Congo XII

Friday August 3

We went out to the Elikya center project again this morning, but this time the Free Church President (Selenga) and V.P. Ibengi took us around the property and shared the vision for the place. We heard once again about the housing for widows and orphans, the garden plots they will have (for food and income) and more about the training they will do. Some of the training is already occurring in other locations (seamstresses, for example), so the training buildings will be put to use as soon as they are completed. The director’s house is almost finished and they have been using the construction on that to begin training some boys in masonry.

Across the road (we would say a trail) is a large piece of property that Habitat for Humanity was developing. But they have pulled out of the country, so Tom has approached them about letting the Free Church build homes on it and using the original 120 acres for gardens, training buildings and other things. Tom thinks the property is large enough for about 1,000 of the style of homes Habitat was building. Habitat has been very open to the idea and the talks seem to be progressing. The homes would be fairly small and would house two widows and 3-4 orphan girls each. At this point the estimate to build a home is between $2,500 and $3,000. It left me wondering if Cornerstone could raise that amount in a year? If we had this as an ongoing project for 3-5 years they would build 3-5 homes. A pretty significant thing in my mind.

The training buildings (and the equipment they will need) will be more expensive, perhaps $75,000 each, and a church in the U.S. is helping with the first building, which is good to see.

After our time at the Elikya property we gave a ride to a boy who is in the Global Fingerprints sponsorship program. He wanted us to see his home so we stopped for a little bit. He is an orphan who is living with his sister and her family. The home is the typical mud-hut and is in disrepair. It will stand for a while longer until the termites eat the branches used as a frame, then it will collapse and they will build another like it.

As we walked up to the hut Tom pointed out the boy’s sister and said she suffered from Cretinism. A condition resulting from the lack of iodine as an infant it causes the body and mind to not develop properly and thus creates other problems, as you might imagine. So the Global Fingerprints staff not only is working with the boy, but his sister and her family presents needs and challenges, too. What an important work they are doing.

When we returned from the tour we had opportunity to meet with about 25 of the widows who are being helped by the ministry. We sat under a couple of trees and listened as each told her story. Although each was unique, there were some themes that came up in several of the stories. One such theme was that when a husband dies in the Congo his family has the right to confiscate all his property. If they do, and it seemed like most do, then the widow can be left destitute. If she has children to care for it is even more distressing.

To compound matters, there is an attitude in the Congo that a man should only marry a virgin. Thus a widow has no chance of remarrying and finding stability in that manner (this is also true for a teenage girl who gets pregnant; she will be an unwed mother for life). It is a horrendous practice especially as men are not expected to be virgins themselves. To me this is a clear example of what sin does to people.

So another theme that came up was that many of the women were homeless. They had lost the house to the in-laws or else they had no means of upkeep and effectively were homeless. It was very difficult to listen to. The third theme that came up a number of times was that many of the widows where caring for their grandchildren. Because of the war and the ravages of AIDS, many of the widows have lost their children who in turn left orphans behind.

Yet even with their immense problems these women are ministering to others. When they meet each week, if they have anything extra (such as some salt), they bring it to the meeting to share with others who don’t have any. They make trips to the hospital and prison to check on people who may not have any family nearby. Without family nearby, the prisoner or patient is without a source for food or clothing, and so the widows try to help these people in their need. It is humbling as well as amazing to watch.

What a day.

Congo Blog XI

Thursday August 2

Last night we got to experience another African event. A wake of sorts. Someone had died and when he did the wailing began and the drums started playing. It did not matter that it was 11:00 p.m. when it began, it needed to happen. I understand that, but as the family lives about 100 yards from my room it made it difficult to sleep. The wailing (and music) went all night and throughout the day as people arrived for the burial. Think of the before school party at Campus Commons North, have go 24/7 for several days, and you will get an idea of the noise level. In the Congo the law requires the body to be buried within twenty four hours, so they get right after it and they keep at it.

To add to the lack of sleep one of the roosters began crowing nearby. In fact I thought it was just outside the window and got up to chase it away. The only problem was that it was in the guard’s room at the end of the building. Because of the way the guest house is built, this meant that it was like having the rooster in an echo chamber. Ugh!! As someone said this morning, “only one more night.”

A couple of us sat in on a women’s ministry meeting and learned some of what they are doing. Which happens to be a great deal. One of the things they do is to make and sell fabrics and/or clothing made from those fabrics. The money that comes in helps to provide income but they also use it to train more women. They have undertaken some serious projects but one of the things that stood out to me is that these women (mostly widows and one young unwed mother) also minister to others. They visit prisoners and those in the hospital to help any that have no family. In the prison, if you don’t have food brought in (and clothing) you don’t get any at all. The hospital is similar. So these very poor women (who take Matthew 25 about the Sheep and the Goats seriously) are ministering to those in worse condition than they (which is difficult to grasp in its own right). They truly are a group of Wassei Mattasei (woman of strength).

