Trusting Truth

I'm a Missouri girl, so I can't think of a better place to be refreshed and renewed than Missouri in spring and early summer. Everything is blooming and the colors are vibrant with newness. Baby birds and animals are everywhere and all around you can see and hear their parents keeping vigil and finding food. Everything smells, well, like spring. It's a balm for the senses and the soul and I loved getting to enjoy the season again.

You would think with all of that newness I would have returned to Congo recharged and ready to go. The reality is that a struggle began in me before I left the states and followed me here. It didn't help that I was sick the last three of my four weeks home. That wears on a person. Missionary life has made me more acutely aware that every moment with a loved one, every walk down a favorite path, every routine activity we so often take for granted could be the last, so you better savor it. 

I didn't want to just savor the moments. I wanted to keep them. Watching my kids interacting with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents reminded me of all they miss when we are away. My first-born went off to college at 18 and for two years he was the only one in our immediate family on U.S. soil. When breaks and summers came and other students went home, his "home" was 7,000 miles away and unreachable. He had places he could go stay, but they weren't "home." Now my daughter is in the same predicament. My youngest struggles with isolation and life without electricity most of the time and he can't even get packages from his grandparents. 

I felt like I had cheated my children. 

Feelings cannot alway be trusted, though, and I know that. How I feel can be affected and manipulated by many things but Truth never changes. The truth is that God is our Shepherd and takes care of us as a shepherd cares for his flock.  A shepherd safely leads his flock to where they need to be to find nourishment and rest to grow strong and healthy. He carries the weak ones and the littlest ones because he knows how fragile they are and how hard the path is. God knows the path ahead of my kids and He's got them in his arms. A shepherd leads the mamas in his flock with gentleness. He knows my feelings and doesn't disregard them, but gently beckons me to trust Him. To trust Truth. 

"He tends his flocks like a shepherd: 

he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; 

he gently leads those that have young." 

Isaiah 40:11

Wired

creation window (Photo credit: mtsofan)

I am becoming quite the "handy Andy." When sparks were flying out of our breaker box in the house a couple of weeks ago, I had two choices. Remove the burning wires, or do without my precious electricity until David got home. Round here, when the power is on, you don't waste it! So I got my nerve up and pulled this out of our box and set us up to run on just one phase until hubby could make repairs. Yes, I cut off the power before I touched the wires.


These wires couldn't take the heat. They frayed and burned, ending up useless and dangerous.

We have had a week of sickness. First Daniel, then Emily, now David. I am the "last man standing." We have also had a week of twice going over 48 hours without power and several days of only getting an hour or two at a time. Not having a/c is inconvenient in this heat, but when someone has a fever, it's miserable. I felt so sorry for the kids.



During Daniel's sick time, I had to run the generator anyway to keep the fridge cold, and since I wasn't home schooling I decided I might as well sew. Having finally finished making curtains for the living room (it only took two and a half years), I pulled out a quilt project.

This is going to be for Daniel, if I ever finish it. While I was in the states for my surgery he got to choose his own fabric. I finally completed all of the blocks. Now I just have to assemble them and add borders.

This one is my favorite and Daniel's too. Of course, it was also the one that took the most time and care because of all the points there were to match up. Half square triangles are not my strong point. I have to do them slowly and carefully.

 The closer we get to finishing it, the more eager Daniel and I both are to see how it will turn out.

There is just something about working at a project and really putting yourself into it, and then being able to look at the finished product and see its beauty that makes you feel really good. God understands that. It's why He keeps working on us, carefully and sometimes slowly - and doesn't stop until he completes the good work He started. It's why when He finished creating the world He took time to notice that it was good. We are just wired to get pleasure out of doing good work.

I hated that my family has been suffering with the fluish like bug that has hit them, but the forced down time has probably been good for us. We've rested. We've done things we don't usually get time for like reading and sewing. Maybe we were really feeling the heat, literally and figuratively, and about to burn up like those wires. Naturally, my idea of down time would have been different from God's. Mine would include electricity and high enough voltage to use my oven and my dryer, but then I would have filled that time with work, trying to catch up on laundry and bake ahead for the "no power days." It would have been "do time" instead of "down time."

Renewal - Family Conference

Family Conference is in full swing.

A major theme at family conference time is renewal. We have time to focus on spiritual renewal with worship times and teaching.

Our friend Jocelyn with her daughter Ruth, who is getting an early start in discipleship!


We also have times for paying attention to our needs for physical, emotional, and relational renewal.







Yesterday after the worship/teaching session, we took an outing to a lake for a hike and a picnic lunch. The drive was long, the weather was hot, the traffic was terrible. Once we arrived at the lake, though, it was worth it.








