The Media May Ignore Congo but Christians Cannot

Christians praying in Goma, DR of Congo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After I posted "Days of Evil" I received several emails from friends who read my blog, each stating that they had seen little to nothing about what is going on in Goma and the rest of east Democratic Republic of Congo. They were surprised, and said that my little blog with its links to news articles was their best source of information about current events here. That, my friends, disappoints and saddens me. How can people pray and help if they don't even know about the need? Those of us who know are responsible for getting the word out to those of us who do not know.

Concurrent with the emails I received, a friend gave me a link to an article, Why The World Is Ignoring Congo War. The author, Vava Tampa, is a native of Congo. Here is one disturbing item I read in his article:

"The wars in that country have claimed nearly the same number of lives as having a 9/11 every single day for 360 days, the genocide that struck Rwanda in 1994, the ethnic cleansing that overwhelmed Bosnia in the mid-1990s, the genocide that took place in Darfur, the number of people killed in the great tsunami that struck Asia in 2004, and the number of people who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- all combined and then doubled. Yet we rarely hear anything about it."

The media will always have their own agenda and for them, newsworthiness is about profitability and politics. I hope you read Vava Tampa's article (click here). I hope you look at the photos. I hope it angers you and makes your heart ache, as it did to me, and then I hope you cry out to God in behalf of Congo.

Make a difference, today!

Last Friday we visited a sanctuary for bonobo apes with some of our home school friends. In the midst of all the horrible stuff that is happening in the east, it was nice to go to a quiet place for a few hours and see some of the beauty that this country also has to offer.

Bonobos are similar to chimpanzees, but their sole natural habitat is here in the Congo, and they are endangered.
This sanctuary offers a safe place for wild bonobos, but also takes in orphans and bonobos rescued from poachers.

"I am the Lorax! I speak for the trees!" 

Ha ha! Seriously, don't these plants look kind of "Dr. Seussish?" We thought they were very cool.

In addition to seeing the bonobos, we enjoyed a long walk and the beautiful plants and flowers that grow here.







That was Friday. I was feeling pretty OK on Friday but Monday I woke up sick. Again. I noticed I was kinda following a pattern, having a day of fever, chills, aching like I had the flu, and then a day or so of feeling better, then sick again, etc - with headaches throughout. So, we are thinking I got malaria. I was skeptical at first since I take a prophylaxis medication. However, when we moved, I missed some doses and we did not have screens on some of the windows for a while. Power was off so the windows were opened to catch a breeze. My family doesn't even wear bug spray if I am in the room because all the bugs flock to me. And that's all it took. I'm on day two of a three-day medication and feeling much better already. My nine day headache is finally gone.

I'm very blessed to have access to good health care, even here in Kinshasa. My family has been vaccinated against all sorts of diseases. I have a box of medications, including malaria treatments, in my closet. I have the means to pay for a trip to the clinic and a car to take me there. Most people here are not so fortunate. Today is "Giving Tuesday." MAF is trying to raise funds to send 100,000 vaccines to children in the Congo who do not have access to good healthcare. A gift of just a few dollars can save dozens of children from suffering from diseases that kill - like measles. Please pray for our Giving Tuesday campaign, which ends today, and all the staff involved in getting these vaccines to the people who need them, from pilots to mechanics to the drug companies to the humanitarian aid and medical missions groups and everyone in between. And consider clicking on my Giving Tuesday button above and donating to this very worthy cause. Continue praying for an end to the conflict in the east and for all the displaced and hurting people there.

Days of evil

A little boy at one of the refugee camps in Goma. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

500,000+ displaced people - over half of which are children
Daily murders, rapes, kidnappings, and extortions
Threats
Accusations
Children forced to join militias
Looting
Impunity
Corruption, corruption, corruption

I would explain all that is going on in the eastern part of DRC, if I completely understood it myself. On the surface, a rebel group called M23 has taken over the city of Goma and some surrounding villages, demanding that Joseph Kabila attend a summit in Uganda today to address their grievances. But the problem in Congo is much, much deeper than what is seen on the surface. There are factors playing into today's current events that are older than I am, some tribal, some political, etc. I have found a couple of articles that explain a little about all that is going on, the events leading up to the current crisis, and who the M23 rebels are, and I've listed them below.

