All my bags are packed and waiting by the door. We are leaving in about 45 minutes. Hopefully our taxi comes on time. However, this is the Congo... so...
I don’t know what else to say. I thought I’d have this nice and insightful last blog in Africa. But as I sit here, I don’t know where to begin. I’m a little speechless. (Ya, I know Dad, shock... laugh it up old man. I’ll be seeing you in a few days and continue to bless your life with my presence. Haha ) These last six weeks have been some of the most impactful I’ve ever experienced. I’m still processing things from the first week of being here, and now we’re leaving? Last night was incredible. All our friends came for dinner and shared with us how blessed they were to have us here. We shared mutual feelings of being blessed by having met them. It was a bit of an emotional evening. We stayed up late and cleaned our house, packed, and shared some fanta and split our last granola bars on our last evening together. Jared asked us to share what it is that impacted us the most in our time here. What a question! I need to take some time on our flights home to just think about it all. This is all very surreal...
From all of us here on team Congo, thank you for praying for us these past weeks. We have stayed healthy, strong and focused. We have felt your support. I will continue to update the blog when I return to Gretna for a few days. I’ll post pictures and perhaps another blog or two.
See you all soon!
Team Congo
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Final Countdown
Well folks, we are almost done here in Africa. Our last week here is quickly coming to a close. The past few days have been really busy. We spent a lot of time at Bon Berger, a hospital in Campluka. Bon Berger has been a long time friend of MBMSI and being there was an incredible opportunity. The one thing you can always count on in Campluka is the sea of children that come out to see the Mundelli. (aka.. the white people) It’s impossible to even play a simple game of catch without it turning into some form of wrestling match.
Last night we celebrated the birthday of Jean Baptiste at his house with his wife and kids. We have all grown to love this man. Personally, it will be the hardest part of saying goodbye to Kinshasa. He has been so encouraging and inspiring. I think of him as father Africa. He’s in the top five most incredible people I’ve ever met. His wife made our entire team matching clothes! Watch out Gretna debrief! The girls got dresses and us guys got shirts. Well actually, Jared got a purple shirt that looks like a girl’s nighty. Haha. We learned how to make mecate last night. They are like the Congolese form of donuts. I schooled Brittany. They are supposed to be in the shape of a ball. Brittany’s looked like an octopus that had been deep fried. This past week we have eaten a lot of Congolese food. The night before, we had a Congolese cook off competition at our translator’s house. We split into teams and tried to out cook the others. I had the opportunity to pound leaves in one of those big wooden bowls with a big wooden stick. They did something like it on the Amazing race a few seasons back. Needless to say, I was in my glory. We also got to cut fish heads. I actually loved it and had a hard time parting with the knife. I actually kissed a fish head. Is that gross? Yes, it is. Brittany took over and loved it just as much. She also made fufu all by herself. The only bad part about this much Congolese food, is the reaction of the tummy. Five of the six of us currently have really bad.... you know.... and I won’t mention who they are.
Today was spent doing last minute prep for travelling and preparing for our end of Kinshasa Extravaganza! Tomorrow night we are inviting all of our friends over for a feast. We have invited local friends, ministry partners and any people we have built relationship with over the past month. We are preparing a menu of Congolese and Canadian food for 50 people! Speaking of which, the goat we are about to slaughter is being transported to our house as I type this. We have decided to prepare goat for tomorrow night. We have to go buy it, and take it in the taxi with us back to our home so it can be killed in our backyard. I’ve never witnessed the death of an animal this size. We apparently hang it from a tree and slit its throat. Wonderful. We have named the goat llyodasoraus after our fearless leader back in Gretna. The named was inspired by Jamie Niven. Along with my role as team reporter (hence these lovely blogs) I also have the responsibility of team videographer. I will be filming the slaughter, if I can make it through.
Random points of interest: D R C soccer uniforms were purchased this afternoon. Us boys had a photo shoot in our backyard. Kelly almost got stuck in a taxi. Alyssa’s leg has swollen from infection from her now 200 bites. Brittany continues to eat endless amounts of bread. Jeff is slitting the goat’s throat. Jared was almost mugged downtown today. I’m on diarrhea medication. We have water and electricity today. I’ve made the switch to the dark side of coke. Brittany now stands solo on team Fanta. Alyssa promised to write a song to one of her potential husbands due for today. She hasn’t started yet. Jared screams profanities before bed, and has still only showered once. Jeff continues to be attacked by bed bugs. I sleep soundly 6 inches beside him with not one bite to date. We boys now wear capris. Jeff was almost kissed by a Congolese woman, well, more like a crowd of woman. Key word Tasha, ALMOST. I was called Jacki Chan in the market because apparently I resemble him? Alyssa remains addicted to the soft serve that Jared has coined the cones of death. Kelly continues to think she has authority over us when we arrive back in Gretna. She is sadly mistaken...
We are doing great here. We are mixed with emotion as we prepare to leave. We are excited to see family and friends, but we are sad to leave the friends we have made here. The six of us have lived together for the last 6 weeks and do everything together. It will be hard to say goodbye to everyone.
Pray for safety as we begin our travel back to North America. We have two more days here before we head out.
Peace,
Team Congo
Last night we celebrated the birthday of Jean Baptiste at his house with his wife and kids. We have all grown to love this man. Personally, it will be the hardest part of saying goodbye to Kinshasa. He has been so encouraging and inspiring. I think of him as father Africa. He’s in the top five most incredible people I’ve ever met. His wife made our entire team matching clothes! Watch out Gretna debrief! The girls got dresses and us guys got shirts. Well actually, Jared got a purple shirt that looks like a girl’s nighty. Haha. We learned how to make mecate last night. They are like the Congolese form of donuts. I schooled Brittany. They are supposed to be in the shape of a ball. Brittany’s looked like an octopus that had been deep fried. This past week we have eaten a lot of Congolese food. The night before, we had a Congolese cook off competition at our translator’s house. We split into teams and tried to out cook the others. I had the opportunity to pound leaves in one of those big wooden bowls with a big wooden stick. They did something like it on the Amazing race a few seasons back. Needless to say, I was in my glory. We also got to cut fish heads. I actually loved it and had a hard time parting with the knife. I actually kissed a fish head. Is that gross? Yes, it is. Brittany took over and loved it just as much. She also made fufu all by herself. The only bad part about this much Congolese food, is the reaction of the tummy. Five of the six of us currently have really bad.... you know.... and I won’t mention who they are.