We took our time walking, enjoying the quiet and tranquility - a rare thing in a city the size of Kinshasa. At one point, David and I literally just stopped and took a deep breath and stood there taking in the fresh air and natural beauty and wide open space.

Last evening the ladies enjoyed some time pampering our feet - which take a beating here in the land of dust and concrete.

While we soaked our tired feet, we had a chance to just relax and visit with each other. Often when we get together as a team there is work to be done and not much time for visiting and connecting on a deeper level.

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.

From Ocean Front to Battle Front

photo credit: Amber Derocher

Our week at the MAF family conference was amazing! Here are some of the highlights.

photo credit: Chris Steiger

Sessions/studies about: the dangers of ego, God speaks our love language, forgiveness, unity, spiritual warfare, and more

praise, prayer, and worship

Meeting fellow MAF missionaries who serve in Congo with us but whom we never see, and seeing friends we'd not seen in a year or more

Date night: the Rose Drive team entertained all the young children so all the couples could have dinner dates

Pampering: ice cream with real American toppings like Heath Bar bits and Hershey's syrup, real chocolate, door prizes of things we can't get here like Ranch dressing mix and Starburst candies, s'mores! (no graham crackers, big marshmallows or Hershey bars in Congo), shower gels and lotions for the ladies, and hand-written notes from the team leader (hand-written notes are a lost art and a real blessing anywhere!)

Fun activities: pool, beach, volleyball, snorkeling, kayaking

Electricity and water: in abundance!

Cooking and cleaning: none!

Now about Snorkeling.  Forty of us signed up for a snorkeling excursion out to the coral reef.  I have had a fear of deep water since childhood that even after learning to swim did not go away. I like to swim only if I can stand up and still breathe. But I figured I would probably never get another chance to snorkel in the Indian Ocean for only a few dollars per person.  It was a learning experience.  The first thing I learned was not to assume things.  I had assumed that the snorkeling adventure was one of the many activities offered through the resort and would therefore be handled by professionals and come complete with a lesson on how to actually snorkel. Um, no. It was two dudes with boats for hire. Here's a photo of our boat. It was called the Millenium, I think because that's how old the boat was.

photo credit: Sandy Francis

(That's me in the brown striped swimsuit coverup and David is the cool looking guy in the grey shirt and sunglasses. Daniel is up on top. Emily was in the other boat with her teen friends.)








There was no lesson.  No safety lecture. Not enough snorkeling equipment to go around, requiring us to take turns. AND: no life jackets, giant noodles, styrofoam dishes, or other flotation equipment was offered or available. Each boat had one life preserver that was tied to the boat and floated in the ocean. The thing about irrational fears is that those of us who have them know they are irrational and yet there they are. And they are powerful. I prayed. I talked to myself. It took some time, but I finally got up enough nerve to get out of the boat. The water was choppy and the snorkel tube did not have anything to prevent water coming in so I quickly got a big mouth full of seawater. Panic and dread ensued and I immediately got back in the boat. I was angry with myself and decided to try again, only to repeat the first experience. I was so disappointed in myself.

photo credit: Sandy Francis

(Daniel having fun and me either getting in the water or climbing out - I did lots of both.)





Then another girl who was a weak swimmer told me that she had swum out to the life preserver and snorkeled while holding on to the preserver with one hand.  I thought, "I can do that!" So, I tried a third time. I swam out to the life preserver, grabbed hold, and snorkeled away. It was incredible! I was having so much fun! David swam out to where I was just to say he was happy for me that I had found a way to snorkel in spite of my fear.

Next, I learned about currents. At some point I lifted my head up and saw that I was quite a bit farther from the boat than when I began. I told David he had pulled me out too far and he said he hadn't done it. No problem. We just grabbed the rope to pull ourselves back in. Except that the rope had come untied from the boat. Naturally. We started swimming but were really not making any progress against the current for our efforts and it wasn't long before I was tired enough that I knew if I didn't have that life preserver I would have been in trouble. We could see the boat but couldn't get to it. Eventually, one of our friends saw us fighting the current and swam out, got the rope, and pulled it in. Enough water for me for one day, thanks.

I am very glad I went. I had a great time and saw cool stuff! And I was only a little embarrassed over my ridiculous fear because everyone was kind about it.

After we came back to Kinshasa, we took a couple of nights to go camping and have some time alone as a family, away from videos, internet, phones, etc. We cooked over fires, played in the river, hiked, played games, saw cool bugs

and crossed this bridge.

On our way home, Saturday, we were about five minutes into Kinshasa, stuck in a traffic jam, when someone hit our car from behind. The police held us there and let the person go who had hit us. Then they tried to fine us $100 for "being in the way" of the other driver.  This is actually a common occurrence, especially if you are fair skinned. If you don't pay, they put a lock on your wheel until you do. We talked them down to $20, drove about fifty feet, and got pulled over again, and once again it was because of our skin color. David told them we had just paid the police behind us and they let us go.  No kidding, fifty feet later we were stopped for a third time.  This time we had to talk a while before they let us go. 

