Sheri's Congo Adventure

Rain

2011-11-18T10:12:00.000+02:00

Although I lived in Maryland when I was very young, I have mainly lived in Zambia, Kenya, Oklahoma, Texas, and Congo. Where I lived in Zambia is on the border of being a drought area. Most of my friends and neighbors were farmers so we always prayed for rain and thanked God each time it fell. Somehow the beautiful afternoon showers that cooled down the weather always left you wanting a bit more. I then moved to Kenya when it was going through a period of drought. We rejoiced when we would get randomly soaked through and through because the rain was such a blessing. Then I moved to Oklahoma and Texas while they were experiencing drought. The rain seemed to rarely make an appearance and whenever it did I was always grateful. Of course I could have done without the snow.

But now I live in Congo when the rain shows up far too often and seems to accomplish nothing. By the time August comes around there is so much dust everywhere it’s almost unbelievable. Having spent nearly all of my life on the African continent I’ve become well accustomed to dirt and dust, but Congo dirt is special. Somehow there is just more of it and it sticks and clings to you unrelentingly no matter how hard you scrub. I’ve literally walked in dust over a foot deep here. So when September rolls around and we get a few rain showers it’s beautiful. It cools things down, gets rid of the dust, and miraculously turns brown into green nearly everywhere.

October is fine, but there is always a point in November when the rain becomes annoying. Now is that point. It starts to rain through the night and nearly every afternoon. The temperature never seems to get higher than 75 (which over here is winter weather!). We have crazy lightning storms that hit mostly trees but occasionally people. Mud is everywhere! The roads become impassible (even the main highways since they aren’t paved) without 4 wheel drive and even then people are getting stuck everywhere you look.

Then when you don’t think it could get any worse December comes along. It starts to rain some mornings as well as every afternoon and most nights. Usually January seems to be the worst but some times it carries into February. It rains all morning, all afternoon, and all night. We literally had 3 weeks of straight rain last year.

Almost no one in this area is a farmer. Nearly everyone does mining. The rains causes hand dug artisanal pits to collapse killing lots of people. The rains drive up the mining companies’ expenses because the roads cannot transport the minerals they are producing, dilutes acid used for producing hydroxides, and prevents machinery from running safely. People can’t get their clothes dry on a clothes line. Mosquitoes are breading in every nearby puddle taunting us all with their malaria and dengue fever carrying potential. Cholera and typhoid fever break out all over the place due to the water run off spreading sewage. Because people are inside more to avoid the rain colds and the flu spread like wild fire. Satellite internet goes out due to the storms. Our jobs come to a stand still, everyone looses money, people are unhealthy, and it’s just plain miserable.

My wise friend, Albert, a Congolese businessperson, informed me “We have only 2 seasons in Congo, the dust season and the mud season. I don’t know which is worse.” So for the first time in my life I’m hoping the rain will go away! March cannot come soon enough!

Hospital

2011-11-16T10:04:00.004+02:00

On Monday I started to feel sick after lunch. I figured it was nothing. Sadly, the pain became worse and worse and I couldn’t sleep at all. It hurt to stand, to sit, but even worse to lie down. I had fever and chills and the worst pain in my abdomen. Finally at 2pm I couldn’t take it any longer so I got our on site doctor. I had to walk about 300 yards to our clinic and I barely made it. It hurt to breath and much worse to walk. The doctor thought it was appendicitis. He gave me a shot that did absolutely nothing for me. The pain just kept getting worse. Finally when my boss woke up I told him I had to go to a hospital. At 9am we left.

It’s rainy season and the main highways here are dirt roads so that means the roads are in terrible condition right now. Every bump was excruciatingly painful. I was wincing and grimacing like I never had before. Then the car broke down for no apparent reason. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere with no plan for what to do. Luckily, not 10 minutes after we broke down an expat friend of mine was driving past and offered to take me to the hospital. I endured more terrible bumps and slipping and sliding in the mud until we finally reached the hospital.

I went to Mumi Hospital which is run by Glencore, a Swiss company that is the world’s largest mineral trading company. It was supposed to be the best in the area and happened to be the closest as well. I filled out the paper work and then started answering questions in Swahili. The problem is when you’re learning a language if you’ve never been in a situation before you won’t have the vocabulary to deal with it. It was so frustrating trying to communicate what I was feeling in Swahili. All I could say was “My stomach really hurts!”

They ran some tests and concluded I had an infection that had caused the inflammation of my abdomen muscle. They started treating me with antibiotics and anti inflammatory drugs. They wanted to keep me for 4 days until I had finished the meds they needed to inject into my veins. Since we have an on site doctor I convinced them to release me into his care.

So the next day I went back to the mine feeling better. I woke up on Thursday morning with pain in my back. I hoped it would go away but it just got worse and worse. The pain continued to be terrible until Saturday. From them on I’ve felt human again. I am so happy to be feeling better!

I’ve had a lot of strange, scary, stressful experiences in Congo, but I think this one takes the cake. It’s horrible to be alone when you’re sick. It’s horrible to be in a third world country when you’re sick. It’s horrible to deal with health care in a foreign language. The worse part was just not knowing what was wrong or how serious it actually was. I am so grateful for all of my friends who prayed for me. I know God healed me from whatever it was that I had. Thank you all and thank you Jesus!

Rock of Ages Part 2

2011-10-23T16:48:00.003+02:00

Nothing in my hand I bring,

simply to the cross I cling;

naked, come to thee for dress;

helpless, look to thee for grace;

foul, I to the fountain fly;

wash me, Savior, or I die.

Nothing in my hand I bring reminded me of something I was taught while at college. I was taught the concept of “receipting” and no I’m not making it up. Apparently if you want God to heal you or bless you or give you more money you need to do good things like tithe, pray, read your Bible, help the old lady across the street, etc. After you do a good deed you need to write it down. Then when you pray you can show God your “receipt” and tell Him He has to bless you since you did good things. In case you didn’t catch that it’s called salvation through works and probably more resembles the idea of karma than anything Christianity teaches. But what makes Christianity so beautiful is grace. Jesus didn’t heal people because they deserved it! Jesus healed people because he had mercy on them and because they had the faith to receive it. Jesus didn’t die on the cross because we deserved it! There is nothing in my hand I bring but simply to the cross I cling! It would be like if someone brought filthy rags to pay for gold! I don’t come to God with anything in my hand or with any need to remind God of my righteousness. I come clinging to the cross. I come hidden with God in Christ.

Naked come to thee for dress will always make me think of the letter to the church in Laodicea from Revelation 3. “You say, 'I am rich and well off; I have all I need.' But you do not know how miserable and pitiful you are! You are poor, naked, and blind.” God is saying to all people regardless of your material wealth you can still be poor, naked, and blind spiritually. “I advise you, then, to buy gold from me, pure gold, in order to be rich. Buy also white clothing to dress yourself and cover up your shameful nakedness. Buy also some ointment to put on your eyes, so that you may see.” Only God can provide the solution to these spiritual problems.

Helpless look to thee for grace makes me think of Romans 7. Paul says “For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it.” We must all recognize how hopelessly lost we are without God, the sacrifice of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. The church has taught us to be people of discipline. We are told to use will power and discipline to prevent ourselves from sinning. We will do better, but we will never succeed. The only hope we have is that the Holy Spirit will transform our hearts so we can desire the right things. By ourselves we are helpless but with the grace of God nothing is impossible.

Foul… how often have you thought of yourself as foul? You know people say when you’re drunk you’re always the last person to realize it. I don’t know how many conversations I’ve had with intoxicated people who swore they were sober. There are so many people Christian and non Christian who swear they’re righteous but none are righteous no not one. We need a wake up call to see ourselves as we are- foul. And only after we see just how disgusting we actually are we will “fly” or go without hesitation as quickly as possible to the fountain of God. When we see our sin as disgusting we will run from it and allow Christ to save us from it. My favorite line of the song is “Wash me Savior or I die.” We far too often think “I’m a good person.” “God’s lucky to have me.” But the truth is no matter how evil or how good you consider yourself unless you’re washed in the blood of the lamb you will die spiritually in hell the second death. And consequently if we have seen how fowl we actually are we will no longer be able to judge the horrible sinners out there. We would accept what the Bible teaches us in Romans 2 that we are just as bad as those we are judging with disgust. If we could only be people who recognize apart from Christ we are foul we could lose our reputation as judgmental people and be seen as people of love as Christ foresaw.

While I draw this fleeting breath,

when mine eyes shall close in death,

when I soar to worlds unknown,

see thee on thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

let me hide myself in thee.

The Bible is clear that all people will be judged after death. Again we see the same theme of this hymn. On that judgment day I do not come with my own list of good deeds. I do not come saying “you can’t accuse me devil because Jesus forgave me.” On that day I’ll have nothing to say and nothing to offer God. All I will be able to do is look to Jesus and ask if I can hide myself in him. Only by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ my Lord will I be saved from sin and hell.

Rock of Ages Part 1

2011-10-15T18:42:00.000+02:00

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

The first point I noticed was the idea of salvation through grace and not by works. Somehow now a days some Christians seem to have an almost Pelagian view of salvation. Of course if asked we’ll all say “grace through faith.” But then we go around saying “maybe I’ll go to hell if I don’t repent before I apologize for some unconscious sin of omission.” Or we say “they’re not good enough to enter heaven, ‘you’ll know a tree by it’s fruit’” Some even get angry when someone on their death bed gets saved without having lived all 80 years as a Christians. I wonder if we’ve actually grasped the reality that it’s only by grace. All I can hope for is to hide myself in Jesus and have his righteousness save me! My righteousness is as filthy rags!

The next thing I noticed is “let me”. It’s not I will it’s let me. Again the idea of respect and realizing I don’t deserve it but by God’s mercy I might be allowed to hide myself in His son.

The third things that struck me was the “double cure.” The blood and water which is to say the atonement and the spirit heals us in 2 ways. First, it saves us from wrath or hell. Our salvation is made possible by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. But the second thing is we are made pure. Throughout history the gospel has been presented as “fire insurance” or a ticket out of hell into heaven. We’ve all heard someone say “I’ll get saved on my death bed.” But somehow people don’t realize that it’s a double cure first from the wrath of God and secondly from sin itself. If you think you have salvation without purity or personal holiness you’ve missed it. It’s a pill that heals your head ache and stops your runny nose. You can’t have one without the other. And furthermore the salvation experience we can receive by grace through faith because of Christ’s sacrifice is a cure not a curse, freedom not slavery, a key not a lock. God loves us and wants to save us, help us, and set us free from every chain that binds us. He makes us pure to save us from what is killing us- sin. Just as much as we come to God to save us from hell we must desire he save us from sin.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

I have Jewish friends who work so hard to keep the law but fail continually. They eat kosher, respect Shabbat, never even so much as turn on a light bulb on the Sabbath, honor every holiday, go to temple, fast on Yom Kippor, and so many other things. They’re always telling me “it’s so easy to be a Christian.” At first I was a little taken aback by that statement but then I realized that’s right it’s so easy to be a Christian! Christ died to make it so easy. What I can do myself could NEVER be enough. I’m one of those people who found Jesus very young and never had a rebellious phase. I really haven’t done anything on the big list of no no’s for Christians, but I’ve sinned and without Jesus I’m just as lost as the mass murderer. Tim Keller, my favorite preacher, often says if every word you said was recorded and God judged you simply upon what you actually said at some point in your life was right and wrong you still wouldn’t live up. Even if I am the most “of fire” Christian in the world and dedicate every moment of my life to the Kingdom of God it could never be enough to make up for my sin. Even if I was repentant and cried all day and all night in sorrow for my short comings it could not save me. Only by the grace of God. Only by the blood of Jesus can I be saved.

Hymns

2011-10-06T15:52:00.001+02:00

I have a deep love and appreciation for hymns. I was raised in the modern worship music age back when the cool churches were rocking it with “He has made me glad.” Then I moved to Africa where we rocked it with “takwaba” but also “Yama, yama” (What a Fellowship”) and before long I knew far more hymns in foreign languages than I did in English. When I was a teenager Hillsong and Vineyard seemed so much cooler and more relevant than old hymns. As I grew up I started listening to more hymns- really listening to the lyrics. I was awestruck by how deep, how profound, and how beautiful the carefully crafted words truly are. Before long I was hooked. I couldn’t help but recognize that the modern cool feel good songs lacked a theological basis and became disgusted by how the songs were all about me and not so much about God.

In college one of my most hated songs was “Friend of God” because the whole song is me focused instead of God focused. Anyone who has experienced other cultures will recognize that US culture lacks respect. The whole Word of Faith movement where we demand that God give us what we want is unthinkable in most places because it’s so ridiculous. Who am I that I could ever demand anything from the God of the universe. Let’s just think about it for a moment. I support a pastor’s kids through school. I’ve made a commitment to him and I’ve never not made good on it. But that pastor would never dream of coming up to me and saying “Give me money for school fees because you have to!” instead he always comes in humility and asks for my help and he always says thank you. He recognizes that he doesn’t deserve my help but he gets it because of grace. The same is true with us and God. We could never deserve God’s blessings but only receive them by His remarkable grace.

So my next entry will be going through my favorite hymn stanza by stanza to show it’s depth, beauty, and power in understanding Christianity. Can anyone guess what my favorite hymn is?

Congo Disorder

2011-05-11T11:10:00.000+02:00

Some people call it Congo Disorder other Congo Dementia, or Congo Disease but we all say CD for short and we all know exactly what we mean by it. I don’t know what it is about this place (or maybe I do) but it seems to literally drive a person mad. I’ve spent years in other African countries without a break and it never bothered me. I admit there have been plenty of times even while living in America that I needed a break or was sick of life as usual but CD is very different.

When a foreigner first gets back to Congo after having been in some other more normal country Congo’s backwardness is extremely irritating and impatient sets in. After a week or 2 you get used to it fall into routine and Congo’s nonsense feels normal. After as short as 3 weeks for some or as long as 2 months for others CD starts to set in. You stop thinking like a normal person and start acting foolishly. There is a definite linkage to the onset of CD and the amount of time remaining before one leaves Congo.

Here are some common symptoms of CD

A short fuse: even the smallest of problems are just too much and an explosion is likely to occur
Throwing caution to the wind: being careful about not drinking contaminated water or eating food sure to make you sick, driving too fast too late etc
Pessimism: thinking Congo will not change and projects will not be successful
Insensitivity: not caring about other people’s feelings or situations
Daydreaming: it is difficult to stay focused on the projects at hand since your mind is constantly wandering to better places

I am currently suffering from CD and need to get outta here! Hopefully tomorrow. As I’ve been telling some of my friends “I’ll be nicer when I get back.”

Everyday Adventures and Miracles

2011-04-25T13:27:00.001+02:00

“Hey white person get back to the back!” a man angrily yelled at us. We were driving the Kolwezi road at night, never a good idea. The Kolwezi road has been financed 3 times by outside donors to be paved. Despite the millions of dollars given the road is still unpaved and undoubtedly that money went straight into a few people’s pockets. It is now a toll road so the government makes maybe a million dollars a day off of not fixing the roads.

We didn’t mean to be traveling the road at night. Unfortunately a meeting that should have lasted 10 minutes turned into a 3 hour meeting and through off our carefully planned schedule. There was a truck stopped with its engine off in front of us so we passed. That’s when the man started yelling about how there was no way through. I translated for my boss who doesn’t speak Swahili, but he figured we could find a way through. Then we saw another truck and another truck and well too many trucks to count- all stuck. After getting out and searching for a way around my boss returned and said “Get comfortable. Looks like we’re spending the night here.”

So as we tried to get comfortable for the long night in a cramped space I asked God to help us out of this mess and let us sleep in our own beds that night. After 2 hours the engines came back on and cars started moving until finally we were on the move again. It had taken the people 2 hours to dig and push out one of the stuck trucks and then direct all the chaos of parked cars so a vehicle could pass. We were all shocked we didn’t have to spend the night. I told my fellow travelers I’d asked God to help us and He had. They obviously didn’t believe it was God who had gotten us out of the jam but from then on have always asked me to pray for their travels so it did make some kind of an impact on them.

While I was in Likasi my friend was trying unsuccessfully to start his newly designed copper production plant. He spent tens of thousands of dollars searching for the hang up but each day just became more frustrated. On Wednesday I went to a prayer meeting and we prayed for his plant. Sure enough the next time I saw him he said he had found the problem and his plant was working perfectly just after we had prayed for him and his plant. I told him about our prayers and he was in disagreement about the source but thankful for my efforts none the less.

It was just such a good reminder that God hears our prayers and cares about things that are in so many ways unimportant. Last months we had a measles outbreak and there were 8 funerals for kids under 5. Pain, suffering, and funerals have become such a normal part of my life and it’s good to see prayers answered and little miracles take place. It’s good to remember that for every child I’ve lost 10 or even thousands more were helped. The fact that of well over a thousand kids less than 10 died in these conditions is a miracle in and of itself. The death counts were far worse in other areas. But for whatever reason it is easier or maybe more natural to focus on what has gone wrong and just assume that was has gone right is simply normal. Little reminders of the unnoted miracles are always important. God is love, God is good, and God never left Africa and never will.