In the afternoon we met with Rachel Martin and Diolo to learn about the AIDS/HIV ministry. It was informative. They are working hard to educate the people regarding this scourge and are looking for ways to help treat those who are infected. They would like to be able to get Anti-retroviral medicines into the clinics, but many of those depend upon refrigeration which is not readily available. The cost is roughly $60/month for the meds, which is about 1/100^th the cost in the U.S., but that is the equivalent of two months pay (maybe more) and unless the government program helps the people they simply cannot afford it. In the meantime they are working through the church and the clinics to educate people about HIV and to encourage testing. Unfortunately, most people don’t want to be tested because it’s highly unlikely that they will get treatment. So they prefer to remain ignorant. On one hand, this is understandable, but on the other hand it would be nice if they knew and would adjust their sexual behavior. It is a huge challenge.

The engine that drives this project is the Global Fingerprints ministry that is just up and running. It is a sponsorship of orphans that provides for education fees, medical care, nutritional help and clothing. Part of the $20/month is used to help with the ongoing AIDS education program and outreach. It is a good idea that is working with over 300 orphans to date.

At the end of the meeting with Rachel and Diolo we went to the large church to meet some of the sponsored orphans. It was a neat time to be with the children and to hear them sing a song for us. I’m hopeful that people at Cornerstone will sponsor children in the upcoming months. $20 will go a long ways in helping a child have a shot at life.

We have talked frequently about the Congo being full of paradoxes and that came home to me again this morning. We met together as a team for some prayer and worship. It was quite a contrast as we are surrounded by great need, yet there was worship and praise and a very real sense of God’s presence. As the people continued wailing not far from where we met, there is peace here and a sense that life goes on.

During the prayer time an image came to my mind of two hands. One African, one American (or western). One was full of stuff while the other appeared empty. Yet I knew that it wasn’t empty. Although I could not see it, I could sense something of great substance and power in the hand (faith?). Jesus’ words to the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:17-19 came to mind

¹⁷ You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

The Congolese brothers often expressed gratitude to the team and would say they had “nothing to give us” but gratitude. Yet in my mind that wasn’t entirely true. They have much to give in terms of faith and understanding God, and we have much to learn.

Congo Blog X

Wednesday August 1

Went to the Bobiko church today for the second seminar. It was about twenty minutes away in the other direction. They had printed up a nice welcome sign for us in English and though the turnout was much smaller, it too, was a good day. The ladies joined us for this day’s meetings and once again we did not sit on the platform. We were careful to have Thelma, Kathy and Bear (Beverly) up front with us and made sure they were engaged in the conversation, too. We hope that in doing this we are modeling greater respect for women.

Near the end of the seminar, as we answered questions, we encouraged the women in attendance to speak up. We knew there was a question among the women because they had approached Thelma during a break and asked if she would ask the question during the session. Thelma wisely declined, encouraging the woman to ask the question herself. When we resumed Thelma let us know the situation and so Kevin publicly encouraged the women to speak up.

After a period of silence a very nervous woman did finally stand up and spoke. Her question was why the church had a rule that a woman must be able to read to become a deaconess?

After some clarifying questions the Pastor Responsible spoke up. He said there was no such rule. So it appears that someone had said this to the woman in order to keep her in her place, but now the truth was out. It was good to see them experience the result of openness and dialogue. What the actual result in that particular woman’s life will be is hard to know. But I trust that when the truth is known freedom will follow. I’m also hopeful that the things we modeled will influence attitudes towards women. I find myself wondering if the most important thing that happened during our time in Tandala was Gordy’s public comments of high regard for Bear when he preached at one of the churches. Apparently pastors don’t do that and it caused quite a buzz when he did.

When we returned to Tandala we got things packed up and sent half of the group, plus as much luggage as possible, back to Gemena (including the two chickens tied on to the luggage rack). We were packed in tight and the 2-1/2 hour drive was long as we bounced down the road. But it was nice to get back and be able to send a note out on email.

Congo Blog VIII

Sunday July 29

I woke up feeling pretty poor as my G.I. tract was not happy with something. I wrestled with whether or not I should preach, but after much encouragement decided to go for it. Kevin came with me in case I could not preach in which case he would step in for me. We dropped people off at the 4 other churches and when we arrived at our destination, the drums began to beat, calling folks to church. The drums are pretty much used only by the church and so remind me of the era of the church bell.

The deacons set out chairs for us under a tree where we waited about 10 minutes before joining the pastor for tea. We entered the building a little later and the service began close to 10:30, which is fairly prompt for a 10:00 service in Africa!