Our welcome back to Kinshasa was further "enhanced" on Sunday by a 14 hour power outage and the news that our landlady is finally planning to repair the plumbing issues in the house and the wall that is about to fall into the road. She also plans to raise the rent, so we have to move. She wants us out by end of September.

A friend recently said to us "any battle front is not an easy place to live and work." There is sometimes the temptation to feel a bit disillusioned, especially after a mountain top experience like the conference and then coming back to Kinshasa. But this place really is a battle front. A person can't enlist in an army and go off to war expecting it to be a bed of roses. My snorkeling experience reminded me that my God is big, bigger than the ocean I was so afraid of, the ocean He created.  He was with me there and He is with me here.

Why this post has no pictures

It takes several times longer to post to the blog from here than it would from say...almost anywhere else, and I need time to work on our newsletter this weekend, so I'm changing things up a bit. There will be no photos and less writing.  (All the articles I've seen about being a good blogger say that not having photos means death for a blog. Hope not.)

 Here is a little bit more of the good and bad about Congo. I hope you will take a look at these. But first, a story that didn't make international news, or news anywhere, even though it affects thousands of people.

When we came back from our weekend trip to Nkara, things here in Kinshasa had changed. The commercial center was barren. All the "shade tree vendors" were gone. Driving home one evening, we passed a group of at least a hundred police officers who were moving on foot in the opposite direction. In their wake were up-turned metal "buildings", broken plastic chairs and tables, and fires. Lots of fires. The wooden kiosks that the sidewalk vendors had been using were ablaze. The officials had decided it was time to "clean up" the city. Instead of doing something about sanitation or crime, they went after the vendors. Admittedly the vendors cause congestion and make it difficult to walk about. They also provide produce and bread to a huge population of people who don't have transportation or cab fare to get to the stores. But now these people have had their inventories burned or destroyed and have no means to support their families. I wanted to jump out of the car and yell at the police "These are your people!" To better understand the corruption here, you should know that the vendors in the military housing neighborhoods were left alone to continue business as usual.

I don't pretend to fully understand the conflicts that occur here.  Often their origins go way back and are complex.  I do know that a general named Bosco Ntaganda is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.  Soldiers in the DRC army who are loyal to Ntaganda have deserted and now there is conflict between this rebel group and the military.  The UN has evidence that Rwanda is sending troops and supplies across the border in support of the rebels. Doctors Without Borders, whom MAF partners with here in DRC, has posted this article about the impact on the region. Read more HERE from the BBC if you want to understand Rwanda's role in this better and HERE for more about the history behind the present conflict.

Now for the good part I promised you. The climate here is tropical, a nice word for hot and humid.  The equator runs right through this immense country.  But did you know that the Democratic Republic of Congo also has glaciers? They are in a mountain range that borders the DRC and Uganda. Project Pressure has information and some amazing photos HERE .  I did have a good chuckle at the quote referring to the Congolese porters under the third photo: "Their experience on ice is limited." Of course it is.


Please keep this amazing, troubled country in your prayers.

I Did THIS for YOU!

Of all the frequently heard sounds in our home: laughter, talking, movies/games, kittens, etc; there is one sound I hate to hear.  I don’t know how to describe it, but if you’ve ever heard it you will know what I’m talking about – that nasty popping noise that occurs when an appliance or electrical outlet “blows up.”  Twice this week we’ve turned on a light switch and heard the “pop” while sparks rained down from the light fixture to the floor.  This morning I lost my kitchen outlet while brewing coffee.  So, in a week’s time we are down two lights and our outlet.  

Yesterday I had to deliver two of our kittens to TASOK so they could go home with their new owners.  We just got a new MAF family this week, the Linds, and I invited Lisa to come along and eat lunch on the campus.  On the way home the car broke down again.  Welcome to Congo, Lisa.  I was very grateful that we were within sight of the house when it happened, but a bit disappointed.  The breakdown meant two things for me. First, David and two friends of ours spent all that time working on it and the problem still isn’t repaired.  Second, I won’t be going to the orphanage for a while.  The car can’t make it that far.  To add to the day’s adventure, my daughter came home with one of the kittens.  The boy who was supposed to get the kitten couldn’t take it home because his father had neglected to tell their driver, who refused to allow it in the car.  

The school musical is finally finished.  Emily had both acting and singing parts in the musical and did a wonderful job.  Yes, I am biased, but she really did do wonderfully!  I imagine that David and I looked pretty goofy sitting in the audience with our big grins and beaming faces.   She is already focusing on her next extra-curricular activity: auditioning for the school talent show and assisting Mrs. Francis with the auditions for the elementary school students.  