Avant

2011-03-28T17:58:00.000+02:00

Recently we’ve had 3 Belgians move onto the mine. They were all born in Congo in the 50’s. They don’t really speak English so we usually communicate in Swahili with some French and English shoved in along the way. A few days ago we happened to be around some foreigners who don’t speak Swahili so it was mostly French. It’s amazing how bad my French has gotten. It’s pretty easy for me to understand because I haven’t actually forgotten the words but it’s so difficult and unnatural to form sentences. It’s kind of like when I go back to Zambia and my friends talk to me in Tonga but I have to respond to them in English because I just can’t put sentences together. I’m guessing being around these Belgians will change that at least for French.

So one of them decided to tell us stories of Congo avant (before). Meaning before independence. I’m not so arrogant to believe I know more about how things were back then than he does from merely reading books but it was so obvious to me from what I had read that he was romanticizing things. Things were much better back then for whites and blacks alike no doubt the Congolese destroyed things. But the people weren’t free and they weren’t treated fairly by any stretch of the imagination. They were given free education and free health care in fact the best health care in all of Africa. But they were third class citizens behind the Portuguese and Greeks who weren’t even allowed to live in the center of the city. Talk about racism.

I’ve thought a lot lately about what would happen if all the foreigners left this country. Or if they had never come in the first place. There have been so many injustices and so much suffering here by the hands of foreigners and natives alike. Some times it just feels like too much. Overwhelming and seemingly impossible to change.

Today I saw the street kids I’ve become friends with. One of them showed me his cut up knuckles. He said the Catholic sister who cares for him beat his knuckles because he didn’t bring her any money from his begging. I was about to give him some food when 20 kids bombarded me and asked if I’d buy them a soccer ball. One kid tripped and started crying as his arm started bleeding. I took him to the nearest store and bought a bandage for him. Then bought the kids a ball to which they decided to give me a round of applause. It made me so sad. Here are these great kids whose parents either died or threw them away. Now they have nothing. When the boy fell down the first thought that came to my head was “I don’t have time for this.” It took me maybe 20 minutes to get him bandaged up and then buy their soccer ball. How pathetic that I considered not helping him to save myself 20 minutes. I wonder how many other people walked past these kids today and did nothing to help them. I wish there was a magic button I could push to give them a decent life, but there isn’t so I do the little things that I can and I wonder what Jesus would do if He were here in this awful place.

A Typical Day

2011-03-01T10:15:00.002+02:00

So people always ask me what a typical day is like in my life. It’s hard to say because everyday is different and because this is Africa you have to expect the unexpected. Few days go as I think they will.

For example I woke up this morning at 6AM after all the night sounds had disappeared like the howling monkeys and hooting owls not to mention chirping crickets and loud frogs. I took a shower then read my Bible for a while, made some coffee and headed to the all purpose room (dinning room, living room, and office) around 7:30. My coworker beat me there and had the TV on Sky News so I poured some coffee and he drank his tea while we heard about what was going on in the world. I turned on my laptop and started working through some paperwork when one of my workers came in to give me a status report on his project. After I had drunk all my coffee I headed down to the other office building where there is internet. I checked my emails and sent out some responses and reports.

I just reopened our clinic here so I went down to see how the doctor was doing. We chatted about some of the issues and ideas until a man came by who was sick. I sat outside on the dirt and chatted with the patient’s wife and daughter about all the basics. They giggled with glee at the thought of having had an actual conversation with a white person in Swahili no less. When the doctor had finished we talked for a while about reports statistics ideas etc then I walked back to the office to type up all we had discussed.

I went up to the kitchen and decided to eat some lunch with my coworkers. After lunch I organized to go to the village with Lunda. We were to leave at 1:40 sharp because I had a meeting with the Development Committee at 2pm. Then it started pouring down rain so we waited until 2:15 when the rain let up enough for us to get going. The road was horribly muddy so about 2 miles from the camp I told Lunda we would have to push. The only problem was I was wearing flipflops. It was useless trying to push since I slid all over the place nearly dropping my 200lb bike each time. I removed my shoes and did slightly better barefooted. Thankfully Lunda had on sneakers and was able to help a lot!

Finally we reached less muddy ground and I tried to start the motorcycle. Someone stole my battery and I just haven’t been to a place that sells batteries yet so I’ve been using the kick start. As these things go it wouldn’t start . A concerned man who was on the back of a 3 person motorcycle taxi stopped to tell me I should buy an SUV and motorcycles aren’t for white people especially not for women!

There is a mechanic shop (well a plastic tarp held up by sticks with some screw drivers and wrenches) by the side of the road so I stop in. A 15 year old boy under the tutelage of another boy maybe 20 years old grabbed a screwdriver and had the problem fixed in less than 5 minutes. I paid the 15 year old and thanked him then drove off to my meeting only an hour late.

Thankfully it’s African time so they were there waiting for me some of them hadn’t even arrived yet. They saw my muddy feet and hands and knew I was telling the truth about why I was late. We discussed some of the issues in the village and made some resolutions. Everyone was happy and we started off to the school to check on my project there to fix the leaky roof. Apparently it was half fixed so we investigated and made a plan to have it completely fixed. We jumped back on the motorcycle and headed off.

I returned to the mine to explain the new attempt at fixing the school’s roof to my workers. When I got back to the office I realized the generator had been turned off for the regular one hour from 4pm to 5pm while they refill the diesel. No generator means no water so much for cleaning my muddy feet. I was able to steal some water out of the cleaning lady’s bucket to wash my hands. I started typing up a proposal based upon my meeting with the development committee. Then the generator kicked on and I was about to head up to get clean when the doctor came over to talk about more problems. While I was dealing with that it started pouring down rain. I decided to procrastinate on finishing my updated medical reports and started typing this blog entry. It’s now 7pm and the rain has finally finished… oh wait there it goes again! I should go anyway so I can cook supper and definitely clean my disgusting feet! Hopefully I’ll have time to read a few pages from a good book and get to sleep by 10.

Just a typical day for me.

To See and To Love

2011-02-22T10:03:00.003+02:00

The first thing I heard this morning was that an earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand. One of my coworkers is a Kiwi so he was a bit frazzled trying to get skype to work on our slow internet connection to see if his family was ok. I checked facebook only to hear other friends of mine give a good report that their friends and loved ones had all survived the terrible tragedy. My coworker’s family all survived and only his aunt was injured but they expect a full recovery.

It made me think about how real world tragedies seem to me. I guess for most people the news that tragedy hit New Zealand is sad but doesn’t really touch people personally. For me it’s only 2 degrees of separation. I thought about it and I suppose I have only 2 degrees of separation with people in at least half the countries in the world in some way or another. It’s so much easier to care when it hits closer to home.

I’ve been reading Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is challenging me in so many ways. The concept of Christian community and what God intended for it to be is so challenging and encouraging. How we far too often replace human love for the supernatural Godly love we are called to have. Human love actually only serves our own interests instead of the interest of others. How easy it is to be so self absorbed and so full of pride instead of the people and community God created us to be.

I thought about how we often don’t know our neighbors and don’t even try to love people unless it serves our own selfish interests. I used to work with homeless people when I lived in America. I would mention it sometimes to other Christians and the majority of the time I was hit with remarks like “Well they’re only homeless because they choose to be.” “They’re all just lazy drug addicts.” “They deserve it.” “Don’t give them handouts.” My normal rebuttal was simple “have you ever talked to them?” There was never a time when any of them could tell me yes. We sit in our high lofty towers and judge the world without love or compassion. I’ll never forget Shane Claiborne saying a woman told him not to focus so much on the poor or think he could actually stop poverty because Jesus said the poor you will always have with you. Shane Claiborne responded “How many of the poor do you have with you?”

Even though I have friends all over the world and have dedicated my life to helping the poor, I still find myself being all too self absorbed. It’s so natural, so easy to think about my own needs and slip into human love alone. I feel compassion for the earthquake in Christchurch because my coworker's aunt was injured and I care about my coworker because we mutually help each other do our jobs better. If a hurricane were to hit my relatives in America I would expect him to also show compassion towards me.

So there are kind of 3 groups of people. Friends and family who are easy to love. People who you can mange to love without the Holy Spirit’s help. Then there are strangers. People you don’t know and don’t relate to and don’t expect to ever get anything in return from. Those people are not so much hard to love but hard to see. Like in the movie The Blind Side based on the true story. Michael wasn’t hard to love he has just hard to see. The third group would be enemies. Of course at least for me I don’t think I really have any enemies. But what I mean is people who no matter how much you try to be loving and try to do the right things or even just go about your own business they treat you poorly. Loving those people goes completely against human nature. If we are truly living in the Spirit though loving these people unconditionally without concern for oneself is natural.

So my prayer is that I would live in the Spirit at all times. I want to love all people at all times no matter what. I want to see people. God help me to never be like the 2 who passed by the man lying in the path but to always be like the good Samaritan. I want to always be loving even to my “enemies” or to those who mistreat me. To never be judging and lofty. To always show grace and patience. God help me to love just like Jesus did.

My life is ridiculous, but I like it!

2011-02-14T16:38:00.003+02:00

It was raining, not pouring, just the typical Congo rainy season constant flow of rain. I felt blisters forming on my toes because I was wearing a friend’s shoes that were a size too small. All of my shoes were stolen and it’s not like you can buy shoes in the middle of nowhere. I was trampsing through the woods on a muddy path pushing my motorcycle because I had a flat tire. As I curled my toes to try to avoid the rubbing of my newly formed blisters against the harsh leather of my friend’s shoes I asked myself a question that comes to my mind often while I’m in Congo, “What am I doing here?”

As I continued down the path starting to get tired I realized I had made it about a mile and only had one more mile to go before reaching the mining camp. I thought about my current predicament and how it illustrated my life at the moment. I had been on my way to the little farm I had been working on for 6 months when my tire went flat. I left my motorcycle behind and walked the rest of the distance to check things out. To my dismay I found a colossal failure. My guys had abandoned the project when all the craziness happened and my company was kicked out. Had they just worked a couple hours a day in the garden they would be sitting on a few thousand dollars worth of crops (that would have been theirs to keep), but in typical African fashion they didn’t think about the future. TIA

“Ick!” I stepped in a huge mud puddle. I stopped thinking for a moment while I focused on where I was stepping again. A few moments later my mind went back to my situation. The past 3 months have been almost stranger than fiction. I was kicked off the mine by armed soldiers who barricaded the mine and eventually stole it from my company. As a result I lost my job. Went back to America for a wonderful whirlwind month of traveling seeing friends and family. Came back to Africa and thought I’d have to say good bye to Congo forever. Stayed in Lubumbashi and there was an attempted coup. It failed, no big deal, but since this is an election year more craziness is sure to follow. Found out most of my stuff was stolen from the mine by my favorite employee who was by far the strongest Christian! And now I find out my projects failed! Not to mention the fact that I am currently walking through the woods in the rain pushing a motorcycle in shoes that don’t fit.

As I kicked down my kickstand and went inside the office for a drink of water I saw the new site director of the new mining company that had bought the concession from the people who stole it from my old company. I met the CEO and he impressed me with his desire to start social programs so I accepted his job offer. I officially start in March although unofficially I started a couple of weeks ago. They offered me a decent salary and more money for projects than I had been allowed before “Things are about to change.” I told myself with a smile. I just have a feeling that this is going to be a great year. My life is ridiculous, but I like it!

Funny Congo Stories

2010-10-11T10:14:00.001+02:00

So I’ve been considering putting the blog to rest. Then I noticed a tab called “stats” and was shocked to realize people actually read the stuff I’m writing. People from all over the world. In that case I’m never short on good stories. So here goes.

I’m American and look fully Caucasian. I have curly hair, blue round eyes, and freckles everywhere. But for whatever reason Congolese people think I’m Chinese. Usually it’s children but even adults some times. There is a large Chinese population here because as we all know China is grabbing up mineral concessions all over the world right now. Because they think I’m Chinese all day long I hear “Chinoise (Chinese in French) heehaw”! Of course it is actually Ni Hao but I guess that’s what the Congolese think they are saying. When I first got here I thought they were making donkey noises. So don’t be surprised if you come to Congo and get taken for a Chinese with a donkey greeting!

Congolese are always trying to rob people with stupid ideas. One guy opens a hotel in Kolwezi. He decides to use solar power because it’s more reliable than Congolese power. As soon as he opens his hotel representatives from SNEL (the Congolese power company) notice lights on and come in to demand that he pay them money for his illegal electricity. He explains the concept of solar power and shows them the panels and the batteries. They come back a few days later and insist that he is stealing power from them and must pay! He shows them again and convinces them that he at least is actually using solar power. The next week government representatives show up and insist that he must pay a sun tax because he is using Congo’s sun to get his power! He of course didn’t pay but that’s how ridiculous people are!

A Congolese worker, Kabongo, goes to a restaurant for a beer with his Expat boss. They enjoy a few drinks and then the boss says “that’s it for the night see you tomorrow.” Kabongo begs his boss for more drinks. His boss says truthfully that he doesn’t have any more money with him. Kabongo says his boss has some money in his car. The boss denies it and finally gives Kabongo his keys and says if you can find any money you can have it. Kabongo in his drunken stupor decided to drive his boss’ car even though he’d never driven a car ever in his life. He figures out how to get it into reverse just as his boss is exiting the restaurant. He pushes down on the accelerator and rams into the car behind them. His boss is yelling “stop stop stop!” but he only pushes harder on the accelerator because he is so freaked out. He finally makes the car stop and jumps out. His boss says “what were you thinking!” Kabongo replies “It wasn’t me!” LOL! He was caught red handed his boss watched him do it and he still denied it!

Shituru Orphans

2010-09-07T17:45:00.000+02:00

Wow it has been so long since I last updated my blog. Things have been going well here in Kisankala. We’ve started cleaning up the village and working with the local school. We have a garden and I’ve got my work cut out for me! So many problems but I am finding solutions. I’m doing my best to spread the message of hope to the people in the village. I’ve already seen a change. People are seeing a future for this place.

My one regret or hesitation or bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about taking this job was leaving behind the nearly 100 orphans I worked with for so long in Shituru. I had arranged to start a day center for the kids and provide education, food, and whatever else the kids were in need of. These kids had all captured my heart. I knew that if I quite my old job and took this new job the program wouldn’t be started and the kids wouldn’t be getting the help they needed. I told myself I would be helping more kids by taking this new job but the feeling never went away.

Then I started talking with my friends from the church in Shituru and they told me an idea they had. What if we negotiated with a school that members of our church worked at to pay a flat rate to the school instead of per child. We decided it couldn’t hurt to try so we started meeting with the principle and asking for a discount. As we were in the negotiation process someone brought up the fact that 2 kilometers is far for the young kids to walk by themselves. We went back to the drawing board trying to figure out what we could do. We finally decided that the best solution would be to hire a member of our church with experience as a teacher to walk the kids to and from school each day and she could help the kids with their homework and check up on them. We negotiated the whole thing down to $400 per month for 160 orphans. We were already supporting orphans in Toyota who attended that school and I had been given a list of 50 more orphans who wanted a chance at an education in the Toyota area. The normal price is $5 per child per month which would have been a total of $800 per month.

Then it was a matter of finding the $400 per month and God provided all the money needed. There is even enough to buy each of the children a new school uniform! The people I trained to do children’s ministry in Shituru will now be doing weekly chapel services at the school the orphans will be attending! The kids will be able to go to school, continue learning about God, and we are even helping them with medical expenses. Not only that but my friend Irene who has been looking for a teaching job for years will now be employed at last! God couldn’t have worked this out better.

I was so encouraged when I met with the kids after not seeing them for 2 months. I gave them a quiz to see what they remembered. I asked who knows Ephesians 6:1? The kids were jumping up and down yelling “pick me pick me!” One answer that really touched me was when I asked who knows the story of Elijah and the Ravens? Lots of kids raised their hands but I called on Davie a boy maybe 5 years old who tends to be hyper and more interested in fighting other kids than paying attention. He said “Elijah was hungry but there was no food so he prayed and God sent ravens to bring him bread.” I know most of those kids have experienced times when there “was no food” and it makes me so happy to know that they see now that God loves them and he cares that they don’t have food and he will provide for them. I thank God for those kids and the work He is doing in their hearts. I also thank all of you for your contributions and prayers that are changing the lives of 160 Congolese orphans!

Transition

2010-07-09T17:40:00.002+02:00

My new home

For those of you who don’t know I am in the middle of changing jobs. I’ve been working with Noah Ministries in Likasi and the Wesleyan Church but I will begin working for the Ameropa Foundation this month running social programs in Kisankala. I am excited about the change. I’ll be living in a village which I love and surrounded by other expats. It’s a great opportunity and I’ll be able to continue to live out God’s call on my life for Congo.

There is a lot that goes into the change. I’m busy hopping between Zambia and Congo getting visas changed and trying to sell the things I don’t need and transport the things I do the 130km from Likasi to Kisankala.

I’m making budgets and plans and my head is spinning with ideas and the best way to accomplish goals. I’m racing from place to place and person to person figuring out costs and availability of goods.

It’s a stressful time but also so exciting with seemingly endless possibilities and the feeling of being on the cusp of something wonderful- dreams becoming a reality.

