Jim and Jared are probably heading to bed just about now, and will wake up in the morning to catch the first of three flights tomorrow. None of these flights are overnight, so they are very happy at the prospect of not trying to sleep on a plane. They will fly from Geneva to Paris, from Paris to Philadelphia, and from Philadelphia to O'Hare.
Please pray:
1. For a good nights sleep tonight.
2. For luggage to travel smoothly and safely with them on all three legs of this trip -- particularly that nothing would break in transit.
3. That they might be able to get an earlier flight from Philadelphia to ORD (right now they are due in at 9:30 pm -- if things went very smoothly they might be able to get an earlier flight bringing them in at 6:10)
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Rutters
We are having a wonderful time with Ian and Teri Rutter. It has been a real blessing to get reacquainted and to visit with them in their home environment. Jared and I have a greater understanding of the work that they do and the challenges that they face here in France. We had the privilege of attending their church this morning and we will be getting together with their Pastor (who is from IL) tomorrow for lunch. The church is as international as they come. They have about 350 people who attend their church and who come from about 35 different countries.
We also met with another missionary who is a friend of Jared's and that also helped us gain a greater appreciation for the difficulty of spreading the gospel in France. Evangelical Christians make up about 0.5% of the population and most of the rest of the population is highly resistant to any type of religious experience let alone a personal relationship with the Lord. As Jared's friend pointed out, missionaries in France have really been unable to find any consistently effective method of evangelism. "It's like nothing works here," he said.
So while the living conditions of a missionary in France are among the nicest in the missionary world, the emotional struggles and discouragement are among the most difficult in the missionary world. Please pray that Ian and Teri and the other missionaries here in France will not be discourage and that the Lord will open the hearts of the French people to the Good News of the Gospel.
Tomorrow is the last full day of our time here in France. Please pray that we will be an encouragement to Ian and Teri while we are here and after we return home.
We also met with another missionary who is a friend of Jared's and that also helped us gain a greater appreciation for the difficulty of spreading the gospel in France. Evangelical Christians make up about 0.5% of the population and most of the rest of the population is highly resistant to any type of religious experience let alone a personal relationship with the Lord. As Jared's friend pointed out, missionaries in France have really been unable to find any consistently effective method of evangelism. "It's like nothing works here," he said.
So while the living conditions of a missionary in France are among the nicest in the missionary world, the emotional struggles and discouragement are among the most difficult in the missionary world. Please pray that Ian and Teri and the other missionaries here in France will not be discourage and that the Lord will open the hearts of the French people to the Good News of the Gospel.
Tomorrow is the last full day of our time here in France. Please pray that we will be an encouragement to Ian and Teri while we are here and after we return home.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A few more photos
The master planning team for Tandala hospital. We were meeting in an open aircraft hangar on the property because there were no rooms big enough for the group.
Jim delivering the baby layette he, Jenn and the kids made.
Jared and Jim with Ian and Terri Rutter after touring Calvin's church in Geneva, Switzerland.
Out of Africa
Jim emailed this to be shared with you all on the blog:
On Thursday evening around 8:00 PM Jared and I and the rest of our team drove to the Bangui airport to catch our 11:00 PM flight to take us out of Africa. We did not have any of our checked luggage with us because we had to make an earlier trip that same morning to have the bags inspected and checked through to our final destination.
The Bangui airport is unlike any airport to which I have ever been. It is quite small and we were the only flight going out that evening and possibly even that entire day. When we arrived we had to stand in a number of lines and in each line someone (and sometimes two or more people) would inspect our passport and boarding pass. My passport was looked at at least 8 to 10 times. And even though we and our bags went through the typical metal detector and x-ray machine they still hand searched our bags afterwards. There were a number of tables set up for the manual bag inspection and a number of individuals there to search. It was difficult to determine where to go and what to do. It was rather chaotic and the strange thing was that the people inspecting your bag would often ask you to give them some of the items in your bag or try to say that they posed a security risk. I was getting quite concerned that they were not going to let me take my special camera batteries on the plane with me, but they let me keep everything and they only searched my bag once at that point. I think that having my dirty laundry at the top of my bag helped discourage them from digging around too much. However, one young lady on our team had her bag searched five times. The whole process felt rather uncomfortable and like an invasion of privacy.
