourage me because that is exactly what the devil wants for people to believe the situation is hopeless. Instead like Joshua I have determined to be strong an courageous and even though only “Jericho and Ai” have been taken declare the whole land for the glory of God. God had already promised everywhere your foot treads will be yours. I guess I need to start walking 15 to 20 kilometers everyday.
It was difficult to shake the frustrations of death and illnesses in the third world because in Shituru we were visiting Da Ladin. She is the aunt of the former prostitute. It turns out the entire family is in very poor health and there is a deep problem with sexual sins like a generational curse. Da Ladin was the second wife to a man from Kasai. Apparently he decided he hated her even after 7 years of marriage and kicked her out. He threatened to steal their twin daughters and take them to Kasai to be raised by his first wife. That would of course mean that the mother would never see them again and that the girls would not be treated fairly by the other wife. She had also developed I’m guessing an allergy or something that caused her entire body to swell. It was so bad she couldn’t walk or open her eyes. She said the doctors had advised her to take antibiotics but she had no money. I bought her the medicine and since then the swelling has been steadily going down. The entire family came to church on Sunday. It was a beautiful sight to see so many people who had given up hope for things ever getting better and had decided to follow their own paths instead of the ways of Jesus returning back to the fold with a new glimmer in their eyes that said clearly they had found a glimmer of hope at last.
We walked and walked and walked all day long. We went all over the city visiting the sick, discouraged, and those seeking truth. We must have walked 15 to 20 kilometers but it was worth every step to share the gospel with people. My message for 2009 has come from the book of Joshua. In the places I preach weekly I’ve been taking story after story from the book to explain what a believer must do to walk in victory. For the people I met briefly I shared only Chapter 1:7-9. My message is simple the answer to walking in victory is guard yourself from the devil’s tactics of discouragement and fear which will prevent you from working from God, instead be strong and courageous ready to do the will of God. Study the Bible constantly and be careful to follow God’s will for your life as sin will open the door for the devil to destroy your life. It was funny after I had said it all day in broken Swahili it was difficult to explain it in English to my sister when I talked to her on the phone. I guess that’s a good sign.
In the midst of our walking around we began to hear people making the sounds of celebration and heard the wonderful news that General Laurent Nkunda, the notorious rebel leader in Eastern Congo, had been captured by Rwanda! Nkunda began his campaign around the same time the Second Congo War was finally finishing up. He took to stealing children for his army and doing unspeakable things to civilians to earn “respect”. To explain him in a word he was evil very evil. He contributed to the deaths of over a million people not by bullets alone but mostly disease that without his tactics and war would have lived. In less than the past year he caused well over half a million people to flee for their lives. He was evil and a huge determent to peace in Congo. I thank God he was captured. In Lubumbashi there was dancing in the streets, school was cancelled and so was work in honor of this victory.
It is an interesting thing to be in a country when a war ends. The celebrations here were all filled with skepticism because they have heard it all before. Ever since the First Congo War began the promise of peace has always been promised and many agreements signed and people captured but unfortunately never held up. You could see it in their eyes they hoped maybe just maybe this was it but their memories told them it probably wouldn’t last.
There is another problem brewing in Eastern Congo. The notorious Lord’s Resistance Army of Northern Uganda has for many years been hiding in various places in the jungle of Congo. Congo has been so volatile there was nothing it could do to stop the terrorists of its neighbor (who was by the way continually invading them to steal their gold). For the most part they hid there only until last year. This past year over 400 children have been abducted from Congo and over 500 civilian brutality murders with the ruthless tactics the LRA is notorious for.
I couldn’t help but reflect upon my day realizing it was a historical one. In so many ways a day of victory both through the ministry I accomplished that day and the nation accomplished by capturing such an evil rebel leader. It was encouraging and exciting to realize God is truly moving in Congo. The other depressing problems here cannot discourage me because that is exactly what the devil wants for people to believe the situation is hopeless. Instead like Joshua I have determined to be strong an courageous and even though only “Jericho and Ai” have been taken declare the whole land for the glory of God. God had already promised everywhere your foot treads will be yours. I guess I need to start walking 15 to 20 kilometers everyday.