It’s a challenging time of leaving so many friendships and children and ministries behind and in the hands of others.

It’s always hard to start over but also nice to have a clean slate.

I’m in the all too familiar place of transition once again. Please keep me in your prayers and I’ll try to keep you informed on how everything goes.

Tupa

2010-06-09T11:48:00.002+02:00

I had the privilege of distributing Christmas Boxes to about 300 orphans through the Samaritan’s Purse program Operation Christmas Child. It was priceless to watch the faces of the orphans light up as they opened them. First we took the boxes to the orphans Noah Ministries has been working with. I explained to the kids how to use etch-a-sketches and that you can’t eat play doh. They had no idea what to do with their bubble tape gum or the deodorant that had been given to them. There were a few little kids who were terrified by stuffed animals but all in all the kids were thrilled to have such cool stuff from the united States. We happened to distribute them on the coldest day we had had in Likasi so far in the cold season. There were hats and gloves and socks for the kids to stay warm. It was such an honor to see those kids receive a tangible blessing from God. It’s like on that day the love of Christ was no longer an abstract concept but a tangible toy they can hold on to for years to come always knowing that although in society they are the lowest in God’s kingdom they are valuable.

Next we went to distribute them to the street children. I happened to be close to a little boy I’ve gotten to know on the streets named Tupa. He’s a smart kid and always seems to win over the hearts of people and find food. Tupa means throw in Swahili. Tupa is also the word used for throwing away trash. He was abandoned as a little kid. Nobody wanted him. Now he is given only what others throw away or throw at him. Rocks are thrown at him to make him go away. I was talking with an Australian business man about Tupa one day. He said he thought the best thing he could do for Tupa was to give him a job at his factory. His workers are fed a meal everyday and he offers fair wages. But the Australian man said he won't because he is against child labor (Tupa is somewhere around 12 none of the street kids know how old they are. What’s worse in this situation? So Tupa remains on the streets begging for everything and getting the world’s throw aways.

Tupa opened his box quickly but then slammed it shut. He looked up in sheer amazement. I could tell he was thinking to himself “how did I get so lucky?” Warm gloves and socks, candy, toys he had things that would make other kids jealous of him instead of the usual other way around. Then I saw Gaylord (as hilarious as that name was on Meet the Parents it is a really common name around here) open his box and totally ignore the toys and candy to grab the tooth paste! He held it up high and exclaimed “I’ve been searching for some of this!” It was a beautiful day.

Booklets were also given to each kid called the Greatest Gift of All. They were in French with cartoon black families depicted in brightly colored pages all about how Jesus is the great gift of all. These booklets have spread all over the communities and even the adults have described how much they appreciate and have gleamed from them.

I’m so thankful to everyone who worked with Operation Christmas Child and made it possible for all of these orphans to experience the Love of God. There are so many kids like Tupa in the world. I encourage all of you to pray for them and do what you can to help the Tupa’s around you wherever in the world you may find yourselves.

Kisankala

2010-06-05T09:15:00.001+02:00

I went out to a mining camp for a week with some friends. It was a great experience sleeping in luxury tents complete with carpet and electricity with ablution blocks situated behind each one. They had a play station 3 and a 50” flat screen tv with satellite. We were in the middle of no where but I had wireless internet and microwaves. Eric, a Zambia guy who works there, has a pet monkey named Coco. He’s pretty cheeky and loves to break into the kitchen and wreak havoc so he stays tied up by a tree most of the time. One night Eric asked us to baby sit Coco. We accepted and tied him to a tree between our tents not thinking it would be a big deal. At around midnight Coco started screeching like only monkeys can. He just wouldn’t stop. All night long he made those high pitched noises and we didn’t get any sleep. When we went to move him in the morning there was poop everywhere. It was a really bad idea. Coco jumped on my back and started picking through my hair and wouldn’t get off. Never again will I baby sit a monkey.

The mine is just a few kilometers from a village. I was surprised with how much stuff they have in the village and how temporary it is. Most of the residents just showed up in hope for a mining job and live in make shift tents created from plastic tarps and sticks. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. I was amazed that even those who had lived in the village for years had never bothered to make bricks or thatch a roof using grass. Some of the artisanal workers are making more than $100 a month (consider that most people make $1-$2 per day) but you would never know it by looking at their homes. I visited some of the churches and was surprised to see so many. A lot of people don’t go to the churches though because there aren’t any trained pastors so the sermons are in general pretty bland.

I asked around about the chief and availability of land for people interested in agriculture and everyone said the chief would give out land but no one seemed to be growing anything. That was probably the most shocking thing about the village. In Zambia that is the only way villages survive. Here people see farming as beneath them. It’s like being a janitor or garbage truck picker upper. I really don’t understand why. They have impressive rain fall here. I’ve heard the soil has been depleted of resources and requires extra fertilizer but the price of food is high. I heard this country imports 90% of its food and my general observation is inline with that. Agriculture is the foundation of an economy. I wish Congo would realize they can’t focus solely on their mineral wealth.

Kids

2010-05-18T11:39:00.000+02:00

I come across the last corner before Diel’s house. Diel is a 4 year old boy who goes to our church in Shituru. When he first met me like most of the kids here he screamed bloody murder. These days though that has changed drastically. As I rounded the corner Diel, who was waiting for me, began to cry out Da Sheri Da Sheri and ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him towards me. After his impressive 10 yard dash I scoop him up and he gives me a crazy bear hug. He is covered in dirt and now I am too. I ask him about his mom and dad and brothers and sisters and he says they are all fine. Then looks me in the eyes and says “can we go to church now?” “Yes Diel, we’ll go right now.” I reply with a big smile on my face.

While we are waiting for church to start Victoire grabs my hand and asks if we can play chicken chicken turkey. He means duck duck goose but there are no geese here so I changed it to chicken chicken turkey. We get organized into groups according to age and make circles. The kids have so much fun playing. Then out of no where Divine jumps up and declares “I don’t wanna be a chicken or a turkey. I wanna be a dog!” and hops down on all fours in imitation of one.

Church is over and I’m now on a bus to go about 2 miles closer to my house. We are crowded in at about twice the maximum capacity and a lady boards with 3 kids. She is trying to look in her purse to get the 25 cents the ride is costing us. After the first bump when multiplied by the van not having decent shocks throws us in all sorts of directions she hands her kids off to the women sitting in our section. She still can’t search her purse because she has a baby on her lap. The lady was out of women to hand her baby off to so she looked at me and asked if I’d hold him. I said sure and took the baby luckily he wasn’t old enough to figure out I’m white so I didn’t have to worry about him screaming. I was however facing 3 other kids on laps who were staring at me in horror. I just knew they were thinking “if she makes one sudden movement towards me I’ll scream my head off.” I was cautious to spare the other 20 people in the van from the screaming match.

Africa is not homogeneous

2010-05-03T11:55:00.002+02:00

I spent 2 glorious weeks in Zambia. It’s always hard to readjust to life in Congo. I find myself not knowing whether to laugh or scream. Everything is so backwards and wrong here in Congo and I think if Zambia your neighbor with some of the same tribes and similar geography etc can be successful what is the problem? Of course it is easy to identify what the problems are it is just difficult to find a remedy people are willing to accept.

The electricity has been off for 3 days straight. I haven’t experienced this in over a year and I’m not prepared. I thank God for friends. I emptied my freezer into theirs and show up everyday to charge my computer and phone. It makes the transition that much harder.

The language barrier is also hard to get used to. I hate not being able to express what I want to or knowing that I am articulating it like a 5 year old and so much of my meaning isn’t getting across (this is most frustrating when I am preaching).

It’s also hard to adjust to the culture. People don’t listen and they don’t keep a respectful distance. There are just more white people in Zambia and way more white people who interact with the people whether missionaries or aid workers. You are less of a freak of nature and more of a human being.

Crazy Experiences

2010-04-03T12:15:00.000+02:00

You know those things that happen to you and you just think this is the kind of things that happens in movies but not in real life? It’s funny how hilarious they are in a movie and unfortunate in real life. I’ve had a few of those recently.

I needed to mail something and well this is Congo so I couldn’t unless I went to Zambia. I decided I would go just across the border to Chingola stay one night and come back the next day. I left Likasi early in the morning on a bus. I picked a full bus which was great because I didn’t have to wait an hour for it to fill up with people but it was horrible because I got a bad seat. They use plastic containers used to hold beer bottles as a seat and it is in no way comfortable. About half way there the bus broke down well sort of. It ran hot. Of course the driver didn’t bother to bring any water so it took some people 30 minutes to go find water fill a container and return. My makeshift seat had to be removed to get to the radiator. I was forced to stand in front of the other passengers as the driver filled the radiator with water. He then started the car and the steaming dirty radiator water exploded all over me. I was soaked and burnt and dirty and not even a quarter of the way to my destination. I was just standing there thinking did that seriously just happen? It wins as my worst public transport story ever. Luckily though as I was standing outside trying to get the hot African sun to dry me off an expat I had randomly met through a friend that week was driving past, saw me, and asked if I wanted a ride to Lubumbashi. I thanked God and hopped in to the comfortable air conditioned car for a luxurious rest of my trip to Lubumbashi. Thankfully the rest of my public transportation experience went smoothly.

I have made friends with some Chinese people who live near my house. Their English is pretty bad so we speak in a funny mixture of French, Swahili, English, and hand motions. They have some dogs that hate everyone except Chinese people. The funniest part is a lot of Congolese people can’t tell if I am white or Chinese. Somehow the curly hair, round blue eyes, and freckles don’t seem to give it away. But those dogs have no problem differentiating me as white. They are chained to the porch and bark at me until I enter the house then forget about me. One day the big dog named Niko broke his chain and came up to me barking and then bit me on my leg. My Chinese friend grabbed the chain and held the dog off so I could get out of the yard. Then she followed me and said went off in broken English and language mixture about how sorry she was. I told her it was no big deal just a bruise the dog never broke the skin. She made me sit down so she could pour peroxide on my bruise. I tried to tell her peroxide wouldn’t do anything for a bruise but she wouldn’t stop. Then she tried to convince me to go to the hospital. I told her it was fine but she was freaking out. She switched back and forth between French, English, and Swahili trying to convince me it was dangerous I needed to go to the hospital. Congolese hospitals are horrible anyway but seriously it was just a bruise so there was no need to do anything about it. Much to her relief a few days later the bruise was gone and I’m still alive and she realized it really hadn’t been a big deal. It was weird and surreal.

I guess it’s just life in Africa. Anything can happen here.

Some More Tesimonies

2010-03-09T12:41:00.000+02:00

Things have been going truly well around here. It seems like we went a long time without having regular prayer meetings. There is a problem right now with rain. If it is raining people don’t come and church gets canceled. Also our pastor was super busy and things just kept conflicting. We finally started again last week and there was only me the Pastor and one other lady, Phani. So pastor Kabamba started asking us why we thought people weren’t coming. I said probably the most important thing that we can do is keep coming pray for laborers and share the testimonies of how much God is answering our prayers. I had a sermon prepared but changed it at the last minute (usually a really bad idea when you’re preaching in a foreign language you don’t know very well). The Holy Spirit was awesome and it went great.

So the next prayer meeting people randomly came out of the woodwork. We didn’t remind them or invite them but they just came. The pastor started laughing and Phani asked him why he said “Where did they come from?” God is so able to answer prayers! So we are really trying to rally the troops right now to be in prayer. We know God has a lot in store for us in 2010.

We were also praying for a woman named Alice. She has had a rough couple of years. A bunch of their money was stolen and her husband lost his job and everyone was sick. It just seemed like hard time after hard time for their family. Her husband hadn’t gone to church in 4 years. He was just discouraged about the whole thing. I remember sitting in their house about a year ago and telling the story of Joseph. I encouraged them to keep trusting in God and not allow themselves to fall into the temptations of stealing and cheating to get ahead as so many do here. I told them God hadn’t forgotten them and he promises to work things together for good. Now less than a year later her husband is employed again and making more money than before. The whole family is doing well. We went to see their new much larger house last week. Alice’s husband, Banza, was there and told us he believed all the good things that had come into their lives were blessings from God. He said he was flabbergasted by it all. He isn’t well educated and didn’t think he would ever achieve the salary he now has. He knows its God’s love and favor on their lives and said he was determined to start going to church again. After 4 years of not entering a church he showed up on Sunday with the biggest smile. He stood up with the visitors and said he had been absent for 4 years but he was turning his life around and fully committing himself to the church so we should expect to see him every Sunday. My heart rejoiced, especially for his wife. What a victory for her and an example of the fact that God does answer prayers.

Things are moving here. God just shows up and reveals Himself to those who are seeking Him. I would appreciate your prayers. Many people are sick this time of year. Also the harvest is about to come in but in the mean time people are running out of food and the price of food in at an all time high because of supply and demand. People are facing many trials but I’m confident as we pray God will supply all of our needs according to His riches and glory.

Justice

2010-03-02T12:07:00.000+02:00

It has been an interesting couple of weeks here. I’ve actually been sick which doesn’t happen to me very often. I think I caught a parasite from drinking some bad water and it has manifested in all kinds of stomach issues. It’s been pretty inconvenient but I’ve found ways to continue ministering. Of course God is always faithful He gives me the ability to do all the things I’m called to do.

My recent illness is hardly why I am writing today. Something far more tragic occurred to a member of my church. A police officer who was 36 years old and a husband and father of 2 was brutally beaten to death in the Shituru section of Likasi. Gecca Mines, the government owned mining company here in Katanga province mining mostly copper, uses police or military for their security at the mines and the factories. Kalombo had been working security for a while at the Shituru factory where the copper is processed. One night a group of men came to steal from the factory and when Kalombo refused to allow them to steal they beat him until he died and left him there to be found the next morning.

It is a demonstration of how morally bankrupt people are here in Congo. Of course not all people are so heartless but there just seem to be far too many people who lack a moral conscience. Greed seems to be the driving motivator. Perhaps the hardest part for me is Kalombo is one of the few Congolese people who would actually stand for righteousness and justice. Most individuals in his position would have gladly been in on the thievery. He keeps his mouth shut and helps you break into the factor in exchange for a few hundred dollars. The difficulty is he won’t be given any respect for what he did and the lesson most people will learn from his death is doing the right thing kills so you might as well be corrupt and line your pockets.

The justice system in Congo is swift. They caught people they believe murdered Kalombo and those men will be executed. The government can’t afford to run prison facilities. They exist but hundreds and thousands die regularly because of lack of food and unsanitary living conditions. A prison sentence is usually a death sentence just in a much more painful manner. Another issue is the justice system is obviously corrupt like all of Congo. What if these aren’t even the right people? There is no drawn out trial with a jury of your peers or the possibility of establishing reasonable doubt as a means to protect the innocent. I’m not even sure if there is a trial at all. Where is the example or even existence of justice here?

Church on Wedneasday and Thursday was canceled. People here are very communal so instead of meeting at the church all members were encouraged to visit the homes of family members of Kalombo to encourage them or distract them or just be there as a form of comfort. The Bible instructs us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and mourn with those who are mourning. Some times going over to Kalombo’s sister’s house and distracting the whole family with a game of dodgeball where we laugh together and afterward pray together for God’s strength and peace looks way more like the church. There are certain things Congolese people do really well and community is one of them.

I'm Back

2010-02-16T18:17:00.001+02:00

Tires screech to a halt and horns blow hysterically. These are sounds I’ve become accustomed to because I live right next to a main city street. Next came the murmuring of all the people around including the local market. Because after only 3 minutes the murmuring had died down so I knew without having to leave my house to see for myself that whatever had happened no one had to go to the hospital and the car or cars were still drivable. Car accidents happen for a variety of reasons. Some times the drivers are drunk, some times they are idiots, and always they drive way too fast on the newly repaired road. The biggest problem of course is lack of a judicial system. Anyone can get a drivers license even if the person has never even been inside a vehicle. Additionally the police will never fine someone for being drunk or driving hazardously.
It used to be wherever I went and whatever I did people called after me muzungu (white person). Now that has started to change. Whenever I take my motorcycle somewhere people get the realization that a woman is riding a motorcycle and I hear them behind me exclaiming mwanamuke (woman) in total disbelief. I guess being a woman riding a motorcycle is more strange or interesting than being white.
I found out my neighbor’s husband of over 15 years left her while I was in Zambia. I have no idea why and haven’t decided if it’s culturally a good idea to ask questions about it or not. For me it totally came out of the blue. They really seemed happy and are both wonderful people I would trust with my life. It is so sad how urban Africa is embracing divorce like we do in Western society. Unfortunately without alimony, child support, government assistance, or a value on education or careers for women, a divorced woman really suffers here. Luckily for my neighbor she is one of the few women I know who is employed. She doesn’t make much its enough to keep a roof over her kids heads and food in their bellies. The real test will be if Claude, their father, will pay for their kids to finish school.

