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
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