As the first choir sang people continued to make their way to church and eventually it was a full house. My how the Congolese love to sing! I think there were 5 different choirs during the service, if I kept track correctly. They also love to give. People brought portions from their gardens for offering to the Lord, which made me think of Proverbs 3 where it says Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops (:9). The church will either distribute some of the food to the needy or they will sell it to help pay for other expenses.

Then, near the end, came the offering. There were two baskets up front, one for the men and one for the women. As people stood to bring their offering music and song filled the air and the people began to dance as they made their way to the front! Oh to see the church in America give so generously and joyously. The Lord loves a cheerful giver and his heart must soar when those who are so poor give from such depth.

Congo Blog VII

Saturday July 28

We took a walk today to a hillside spring and saw a creative way of getting the people better water.

The missionaries knew that if they could help the people to get clean water for cooking and drinking that it would be a significant thing. But how could they do so knowing that the people tend to use the same water for everything (bathing, washing clothes, drinking)? One the natural resources in the Tandala area are springs. The missionaries figured out that if they cut the hill back about fifteen feet, filled the area with gravel and then built a concrete/rock wall to act like a dam, they could create a usable water source. Using PVC pipe like a spigot, the water can be captured in a pot or bucket for drinking separate from what is used for cleaning. (You can see the water flow in the middle of the picture I’ve posted). Maintenance is not in issue and the people get consistently better water. It is simple, effective and brilliant!

In the late afternoon a Pastor and his wife arrived by bicycle from Gemena on their way home from the pastor’s conference (75 km covered with about 200 km yet to go roughly 200 miles) They asked for prayer because he has been assigned to the Bible Institute way up north and they need to be out of their home by the 19^th of August. But to move their household and kids they need to rent a truck and even though a friend has one, it will cost about $300. Tom knows the couple well and told us this was a legitimate need. So we decided to pass the hat and came up with $270. They were greatly encouraged and I think it will make the 130 mile bicycle ride a little easier.

Then it was off to English Club at Dr. Zach’s with Mifila, Bofio, Narcis and chaplain Bell. Each of these men are doing pretty well with their English, although it’s difficult for them to improve without practice. So when we showed up they were quite excited to practice on us and, in fact, they did well. The laughter during the night was a wonderful contrast to the needs we see daily. Thank God for laughter!

Congo Blog VI

Friday July 27

Rain, thunder and lightening during the night (it is the rainy season here—dry season in the South) so our departure for Tandala was delayed to give the road a chance to dry out some. There is no pavement in the Ubangi except for the runway at the airport. The roads are clay and can get pretty messy. Fortunately they have been working on the road between Gemena and Tandala so it was in decent shape. In fact, at one point, the driver got up to 100 km/hr. We crossed several streams where people were washing clothes, bikes, themselves and then getting drinking water. Not the healthiest of situations.

After driving the 130 km (about 2 ½ hours) we received a big welcome with palm branches making arches, a children’s choir singing a song of welcome and a reception line. We went up to the hospital for a tour, and passed by a chimp on a chain. Apparently some soldiers caught it and kept it for some time, then tired of it and gave it to someone here. It has a chain around its neck and lives under a tree. A sad life that, in some ways, could serve as a metaphor for the situation in the DRC.

The hospital is fairly large with about 180 beds and various wards (maternity, pediatrics, post-op, surgery, etc…). But like everything else here it is in need of some serious maintenance work (50 gallons of paint and an airless sprayer would do wonders). The good thing is that during the war the hospital was left untouched. After the tour it left us amazed at what the doctors and nurses are able to do with so little. They are pretty much out of bandages and so have to wash, sterilize and reuse what they have. The same goes for latex gloves. Even so the doctors do amazing things. For example a teenager broke his femur and they were able to insert a rod and set the bone. He appears to be doing quite well.

Another thing they struggle with at the hospital is simple ignorance. People will go to the “village doctor” instead of the hospital and it can have serious results, or they simply won’t come in. One young boy was brought in by his father with an open fracture of the humerus. As the doctors inspected the wound and the protruding bone they found out that the break had occurred about a year ago. Why had the father waited so long to bring him in? He refused to say.

Then there is simple poverty. The cost of a live birth at the hospital runs 600 Congolese Francs, which is about $1.25. Even at that many women don’t come because of the expense. One funny event occurred when Calvin (the pediatrician on the trip) told the doctors that he gets paid $200 for a circumcision, Doctor Mifila exclaimed, “O, la, la! I get a chicken for a circumcision!”

I asked Dr. Zach how he kept his spirits up in such in place and he told me his time with the Lord each morning and jogging three times a week. It makes sense—spiritual and physical self-care. Even so, I don't think I could do it.

Congo V

On Thursday the 26th we relaxed and pretty much hung out. We drove out to the Elikya (means “Hope” in Lingala) project to see what is being developed for the widows and orphans. They have 120 acres on which the church is building a community to house and train widows and orphans. The idea is to build homes that will have two widows and three or four teen girls. They will also have gardens and a training center for sewing and other skills.