When we finally did get through security we were able to wait in the waiting area which was nicer than I was expecting by local standards. We were then surprised that they started boarding the plan quite earlier than I was use to in the States. I thought perhaps that we might even take off early. But it was not to be. The reason we had to head out to the plane (you just walk right out on the runway to your plane) was because the airline has their own security check and we and our bags were inspected all over again. Granted, the second time was not feel like as much of a personal violation as did the first time, but it was still an exhausting process.
The last interesting thing was that after we all boarded the plane, the airline crew walked through the cabin spraying a solution designed to kill mosquitos.
We have now arrived at the Rutters home in France just outside of Geneva. It feels like we are staying at the Ritz Carlton after living in the Congo for two weeks. They have running water, carpeting and electricity that works 24 hours a day. I also judged Ian to be an excellent driver because he did not run over a single chicken as we drove around town (something that often happened while in the Congo.)
On Thursday evening around 8:00 PM Jared and I and the rest of our team drove to the Bangui airport to catch our 11:00 PM flight to take us out of Africa. We did not have any of our checked luggage with us because we had to make an earlier trip that same morning to have the bags inspected and checked through to our final destination.
The Bangui airport is unlike any airport to which I have ever been. It is quite small and we were the only flight going out that evening and possibly even that entire day. When we arrived we had to stand in a number of lines and in each line someone (and sometimes two or more people) would inspect our passport and boarding pass. My passport was looked at at least 8 to 10 times. And even though we and our bags went through the typical metal detector and x-ray machine they still hand searched our bags afterwards. There were a number of tables set up for the manual bag inspection and a number of individuals there to search. It was difficult to determine where to go and what to do. It was rather chaotic and the strange thing was that the people inspecting your bag would often ask you to give them some of the items in your bag or try to say that they posed a security risk. I was getting quite concerned that they were not going to let me take my special camera batteries on the plane with me, but they let me keep everything and they only searched my bag once at that point. I think that having my dirty laundry at the top of my bag helped discourage them from digging around too much. However, one young lady on our team had her bag searched five times. The whole process felt rather uncomfortable and like an invasion of privacy.
When we finally did get through security we were able to wait in the waiting area which was nicer than I was expecting by local standards. We were then surprised that they started boarding the plan quite earlier than I was use to in the States. I thought perhaps that we might even take off early. But it was not to be. The reason we had to head out to the plane (you just walk right out on the runway to your plane) was because the airline has their own security check and we and our bags were inspected all over again. Granted, the second time was not feel like as much of a personal violation as did the first time, but it was still an exhausting process.
The last interesting thing was that after we all boarded the plane, the airline crew walked through the cabin spraying a solution designed to kill mosquitos.
We have now arrived at the Rutters home in France just outside of Geneva. It feels like we are staying at the Ritz Carlton after living in the Congo for two weeks. They have running water, carpeting and electricity that works 24 hours a day. I also judged Ian to be an excellent driver because he did not run over a single chicken as we drove around town (something that often happened while in the Congo.)
Friday, May 8, 2009
With the Rutters
Jim called tonight (12:30 am Saturday their time). They had a safe and smooth trip from Bangui to Geneva. Unfortunately they did not sleep on the plane, so other than a 2-hour nap this afternoon, they have been going strong for almost 2-days.
They arrived at the Rutter's this afternoon. Jim says they have gone from one end of the food spectrum to the other. And they had REAL showers today, and feel clean. Friday evening they went to the Rutter's church to see the youth group and get a flavor of what that looks like. That was followed by a surprise birthday party for Ian, who celebrated his 60th on Tuesday. All in attendance spoke English and worked for organizations like the UN, so it was a very enjoyable evening.
As much as Jared and Jim long to be home by now, they are very thankful that they have been able to see the Rutter's and are looking forward to the next 3 days with them. Please continue to pray for their safety and health, and that they would finish this trip strong. Please specifically pray that they would not get sick after returning home.
They arrived at the Rutter's this afternoon. Jim says they have gone from one end of the food spectrum to the other. And they had REAL showers today, and feel clean. Friday evening they went to the Rutter's church to see the youth group and get a flavor of what that looks like. That was followed by a surprise birthday party for Ian, who celebrated his 60th on Tuesday. All in attendance spoke English and worked for organizations like the UN, so it was a very enjoyable evening.
As much as Jared and Jim long to be home by now, they are very thankful that they have been able to see the Rutter's and are looking forward to the next 3 days with them. Please continue to pray for their safety and health, and that they would finish this trip strong. Please specifically pray that they would not get sick after returning home.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A day of rest
Jim said that the travel to CAR was incredibly smooth. A dinner had been prepared for them to eat that evening, but they arrived so early it was served for lunch.