Today was spent doing last minute prep for travelling and preparing for our end of Kinshasa Extravaganza! Tomorrow night we are inviting all of our friends over for a feast. We have invited local friends, ministry partners and any people we have built relationship with over the past month. We are preparing a menu of Congolese and Canadian food for 50 people! Speaking of which, the goat we are about to slaughter is being transported to our house as I type this. We have decided to prepare goat for tomorrow night. We have to go buy it, and take it in the taxi with us back to our home so it can be killed in our backyard. I’ve never witnessed the death of an animal this size. We apparently hang it from a tree and slit its throat. Wonderful. We have named the goat llyodasoraus after our fearless leader back in Gretna. The named was inspired by Jamie Niven. Along with my role as team reporter (hence these lovely blogs) I also have the responsibility of team videographer. I will be filming the slaughter, if I can make it through.
Random points of interest: D R C soccer uniforms were purchased this afternoon. Us boys had a photo shoot in our backyard. Kelly almost got stuck in a taxi. Alyssa’s leg has swollen from infection from her now 200 bites. Brittany continues to eat endless amounts of bread. Jeff is slitting the goat’s throat. Jared was almost mugged downtown today. I’m on diarrhea medication. We have water and electricity today. I’ve made the switch to the dark side of coke. Brittany now stands solo on team Fanta. Alyssa promised to write a song to one of her potential husbands due for today. She hasn’t started yet. Jared screams profanities before bed, and has still only showered once. Jeff continues to be attacked by bed bugs. I sleep soundly 6 inches beside him with not one bite to date. We boys now wear capris. Jeff was almost kissed by a Congolese woman, well, more like a crowd of woman. Key word Tasha, ALMOST. I was called Jacki Chan in the market because apparently I resemble him? Alyssa remains addicted to the soft serve that Jared has coined the cones of death. Kelly continues to think she has authority over us when we arrive back in Gretna. She is sadly mistaken...
We are doing great here. We are mixed with emotion as we prepare to leave. We are excited to see family and friends, but we are sad to leave the friends we have made here. The six of us have lived together for the last 6 weeks and do everything together. It will be hard to say goodbye to everyone.
Pray for safety as we begin our travel back to North America. We have two more days here before we head out.
Peace,
Team Congo
Monday, August 2, 2010
Just Another Day in Kinshasa
Tourism day was a success! Not only did we buy some sweet Congolese merchandise, we also had ICE CREAM! Real, just like home, Ice cream! We were in heaven. We went out for dinner for the first time too. It was a nice break from the everyday Congo life.
We doubled teamed church on Sunday. We went from one church, straight to the next. These services are long, so it seemed we were in eternal church. In the past two days we’ve all had the chance to speak in church. In fact, combined we have spoken 12 times in the past two days. We’ve been in charge of putting the services together. It’s been a great opportunity, one I’ve been looking forward to in coming here. I’ve preached 3 times in the past two days! Brittany and Jeff have also shared at every service these past two days. Tomorrow we go back to work at our orphanage so it’ll be a nice change. We are saying goodbye tomorrow to our kids. It’s our last day with them.
Tonight was great. We took off for the other side of the city to meet with a large church. It was hilarious because when we got there, they asked who was speaking. Our host pointed to me, and they came over and put a big badge on me that said pastor, and made me sit at the front alone. Haha. I was laughing out loud as they pinned it on me. There was a real band with mics, a keyboard, drums and a guitar! I’ve never had more fun in church. We danced our hearts out. I worked up a sweat. I’m pretty sure Jeff lost all control because I’ve never seen him dance like that. I was entertained just watching him. He just tears up every Congolese church we go to. We had a chance to sing as well. After the service they served us coke and peanuts as they asked us questions about Canada. The power suddenly went out and the pastor came running in saying our car was here and we needed to leave immediately. It was just so random. Poor Kelly is just grabbing her guitar and trying to push her way through the crowd. The guitar is bigger than her. Haha
Prayer requests? We would love consistent water and electricity. It’s something we are used to by now, but it’s getting a little worse. Also, bed bugs. We think? Almost all of us are covered in bites. These are just little things though. Totally not complaints. Just if you’re praying for us, you mine as well throw them in there. We are now entering our last week here. We are preparing our last week, and I think it becomes difficult to stay focused and not get distracted as our time comes to a close. We are all looking forward to familiar foods, hot water, real showers, toilets, clean clothes, family, etc. We all want to be as intentional as we can be while we are here. Pray that we would stay focused.
Again, no need to worry about us! We are doing great!
Love,
Team Congo
P.S The reason we aren’t posting pictures is because it takes up too much internet. We have an internet stick with a set number of megabits. We will post when we get back to Canada! I’m sure they’ll be all over facebook too. Ha
We doubled teamed church on Sunday. We went from one church, straight to the next. These services are long, so it seemed we were in eternal church. In the past two days we’ve all had the chance to speak in church. In fact, combined we have spoken 12 times in the past two days. We’ve been in charge of putting the services together. It’s been a great opportunity, one I’ve been looking forward to in coming here. I’ve preached 3 times in the past two days! Brittany and Jeff have also shared at every service these past two days. Tomorrow we go back to work at our orphanage so it’ll be a nice change. We are saying goodbye tomorrow to our kids. It’s our last day with them.
Tonight was great. We took off for the other side of the city to meet with a large church. It was hilarious because when we got there, they asked who was speaking. Our host pointed to me, and they came over and put a big badge on me that said pastor, and made me sit at the front alone. Haha. I was laughing out loud as they pinned it on me. There was a real band with mics, a keyboard, drums and a guitar! I’ve never had more fun in church. We danced our hearts out. I worked up a sweat. I’m pretty sure Jeff lost all control because I’ve never seen him dance like that. I was entertained just watching him. He just tears up every Congolese church we go to. We had a chance to sing as well. After the service they served us coke and peanuts as they asked us questions about Canada. The power suddenly went out and the pastor came running in saying our car was here and we needed to leave immediately. It was just so random. Poor Kelly is just grabbing her guitar and trying to push her way through the crowd. The guitar is bigger than her. Haha
Prayer requests? We would love consistent water and electricity. It’s something we are used to by now, but it’s getting a little worse. Also, bed bugs. We think? Almost all of us are covered in bites. These are just little things though. Totally not complaints. Just if you’re praying for us, you mine as well throw them in there. We are now entering our last week here. We are preparing our last week, and I think it becomes difficult to stay focused and not get distracted as our time comes to a close. We are all looking forward to familiar foods, hot water, real showers, toilets, clean clothes, family, etc. We all want to be as intentional as we can be while we are here. Pray that we would stay focused.
