Join the Pilgrims via Video

It's been months now since we returned from Congo, but I've finally found time to edit the video footage that we took.  Here are links to 4 videos, if you'd like to get a better sense of the experiences we had along the way.

1.  Morning In Mampoko
A six-minute video that will provide a look at a journey by boat on the Congo River, plus a look at life in the village of Mampoko, 60 miles upriver from Mbandaka.

2.  Congo Nutritional Clinic
A 16-minute video about a nutritional clinic run by the Mbandaka District of the Disciples of Christ in Congo, where they are treating malnourished children and educating their parents.

3. A Musical Evening with Congolese Choirs
A lively one-hour video where you can experience the amazing energy and uplifting singing of several choirs from the Mbandaka District of the Disciples of Christ in Congo.

4.  Indiana Pilgrims in Mbandaka, Congo, May 2011
An overview of the time the pilgrims spent in the Mbandaka District of the Disciples of Christ in Congo - 25 minutes, many pictures of Congolese life and worship.

To Touch the Congo Sky

Today's blog is a poem (perhaps someday to be a song?) written by Rev. Vernon J. Stover, who was a pilgrim on the journey to Mbandaka, Congo.  He speaks with a beautiful voice about how deeply we all were touched by our pilgrimage.

TO TOUCH THE CONGO SKY

To touch the Congo sky,
To breathe its reddened past,

    

To see what it will be 

        In ev'ry child I've passed,

To hear its odes to joy

  Phrased by the river's word, 

    






To savor fruit and fish

        As presence of our Lord
Does make my heart brim full

With cane juice dripping sweet,

Does make my soul sing out

In song of pulsing beat,

Does make my mind unwrap

The gift of dancing friends,
Does make my arms embrace

The changeless God-filled winds.

Your will, O LORD, calls forth
All those who will but try
To fill the world with love
Or touch the Congo sky. 

THANKS, VJ!  AND THANKS, GREAT PILGRIMS!

"The Things We Didn't Know"

Notes from May 28

One of our goals for the journey was to learn what it means to "walk in another's shoes", and to share what it means to walk in our shoes.  This Saturday was certainly a wonderful opportunity to accomplish that task.  Scott Seay, a professor of Global Christianity at Christian Theological Seminary, had the opportunity to visit the faculty and students of the theological faculty at the Protestant University of Equateur (Equateur is the province in which Mbandaka is located).  Bob Shaw went along as interpreter and, as chair of the Congo Task Force, interested party.  According to all reports, they had an exciting morning sharing information about theological education in both countries.  Scott reported that although their library was, of necessity, small, its contents were very impressive.  The depth of the curriculum was likewise very impressive.  Knowing that there will be few opportunities to share much of the material in the churches the students will serve, it is nevertheless considered important that the pastors' own faith be grounded in a deep understanding of the Bible and Christianity's greatest thinkers.



The rest of the pilgrims spent the morning with Disciples women and female pastors.  The study was led by our own Rev. Toni Colbert, who spoke deeply and movingly of the meaning of a Bible passage for all Christian women.  She was presented with a gift of cloth that is worn by many Christian women in Congo.  Both Congolese and US women shared stories of their vision for their role as women in the church.  The whole group broke out into spontaneous song and dance, accompanied by enthusiastic women drummers.  Surely a morning to remember.

During the afternoon, most of the group journeyed down the Congo River by pirogue to Ikengo Farm, a model agricultural project that is sponsored by the Disciples of Christ.  This project (Centre Agro-Pastorale) is both teaching the Congolese how to improve their own agriculture and providing a much-needed source of income for Disciples in Congo.



Vernon Stover spent the afternoon working with the choral directors of the Mbandaka parishes, sharing western four-part harmony versions of hymns that are traditional both in Africa and the USA.  I was privileged to help with translation (and when necessary, demonstrations of directing techniques, but certainly not with the singing).  It was amazing to hear how quickly tunes could be learned by a people where music is simply a fundamental part of their being.

Saturday ended with some very welcome rest, after four very intense and exhausting days.  Besides, all of the pastors needed time to prepare for their sermons, to be given at five very diverse parishes, the next day.