Back in Congo

2010-02-06T07:22:00.000+02:00

I arrived at the Congo border and went through without any difficulties. I found a taxi and read a book as I waited for it to fill with people. I was surprised at how fast people came and soon we were off. Once we reached Lubumbashi we paid the driver. One guy in the back was in a drunken stupor. They tried and tried to wake him up and when they finally did it turned out he didn’t have enough money for the ride. I had asked the taxi driver to take me to a store first to buy some food then to the bus stop to catch a bus to Likasi. So I was the last one in the taxi with the drunk guy. The taxi driver went to the police station to try to force him to pay. I had to go in to be a witness. Chances are the police will threaten him with jail time and he will call friends and family and beg for the money which someone will probably give him. It all took time. Maybe 20 minutes but it put me behind schedule to arrive home before dark. I wasn’t able to get what I needed from the store (in Africa inventory management is an unknown concept). I did manage to get on a nice bus that filled quickly to go home with my luggage inside the bus which is important in rainy season. I arrived in Likasi around 7:45 got a taxi and went home only to realize there was no electricity. I used the light from my phone to get some candles and discovered there was water on the floor. I had anticipated this and had everything off the floor. So in the dark I was trying to sweep and mop at least a little bit put sheets on my bed and went to sleep. Luckily at 6am the next day the power came back on. I have got a lot of cleaning to do.

The Holidays

2010-01-07T09:34:00.000+02:00

Well I made it back to Zambia. I had a nice Christmas in Lubumbashi. I met lots of other expatriates. Christmas eve we celebrated with South Koreans, Christmas day we celebrated the Sabbath in with some Jewish friends, and The day after spent time with Lebanese and Belgian friends. On Sunday I went to our church and despite the rain had a huge crowd and was able to preach. Monday I started off for Zambia. In Africa buses leave when they are full not at any specific time. I unfortunately had to wait a long time and didn’t arrive in Lusaka until after 11pm but was thankful to have made it at last. On Wednesday I headed south to Kalomo on another slow bus but made it by 9pm.

Thursday for New Year Eve I went to the all night prayer meeting at our church here. It was wonderful in everyway! At least 300 people showed up maybe 500. We decided to do a joint meeting and invited all the other local churches to come. We sang and danced, prayed, and heard the word of God. It was a powerful night with many people being touched by the power of God and making decisions to commit their lives fully to God’s work in 2010. I especially enjoyed having a service in English where I didn’t have to strain to get the jist of what was going on. It was so wonderful to see old friends again. I realized how bad my Tonga has become. As people asked me questions I had to answer them in English because the only words coming to mind were in Swahili. I understood them so I realized its all in my head I just have to bring it back to memory. At about 5:15 when the last person was preaching I looked out the window at a gorgeous sunrise and couldn’t help feeling excited about all that is in store for 2010. I am thankful I had the opportunity to celebrate New Years in the traditional Zambian way.

The day after I got back twins arrived with their uncle hoping to come to our orphanage. We took them out to the children’s home and it was wonderful to see all of the kids again. I am looking forward to working with them in their reading and math skills. The kids English isn’t that good so I really need to brush up on my Tonga.

It is so nice to be back home in Zambia. More so than enjoying all of the luxuries life in Zambia provides I’m excited about seeing friends and being able to minister to people with more freedom. I should be returning to Congo the end of January. No doubt I will make the most of my time here in Zambia. Thanks for praying for my travels as anything can go wrong on African bus trips I always give God the glory for a safe trip.

Joyeux Noël

2009-12-22T08:26:00.000+02:00

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.

Buying a Motorcycle in Congo

2009-12-10T08:38:00.000+02:00

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.

Preaching at a Baptist Church Conference

2009-11-24T12:35:00.000+02:00

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?

Christian Education

2009-11-20T12:06:00.002+02:00

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.

Street Kids

2009-11-18T12:54:00.000+02:00

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.

Testimonies

2009-10-28T09:52:00.000+02:00

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.

Hissing and Kissing

2009-10-13T12:04:00.001+02:00

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.

Starving

2009-10-06T13:18:00.000+02:00

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.

Visitors and Life in Congo

2009-09-25T12:48:00.000+02:00

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.

God Is up to Something Good!

2009-09-15T14:58:00.000+02:00

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.

The Craziest Trip of My Life

2009-09-12T12:39:00.000+02:00

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.

Going North

2009-09-04T14:04:00.001+02:00

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.

Helping Orphans

2009-08-28T14:58:00.000+02:00

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.

And the Ministry Begins

2009-08-25T13:29:00.000+02:00

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.

Settling in and Readjusting

2009-08-21T16:00:00.003+02:00

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!

Death - The Sad Entry

2009-08-19T14:12:00.004+02:00

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.

African Bus Rides

2009-08-17T16:26:00.001+02:00

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.

Off To Congo

2009-08-09T14:33:00.002+02:00

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.

From London To Zambia

2009-07-27T09:37:00.002+02:00

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!

Zambia

2009-02-22T20:06:00.002+02:00

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.

Today My Friend Died: In memory of Da Ladie

2009-02-10T16:22:00.003+02:00

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.

Government Stuff

2009-02-04T16:21:00.001+02:00

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.

January 24th, a historical day

2009-01-26T15:47:00.000+02:00

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.

Basanga

2009-01-19T17:34:00.003+02:00

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.

The Holiday Season

2009-01-06T13:11:00.000+02:00

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.

My Roof Is Fixed!

2008-12-15T11:34:00.001+02:00

After my sleepless wet night I found an interpreter and went to explain very clearly that my roof had to be fixed. When I got there they started telling stories about the damage the rain had done. At least 10 people died from collapsed houses and many people lost everything in their shops and homes to water damage. It made my night seem like a blessing. I found myself thanking the maintenance man for building a strong house rather than complaining about his bad roof. Yesterday he finally fixed the roof, thank God!

On Friday with Pastor Kabamba I saw 4 men peeing on buildings and couldn’t help but be thankfully no one has peed on my house in a long time now. I suspect the construction workers were the culprits. They have finished building the house and the new house blocks the wall that was being used. I appreciate not having the smell around anymore.

This week I went to one of the local hospitals to visit a couple of our members who are sick. One of our friends Da Falon from Shituru just had a baby but unfortunately visiting hours were over by the time we got the hospital to see her. We went to a different hospital and visited a little boy who has a nasty gash on his leg. While we were there we visited with everyone in the ward and it was great. I gave a short encouraging speech about the love of God and Christmas and then prayed for them all. Everyone was laughing and having a great time. Most of them had never touched a white person before so it was exciting for everyone. We also visited the pastor’s niece who has meningitis and is only a month old. I don’t understand why children suffer the way that they do but I am so thankful especially this time of year that “Jesus came to the earth to destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8).

One day 2 men came by from the water company threatening to cut off our water if we didn’t pay that day. I had to keep myself from laughing because the water wasn’t on and hadn’t been for days not because we hadn’t paid but because well because this is Congo. I passed the information on to the one responsible. She said there was no point in paying since there was no water anyways that she would pay Monday. It’s another problem of community living if some of my neighbors don’t pay for their share of the water it doesn’t get paid for. Anyways it proved to be an empty threat because the water came back on Sunday even though we hadn’t paid. I’ve learned not to believe anything Congolese people say (unless I know them very well) because unfortunately many of them lie more often than tell the truth.

Things are going well and I am busy preparing for my parents arrival on the 23. I really hope the electricity is back on by then. It would sure make things easier. For now I’m just thankful I can sleep at night without getting wet!

The Struggles and Miracles of Life in Congo

2008-12-09T14:26:00.005+02:00

The first pic is Gracia the ex prostitute with her sister Falon. The second is Pastor Kabamba and Maman Isa on a hill looking over the bottom part of Shituru. The third is me with Pastor Kabamba

Last night was really rough. It rained from 10:30PM until 4:00AM and I mean it poured. As you know my roof leaks. I was under the impression that the maintenance man had done something to help the roof temporarily but apparently he hadn’t. Just as I was drifting off to sleep I felt water dripping on my forehead. When I couldn’t take it any more I got out of bed and began to assemble my buckets and pots under the drips. When the rain continued to get harder and harder I realized I had to move my mattress or else it would be ruined. I set to work for the next 2 hours racing from one spot to the next with a mop desperately trying to move everything off the floor and mop up as much water as possible in all the rooms. Needless to say it was horrible. I was exhausted I had walked countless kilometers from 9AM until 8PM, I hadn’t eaten, I was sun burnt, and now very wet as was the rest of my house. It was impossible to sleep since the worst of the leaks are right over my bed. I only wish I was exaggerating. Finally at about 1AM the rain had died down enough that I didn’t need to mop continually so I retreated to the only leak free room and began to pray and read a book. I was frustrated not only because my roof leaks but because Congolese people do things so backwards. Why hadn’t my roof been fixed? Why hadn’t anyone fixed the power in 3 months?

I can answer my own questions but I don’t like the answers. The truth is my situation sucks but it’s not really horrible when I consider all those people in Eastern Congo alone who are refugees with no shelter and nothing but fear driving them. It seems the themes I am continually reading in the Bible are about how great trials are because they build patience and endurance. I guess I’m doing a lot of building right now.

Last week there was also no water at our community tap for 6 days. I had become used to having plenty of water and had slacked on keeping every container filled. I had to do extreme rationing to get through the dry spell. I really didn’t want to waste the little water I had on bathing so I decided to test out some strange things a church had sent me from the US. There was a shower cap that claimed if you put it in the microwave for 30 seconds you could wash you hair without any water. Of course that was funny because why would someone have a microwave but no water? I put the shower cap in a frying pan over my cooking fire but then I got scared the fire would melt the plastic so I just put it on my head and to my amazement it actually worked! America has an answer for everything.

After our week of victory the devil tried to discourage us with many problems but he continues to be the loser and God continues to move in the unlikely place of Shituru. Pastor Kabamba told me yesterday “God is really working in Shituru and slowly it is going to change.” Maman Isa’s husband who was a crazy alcoholic we have been interceding for had gone sober and serious for Jesus. When we arrived on Friday for prayers Maman Isa said she was sick and when we inquired about the problem she opened her fridge and pulled out 2 bottles of whiskey. There was nothing she needed to say we understood her husband had “fallen of the wagon”. She wasn’t the only person discouraged. Gracia the ex-prostitute was discouraged because she felt her poor health may be because she is infected with AIDS which terrifies her. Two other members had been gossiping about other members and our little group had become divided. Another lady mentioned she was tired of praying because God doesn’t answer. The Holy Spirit was with me and I was able to answer every hard question with scriptures and examples in broken Swahili and French without my English Bible which I had unfortunately forgotten. I was also able to draw their attention to the fact that we are in the middle of a serious war for Shituru, a stronghold of the devil’s, and after our week of constant breakthroughs he is attacking us with discouragement so we will give up because if we keep going God is going to transform the whole area.

As usual God showed clearly that he hasn’t forgotten the cries of his children in Shituru. Maman Isa’s husband showed up early for church on Sunday morning completely sober. Although he has been faithfully attending our services in Shituru he hasn’t bothered to come to a Sunday service at the church in years. He had repented of his backsliding and thrown out his whiskey! On Monday after some counseling the members who had refused to come if so and so came were all sitting in the room together being civil but I believe we need to explain more clearly how destructive gossip is and that it is indeed a sin. Gracia said she thinks she is ready to be tested for AIDS which is a huge step. I am hoping I will be able to take her to the hospital next week. I’m also going to start giving her high protein and energy food because she is a walking skeleton. She often offered “her services” in exchange for food or clothing so we are really trying to help her so she will see that God will take care of her now. We had 2 new members and they were both demon possessed but God showed us who was more powerful when He delivered them both.

Recently I have been thinking about the church I am apart of. At times I find myself extremely bored with the very traditional very uncharismatic church. I can say the people truly know how to pray which makes my heart so happy. The biggest realization I came to however, was that at least since I’ve been here our church seems to be helping the people no one else wants. Like one lady we met because she was sick and we just wanted to pray for her and encourage her. She was so touched by our kindness that she joined our church. It turns out she had been divorced twice and was now the second wife to a man and that marriage was on the rocks. Everyone at her previous church had rejected her because of her marital history and current condition. She had then turned to witchcraft for a solution but only found herself more messed up that ever. Now I can tell you she is a changed woman completely devoted to the cause of Christ. Here in Congo often times pastors do everything they can to reach out to the wealthy and invite them to their churches or to people with good reputations but the “sick” as Jesus called them are completely ignored. I’m so thankful to be apart of a church that is serious about reaching out to the lost, the unwanted, the true wretches of this world because God has proclaimed He uses the foolish and weak things of this world to confound the wise and mighty.

Please keep me in your prayers. I have been preaching 4 times a week in Swahili and it isn’t so easy. I have been tempted to become frustrated and discouraged by all of the problems but by the grace of God am remaining strong. Please pray for my roof and that I will get electricity again soon. All in all life is good. My parents are even going to visit me for Christmas which I am so excited about. It’ll be so nice to show my life here to them.

Breakthrough!

2008-12-03T10:24:00.000+02:00

I have continued to see breakthrough in Shituru in so many ways my mind is blown away. First of all to finally see some fruit with the men. There have been 3 men notorious for always being drunk and all sorts of other sins begin to come to our meetings perfectly sober and explain to me and pastor Kabamba that they know they have been living sinful lives but now desire to change. Just yesterday I saw 2 of these men who generally would be racing off to the bars at that time of night remain after the service just to enjoy each others company and provide an accountability so that neither of them fell to temptation and went to the bars to get drunk. I really believe that just these few men’s commitment o change can and will change the entire area pole pole as they say here (little by little).

A little over a week ago Pastor Kabamba and I met a family in Shituru who requested us to come because their daughter was sick. As it turned out the daughter declared that she loved sin and witchcraft and had no intentions of changing her life. The doctors had found nothing wrong with Gracia and had suggested to the mother that the problem must have something to do with witchcraft. Pastor Kabamba explained to the girl that she must be willing to repent before God would deliver her. The mother was so moved by our encouragement that she decided to make our church her home church since she hadn’t been a faithful member anywhere for years. On our next visit it was clear the aliment had gotten worse and Gracia was having a change of heart. She looked ashamed as her mother explained to us her love of sin whereas before she seemed proud of it. She expressed to us that she had been doing soul searching and realizing something was missing from her life. The pastor told her to take the weekend to think it over and be prepared to confess and renounce her sins on Monday if she wanted to get saved. We came back Monday and with tears in her eyes she recounted to us all of her sinful actions of theft, prostitution, witchcraft, and various other things. She said she wanted to leave it all behind her and become a child of God. After reading scriptures she prayed a prayer of salvation and was set free from her demonic illness. Our God is so powerful and wonderful!

In continuing with miraculous stories my passport is back already! Not only that but it is for 5 years instead of 2 so God has really me! I am free to live in Congo full time. I am now planning a trip back to the US in February. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Bwana Asifiwe (Praise God)

2008-12-01T12:25:00.000+02:00

I didn’t end up going to Kolowezi which was fine with me. The whole thing was really confusing though. I ended up preaching Wednesday and then there was a special service on Thursday (Thanksgiving) and I preached again then too. Friday we spent the whole day in Shituru and it was powerful. People were set free from demons and God worked on several people’s heart who have been running from God or a long time. Today we are going back and I am so excited to see what God will do.

I have also been teaching English again. I have some new students and one is a pastor. I am excited to have more opportunities to help these students learn more about Jesus. The person in charge asked me to take over the management side of things for him. I am pretty excited about that because I have so many ideas of how to make the English center better. I start this week.

On Thursday I spent hours hand washing clothes and then I went to church and unfortunately what I thought would be a one hour service was a 5 hour service and it rained and my clothes got soaked. When I arrived back home my clothes stunk and I was so sad to realize I would have to rewash almost all of them. So that’s what I did this morning. I need to hurry back home to get them in before it rains again. I am learning how to deal with the rains here. Kerosene has become my best friend. I just pour a little onto the charcoal and I get an instant fire. I had avoided using it because it is so expensive and I wanted to be a real Congolese, but at least for rainy season I’m cheating.

Still no electricity and my rook still leaks. I’m still trying to arrange for an interpreter to explain to me why it is taking so long. Hopefully things will be taken care of soon. In the mean time God has been blessing me. I had a cold on Thursday but by Friday it mysteriously disappeared so praise God! Thanks for your prayers.

I'm back

2008-11-25T14:03:00.000+02:00

I finally finished the process for getting my missionary visa to live and work in the country. The immigration officer was trying to convince me that it would be best for me to marry a Congolese man because that is the easiest and best visa I can get. Then he said “and your children could grow up to be Barak Obama!” Barak Obama is seriously just about every African’s hero I’ve met. Most don’t know anything about him except his father was an African and he will soon be the president of the USA. They told me I should have my passport back within a month but my Congolese friends reminded me that this is Congo and I should be prepared for 3 to 6 months before I see my passport again. We’ll see

I still have no electricity. There hasn’t been any since before I left Congo in September. Everyday they say tomorrow it’ll be fixed, but who knows when it’ll ever get fixed. Most days no one is even bothering to work on it. Thankfully the opposite has occurred with the water. I think we now have water almost all day long! It is so wonderful to just be able to get water whenever I need it and not to have to wait in line.

My big problem has been that my roof leaks pretty badly in every room. The worst spot is on top of and all around my bed. They waited a week and then did a few things to fix it so now it only leaks instead of pours. Who knows when they will manage to fix it all the way but I am thankful for what I got.