Again, no need to worry about us! We are doing great!
Love,
Team Congo
P.S The reason we aren’t posting pictures is because it takes up too much internet. We have an internet stick with a set number of megabits. We will post when we get back to Canada! I’m sure they’ll be all over facebook too. Ha
Friday, July 30, 2010
We Would Like Water Please?
It’s late and I should probably be in bed, but I’m very happy right now (for reasons I’ll explain if you keep reading) so I will blog. But first, let’s talk about some of the things we’ve been up to the past few days.
Last night we had the opportunity to hang out with one of the youth groups in Kintambo. We hung out, led a bible study and talked with the group after. It was awesome. Most of the time was spent with them asking us questions about Canada and what church is like in our country. It’s interesting because as I was answering, I felt like the churches of Kinshasa are more...fun. There’s just no sense of time or schedule. People dance and sing and move! Their worship is loud and vibrant. Slow and reflective songs do not exist here. It’s like one giant party all the time. I love it. Having said that, I also enjoy (and miss) many aspects of worship / church from home. Both are good, just different. As a group, we loved the communication with the people. The language most spoken here is French or lingala, and none of us are experts at French by any means. It was nice to talk with our new friends through our translators.
Today was awesome! We had the opportunity to be on television at Sango Malamu. We spent some time on television sharing why we are in Kinshasa and answering some of the questions the host had for us. It was like a Congolese talk show. I felt like the Ryan Seacrest of Africa... ya, I said that. And ya, I’ll have his job one day. What....! It was a fun experience for us, but also an incredible opportunity to reach out to the people here. We had a twenty minute break before heading onto the radio once again. We were each asked to share about our favourite experience here so far serving in the Congo. The highlight you ask? Alyssa starting her sentence with... “I like jeff...... (insert long pause.... insert another long but awkward pause because Alyssa just realized what she said on live radio). Of course I burst out laughing. She confessed her love for Jeff in front of 3 million people. She meant to say, “I, like jeff, also have loved serving... bla bla bla”. It was hilarious. She was embarrassed, so I laughed harder. I think I even pointed. She recovered and continued, but definitely will not let her live that down. (Don’t worry Tasha, she was only kidding. I got your back if she tries to move in on your man. I know where she sleeps. I think I’m taking this joke too far. Classic me right? P.s Jeff loves you!)
In other news, we’ve had no water for almost 4 days now. How precious. My hygiene level has never been lower. I feel like Bigfoot. All I eat is bread, I smell like peanuts, my feet look like a hobits, and I’m covered in dirt. Now before you all judge me, let me take this time to throw some of my other team mates ‘under the bus’. Everyone smells. I think Jared has STILL only showered once here. Who thinks I’m joking? Jeff has worn the same pair of pants everyday but one. I also sleep next to him under the same bug net. I smell every movement. Ya, I said that. Speaking of which, we seem to be in the habit of night fighting lately. He punched me in the face last night. And for those of you who think girls don’t stink, you’re wrong. Kelly hasn’t bathed in days. Her hair isn’t long enough to put in a pony tail, but guess what? Today it did! Why? Because the grease acts as a solidifying glue. Wonderful. Poor Alyssa’s legs are so soiled, she attracts all kinds of species to feast on her filth. She has over 115 bits from her knees down. I feel like Brittany is the cleanest, however, don’t think I didn’t listen in on your haircut this morning Miss Kansas. Alyssa found something nested in your hair. It sounded big and gross. Don’t worry though! It’s not lice! Haha! AHH!!! We need water! You don’t realize how much you need water, especially here. Washing dishes, washing feet, cooking, cleaning, flushing poo, etc.
Tonight was a low. We all just felt dirty. Kelly had this sense that she needed to stay up until the water turned back on. Being the loving and caring friend I am, I decided to stay up with her. We weren’t 30 minutes into our all nighter when all of a sudden we heard some water drops from the bathroom. Our tub faucet started trickling water. The water was back on! Now, don’t get too excited. When I say it’s back on, I mean it’s dripping slower than it takes the girls to get ready in the morning. O SNAP! Who’s kidding who though, I’ve been up last the last few mornings. Ah well. Anyways, we started filling buckets and transferring them to our water bucket in the kitchen. It was beautiful. I’m so happy!
Now that you know why I’m happy, I’m going to bed. Tomorrow we are on a tourism day. We’ll travel to a few markets and then head downtown. Should be fun!
Next week we are spending some time at Bon Berger, a hospital in a very poor area of Kinshasa. Pray for continued health, safety and energy. Our host told us we are one of the strongest teams he has ever hosted. He said we are the only team to not get sick while we’re here. He himself currently has malaria. SO pray for him please!
All is well on team Congo!
Last night we had the opportunity to hang out with one of the youth groups in Kintambo. We hung out, led a bible study and talked with the group after. It was awesome. Most of the time was spent with them asking us questions about Canada and what church is like in our country. It’s interesting because as I was answering, I felt like the churches of Kinshasa are more...fun. There’s just no sense of time or schedule. People dance and sing and move! Their worship is loud and vibrant. Slow and reflective songs do not exist here. It’s like one giant party all the time. I love it. Having said that, I also enjoy (and miss) many aspects of worship / church from home. Both are good, just different. As a group, we loved the communication with the people. The language most spoken here is French or lingala, and none of us are experts at French by any means. It was nice to talk with our new friends through our translators.
Today was awesome! We had the opportunity to be on television at Sango Malamu. We spent some time on television sharing why we are in Kinshasa and answering some of the questions the host had for us. It was like a Congolese talk show. I felt like the Ryan Seacrest of Africa... ya, I said that. And ya, I’ll have his job one day. What....! It was a fun experience for us, but also an incredible opportunity to reach out to the people here. We had a twenty minute break before heading onto the radio once again. We were each asked to share about our favourite experience here so far serving in the Congo. The highlight you ask? Alyssa starting her sentence with... “I like jeff...... (insert long pause.... insert another long but awkward pause because Alyssa just realized what she said on live radio). Of course I burst out laughing. She confessed her love for Jeff in front of 3 million people. She meant to say, “I, like jeff, also have loved serving... bla bla bla”. It was hilarious. She was embarrassed, so I laughed harder. I think I even pointed. She recovered and continued, but definitely will not let her live that down. (Don’t worry Tasha, she was only kidding. I got your back if she tries to move in on your man. I know where she sleeps. I think I’m taking this joke too far. Classic me right? P.s Jeff loves you!)