Patience

Notes from May 24

Well, we are all disappointed. We were delayed by a mechanical failure in New York and missed the daily flight from Brussels to Kinshasa. This did provide me with the chance to share a bit of Brussels, which I consider a second home, with the pilgrims, and the history of DR Congo is closely intertwined with Belgium. We are also better rested by breaking the journey with a good night's rest.

While visiting the cathedral St. Michel in Brussels, we were saddened to learn by text on the death of Naomi, the daughter of our good friend Rev. Maman Nzeba, head of the Department of Women and Families of the Church of Christ in Congo. We offered prayers for her family in their time of loss. We were to have met with her today.

We are currently somewhere over northern Africa, bound for Youande (Cameroon), then on to Kinshasa tonight. We are very anxious to meet with our sisters and brothers there. We may not have much time, though, because our flight to Mbandaka is scheduled for 8am tomorrow. Have no idea if I will be able to make this post before then!

We are blessed to have people in the Division of Overseas Ministry of the Disciples of Christ working with our partners in Kinshasa and Mbandaka to let them know of our delay. This will make extra work for them, for which we are very sorry. But as we are reminded again and again (even by the pilot of the airplane with mechanical problems), this is an "event-based" trip and not a "schedule-based" trip. In some ways, this is one of the hardest lesson for us. What happens will occur in God's time and way - and we are practicing patience and trying very hard to stay in the moment. I hope we are good students.

Two brief side notes: While I am practicing patience, I am reading "Half the Sky", a very compelling book about women's issues in emerging countries - highly recommended and good preparation for our experience. Second, the woman across the aisle from me is from Paoli, IN, on her way to Kinshasa to continue the process of adopting two Congolese children. The world really is quite small.

Please pray for our Congolese partners as they have the inconvenience of dealing with our delay. Peace to all who read this.

Susan McNeely
Sent from my iPod

On Time After 24 Hours

May 26, beginning in Mampoko

After spending all day and part of the night on the river yesterday, and dancing till midnight, we still woke up a little before 5 am in the guest house.  Church was announced for 5 am, but we doubted this would happen, until the big lokole (talking drum) started thrumming exactly at 5.  We were called to worship!  Sleepily the whole village gathered, including choirs from other parishes that had come the day before to welcome us, and had stayed over to be certain to have a chance to sing for us.

After a very moving worship, where Bob share the importance of partnership for the Indiana Disciples as well as the Congolese Disciples, we walked to the primary and secondary schools.  Only one year ago, rebels had come through Mampoko on their way to Mbandaka.  The people fled into the forest, and the rebels burned many things in the village, including many of the school desks. Children in some classes now had to sit on the floor, because there is no easy way to cut down the giant trees and plane them into planks.
After breakfast, it was time to prepare to leave our new friends, which was hard.  We were given gifts - fruit, three chickens, a duck, three goats, and a crocodile (yes, crocodile - lunch the following day!).  All had to be loaded onto our already heavily-laden boat.  At 9 am, we set off.

We headed down river to Lolonga, and arrived after a few hours, only 24 hours later than planned.  As before, a great welcome awaited us.
We descended from the boat through arches and walked on cloths along a file of dancing people for several hundred yards to the half-completed church.  They had raised enough money for bricks to build half of the walls, but construction was on hold.  Our offering should help to move them along.


By the time we left Lolonga, we were short on water, so we were careful to share what little we had.  Bread, fresh fruit, and avocados tasted great for lunch.  The pineapple and oranges helped slake our thirst.
Although the day was very hot, travel was cooler than the day before because the captain had thoughtfully removed one of the forward windows in the small cabin, and a breeze filtered through past the goats when the boat was moving.  The most amazing thing was that in spite of all the difficulty along the way, everyone, pilgrims and Congolese alike, continued to joke, sing, and happily share stories throughout the whole return trip.

Late in the afternoon, storms gathered on the horizon, but we arrived at the guest house just at nightfall, with only a few drops of rain before we left the boat.  Tired and thirsty, we remained joyful and amazed at our good fortune to have a wonderful chance to experience the daily lives of our partners - to truly walk (and ride) beside them for a while.

There is a River

May 26, 2011

How to describe the trip to Mampoko without sounding like the “African Queen”? Not easy, that’s for sure. Very early in the morning descended from the guest house to the Congo River and loaded 14 people into a 8 meter (24 ft) runabout for the trip upriver. Six crammed into the small cabin and 8 were in the cockpit. 