It rains so much in Congo. I wish I could measure how many inches we are getting but it must be significantly more than Zambia. Farmers here have never experienced a drought which happens every couple years in Zambia. It makes life so much more difficult. Like starting a fire in the morning, drying clothes, walking around with all the mud. I guess I’ll get used to it. It’s weird because when I left Zambia the rains hadn’t started but they are in full force here. The saddest part is a missed eating flying ants.

The pastor got right to work giving me a schedule. I have been going all over town. I am constantly learning new places. First I went to Shituru and the best part was the drunkard who I had been sent to talk to was there for the very first time and sober! It was so encouraging. We had visited with some families in the community before and a new family came. After the service the guy asked to speak with us privately. He confessed to be involved in all kinds of sins from drunkardness to constantly buying prostitutes. He had felt convicted and compelled to change his life. Then he called in his wife and explained to her his decisions. She was blown away. Another woman was demon possessed and we did some deliverance ministry. Apparently there is a big thing here called The husband of the night where through a traditional ritual women are married to demons who are supposed to make them good wives to their real husband but actually torment them in dreams at night. I don’t have all the details yet but it seems very common. Needless to say the service was powerful. I absolutely love going around encouraging people. Its always good times with the children either trying to scratch off my white skin or screaming bloody murder when they see me, women trying to teach me to cook Congolese food, and people who just need a touch from God receiving it. It’s about being a community ready to help people out.

Tomorrow I am going to Kolowezi another mining town about 70 miles from here for a woman’s conference. There will not be a translator so it’ll be interesting trying to understand everything. I do pretty well with one on one because I can ask them to clarify and vice versa but when it is someone giving a speech I struggle. I guess it is times like this that I really learn because I have no choice. I should be getting back on Saturday. On Tuesday I start teaching English again. Things are all coming together nicely and I am excited about all that God will do. Thank you for your prayers.

The Adventure Continues

2008-11-12T16:06:00.000+02:00

Well the Congo adventure continues and it started off with a bang consisting of unforeseen problems. It started off with the typical problems the taxi driver failed to show up on time and his phone had gone dead and then the bus had accidentally booked too many people on the early bus but didn’t realize it when I called ahead to confirm there were no problems. So after securing another taxi I sat for 3 hours under the hot African sun getting sun burnt, waiting and hoping the next bus would have space. I switched in and out from reading my book and using the Tonga language with the other people also waiting for the bus because I knew it would be a long time before I had the chance to use it again.

Things weren’t too bad in Lusaka and I made it back to the bus stop before the 6AM departure time. Unfortunately in typical African fashion we left 3 hours late. All went fine until we reached Kapiri Mposhi. The conductors decided to take on more passengers than they had seats which is technically illegal in Zambia. People began arguing and complaining and yelling matches broke out all over the bus. They started yelling “rubbish bus” “never use Chembe” (Chembe was the name of the bus company). I couldn’t agree more, you couldn’t pay me to ever use Chembe again. So from then on out all of the passengers were angry and the ride was cramped and uncomfortable. In Ndola one man who boarded and had to stand up was very vocal about his dislike for white people and was angry I was riding the same bus as him. He eventually got embarrassed when none of the other passengers shared his views and retreated to another area of the bus where people hadn’t heard his racist remarks and kept quiet. Very few Zambians have any problems with race or foreigners so his attitude was a bit shocking it was also shocking for the other Zambians who heard him. In fact not long before he boarded the bus the people who had just exited the bus had been joking around with me for being a Tonga. Its funny how one person sees me as a true Zambian and the next judges me by my skin color to be a foreigner.

There were constant delays for no particular reason and I didn’t reach Chingola until 5:30PM. It is a 7 hour trip for a usual bus so there was no way I could have calculated such a crazy delay. I had even ridden with Chembe before and had gotten there hours earlier. I wasn’t sure of the exact time the Congolese border crossing closed so I asked some people and they said it was 7:30. All border posts in Zambia close between 6 and 8. I knew it was a gamble to take the taxi to the border because if they closed at 6 I wouldn’t make it, but I felt like it was a gamble worth making because I thought people from the church had traveled to Kasumbalesa to meet me and it would greatly inconvenience them if I came a day late (little did I know they hadn’t sent anyone). We picked up an immigration officer half way to the border who assured me the border doesn’t close until 6:30 which was great.

So I quickly exit Zambia and still had 10 minutes to leave Congo. The only problem was once I got to the Congo side the guards told me they were all closed. Apparently the Congo side closes at 6 which really doesn’t make sense but then few things do in Congo. So I used my sad eyes and extremely respectful Swahili to flatter the guards and plead for them to help me just this once. After all they were all still there and it wouldn’t be that hard to stamp my passport. Unfortunately they absolutely refused. By then it was probably too late to leave Zambia and find a place to stay there. Once I explained to them my situation and that I was a missionary all of them jumped to my attention and began saying they would help me. It was a forced wake up call for my French and Swahili as I had no interpreter and hadn’t used either in over a month. I answered the officers in Tonga a few times and once I saw the confused looks in their eyes recognized my mistake and searched my head for the Swahili equivalent.

Finally they explained to me their plan. They would allow me to stay in a hotel in Kasumbalesa and send an armed security man with me because there are so many crooks in the area. They said they knew the perfect place for me to be safe. I inquired about my luggage if I would need to bring it back the next day. The said “you are a soeur (a sister like a nun) so we trust you and want to help you. We are very sorry you are having this problem today and so tomorrow you can stay at your hotel room and we will send the immigration officer to stamp your passport. There is no problem and we are very happy you are here.” I was shocked at there kindness because many times it has been quite the opposite experience for me.

Congo is a catholic nation so when they see a single woman missionary they assume you are a catholic sister and so I am frequently called Soeur a nickname I encourage because it prevents random men from proposing to me which still happens far too often. Their kindness was wonderful and they arranged for a cab and took me to a nice little place with armed guards and a walled fence. After helping me negotiate for a good price they left me. In the morning they came by to get my passport and some money of course for their help. In an hour they were back with my passport stamped and a taxi ready to take me to Lubumbashi. I arrived at the pastor’s house in Lubumbashi were I usually stay without any further problems. I have never been more convinced that God goes before me to prepare the way.

Then of course once I got here they told me to wait until tomorrow to go to immigration for my 2 year visa and then today again told me to wait until tomorrow. I am back to understanding about 50% of what is going on. They said something about an administrator being out or too busy. Hopefully everything gets worked out, please pray.

It has been nice being back in Congo. The inability to communicate is once again my biggest frustration. I have been most enjoying the time with the girls around my age from our churches in Lubumbashi. They all want to learn English and are very patient with me and we can communicate every well. We are always making each other laugh and it helps me learn a lot more about Congolese people. Last night I introduced them to some simple computer games and they absolutely loved them. It makes me wish they lived in Likasi. My favorite of the group is a girl named Sabine who got married last week and no longer lives in this area. I hope I will get to see her before I leave Lubumbashi.

Congo: The Bleeding Heart of Africa

2008-10-30T09:25:00.009+02:00

Just when you think it might be over and the people of Eastern Congo stop holding their breath tragedy strikes again. As CNN recently put it “history seems destined to repeat itself.” Another reporter from BBC said it “looks like heaven but it feels like hell.” I will attempt to fill you all in on the most recent chaos occurring in Congo.

First, the Prime Minister of Congo, Antoine Gizenga, resigned in September due to old age and failing health. Unlike most parliamentary systems, the prime minister is appointed by the president and holds no significant power. In the recent Congolese elections the top 3 presidential hopefuls were Kabila, Bemba, and Gizenga. When a run off election between the top 2 was announced Kabila offered Gizenga the position of Prime Minister in exchange for his party’s support. Many people were nervous that Kabila would select a replacement who was from his own party, but thankfully he selected the Budget Minister who is also from the PALU. Adolphe Muzito Seems like a good choice. He has received international praise for being strong with budget reforms, but regardless his position holds little power anyway.
Now to try to explain the conflict, I’ll do my best. First of all where is all of this taking place? The conflicts are only occurring in the Eastern provinces of Congo namely Sud Kivu and specifically the Goma area. When did it all start? A sort of loaded question because I could argue it started 1000 years ago, but for all practical purposes it began in 2003 after “peace” came to Congo and the Second Congo War had ended. This round of fighting began on August 28. In order to answer the other questions I will do my best to give you the information I know. General Laurent Nkunda is a former military leader for the Congolese Government Army who started his own rebel group in order to defend the rights of Congolese Tutsi people or as they are also known the Banyamulenge people. He claims Kabila fought along side Rwandan Hutu rebels (the one’s who performed the 1994 genocide of 800,000 Tutsi people) and encouraged the killing of Congolese Tutsi. He claims he will not stop fighting until Congolese Tutsi are protected. The Congolese Tutsi people are a big problem because most people in Congo hate them saying they are not in fact Congolese but Rwandan and blame them for much of Congo’s violence. Rwanda also doesn’t seem happy to accept them back. It is a difficult fight because many of them did come to Congo after the genocide as uninvited refugees who never left, but historically the general area including that part of Congo was controlled by the Tutsi people. It all sounds ok at first like Nkunda is standing against injustice, standing for the rights of the weak, unless you know that Nkunda is notorious for kidnapping children to force them to join his army, raping women, burning villages, stealing crops and food, and any other human rights violation possible. Because his so called purpose is to help the Tutsi people it is suspected he receives support from Rwanda which is likely considering Rwanda’s long involvement and medaling in Congo during the first and second Congo wars. So what is going on right now is, after months of hiding and preparing Nkunda is back in action from a dramatic kidnapping of children in August to hard core fighting everyday. He is gaining group and securing whole area under his control. It is rumored there has been hiring across the border near Goma between Congo’s government forces and Rwanda. This has left 50,000 Congolese civilians fleeing for their lives with no where to go. CNN and BBC interviewed a lady with a crying baby who said for 3 days she and her children had eaten nothing and were running away as fast as they could. BBC showed a shot of refugees fleeing with bomb blasts behind them. Since 2003 millions have been displaced. They have no place to go. Now is the beginning of the growing season and being forced from their homes now almost guarantees starvation. The UN sets up refugee camps, but because of the vast number of people and squalid living conditions thousands or even tens of thousands die of disease.

The UN drama. First of all MONUC as it is known by its French acronym in Congo is the UN’s largest peace keeping mission, but clearly has been unable to solve the problems in Congo. The UN has occasionally in Congo under extreme circumstances fired upon rebel forces and successfully secured land previous rebel controlled. Since Korea this has not been an acceptable practice for the UN but like in Bosnia is occasionally allowed. Lieutenant General Vicente Diaz de Villegas of Spain recently resigned from being the head of the largest UN peace keeping mission in Congo for personal reasons after only 7 weeks on the job. There has been rioting going on from civilians targeting the UN because they are so discontent over what the UN is doing. How can all the turmoil continue to happen with such strong UN presence? Why are they even there if they are not protecting the common people? Theoretically, in the recent situation the UN is supposed to break up the fighting between the rebels and government forces come in between them and talk to each side separately and negotiate a peace agreement. Of course easier said than done. This time around the UN has done very little leaving civilians very angry. The leaders of the UN in Congo are begging the UN to send more troops. The Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s response was we cannot send soldiers to hide behind every tree, and the situation is too dangerous for the UN. I miss Kofi Annan is all I can say to that. All that I can say for this round of the violence is it is far from over.

Congo is bleeding and has been for such a long time, and desperately needs your prayers. Like the woman in the Bible who spent all of her money on doctors who failed to help her but took all she had, Congo has tried it all to stop the violence but to no avail. We have to stand on the truth of the Word of God, that with just one touch of the hem of His garment the bleeding can stop and all will be forced to say “nothing is impossible for God.” Prayer remains our most powerful weapon to combat the evil and injustice in this world.

Most of the pictures seen above were taken from the yahoo news slide show which displays a compilation of photos mostly from AFP and Reuters. A few other photos including the map were taken from BBC news.

It's Election Day in Zambia

2008-10-30T08:28:00.005+02:00

First of all on a personal level a virus is going around at our orphanage in Zambia so please keep the children and house mothers in prayer.

Today is Election Day in Zambia. Our president unfortunately passed away on August 19 and according to Zambia's constitution there must be an election to elect a new president within 90 days of the death of a president. I consider this a ridiculous policy because this makeshift election is costing us $75 million which Zambia can't afford anyway but especially for something that wasn't in the budget. Donor nations including the US have given a total of $11 million to help but because of the global economic crisis there is no chance of anyone but Zambia covering the full amount. The election is also only for the remaining 3 years of the late president Mwanawasa's term so in 2011 we will be coughing out over $100 million for a full Parliament and presidential elections.

There are 4 candidates running. To be brief Sata is crazy he wants to kick out the Chinese, start a war and other outrageous plans. Then there is Rupiah Banda the acting president who has been using corrupt practices and trying to buy votes from people as well as using his control of the media to tell lies and try to scare the people. Then there is HH as he is known a wealthy business man and economist who I prefer. And finally, a former general who is expected to get less than 1% of the votes. A Zambian said it best "I will not recycle leaders who have failed us for over 30 years." Zambia's democracy was born in 1992. Regardless of the differences between the candidates in the current US elections or how anyone might feel about them in 4 years neither of them can destroy completely what Americans have built in over 200 years, on the contrary in Zambia one leader, as anyone can see from African history, can easily destroy everything good in less than a term.

Additional problems include the appreciation of the dollar making prices go up for Zambians, and the falling price of copper has caused depreciation in the local currency not to mention serious problems with the economy. We had a bad year agriculturally last growing season. In Zambia systems are in place to deal with one bad year but if there is a bad year again Zambia will be begging for foreign assistance which may not be available in a difficult global economic time.

Furthermore, accusations about election rigging have been widespread. It is documented that Zambia ordered 6,000 more ballots than they have registered voters for "contingency purposes". The practice of printing too many ballots is frequently used in Africa to rig elections. Additionally, a truck bringing the ballots to Zambia from South Africa was ransacked or something we don't know the whole story but there are fears some of the ballots have already been corrupted. Sata has already said he will encourage rioting and violence if he thinks the elections have been rigged. Zambia is a peaceful nation but there are people this time around who are upset so as we saw in Kenya anything could happen. Please pray for Zambia.

delays

2008-10-10T10:03:00.002+02:00

So It is Friday and I am still in Zambia. I got a phone call Wednesday night saying don't come. I wasn't able to understand why. Trying to understand swahili with a really bad phone connection is really difficult. I'm waiting for the email now with more information. I figure everything has a purpose but I am anxious to get back. I would hope you have already seen this on the news but knowing how American news can be I will inform everyone that violence has come to Congo once again. It all began August 28 and has been escalating since then. Nothing too serious just the normal rebel groups fighting as they have been since the war officially ended. They are killing people, stealing children, and of course Rwandan troops are coming over to "help" much to the dislike of Congo. Pray for things there. Don't worry about me because all of these problems are taking place in Kivu which is only accessible to Katanga where I live through airplanes so my area is still completely safe. Thanks for your prayers!

As for life in Zambia it is very different but very wonderful. I was able to sleep semi outside and watch the stars which were few because of the brightness of the moon. Thankfully there were few mosquitoes. After eating amazing Zambian food (Why can't the Congolese cook like the Zambians?) all the orphans gathered around and we sang songs while some of the kids played the drums. Then the little ones went to sleep and the older ones came outside and played with me and a girl named Elizabeth until "late" 9:30. They played with my phone and asked all kinds of questions and were such a joy. I'm not that great with kids but these orphans are incredible. They came from such sad situations and it is incredible to see what a little love can do!

A Little Trip To Zambia

2008-10-04T14:04:00.002+02:00

I concluded my time in Lubumbashi Monday without applying for my visa. The paperwork was finally ready but some additional complications were brought to my attention. First,I still had to purchase another temporary visa which I learned is 3 times as expensive in Congo than it is in Zambia. Then I was reminded that although the government promises no longer than 30 days to get the visa after you apply during which time they hold onto your passport, this is Congo and nothing happens quickly. One man who has lived in Congo 15 years said he once waited a year and a half to get his passport back. The average seems to be about 3 months though. The new information caused me to take a quick trip to Zambia. I went to Lubumbashi Thursday and arrived in Zambia on Friday where I have been for the last week. It has been wonderful as usual to be here. I'm going up to Lusaka Wednesday to get my last (hopefully) temporary visa and will be back in Congo on Friday. Saturday please pray I will be able to finally send in everything for my missionary 2 year visa. Also pray it comes back quickly. if all goes according to plan I'll be back in Likasi Monday.

Tomorrow I will be going on for a couple of days to the village where our orphanage is here in Zambia. I don't know where we (me and 2 other Americans) will be sleeping but I'm rooting for outside under the stars. We have over 20 children now and they are all wonderful. I got the chance to meet the new children but look forward to getting to know them. Now my big challenge is to stop mixing in Swahili when I'm trying to speak Tonga to the kids. Since I've been back I have so many times taken a few minutes to construct an intelligible sentence using French and or Swahili and then realized I could just ask in English. Its a great feeling knowing you can easily and effectively communicate with people. In the villages its mostly Tonga which I speak incredibly poorly but at least I know some and there are plenty of translators around.