In other news, we’ve had no water for almost 4 days now. How precious. My hygiene level has never been lower. I feel like Bigfoot. All I eat is bread, I smell like peanuts, my feet look like a hobits, and I’m covered in dirt. Now before you all judge me, let me take this time to throw some of my other team mates ‘under the bus’. Everyone smells. I think Jared has STILL only showered once here. Who thinks I’m joking? Jeff has worn the same pair of pants everyday but one. I also sleep next to him under the same bug net. I smell every movement. Ya, I said that. Speaking of which, we seem to be in the habit of night fighting lately. He punched me in the face last night. And for those of you who think girls don’t stink, you’re wrong. Kelly hasn’t bathed in days. Her hair isn’t long enough to put in a pony tail, but guess what? Today it did! Why? Because the grease acts as a solidifying glue. Wonderful. Poor Alyssa’s legs are so soiled, she attracts all kinds of species to feast on her filth. She has over 115 bits from her knees down. I feel like Brittany is the cleanest, however, don’t think I didn’t listen in on your haircut this morning Miss Kansas. Alyssa found something nested in your hair. It sounded big and gross. Don’t worry though! It’s not lice! Haha! AHH!!! We need water! You don’t realize how much you need water, especially here. Washing dishes, washing feet, cooking, cleaning, flushing poo, etc.
Tonight was a low. We all just felt dirty. Kelly had this sense that she needed to stay up until the water turned back on. Being the loving and caring friend I am, I decided to stay up with her. We weren’t 30 minutes into our all nighter when all of a sudden we heard some water drops from the bathroom. Our tub faucet started trickling water. The water was back on! Now, don’t get too excited. When I say it’s back on, I mean it’s dripping slower than it takes the girls to get ready in the morning. O SNAP! Who’s kidding who though, I’ve been up last the last few mornings. Ah well. Anyways, we started filling buckets and transferring them to our water bucket in the kitchen. It was beautiful. I’m so happy!
Now that you know why I’m happy, I’m going to bed. Tomorrow we are on a tourism day. We’ll travel to a few markets and then head downtown. Should be fun!
Next week we are spending some time at Bon Berger, a hospital in a very poor area of Kinshasa. Pray for continued health, safety and energy. Our host told us we are one of the strongest teams he has ever hosted. He said we are the only team to not get sick while we’re here. He himself currently has malaria. SO pray for him please!
All is well on team Congo!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Mon Anniversaire Dans le Congo
Bonjour mes amis! Aujourd’hui c’est le anniversaire de moi! Today I turned 23 in the D.R Congo. What a day it was. Sigh. Want to know a random fact? In the past 7 years, I’ve only spent one birthday at home. But enough about my birthday, we can talk about that later. Let me update you all on what we’ve been up to the past few days.
We have been partnering with a ministry called leve toi. It’s a school for disabled children in Kinshasa. We joined them in building a new school for the upcoming year. It was a great experience because we came and joined them in THEIR work. We didn’t come in and pretend to know what to do and take charge. We were told what to do by the locals, and we just helped. I think it threw a lot of them for a loop because the mundelli never work. Jeff, Jared and I spent two days just moving rocks down the hill to the new school site. These rocks were heavy! All three of us are feeling the pain all over our bodies today. It hurts to move. Haha. But it felt great to get our hands dirty and hang out with the guys working. We took some great pictures. A personal shout out to my uncles and opa at Jakes Fancy Stairs! You should see how they build houses here! I thought of you guys these past few days.
Today was a perfect day. We had a ‘day off’. We spent the morning making French toast and homemade syrup over a coal pit. Priceless. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon house cleaning. We realized we actually haven’t cleaned once since moving in here. Let me tell you this, living here is hard. It takes so much more effort here to do anything. For example, you want to do dishes? Well, it’s laughable if you think we have a dishwasher, so scratch that assumption. You need water? O right, the water doesn’t work. But wait, it’s trickling from the bathtub faucet right now, so we fill buckets one at a time. We are always filling our water bucket with... water. Bathing is a luxury. You only do it if the water is running. I’ve fully showered 3 times since I’ve been here. I think jared only has once. Who think’s I’m joking...
Tonight we had a birthday celebration. We invited our host, Jean Baptiste, his wife, their 5 children, and our interpreter Eric. We set a table outside, put on music, blew up balloons, etc. It was a great evening. I think the highlight of the night were the words spoken by Jean and Eric. Jean told me that in Congolese culture, it is tradition that a man and his wife give a gift to their child. He went on to say that his wife had made me this gift, and asked me to accept it from them as their African son. Eric also told me that even though I may be sad that I cannot spend this day with my family, that I will always have this family to come to. It was such a good night. I did miss my family today, especially my dad, as we share the same birthday. I love you dad. I hope you had a great day. 51... wow... don’t forget to take your meds tonight. ZING!
The night concluded with a dance party, of course. Team Congo has made dancing a regular part of Kinshasa life. Don’t worry, we have a lot of this action on video. Get it? ACTION?! Eh eh eh? It’s more than a pastime. It’s a lifestyle choice. Jean Baptiste even busted a move on the patio. For those of you who know him, you are smiling right now, as you should be. Priceless.
We are all doing great!
Love,
Team Congo
We have been partnering with a ministry called leve toi. It’s a school for disabled children in Kinshasa. We joined them in building a new school for the upcoming year. It was a great experience because we came and joined them in THEIR work. We didn’t come in and pretend to know what to do and take charge. We were told what to do by the locals, and we just helped. I think it threw a lot of them for a loop because the mundelli never work. Jeff, Jared and I spent two days just moving rocks down the hill to the new school site. These rocks were heavy! All three of us are feeling the pain all over our bodies today. It hurts to move. Haha. But it felt great to get our hands dirty and hang out with the guys working. We took some great pictures. A personal shout out to my uncles and opa at Jakes Fancy Stairs! You should see how they build houses here! I thought of you guys these past few days.
