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.

Wait Til It's Painted!

Slow internet, plus no electricity, plus a very low battery equals:  a very short blog post! I took this photo while we were in Kenya. There were construction projects everywhere, each surrounded by these corrugated tin fences and I thought it was hilarious! I couldn't capture the entire thing from a moving taxi with my camera, but it says "It doesn't look like much now, but wait til it's painted!" 

That's how we feel about our new home. There is not one square corner. Emily's room is a full foot shorter on one end than the other. We are working on plumbing and wiring and window latches and light fixtures. Every single room was yellow, and most had water damage on the walls. 

But, I am very please to have my bedroom almost completely finished! We've painted, and hung curtains. I just need to scrub the door and scrape up my paint splatters. This room is bigger than our old one so I think I will try to find a pot and get a plant.

The color is supposed to be grey with a hint of blue, but over the yellow paint it dried kind of a green-grey but I like it. 

I love my crooked house!

I'm getting the yellow warning that my battery is about to die. Yikes, I still have so much to talk about!  It will have to wait. I did write an article for the MAF blog that will be posted next week so I'll let y'all know when that's up. 

Our Sentinels

Jacques with our boys

As a security measure, we have two sentinels who alternate 24 hour shifts. Jacques and Leopold have been with us since we arrived here two years ago and I affectionately refer to them as "my guys." In addition to keeping watch over the house, sentinels also answer the gate, run errands to purchase items or pay bills for us, do the yard work, help David work on the house and car, do cleaning, etc. They are a lot of help to me and I sure don't take them for granted. In this culture, the job of sentinel is a low paying, low status job because it does not require an education or special skills. Unfortunately, many people treat their sentinels badly. In our culture, if your boss screamed in your face or berated you in front of others, you would not stand for it. You’d go over his/her head and demand justice, or you would find another job. Here, jobs are scarce and there are few options. MAF families and other missionary families tend to pay above the average for our sentinels, and we have a reputation for being desirable employers. 

Jaques and Josh in front of the old house

Jacques is originally from the village of Semendua. I asked him once how far Semendua is from Kinshasa and he said not long at all by MAF plane but several days by boat. He is married and has five children ranging from 18 years of age to 1 ½ years. His youngest was born several months after our arrival and is named David, after my husband. Depending on the village you hail from, naming your child after someone can signify one of two things: either you are supposed to give a gift to that person and ask them to pray a blessing over your baby, or you expect that person to be a type of “godparent,” a life long benefactor for your child. It is also common practice to name a baby after someone or something significant in your life at the time of your baby’s birth. 

Leopold with two of his sons, Eric and Christian.

Leopold is from Kinshasa. He is also married and has five children, all of them boys. The youngest was born about six weeks after we first arrived here, and is also named David. Leopold is a unique sentinel because he has a trade. He is a mason and does concrete work, lays tiles, etc. Leopold took a sentinel job because he was not finding enough work as a mason to support his family and still does mason work on the side, including some jobs for MAF. He made the foundation for our water reservoir, repaired the wall for one family when a tree fell on it, and built our IT building.  

This week, Leopold’s wife fell from a porch and broke both bones in her forearm. Leopold took her to a hospital and was told that the doctors would not examine her until he paid $150 cash up front. To put that in perspective, many people don’t earn that much in a month or even two months, a pound of ground beef here costs over $5, and the average family here does not have a checking or savings account because they live payday to payday. Leopold moved her to another hospital that only demanded $70 and then came to us for help. He came by again the next night and showed us the x-rays. The doctors had only just seen them, because the power was out the day before at the hospital. So it was over 24 hours before x-rays were even available for her, and 48 hours before she finally had her arm set and in a cast. All Leopold could do during that waiting period was pay for an IV drip with pain medication. She is home and doing better now, but please keep Suzanne in your prayers as she recuperates and tries to work and care for her family. 

Unknown Variables

source: www.openclipart.org

People here joke about "the Congo factor" or the "Congo variable (an ever changing factor or set of factors)." When you have a project to complete in the states, you determine what supplies you need, the amount it should cost, the amount of time it ought to take to complete, and then you get to work. Adding in the Congo variable, means that you probably won't be able to find all the supplies you need, you are likely to discover after you've begun your project that there is more work to be done than previously thought and more supplies are needed, the parts you purchased are of a quality that renders them likely to break during or shortly after installation, and the entire project from start to finish is likely to take MUCH longer than originally estimated. We've done a fair share of dealing with Congo variables this week.

Variable 1: cheapo parts. A lot of new plumbing has been installed in the last couple of weeks. We also spent the better part of our first two days in our new home fixing leaks in the new plumbing and mopping floors. High quality parts and fixtures are impossible to come by here. We still have some leaks to deal with but not as many.

Variable 2: humid climate. Some walls in the house were damaged by water due to leaky plumbing but the climate here is also hard on things. A good deal of the paint was bubbled up and falling off the walls so we have been scraping, spackling, and sanding.