Soon after we set off, the motor started to sputter. We pulled to shore, worked on it, and finally went back across the river to Mbandaka, where we all disembarked and ate the picnic breakfast. Water in the gas, maybe? The boat took off to get more gas while we ate. Finally, at 9 am, we set off again. The engine was only firing on two of four cylinders, but that was all we were going to have today. 

We cruised for hours upriver, marveling at the small villages along the river. It got hot; then it got hotter, especially in the small cabin with a metal roof. We rotated positions often so everyone had a chance to cool down a bit. We ate lunch in the boat, and made a short stop midafternoon. 

The sun sank down, and we finally reached Lolonga, where we were supposed to stop on the return trip. Surely Mampoko was not far. Darkness fell, and we could no longer see the sand bars to avoid them, so we stopped frequently. Two hours passed, and nervousness turned to fear. We must certainly turn back now! 

As the stars became brighter and brighter (there is no way to tell you how incredibly bright they were), it became clear that we were where God intended us to be that day, and we would just have to be patient. Each light from fishermen along the river raised hope that we were nearing the village; another hour passed. Finally, about 9 pm, we began to hear singing, and we pulled to shore. In the darkness, hands reached out and pulled us up the steep hill and guided us toward a compound where dinner, dancing, and rest awaited us. We had arrived, 10 hours late, and yet the whole village turned out to meet us! We enjoyed a late supper before the festivities began. 

As we settled in to watch the dancing, we had a great surprise when we were allowed to hold young Henoch, the baby whose dedication was pictured in the video from the 2008 trip (see the link on this blog site).  He is now a strong 3-year-old, and his father has moved from Nsele to Mampoko to serve as pastor. 

The dancing and drumming continued for a while after we finally collapsed about midnight, being the first visitors to the brand new guest house in this village.  We realized that we were granted a rare opportunity to truly enter into the daily life of the Disciples who live along the great river.  Unplanned, unsettling, we were on our way to accomplishing one of the goals we had set for our journey - to encounter our brothers and sisters where they live, and to walk beside them for a while.

Playing Catch Up - Arrival in Mbandaka

I was unable to connect to the internet while we were in Congo, but there is much to tell about the experience.  Join me in re-living the journey as we experienced it, starting with our arrival in Mbandaka on May 25.  (Due to a mechanical problem in New York, we arrived in Brussels too late to catch the daily flight for Kinshasa.  This did give Bob and me a chance to share the delights of our old home town with the pilgrims.  While in St. Michel's Cathedral, we learned of the death of the daughter of Maman Nzeba, a good friend who stayed with us last summer during her Indiana visit.  I lit a candle and offered prayers for this family in a time of deep sorrow.  This was a reminder of how connected we have all become through the Partnership, and how deeply the sorrow of one can be felt by us all.)

Arrival in Mbandaka May 25, 2011

We’ve finally arrived in Mbandaka.   We arrived at the ECC hotel in Kinshasa fairly late at night, and rose at 5:45 a.m to go to the airport at 6:30 to be weighed in for an 8 am departure.  Unfortunately, we had the wrong figure for the allowed weight, and we had almost 100 kg too much.  They kindly removed two of the seats, and we pared everything down, but only by leaving personal items and all of our gifts except the banners behind.  MAF will bring them up when they fetch us for the return flight, so we can still get them to our partners.

The flight  up was beautiful and very calm.  When we arrived at the Mbandaka airport, there was a large contingent of soldiers and a military band on the runway.  The plane from the local airline Hera Bora had just arrived, and there were some important ministers or a general aboard, hence the welcome.  We waited until they left, but several of our partners came out to the plane to greet us while we waited.  How good to see Papa Bonanga (head of the Disciples of Christ in Congo), his wife Anna (who will be our hostess for meals), Principal Supervising Pastor Ilumbe (Mbandaka District, similar to regional minister), his wife Maman Rosette (chair of the partnership committee in Mbandaka), and our diligent protocol officer, Jean Robert.  In many ways, it feels like coming home again.  As soon as we exited the airport property, a huge crowd welcomed us with songs, dancing, and drums.