Morning in Mugunga camp (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have never understood  Ephesians chapter 6 more clearly than right now.

 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (verse 12)

The atrocities I hear of going on in Goma and the east - unimaginable things I cannot bring myself to mention on this blog - are much more than fighting over minerals, power and land. It is also undeniably spiritual.

PRAY! There are godly people here who are praying. Join them. There are godly people living and serving on the front lines, physically and spiritually. Pray for them. 

Pray they will be strong in the Lord in in his mighty power! (vs 10)

That God will raise men up to stand against the devil's schemes (vs 11)

That they will be able to stand their ground in these days of evil (vs 13)

That in these dark times their feet will be shod with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (vs 15). 

That their faith will remain strong and that the evil one's flaming arrows will be extinguished (vs 16)

That they will depend on God and his Word (vs 17)

That God will give them words to fearlessly spread the gospel (vs 19)

Just pray.

More information about M23 and the turmoil in east DRC:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/23/congo-war-criminals-rights-violations-bars

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20468755

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20476677

Two Tuesdays

Tuesday, a friend offered to watch the home schoolers and help them with their studies while a few of us moms when shopping for Christmas before the prices all go up after Thanksgiving. I didn't really have a Christmas shopping list, but managed to get some stocking stuffers and a few things we needed and had been having trouble finding. I also found some amazing fabric, like this fallish looking print! Once I sew a table cloth out of it, I will have TWO fall/Thanksgiving decorations! 

This one actually was going to be a Christmas gift. I bought it with Emily in mind but I caved and showed it to her already so the surprise is gone.

And then there is this one.

Isn't it obnoxious? Sort of like looking at a microscope slide? I don't know what I'll do with it, but I love it because it's so different. With all those colors it would probably make a cool looking rug. It's too visually disturbing to use for a table cloth or curtains. Imagine trying to eat while looking at something that resembles bacteria.

I know you are recalling that just a few days ago I said I wasn't going to buy any more fabric until I used more from my stash. Well, ...I'm weak. And anyways I have plans for a good sized hunk of my stash: living room curtains. Because we were a group and between us we were buying several fabric pieces, we got a good deal.

While we are on the subject of good deals and holidays, I want to let you know about something dear to my heart: the Giving Tuesday Campaign. During this season of being thankful for our blessings and giving gifts to express our love for others, we have Black Friday and Cyber Monday for shopping and saving money on gifts. Now we have Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday, November 27, is "opening day" for the giving season. We can take some of that money we saved on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and use it to help others by giving to a charity of your choosing. MAF is participating and all Giving Tuesday donations to MAF will be used to provide vaccines for children here in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last year over 100,000 cases of measles were reported in DRC, including 1,100 deaths. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that a gift to the MAF Giving Tuesday campaign can mean the difference between life or death and prevent suffering for a child here in Congo. You can find the MAF Giving Tuesday page by clicking HERE or by clicking the Giving Tuesday button in my sidebar. You don't have to wait until Tuesday to make a donation! I know because I already made mine!

Three Things I am Grateful for that Might Surprise You

Like the flowers? Last night Emily played Annelle in her school's performance of Steel Magnolias and the flowers were a gift from the parents of one of the cast members. 

                                                                                                                                        I finished painting Daniel's room. If it looks like I painted it in the dark, that's because I did. The power kept going out. He's happy with it, so that's all that matters. 

I had a lot of blue fabric in my stash, so I made a throw rug for his room. Not only is Daniel happy, but I am very glad to be using my stash. I've told myself I can't buy more fabric until I use what I have, or at least most of it. The next rug will be for Emily's room.






There is a little rebel in me, so I have not participated in all the social media trends to post something you are thankful for every day for thirty days. I'm just not a jump-on-the-band-wagon type of gal. I love Thanksgiving. I believe we should be thankful consciously and intentionally every single day, not just in November. To be honest, doing anything every day for thirty days that involves internet and electricity is just too hard. I don't need one more thing on my list of things I am behind in. You know from my past posts that God has been working in my life in the area of gratitude. We are all grateful for the obvious blessings we have: loved ones, our relationship with Christ, our material blessings, etc. Here are three things that I am very grateful for that probably aren't on everyone's list of blessings this year.