Here is part of an email he sent today:
Here is part of an email he sent today:
We have been eating very well here in Bangui. I am concerned that I am going to gain back some of the weight I lost in the Congo. We had such unusual food in the Congo that many of us have been eating even when we are not hungry because we are so excited about the flavors.
It has been raining all day and I am actually quite chili. Tom is very grateful. Normally it is an extremely hot process to get ready to travel. Although our flight leaves sometime around 11:30 PM tonight, this morning we had to go and check in our bags with customs and Air France. They did check our bags through to Geneva which is great. So all I have with me right now is my carry-on bag. We will leave for the airport at about 8:30 tonight.
We had some time of debriefing this morning as well. Please pray for Jared and I as we prepare to come home. Pray that we will not forget the lessons we have learned here and that we will have minimal reverse culture shock. I am actually a little more concerned about that than I was before I left. The Congo was very different from what we are used to at home and I have been quite surprised how different I see the Central African Republic on the return trip than I did when I first arrived here. On the way here I was really surprised by what a step down it is here from the US and what they don’t have here. After being in the Congo, I am surprised at what a step up this is from the Congo. Rather than noticing what they don’t have I have been noticing what they do have. The first thing I noticed was that many of the roads are paved. The entire time in the Congo we did not drive on concrete or any type of pavement even one time. They also have cars which I never saw in the Congo. The only vehicles I saw in the Congo were either motorcycles or 4x4 trucks.
Often after a trip like this people come back and are quite critical of the materialism in America and/or the ignorance of the plight of the poor in other countries and/or all of the things we take for granted in the US. And there is certainly much truth in that and that is a big part of what I am feeling. However, I have also left this experience with even greater pride and appreciation for my home country. I have been thinking about how much our country has achieved and changed in the last two to three hundred years and I am amazed. Basically I feel that the Lord has given me a greater appreciation for both the strengths and weakness of our country/culture.
As we re-enter the US pray that:
1. We will not be overwhelmed by the cultural differences.
2. We will not become depressed or feel like we don’t fit in.
3. The Lord will provide us with individuals who are willing to spend time to hear about our experiences.
4. We will have a greater appreciation for what we have in our country, but that we will not be judgmental of others.
5. That we can effectively communicate what we saw and experienced.
6. Please also pray that we can sleep well on the plane ride to Paris.
Overall we are very thankful for how smoothly things have gone for us on this trip. We have really been blessed. As one of our team members put it, “Figuratively speaking, we have had very few bumps in the road. Speaking literally, we have had many, many bumps in the road.”
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Arrived in CAR
Just got a text (7:45 am CT/ 1:45 pm Africa) that the team arrived in plenty of time to cross the border into the Central African Republic (CAR) before the 4:00 border closing. The trip was good, they have been up since 2 am their time, but are still feeling fairly well. It's been a long day already.
They now have about 32 hours before the next leg of the journey. Pray that Jim and Jared will have good opportunity to "debrief" and discuss the Congo portion of the trip -- specifically the ways the Lord showed them VCL may be integral -- while they have this time in Bangui and on their subsequent flights to the Rutters. Their desire is that while they are with the Rutters that they will be able to give their full focus and energy to the Rutters and their ministry. Having debriefed together already will be a huge help toward this end.
They now have about 32 hours before the next leg of the journey. Pray that Jim and Jared will have good opportunity to "debrief" and discuss the Congo portion of the trip -- specifically the ways the Lord showed them VCL may be integral -- while they have this time in Bangui and on their subsequent flights to the Rutters. Their desire is that while they are with the Rutters that they will be able to give their full focus and energy to the Rutters and their ministry. Having debriefed together already will be a huge help toward this end.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Homeward Bound
Jared and Jim don't get home until next Tuesday, but this evening they will begin the long journey back. They have been amazed, encouraged and overwhelmed by the things they have seen God doing through the church in the Congo.
Jared reports that today has been a good day. They visited a CECU primary school nearby. It was a primary class with 11-13 year olds and 60 students with one teacher. They started the year with over 700 students but are now down to 500 because their parents can no longer afford it. The cost is from 6-20 US dollars per year depending on the exchange rate. Parents have to also pay for 12 notebooks. When the average salary is $1 a day and you have 6 children, it makes paying for school very difficult.