Off to the city center, accompanied by the greeters.  We descended from the cars about 5 blocks from Mbandaka III church.  The street was lined the entire distance with school children and adults, singing again to greet us.  There is always a strong Palm Sunday feel about these welcomes.  We participated in a great welcome service and presented the large partnership banner that is the gift from Indiana to the Mbandaka district.  There are small banners with the logo for all of the district churches, which will be presented as we visit them.  Lunch, rest, discussion of itinerary, and dinner, then early to bed.  We are scheduled to depart at 5 a.m. tomorrow.

Gifts

Another of the lessons we have learned from Congolese Disciples is that the value of a gift has very little to do with the cost of the gift.  Value is measured by the thought put into choosing the gift, and the meaning the gift has for both the receiver and the giver.  Time and again, as we were given gifts, the symbolism of the gift was explained in great detail.  When we were given two fish, they were not just two fish - they represented the partnership between two churches, Indiana and Mbandaka.  If there were three fish, it did not mean that the catch had been larger that day - it was a symbol for the Trinity: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Two men traveled 12 hours paddling a canoe, gave us a jar of honey, remained with us for about an hour, then climbed in the canoe and paddled 18 hours back up river to their home parish.  What is the value of that gift?  I can tell you, the honey tasted as if it had come straight from heaven - as it had.

We have thought long and hard about the gifts we are taking with us to our partners, and I am happy that we have chosen something that will speak of the value our partnership has for the Mbandaka District of the Disciples of Christ in Congo, and for the Christian Church in Indiana.


There is good evidence that we are learning about the value of meaningful gifts.  The offerings from our CYF (secondary school) and Chi Rho (middle school) assemblies, and possibly our summer camp offerings, are going to our partner's youth to help them buy musical instruments to share their faith.  One church had a "Step into the Waters" theme for Lent - and raised money for a well and latrine project in Congo.  Congregations with concerns about health have supported a nutritional clinic and the start-up of a pharmacy in Mbandaka.  Gifts to buy bicycles and a motorcycle, treasured in a country where transportation is always a problem, were linked to the Sabbatical theme for a pastor at one congregation.

Gifts with deep meaning, both for the giver and the receiver.  Valued by both.

Hospitality

It is very hard to describe the warmth and enthusiasm of a welcome celebration in DR Congo (or many other parts of Africa, for that matter).  Everyone who has experienced it seems to suffer for a lack of words that do justice to the experience.  You can get a glimpse of it in videos (2008 Partnership Video), but it is the very sense of being surrounded by people who are excited and overjoyed to welcome you to their home that is impossible to capture.  This is not something "staged" or arranged - this is so much a part of who the Congolese are.  They simply cannot imagine any other way to act when a visitor appears.

From the time we set foot on the ground in Kinshasa, until we finally enter the secure area at the airport upon our departure, we will be enfolded in the arms of the 10th Community - Disciples du Christ au Congo, and cared for as we would be nowhere else in the world.  For we are not just visitors,  to whom generous hospitality is always shown, but we are family.  In my last call with Rev. Ilumbe, I could hear the joy in his voice to speak of the "surprise" we will have on arrival in Mbandaka - what a blessing!

I have often imagined what it would be like if visitors in Disciples churches in the US received this kind of welcome.  What if we sang our joy at their presences with us?  What if we immediately invited them to share in our daily lives?  Would it change our very being?  Is this really a part of our faith?

"The Things We Learned"

Several of the titles of the "books" within the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (a great novel about the Democratic Republic of Congo during the time of independence and the following years) seem so appropriate for my Congo experiences.  Much of what we have received in Indiana involves learning new ways to look at the gospel, at everyday life, and our relationships with each other.

For me, I would count these as the most important things I have learned, and I intend to write about them in the next few blogs:

     Hospitality
     The Meaning of Gifts
     Joy
     Stepping Out in Faith (for this one, see a February post, "How Do They Do It?"

Diane Spleth described her Congo experience this way:  "I knew that I was coming to be changed, but I think that I have been converted anew".  It is one of my hopes for this trip that in some small way, all Indiana Disciples may share a piece of this experience.

To that end, I give you a new verse to a favorite hymn of Disciples in both DR Congo and the US, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".  Perhaps you'd like to sing it during Congo Partnership Week, May 22-29 (Congo Partnership Week - Indiana).