Today was a perfect day. We had a ‘day off’. We spent the morning making French toast and homemade syrup over a coal pit. Priceless. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon house cleaning. We realized we actually haven’t cleaned once since moving in here. Let me tell you this, living here is hard. It takes so much more effort here to do anything. For example, you want to do dishes? Well, it’s laughable if you think we have a dishwasher, so scratch that assumption. You need water? O right, the water doesn’t work. But wait, it’s trickling from the bathtub faucet right now, so we fill buckets one at a time. We are always filling our water bucket with... water. Bathing is a luxury. You only do it if the water is running. I’ve fully showered 3 times since I’ve been here. I think jared only has once. Who think’s I’m joking...
Tonight we had a birthday celebration. We invited our host, Jean Baptiste, his wife, their 5 children, and our interpreter Eric. We set a table outside, put on music, blew up balloons, etc. It was a great evening. I think the highlight of the night were the words spoken by Jean and Eric. Jean told me that in Congolese culture, it is tradition that a man and his wife give a gift to their child. He went on to say that his wife had made me this gift, and asked me to accept it from them as their African son. Eric also told me that even though I may be sad that I cannot spend this day with my family, that I will always have this family to come to. It was such a good night. I did miss my family today, especially my dad, as we share the same birthday. I love you dad. I hope you had a great day. 51... wow... don’t forget to take your meds tonight. ZING!
The night concluded with a dance party, of course. Team Congo has made dancing a regular part of Kinshasa life. Don’t worry, we have a lot of this action on video. Get it? ACTION?! Eh eh eh? It’s more than a pastime. It’s a lifestyle choice. Jean Baptiste even busted a move on the patio. For those of you who know him, you are smiling right now, as you should be. Priceless.
We are all doing great!
Love,
Team Congo
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Too Many Thoughts...
I have been wrestling with a lot of my own personal thoughts these past few days. I want to share them with you all as it is something our team has discussed as well. I now welcome you into a glimpse of our evening debrief sessions...
I’ve been struggling with the amount of poverty that I’ve seen here. It’s not about the ‘poverty’ itself, but trying to determine what poverty actually is. I believe there are two kinds. The first, actual poverty. The second, poverty that is only viewed as poverty because of where I grew up. Let me explain, I feel like I view some of the things I’ve seen here as “poverty” only because it’s simply not up to the standards that I’m used to at home. I struggled with these thoughts while in Asia too. A ‘nice house’ here in Kinshasa would be considered unliveable by many back in North America. But is it really? I’m finding myself angry at where I come from. Every day as I walk through these streets I find myself thinking that most of the people in my life would not survive here. North America could not live like this because we’ve gotten soft. What we view as ‘nothing’ is actually ‘everything’ to about 90% of the other people that live on this planet. Funny thing is, I think the 90% is right. We don’t need everything we’ve determined important. We only think so because we’re used to fighting for a higher place on our ladder of success. That’s north American culture. The people here live day by day. It’s exhausting to live ‘long term’ here. Life here is hard. North America lives ‘long term’. We plan and create strategies that would best suite us 30 years from now. Ugh. As I mentioned in an earlier post, It cost us $16 to feed us and an entire orphanage of 50 kids. That’s what I spend at subway for one meal. AHH! One meal vs. 56. How is that even remotely fair? I’m losing my mind thinking about this stuff. And so I ask myself, what did Jesus do with the poor? We talked about this during one of our ‘team times’ this past week. The answer is simple. He hung out with them. He talked to them. He sat and ate and drank with them and probably laughed with them. He humanized the poor. There was no line of who deserved what. And this is now my new goal for the rest of my time here. I’m not here to change anything. They don’t need changing. They need help building and sustaining resources. Yes, they need water, a sewage system, and garbage disposal. They need these things for a healthier life. But they don’t need to be ‘changed’! They don’t need a Pritchard farm house, 5 cars on the driveway or a Whiskey Dix downtown. It would ruin this culture. I want to barf thinking about making the rest of our world just like us. The longer I’m in places like these, the more I believe they should come teach us. The people here ‘just be’. They enjoy life. However, they absolutely need our help. We can help with a healthier lifestyle. This is where our team struggles the most. The feeling of guilt. The feeling that we are a huge part of the problem. However, I have stopped feeling guilty for the following reason. God has entrusted us with much, so more should be expected of us. I can DO more because of where God decided I should live. God has given all of us the resources to help. I believe this guilt should be turned into action. He’s entrusted us to help, so get moving! We need to appropriately use what has been given to us. My feeling of guilt has almost turned into a feeling of like, ‘Hey, this is awesome, God thinks I can bless people with the stuff he’s given me, he trusts me, I’m so lucky, why am I not doing more’. Having re read this, I see that I did some North American bashing. I didn’t mean to. I’m still processing all of this, but it’s hard because there is no time to process here. We live in it and experience this 24/7. Too much to think about all the time. Sometimes our team times are spent in a lot of silence because we don’t even know what to say. I do see a ton of good in North America, just so you all know. I love seeing how God is using people to bless others in North America and around the world. For example, I don’t think my Aunti Laura can fit another sponser child on her fridge. My mother lives to serve other people. My sister is all over any opportunity to help poor colored children. I work at a church and see the way God is working through the many ministries at Eastview. It’s all awesome! But we can do more, and should be. I think most of my family thinks I’m the ‘crazy’ one. Always leaving, never being home, and questioning why I like to do things like this, etc. I’m not crazy. Haha. This isn’t something I’ll just ‘get out of my system’. I am realizing though, that I do too much. I fill my schedule with things that pack it full and I’m not sitting back and enjoying life. Maybe that’s why I love it here.
