Peace On Earth

CHRISTMAS EVE. As of this evening, we are nine days returned from Bangui. Our uneasy interlude in the neighboring Central African Republic ended up lasting longer than we originally anticipated due to the course of events here in the Congo.

PART I

The election was carried out as planned on November 28th despite anxiety that the Electoral Commission (CENI) was underprepared and generally ill equipped to handle the scope and scale of the elections. This anxiety proved well founded. Election Day was marred by numerous and flagrant irregularities. Many voters arrived at polling stations to find their names were not on the registration list. There were allegations of ballot stuffing and violence broke out in the Congo’s larger cities--namely Kinshasa and Lubumbashi-- that resulted in poll workers being attacked and polling centers burned. The anxiety only increased over the ensuing days as the opposition denounced the results claiming fraud. Kinshasa braced for violence as a strong police presence patrolled the streets. Headlines like “Threat of violence looms large”, “DR Congo on a knife edge” and “Election results raise fears of a return to war” appeared in increasing numbers in international newspapers during the wait. Shops closed. Over 3,000 people fled the capital city, across the Congo River to Brazzaville. The tabulation process itself turned into a logistical nightmare as CENI gathered the ballots from the interior and the far-flung provinces of the Congo for final counting. The results were set to be released on December 5th since that was the day the incumbent’s presidential term expired. This proved impossible and the commission was forced to delay publication of the results twice, from Tuesday to Friday. On that day President Kabila was declared the winner with 49% of the votes cast. The opposition had plenty of ammunition with which to contest these results due to the numerous irregularities, the strong hand of the army in suppressing protests-- 22 people had been killed in Kinshasa by the time results were released-- and highly suspicious voting patterns that made the election appear to be rigged in favor of the incumbent. Whether or not it actually was remains to be seen and will most likely never be known. Several observing groups including the European Union, the Catholic Church and the Atlanta-based Carter Center issued reports stating that the results “lacked credibility” and “did not conform to truth or justice”. Regardless, Kabila was sworn in for another term on Tuesday, December 20th. His main opposition, Etienne Tshisikede, also held an inauguration of his own three days later in his home. So the situation remains far from resolved though Congo has appeared to come back from the brink of major unrest. Even so, another twenty-four people have been reported killed since the results were published.

Part II

And it’s Christmas. In my twenty-eight years I don’t believe it has ever felt less like Christmas than it has this 2011. Some of this is due to the obvious fact that living in the tropics means songs like “White Christmas” and “Let it Snow” are rendered a bit irrelevant. Also, not being home in the States means that we are missing out on traditions and on family gatherings and celebrations with familiar faces. But there’s more to it than that and I think the events in Congo are the underlying reason. For they are yet another singular example of the persistent discrepancy between history and the angel’s proclamation of Luke 2: 14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to men.” Honestly, this peace on earth business can seem more of a myth than a reality. All the more so when an event to the contrary in such proximity disturbs the Christmas spirit.

But Christmas is not about the Christmas spirit. It’s about celebrating the birth of One who came to bring peace between God and Man and in so doing, peace one man to another. It may be difficult to keep singing about peace on earth year after year despite all the evidence to the contrary. But we have this hope, this confidence, that it will not always be so; that one day the entire earth will be reconciled to God, that the swords will be beaten into plowshares, that there will be no more disharmony between hope and history, that war will fade from the memory of the human race. The Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” narrates the victory of this final hope even through a season of doubt.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the words to this hymn during the American Civil War, shortly after his eldest son had been severely wounded in battle.

It seems that hope grows stronger the more distant it appears. In Congo, which has seen so much war, it has always been far off in both thought and practice. And though we have not seen the realization of the promise we feel the weight of it. Especially at Christmas.