Habitat for Humanity has the property across the road and there is probably enough space there to put up about 1,000 homes. Unfortunately Habitat has decided to close down its operation because of all the difficulties they have experienced. So Tom is talking with them about the possibility of the church building on the property.

As the church has worked on this they realized that teen-mothers are also in very real need. Like the orphans, many of the teen mothers have had no life-skills development and so they will be included in the project, too.

Thursday evening the two people who are HIV positive visited with us. The man is/was a priest who somehow contracted HIV (sexual activity as a teenager is widespread so perhaps it was prior to his entering the ministry, he did not say and we were told it would be inappropriate to ask). The woman was infected by her husband. She had asked him if he was clean prior to marriage and he said yes, but it was not true. This is not unusual here and in fact is a major problem. Her husband died of AIDS and his parents blamed her. As her in-laws they were able to take all the property, leaving her destitute. Both are on drugs, but only a few can get them. Jesus did not factor in to the discussion at all, which was too bad.

Rachel Martin would like to see the clinic in Gemena dispense drugs, but that requires refrigeration and the cost is about $60/month (the average pastor salary is $30-40, so $60/month exceeds the monthly income of the majority of people). Because they can’t dispense drugs, people won’t get tested. Why be tested if there is nothing that can be done if the person is positive is the reasoning.

Congo IV

Today after the first plenary session the representatives for the bible society took the platform and their leader introduced them. There are six representatives, three of whom are women. It was great to see the women who hold important administrative roles in the ministry, but they really got a buzz when it was stated that one of the women is an ordained minister.

After the Bible society session, we went for a walking tour of the mission property. We saw the first homes built on the property and then we came to the first high school ever built in Gemena. It consists of two buildings with a courtyard in between. They have open windows rows of benches and a blackboard. Tom says they have 40-60 students per room. They split the day in two, with one group of students attending in the morning until noon and the second group from 12:30 on. Now there are several schools in Gemena and each focuses on a specific area, such as carpentry. This school teaches teachers.

Elsewhere on the property is another building that is used as a preschool in the morning and elementary school in the afternoon. Then there is a dormitory for girls not far from this building.

A short walk from the area with the schools is the health clinic. When we arrived the waiting room was full of pregnant women. Wednesday is pre-natal day. The nurse gave us a tour of this shell of a building and it really is amazing what all they do there. They have 5 or 6 beds (without mattresses, because African’s use mats instead, and boards instead of springs) for those who need to stay and there happened to be a mother with her baby there. The baby was anemic and could use a blood transfusion but the hospital is out of resources so the nurse is taking care of it. Tom explained that it was probably Malaria and worms related. Malaria attacks the blood cells killing 2-5% with each infection and a person can be infected every three days. So the nurse will hydrate the baby, give anti-Malarial medicines and some iron to the baby and hopefully it will recover.

They also do a variety of tests at the center, including screening for HIV/AIDS. The nurse said the clinic has about a 7-9% positive rate for the tests (of those that consent to the test), which Tom said is the in the regional range of 5-10%. The center is responsible for immunizations within a certain distance and that includes just over 10,000 people. From his records he and is counterpart are doing a great job.

Then lunch time at President Selenga’s house (he is in his last year as the Congo Free Church president) and his favorite food—pizza! It was good pizza, too. But in the midst of the fun there was sadness as well. A woman who joined us for lunch works for the orphan’s project and part of her story came out. She became a believer about five years ago and her Muslim husband did not seem too concerned. She began to grow and wanted to be baptized, but waited in hopes he would meet Christ. He didn’t, so 18 months ago she was baptized and he was very angry. He has not spoken with her since, even though they were in the same house. About six weeks ago he came and took their children with him and will not let them have contact with her. Oh, how her heart breaks. Pray for her.

After lunch it was back to the conference where they had a session on AIDS including two testimonies of people HIV positive. They are working hard to hit it head on. We didn’t get much in the way of translation, but fortunately we get to meet with them tomorrow. The final session of the conference was quite powerful and the time ended with a big hug and smile from the pastor who received a Cougs hat from me. He was delighted.

Tonight I meet with the dean of the French speaking seminary to talk about prayer in Africa. It should be informative.

One of the team is sick today, please be praying for us and our health.

In His Grip.

Congo III

July 24, 2007

Mbote` (Lingala “hello”)

It’s been a few days since I’ve had time to write and there are a number of things that have occurred. So I will try to catch up a little.