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN CONGO

What a friend we have in Congo,

Far across the ocean wide!

What a joy to share our Savior

As our caring, loving guide.

What a faith we have in common,

What a heritage we share!

We will walk together onward,

And our joys and sorrows share.

"The Things We Carried"

Another appropriate chapter title from the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.  It's time to pack, and we have the usual problem - there is too much BAGGAGE!

In this case, it's actually a good problem, because we have a variety of gifts that we will be carrying to our partners, and the challenge is to fit it into luggage and meet the airline requirements.  Clothing is much easier, because we are going to a warm climate.  Weight is a bit of a special challenge on the flight to Mbandaka, because we are traveling on a small plane, but we will do all in our power to include the gifts and leave behind some of our "things" if necessary.

I have decided to take along my dulcimer to share with the students at the girls' school, and others as the occasion arises. This is an American instrument, created by early settlers in the late 1700's or early 1800's in the Appalachian area, close to the area where the Disciples of Christ began.  Rev. Ilumbe shared his songs and played guitar when he was here in 2009, and he was taken with the dulcimer because it was new to him.  I may include a native American flute, also.  These both fit in with the Congolese idea of making music from whatever is at hand.

The problem is that I can't really play well without music, so now I am having to choose my songs.  What shall I take?  I don't have room for more than a small notebook.  Some hymns, of course; definitely "What a Friend We Have in Jesus", shared by both Congolese and Indiana Disciples.  Some of the old favorites that have long been played on the dulcimer.  Some Celtic music that comes from my own roots.  Perhaps some African-American spirituals, returning to their roots.  The piece I'm working on for the lesson when I return, and the multiple pieces for the concert at Eagle Creek June  11.  Oh, yes - not to forget "The River and the Tree" - my own song inspired by my last sojourn in Congo.  I want to play that one on the porch as I look out at the Congo River.  And lastly, "Anywhere, Anywhen" - a song inspired by DisciplesNet Church that reminds us that our worship is not bound by time or geography.    And so it will be on this journey, we will be together in spirit with sisters and brothers everywhere and in every time zone.

Of course this is the most important part of the packing!

Partners

Indiana Disciples have received much from the Disciples in Mbandaka since our agreement was signed three years ago.  We have discovered a richness of faith that rivals, perhaps surpasses, the faith of those Disciples women who, in the late 1800s, insisted that Disciples of Christ must have a mission in Congo. They prayed, they sold eggs, they held fast, and the seeds of a mighty church were planted.  In return, the Disciples in the US were energized to share the good news with others.

Rev. Bonanga reminded us at the time of the signing of the agreement that this partnership between a region in the US and a district in DR Congo is a delicate thing, like an egg that is waiting to hatch, and that it will need to be nourished by all of us if it is to flourish.  The need for reciprocal visits were an important inclusion in the agreement.  Indiana churches were nourished and engaged through a video created from film of the first visit (http://blip.tv/file/1463643).  Congolese parishes were energized by the presences of their partners across the ocean.  In 2009, Rev. Ilumbe and his wife, Maman Rosette, visited over 40 Indiana congregations, camps, and other events.  In 2010, Rev. Linda McCrae of Central Christian Church, Indiananpolis, (and President of the Division of Overseas Ministries) journeyed to Mbandaka, and Rev. Maman Nzeba of the Church of Christ in Congo visited across Indiana and attended the Quadrennial, along with Maman Christiane Ikete.  And now, starting Sunday, May 22, 2011, eight of us will return to Mbandaka.

We have shared each other's joys (new church starts, births, friendships) and sorrows (floods and tornados in both countries, an Easter invasion, deaths) over the last three years.  We use Skype to hear and see each other from time to time.  We are no longer strangers, we are only friends and fellow Disciples separated by an ocean, but close in spirit.  On both sides of the Atlantic, we are richly blessed in a way we could not have imagined four years ago.

For the next few blogs, I want to reflect on some of the gifts we Indiana Disciples have received from our partners, and perhaps share pictures of some of the gifts we have given.