November Update (in December)

12/07/2011

As I write this update we are in Bangui, capital city of the neighboring Central African Republic. We left Gemena on Friday, November 18^th at the request of CECU leadership. Ourselves and our mission, ReachGlobal, had given CECU the decision as to our course of action concerning the national elections to be held November 28^th. They decided that it would be best were we to leave the country 10 days prior to the election and return 10 days after barring any violence or unrest that would make our return imprudent. So we obliged. Thankfully, there was actually plenty to keep us occupied for the three weeks we would be away. Michelle has been busy corresponding with a team set to come out to ELIKYA in January. She also began to translate some materials for a Biblical Worldview course to be taught at ELIKYA. I brought some materials to begin writing lessons for two computer courses I will be teaching beginning in February on Microsoft Word and Excel. Most of my time so far, however, has been spent continuing to work on an agriculture curriculum for ELIKYA. Along with the Snyders, we have also been planning out the remaining 7 months or so of our assignment, putting the pieces in place that will enable us to turn over our ministry to the Koyamba Team.

Living in Bangui is not without its benefits. The apartment that we share with Sam and Sarah is about 3 blocks from the US ambassador’s residence and he has an open invitation to the American community in Bangui to use his pool any afternoon of the week. So we have enjoyed going with Soleil. The other benefits you would expect: running water, electricity during the day, fans to keep cool, etc. We have also enjoyed our fellowship with the missionary community here. On Thanksgiving we enjoyed a potluck style dinner (with turkey and cranberry sauce even) at the ambassador’s house. All Americans in the CAR were invited. It was fun to spend time getting to know embassy staff, NGO workers and other missionaries over a good meal. We have been getting to know some of the expats here, whether through playing tennis or sharing meals so pray that God would use us to share his love.

Please keep the Congo in your prayers as the election has been far from smooth. Though nothing has happened in Gemena, other parts of the country (namely Lubumbashi in the far southeast and Kinshasa) have experienced significant unrest and violence. So far 18 people have been killed and over 100 wounded in election-related violence. Though the official final results have yet to be released, it appears that the sitting president, Joseph Kabila, will retain power. There are widespread allegations of fraud by the opposition, however, and they have already declared the results invalid. Kinshasa is bracing itself for the worst, when the results will be published Thursday night. There is a lot of valid concern for Congo as a nation right now so please join us in prayer that God would frustrate the “troublemakers” and would bring peace to the country. We will keep you up to date on further developments.

We are excited to see Michelle’s dad, Ron Watters, on Friday. He’s coming to visit with us for a month. He wants to see his baby granddaughter and while he’s here he’ll be teaching a course at a local seminary and teaching an advanced Excel course to several in the CECU office. We are planning to return to ELIKYA together with him next Monday if all is well across the river in Congo.

We are so appreciative of your prayers on our behalf. Keep fighting the good fight and remember to keep Congo in your prayers during these days of tension and anxiety.

In Him,

Aaron and Michelle

Pray for Congo

As many of you know, our family along with the Snyders are in Bangui for three weeks. We arrived last Saturday and are planning on staying through to December 11th. This trip was occasioned primarily by the presidential elections that will be held in Congo tomorrow, November 28th. DRCongo does not have a good track record with elections and CECU felt it would be best if we waited it out next door in the Central African Republic, just in case. The plan was to arrive 10 days before and leave 10 days after. Pray that this doesn't change. Because if it does, it means that we are staying longer. And if we are staying longer it is due to unrest in the Congo. This is the last thing the country needs or wants. Many of our friends in Gemena are nervous about what will happen. We have all received text messages and e-mails from many of them urging us not to forget them and to pray for the whole country. Please join with us in this. We know that God hears and he is mighty to act and to intervene to keep the peace and to keep his children and his church from harm.

Here are some recent news articles that give further impetus to prayer:

Violence mars DR Congo election build-up
DRC: tight campaign finale in Kinshasa

Mowa Rene Nzambe

Bandeko bakei liboso
Bandimaki Yesu mpe
Bakoyamba biso kuna,
Biso tokosepela

Mowa Rene Nzambe, the first Director of the Elikya Center, has been sick for many months now. He received treatment in Gamboula in early July and then was resting and recouping in Bangui before returning to Congo. The decision was made for him to return here to Gemena with us on October 2nd after leaving our latest team in Bangui for their return to the US. However, Mowa’s health continued to deteriorate even following our return from the Central African Republic. He was gradually getting weaker and more frequently fatigued. Finally, on the morning of Thursday, October 20th we received word that he had passed away.