Variable 3: Just because it fits, doesn't mean it belongs there. As I lay in bed our first night in the new house, I heard numerous loud noises like something popping or snapping. Most of the noise was coming from directly over our bed, which did NOT help me relax and fall asleep. The next day we discovered the source. The landlord had replaced several light bulbs and added covers to the fixtures. The bulbs fit the sockets and the covers fit over the bulbs, but obviously they weren't meant to go together. The plastic fixtures were melting from the heat of the light bulbs, and making loud noises as they cooled after we turned off the lights. This is the one above our bed, and the light bulb has burned its
 way through the plastic.

This one from the hall is my favorite! That thing you see hanging down is not a spider web but melted plastic about to fall. Light fixtures are coming down ASAP.

Variable 4: Just because it's new, doesn't guarantee it will work. We finally got our new water pump installed. It did not work. The inside parts were messed up, so even though it is nice looking on the outside, the pump can't fulfill its purpose, and actually caused a good deal of wasted time and frustration. I guess people are the same way. What others see on the outside may look really attractive and "together" but sometimes we are a mess on the inside. Instead of fulfilling our purpose to minister to and love people, we become a negative variable in the lives of others. "People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Sam 16:7b)

We had a friend help us yesterday with a temporary fix, allowing us to borrow a pump from him so that we could get water into the house. Last night I enjoyed my first hot shower in a week, and it was superb! This past Wednesday marked our two year "Congoversary." Someone remarked that we've been here two years and lived in two houses. I like this house, but it's going to take a long time and a lot of work to get it in good shape, so that is a trend I really don't have a desire to continue, thank you very much!

One last little note. A friend recently sent me this link to Jon Bloom's blog post "Don't Give Up."  If you are dealing with lots of variables lately, I think you'll find it as encouraging as I did.

Life in a Construction Zone

I am writing this in our new home! Our friends who so graciously loaned us their home while we worked on ours returned yesterday, so we had to move our family. Since our house still needs a lot of work, we were given the option of moving to another temporary residence, but the entire family was tired of the moving and just wanted to be in our place, even if it meant living in a construction zone. So last night we spent our first night here. I thought I would post some "before" photos, and then later once we've made this place more homey, some "after" photos.

This is the back porch, off the kitchen and dining area.

Living room. As you can see, I have lots of curtains to sew. The awnings are nice because they help keep out some of the heat from the sun.

Dining area. We can't eat in it yet, but that's ok because I can't find my forks anyway.

This house has a lot of bathrooms. Nearly every fixture has to be repaired or replaced. This one is waiting for a new shower but the sink and toilet are finished.

Kitchen. I am very happy to be able to reach my cabinets! The guys hung them the way all cabinets should be hung, with the height of the person who will actually be using them in mind. It's so cool beans! No more dragging a stool all over the kitchen. Well, okay, I need a stool for the top shelves. To give you some perspective, David is taller than our refrigerator.
Our priorities are so obvious in this photo. I can't find pots and pans or silverware, but I know exactly where the Cokes and the coffee maker are. Now to get an outlet for that coffee maker.....

One of the kids' rooms. Both of their rooms are just waiting for paint and curtains.

Master bedroom. Also waiting for paint. All that wire is going to become our back up light source for when the power is out: solar panels will charge a battery pack and the batteries will provide power for the lights. The batteries are already running our internet antenna!

This will eventually be the office/sewing room/storage room. We no longer have a garage to store stuff or work in so for now it is where the guys are keeping their tools and supplies they need to fix the house.

This may not look like much, but it's beautiful to me! This is a new concrete foundation that will hold our water tower and reservoirs!

We have a lot that we are thankful for. We are in our own place, sleeping in our own beds. We had power and water last night. Good friends came yesterday and helped us clean our friend's home for her and another friend helped David get some work done on the new home.

There have been a lot of unforeseen obstacles causing our progress on the house to go slower than we anticipated. When I looked around yesterday at the broken, ruined things that need to be redone, I was reminded of Isaiah 58:11-12: "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." A lot of things are being rebuilt and restored in our home to make it not only functional, but a sanctuary and a source of blessing for our family and friends. I think it's a perfect picture of what God does in our hearts.

Moving Day: Take Two!

Coffeemaker (Photo credit: Daniel Panev)

Cool Beans! We have moved out of our old home. But! - We are not yet into our new home. We are sort of in limbo, staying in a friend's home, until the new one is repaired enough for us to move in. So for a short time, home is not where our furniture and other stuff is, but where our coffee pot is. We have to be out of this temporary home by Friday so I really, really, really hope we can go straight into the new home and not into another temporary one. It would be nice to be able to put things away, rotate our three day's worth of clothing out for something  different, have access to all of the school books, stay in one place, etc.

Matthew Lind securing our water tower.

One reason we can't settle in yet is because in Congo, home is where the water is. We do not yet have a fully functioning bathroom or a way to store reserve water for times when the city water is off.