Chunga Kiloko

2008-09-20T11:18:00.000+02:00

And everything goes wrong, that seems to be my daily experience in Congo and some how normal and unavoidable. I guess the solution is to just anticipate nothing working ahead of time. I am becoming a much more patient person.
First of all I come here because I am told to come here. Because I didn’t believe it after having waited for so long I asked over and over are you sure is this really all we need for the visa. And over and over again they said yes this is everything go tomorrow and we will take care of everything. I was excited and chose to just believe and silence the voice in the back of my head saying “I doubt it, this is Congo”. I got to the church treasure's house where I am staying and asked what time we were going to immigration and got the disappointing news that things were not ready and someone was trying to get it all together but as they usually say in Congo “chunga kiloko” or “kesho mangaribi” (Just wait a little bit or tomorrow afternoon).” So from previous experience I correctly assumed that phrase means it’ll be awhile. So here I am 3 days later still waiting and hoping.
I went to an office to get internet for my computer which can only be done in Lubumbashi. Long story short I waited in their office for 3 hours while they tried to make everything work as they continually told me 10 more minutes for 3 hours. Finally I told them I had to go and they had to give me my money back and at first they refused but I was able to persuade them to reconsider. I was really patient for the first 2 hours but the third hour was just too much for me especially since it seemed to me their system was down and it was impossible and they were wasting my time just for the fun of it. The good news is I found a new store that sells western style food because it was across the street from their office.
When I got here the pastor I am staying with took me to a room that was disconnected to the main house and told me there is good security here but I should lock the door and gave me a key. I locked the door and went to sleep. When I woke up I attempted to unlock the door but it wouldn’t unlock. No one was around to help me so I wasn’t sure what to do. For security every window in Africa has bars to keep out thieves. Luckily they had never spent the money to put in an actual window frame so the window was made of metal and wood and opens all the way making it possible for a person to climb out. So I was able to escape from the room. Later on one of the pastor’s sons squeezed through the window and fixed the problem explaining to me that they’ve had a lot of trouble with the lock and need to buy another one. Of course no one bothered to tell me that in advance.
The food situation is always humorous. I of course don’t eat meat or fish which is almost impossible for a Congolese to believe or understand. The basic idea is the only people who don’t eat meat are those who cannot afford to buy it. Then they eat Bukari everyday. Bukari is corn flour boiled with water until it is stiff. It is the basic food of Africa called by various other names including nsima and fufu. In Zambia it is much thinner than here in Congo. I prefer it that way probably because it is what I grew up enjoying. If there is no bukari at a meal there is no food and if you don’t eat bukari you didn’t really eat. So I do eat bukari but because there are frequently other choices I’ll eat bukari at one meal then rice at the next and potatoes at the next then bread then bukari again and so forth. It really confuses the people here and they think I’ll get sick or become weak because I’m not eating bukari. When I first got to Congo in March and was living with the Catholic mother she was very concerned for me and showed me in a health book by the Congolese government that for good health it is necessary to eat bukari everyday. They try to give me more and more vegetables but for me I can only eat so many leaves at one time because it tastes just how you would expect a leaf or weed to taste. I guess it’s an acquired taste.
There is also a mouse that lives in the room I’m staying in. It’s a cheeky little mouse who continually scurries around the room even though I’m here. I’ve almost killed it so many times but it appears to be quite daring and fearless. I hope I manage to kill it before I leave. I hate losing.
Please keep my visa in your prayers. I’m meeting with the youth at a church here tomorrow. I think it will be really great to get some ideas from them. It will be nice to get back to Likasi. I’m hoping it’ll be soon. Thanks for your prayers.

Shituru

2008-09-15T13:24:00.000+02:00

So Diane asked what Blog readers could do which reminds me of another funny reality of Congo. Congo basically has no infrastructure which means basically no postal system. There is a working post office n Lubumbashi or so I’ve been told. In Likasi I found an old post office. I was pretty excited about it so I ventured inside. I was hit first by the atrocious smell of dried fish which covered the place from floor to ceiling. I asked some of the guys moving the dried fish if it was a post office still. They said ye and sent me to a room without dried fish and told me to wait for the boss. After 30 minutes he came inside. I asked him how much it cost to send a letter to the US and it took him another 30 minutes to look through all of his papers to try to find the prices. I walked around back and saw that the back side is being used as a bar and the side with the post office boxes is being used for people to hang their laundry from. So sending things via the post office isn’t really an option.
The biggest thing that blog readers can do is pray. As much as Congo’s problems and my life here brings humor it can also get super annoying and difficult. Each day I need God’s grace to handle each new challenge and to do the ministry God has called me to. If you want to ask questions or anything you are welcome to email me at noahminstriescongo@yahoo.com
On Friday I went to Shituru again. It was a day filled with intense spiritual; warfare. There is such a covering over that area hat has to be broken. We spent the day casting out demons, counseling people concerning spiritual problems, and encouraging them that there is hope. We went to one house where 2 teenage boys had just moved in with a family looking for jobs with the mining company. They got fired because they are drunk all the time but before they moved to Shituru they weren’t drinkers. One of the families had a lot of money stolen from their house and the now the husband tried to kill himself and keeps saying he’ll do it again. One young man was working for the mining company and water he said was 1000 degrees splashed onto his ankle and he suffered serious burn damage. The doctors have said the damage is so severe he will never be able to do heavy manual labor and will always walk with a limp. When the mining company heard that they immediately declared him fired and refused to pay his medical bills. There are so many problems there. In one of the house the Congolese song C’est Encore Possible (It’s Still Possible) was playing. It’s a song all about how there are so many problems and so much suffering but God hasn’t forgotten and even thought it may seem impossible with God it is still possible that things can change. It just reminded me that Shituru can change regardless of how bad the situation is because God is bigger than all of its problems.
The pastor took 2 months to seek the Lord without doing ministry. His official day back was Wednesday and he is so on fire it’s incredible. He declared Thursdays as the church’s day of intercession and this past week it was so anointed. I am excite about what God has done is and is doing through Pastor Kabamba. I am really enjoying working with him again.
A lady asked me how I got so many mosquito bites on my arms. I responded that I didn’t have any mosquito bites on my arms. So she said something I couldn’t understand and then came over and grabbed my arm and began examining it. She asked what those spots were on my arms if they weren’t mosquito bites. I then proceeded to explain to her what freckles were without much success but I assured her they never come off or go away, I was born with them, and they don’t hurt.

Mungu Wangu

2008-09-10T14:47:00.003+02:00

I am once again writing by generator. The power has been out for more than a week. They just can’t seem to fix the problem. I keep asking if it is a big problem but everyone says “no but the repair man is tired.” I don’t really know what that means beyond the fact that I won’t get electricity today. In Congo things just take time I guess.

A little boy was crossing the street nonchalantly when a van going at an ungodly speed rammed into him just outside my house. I heard the tires squeal to a halt and many Congolese crying out Mungu Wangu (Oh My God). They have recently repaired the road outside of my house and there are no speed limits in Congo that I’ve noticed so vehicles go as fast as the vehicle can possibly go regardless of the fact that it is a heavily residential area with plenty of “children’s crossing zones”. These accidents happen really frequently from gross negligence on the part of the driver. The mentality is I have a car so get out of my way or I’ll hit you. People riding bikes get hit the most frequently because obviously the man carrying 200 pounds on his bike should get off the road rather than the car having to slow down. So the man who hit the little boy (I hear he will be ok) gave a little bit of money to the police man who quickly came to get his payment and then the driver carried on with life as usual. He didn’t loose his license he didn’t go to jail nothing. This is Congo.

Last month a truck driver hit and killed a police officer who was standing in the middle of the road in bright yellow. The driver just paid some money and continued on to make his delivery as if nothing had happened. Right now the 12^th graders are getting their results back from their standardized exam. In Zambia this is a big deal because the exam is really difficult and your score determines whether you can continue your education and if you don’t do well enough you have to wait a whole year to even have the chance to retake it. So I figured the situation was similar in Congo but I was told that if you don’t pass you just pay the school money and they let you pass. Great system they have here. Likewise I’ve heard that at university if you don’t pay extra money to your teachers to make them like you they will fail you no matter how smart you are. A friend recently made the statement Congo is 100 years behind even Zambia and although that is an exaggeration this country is ridiculous.

Once a week in my English class I print off a chapter from the Bible in English and we go through it word by word. We are learning English words and phrases but it also gives me an opportunity to preach the word of God and explain the purpose of the passage. Of course I love to preach but I especially love this situation because all of my students except one are boys and many of them have explained that a woman is incapable of preaching. So week after week I am preaching to them and explaining the truths of the Bible and they don’t even realize it.

On Friday I was called to Shituru again to speak with a drunkard. He asked me to talk to Him about the things of God. Of course it was hours after the time we had planned but I was able to take him through what the Bible has to say about drunkenness. I was surprised to hear him say he had no idea what the Bible said about the issue. I don’t know what he will do about what he has heard but I pray he changes. I really believe if just one or two key people in that area become serious about the things of God it would make a huge difference.

I began house to house visiting again this week. It is always a joy to encourage fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I enjoy seeing different areas of the city and dealing with the range of reactions. Some of the children are scared to death of me and scream and cry while others are so exited and won’t stop asking me questions and laughing. The adults seem to have the most trouble with the fact that I wear flip-flops. I find it hilarious that we will go out in the middle of the day when it is incredibly hot and the person I go with will be wearing jeans, a jacket, and socks and shoes just because they like the way it looks.

I received news this week that my niece, Samantha, has leukemia. The doctors are really positive and God has already been so faithful and things are going well. It is extremely hard to be so far away in such a difficult time. I would really appreciate all of your prayers.

Getting my visa is coming along slowly. I have a few more pieces to the puzzle and I’m becoming more accustomed to waiting and not understanding why I should be waiting for something so simple. Please keep that in your prayers as well. God is helping me everyday. Thanks for praying.

Orphan Sponsorship

2008-09-02T12:50:00.002+02:00

Okay I keep meeting orphans who are unable to attend school because of money. Some of these children have never been to school. Others haven’t been for 2 years. I’ve talked with them and they have so many aspirations for their lives and dreams of doing great things but because their father or parents died now they have no chance. I began to ask about how much it costs to send them to school and received the answer that every school has a different price. School is opening up soon. In order to attend the students must pay a registration fee which also varies from school to school but is usually around $8 and then the teachers will decide the monthly rate based on the number of students probably in October. I inquired about the monthly rates last year and received answers ranging from $3 to $11. I started thinking about it and decided I would ask if anyone wants to get involved. I know some times we don’t have a lot of money but we want to make a difference. If you want to sponsor an orphan in Congo please contact me as soon as possible. I’ve met with the orphans and have compiled a list of the one’s truly in need and will give the money to the teachers directly to avoid the guardians spending it on themselves. I’ll also be in contact with the teachers to make sure the students are actually attending class and working hard. You can send the money through Noah Ministries so it’ll be tax deductible. There won’t be any administrative costs on your gifts so everything you give will go to the student. If because of the exchange rate it’s a few cents more I’ll buy the students notebooks and pencils. If you are interested please let me know and I’ll get you more information. If you want I can have the student send you monthly letters. I wish I could give you an exact price but this is Congo . If you need more information just let me know noahministriescongo@yahoo.com

Challenges, Open Doors, and Congolese

2008-08-27T11:31:00.002+02:00

After my exciting experience of 5 days without electricity that ended Wednesday the same problem of course reappeared on Saturday, not wanting to relive the experience I decided to buy a generator which makes life so much easier. Even now I am typing because of the generator. I am beginning to understand some of the valid reasons why people here can never be on time to anything. For myself some times I am supposed to do something at 3PM but at 2:50 the water comes and the thing is if I don’t stay and fill my containers with water it may be another week until the water comes again. There is no schedule so you never know which time the water will come. Not only that but the water tab services many families so you also have to wait in line for who knows how long just to get your containers filled. It makes things very difficult to prepare for. Anyway now that I have a generator I can prepare at least the electricity parts of my life.

On Sunday we played football with the youth from church and had by far our biggest turn out ever. There were 25 people. In fact several of the people I have never seen at church before but their parents attend. I am excited about the possibilities that could arise from this. There is a big youth event this Saturday at the church here and I really hope it goes well. I’m not sure how everything will work out but hopefully God will use it as the beginning of getting our youth on fire for Him. I am the speaker so also be praying that I have wisdom and anointing to say things that touch the hearts of the youth.

I talked with the pastor on Sunday and he told me he has been seeking the Lord about planting a new church in Likasi. Everything isn’t planned yet but he wants me to be apart of it which I’m really excited about. He has also asked me to begin leading the block meeting in Shituru. I sense that the devil has such a stronghold over that area of town. I am really seeking the Lord for the best way to minister to the people there.

I tried to get my furniture once again and this time asked for the coffee table that is finished. I was able to take it but decided to take it the Congolese way so I put it on top of my head and walked about a kilometer to my house. It was heavy and my head hurt for days. Everyone got a good laugh out of it.

I tried to find rat poison because I’ve had some trouble with them but all I found was glue to trap the rats. I asked my neighbor about it and she said it’s because they eat them. She asked me to please give her any I catch. I did eventually find poison and was able to take care of my problem the American way.

Another thing about Congolese is they are very free about where they pee. I’m all for peeing outside but not in the city. The men pee on the side of shops right in the heart of the city. They pee on walled fences of people’s houses. All of this I found strange but it didn’t bother me until people began to pee on my house. There is one side of my house where the septic tank is and there is a wall around 3 quarters of it so I guess it makes for a nice private place to relieve oneself. And of course peeing on the ground just wouldn’t do so they pee on the wall and I’m stuck listening to and smelling their urine. I would ask them to stop but I haven’t learned how to ask someone to not pee on my house in Swahili yet. I guess I’ll have to learn.

Next week I am supposed to begin doing house to house visiting like I did before. I am really excited about that. I haven’t heard any more about being able to visit some new places. I’m hoping after I get things in order with my visa I’ll have that opportunity. Please be praying for my visa situation. The hang up is just people taking their time. I think it is going to end up costing me even more money but I just don’t know how to motivate or convince people to do things quickly. It’s frustrating because before I left I discussed all of these things and I followed their instructions but when I got back things changed. The language barrier makes for plenty of miscommunication.

Recently I’ve been hearing some of the people from the churches I work with explain that God doesn’t heal any more. They are always praying for healing and so I asked them about it and they explained that God can use doctors and He can heal headaches and things like that but He can’t heal a lame person or a blind person or cancer. It makes my heart sad to hear them absolutely convinced of this. Also there is a lot of resentment from the old denominations and the Pentecostals in this area. They have heard many of the Pentecostals give false prophecies and now they are completely against prophesy. It has been a challenge to have the wisdom to talk to them about it especially with the language barrier. Please pray for me to have wisdom.

Thanks for your prayers. God continues to open doors and I am excited about what is happening over here. Each day is filled with challenges so I appreciate your prayers more than I can explain!

5 Straight Days No Electricity

2008-08-23T09:39:00.000+02:00

It has been an interesting time. Because there has been no electricity I have been unable to update my blog so I will now attempt to explain the events of these last few days. The electricity went out Friday night and never came back on. The next day I was informed that there was an electrical problem but someone will come to repair it. That someone never bothered coming until Wednesday. Over those 5 days I became a pro at making fire and cooking over it. So although it was beyond frustrating it did prove helpful. There were so many things I really needed to do that required electricity. Finally, on Monday I went to a church member’s house and was able to use her electricity to get some things done.
Monday was such a bad day, everything went wrong from the biggest things to the smallest things and I felt so frustrated. Then I went to a small group meeting in Shituru, the mining area of town, and got so humbled. I met with a group of women who are all stuck with crazy drunk husbands and feel so trapped and hopeless. All I could do afterwards was beg God to change my heart and make me frustrated about how the devil is stealing, killing, and destroying the people of Congo instead of being frustrated about not having electricity.
On Tuesday I was able to go to another small group meeting in Pande the rich area of town and what a contrast. Everyone lives in big houses and wears nice clothes and seems to have it all together. I thank God that He has opened the doors for me to minister to both the rich and poor in Congo.
I also started teaching English to young adults. I’m helping a friend earn money and the plan is to teach him some financial planning because whatever money he may have today he won’t have tomorrow. It is also an opportunity to reach these young people for Jesus and I am hoping to use the class to recruit for a weekly Bible study. Please pray that I have wisdom in this new area. Those of you who know me know I’m not in any way a teacher nor enjoy teaching.
I have been trying to get my visa to stay here for 2 years but everything is going wrong once again. Please pray for me. I know I will be able to get it but the problem now has become the timing. If I can’t get everything I need by next week I will have to pay more money for another temporary visa so please pray that doesn’t happen. No matter how many times I say hurry, quickly, today, right now Congolese take there time.
Like trying to get my furniture, no matter what I try they won’t work any faster. The man promised me and put in writing he would have everything made in 2 weeks but of course he didn’t. The worst part is he would tell me I promise it’ll be ready in the afternoon every single day. Maybe next week.
My birthday was wonderful. I was able to preach at the church for the midweek service. Best of all after 5 days the electricity returned! What great birthday presents from Jesus.
The excitement of the week was brought down by disturbing news I received on Tuesday. The President of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa, passed away after suffering from a severe stroke. He probably wasn’t the best president in the world, but he was the best Zambia has ever had. In Zambia when a president dies the country must hold elections within 90 days to choose a new president. In these circumstances anything could happen. Please keep Zambia in your prayers.
And thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers! Everyday is filled with challenges and I need God’s grace. Daily, I meet with people in difficult situations who need a touch from God. I desperately need God’s wisdom and power to help the people here. I have met with the youth leaders and we are planning some events so please pray they go well and young people get a revelation of Jesus. I was reading some of Charles Finney’s Systematic Theology book and came across these words which have become my prayer “We need to have Christ so revealed as to so completely ravish and engross our affections, that we would sooner die at once than sin against Him.”

