The Joy of Discovery

As I sit here, I can hear the high school band on the field across the road from our apartment practicing for tonight's graduation ceremony. For many this is an exciting time of year. I got to attend another graduation a couple weeks ago, thanks to the kind invitation extended to me by two friends: Justine (whom I met when I hired her to help me learn Lingala) and Emily. Emily and Justine work with a ministry called the Tabitha Center. There are many similarities between the Mitendi Center I often write about and the Tabitha Center. Both reach out to at-risk women and offer discipleship and job training. Here are a few photos from our day.

I have been to a few major celebrations here, and music is an essential part. Sometimes a sound system and DJ are hired and sometimes, as in this instance, a local band is hired. Personally, I prefer the bands. 

Dressing up is also a key part of any celebration here. I have no idea who this fellow is, but I thought his tie modeled after the DRC flag was cool. 

My lovely friend, Justine. I am really grateful to have met her this year. She is passionate about her faith and about helping women in Kinshasa. 

Emily is also one of my newer friends here. She received a gift in appreciation for her service to the Tabitha Center. She blows me away with her talent and her compassion. 

There is no joyous celebration quite like a Congolese joyous celebration, so here is a little sample of the excitement of the day. When the graduates paraded in, I started crying. Their joy is just so contagious and I was really happy for them. Sorry about the quality. It was the only way I could get it small enough to upload for you.

A.A. Milne, the author of the Winnie The Pooh books, once wrote: "One of the advantages of being disorderly is the JOY of discovery." It's true, too. I am surrounded these days by a great deal of disorderliness. Mostly of my own doing, but some can't be helped as we are packing and preparing for furlough and because we live in a place that often lacks order. I've been going through papers and folders and scanning back ups of things that are important. The other day I was going through some old genealogy papers I had printed twelve or thirteen years ago and found this on the backside of one:

All these years I never knew that was in my files, so it was a joyous discovery. I know without a doubt which child did the drawing, and I am sure at that tender age she didn't know what she was drawing on, or that way in the future it would bring a smile to her mama across the ocean who misses her so much. We love what we do here, but we can't wait to see our grown kids and the rest of our families again. Maybe I can even get them to draw me a picture.

Please pray for the people who live here in the midst of disorder, that they will have the joy of discovering new life in Christ and peace that passes understanding. 

"For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace..." I Cor 14:33a

A Day of Joy and Thanks

Saturday was a celebration day for the Mitendi Women's Center! At the end of the last two-year term, one group of girls chose to extend their training another six months because they wanted to improve their literacy skills. Their hard work and dedication paid off - they tested well above average when they finished! A graduation ceremony was held at the center for them and I was blessed to be able to attend. This was a more personal event for me than some I have attended, because I had met these students on previous occasions and it was excited to see how they have grown in skill and confidence and to celebrate with them.

God's Word was read, His name was praised, and His work was proclaimed. The CBCO ladies who oversee and volunteer at the Center, along with Jill, the school administrator, the pastor, and others who were involved in the ministry gave testimonies, recounted the history of the Center, and recounted the girls' accomplishments. There was a choir from the church in Mitendi and the Mitendi Center. After all the formalities, there were refreshments, photos, music and dancing. There was so much joy and happiness for these girls! Here are photos of some of the people who oversee and/or help with the Mitendi program:

And photos of the graduates:

The girls designed and sewed their own dresses for graduation, as well as their caps, tassels, and sashes. 

Another reason to celebrate: the wall is finally finished around the Mitendi Center! Effort to put up a wall began as a way to address multiple challenges: safety and security for the girls and young women, protecting the CBCO-owned land from outside attempts to take over portions of the land, and protecting the gardens from goats and other animals. The wall is now up. After the graduation revelries, we went out to the new gate for a photo. A few of us stayed and prayed together, thanking God for his protection and provision and for the testimony He has given the Mitendi Women's Center in the community. 

Please keep the new graduates in your prayers as they continue their journey, the current students that they will persevere and grow in their relationship with Jesus and in their skills, the land case that should have been over a long time ago yet is still ongoing, and for the ministry itself, Jill, and all the staff and volunteers.

Filling in and Chilling With the Girls

Photo courtesy of Mark and Kelly Hewes

Yesterday I went to the Bandal center to work with the ladies. Nothing unusual about that, except that I went without Jill. Nothing especially unusual about that either, except that instead of going to just pop in and say hello or to give out birthday treats, I was going there to get some work done. I am accustomed to having Jill around to tell me what she needs done, to help with any language barriers, and to organize our time. Jill is on a trip though, and things needed doing, so I put on my big girl britches and took myself to the center to see what I could do.

