Processing

shadows and reflections (Photo credit: Pedro Moura Pinheiro)

We leave for our first furlough in exactly three weeks! We have our airplane tickets! We have a TON of stuff to do to prepare and we are in the midst of a flurry of our daughter's end of senior year activities. We have made the mental switch from "if we ever make it to furlough" and now find ourselves thinking about "when we are on furlough."

I'm sure I won't be able to stop myself from writing about furlough and reflecting on our experiences here. I feel like a computer that doesn't have enough memory to run smoothly, so instead of being productive, I'm a perpetual Windows hour glass or a conversation window that says "processing" with a progress bar that is frozen in time. I have managed to collect a few thoughts for the MAF blog, and if you are interested you can read our "First Term Reflections" post HERE.

Our latest newsletter has gone out and features an explanation of what furlough is for, what our plans are, etc. If you aren't on our mailing list, you can read our Spring 2013 newsletter by following the link on our Newsletters Page. One important furlough activity for us (besides hot showers) will be reconnecting with our ministry partners and seeking new ones to help us get our ministry support back up to 100%. The bottom line is if our ministry here is not fully funded, we cannot come back, so please pray with us that God will connect us with the folks He has chosen to be on our team.

A Close Call

English: original description: "Built by Jess Dixon of Andalusia, Alabama. Can fly forward, backward or straight up or hover in the air. Runs on road or flys across country. 40 H.P. motor, air cooled, speeds to 100 m.p.h." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last night Daniel and I had a close call as we were driving home from my Bible study meeting. It was dark, which in Kinshasa means it was VERY dark because most of the roads have no street lights and at any given time half the lights that do exist are not on due to power outages. We were on a two lane road approaching a curve and someone came rapidly around the bend, in our lane, straight at us in the wrong direction. There was no shoulder to pull onto and no sidewalk, so there was no way we could get out of their way. We were barely able to stop in time to keep them from plowing into us head-on and they nearly hit someone else as they cut off another driver to avoid us.  As he sped by the driver honked at us for having the audacity to be in our lane when he wanted it for himself.

Driving here is an adventure. Aside from the lack of proper lighting, there is also a lack of street signs, stop signs, order, courtesy, and consequences. Roads are poorly maintained and deep potholes and ruts are common. People just do whatever they want to without regard to rules or other drivers. Defensive driving is bumped to a whole new level here. No matter what time of day or night it is, there are always tons of pedestrians and they are usually walking in the actual street due to a lack of sidewalks. It is not for the faint of heart, which is why I only drive in places I am familiar with. I fantasize about having a flying car and soaring above all the chaos.

It can drive (pun intended) you crazy if you let it, but it is more fun to laugh about it. We sometimes quote movie lines. Here are some I have heard our family and/or friends use specifically with regard to driving in Kinshasa.

“I’m surrounded by idiots.” Scar, in Lion King
“I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!” Wicked witch, in Wizard of Oz
“Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Dorothy, Wizard of Oz
 “Never tell me the odds.” Han Solo, Empire Strikes Back
“Wax paint on, wax paint off.” Mr. Miyagi, Karate Kid
“Inconceivable!” Vizzini, Princess Bride
 “Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads.” Doc, Back to the Future
“All me life flashed before me eyes.” Babs, Chicken Run
“I’ve gone way beyond afraid. Right now I’m somewhere between bedwetting and a near death experience.” Rizzo, Muppets Treasure Island

Next time you go driving, please say a prayer for all the missionaries who deal with driving in third world nations.

I'm Sure He Will Thank Me Later

A pair of ASICS stability running shoes, model GEL-Kinsei (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Check this out: Kinetic Pavement. Some really smart people at a company called Pavegen in London have invented a floor tile that converts footfalls into electricity. They even have a long-term goal to make the tiles as affordable as ordinary floor tiles. I'm thinking we should put these in our house and yard. Then when the power is off I can make Daniel run laps to make the lights work. He could invite his friends over for a backyard marathon so I could even run the fridge or the washing machine. It would be a great incentive. "Listen kid, if you want me to bake cookies, you gotta go run so I can use the oven."

He wouldn't like it at first. But in a decade, when he becomes a world famous marathoner, he will thank me. :)

Remembering

Flag of the United States of America (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having a dad who served in the Air Force, we were always taught growing up to have the utmost respect, admiration, and gratitude for our armed forces and for those who had sacrificed their time, their families, and their lives to safeguard the freedoms and rights we enjoy as U.S. citizens. We learned flag etiquette, something that is scarce nowadays. We stood when our flag came by at parades and sporting events. We always stood at attention with our hands over our hearts, except for Dad, who has earned the right to salute. We never displayed a fray or dirty flag on our flagpole. Disrespecting the flag was akin to being disrespectful toward our soldiers. It was unpatriotic. I have tried hard to pass these values down to my children.