Blessings for the Journey

Today in each of our individual worship services, the pilgrims were "commissioned" for the trip to Congo.  It is a powerful reminder that we go, not for ourselves, but as representatives of our home congregations, the Christian Church in Indiana, and the Disciples of Christ in the US and Canada.  We carry a heavy responsibility.  Even more, we will return as missionaries and spokespersons for the Disciples of Christ in Congo.  We must remember that we do not carry this burden alone - we offer this journey to God, asking blessing and strength to complete it in accordance with God's will for this partnership and the world.

In my own church, the entire congregation gathered round us, some touching us, some touching others who were touching us.  The strength we felt from this support is powerful beyond words.  Just as we carry a responsibility, we will be upheld through the whole journey by the prayers of Disciples in the US and Disciples in DR Congo.  What a wonderful feeling!  Now we are prepared for what lies ahead.

Family

The Congo Pilgrims (and a couple of interested spouses) had their last meeting before beginning the voyage to Mbandaka next month.  We were blessed to have Sandra Gourdet, Executive Director for Africa in Global Ministries, share thoughts and a meal with us, along with Rick Spleth, Regional Minister for Indiana.  They both reminded us that we take this journey, not for ourselves, but for the larger church we all love.

Sandra made a profound statement that will stay with all of us:  "You are going home."  We will find a family welcome in Congo, for we are truly all one family.  Disciples of Christ, wherever they are, share such a strong belief that all are welcome at the table, and we will be with our family whenever we worship with each other.  Unity has been our polar star since the very beginning of the Disciples movement - and that causes us to extend our family across geographic boundaries and artificial lines dividing people, and especially Christians.

How good it is to know that we are truly going home - home to brothers and sisters who will welcome us as family.  We will eat together, worship together, pray together, sing together, laugh together, cry together, and we will never be alone.  "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?"  Well, actually, we will not be in a strange land.  We will be home.

Church Life Along the River

The following is a report from Rev. Ilumbe, the Principal Supervising Pastor of the Mbandaka Poste, 10th Community - Disciples of Christ in Congo.  This district is the partner of the Indiana Region of the Disciples of Christ, and it is the district that the Indiana pilgrims will be visiting.  It provides a great insight into the joys and difficulties of life among Christians in the Congo.



Excerpts from emails from Rev. Ilumbe
PSP Mbandaka Poste, 10th-CDCC

From Friday, March 18, 2011, until Wednesday, April 6, 2011, I traveled with two pastors who accompanied me to the parishes and sub-parishes that are along the Likelemba River (Nsanga, Etuku, Bondo, Monzambi, Bokwakulu, Ibenge, Esona, Makungubabu and Motongambala). We went by canoe.

The weekly and Sunday worship services took place as usual. However, we assembled, for the closing worship service on the 3rd of April at Motongambala, 900 persons (men, women, youth, and children).

From Monzambi to Motongambala, we traveled 15 kilometers (about 10 miles) on foot in a large forest. In this forest I was able to see a local church of pygmies, a short people who live essentially by hunting, fishing, and gathering. I preached to them in their own language. Their pastor is also a pygmy. One curious thing: his Bible and his collection of songs, like those of many Christians, was ragged and worn.

Concerning the activities, like the worship services, we organized seminars, moments of prayers for intercession. We baptized 41 persons and blessed 28 children.

Everywhere, the Christians expressed the need for Bibles, collections of songs in Lingala, and cups for the Eucharist. A large number of people do not receive appropriate medical care because of the lack of medicine. Their children study in lamentable conditions, traveling long distances by canoe, and others not having even the most ordinary objects.

I praise God for allowing me to discover other groups who have need of the word of God and prayers for their comfort and solace.

I am convinced that you will be amazed by these pictures, showing the noble work that we do for the glory of God.

Thanks again for your prayers.
May God bless you.

Révérend ILUMBE NDJONGO Bernard
PSP Mbandaka

Come Along With Us

It's the end of March - we leave in less that two months.  We've been to the travel clinic and will be handing over passports to the visa service next week.  Our final group is now fixed at eight pilgrims - arrangements are being made for flights, lodging, and all of the many other details that need to be taken care of in advance.