On our flight north to Gemena we landed at the Equator in the old “milk-run” fashion. While there we had to disembark while the plane was fueled. So they dropped the stairs in the tail of the plane and we walked onto the tarmac and waited. We were greeted by vendors selling different fruits and the team leaders bought some for all of us to share. One reminded me of a sea anemone with bright colors and soft spikes. Under the skin was a grape like fruit whose seed reminded someone of a pistachio nut. What struck me as somewhat incongruous was that we were ½ mile from the equator, essentially in the jungle, with a D.C. 9 and someone’s cell phone ringing. Technology is ubiquitous it seems.

On arrival in Gemena we received a very warm welcome and program put on for our behalf. Then it was dark and dinner time. I must admit it is a little odd for it to be dark at 6:00 p.m. in July, but this is the equator.

The next day we went to “The Temple” (what they call the church building) for the 10:00 a.m. service. We arrived at 9:15 and it was already ½ full with the choir singing as a prelude (and boy can they sing!). It was a standing room only crowd somewhere around 1,200 people and by the time they finished with church and the opening of the pastors conference it was after 1:00 p.m. My tush does not have enough cush for that amount of sitting, but I survived. That afternoon several of us met with the president of the Congo Free Church, the new head of the French speaking seminary (for all Africa) and some bible institute leaders. It was good to hear their hearts and vision.

On Monday several of us spoke at the conference. In the afternoon I was on again with Kevin so I did not get to go visit a couple of kids the mission is working with who have lost their parents to AIDS. I was sorry to miss that but think I will get an opportunity later.

This afternoon I did get to visit the site were they are putting up buildings for housing widows and teenaged orphan girls. They have been able to purchase 120 acres and will build homes that will house two widows with several teen girls. They will also have gardens (a major source of food and income) and a skills center. Because the girls have no parents to teach them basic life skills (such as gardening or sewing) this will be important. The church has also realized the need to provide something for unwed teen mothers and so have decided to include them in this project. Across the road from the site is a large parcel that Habitat for Humanity was developing. But they are closing down the project, so Tom is talking with them about letting the church/mission put more homes on that property as well. They can build a home for about $3,000. In talking about how we might partner in something like this in the future one idea came up of having skilled people come to teach life skills (sewing, carpentry, gardening, etc…). An interesting thought.

The weather so far has been pretty decent. In Kinshasa it is the dry season and was fairly hot. The city was very dusty and dirty and could use a little rain to clean things up. Here in Gemena it is now the rainy season and so far it’s not been bad. I got caught last night when I needed to move from one building to another, but it has only rained at night so far. Today the temperatures must be mid-70’s and is very pleasant.

The food is very tasty, but if you are on the Adkins diet you might have trouble. In an illustration of the hospitality of the people, I had been concerned about the portions I take. In talking with Rachel Martin (who oversees the Orphans ministry) I found out that by asking for seconds you are not seen as greedy, but as honoring the cooks. Apparently there has been a sense that when Americans visit they have conveyed that the Congolese food is not very good and so don’t take much. It is so nice to have someone who understands the culture explain things to me. The people have so little, and in my concern for them, I could have offended them unknowingly. Speaking of food, can you imagine feeding lunch to 1,000 people at a conference for four days without even an oven? I have no idea how they do it with just open charcoal fires but they do.

We leave Thursday for the Tandala mission station and I don’t think there is any internet availability there. But when we return next Thursday to Gemena I will try to get another post out. The internet connection here is limited by an 11 Mb router and is dependent upon when the generator is running, not to mention how many people want on. So the next post may not be until I’m stateside again.

Regardless, please keep praying for us.

In His Grip.

Congo - II; Church

Church today was an experience. A big building with concrete floors, block walls (with openings for airflow) and a tin-roof. Seats a thousand, our style. But they had people standing in the back and outside where they could hear. The choir music is amazing, especially when the jimbe was played. They love choir robes even though it is hot (maybe 90 degrees and 80% humidity?). Some of the people who have come for the conference have WALKED 200 miles to be here and their generosity is amazing. They have so much to teach the church in the west. It reminds me of Paul taking the offering to Jerusalem and says that the Macedonians, out of their extreme poverty gave generously. As part of the service today they did a memorial for a former missionary who died last month. He was here for years and helped start the hospital and schools. They gave the entire offering to Tom and Kevin to deliver to his widow, to honor his memory. Incredible. Imagine a church in America giving up an entire offering, let alone one in the midst of such poverty.
-Nils

Congo I

July 20, 2007

After a long trip I’ve arrived in the DRC. The trip started on an interesting note. Literally. When I was checking my luggage in at Sea-Tac I had problems getting it sent straight through to Kinshasa. During the 20 minutes of delay one of the employees asked where I was headed and when I said Kinshasa his eyes lit up. He had grown up there. Before I left the counter (with my bags checked through) he had written me a note and given me a school to visit if possible. Small world.