I checked on the progress of ongoing projects - whether they were completed, what problems they may have been having getting them completed, what items needed to be paid for and/or delivered, etc. They were just putting finishing touches on one project as I walked in, so after leaving the center I got to make a delivery to a happy customer.

I also enjoyed having a chance to ask how the ladies themselves were doing, to visit with them for a while, and to meet some new students from the Mitendi Center who have now joined us at Bandal. They were so much more shy and timid than the ladies I have been working with over the past year or so. They didn't even want to say their names loud enough for me to hear, so Elie had to repeat each one. It will be fun to watch them grow in their confidence and abilities, and I am praying that the more experienced ladies will take them under their wings and give them lots of help and moral support. Mama Jackie and Mama Elie will nurture them and be there to give them spiritual guidance as well as professional instruction.

photo courtesy of Mark and Kelly Hewes

Celebrating God's Greatness

I have wanted to share about this for a long time but we got so busy settling into our new  apartment and then helping Daniel transition from home school to the American School here that it is only just now happening. It seemed like whenever I had time to blog, that was also the time that Daniel needed my computer to do homework.

In August, The Women's Ministry arm of CBCO (Congolese Baptists) celebrated 50 years in ministry! I am not an official CBCO missionary or associate, but I do have the priviledge of being a volunteer, and so I was invited to attend the five day celebration. Due to transportation issues, I was only able to attend one day. That was disappointing because I had looked forward to this for a long time, but I still feel grateful that I got to be there for a small part of it and especially that the ladies even thought to invite me.

I am also especially grateful that the day I got to attend was the day of the march (parade). Getting permits to have a march is a big, expensive process in Kinshasa, so there aren't many opportunities to participate in one. This was my first. Jill and I, marching with thousands of Congolese ladies, were not. conspicuous. at. all. I had a blast!

We had a marching band, even!

The worship team. Excuse the bad photos. The lighting was terrible.

There was a special choir of women from several different churches. That's the choir in the background. This choir had many, many participants.

The congregaton. Over 5,000 women attended. Some travelled from the interior, which is no small sacrifice. 

We heard several guest speakers, including my friend Jill, but it was all in Lingala so I can't tell you much about the messages. I can tell you that there was an abundance of joy, gratitude, and enthusiasm. These women face circumstances that are unbelievably difficult on a daily basis, and they were overjoyed just to be there in God's house celebrating and worshipping together. The theme was "God has done great things for us" and the speakers recounted some of those things in their talks. 

When it came time for the offering, that too was a joyous event. There was no solemn, grave-faced passing of the plate. All 5,000 of us got up and while the worship team played music and danced, we marched and/or danced up to the front to place our offerings on the table. Most were singing. All were smiling. I realized that even for those who only had 500 francs (about 45 cents) to give, they saw it as a great privilege to show God their gratitude for his grace and work in their lives by giving to Him. It made me cry and it made me think with shame of times in my life when I have taken the privilege of meeting in God's house with other believers for granted or been ungrateful in my heart even in the very act of giving with my hands and saying thanks with my mouth.  

Beautiful Feet

On this day, twenty-two years ago, we welcomed our firstborn into the world. On this day, seven years ago, we officially became missionaries with MAF. Both have been amazing rides so far, a blessing and a priviledge, with lots of ups and downs, lots of laughs and lessons.

I am amazed when I see God's handiwork in the lives of ALL of my kids. I am humbled when God provides for them and cares for them and I realize how much time I waste being anxious for them instead of trusting Him.

I am also amazed and humbled by the believers in Congo who love God and have a passion for reaching their lost countrymen. I count it a privilege to be in a time and place where I get to meet and work with nationals whom God is using to make disciples. 

People like the women who keep the Mitendi Women's Center going, the teachers and staff who volunteer at the Mitendi Primary School, and pastors like the two in the photo above. In this photo they are preparing for a baptism service. The pastor on the left also spends time regularly teaching Bible discipleship at the Mitendi Center - and is likely the best or only father figure many of the girls have ever had.

National pastors face many unique challenges here in Congo. Please pray for them.