Tomorrow our church is meeting at sunrise by the Congo River.  Sunrises make me feel hopeful and expectant.  It’s like opening a present on your birthday and finding inside a gift that someone lovingly made with you in mind.  Tomorrow I get to look out over the vast Congo River as the sun plays on the water, coloring the clouds, and think not just about this beautiful world God made, but also about the sacrifice Jesus made, and in my spirit hear Him saying “I did THIS for YOU!”  Have a wonderful Easter! 

More Than The Sum...

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country of extremes, both good and bad. A few examples:
• The most thunderstorms and the most lightning in the world
• The world’s second largest rainforest, after Amazon
• One of the world’s richest nations in natural resources, including copper, diamonds, coltan, and the world’s largest producer of cobalt.
• The world’s second poorest nation according to the United Nations Human Development Report
• A river with potential to supply electricity for all of Africa, yet only 9% of the country’s citizens have access to electricity
• The only place in the world where the bonobo apes and the okapi live in the wild, yet the bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas are endangered here, partly because of bushmeat trade
• The world’s second highest infant mortality rate
• Ranked 164 out of 178 coutries by Transparency International for level of corruption
• The highest rape incidence in the world; approximately 48 every hour
The election scheduled to take place on November 28 is no exception to the Congo’s propensity for uniqueness. The 57 page ballot is perhaps the longest in world history. There are eleven presidential candidates. Depending on your source, some 18,000 to 19,000 candidates are vying for just 500 parliamentary positions. There are 32,500,000 registered voters, and, interestingly, 64,000,000 ballots have been printed. The election results are scheduled to be announced on December 6. Please pray for this wealthy-but-impoverished, beautiful-but-chaotic country during this election season. The Congo is more than just the sum of its statistics, it is a people who longs for peace, living in poverty amid untapped wealth. Pray for a peaceful election season. Pray that as they go to the polls to select their leaders, their hearts will be drawn to the King of Kings, who can give them peace that passes understanding and make them heirs with Christ.

Related articles

• Pray for the Congo (DRC) this week (wisecounsel.wordpress.com)

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes I am delighted by the simplest things. Earlier this week, I went outside to cut some roses from a huge rosebush in our yard and startled a female cardinal. I walked around the back side of the bush for a closer look and found a nest with three tiny eggs in it! I was excited enough that I called the kids to come and see it. Soon there will be baby birds right under our dining room window. What fun! Last night we were on the road and I was listening to praise songs. At the same moment that my mp3 player began a Chris Tomlin song praising God as our creator I looked up and noticed a huge, perfect, full moon. How cool is that?! Today as we neared our destination in Florida, I decided to see if our favorite Christian radio station from our days living here before was close enough to pick up on the radio. As soon as I had it tuned in we recognized the song that was playing and all 5 of us simultaneously started to sing along. Instant fun! We got the added bonus today of getting to see old friends again after eight months away.

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise [b]
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! -- Psalm 8

Rattlesnake at Succor Creek!

Today was filled with adventure. One of our homework assignments was for our family to attend a church of a different culture, so we went to the Peace in Jesus Vietnamese Lutheran Church. None of us were quite sure what to expect, but we all had a wonderful time. Everyone was warm and friendly. We couldn't sing in their language, but we recognized several of the tunes so we knew the jist of what they were singing. In our hearts we were able to sing and worship with them. I admit I didn't get much out of the sermon, but still enjoyed watching and observing. The pastor obviously was passionate about what he was sharing. We even picked up a few words by the end of the service. Then this afternoon we joined another MAF family and went hiking at Succor Creek, Oregon. We cooked on the grill and enjoyed the amazing scenery. On our walk, I came very close to stepping on a rattlesnake and after I got over being seriously startled, I just had to take pictures! And video! From a distance, of course. We certainly had something to talk about on the way home and thanked God for his protection and the beauty of his creation.

Mighty Mountains

Wow! In just one day we: saw antelope and sheep galore, drove to Firehole Canyon in Flaming Gorge National Recreation Center, saw wild horses in Green River Wyoming, and drove through a snow storm! We crossed Wyoming and are now in Ogden, Utah. I finally remembered to move my camera from my suitcase to the front of the van so I got photos today! I did a quickie scrapbook page for you. If you want to see it larger, just click on the image. Daniel and I have been reading a book together called "Mountain Born", about a little boy growing up on a mountain. His family raises sheep for a living and the book describes shearing in one chapter. We had the priviledge of seeing both wooly flocks of sheep and some that had been recently shorn and still bore the telltale marks, so Daniel got to see the difference first-hand. Emily especially enjoyed the antelope. I think David would say the highlight for him today was seeing the wild horses. All five of us were reminded constantly today of the creativity and majesty of our God.