The trip itself was fairly uneventful, at least for me, however it was getting old by the time 24 hours of traveling had rolled around and we were over North Africa. Finally, we began our descent into Kinshasa and as we did I found my excitement rising. I pondered that for a bit as it caught me off-guard to feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I almost felt elated. Then I had a new experience. Once we touched down people began to applaud. I half-expected the pilot to come out and take a bow! But then I found out today that an Air-bus had crashed in Brazil yesterday, so I wonder if the people knew about that and thus were relieved to have arrived safely.

When we arrived we were met by several men from the church here and they had the challenge of transporting bags for seventeen people, plus additional boxes of supplies, on top of getting all of us into vehicles. A task that they accomplished nicely. It was a bit cozy in the Nissan Pathfinder I rode in with four of us in the back seat, but we made it to where we are staying. Then to our pleasant surprise we found out that we would have hot showers and air conditioning in our rooms! With only a sheet for a bedcover it’s really no surprise that I woke up shivering at 5:00 a.m. this morning, but how ironic can it get? Tonight we will try the ceiling fan alone and see if that helps.

After breakfast this morning we waited for a vehicle to pick us up and take us on a tour of the churches in this city of ten million. But, as is the African way, it took “a little” longer for the bus to get here and we only got to two of the five churches. The first church, Meluku, was about a ninety minute drive out into the country. They are a church plant which is about four years old and they have grown to around 100 people. When we arrived we found perhaps 20 adults (and probably 30 children) who had been waiting since 8:00 a.m. for us, and we did not arrive until nearly 1:00 p.m. They do not have a building but have erected a rudimentary shelter using tree limbs for poles and attaching rope as a frame for the roof. They attached some tarps as the roof and put some benches underneath and that is where they gather.

They have planted Manioch (a.k.a. Casaba in South America) which they harvest for the root (kind of like potatoes) and the leaves from which they get a dish similar to spinach. The purpose is to sell the produce to raise money for ministry, but they have no machetes or other tools to cut the plants to propagate their crop (although that need may have been met today).

They did ask us to pray for them. When they began, an individual gave the church about 3 acres of land, but a government requirement here is that they do something with it within five years or they lose it. So they hope to erect a building and once they have a building started, the government will leave them alone. They have one year left to do this and they figure it will cost them $3,500 for an adequate building, of which they have saved $500. Once they get the building done they also hope to build a clinic and school along with a house for the pastor on the property. So do pray for them and that need. I took some video on my camera and hope to get that posted soon.

Tomorrow we fly north to Gemena, a city of 150,000 (estimated) without any services (such as power and water/sewer). It is here that the major pastors conference will take place.

Keep praying!

Nils

Congo News

Tom Cairns translated this piece of news he received from the Congo on Friday. It speaks specifically of Gemena, where we will be for the vision trip. Could God desire to use us in some way to help with the education of Congolese children, especially young girls? Be praying.

GEMENA: More the 900 grade school finalists fail the national exam, due to lack of school funds

Information provided by the chief of the sub-division of primary, secondary and professional schools, EPSP/Gemena. The scholastic loss strikes especially at the girls, according to the same source to radiookpai.net.

Mme. Yvonne Biye adds that there were about 4700 registered candidates. This number is far inferior to that of previous years. For her this scholastic loss is due to the parents lack of financial means. In this environment, she adds, the majority of the parents are peasants. They live essentially from agriculture. Yet the terrible disrepair of the roads doesn’t let them get their agricultural produce out to the markets in the large centers. There is also the fact that the salaries of the government employees arrived late relative to the date of the test. These two factors, explained Mme. Biye, are the basis of the high scholastic failure rate.

The chief of the EPSP sub-division also took note of the very low rate of participation of girls at the test: “The majority of these girls were pregnant before the test, and were thus not able to take the test.” According to her, these students will have to wait until next year to take the test. However, Mme. Biye was glad for the participation of 159 other students, the former child-soldiers who were in the care of Conader and those of four remedial centers initiated by UNICEF.

More Congo

Several years ago a saying emerged regarding Cornerstone. It wasn't a witty statement nor was it something noted for its originality. None-the-less there was a sense that it was of God and it was for us. The saying is simply this:

"God wants to change the world by touching lives in Pullman."

This statement has proven true in a number of ways. Mainly in the number of people who move from Cornerstone/Pullman to other parts of the country (or world) and are involved in ministry where they now live. But it has also shown itself to be the case in our trips to serve in San Francisco or New Orleans. Lives have been touched.

Now we are looking at possible involvement in the Congo.

I am getting ready for the vision trip in July with the understanding it will be mainly about listening and learning from our Congolese brothers and sisters already ministering there. Discovering their hearts, their struggles and their victories while listening to the Lord about how we might help them do what He has called them to. I am excited about this.