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Rom 10:15

Rebooting the Blog

Where have I been you ask? Actually, no one asked, but just in case someone wondered, I'm still here. Several months ago I took a little break from blogging and fully intended it to be just a little break. We were tired and stressed and felt a need to simplify and reduce demands on our time in order to "huddle in" as a family. Then my mom died and for some time after that the blog was the furthest thing from my mind. Losing mom turned my world upside down and it will probably always remain at least slightly off-kilter. It is just a fact that life without her will never be the same.

Through the last several months and all the different stress factors we were experiencing, I progressed from feeling like God was silent and distant, to confusion and devastation, to comfort and hope. God showed in both big, obvious ways and small, quiet ways that His love for me is immense and unwavering, even when my faith is wobbly and frail. 

For as long as I have been a Christian, I have understood God in the context of the relationship between a father and child. That isn't incorrect, but it isn't the whole picture either. God also nurtures and cares for his children in the same way a mother does. I don't know why that would surprise me, since God created mothers and the role of motherhood. But it did change my thinking. In my day to day life here I encounter many who are orphaned or abandoned. It brings to mind, and to my prayers, that God is a father to the fatherless. There are certain things though that fathers seem to do better and certain things that mothers seem to do better. God can do them all. He IS a father to the fatherless, but he also meets the needs that only a mother can fulfill. 

For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace to her like a river,

    and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;

you will nurse and be carried on her arm

    and dandled on her knees.

As a mother comforts her child,

    so will I comfort you;

    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

When you see this, your heart will rejoice

    and you will flourish like grass;

the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants,

    but his fury will be shown to his foes.

Isaiah 66:12-14

I am still active in the Mitendi ministry. In some ways, sharing my grief with the women here, even though it was awkward for me, has deepened my relationships with them. They have all experienced loss. They can't relate to my culture or my background but they can relate to my loss. 

We are in the middle of packing and preparing to move, so maybe this isn't the best time to recommence with blogging, but this is when I finally felt prompted to begin again, so bear with me. We'll only be moving a few kilometers, but we will be in a much less stressful situation, which will give us a little breathing room and more energy for focusing on ministry, so we are excited about this.

A New Project

photo by Jill Lowery

For those who've been praying for the Mitendi Center and the court case, here is an update. In last week's post, I mentioned a need for prayer for Thursday's court date. The opposition requested, and was granted, a continuance, so everything has been pushed to next Thursday - Thanksgiving Day. That is not a Congolese holiday so that date was not significant to them, but my American friend who directs this ministry now has to spend her holiday sitting in a courtroom. Please continue praying for the center and for a right and just decision by the courts. And also pray for Jill, that in all this God will strengthen her, give her wisdom, and grant her a thankful heart, encouragement, and contentment in all situations.

We have been working on a new project with the girls at Bandal. These girls are graduates of the Mitendi Center and are in sort of an internship or apprenticeship phase, continuing to build their repertoire of sewing skills and improve them while earning money to support themselves. The new project is a request for several small, lined, zippered bags.

Many of them already have experience making zippered bags but we wanted everyone to use the same technique, follow the same pattern and sequence of steps, and practice precision. So we held a couple of workshops this week and last week, showing them how to do everything from tracing the pattern and cutting to doing the zippers and corners. They did the work, we just walked them through it. Then we supervised while they made more to be sure they "got it" and to help with any problems. 

In the states, our culture equates professionalism with quality workmanship and a high work ethic. It is not quite the same here. In addition to honing their skills, the interns are also being taught the value of correcting their mistakes, that customers will pay more for quality products and take their business elsewhere if workmanship is poor, and that ultimately their success is up to them. It is sometimes a not-so-fun part of their training, but it is for their own good.




Daniel usually does school work when I am at the Center, but he tagged along this week so we put him to work, which the girls found amusing.








I have spent enough time with these young women now that they feel comfortable making jokes and sharing laughs with me. Jill and I had spent a day going through all the steps and figuring out the best way to teach them to make these bags. We even made tiny prototypes so that we could show them how the zipper and corners ought to be done and how it should look. They thought our little bags were funny and jokingly told us we earned a "zero" grade on our work, but in the end it really helped them to have a visual example to study.

Save the Date!

I have a lot of things I want to "write down" and share from the last week or so, but today I really want to focus on the Mitendi Center and it's needs because tomorrow (Thursday) is our court date and I want to urge everyone who reads this to set aside time today and tomorrow to pray. On paper this court date is about property and land, but in reality it is about lives, and its outcome will affect many.