19 January 2009
Basanga
An amazing thing happened on Friday. I pushed a switch and a light came on! The next morning a pushed a button and had coffee. Everything has suddenly become easier and faster in my life. Instead of going outside in the morning to start a fire to get hot water for making coffee I only have to push a button. Of course there are still the daily outages for whatever length of time. Sunday it went out at 6AM and came back on at 10PM but somehow that doesn’t seem so bad any more.
I got a phone call at 9PM from someone in my church asking me if I wanted to go with them to a traditional ceremony for the Basanga tribe in a small village called Pande. It was a little bit hard to understand her over the phone but after switching between Swahili and French a few times I got it and agreed to go. Of course they told me we would leave at 6 and come back at 11 but we left at 8 and came back at 3. I tried my best to understand the purpose of the ceremony and what I could gather was the Paramount Chief of the Basanga people declared January 13 a holiday after his father (the former Paramount Chief) died on that day.
Like most African tribal celebrations there is a lot of traditional beer to go around and plenty of dancing to the beat of the drums. And then of course the chiefs do their best to wear “traditional clothing”. There is no real program beyond the fact that everyone knows there will be a time given to honor the chiefs, the honorary guests, plenty of dancing, and eventually food. I would have thought the chief would have made a grand speech to his subjects but he seemed content to sit in his high chair and allow people to pose with him for a picture but only if they bowed first and showed respect. Because it was in honor of the former chief he had his own chair with a picture of the now dead paramount chief in the chair. Of course mention was made about how the spirit of the dead chief was among us and helping his son be a good chief now.
The traditional clothing was amusing. Each chief had a tail they used as a scepter. Hair was collected from an animal and in some cases the tail cut off then the hair or tail was fitted into a handle so the chief could wave it around and point at things with it. The hair/tails came from a variety of animals but the amusing part was the handles. Some had authentic looking naturally made according to tradition handles, but some of the people used modern umbrella, broom, or mop handles. In a more obvious manner of modern meets traditional each chief wore his best clothes and overtop of them his traditional costume. So that meant men were wearing suits with a colorful skirt overtop of it and maybe a few strips of animal fur over the suit jacket and some a Mobutu style hat made of animal skin (although not leopard skin) and others traditional beads were somewhere attached to the costume. Interestingly enough the paramount chief did not dress in any traditional clothes or in a suit. He did however boast a Stanley exploration hat. I found this incredibly amusing because not only was Henry Stanley a horrible man who deeply abused the Congolese people but his entrance constituted the end of the Basanga kingdom as they knew it by imposing total submission to King Leopold or death.
They had their own form of a kegger. A giant drum where each lady in the village would bring the pot of traditional beer she had made and dump it in until it was full. In sticking with tradition there were also 6 huge gourds with the tops cut off that were filled with the traditional beer. The tops of the gourds were used as cups and each was filled and passed around to the group of well over 500 people (although many were children and were not permitted to drink the beer). For the visitors there was also modern Simba beer and D’Jina soft drinks available. The paramount chief being more of a whiskey man than a beer drinker was provided with his drink of choice, Sprite, maybe it was spiked with whiskey for him.
The dancing was typical of what I have seen elsewhere in Africa. They have an amazing ability to move their butts and hips in ways you wouldn’t think possible. I noticed before each person danced they tied a kikwembe (colorful wrap) around their waists. If they didn’t someone would tie one around them while they were dancing. Someone explained to me that was the secret. If you had the kikwembe tied around your waist it was easy to move your hips and butt the right way. Somehow I don’t think it would have helped me at all. The dancing is often a woman beckoning a man with her hands as they dance and he then approaches. Then they will turn it around and the woman will back away and the man will beckon her to approach. If that get too close another dancer will come to distract them or break them up. Some times the men dance with the men and the women with the women. I guess they dance close together and pull off of each others energies and moves but some times when the men danced together it looked so homosexual. If I had been any place but Africa I would have never believed the men were straight.