They also had the opportunity to give one more layette this morning. The baby was just 15 minutes old when they got there and Jared got to hold her. The mother apologized for not sitting up to greet them! They gave a pink layette made by Pamela Hedges.
The doctors on the team arrived back from Tandala. They'll meet up with the rest of the team on their way back to Bangui tomorrow.
Pray for the trip to Bangui. At 9:00 CT tonight (Tuesday) they will be waking up to begin the drive so they can cross the border before it closes at 4:00 (10:00 am CT Wednesday). Pray that between now and then they would sleep and get good rest. Pray that all would go smoothly so they can be in Bangui to sleep Wednesday night.
Jared reports that today has been a good day. They visited a CECU primary school nearby. It was a primary class with 11-13 year olds and 60 students with one teacher. They started the year with over 700 students but are now down to 500 because their parents can no longer afford it. The cost is from 6-20 US dollars per year depending on the exchange rate. Parents have to also pay for 12 notebooks. When the average salary is $1 a day and you have 6 children, it makes paying for school very difficult.
They also had the opportunity to give one more layette this morning. The baby was just 15 minutes old when they got there and Jared got to hold her. The mother apologized for not sitting up to greet them! They gave a pink layette made by Pamela Hedges.
The doctors on the team arrived back from Tandala. They'll meet up with the rest of the team on their way back to Bangui tomorrow.
Pray for the trip to Bangui. At 9:00 CT tonight (Tuesday) they will be waking up to begin the drive so they can cross the border before it closes at 4:00 (10:00 am CT Wednesday). Pray that between now and then they would sleep and get good rest. Pray that all would go smoothly so they can be in Bangui to sleep Wednesday night.
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Elikya Centre
Today the guys were at the Elikya Centre. Here is what they have reported to us today:
From Jared:
I didn't get to preach on Sunday because they already had a special guest preacher lined up. Jim attended one service in Gemena with about 500 in attendance. Their service lasted over 4 hours. I attended a service at Tandala with over 750 in attendance. Our service lasted at least 3 hours--five to six choirs, two sets of announcements (including getting volunteers to work in the pastor's garden!), and an offering that took at least 15-20 minutes. The sermon was probably only 25 minutes.
It was raining on my trip from Tandala to Gemena on Sunday afternoon. What a wild ride. Had to put the truck in four wheel drive to make it up and down some of the roads.
Today Jim and I spent the whole day at Elikya interviewing two widows and two orphans. We heard about their stories, watched them do their work, and then traveled to see their living situations. Some of their situations are better than others. One of the boys lives with his grandparents. His "room" is barely the size our our closet. He has a bowl for washing, a straw mat to sleep on, and a wire handing with a few clothes, and walks at least 5 km one way to get to Elikya. We also met Mama Wesse who leads the Bible studies with the widows and orphans. It is great to see what God is doing.
The need is evident here. Able bodied people have a hard time making a living here and when you add a disability on to that, it's almost impossible. Evidence of malnutrition is commonplace among the children. I have two pictures of two boys--one at Tandala with a club foot that could have been treated in the US and one of a teenager today "walking" on his hands (using flip flops) and knees because of polio.
I'm not sure what is in store for us tomorrow (Tuesday). Some of the other team is arriving from Tandala. We are scheduled to leave for Bangui at 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning (9:00 p.m. Tuesday in Chicago) for our 12 hour drive. It is definitely one of the hardest parts of the trip. Please ask everyone to pray for us. We hope to reach the border crossing before it closes at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. We'll be in Bangui all day Thursday and fly out for Paris that night.
From Jim:
I went to the market again today, but we took the truck and I did not get out of the truck while we were there. However, I was able to get some better pictures and video.
We had a very good day at Elikya today. There were four individuals whom we interviewed, watched them work and then visited their home. We were able to hear their stories and ask them a number of questions and take a lot of pictures. Many of these individuals walk five or more miles to Elikya each day. It was a very humbling and sad experience. I don’t think we would have been able to handle it emotionally had we done this the first few days here. I look forward to sharing more about their stories in the ABF class and the Sunday Service.
I am also partly embarrassed to say that we had a wonderful lunch at the Elikya Center. Mowa’s wife and Pastor Selenga’s wife cooked us pizza in the outdoor brick oven using some ingredients that Jim Snyder brought with him. Apparently one of the former missionaries taught the Selengas how to make pizza and they love it. The pizza was wonderful. We made both of the women come in after lunch (they did not join us for lunch which is fairly common) and we gave them a nice round of applause. It sure beat fuku and mpondu. I also got to briefly see and take a picture of Pastor Selenga’s son Jehoshaphat, the “turbulent one.”