If you don't know about Mitendi Center, I first started blogging about it in my post, Finding Hope in Mitendi. The land that the center is on is owned by the Congolese Baptist Community but for several years now others have been squatting on the land, even building on it, in attempts to steal it out from under the ministry. Funds have been raised to build a protective wall around the property and it is mostly completed. Portions of it have been knocked down and other issues have prevented its completion. 

The Mitendi ministry reaches out to marginalized and at-risk girls with the gospel and practical help to enable them to live a better life, free of bondage. It also has a school that makes it possible for some of the poorest of the poor to get a basic education and to come to know Christ. The Mitendi Center is making a difference in Congo, one girl, one student, and one generation at a time. 

Please take time today, even if you read this after the court date has come and gone, to pray for this ministry and for those who serve here. The last court date was postponed, and that could always happen again, but even if it doesn't, the battle is really a spiritual one, not physical, and the enemy will continue in some fashion to try to thwart the work God is doing here. 

A Gift For Mama Jackie

When we look above the concrete walls that surround our home, we can often enjoy beautiful sunrises like the one above. 

One of the most beautiful people I know is Mama Jackie, whom I met through her work with the Mitendi Center. When we came back to Congo in June, it was some time before I got to reconnect with Mama Jackie because she had been ill. When I finally got to see her a couple weeks ago, I enjoyed being able to present her with a gift from a friend in the states who follows my blog and wanted to bless Mama Jackie. I am not sure if you can see it, but the designs on the fabric are hand-cranked sewing machines very similar to the ones the girls learn on at the Mitendi Center. 

One of the things I like about Mama Jackie is that she sees beauty and potential in each girl in the Mitendi Center and truly loves them. She invests herself in them. I am really grateful to know her and to get to be a tiny part of the ministry.

It's easy to only look at the walls, instead of the flowers within or the sunrises without. It's easy to only look at the messes we get ourselves in instead of the beauty and potential we each have as a creation of God. My new post on the MAF Blog, Beautiful Potential, talks about how none of us is finished yet. What we see now in a person is not the end result but a snapshot of one phase in their journey.

Opportunities

Yesterday we had a team meeting, and during the discussion our director read from Luke 3:12-14. In the passage, government officials inquired of John the Baptist what they ought to do. 

His reply to the tax collectors was: "Don't collect any more than you are required to."

To the soldiers: "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely --be content with your pay." 

We either witness or experience first-hand all of these scenarios on a regular basis here, both as individuals and as an organization. Congo is a place where if someone doesn't like you or doesn't want your business competing with theirs, they simply pay someone to "take care of it." Police and soldiers are often not paid, or paid inadequately. Falsely accusing others who have no choice but to submit to their authority is a tempting way to make up the shortfall. Inflated fees that enable civil authorities to line their pockets is not uncommon.

It is frustrating and naturally we sometimes get angry and struggle to respond in a way that honors God and protects our testimonies. It hinders our work, taking time and money that could be used in ministry. It makes life more difficult, adding to financial and emotional stress. And it makes us grieve for the people of Congo. Whatever burden it may be for us is magnified for them.

Obstacles like these are often opportunities. We are given the opportunity to do what is right, set an example and be witnesses for Christ. We are given the opportunity to pray, often very specifically. And we are given the opportunity to surrender things to God because we know we can't fix them in our own power. Finally, we sometimes have the wonderful opportunity to see God work in ways that only He can! This country, like any other, cannot reform itself but it CAN be transformed by God. There are people here who want to do their jobs with integrity. God is using righteous men and women to teach and influence community leaders here and it is having an impact, one righteous act at a time, like with my friend Jill and her recent court victory (STORY HERE).

Please join me in praying Luke 3:12-14 for the Democratic Republic of Congo and those who have positions of authority here.

Tax collectors also came to be baptized.

 "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" 

"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.

Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"

He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely - be content with your pay."  

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Thank yous

I have a friend here who is about to leave for a vacation in the U.S. That means I have an opportunity to send mail back, so I have been busy writing letters. Serving as a missionary with MAF means we raise our own ministry support. We literally could not be here without the help of our partners who pray for us and give financially. A lot of the letters I write are thank you notes. 