Even while we still complain about cold temperatures, our Congolese friends call and tell us about sun and very hot weather.  My thoughts are turning to the joy of seeing them again, and the great experiences we will share together.  We were told in 2008 that we were "pricked by the palm", meaning that a part of Congo would always be with us, and we would return again.  What a true statement, for in many ways, the Congo has never left me.  The video we created (Indiana Region 2008 Congo Trip Video), the many talks with Indiana churches, the visits from our partners, the Lokoleyacongo post (see link on this blog), and now plans for the upcoming pilgrimage all assure that Congo is in my heart.

I hope, through this blog, others will be able to experience the hospitality, the joy, the sorrow, and most of all, will be able to "meet" our Disciples partners in Mbandaka.  Someone said once, "God is everywhere in the world, but at night He comes home to Congo".  It's true that this is a place where the presence of God is a constant reality.  We want to bring some of this reality back with us.

Adventure in Travel, and Other Thoughts about Transport

So, I'm sitting in yet another airport, with about my 5th flight reschedule due to weather.  But I just realized that I arrived earlier than I planned on Tuesday (due to some creative changes), and I'm probably going to get home about an hour and a half late (if all goes will, hope this doesn't jinx it).  But I started imagining all of the things that might happen on a 30-hour combo of flights and layover on the trip to Mbandaka, which led to thoughts of the river trip that we will take when we get there.  In spite of the minor annoyances, the system worked for me, as it usually does in this country.  But think of a place with almost no roads, very minimal scheduled public transport, where the most reliable transport involves a canoe, only sometimes including a motor.  We just don't understand what we really have here.  We also do not understand the faithful witness of a church that would create a new church start because people had to walk 2.5 miles to get to church, school, clinics, and so on.  The church will not just witness to its faith, will not just evangelize, but will meet God's children at their point of deepest need.

As we cancel services because of weather, maybe we can find a renewed sense of being faithful to God through all things.  Our new internet church (DisciplesNet Church, at www.disciplesnet.org), was made for times like these, and places like Congo.  We are always welcome at the table, wherever and whenever we are.  God is always moving a hand over the face of the earth, and new things are springing forth.

Which makes a flight delay look pretty trivial - but it has given me lots of time to think on these things.

How Do They Do It?

New Church Start in Mbandaka - Bokilimba

We know that we have much to learn from our Congolese partners, and one of them is how to "plant" a church.  Obviously, you need a place to hold worship, and we put a lot of time and money into making that happen early in the process.  For the Congolese, if there is a need for a church, they make it happen - quickly.  For this new church, a few posts and a roof of palm branches is enough to begin, and by the second Sunday, there are more than 100 at the worship service.  I am sharing this wonderful story from Rev. Ilumbe, the Principal Supervising Pastor (regional minister) of the Mbandaka Post of the 10th Community-Disciples of Christ in Congo.  It is another learning point that they are concerned about the whole person - soul, certainly, but also mind and health.  But they start with the soul.

"Dear Rev. Rick

I have the joy of sending you photos of a new church in the district of Bokilimba, which is 4 kilometers from the town center.  The residents of the district have difficulty attending worship regularly because of the distance to the nearest parish. In addition, their children go to school on foot a long way, and the same is true for health and medical services, as there is no clinic near. Thus we thought it useful to begin to plant a new church which will enable more development bit by bit.  The church has been open only three weeks. The first Sunday we had 45 participants in worship, the second Sunday 114 and 111 the third. There is a trained teacher whose job is evangelism. Rosette and I visited the third Sunday to offer them encouragement, and to take these pictures.

We are praying so much that this new church may develop into a viable congregation like the others.

Hoping to hear from you soon, I pray for blessings for you and our friends in Indiana.

Révérend ILUMBE NDJONGO Bernard, PSP Mbandaka. "

 

Critical Presence

"Walk a mile in my shoes" - it is an overused phrase, but it contains much truth about relationship.  There is often much discussion about whether it is better to go to an emerging/developing country, or to send money to provide assistance.  Our Global Ministries department speaks always of the need for "critical presence", which is sometimes financial and resource assistance, but sometimes is simply what it says, PRESENCE.  I first understood this fundamental premise in Honduras, on a mission trip build houses for those displaced by a hurricane.  Time and again, people expressed amazement that we had taken vacation time to come to their country and work.  More than our money, or even our labor, our willingness to stand beside them in their time of travail was what mattered to them.  I was humbled.  We are so used to valuing things in economic terms, but they taught me that the real value is always in human terms.  The most profound example of presence I have ever heard came from David Vargas, co-president of Global Ministries.  He recounted a trip with the bishop of the Lutheran Synod in El Salvador years ago during the war there.  They were stopped en route at a road block, and papers were checked.  Seeing that David was an American, they were allowed to proceed.  As they went on, the bishop said simply, "Thank God you were here today.  If you had not been, I would have been killed."