It has been a very hot day today. I am actually looking forward to my cold shower tonight. I don’t think we’ll actually feel clean until we get home.
From Jared:
I didn't get to preach on Sunday because they already had a special guest preacher lined up. Jim attended one service in Gemena with about 500 in attendance. Their service lasted over 4 hours. I attended a service at Tandala with over 750 in attendance. Our service lasted at least 3 hours--five to six choirs, two sets of announcements (including getting volunteers to work in the pastor's garden!), and an offering that took at least 15-20 minutes. The sermon was probably only 25 minutes.
It was raining on my trip from Tandala to Gemena on Sunday afternoon. What a wild ride. Had to put the truck in four wheel drive to make it up and down some of the roads.
Today Jim and I spent the whole day at Elikya interviewing two widows and two orphans. We heard about their stories, watched them do their work, and then traveled to see their living situations. Some of their situations are better than others. One of the boys lives with his grandparents. His "room" is barely the size our our closet. He has a bowl for washing, a straw mat to sleep on, and a wire handing with a few clothes, and walks at least 5 km one way to get to Elikya. We also met Mama Wesse who leads the Bible studies with the widows and orphans. It is great to see what God is doing.
The need is evident here. Able bodied people have a hard time making a living here and when you add a disability on to that, it's almost impossible. Evidence of malnutrition is commonplace among the children. I have two pictures of two boys--one at Tandala with a club foot that could have been treated in the US and one of a teenager today "walking" on his hands (using flip flops) and knees because of polio.
I'm not sure what is in store for us tomorrow (Tuesday). Some of the other team is arriving from Tandala. We are scheduled to leave for Bangui at 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning (9:00 p.m. Tuesday in Chicago) for our 12 hour drive. It is definitely one of the hardest parts of the trip. Please ask everyone to pray for us. We hope to reach the border crossing before it closes at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. We'll be in Bangui all day Thursday and fly out for Paris that night.
From Jim:
I went to the market again today, but we took the truck and I did not get out of the truck while we were there. However, I was able to get some better pictures and video.
We had a very good day at Elikya today. There were four individuals whom we interviewed, watched them work and then visited their home. We were able to hear their stories and ask them a number of questions and take a lot of pictures. Many of these individuals walk five or more miles to Elikya each day. It was a very humbling and sad experience. I don’t think we would have been able to handle it emotionally had we done this the first few days here. I look forward to sharing more about their stories in the ABF class and the Sunday Service.
I am also partly embarrassed to say that we had a wonderful lunch at the Elikya Center. Mowa’s wife and Pastor Selenga’s wife cooked us pizza in the outdoor brick oven using some ingredients that Jim Snyder brought with him. Apparently one of the former missionaries taught the Selengas how to make pizza and they love it. The pizza was wonderful. We made both of the women come in after lunch (they did not join us for lunch which is fairly common) and we gave them a nice round of applause. It sure beat fuku and mpondu. I also got to briefly see and take a picture of Pastor Selenga’s son Jehoshaphat, the “turbulent one.”
It has been a very hot day today. I am actually looking forward to my cold shower tonight. I don’t think we’ll actually feel clean until we get home.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The weekend in Africa
We received several emails from Jim this afternoon. We had been looking forward to a phone call, but that is not working out for today. So we have settled for a few emails with some more information.
Friday night:
The two hour drive from Tendala to Gemena went fine, but travel on the roads is so hard. Even with the cushion I brought my butt is so sore when we arrive. I am not looking forward to the long drive from here to the border town of Zongo.
Pray for my time at Elikya. I will be the only non Lingala speaker and that is often hard and lonely. The main prayer however, is that I will learn a great deal about Elikya and about the people who have been helped there.
Saturday:
Yesterday we passed out layettes at Tandala Hospital. There were three Moms there with babies. They dressed each of the babies in the kimono and wrapped them in the blankets. Jared and I held the babies and took lots of pictures. We gave out our layette, Betty Wimers and an unnamed one.