When I was a kid and someone gave me a gift, my mom would make me write a thank you note and I would whine about it. It was a chore. Now when I look over at a stack of thank you letters that I have written, each one represents a relationship. Whether it be an individual, a business, a church or a family - all of them have invested in us not just financially but also in friendship. We are a team working together to advance God's kingdom. 

I took that photo of the church above a few years ago when we had the opportunity to visit the village of Nkara. This photo is one I took a couple weeks ago of the church in Kikongo village. They represent people in Congo who are part of the Body of Christ. 

There are more churches that have been planted and established here. There are also hospitals, seminaries, schools, ministries to lepers, and other evangelistic missions - even a Christian radio station! We are deeply grateful to be part of MAF and to be a tiny part of all that. 

I get really excited when I consider that one day, believers in Congo and believers who helped send all the Christian workers, including me, to Congo will meet one another in heaven and adore Christ together! 

I always used to think as a kid that we wrote thank you notes to show that we are grateful. As I grew up I learned that expressing thanks actually makes you more grateful. In fact I am not certain that sending a thank you isn't equally as beneficial for the sender as it is for the recipient, if not more so.

Writing thank you notes is a privilege! Each one is a reminder of God's power and provision, of a common vision He has given to us to see others come to know Him, and the incredible gift of a relationship rooted in the love of Christ. 

How cool beans is that?!?

Thank you for reading my blog, for praying, for giving and sending! 

Imagine Kikongo

Last weekend we went to the village of Kikongo with another MAF family, the Pedersons. Yes, it was very "cool beans!"

Rita Chapman

Kikongo is about 100 miles southeast of Kinshasa, but 100 miles in Congo is not like 100 miles in the states. You cannot simply drive to Kikongo. There are no passable roads. The mission station is staffed full-time by missionaries Glen and Rita Chapman. They have a three year program for training national pastors AND their wives for ministering to their villages, a hospital, a nursing school, elementary and secondary schools, and probably more that I can't remember. 

We toured the mission station and learned about the ministries, which rely on MAF to function there. 

Imagine if this is where you or your wife or sister had to go to deliver a baby, and you felt privileged to have this option. We met two women who had delivered their babies recently by cesarean section!

Imagine if this was the pharmacy and supply cupboard. You can see that there is not a lot there, but all this nurse asked for was some better baby aspirators for removing amniotic fluid from the babies' nasal passages. They only have one and it does not work well.

Imagine if this was your house...

...and this was how you and all your neighbors got water.

Imagine if these were your neighborhood strip mall, grocery store, etc...

...and this was where your kids went to school...

...and this was the neighborhood playground equipment...

...and you were grateful. 

We saw lots of cool things! Kikongo is situated by the Wamba River, so we spent some time at the river and even crossed it and went on a hike to some small waterfalls. We saw cool flowers and animals. The Chapmans had baby crocodiles, mongoose, and duikers that were orphans and they were raising until they were ready to be released to make it on their own. We learned about local food options and tried a few. 

Glen had a wooden "skim board" and showed us how to use it. Yes, I tried it. NO, you don't get to see a photo. You can see a photo of me by the falls, where I am standing up nice and straight and graceful looking.

We tried smoked corn on the cob, but we passed on the smoked viper. We did buy some smoked fish and mantete (squash seeds). 

This is the mantete after it is prepared with the smoked fish. We ate it served over mashed potatoes.  We also tried mantete rolls - which looked a little like sausage and had a bit of hot pili pepper in them. I liked the mantete prepared both ways but not everyone did.

One of the coolest things we saw is Glen's powered parachute thingymabob. He uses it to take vaccines and medications to other villages. This is an important time saver over tromping through the forest, especially since vaccines are temperature sensitive and the climate is so hot here. He also uses it to take all the equipment to show the Jesus film in other villages and do evangelism. We did not get to take a ride because it is in need of some minor repair, but we did get to see Glen take it for a test run.

Before putting the chute away, it must be inspected for grasshoppers because if they get in, they chew holes in the chute.

Glen asked David to take a look at the engine. No matter what the type of aviation device is, an aircraft mechanic is always interested.

Our time in Kikongo was an interesting mix of leisure and ministry. We loved getting to know the Chapmans a little better, spending time with the Pedersons and relaxing a bit. We also know more about some of the people and ministries that we serve as part of the MAF team here in west DRC. It really changes your perspective and renews your vision when you see all this in person and also gives you a much deeper insight as to how to pray for the missionaries, the ministries, and the people. If we ever get to go again, you bet we will.