Yet now the Lord has thrown in a little twist. As it turns out, we will be arriving just prior to a major pastor's conference and the conference has extended an invitation for the pastors on this trip to address the conference two different times. What a privilege! Although going from being an observer of the church ministry there to presenting at a pastor's conference is a little surprising, I find that I am really looking forward to it.

What has prompted this post beginning with the phrase "God wants to change the world by touching lives in Pullman" is that I anticipated this trip being a vision trip. A trip to learn how God might use us in the future to more directly "change the world". I did not think he might also want to use this trip now. But Abba Father can be surprising at times. Yet, then again, it makes sense when I look back on the emphasis we have placed on equipping believers that God might grant me an opportunity to do a little equipping on this trip.

But to do this means I will need your prayers. At present I know I will speak twice at the conference and preach both Sundays we are there as well (average service length is 2-4 hours, oh my!). But it appears there may be some other opportunities developing to encourage pastors as well. What this means is that the schedule is somewhat fluid, but that's okay, because God wants us there to serve. So, please be praying for me/us and the trip. Pray for protection, provision and guidance. For team chemistry and sensitivity to the Spirit and to the people. Most of all, for the Lord Jesus to be lifted high.

Adventure on!

Congo Vision Trip Update

Things seem to be coming together for the Congo Vision Trip this July. Posted below is a brief description of what's going on with our sister churches in the Ubangi province and what the vision trip is about.

The Acronyms – What are they?

1. CECU – This the Evangelical Free Church of Congo, officially transliterated as the Evangelical Community of Christ in the Ubangi. More about this later.

Over the years of fighting in Congo, plus disease, especially AIDS, large numbers of women have become widows, and large numbers of children have been orphaned. In keeping with the dozens of passages in Scripture enjoining us to care for the needs of widows and orphans and the needy around us, the CECU has had a heart to do something for them and has developed two specific programs:

2. PEASIT – The program for training and help for those affected by AIDS. Interestingly the “T” on the end of PEASIT comes from the Lingala word “Let’s take care of ourselves”, recognizing the importance that each person must be involved in this process, not just getting help from outside.

-- A big part of this program has been a broad educational program throughout the Ubangi (the Free Church serves this area which is roughly the size of Indiana) which has been highly effective. Arlington Heights EFC was a major player in helping get this started.

-- A second big part is the orphan sponsorship program, Global FingerPrints. It’s taken awhile to get all the pieces together with the web connections and getting kids enrolled, but things are moving forward very well now with 250 children already sponsored and more to be added in the near future. Generally speaking these are children who are younger and have some family roots, even if parents are gone. So GF is helping to cover educational costs, health costs, nutritional programs, clothing and other things to help these extended families continue to care for the children in their homes, rather than the orphanage approach.

3. CEVO – This is a major initiative the church is taking which began with the women’s ministry in the CECU and is now fully a program of the church leadership as well. CEVO is the French acronym for the “Training Center for Widows and Orphans”, an initiative of the Free Church of Congo (CECU). This is for the many widows in the church, widows who need training in various skills such as sewing, caring for gardens, animals, and various other job skills. It is also for older orphans, those who have not gotten far in the educational system but need training for skills to survive in life. This will include various kinds of job training, both in farming and animal husbandry, and in various other job skills like carpentry, metal work, etc. Special emphasis will be placed on teen girls who are more vulnerable and need training for life.

God has given the church a large piece of land very near the church offices, roughly 60 acres in size on which to develop the CEVO project. Already several buildings are going up and some of the land is being planted with gardens in order to maintain clear ownership of the property.

Purposes of our trip: Here is a broad statement, but each church needs to develop its own purpose as well:

We want to help churches and individuals to understand the realities of AIDS and war which have resulted in thousands of widows and orphans in Congo; to see the needs, to learn from the church leadership about their vision, to understand the realities of life and projects in this context, and to offer wisdom and consultation on possible solutions to issues we face. And ultimately we pray that the participants will go home to their churches, highly motivated to partner with the CECU and the EFCA International Mission to partner with us to help those in so much need in Congo.

[Taken from an update letter by Tom Cairns, Chief Medical Officer, ReachGlobal (EFCA International Missions)]

How you can help

1) Pray for the Lord to clearly guide and to provide for this trip.

2) Give. We need funds to pay for the trip. You can give a gift to Cornerstone designated Congo Vision Trip. Or you can buy a raffle ticket. We are raffling an iPod Nano at $5/ticket to help raise funds (better yet, sell some tickets to your friends). Or you can donate something nice for a yard sale April 28. Or you can help with a "Congo Carwash". Email the church office if you need more information or if you have other ideas (office@pullmancornerstone.org or phone 509-334-9191).

Congo Thoughts

In talking with Kevin Komplein about the possible vision trip to the Congo, he recommended I read "Against all Hope: Hope for Africa" It is filled with information and I thought I would pass some of it on to you as we pray about the trip.