I spent some time at Elikya this morning and early afternoon. Normally there would not be any activity there on a Sat, but 3 of the orphan boys were working on a project. They are the first graduating class of Elikya and they are soon going to be presented with their own set of tools to take with them when they leave. As one of their final projects they were instructed to build a wooden toolbox for their tools. They were so excited to finish their toolboxes that they asked if they could come on Sat to work on them. When the first one finished they loaded the full set of tools into the toolbox to see how heavy it was going to be and if they would be able to carry it for long distances. The young man then successfully picked up the toolbox and placed it on his shoulder and continued to walk around the room with a huge smile on his face. It was the smile of a young man whose life has been changed.
I had another very interesting experience today that few team members rarely experience. As you know, I left Tandala earlier than the other team members so that I could have some more time at Elikya. That means that it is just myself and Thelma and Jim Snyder from ReachGlobal. I told Thelma that I wanted to have some dresses made for my wife and daughters. I was supposed to be busy all afternoon so Thelma said that she would purchase some material for me that we could then take to the seamstress later on. However, my schedule changed (not uncommon here) and Thelma said that I could go with her and two local girls to the market. It was getting time for the market to close so we ended up taking a taxi to the market to get there before the vendors left. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that we each took a taxi to the market because a taxi ride here means climbing on the back of a motorcycle and holding on to the waist of the driver in front of you. (At least I hope the protocol involves holding on to the guy’s waist).
When we arrived at the market it was like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. I was expecting about a dozen produce stands based on some markets we drove by earlier. This, however, was huge. There were thousands of people there tightly packed together and rows and rows of booths selling all kinds of food, clothing, etc. All of the booths are crude constructions of wood and misc building material. The roads and paths were all dirt and mud. In addition to the booths many people walked around carrying their wares on their head. Many of the food and animals for sale I could not recognize. The girl we were with bought several live fish that I had never seen before. The fish were all still alive and they placed them into the cooler she brought with her. Out of the thousands of people, only two were white Americans and we were the center of attention where ever we went. I was quite nervous the entire time we were there. Party because when we first got there and I climbed off of the “taxi” some guy came up to me and grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. The young girl we were with (the President of the CECU’s daughter) had to give him some money to let me go. I was way out of my element and I knew it and they all knew it. I was quite relieved when we climbed back on the “taxis” and arrived back at the mission.
Unfortunately, it was not a good place to take any pictures. I do have a picture of me on the motorcycle and of the lady selling us the fish, but that is it. I am so glad I had that experience, but I wouldn’t want to repeat it.
I believe that Jared arrives here tomorrow (Sunday). Tomorrow should also be my first and only visit to a local church. It should also be quite any experience.
Sunday:
I went to church today. The service went from about 9:30 AM to about 1:30 PM. It took about 20 minutes to do the announcements and an hour to do the offering. There were about 500 people and everyone of us had to come down to the front and put money in one of the two buckets (one for men and one for the women). I didn’t have any local currency so Jim Snyder slipped me some to put into the offering. After they went through the entire congregation (by the way they are standing and singing the entire time) then they still encouraged the people to make an extra trip down and put in some more. They had a specific dollar amount they were trying to raise. I believe all of the money was going to the equivalent of the national office/district. It was a special Sunday and they trade pastors as part of this annual event. Many of the songs they sang before the offering were about the importance of giving so they were really going out of their way to get people to give on this particular Sunday. They even said the specific amount that they were trying to raise. They hit and slightly exceeded their goal and they were thrilled. The women raised more than the men and when they found that out they were cheering like it was a sporting event. How much did 500 people raise with all of that extra effort and emphasis this Sunday? About $120.
At the beginning of the service they asked all visitors to stand and introduce themselves. After one of the visitors introduced himself, Jim or Thelma told me that he is the former ambassador to Tanzania and one of the sons of Pelendo. I’m not sure why, but I started to cry when I heard that. It was so amazing to realize that Pelendo was a very big part of the reason I was sitting in a church of over 500 Congolese people who were singing praises to Jesus. I did later meet him and was able to tell him that we read the story of his father to our children. I then had my picture taken with him. That was really the extent of our conversation. He did shake my hand again later when he left, but that was it. It was one of the highlights of my trip on a personal level.
Jared and the two girls on our team returned to Gemena this evening. It was great to have them back and to eat dinner together. We prepared our own dinner of tuna mixed with noodles and we served bread with peanut butter. It has been somewhat lonely and boring without them. Because of the pulpit exchange program this Sunday and the Elikya grand opening last Sunday, Jared was not given the opportunity to preach while here.