A primary goal for our trip to Mbandaka is to be able to enter more fully into the daily life of our Disciples partners during our sojourn, to be present in their lives, to experience their stories in a way we cannot do with words only.  Two days ago, we received a proposal for activities during our sojourn.  Each of us will have some time to connect with those to whom we can best relate - pastors, women in Bible study, theological students and faculty, high school students learning English, youth leaders, church leaders, farmers, and most of all, fellow Christians.  It is humbling to see how carefully they are trying to arrange things so that we can truly walk beside them for a week.  The trip is officially no longer theoretical - it has its own life and purpose.  It is time for me to turn my thoughts again to what it will mean to be "present" at all times - to leave my mind empty of all thoughts so that I can hear the truth they will teach me by their very living.

Violence Here and There

The violence in DR Congo, especially in the east and toward women and children, is always in our minds when we speak about Congo.  Questions about it frequently come up during presentations.  Maman Nzeba, head of the Department of Women and Children for the ECC (Church of Christ in Congo, the national umbrella organization for Protestant churches in Congo), spoke often and powerfully about this during her visit in the summer of 2010.  The Congo Symposium in May 2010 (http://globalministries.org/news/africa/congo-symposium-dvd-clips.html) lifted up the problems in great detail.  The recent book, A Thousand Sisters by Lisa Shannon, follows one American's journey of discovery about the suffering there.

After the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and other innocents in Arizona, the murder of a promising young athlete and the shooting of a 16-year-old at a funeral for a victim of violence in my home town this past week, I am devastated.  In a small scale, I experience the frustration and fear of senseless violence.  It is so wrong, it is so meaningless.  What can possibly be done to stop it?

Consider, then, the devastation that must be felt in a country where more than 5 million people have died since 1997 due to the violence in Congo - that is roughly one in every 10 persons in the country.      There, it is a war of greed over resources.  Until the exploitation of this rich country stops, recovery seems unlikely.

Here the causes are less clear, and the impact is less widespread.  But the question remains, what can stop the violence?  Some of us would suggest that semi-automatic and automatic weapons have no place in the hands of civilians, and a reasonable first step would be to stop their sale for anything but military purposes.  But the power brokers for the weapons are strong, and a solution to our violence seems unlikely, too.

Today I am praying for an end to violence everywhere.  Too many of God's children are dying at the hands of other children of God.

The holidays are over

Today is "Three Kings Day" - not observed so much here in the US, but a very big day in Latin America. At our Disciples Net worship last night, we focused heavily on the meaning of the visit of the Magi to the newborn king - a reminder that from the very beginning, the gift of Christ was for the whole world. This is much in my mind at the moment.  Our daughter has just left to return to her home, and it seems that the holiday season is over.

As the hustle and bustle passes, my thoughts and efforts are turning to our trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  There are meetings to schedule, books to be read, visas need to be obtained, and a myriad of details that have been put on hold to focus on the celebration of God's greatest gift.  We are still trying to find a few more people to join us on the journey - it's important for several reasons.  We want to have a good delegation to meet with our partners, and it does help defray the steep expense of travel to a part of the world ill-served by the services most tourists seem to require.  Time is running out, too - it's hard to convince people that it really does take several months to work out the details to get to DR Congo - we are so used to deciding at the last minute to fly wherever.

In the midst of the logistics, I try to constantly keep the images of my friends in DR Congo in my mind.  They are so important to me.  They have taught me so much.  They are such incredible people.  When I feel a bit overwhelmed, I remember the challenges they face every day.  All of this effort is, in the end, only made in order to preserve and strengthen the wonderful bond we have shared.

Slow me down, Lord, and keep my thoughts focused on your will for this pilgrimage.  There is a reason we have decided to call it a pilgrimage - it is truly a journey to a sacred place.