And Memorial Day has always been about more than barbecues.

I have a wonderful friend, Julia, who is an army wife. She is also a mom and a much better writer than I am. Julia's family used to be stationed in Germany. During a trip to the states to visit her family, she had an experience that she wrote about on her blog, Dibbs on the Gibbs . Her story, Riding With a Soldier also recently was published in the Stars and Stripes! I encourage you to read Julia's story, and remember, and never, never take the sacrifices others have made, which we benefit from, for granted.

A Historic Event!

Kikongo landing strip and MAF pilot David Francis. Photo by Jocelyn Frey.

Our friend and pastor, Mike Lowery, rides an MAF plane from here in Kinshasa to the village of Kikongo once a month. He stays a few days, ministering and teaching in a school for pastors, then takes another MAF plane back to Kinshasa.

These men of God are getting training that would otherwise be inaccessible because of the ministry of MAF and the dedication of missionaries Glen Chapman and Mike Lowery. There is no way to measure the impact that can have as these men take what they learn back to their own churches and villages.

Another facet of MAF's ministry besides the airplane is our IT service. MAF was involved in bringing internet to Kikongo for the missionaries there. Because of this, a truly historic event took place at the Bible school recently, and you can read Pastor Mike's really cool story about it by clicking HERE.

It is an incredible privilege to be part of MAF and the missions community here! We could not be here serving alongside these folks without the prayers and ministry support of many others, so we are truly part of a huge team and are very grateful! By supporting our ministry with MAF, you are also supporting the work God is doing in Kikongo.

Two Finishes

This morning I walked in the annual 5K Run/Walk Kima Mbangu (Run Fast). This was my third year participating alongside of fellow MAF wives Sandy Franci and Valerie Hochstetler. We also had a pilot running, and four MK's volunteering, so MAF was very well represented.

This was a fundraiser to benefit women in Congo, one of the most challenging and statistically unsafe places in the world to be a female. My daughter, Emily, went with me and was a volunteer helper.

At the halfway mark she brought me water and cheered me on for a bit.

Not long after we began the walk, I got a toe cramp. There are verses in Scripture that talk about God's people being different parts of the same body, and if you never thought being just a little toe was very noteworthy, you have never tried to walk or jog with a toe cramp. At that time, my little toe was getting ALL of the attention. A real runner would push through and ignore the pain. I am not a real runner. I started drinking water too late and by the time I reached the end I had a headache that made me forget all about my toe. But, I did get to the end!

Another finish for me this week was the quilt top I have been working on for Daniel.



I had help reaching this finish also. Elliot. As you can see he is doing better and has gained back most of the weight he lost when he was ill. Why do cats think know that whenever a person places anything on the floor, it is expressly for them to lie upon?

I wanted you to see the "texture" that the print on the black fabric lends to the quilt.












Sorry about the poor photo. I'm a quilter, not a photographer. And my kids are just kids, not quilt racks. This will go into storage, along with my freshly cleaned sewing machine, until we return from furlough.

*** Totally off subject, but our newsletter has just gone to print. If you don't receive it and would like to, you can let us know by sending us an email. Our address is in the sidebar to the right.***

Home Alone and New Linkies

David (bottom) at work here in Kinshasa. Photo by David Francis

David has been in Lubumbashi for the last few days, doing a mini-inspection on a plane there. Even though we have been here two and a half years, this was my first time doing the single mom thing in Congo. He will be coming home late tonight and I will be very glad to see him. Power has been terrible, about two hours a day. Internet has been terrible. Someone left a toilet running over night so for part of the time water was an issue. And the cat has been sick. In fact I thought for a couple of days that Elliot was going to die.

The vet came and without examining my cat or taking any samples announced that it was worms. Elliot was lethargic, refusing to eat or drink, and couldn't even meow. I told him I didn't think it was worms because in the past when he had worms he ate an insane amount and his belly swelled and this time he was not eating at all. I also told him that we suspected he had eaten something poisonous or that he had gotten a kidney infection since he was also incontinent. The vet put him on antibiotics.

That was Monday. Yesterday Elliot got his meow back, although it sounds pathetic. And he is a little more active, meaning he will follow me out of the room now or jump up on my lap. He is drinking water and eating again but can't keep anything down so he is still losing weight. I am not sure what else to do for him.