The food served began with trays of little meat pieces. It wasn’t the kind of meat pieces we would expect though. From what I could see they only served inners. The people preparing the food must have worked really hard on at least some of it because intestines were carefully wrapped around to give either a nice look or an easier way to eat it. I’m not sure. I saw one tray being passed around that I at first thought was full of roasted caterpillars which I would have eaten. Upon further investigation I quickly discovered it was roasted innards as opposed to the boiled innards that had just been passed. Afterwards there was the typical meal bukari (corn mush), rice because it was a special occasion, and chicken. Normally there would have also been a leaf to eat either sweet potato leaves, squash leaves, or the favorite cassava leaves but not today. I was a little disappointed.
The few times that people spoke they spoke in Kisanga and someone interpreted it into French. The traditional languages are dying in Congo and that was evident by how many people I heard speaking to each other in Swahili and French instead of Kisanga in general conversations. When I asked them about it they explained it was easier to understand Kisanga than to speak it. Although people are constantly trying to convince me that I need to learn Kisanga I have no intention of doing so since it is a dying language and Congo has 5 other very alive languages in which I actually need to learn. I have picked up just a few words that are the same as the Bemba language spoken by the largest tribe in Zambia. The one word I have learned is twasanta, thank you. It is amazing how knowing literally one word in someone’s language can make them so happy. When I thanked the chief before leaving with twasanta everyone cheered for me and explained that I was becoming a Basanga and they were so excited. Hopefully they don’t get disappointed over time when I don’t add anything to my vocabulary.
I realize this entry is incredibly long but I wanted to give you the full picture of the ceremony. I have finally finalized my plans and I will be leaving Congo on February 12 and leaving Zambia on February 26. I’m really looking forward to it except for the weather. I feel cold right now in the mornings of full blown summer in Congo so I don’t know how I’ll make it in American winter even if it is Texas.
06 January 2009
The Holiday Season
I finally started seeing a few signs of Christmas starting on the the 22. A few trees in shops and some homes had homemade decorations made from paper. I tried to greet everyone with joyeux noel but they just laughed at me and would say “bon fete.” For some reason people here like to say “Good Feast” or “Good Party” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Another thing I found interesting is that instead of saying “Happy New Year” people here say “Good Year.” It’s different but I kind of like it. I like proclaiming that the New Year will be a good year.
I found out that Da Gracia finally got up the courage to get tested for HIV and was found to be negative! God is so good. It is nearly impossible to be a prostitute in this area and not contract AIDS.
Before Christmas I met a boy about 17 named Ebi. He stumbled upon our church during a prayer meeting and decided to come in. It turns out his father was killed by Rwandan soldiers in the war when Ebi was younger. His mother died shortly after their family returned to Likasi. I guess the effects of the war and the lose of her husband was too much for her to bear. Shortly after that Ebi lost his 2 younger siblings. Life has been extremely hard for him as he daily deals with the trauma of having lived in a war zone, losing most of his family, and living with poor relatives who barely have enough money to feed him. He is only in 7th grade because there is rarely enough money to put him through school. He has recently begun struggling with thoughts of suicide and so much fear. He described how he would hear voices telling him he should kill himself of that eh was about to die. Because his mom and siblings died somewhat mysteriously he is scared out of his mind that it will happen to him too and at the same time increases his suspicions that his life is hopeless and he might as well end it. He suffered from migraines that never seemed to go away as well as other frequent illnesses. He was desperate for anything to help him when he entered our church that Wednesday evening. I was surprised to see this new person weeping as he cried out to God with all earnestness. It has been incredible to see Ebi’s transformation. He went from a scared boy ready to kill himself to a boy filled with hope and faith in God. It took a few weeks but with some encouragement and a lot of prayer he realized that God had a purpose for His life and desired to help him and loves him so much. I can’t help but wonder how many more kids there are in this country like Ebi. Their situations seem so hopeless and horrible but Jesus can change everything in someone’s life.