Anyways, I think I just blurted out a million thoughts that probably don’t make sense and I think maybe even contradict each other. I’ve never journaled more than I have since being here. I’ve never had so many thoughts or revelations. I’ve never spent more time praying. I’ve never had a desire to read the bible as much as I do here. I’m at the peak of my happiness here. I’m not looking forward to coming home. Is that bad? (I’ve also never realized how poor my grammer is. Just know I notice it, just simply don’t care to change it. Ha)
This past week has been pretty intense. Our days were spent between working at an orphanage and working in the community of Camluka, one of the poorest areas in Kinshasa. We spent our Saturday taking the kids from the orphanage on a field trip to see the bonabo’s (one of the world’s four great apes). We rented a ‘bus’ haha, and piled it full with kids, staff and our team. We trekked into the jungle which was awesome. The kids LOVED it. I shouldn’t laugh, but I will, because Jeff and Alyssa got peed on by children on the bus. Haha. Today we are off to Kintambo for church where we are actually singing in the choir. We are singing in ‘Kicongo’. We don’t know the language, but we have the words and have been practising. It’s for sure being videotaped, don’t worry. This next week we begin work with leve toi, a home for the mentally disabled. We will spend a few days doing physical labour as we help build a new building for the ministry. We are also teaming up with a local churches’ youth group (which I’m stoked for) and we will also spend an hour on television this Friday with Sango Malamu. AH! So exciting!
Prayer requests? Pray for energy. I think we are just feeling very tired lately. Pray for rest. Pray that we don’t let a lack of energy determine our attitudes as we go from place to place. Pray that we would continue to have a blast out here and continue to just be a part of this city and it’s people. Bah!
Team Congo
I’ve been struggling with the amount of poverty that I’ve seen here. It’s not about the ‘poverty’ itself, but trying to determine what poverty actually is. I believe there are two kinds. The first, actual poverty. The second, poverty that is only viewed as poverty because of where I grew up. Let me explain, I feel like I view some of the things I’ve seen here as “poverty” only because it’s simply not up to the standards that I’m used to at home. I struggled with these thoughts while in Asia too. A ‘nice house’ here in Kinshasa would be considered unliveable by many back in North America. But is it really? I’m finding myself angry at where I come from. Every day as I walk through these streets I find myself thinking that most of the people in my life would not survive here. North America could not live like this because we’ve gotten soft. What we view as ‘nothing’ is actually ‘everything’ to about 90% of the other people that live on this planet. Funny thing is, I think the 90% is right. We don’t need everything we’ve determined important. We only think so because we’re used to fighting for a higher place on our ladder of success. That’s north American culture. The people here live day by day. It’s exhausting to live ‘long term’ here. Life here is hard. North America lives ‘long term’. We plan and create strategies that would best suite us 30 years from now. Ugh. As I mentioned in an earlier post, It cost us $16 to feed us and an entire orphanage of 50 kids. That’s what I spend at subway for one meal. AHH! One meal vs. 56. How is that even remotely fair? I’m losing my mind thinking about this stuff. And so I ask myself, what did Jesus do with the poor? We talked about this during one of our ‘team times’ this past week. The answer is simple. He hung out with them. He talked to them. He sat and ate and drank with them and probably laughed with them. He humanized the poor. There was no line of who deserved what. And this is now my new goal for the rest of my time here. I’m not here to change anything. They don’t need changing. They need help building and sustaining resources. Yes, they need water, a sewage system, and garbage disposal. They need these things for a healthier life. But they don’t need to be ‘changed’! They don’t need a Pritchard farm house, 5 cars on the driveway or a Whiskey Dix downtown. It would ruin this culture. I want to barf thinking about making the rest of our world just like us. The longer I’m in places like these, the more I believe they should come teach us. The people here ‘just be’. They enjoy life. However, they absolutely need our help. We can help with a healthier lifestyle. This is where our team struggles the most. The feeling of guilt. The feeling that we are a huge part of the problem. However, I have stopped feeling guilty for the following reason. God has entrusted us with much, so more should be expected of us. I can DO more because of where God decided I should live. God has given all of us the resources to help. I believe this guilt should be turned into action. He’s entrusted us to help, so get moving! We need to appropriately use what has been given to us. My feeling of guilt has almost turned into a feeling of like, ‘Hey, this is awesome, God thinks I can bless people with the stuff he’s given me, he trusts me, I’m so lucky, why am I not doing more’. Having re read this, I see that I did some North American bashing. I didn’t mean to. I’m still processing all of this, but it’s hard because there is no time to process here. We live in it and experience this 24/7. Too much to think about all the time. Sometimes our team times are spent in a lot of silence because we don’t even know what to say. I do see a ton of good in North America, just so you all know. I love seeing how God is using people to bless others in North America and around the world. For example, I don’t think my Aunti Laura can fit another sponser child on her fridge. My mother lives to serve other people. My sister is all over any opportunity to help poor colored children. I work at a church and see the way God is working through the many ministries at Eastview. It’s all awesome! But we can do more, and should be. I think most of my family thinks I’m the ‘crazy’ one. Always leaving, never being home, and questioning why I like to do things like this, etc. I’m not crazy. Haha. This isn’t something I’ll just ‘get out of my system’. I am realizing though, that I do too much. I fill my schedule with things that pack it full and I’m not sitting back and enjoying life. Maybe that’s why I love it here.
Anyways, I think I just blurted out a million thoughts that probably don’t make sense and I think maybe even contradict each other. I’ve never journaled more than I have since being here. I’ve never had so many thoughts or revelations. I’ve never spent more time praying. I’ve never had a desire to read the bible as much as I do here. I’m at the peak of my happiness here. I’m not looking forward to coming home. Is that bad? (I’ve also never realized how poor my grammer is. Just know I notice it, just simply don’t care to change it. Ha)
This past week has been pretty intense. Our days were spent between working at an orphanage and working in the community of Camluka, one of the poorest areas in Kinshasa. We spent our Saturday taking the kids from the orphanage on a field trip to see the bonabo’s (one of the world’s four great apes). We rented a ‘bus’ haha, and piled it full with kids, staff and our team. We trekked into the jungle which was awesome. The kids LOVED it. I shouldn’t laugh, but I will, because Jeff and Alyssa got peed on by children on the bus. Haha. Today we are off to Kintambo for church where we are actually singing in the choir. We are singing in ‘Kicongo’. We don’t know the language, but we have the words and have been practising. It’s for sure being videotaped, don’t worry. This next week we begin work with leve toi, a home for the mentally disabled. We will spend a few days doing physical labour as we help build a new building for the ministry. We are also teaming up with a local churches’ youth group (which I’m stoked for) and we will also spend an hour on television this Friday with Sango Malamu. AH! So exciting!
Prayer requests? Pray for energy. I think we are just feeling very tired lately. Pray for rest. Pray that we don’t let a lack of energy determine our attitudes as we go from place to place. Pray that we would continue to have a blast out here and continue to just be a part of this city and it’s people. Bah!