Almost everyone has "moving day" photos, but in all the times I've moved, I have never moved a steel water tower like this one, along with two big water reservoirs. Once the tower, tanks, and water pump are installed at the new house, we will have a much better water situation. Right now we have to get a concrete footing made to hold that tower.

photo credit: Jocelyn Frey

Another unusual item we moved this time: the chicken. The cats are with us, but the chicken and the parrot are both already there and being taken care of by our guards for us. We transported her in a little box to keep her calm and our friend Jocelyn snapped a photo of her leaping out of the box at her new home. Yep, that's our new gate back there. And it's my favorite color! That's Emmanuel in the photo. He and several other members of our team helped us move all our stuff before the big deadline. We are so grateful for the friends God has given us here! Because of their help, everything was out of the old house within a few hours, using just vans and a pickup truck.

Do I miss the old house? Nope. It had some nice features but I brought all the best stuff with me: my family, the things that made our house feel like home, my pets and flowers, and my coffeemaker.

No Place Like Home

Ruby Slippers (Photo credit: ZakVTA)

I just sat down to lunch, yeah, at 3:15pm. We've already had quite a day. My sandals gave me a nasty blister on my toe, which kept getting worse, so after Daniel finished school we headed for the house (we are staying at a friend's house down the road for a few days while we pack and move.). We were supposed do actually DRIVE to the house so that after packing for a few hours, I could return here to cook supper, bringing back my dirty laundry and the items we will need between now and when we move into our new home. My car decided it does not like this moving thing and it is not going to run anymore. So, blister and all, we walked to the house, discovered I had forgotten the key, walked back, returned with the key, and proceeded to pack until I ran out of boxes and realized I had forgotten to eat lunch and maybe that was why I felt so tired. Um, there's a lot of stuff still.

On the way back to my friend's house, the first time, I spotted the reason why I am packing in the dark in 94 degree weather with no fans or a/c. This is my power line. It's hard to see the details because I took this with my cheapo phone but that is a broken bottom of an office chair wedged between the wires to keep them from touching each other. The blue and white you see are plastic grocery bags that have been tied around the cable to "repair it." Throw in a few tree roots and you have my power line.

Here's another section of my power line, just a few meters from where I snapped the first photo.





I will miss my neighborhood and being close enough to walk to see most of friends. I will not miss my power line.



Saturday the vet came and spayed our 7 month old kitten. He was supposed to come to check on her the following Monday but never showed. By Tuesday morning she still had not eaten and was lethargic. Her breathing was rapid and noisy. I called the vet and told him I was anxious about her and he said he would come. He said "today" but he showed up on Wednesday. By that time, she had improved a little on her own but still sounded raspy. He gave her antibiotics and went on his merry way. Today she is much better. Lunch break is ending so here's one more photo. Next post will be from the new house!

This is how we keep our cat from licking her incision. I cut the ends off a clean tube sock. She is obviously humiliated at having to wear David's half-sock.  That's why she won't show her face for the camera.

Quitch Yer Caterwaulin!

Lily and Elliot

Lily, our seven month old kitten, is in heat for the first time. She was supposed to have been spayed in August but somehow I kept forgetting to call the vet. She's roaming the house, completely obsessed. Now I know where the term "caterwauling" comes from! Oh my! She is a very petite cat and it is hard to believe the amount of noise she is capable of making. The last two days we've had her crying in the house, at least two males crying on the porch, and the parrot doing a fair imitation of all of them. A regular cat symphony. Thankfully, the vet is coming today for another front porch surgery (see The Vet for explanation).

As I laid in bed at 4:30am listening to the cacophony, in my stupor I began to think about cats, and God, and people. I thought about all the times I have whined to God, cried out to Him or acted self-centered and obsessed. I thought about all the times someone else around me has acted self-centered, or whined, and given me a clear picture of what I must look like when I behave that way. Oy!

When the neighborhood cats are doing their caterwauling on your porch while you are trying to sleep, after a while you lose patience and frustration grows. You want to throw a bucket of water on them or something to make them quiet down.

I'm glad God never says the kind of things to me that I have said to/about my cat (and admittedly, my kids):

"Can you believe it? She's little but boy can she make a ton of noise!"
"Can't you see I'm trying to rest here? Tone it down a little!"
"Aaaaaagh! Stop the whining!"
"Where's my water gun?"
and one I heard when I was a child, possibly from my grandmother: "Quitch yer caterwaulin!"

It's a house!

Hooray! With ten days left on our current lease, we finally have a house! It needs some work/repairs and a good scrubbing, but with some TLC we will soon have it feeling like "home."

The focus now is on getting the house ready for us to move into it, and we are grateful for Matthew Lind to help with that since time is short and David is working at the hangar during the day.

For now excitement is taking a back seat to other emotions: relief at finally having a place to go and whatever the opposite of enthusiasm is (anti-enthusiasm?) at packing, moving, all the cleaning, working and unpacking. We are also feeling gratitude for those who spent time helping us find the house, for those who prayed for our search, and for the help we have to get the house ready.

More photos and info later!