I still don’t have electricity. Someone actually worked on it for about 4 days in a row and did get a couple of houses in the area connected. Since New Years he hasn’t bothered to come back to work though. It’ll sure be nice to have it again.
When my parents were on their way back home from visiting me I decided to accompany them as far as Chingola the Zambian city just across the border for one night. It was incredible to be able to live with electricity, running water, speak English, and be able to go to a grocery store. I also enjoyed having an extra day with my parents.
I think I have mastered the border and the crazy corrupt border officials. Of course knowing more Swahili and having my proper permanent visa sure helps. It also helps that I have documentation stating that I am a missionary. Congolese have a lot of respect for missionaries which is such a blessing.
It was incredible being able to speak in English constantly when my parents were here. It was also really encouraging because normally I know the least Swahili out of everyone so it always feels like I haven’t learned enough but my parents knew absolutely nothing so it made me realize how much I’ve learned. Everything went really great while they were here and I think they really enjoyed themselves even with the lack of conveniences.
The more I think about 2009 the more excited about it I am. Time seems to be moving so quickly. I can hardly believe next month I’ll be going back to Zambia and on the last day of the month back in the USA. The only downside is how cold it is going to be. I just hope it doesn’t snow.
I found out that Da Gracia finally got up the courage to get tested for HIV and was found to be negative! God is so good. It is nearly impossible to be a prostitute in this area and not contract AIDS.
Before Christmas I met a boy about 17 named Ebi. He stumbled upon our church during a prayer meeting and decided to come in. It turns out his father was killed by Rwandan soldiers in the war when Ebi was younger. His mother died shortly after their family returned to Likasi. I guess the effects of the war and the lose of her husband was too much for her to bear. Shortly after that Ebi lost his 2 younger siblings. Life has been extremely hard for him as he daily deals with the trauma of having lived in a war zone, losing most of his family, and living with poor relatives who barely have enough money to feed him. He is only in 7th grade because there is rarely enough money to put him through school. He has recently begun struggling with thoughts of suicide and so much fear. He described how he would hear voices telling him he should kill himself of that eh was about to die. Because his mom and siblings died somewhat mysteriously he is scared out of his mind that it will happen to him too and at the same time increases his suspicions that his life is hopeless and he might as well end it. He suffered from migraines that never seemed to go away as well as other frequent illnesses. He was desperate for anything to help him when he entered our church that Wednesday evening. I was surprised to see this new person weeping as he cried out to God with all earnestness. It has been incredible to see Ebi’s transformation. He went from a scared boy ready to kill himself to a boy filled with hope and faith in God. It took a few weeks but with some encouragement and a lot of prayer he realized that God had a purpose for His life and desired to help him and loves him so much. I can’t help but wonder how many more kids there are in this country like Ebi. Their situations seem so hopeless and horrible but Jesus can change everything in someone’s life.
I still don’t have electricity. Someone actually worked on it for about 4 days in a row and did get a couple of houses in the area connected. Since New Years he hasn’t bothered to come back to work though. It’ll sure be nice to have it again.
When my parents were on their way back home from visiting me I decided to accompany them as far as Chingola the Zambian city just across the border for one night. It was incredible to be able to live with electricity, running water, speak English, and be able to go to a grocery store. I also enjoyed having an extra day with my parents.
I think I have mastered the border and the crazy corrupt border officials. Of course knowing more Swahili and having my proper permanent visa sure helps. It also helps that I have documentation stating that I am a missionary. Congolese have a lot of respect for missionaries which is such a blessing.
It was incredible being able to speak in English constantly when my parents were here. It was also really encouraging because normally I know the least Swahili out of everyone so it always feels like I haven’t learned enough but my parents knew absolutely nothing so it made me realize how much I’ve learned. Everything went really great while they were here and I think they really enjoyed themselves even with the lack of conveniences.
The more I think about 2009 the more excited about it I am. Time seems to be moving so quickly. I can hardly believe next month I’ll be going back to Zambia and on the last day of the month back in the USA. The only downside is how cold it is going to be. I just hope it doesn’t snow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)