National Conference

2008-08-11T12:28:00.000+02:00

Well I spent my first few days in Likasi trying to get my house fixed up. I still have some more windows to clean and floors to scrub but its coming.
It has been wonderful to be back and see everyone. I was especially looking forward to seeing Baba Banza and his wife. They speak some English and were always at the church serving in some capacity. I was shocked to see they weren’t at church on Sunday and when I inquired was further shocked to discover he has brain cancer and isn’t expected to make it. He is currently in Lubumbashi but is trying to arrange to see some specialists in the capital city of Kinshasa. I’m begging please pray for this family. They have young children and are just the best people you could ever meet. They love Jesus so much and are so serious about the things of God. Please believe for a miracle on their behalf. God’s arm is not too short to save.
In addition to keeping this family in my prayers I prayed for the National Conference. It was so wonderful to meet the people. There were 4 pastors who had traveled 120 miles on their bicycles just to attend the conference. Their dedication is unbelievable. Everyone is asking me to visit their churches and villages. Please pray that I am able to go to thee places. I will have to arrange transportation (there are often no roads in Congo) as well as interpretation. I was sad that no one came to the conference from Kasai province but happy when the church leadership mentioned the need to go there and their desire for me to go as well. Really the only way to get there is a 2 day train ride. Kasai Province has really been on my heart so please pray I have the opportunity to visit soon.
I was also please to meet several of the young people from Lubumbashi churches who served at the conference in various capacities. They were wonderful in helping me to get back into the habit of using Swahili and French. I met with the youth leaders from around the area and am excited to work with them and get some things started. It breaks my heart that nearly everyday I meet people in their 20’s who have given up on church. Where will this country be if the next generation turns their backs on God? I believe we need some new strategies and the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me. Please pray for these new projects.
I am supposed to begin house to house evangelism again this week. Please pray for that ministry as well. The Conference really helped my brain to use French and Swahili but I really need help from the Holy Spirit to minister in them. Thanks so much for your prayers God is moving!

The Journey

2008-08-02T16:51:00.000+02:00

As I look back on these past days I can do nothing but praise God. On Saturday I had come to grips with the fact that I was not leaving the next day to go to Congo. I traveled to Jembo to attend the graduation ceremony of one of my very good friends. I met the Mazeza family there and explained the problem I had been having getting my letter of invitation. Evariste informed me that it wasn’t a problem because he could write the letter for me. After a few phone calls several of the missing pieces for my trip to work out fell into place. I was excited but a little stressed by having to be ready to leave in a matter of hours. This being Africa the graduation started late and lasted longer than expected. I had to leave at 4 to make it home before dark and sadly I missed the amazing Zambian food I had been looking forward to during all the boring hours of the graduation.
I arrived home to find there was no electricity. Normally that is pretty normal and doesn’t bother me too much but today I had so many things I wanted to do that all required electricity. I was also hungry and hungry for Zambian food since I hadn’t eaten anything all day. Then Eugin came by the house and after we talked for a few minutes asked if I was coming. I didn’t know what he was talking about and then he explained the birthday party from that morning was continuing for those who missed it right then. I was blessed because it not only satisfied my hunger and desire to eat Zambian food but also gave me an opportunity to saw good bye to a lot of my friends. I was sad that I hadn’t had the chance to say good bye to my pastor in Zambia because he was out of town.
I rushed to get everything in order to leave only to wait for hours at the bus stop because every bus was full. I finally caught a bus and made it to Lusaka. I had been trying for weeks to get a hold of a certain guest house in Lusaka but was never able to. I ended up staying at another place which turned out to be perfect because it was within walking distance to the bus station and the Congolese Embassy which saved me a lot of money in taxi fees. I was blessed to find the Mazezas had already been to the embassy and talked with the people there.
Early the next morning we went to the embassy and no one was there. An hour late some of the employees came in and we quickly had the receipt for my visa and were told at 2PM my visa would be ready. After that we bought our bus tickets for the next day then I rushed to the other side of town to go to the bank. I went to the same bank I’ve been to so many times located in a nice area of town where I expected to have a few hours to get a lot of last minute things accomplished and enjoy some of the luxuries of life in Zambia.
That definitely didn’t happen since the banks machine was broken and they recommended I try another branch. It turned out to be a bad day for the machines in banks because I went to 4 before I was able to get money. In the mean time I wasted plenty of time and money on taxis. Finally I went to the big bank where I stood in line for an hour but thankfully I was not only able to get money but also walk around the area and find all the things I was hoping to do at the first place.
Then I went to the embassy to collect my visa and they said I should come back at 4. At 4 we found the whole place locked up for the day. I was frustrated and worried because not having my visa would mean loosing the bus tickets and a great deal of extra expenses. We all prayed and then Evariste said he had met the boss who lives behind the embassy. We went to see him and explained our situation and he told us to come back at 8PM and we could get the visa. He allowed us to wait in his home until 10:30 when the visa was finally ready. I cannot even begin to explain to you what a miracle that is. First of all people from the embassies don’t tend to work late. Secondly, this was the firs Congolese government official I’ve met who actually wanted to be helpful. Thirdly, in Congo people invent these kinds of situations just to demand bribes. I was anticipating the give me $100 and I’ll get you a visa. For me to get my visa at 10:30 at night was such a miracle.
We left at 5:30AM to catch our bus which of course didn’t leave until 8 but you never know the bus leaves when it’s full. We traveled until 3PM then caught a taxi to the border. Anything can happen at the Congo border. They can create things to charge you money for or just refuse to stamp your passport until you give them money. God blessed us and we had absolutely no problems. We caught another taxi and finally arrived in Lubumbashi at 8PM. It has been a really long day. I thank God that He has blessed me.
So I’ve been wondering why did I need to come at this exact time and today I got my answer. It wasn’t that satan was attacking my coming here but specifically the timing of it. I met with Evariste’s brother-in-law who works for the office of the president and he came back from South Africa the day I arrived and planned to leave the day after for Zambia. If I hadn’t traveled exactly on July 28 I would have missed meeting him. I needed to meet him because he has friends in the immigration office and speak great English so he took me to the office and translated everything for me so I now know exactly what is needed for me to get the visa to stay here. I can’t even begin to express to you how difficult it is to even get the information necessary to get something leak this done. Additionally, because he has connections he says I will be able to get it no problems and in less than a month. I thank God for how he has provided this connection.
I arrived in Likasi to a heroes welcome. My house is great. There is so much security here I feel like I’m in prison but I’ve never felt safer in my life. When they were painting my house they decided to add color and now my house is a variety or pink (yes a whole pink room just for me), red, purple, green, yellow, black, and white. Oh course there was no electricity for my first day and a half here but at least there has been water in the afternoons. I’ll try to post pictures of my house soon
The National Conference begins on August 6 and I am really looking forward to that. It will give me an opportunity to meet church leaders from all over the country. I knew immediately that I was in Congo, the crazy driving, obnoxious honking, eating leaves and weeds, driving on the wrong side of the road, not to mention not being able to communicate but I’m back and I’m here to stay.

To Congo Again

2008-07-28T12:57:00.000+02:00

Things are going well so far. I have my visa and leave on a bus at 6AM for Congo. Pray things go well with our traveling and everything. I will be applying for my permanent visa as soon as I get there so really pray about that. I should reach my house in Likasi Thursday. I’m hoping it’s ready for me to move in. There is a National Conference in a week s be praying for that as well. I’ll try to update this every week from now on.

Mina Rudiya Ku Congo

2008-07-21T08:20:00.002+02:00

It means I return to Congo. The plan is to leave the 29th but that is pending I get my visa by then so please be praying. My sisters convinced me to continue the blog so it will continue. Thankfully I'll have better access to a computer and will be able to write people personally as well. I have a house in Congo and I'm posting a picture of it. Thanks for your prayers!

Pressing On

2008-05-15T15:48:00.000+02:00

Last Saturday I went around visiting people in the cité the place where the poor people live in Likasi. We walked and walked even after dark to try to reach as many houses as possible. Finally the church administrator sadi we had to stop for the night but in the morning at 7 we would visit as many more peoepl as we could before church at 9. When i began doing evangelism with the pastor he warned me to not wear sandals but it is so hot here especially when I am walking countless kilometers during the hottest time of the day so I continued to wear sandals knowing from expereince that eventually cracks would develop in my feet causing pain. That day was Saturday. In fact the cracks even began to bleed as we walked all around the area. I persevered but i was far from excited to walk all around the next day. God helped me and after the first kilometer my body adjusted and it wasnt bad. The cracks have finally healed thank God.
The service was great! It is the time of Pentecost so I was able to preach about the Holy Spirit. The peopel loved it so much they begged to me to come back this week but I had to refuse because I have a different church I have to preach at. Everyone is so excited that i am here. I met with our chuchs leader and he was so happy about everything and told me testimonies of hos peopel have been encouraged and affected by my ministry here. When I think about the harvest fields it is easy to forget about how nice it is to have running water and all the other things I now live without.
I went to the Univeristy one day and started talking to the students of theology. I was shocked to find the youngest person in the program in 35. The college has thousands of students almost all are in their 20s so i was shocked. I thought maybe in was a requirement that you have already pastored or something but they told me there were no requirements. They said the young people dont care about Theology. Honestly i can say that has largely been my expereince. The people my age dream about nothign but money and will cheat and steal to get it like so many do here in this corrupt nation. They have so little knowledge about the Kingdom of God because they are apathetic at best about it. The exceptions I have found are so entangled in meaningless legalism they are just as ignorant of God as the others. My heart so desires to reach them before it is too late.
I am in serious countdown mode since I am leaving next Friday for Zambia. I am looking forward to a shower and not washing clothes by hand and speaking English! Being understoodand able to communicate is a wonderful thing. Thanks for your prayers!

No Water, No Lights, No Keys - No Problem

2008-05-08T15:43:00.003+02:00

Generally the water comes on everyday. It may stay on for 30 minutes but at least there is water. Some times it comes on every other day or at worst skips 2 days. It was out for 5 days. Everyday i prayed and hoped for water but nothing. It made everything more difficult and frustrating. Finally I found a member of the church who had water and we hauled bucket after bucket of water to my place. And the next morning at 6AM water flowed for hours and has been on every day since. All that hard work for nothing.
Pretty much everything about Congos infrastrsucture is horrible. The roads are almost noexistent. The electicity goes out everyday. The questions is when and for how long. There has not been a single day that it has stayed on all day. Last week the electricity was off every morning and that meant no coffee for every morning which was not good for me at all. So I finally bought an African charcoal brazer to cook on. I have started many fires in my life but with 2 major differences. First I always used wood and second I was in the bush where finding good fire starting materials was easy. I finally learned the system of using grass African brooms and wax candles to start the fire. Of course as things usually work many times right after I get the fire going the power comes back on.
Another problem I encounterd was yesterday someone came to take me into town early and being in a hurry I forgot that I had taken the key out of my camera bag and locked myself out. I remember thinking when I moved the key that it was a bad idea but did it anyway. Unfortunately I dont have any idea how to pick a lock and I had been given the lock with only one key so there was no spare. Thankfully I do know how to use a hack saw and that hack saws cut metal quite well so I bought one and in just a few minutes cut through the lock and was in my house again. It was a very foolish mistake which i have now taken many precautions against but I did discover that my door is not at all secure and am in the process of buying a better designed door.
So although the problems continue to come I always learn many things and can live a happy coffee filled life electricity or no electrcity.

Conference

2008-05-08T15:23:00.003+02:00

I have been preaching a lot recently, which I love but it would be nice to have more time to really polish the sermons and look up words in French that could pose dificulties to interpreters who have never been around native English speakers. Th first night I was pretty confussed about the program. The second night was awesome. I keep having people come up to me to say they were touched by it. The confereence was all about the Holy Spirit. I was restricted to a certain degree on what I could say because of doctrinal differences but all of us could tell the Holy Spirit was there that day. I am realizing more and more that in order for people to regain hope all that is necessary is one hot coal in the midst who can with the help of the wind (Holy Spirit) spread hope to everyone around.
The third night was hilarious. I showed up at the church and the pastor explained to me that there was no interpreter. I was slightly disapointed but I just told the pastor that I was looking forward to his message. He looked at me like I was crazy and said I was still preaching. I tried to explain to him that it was a bad idea and I did not want to. I even refussed but he didnt understand me. He was convinced I had to preach. It was frustrating because I had had no warning and couldnt even look up words in French to somewhat prepare. I then went to an elder in the church who can understand my broken speech and tried to explain to him. He just kept saying it had to be me and even challenged me that I had to have faith that the Holy Spirit would help me. So we started by praying and I was very fervrent. I went from thinking it was impossible to being excited to try. When I got up to the front I was thinking wouldnt it be incredible is Swahili tounges hit me and I could preach to the people in tounges especially since we were talking about the Holy Spirit. Maybe my faith was too weak because broken sentences of confussion is all I could do.
The beginning was awful and then a lady in the church encouraged me with the little English she knows by saying just speak. I was reminded of how Jesus wanted to help me and the Holy Spirit helped me. I abandoned the sermon I had prepared and instead picked one of my points and dove in using whatever came to mind. The Holy Spirit really did help me remember words. Mostly though I used actions. I was jumping and flopping on the ground and grabbing people and using whatever I could find as an example of what I was trying to say. At the end I had made 2 clear points and it was simple but everyone got it. I left the church feeling really stupid for how I had acted and the difficulty I had had but the was quickly encouraged by how much the people loved it. Everyone was laughing and no one was bored. They all thought it was amazing and made comments about how I am becoming Congolese. I survive but I have no ententions of ever doing that again!
Thankfully on Sunday I had an interpreter. I was really excited about my sermon for Sunday it was all about how being a good Christian is like being a good football player but I dont know how well it went across. Part of it was harsh so i think that might be why. Plus the interpreter had a lot of trouble with simple things I think he was nervous. I was more thankful than ever to have an interpezter though.
That afternoon I started the sports program for the youth. Unfortunately the 2 youth in our church who speak English were both at a wedding in Lubumbashi so i was without a translator. Also they sent out little chldren to play like 10 and 12 years old. It was not what I expected but it was really great. We found some random people who played with us and everyone loved it. Walking around with the football made lots of people ask about it. A lot of people like to play football but arent organized enough to make teams and set times. I am really excited for next week.

Lubumbashi, the Government, and Preaching

2008-05-02T15:13:00.003+02:00

I boarded an already overcrowded bus headed to Likasi with Gaston, a young man from our church who speaks English, as we started off a pastor began to preach the word of God and pray for our journey. When we reached the outer part of the city the bus stopped and the pastor got off to walk back into town. Gaston explained that there are many accidents in Congo so the bus drivers asked pastors to pray for their journey. I think it’s a wonderful tradition and so far so good no accidents. We arrived in Lubumbashi and I got to work figuring out how the government works and how to register everything properly in the Congo. Two trips later I still haven’t figured very much out. Every government official gives you a different story and a different price. As far as I can tell there are no fixed prices it’s all a negotiating game with corrupt officials. I can see why nothing was getting done while I was in Zambia. It does seem that with every meeting I have I find another piece to the puzzle. I think given enough time I will be able to figure things out. Thankfully I am connected with a lot of great people here who are helping me learn more. It is looking like I will return as a missionary for the church and then when possible begin to register Noah Ministries. Thankfully the church’s statues are very broad and will enable me to have freedom to do many projects. Plus missionaries are well respected. Because of Congo rich mineral wealth many outsiders have come to take but for hundreds of years missionaries have come to help. At every meeting people come late one man came over 5 hours late. My meetings are continually getting postponed at the last minute. It becomes incredibly frustrating to get things done here but polepole as they say in Swahili things are happening.
I was around English speakers or with a translator for a whole week so I feel like my French and Swahili has regressed. It makes me wonder if I will forget a lot when I return to Zambia. I sure hope not!
I was asked to preach in a church in the cité, the area the poor people live in, I loved it and the people. The pastor is incredible. Then this week I have been preaching a conference on a combination of Pentecost and the Bible. It has been incredible so far! Please be praying for the conference as it continues. Next week I am supposed to be going to another area for a few days to meet the local pastors. Pray it goes well.
Now for some testimonies! First of all in Kapolowe I was bitten by so many mosquitoes I am sure I made all the mosquitoes in the area obese. This is the worst time for malaria too. Every time I was awakened at night from the buzz of mosquitoes I would pray against malaria and it has now been long enough that I know God protected me from malaria. Also a woman I shared a room with got malaria so I know there were malaria mosquitoes in the room but God is good!
I visited a family who was so discouraged. They had dreams of becoming pastors but everything was going wrong and they were ready to give up. I encouraged them and immediately the man asked if he could accompany us as we encouraged others. He expressed that he realized the devil was trying to keep him from reaching his destiny and thanked us over and over again for helping him see that. I thank God for how he is moving. Also we are seeing sick people get healed. Not so much instantaneously but much faster than should be and God is getting all the glory. People are beginning to expect God is healing them which is a big step for a lot of these people. I thank God for how he is moving! I have also noticed that by now it’s like as soon as I enter a house God reveals to me the scripture to share and after I hear the problem it is confirmed to be perfect. It is wonderful to be lead by the Holy Spirit!