Bug Freakout (Photo credit: betsystreeter)

Furlough is rapidly approaching and the reality of how much we still have to do in preparation is starting to make me feel a little panicky.








I have written a few times in the past about the plight of women in this country and about ministries here that are specifically for women. This week, Save the Children published a report of the world's best and worst places to be mothers, and Congo made the list. Click HERE to see what position DRC has in the list of 176 countries. Pray for the women and girls of Congo.

I added a few updates to our Media page. There are new articles, blog posts and videos for you to check out, including one about the importance and the cost of aircraft maintenance, which is what David does here.

**UPDATE Elliot is improving! He's super skinny but now that he is eating and holding his food down he should plump back up soon.

Un Moment Chocolat - A Chocolate Moment

During family conference a few weeks ago I was blessed with an incredible gift: a bag of Dove Caramel Chocolates. This week when I opened the last precious piece the little message on the wrapper said "Share a chocolate moment with a friend." Well, none of my friends were around at the time. And it WAS the LAST piece.

So, I ate it.

Last weekend, I was in a store with my friend Christine (one of the unfortunate friends I did not share a chocolate moment with when I ate the LAST piece of Dove) and we saw these gigantic bars of chocolate.

 A single bar was eleven pounds! Eleven pounds of Belgian chocolate! (voice squeaking loudly here). Imagine the chocolate moment I could have with THAT! I'm pretty sure if word got out that I had eleven pounds of Belgian chocolate I would have about 200 girlfriends ready to join me in a Guiness Word Record "moment chocolat."  Sadly, to quote a favorite VeggieTale movie, the price was "out of range."

Another favorite VeggieTales quote is from Madame Blueberry. Bob asks Larry "How much stuff do you need to make you happy?" Larry's answer is "I dunno. How much stuff is there?" Just the other day David asked me what I was doing and I said I was downloading a free quilt pattern. He asked me how many quilt patterns one person can need. I, of course, gave him the same answer I give him when he asks me how many books I need or how much fabric I need - "I dunno. How many are there?"

Have you ever tried to memorize anything from the book of Lamentations? I never have until now. Lamentations is a book that I under-appreciated for a long time. I think it's because of the title. When you think about laments, lamenting, lamentations,..it just doesn't sound as good as it really is. So, I am going to share a Lamentations moment with you. I just added Lamentation 3:22-23 to my memory verses. Here are the verses:

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

If any one ever asks me how much of God's grace, love, and mercies I need, I will smile and say, "I dunno. How much is there?" Thankfully, they are unending, and never "out of range."

Languishing Brownies

Brownies (Photo credit: yum9me)

This could be an interesting post because I am so distracted. We HAD power today, so I made up a batch of brownie batter. I decided to be a cool mom and used the last of our Heath bits in the brownies. Popped them into the oven. A few minutes later the power went off. David went out to check the box since all of the neighbors have power and he has been gone awhile, which means something burnt up and we can't even run the generator. MY BROWNIES ARE LANGUISHING!!! 

This week I ordered limes from Papa Joseph. In French, lemons are "citrons" and limes are "citrons vertes (green)". This is a photo of locally grown produce. The little one is a lime and the big ones are lemons. See the problem with calling limes the green ones? They are ALL green. Papa Joseph misunderstood and I ended up with a bag of lemons. Lemons aren't as tasty as limes in my Coke, but they made good lemonade so we are just rolling with it. Interestingly, oranges here are also green, and yet they are still called oranges an no one seems to think that is weird.

Here's an update on our house. Yes, we are STILL working on the house. When we moved in, the plumbing in the kitchen had been repaired/replaced and there was a section behind the sink where the tiles were busted out; and there was a gap between the concrete wall and the countertop that I could put my hand into - which meant unwelcome guests could crawl through from the other side. This week we hired Leopold to fix the wall and I am very happy to have a whole wall in the kitchen now.





I managed to get some more sewing time and made some progress on Daniel's quilt top. I am using a pattern called Blissful Dreams that I purchased too many years ago from Down Home Quilting. I still have to add borders to it. Daniel asked me to hand quilt it instead of machine quilting it, so when I finish the top it will get packed away until after furlough. I don't plan to haul it across the ocean and then add backing and batting and haul it back. Apologies to my facebook friends who have already seen this.


***Here is a brownie update, because brownies are important. They are a little funny looking but I think they will taste just fine. Hooray for brownies! The neutral line in our box keeps burning up and we keep replacing it. This time it burned a bunch of stuff and David got it going temporarily but says he pretty much has to replace everything.