1. People who know a lot about parasites and diseases in the Congo and how to deal with them. We have benefited from the wisdom of missionary doctors, nurses and friends more than once. Just last week we realized that what Daniel thought was a mosquito bite that would not go away was really a worm he had picked up going barefoot after a rain. The worm was making tunnels in his toe and foot and causing pain and itching. We could actually see where the little bugger had been. Gross. The Congolese I talked to use various methods to treat this, most involving razors. Another option is to freeze the worm but that only works if you freeze the right spot, and the worm is always ahead of the tracks you can see on the foot. There are drugs also, and we did manage to find a drug that took care of the problem. It is a huge blessing to be able to ask someone for advice here and to be able to trust their wisdom and experience.

2. The hard things my kids have to deal with. It hurts immensely to see them struggle and deal with pain and hardship, but my kids have more courage, flexibility, insight and compassion than they might have had if they had never gone to the places they have been, seen the things they have seen, or had the experiences and relationships they have had. God has used the hard things in their lives to bring out good things in their character and make them into amazing young people.

3. Randomness. I like predictability. I like knowing the plan and what the rules of the game are before I begin. But I am grateful for the randomness of things here, whether it is electricity, internet, water, transportation, or people. It makes me appreciate what I have when I have it and keeps me from being lazy. You've heard the expression "use it or lose it." At our house we say "Use it before you lose it!"

What are some unusual things you are thankful for? Why?

The Potty Plant

Last week Emily started with basic white and mixed her own custom paint color for her bedroom. Here’s her new color. The photo doesn’t do it justice. In real life, the walls are darker. Much darker. But she loves it.

She doesn’t have as many choices and freedoms as her peers in the states and this was one area where we could let her have her way. Now she has a space that is truly hers, and she made it that way herself. All that’s left is for her to finish unpacking and decorating. Cool beans!

Emily's room on moving day

Yes, she is indeed stirring the paint with a broken broom handle. When you buy paint here, they do not give you a paint stirring stick thingy. At least at the stores I have been to, they don't sell them either. You use what you've got.

That white door off to the left is a ¾ bath. What teenage girl wouldn’t like to have her own private bathroom that her brothers do not have access to? Moreover, what boy would not be happy if he no longer had to wait for his sister to get out

Emily's room after paint job

of the bathroom? What mom would not be happy to have a little less mess to clean up? Now that she has her own bathroom, she gets to clean it herself. Good practice for college. Her future roommate will thank me one day.

For my introvert daughter, having her own space is a big deal and something she wanted for a long time. She’s had her own room before, so it’s not about privacy. It’s more about “fit.” She needed her room to be an expression of herself, a reflection of her taste and personality - and not just a place to set her suitcase. I totally get that.

We’ve made changes to the rest of the house too. Once Lily recovered from her near death experience of getting spayed in Kinshasa, we took away the litter box and now both cats go outside to do their business. Very nice. No more odor. No more emptying the box.

We’ve added our first house plant. It’s called “snake plant.” If you come visit me, you’ll notice that our snake plant, as well as all future house plants have sharp rocks on the top of their soil. That’s because Lily, still young and new at the whole go-outside-to-do-your-business thing, thinks "potted plant" means “potty plant.” The rocks have been an easy and effective deterrent.

Firsties

Here are ten of my most recent "firsties," things I did for the first time:

* met Rita Chapman, a missionary serving in Kikongo whom I've been hearing about since 2008. Very Cool Beans!
* washed myself with gasoline. Peeyou.
* "jumped" electrical phases in our breaker box. Needed to learn and now I have.
* went through a Congolese military checkpoint. Ok.
* led a group of high school girls in a Bible study. These girls are fantastic!
* made pickles that actually stayed crunchy. Too salty, but at least they stayed crunchy. (whisper: They taste like Claussens.)
* drove more than three miles one way from my house, and back. Survived. Barely.
* went to the consulate for the U.S. embassy to renew our kids' passports. Not fun.
* went to a parent/teacher conference for my daughter, a senior. Somehow when we were home schooling her it seemed way too odd, even for us, to have parent/teacher conferences. hee hee.
* took my new friend Hannah to the orphanage with me to play with the kids. This is Hannah.

There is just nothing like hearing a little kid giggle!

Obviously, God is not letting me stay in a rut or get too set in my ways. Living a Christian life takes "muscle," which brings me to the subject of my new post, "Move That Muscle" on the MAF blog. I hope you'll check it out.