Evangelism

2008-04-25T12:35:00.002+02:00

The National Superintendent for our church has been sick so I haven’t been getting many opportunities to minister in churches. I’ve seen too many missionaries go into a country and start bossing the native people around and telling them what they should do and demanding opportunities. I wanted to be humble and not pushing or demanding. I’ve been praying that God would open all the right doors. Not too much has happened until this week.
On Monday the pastor took me all over town searching for the best place to play sports with the youth as a tool for discipleship and evangelism. We finally found a good place and then took a little bus back to the church. I began to talk with the people inside the bus trying to use what little Swahili I know. I asked them where they attended church and one of the guys said he doesn’t go to church. I invited him to my church and then we arrived at the church and I jumped out with the pastor. One of the guys sitting next to us who hadn’t said much had jumped out and followed us to the church where he told the pastor he felt such conviction when he was sitting next to us that he knew he had to confess to us that he has been in the sin of fornication and has to repent today and ask God to forgive him. We encouraged him in the Word and then prayed for him.
After that the pastor told me he can see I am anointed to evangelize so he asked me to come with him on Tuesday when he visits the sick people from church. I was really excited to go. We walked and walked and walked for many hours and many kilometers. We visited so many people with so many problems. It was so exciting to begin to encourage them about how God is our healer and you have to begin to expect that God will touch your family and you won’t be sick year round. I was shocked to find nice houses with expensive TV’s and other electronic devices but the family had no Bible. I asked why and they said because they are too expensive. That is so often the problem in Africa. The Bible is not nearly as expensive as the other things they had in their home but they would rather have a TV than the saving Words of God. We prayed for one baby who has a rash and none of the doctors have been able to help her and none of the medicines have worked. When we came in she was crying from the pain and as soon as the pastor and I touched her she stopped crying but the rash remains so please pray for her (Marie).
On Wednesday I we went to visit the mining community. There were lots of old Belgium looking houses from many years ago. I saw people carrying buckets of water searching for gold. I heard they do occasionally find some. Water was a big problem for them though. There were lots of 10 year old boys riding bikes or rather pushing bikes for long distances bringing water. Some women even collected water from the drainage ditches which are beyond disgusting. Almost everywhere I went women were asking for pray because their husbands are drunkards. We went to anyone’s house who we heard had a problem from lots of different churches and God continually gave me words fro them and scriptures to share. It was so difficult because I didn’t have a translator yet God anointed me and the pastor we had the same spirit and through my broken French and Swahili people understood and were so encouraged. I can see that many people just need some encouragement.
Wednesday night I preached at the church. I knew from my experiences on Tuesday that I had to preach about the power of the Bible. The pastor liked my message so much he told me next week I have to preach the same things 3 times for special Pentecost meetings at the church. The man who confessed his problem with adultery came to church on Wednesday and told me he was staying strong and asked me to please come to his church in Likasi. We are trying to figure out a good date now. I’m preaching at another church in Likasi this week then I will attend another conference and then preaching again. I’m excited about how God is opening all the doors.
I am now in Lubumbashi trying to get good information on how to live here permanently. Please pray everything works out. Saturday I’ll be visiting people in a new place to encourage them in the Lord. New people are coming to our church and they are excited. I’m beginning the sports ministry with the youth this Sunday so please be praying for that. Thank you for all of your prayers.

Kapolowe

2008-04-25T12:23:00.001+02:00

I was asked to attend the District Conference of Likasi in Kapolowe. It was a wonderful experience! I met all of the church leaders and learned many things about how the church operates here. I was a bit sad to hear some of the things going on, but encouraged by the zeal I recognized in the pastor for the cause of Christ.
I slept on the ground with the other church leaders and lived just like poor Congolese. For me having grown up in Zambia it seemed normal since I’ve done it so many times before. For the people here it was unheard of that an American would be able to live like that. They kept telling me that they knew God had sent me to them because I was able to live the Congolese life.
I ate Congolese food all weekend which is different from Zambian food. In Zambia the people grow vegetables like cabbage and rape and cook them with tomatoes and little cooking oil. Here they eat leaves. Cassava leaves, potato leaves, pumpkin leaves, and weeds. Literally weeds that grow wildly around. But they are serious about seasoning. They have perfected how to prepare the leaves through various methods of cooking cutting and pounding. They find all kinds of peppers and even grow nutmeg and season everything. They also use way too much cooking oil and anyway I much prefer Zambian food. So the leaders of the church always want to accommodate me and informed everyone that I don’t eat meat so special vegetables were prepared just for me. One day the women prepared langalanga (a weed) and used the juice from the goat innards to season it. I can’t get them to understand that I don’t like the taste of meet so I don’t want my vegetables to taste like meat and even if I did Americans don’t eat goat innards.
I greatly enjoyed the conference. It was filled with Congolese music. People playing drums, clanging metal together, and blowing whistles. I thank God for how He is moving.

The Princess Bride

2008-04-18T10:17:00.003+02:00

I went to a Congolese familys house yesterday and was surprised to see them eating eel that mixed with having seen The head of development for our church Sammy Teteli who happens to have 6 fingers on his left hand made me think of the princess bride. I constantly find myself laughing at things but have no idea how to explain to the Congolese why especially since I would have to do it in French or Swahili.
Everyday I learn just a little bit more of both languages but it continues to be difficult. I continually find myself learning like I did in college for a test and I have to keep trying new ways of learning so I can use it in everyday life.
Things are coming together slowly but surely. I am compiling so much information about everything. It can be so difficult to just get information because of the language and culturual barriers. This weekend I will be at a conference for the churches here. I am excited about meeting people from all over the country and hopefully I will be able to visit new areas soon. It is just so diffciult because there are few roads and if their is a road it will take 3 or 4 hours to drive 60 miles so it isnt practical since sleeping on the side of the road is really dangerous. This country is so big and diverse I have so much to learn.
I am getting to know more of the young people in the church and realize so many of them will not be following God in a few years without some major changes. I have so many ideas to change that. Next week I am going with them to look for a good place to play sports. The idea is they can invite their friends and then people walking by will see a white person and want to see what is going on so we will get a bunch of people together some who would never go to church and after a game of football give a short lesson from the Bible and invite them to a youth service at church. I have a lot of ideas and I am excited to get started.
I am also speaking at church here in Likasi on Wednesday and I am really excited about that. You all know how much I love preaching. I also plan to go to Lubumbashi next week so pray I am able to get really good information about establishing a company in Congo! Thanks for your prayers!

2008-04-14T15:33:00.003+02:00

Life is full of humerous situations and learning 2 new languages at once adds to the humor and confussions. The Swahili word for braiding hair sounds like the Tonga word for toilet. The word for sin in Swahili sounds like the word for Zambia in French. Swahili sounds hilarious. My favorite phrase is ukobongo You are lying because it sounds funny. I am starting to get a handle on the culture of the people which is exciting. I have played with kids, visited schools, helped the women cook for a conference at church, met with the Paramount Chief, and traveled to remote villages. I cant get over how beautiful Congo is.
I am begining to believe I will be able to conquer French and Swahili. It just takes time and more memorization than I ever thought I would have to do outside of school. When I met with the chief he kept stressing that I should learn Kisanga. When I would say something in Swahili he would try to teach it to me in Kisanga but it never stuck. Adding a third language is the last thing I intend to do. Especially Kisanga because I have not met anyone under the age of 40 who speaks it fluently. But the chief is really nice and helpful. He is excited about me being here to help his people.
I have started going to an English class for adults because Im trying to find people who want to learn English and are willing to help me learn French. The English teachers have never been around native English speakers so thier English is not very good. When the students found out I am an American they went crazy. To the Congolese Americans are the best people on Earth and for many it has been their dream to meet one. I am the only American in this city. They always ask what our food is in America and when I tell them we eat different foods every day they cant believe me.
The problem is they also think all Americans are rich and have to give them money. In Zambia everywhere I go I find begars but in Congo they are so much worse they are demanders. "You American give me money" is what they all say. I met with a church and they told me to give them money for a new roof. It was difficult to explain to them that our organization is interested in empowering people to make money for themelves and we dont just give away money. I also noticed by the offering they gave the church people are not tithers and it is difficult to help people who dont obey Gods word. It is also difficult for me because so many of these people live much better off than my friends in Zambia yet they always talk about how poor they are.
I have met a lot of people who work for World Vision and they are all wonderful. They have given me lots of information on prices and building. They have also told me they are willing to partner with our ministry to help people. Whenever they are visiting a remote place in the area they invite me to go along with them. Last week I visited a little place where the Methodists established a seminary 100 years ago. I met the man in charge of agriculture and he invited me to come back when he is training the new oxen to answer any questions I have and give me his insights into agriculture in this area. I thank God for all of the contacts I am making.
Everything is going well. I am constantly surprised by how espensive everything is here. Even basic things everyone in Congo buys are much more expensive than in Zambia. It is frequently difficult to live here but everyday it gets a little easier and God continues to confirm that he has already gone ahead of me to prepare the way because this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

Settling Into Life In Congo

2008-04-03T15:08:00.011+02:00

a service station selling both deisel and petrol

It has been over a week now that I have been here and I am finally getting a handle on things. I found a shop that sells all sorts of imported foods from France and South Africa. Things are so expensive here but I am surprised by how much is available.

I found out that the Catholic mother I am staying with built the little place where I am living 2 years ago because God told her there would be a girl coming who would need a place to live! I am constantly amazed by all God has prepared in advance for me to be here now. I am learning so much everyday. I keep realizing how blessed Zambia is and how easy things are there. As far as I can tell I am the only missionary in Likasi and maybe even the only American. I am learning a lot about the other foriegners who live in Congo through the people`s expectations of me.

Not being able to communicate with people is so annoying. I constantly find myself trying to speak Tonga to people and mixing in Tonga words when I am speaking. It is so hard for me to learn French when everyone sepaks Swahili and it is so hard to speak Swahili when I dont know any of it. I can see a big improvement between last week and this week so Im sure it will just take time. Some of the church leaders introduced me to a guy who teaches English and he is going to helping me learn Swahili. I am excited about that because I have been learning it by trying to say something in French ans then asking how to say it in Swahili which is exceptionally challenging.

The guys name is Paul and he dreams everyday of leaving this country. I have met so many Congolese people in the USA and Zambia who have given up on Congo and it is so frustrating. Congo is so corrupt ans so far behind even other African nations but i have faith God will use this country.

I went to Lwambo where we hope to build an orphanage. I discovered that the person we were working with had lied to us about the progress and taken a lot of money from us. I also went to the hospital and met some cholera patients. I talked to a man who works with World Vision who speaks English and he told me he had seen hundreds of cholera cases everyday last month and many people were too far gone to help. It is so sad that people die from preventable and treatable diseases.

I went to church on Sunday and found more than twice as many people as last week and I met the actual pastor. Some times I really have no idea whats going on. Last week most of the church visited a different church for some kind of confrence (I think thats what they said). I enjoyed church so much more this week. The pastor is such an anointed speaker. He preached about Gideon and how we have to stop feeling discouraged and just do whatever it is God has called us to do.

I met with the women and they have lots of ideas for small buisnesses and they are going to reseach and let me know all the details but I think I may be able to help them. Also the youth have some ideas for business things and they are going to come up with a plan. I also went to their youth meeting (youth is 15 to 30) and I could tell the youth arent very excited about Jesus. I started talking to them about ideas I have for reaching out to the youth in the community and they got really excited. I think a lot of youth are bored with church because they feel like they have no place in the church. I brought a soccer ball with me so I think we are going to play some time this week and they will invite some of their nonChristian friends too. Also there are 2 guys in the youth group who speak English so it gives me freedom to communicate! I am speaking at the youth group next week.

Things are finally coming together and I am getting excited about the possibilities of helping people here. The church people are very protective of me and have not wanted me to walk around alone so I am slowly being able to go places by myself and will hopefully be able to meet more people, speak better, and spread the gospel more. Using the internet is difficult because the electricity is out here so often but thankfully its working today. Thanks for your prayers God has been blessing me!

Life in Likasi

2008-03-31T12:57:00.004+02:00

I arrived in Likasi on Thursday and discovered the South African military is here to train the soldiers of Congo (Americas idea) and they have rented out almost every place to stay. I stayed at this shady expensive place and it was pretty awful just because I was always wondering if my stuff would get stolen. I was ready to go back to Lubumbashi and very frustrated that things were not working out. The next day I was informed they had found a place for me to stay that is free. I am staying in a compound with a Catholic mother in a little nun cell. Its about 2 yards by 3 yards (and people thought claudius was small) but its enough and its free. I have a bed and a desk. I cook outside and there is a toilet outside too. I like it. The compound is extremly secure so I dont worry about saftey at all. The mother speaks some Engllish and is wonderful.
Likasi has changed a lot in 3 years for the better. There are no more restrictions on traveling outside of the city. They made every road in Congo a toll road because they plan to fix the roads for the first time in many years. Instead of armed police putting spikes in the road to stop cars bikes and people to demand money or at least some tea from anyone passing through they have police dressed in yellow with funny hard hats who blow whistles at cars from out of town and try to force them to pay money for really ridiculous things. At least walkers can move freely. The country has developed some new areas and tried to fight corruption.
Likasi is a military town and a mining town. I wake up some mornings to the soldiers signing African style as they march. It is really beautiful. I did venture out one day to what they call the city the place where the poor people live and it was nice to meet with people. A lot of people are pretty well of because they work for the mining companies but plenty are still very poor.
I went to church on Sunday and was surprised and happy to see they use liturgy. The Wesleyan church in Zambia was planted from the Pilgrim Holiness denomination in the US which later merged with the Wesleyans but the church in Congo came out of the Methodiste church. Anyway my french is bad so being able to read it helps me to understand. Unfortunately the liturgy and the entire service was in Swahili so i understood nothing. In the middle of the singing David came in. David speaks English and I met him 3 years ago. He is now a translator for the mining company and so he translated for me. I also met his wife and daughter.
I am learning many things and enjoying my time here. My hands are a bit raw from handwashing my clothes and I still havent discovered where to buy Mazungu food so i have been eating congolese food. Thanks so much for all of your prayers.

Arriving in Congo

2008-03-27T10:04:00.005+02:00

inside the place i stayed

lubumbashi

the place I stayed. it is actually nice on the inside

We got to the border and were bombarded by people demanding we pay them to carry our bags. It was the beginning of recognizing the differences between Congo and Zambia. Central Africans are much more agressive and abrassive. I fought to speak French and my accent is so bad no one understood me even when i was saying the right words. Another anoying diference is this keyboard. All the letter are in different places. The language barrier has proven to be really frustrating but i am learning. I thankfully had no problems at the border and made it to lubumbashi no problem.

When I got here I met the Mazezas familyI stayed with. They are wonderful! A guy named Remy took me to see where he works and it is KFC Katanga Fried Chiken run by Iraqis! Then we went to the Lubumbashi zoo and saw only a couple of animals. The place was beautiful though. I can imagine it was spectacular 50 years ago. I could not take any pictures though because they were charging 10 dollrs just to take a picture. Thats Congo always discovering new ways to get money from people. They are in no way capitalists. Trickle down economics has never been heard of. I am enjoying myself here. Please pray that i have wisdom about how to get the papers i need to stay. I have a few options and i want to be sure i choose the right ones. also be praying for clarity about how to best help the people here and which programs to begin. Thanks for all of your prayers!

My Two Month Adevnture Begins

2008-03-10T08:02:00.000+02:00

On March 25 I begin my journey to the dark heart of Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have already begun responding to people with oui and bon (yes and good). Although my Zambian friends laugh at me and always forget what those 2 words mean I'm practicing for a world where English does not exist. I have greatly enjoyed constant internet availability during my stay in Zambia but in Congo I'll be using internet cafes and decided posting a blog for everyone to receive updates on my life will be much easier than trying to keep everyone informed individually. I need prayer for the trip up to Congo because I am taking public transportation with my Congolese friends Evariste, his wife Jezelle and their three year old son Othniel. Crossing the Congolese boarder is always an adventure because of corruption. Pray I don't have to pay any ridiculous fees or duties. Pray that my time there goes great and especially pray that I am able to speak French so that people can understand me. Thanks for praying and I'll do my best to keep everyone informed on this great adventure!