Team Congo
There's More Than Just Me!
Hello super friends! It’s time for a change of pace. I realize that I have been hogging the blog and that there are five other friends of mine who have family and friends that would like to hear from them. (But I'm not actually sorry for hogging the blog because it's actually my team "job" ha) So each team member will give a little shout out. I will post more details of our last week tomorrow...hopefully!Enjoy!
Jeff
Greetings and salutations to my friends and my family! Special greetings to mon amour, tasha! I hope as you all read this you are doing well and find yourself in a pleasant state of mind. The last two weeks here have flown by, and it has been an amazing experience. It is one of those places that cannot be properly explained with words or even pictures. To observe the smells, the body language, the orderly chaos, the millions of people, the garbage filled streets, the smiling faces, the 15 passenger vans that fit 25 (with a few on the roof and a couple hanging on the bumper) and the many other unique characteristics of Kinshasa, you must experience it in person. I have greatly enjoyed immersing myself in the culture and learning as much as I can in the time here, about the city, the country, and especially the people. It is a city filled with beautiful people, who are incredibly expressive and unique. There is a strong sense of community here and it seems to be a large village of 9 million. I have always wanted to dance in the aisles at church, and believe it or not, that’s what the Mennonites do here! Anyways, I will not go on to long, as each day passes my mind continues to be overloaded with different things to process, and I could sit here and type for hours. I am looking forward to a couple more weeks here and continuing to learn about the culture and the people. I know when I come back I will have lots of experiences and stories to share, but I also look forward to hearing all of my friends and families experiences this summer. Ok, I will stop now, I feel like I did not accomplish what I wanted to say, but just know that I am loving the Congo and its people, and I am doing very well. Au revoir! Sango Malamu!
Kelly
Hi Friends! This is Kelly...I am alive and well. I’m having a great time being back here...I’ve been able to connect with almost all of the friends that I made the last time I was here, which has been amazing, and we’ve been spending every day with Jean-Baptiste (the name should ring a bell to anyone I’ve ever talked to about Congo) so I am happy. My team and I are also living in the same house I lived in on TREK, so it’s been fun getting reacquainted with the neighbours and relearning the neighbourhood. And for those of you that are interested, Sister Charly Linda has returned! (this is my Congolese choir name apparently...) I got to attend choir practice on Tuesday and my choir will be singing in church on Sunday. Look forward to videos!! Other than that, I don’t really know how to condense the last two weeks, and there is so much more to come...so come visit me when I get home and I’ll talk your ear off about it if you let me. To my family, hope you’re enjoying DL, wish I could have been there but I’m glad I am here. Mom – I’m doing well, no sickness at all so far, so stop worrying about me. Everyone else – miss you and can’t wait to see you when I get back.
Brittany
Hey! I absolutely love being in Africa. It took about a week for me to realize that I actually flew half way across the world to another continent to live in this incredibly different culture for a month. I literally have no words to describe Kinshasa... you’ll just have to wait until I get back to see it in my eyes. God is working in incredible ways here and I can’t wait to return with news of God’s faithfulness. You know, life in the Congo is hard. That’s all there is to it. But God is so good! And in the two short weeks that I’ve had the chance to be here, I have witnessed a joy I’ve never experienced before. Happiness in the midst of despair. There is no way for me to explain all that has happened thus far so I won’t even try. Please keep myself and my team in your prayers and know that I love and miss all of you so much! And thank you so much for supporting me on this journey – it has been indescribable. See you in three weeks!
Alyssa
Hey family and friends, special hello to mama and papa, Karina and Rosie! God is definitely at work here in Kinshasa as well as in my heart. 4 years of praying for Africa and now that I’m finally here, there is so much that I never expected would happen. Last week we had the privilege of visiting a church plant that had no roof but we shared our testimonies there. It was a dream to tell you the truth, about one hundred children screaming Mundele (white people) and wanting to hold your hands. I only wish I had more hands to offer. Initially, coming into this experience I thought that I was going to bring lots of hope and be the light. Though that is true, I have been learning to just love on the people here. There are definitely a few kids from the orphanage that have stolen a piece of my heart already. The taxi system here is so much fun since we get so smooshed every time and the cars shouldn’t be running with the noises that they make. But there are many stories to tell; just know that God is very good and He most definitely is taking care of me. Yes mom, I’ve been eating and no, I didn’t get sick. I got a couple proposals but don’t worry, I say no to almost all of them. Love you all so very much! PS-Mom, thanks for all the cooking classes...my team is very grateful!
Jared
Hi friends and family! Well, it’s great to be back here in the DR Congo. After a fast-paced summer for me so far it’s been great to get back into the laid-back rhythm of life in the Congo. Here it seems like time is told by the number of people you visit with during the day, and not necessarily the hours that pass on a clock. I’ve loved being able to reconnect with Congolese friends, but have also enjoyed the opportunity to introduce these friends to our ACTION team this year. In fact, the thing that has impacted me the most this trip so far has been the ability to see the Congo through the fresh eyes of my team mates who are here for the first time. I’ve loved our daily “Team Time” in the evening where we are able to process our experiences as a ministry team here in the Congo. God has clearly been at work in and through this team so far – I look forward to seeing what He will do next!
Cory
Heyo! It’s me again. Let me update you on wipeout! I found a printer and I’ve signed all my release forms and waivers etc. 40 pages and $15 worth of printing later, I’m ready to fax it tomorrow! Hopefully the rumoured fax machine in kintambo actually works! Once I send it in, I have one phone interview left to be had when I come home in August! And if all goes well, which im banking it does, I’ll have a ticket to Argentina in my hands! Bah! Mom and Dad, I miss you and love you. A quick thank you for being in my life. Sounds simple, but spending this much time around children who have no parents or have parents who left them, has me realizing how lucky I am to have you both. You never left me. You fed me. You gave me clothes to wear and a place to sleep and you still tell me that you love me. I now see how lucky I am. You have invested so much in me. I’ve always loved you both, but as I get older and “see” more I realize how rare that is. I am a lucky man. Now I just love you even more! Acksanna, props to you for lasting in Africa for so long. You are a strong woman. I think about you everyday. I miss laughing with you. Trevor and Kelsey, I cannot wait to tell you all about this when I get home! Love you both! And finally, Sam! Our long “distanceness” is almost over!!! I believe we are only a month from our much anticipated reunion! I love you and cannot wait to see you again! 6 months and 14 countries later, we will finally be together. Enjoy your last month on the road. NO MORE TRIPS APART!!!! Peace out.