Tomorrow is big day at Elikya. Pray that we get lots of great stories and pictures.
Got a good video tonight of Jared killing a large spider for one of the girls.
I believe we leave Gemena Wed morning at about 3:30 AM (you should still be up). We have to make it to the border before it closes around 4:00 or 5:00 PM.
Friday night:
The two hour drive from Tendala to Gemena went fine, but travel on the roads is so hard. Even with the cushion I brought my butt is so sore when we arrive. I am not looking forward to the long drive from here to the border town of Zongo.
Pray for my time at Elikya. I will be the only non Lingala speaker and that is often hard and lonely. The main prayer however, is that I will learn a great deal about Elikya and about the people who have been helped there.
Saturday:
Yesterday we passed out layettes at Tandala Hospital. There were three Moms there with babies. They dressed each of the babies in the kimono and wrapped them in the blankets. Jared and I held the babies and took lots of pictures. We gave out our layette, Betty Wimers and an unnamed one.
I spent some time at Elikya this morning and early afternoon. Normally there would not be any activity there on a Sat, but 3 of the orphan boys were working on a project. They are the first graduating class of Elikya and they are soon going to be presented with their own set of tools to take with them when they leave. As one of their final projects they were instructed to build a wooden toolbox for their tools. They were so excited to finish their toolboxes that they asked if they could come on Sat to work on them. When the first one finished they loaded the full set of tools into the toolbox to see how heavy it was going to be and if they would be able to carry it for long distances. The young man then successfully picked up the toolbox and placed it on his shoulder and continued to walk around the room with a huge smile on his face. It was the smile of a young man whose life has been changed.
I had another very interesting experience today that few team members rarely experience. As you know, I left Tandala earlier than the other team members so that I could have some more time at Elikya. That means that it is just myself and Thelma and Jim Snyder from ReachGlobal. I told Thelma that I wanted to have some dresses made for my wife and daughters. I was supposed to be busy all afternoon so Thelma said that she would purchase some material for me that we could then take to the seamstress later on. However, my schedule changed (not uncommon here) and Thelma said that I could go with her and two local girls to the market. It was getting time for the market to close so we ended up taking a taxi to the market to get there before the vendors left. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that we each took a taxi to the market because a taxi ride here means climbing on the back of a motorcycle and holding on to the waist of the driver in front of you. (At least I hope the protocol involves holding on to the guy’s waist).
When we arrived at the market it was like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. I was expecting about a dozen produce stands based on some markets we drove by earlier. This, however, was huge. There were thousands of people there tightly packed together and rows and rows of booths selling all kinds of food, clothing, etc. All of the booths are crude constructions of wood and misc building material. The roads and paths were all dirt and mud. In addition to the booths many people walked around carrying their wares on their head. Many of the food and animals for sale I could not recognize. The girl we were with bought several live fish that I had never seen before. The fish were all still alive and they placed them into the cooler she brought with her. Out of the thousands of people, only two were white Americans and we were the center of attention where ever we went. I was quite nervous the entire time we were there. Party because when we first got there and I climbed off of the “taxi” some guy came up to me and grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. The young girl we were with (the President of the CECU’s daughter) had to give him some money to let me go. I was way out of my element and I knew it and they all knew it. I was quite relieved when we climbed back on the “taxis” and arrived back at the mission.
Unfortunately, it was not a good place to take any pictures. I do have a picture of me on the motorcycle and of the lady selling us the fish, but that is it. I am so glad I had that experience, but I wouldn’t want to repeat it.
I believe that Jared arrives here tomorrow (Sunday). Tomorrow should also be my first and only visit to a local church. It should also be quite any experience.
Sunday:
I went to church today. The service went from about 9:30 AM to about 1:30 PM. It took about 20 minutes to do the announcements and an hour to do the offering. There were about 500 people and everyone of us had to come down to the front and put money in one of the two buckets (one for men and one for the women). I didn’t have any local currency so Jim Snyder slipped me some to put into the offering. After they went through the entire congregation (by the way they are standing and singing the entire time) then they still encouraged the people to make an extra trip down and put in some more. They had a specific dollar amount they were trying to raise. I believe all of the money was going to the equivalent of the national office/district. It was a special Sunday and they trade pastors as part of this annual event. Many of the songs they sang before the offering were about the importance of giving so they were really going out of their way to get people to give on this particular Sunday. They even said the specific amount that they were trying to raise. They hit and slightly exceeded their goal and they were thrilled. The women raised more than the men and when they found that out they were cheering like it was a sporting event. How much did 500 people raise with all of that extra effort and emphasis this Sunday? About $120.