Here are some clips:

Africa is home to over 874 million people, or about 14% of the world population. Think about this for a moment. 14% of the world's population lives on more than 22% of its total land area The combined population of China, India, Europe, Argentian, New Zealand and the U.S. is approximately 3.3 billion people or 54% of the world population. If this other 54% of the world's population inhabit land that is equal to the land mass of Africa, what does that tell you about the African continent?

Africa is the world's richest continent (emphasis theirs) in terms of natural resources.

It has been said that Zambia, Zimbabwe, and The Democratic Republic of Congo have the agricultural potential to feed the entire continent.

The Democratic Republic of Congo contains 90% of the world's cobalt, and 85% of its platinum. Sierra Leone has the world's largest supply of titanium. African mines produce most of the world's diamonds, three-quarters of the world's gold, and a fifth of the world's copper. The largest known repository of Columbite-tantalite, [used in circuit boards, cell phones, computers...] is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Yet "despite these countless blessings and riches [outlined in the booklet], Africa remains undeniably the most poverty-stricken and broken continent on the planet."

On the Human Development Index developed by the U.N. to measure "quality of life" the Congo ranks 168 out 174.

On the Corruption Perception Index Finland was best at 9.7 while the Congo came in tied at 114 with 2.3

In 2005 a "Least Livable Countries" list put the Congo at #11.

(By Darrow Miller with Scoot Allen, copyright Disciple Nations Alliance)

These are just a few indicators of the great need and the great potential that Africa has. One of the main points of the booklet is that many people in Africa have professed Christ, but have not understood the need to be transformed by Him. Jesus Christ and the Gospel is "fire insurance", not Lord over all of life (political, social, economic, justice etc...).

What is cool for me to see, is that the Evangelical Free Church of the Congo has grown to 867 churches and they are asking for help in training pastors (to help transform the people) as well as help with the other needs (AIDS, orphans, medical, agricultural...). So they recognize the need for transformation and wholistic ministry and are inviting the Evangelical Free Church of America to help. Are we to be a part of that?

There is a sense among us at Cornerstone that God is in this. If so, the next step is for me and perhaps one or two others to go on a two week vision trip in July. After that we would debrief with the body here and seek to discern how the Lord would have us be involved in the Congo, if at all. So, at the last church meeting, we decided to ask God to make it clear if I am to participate on the vision trip in July. We said we would pray daily until February 11, when we will meet to discuss what we as a body sense God is saying to us.

Even if you were unable to attend the meeting, please join us in asking God to confirm to us over the next 10 days what He desires... and then keep your eyes and ears open for what He might do!

In His Grip!

Nils

For more information see the links section at the upper left for World Vision information. Also, Elim E. Free Church is part of the July vision trip and their CongoBlog is very good. Check it out.

Congo Vision Trip?

Over the past couple of years I've been wondering if God might want to use us in some fashion in Africa. The AIDs epidemic is leaving a staggering number of children orphaned. Natural calamities such as drought have devastated crops. People have warred against others, destroying villages and lives. It's heart-breaking! But just what could our little church do to make a difference?

I began praying and searching for what God might have for us and then last spring received an invitation for a vision trip to the Congo. The International Mission of the Evangelical Free Church of America (of which Cornerstone is a part) wanted people to see what God has done over the recent past there. Because of the political unrest in the 1990's the missionaries where forced to leave the Congo, but not God. In spite of the brutalities, including the killing of some 4 million people, the church has grown. There are now 867 Evangelical Free Churches of the Congo! Nearly as many as in the United States.

The Congo Free Churches are growing but they have asked for help. Of the 867 churches, only about 200 have pastors with any kind of training. They have three hospitals involved with medical care and they have developed an AIDs initiative to minister to those affected, especially the children. The needs are great. Do we have any resources that God might use to help them?

The origninal vision trip was canceled due to the political unrest surrounding the Congo's first democratic election in July. The run-off election occurred October 29 and it appears that maybe some stability has returned to the region. If so, the original trip will depart in January, Lord willing.

In the meantime I have been talking with Kevin Kompelein (the International Mission Director for Africa) and he's suggesting I go with him in July to see first hand how Cornerstone might be a help in the Congo. The purpose is not for us to "hand out" but to "work with". To listen and learn in order to know how we might then serve. The Lord obviously has matured the church there, but they are lacking in resources. While the church in the U.S. has lots of resources but could certainly learn a great deal about faith in the midst of persecution from the Congolese. So we want it to be a partnership.

I am sensing that God is in this, but is this his timing? Will you pray with me that God will make His will very clear regarding this vision trip? Becoming involved in the Congo would be amazing for us. But without God, it will be impossible. Fortunately, our God is the God of the impossible! Be praying and stay tuned!

P.S. Check out this link Congo Blog