Jeff
Greetings and salutations to my friends and my family! Special greetings to mon amour, tasha! I hope as you all read this you are doing well and find yourself in a pleasant state of mind. The last two weeks here have flown by, and it has been an amazing experience. It is one of those places that cannot be properly explained with words or even pictures. To observe the smells, the body language, the orderly chaos, the millions of people, the garbage filled streets, the smiling faces, the 15 passenger vans that fit 25 (with a few on the roof and a couple hanging on the bumper) and the many other unique characteristics of Kinshasa, you must experience it in person. I have greatly enjoyed immersing myself in the culture and learning as much as I can in the time here, about the city, the country, and especially the people. It is a city filled with beautiful people, who are incredibly expressive and unique. There is a strong sense of community here and it seems to be a large village of 9 million. I have always wanted to dance in the aisles at church, and believe it or not, that’s what the Mennonites do here! Anyways, I will not go on to long, as each day passes my mind continues to be overloaded with different things to process, and I could sit here and type for hours. I am looking forward to a couple more weeks here and continuing to learn about the culture and the people. I know when I come back I will have lots of experiences and stories to share, but I also look forward to hearing all of my friends and families experiences this summer. Ok, I will stop now, I feel like I did not accomplish what I wanted to say, but just know that I am loving the Congo and its people, and I am doing very well. Au revoir! Sango Malamu!
Kelly
Hi Friends! This is Kelly...I am alive and well. I’m having a great time being back here...I’ve been able to connect with almost all of the friends that I made the last time I was here, which has been amazing, and we’ve been spending every day with Jean-Baptiste (the name should ring a bell to anyone I’ve ever talked to about Congo) so I am happy. My team and I are also living in the same house I lived in on TREK, so it’s been fun getting reacquainted with the neighbours and relearning the neighbourhood. And for those of you that are interested, Sister Charly Linda has returned! (this is my Congolese choir name apparently...) I got to attend choir practice on Tuesday and my choir will be singing in church on Sunday. Look forward to videos!! Other than that, I don’t really know how to condense the last two weeks, and there is so much more to come...so come visit me when I get home and I’ll talk your ear off about it if you let me. To my family, hope you’re enjoying DL, wish I could have been there but I’m glad I am here. Mom – I’m doing well, no sickness at all so far, so stop worrying about me. Everyone else – miss you and can’t wait to see you when I get back.
Brittany
Hey! I absolutely love being in Africa. It took about a week for me to realize that I actually flew half way across the world to another continent to live in this incredibly different culture for a month. I literally have no words to describe Kinshasa... you’ll just have to wait until I get back to see it in my eyes. God is working in incredible ways here and I can’t wait to return with news of God’s faithfulness. You know, life in the Congo is hard. That’s all there is to it. But God is so good! And in the two short weeks that I’ve had the chance to be here, I have witnessed a joy I’ve never experienced before. Happiness in the midst of despair. There is no way for me to explain all that has happened thus far so I won’t even try. Please keep myself and my team in your prayers and know that I love and miss all of you so much! And thank you so much for supporting me on this journey – it has been indescribable. See you in three weeks!
Alyssa
Hey family and friends, special hello to mama and papa, Karina and Rosie! God is definitely at work here in Kinshasa as well as in my heart. 4 years of praying for Africa and now that I’m finally here, there is so much that I never expected would happen. Last week we had the privilege of visiting a church plant that had no roof but we shared our testimonies there. It was a dream to tell you the truth, about one hundred children screaming Mundele (white people) and wanting to hold your hands. I only wish I had more hands to offer. Initially, coming into this experience I thought that I was going to bring lots of hope and be the light. Though that is true, I have been learning to just love on the people here. There are definitely a few kids from the orphanage that have stolen a piece of my heart already. The taxi system here is so much fun since we get so smooshed every time and the cars shouldn’t be running with the noises that they make. But there are many stories to tell; just know that God is very good and He most definitely is taking care of me. Yes mom, I’ve been eating and no, I didn’t get sick. I got a couple proposals but don’t worry, I say no to almost all of them. Love you all so very much! PS-Mom, thanks for all the cooking classes...my team is very grateful!
Jared
Hi friends and family! Well, it’s great to be back here in the DR Congo. After a fast-paced summer for me so far it’s been great to get back into the laid-back rhythm of life in the Congo. Here it seems like time is told by the number of people you visit with during the day, and not necessarily the hours that pass on a clock. I’ve loved being able to reconnect with Congolese friends, but have also enjoyed the opportunity to introduce these friends to our ACTION team this year. In fact, the thing that has impacted me the most this trip so far has been the ability to see the Congo through the fresh eyes of my team mates who are here for the first time. I’ve loved our daily “Team Time” in the evening where we are able to process our experiences as a ministry team here in the Congo. God has clearly been at work in and through this team so far – I look forward to seeing what He will do next!
Cory
Heyo! It’s me again. Let me update you on wipeout! I found a printer and I’ve signed all my release forms and waivers etc. 40 pages and $15 worth of printing later, I’m ready to fax it tomorrow! Hopefully the rumoured fax machine in kintambo actually works! Once I send it in, I have one phone interview left to be had when I come home in August! And if all goes well, which im banking it does, I’ll have a ticket to Argentina in my hands! Bah! Mom and Dad, I miss you and love you. A quick thank you for being in my life. Sounds simple, but spending this much time around children who have no parents or have parents who left them, has me realizing how lucky I am to have you both. You never left me. You fed me. You gave me clothes to wear and a place to sleep and you still tell me that you love me. I now see how lucky I am. You have invested so much in me. I’ve always loved you both, but as I get older and “see” more I realize how rare that is. I am a lucky man. Now I just love you even more! Acksanna, props to you for lasting in Africa for so long. You are a strong woman. I think about you everyday. I miss laughing with you. Trevor and Kelsey, I cannot wait to tell you all about this when I get home! Love you both! And finally, Sam! Our long “distanceness” is almost over!!! I believe we are only a month from our much anticipated reunion! I love you and cannot wait to see you again! 6 months and 14 countries later, we will finally be together. Enjoy your last month on the road. NO MORE TRIPS APART!!!! Peace out.
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