At the beginning of the service they asked all visitors to stand and introduce themselves. After one of the visitors introduced himself, Jim or Thelma told me that he is the former ambassador to Tanzania and one of the sons of Pelendo. I’m not sure why, but I started to cry when I heard that. It was so amazing to realize that Pelendo was a very big part of the reason I was sitting in a church of over 500 Congolese people who were singing praises to Jesus. I did later meet him and was able to tell him that we read the story of his father to our children. I then had my picture taken with him. That was really the extent of our conversation. He did shake my hand again later when he left, but that was it. It was one of the highlights of my trip on a personal level.
Jared and the two girls on our team returned to Gemena this evening. It was great to have them back and to eat dinner together. We prepared our own dinner of tuna mixed with noodles and we served bread with peanut butter. It has been somewhat lonely and boring without them. Because of the pulpit exchange program this Sunday and the Elikya grand opening last Sunday, Jared was not given the opportunity to preach while here.
Tomorrow is big day at Elikya. Pray that we get lots of great stories and pictures.
Got a good video tonight of Jared killing a large spider for one of the girls.
I believe we leave Gemena Wed morning at about 3:30 AM (you should still be up). We have to make it to the border before it closes around 4:00 or 5:00 PM.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Photos!
Here are a few photos that Jared was able to upload:
Jim and Mowa, the leader of the Elikya project near Gemena.
A photo of Jared and the class from the Bible Institute at Tandala. They had a wonderful time as they studied the Big Picture of the Penteteuch.
The first orphan and widow graduates of the Elikya center--22 in all!
Jim and Mowa, the leader of the Elikya project near Gemena.
A photo of Jared and the class from the Bible Institute at Tandala. They had a wonderful time as they studied the Big Picture of the Penteteuch.
The first orphan and widow graduates of the Elikya center--22 in all!
Crossing the Ubangi River in dugout canoes (one for luggage and one for people!) from Bangui (CAR) to the Democratic Republic of Congo
An overnight stay at the Grace Bretheren mission house in Bangui (Central African Rebpulic).
The resolution is poor only because of how we had to upload and transmit -- come to the ABF on May 17th at 9:00 for better quality photos and fuller descriptions. :-)
Jared reports that he finished teaching today. It went quite well -- they had some extra time stoday so they had more time to ask Jared questions. They were quite curious how Jared was treated as an associate pastor at VCL. He was able to tell them that he was treated very well and about the relationship that he and Lee share. They were encouraged and challenged by this information. Much of today Jared spent with Tom and the medical team in the hospital, helping where he could. It doesn't look like he will get to preach on Sunday. It happens that this Sunday is a very special Sunday with a pulpit exchange from another church. "It would have been fun to preach, but thats okay."
An overnight stay at the Grace Bretheren mission house in Bangui (Central African Rebpulic).
The resolution is poor only because of how we had to upload and transmit -- come to the ABF on May 17th at 9:00 for better quality photos and fuller descriptions. :-)
Jared reports that he finished teaching today. It went quite well -- they had some extra time stoday so they had more time to ask Jared questions. They were quite curious how Jared was treated as an associate pastor at VCL. He was able to tell them that he was treated very well and about the relationship that he and Lee share. They were encouraged and challenged by this information. Much of today Jared spent with Tom and the medical team in the hospital, helping where he could. It doesn't look like he will get to preach on Sunday. It happens that this Sunday is a very special Sunday with a pulpit exchange from another church. "It would have been fun to preach, but thats okay."
Friday, May 1, 2009
Going in separate directions
Jim and Jared have split up for the time being. Jared has remained in Tandala to finish teaching and to preach on Sunday.
Jim has returned to Gemena and The Elikya Centre. Jim said the local food he had tonight was very good. He had rice, fish, chicken and COKE -- the best coke ever.
Pray for these guys as they are apart and doing the things that they are responsible for. Jared will join Jim on Tuesday when they prepare to return home.
Jim has returned to Gemena and The Elikya Centre. Jim said the local food he had tonight was very good. He had rice, fish, chicken and COKE -- the best coke ever.
Pray for these guys as they are apart and doing the things that they are responsible for. Jared will join Jim on Tuesday when they prepare to return home.
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