This does not come as a shock to us who have seen and been with him the last several months and especially during the last three weeks but that makes it no less painful. Mowa was much more to us than just the ELIKYA Director; he was a good friend (our first here) and the man whom was entrusted with our care from the moment we arrived here back in 2009, hardly knowing Lingala or the culture or anybody else. His loss leaves an enormous void on so many levels that it is hard to communicate. He was chosen for the position of Director because he was already actively caring for orphans and those who were without recourse, means or family. It is that love and compassion that makes his passing so painful those he leaves behind, especially his wife, Luta, and their eight children.

This past weekend was spent at numerous memorial services that culminated on Saturday with his burial at his home in nearby Bokonzo. The tears were always close to the surface. We will miss Mowa deeply. It is impossible to imagine the rest of our time here at ELIKYA without him. Yet we are grateful for the opportunity that we had to work with him over the past couple years, to get to know him and his family, to laugh with him and just to enjoy his company as literally our next door neighbor and friend.

We share all this that you might join with us in prayer for all of us who are affected by Mowa’s death. Pray especially for his family as they grieve and as Luta faces the difficult question of how to provide for their children. Pray for ELIKYA as there are many who have passed through who looked to him almost as a father. Pray that God would use his death and the spirit of compassion in which he lived his life to positively impact the local church and those he has left behind.

Finally, there is a benevolence fund recently set up for helping Mowa’s family with certain needs. If you would like to help you can get let us know and we’ll get you some more information.

Mowa giving Soleil a gift at her kobimisa serivce in March

October 2011 Newsletter is hot off the presses! Check it out.

Back in Bangui, CAR

left to right- Wilma, Jeannie and Wendy

What a beautiful day! It is raining right now, a steady downpour that began about two hours ago. This means it is relatively cool and a welcome change from the traditional midmorning heat. On top of that, I am writing from Bangui right now, the land of cold pop, warm showers, 18-hr (or so) electricity and naps with fans. It is a truly wonderful place after another six months in Congo; the last time we were in Bangui was in February when we brought the Bruihlers back after 5 weeks at ELIKYA. We are in Bangui now for the same reason, this time bringing back a team of three women who spent a week working at the Tandala Hospital. They are also extensive bloggers and have written about their trip in detail already. You can read about it at wwww.travelblog-jeannie.blogspot.com.

We'll be adding more ourselves soon.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit Karawa, a town about 75 km away and the site of the former Ubangi Academy, where I went to school for 4th-7th grades. My mom and my aunt as well as my sisters also attended and my grandparents served as dorm parents for a number of years too. Most of my memories from growing up in Zaire come from this place so I was excited to be able to go back after 15 years away and see what was left.

It is a strange thing to walk through a place that used to be familiar and has changed so much in your absence. To see again my first classroom, the dorm dining room, my old room and so many other places that were such a part of my childhood was incredible, no matter how ruined they are now.

Mug Shot*

Who you lookin' at?

*courtesy of a bout of conjunctivitis

July 2011 Newsletter is hot off the presses! Actually, that's not true. It's been off the presses for a long time; it just wasn't posted promptly. But for the sake of posterity, here it is. Click to view. Past newsletters are available to view or download on the sidebar.

The Big 4

Yesterday, July 1st, was our fourth wedding anniversary! We celebrated by going out to eat after teaching English class. We took motorcycle taxis to a little place across from the airport by the Gemena Hospital. Our anniversary meal consisted of goat and large portions of rice and mpondu (pounded cassava leaves). I bet Michelle never saw that coming when we got married! Soleil tagged along too (after all, where else would she be?).

June Team Comes and Goes

We recently welcomed and said good-bye to our second short-term ministry team. This time, instead of hosting two people for five weeks (as in February), we hosted eight people for ten days. It was a larger team because it was actually three teams coming at the same time. There were four high school students who came to continue a ministry they started a few years ago called Kids for Congo. Three women (two of whom were mothers of the teens on the trip) also came along with work of their own- taking part in initial planning sessions for the development of a restaurant at ELIKYA. The final member of the team came from Hidden Acres Christian Center and began a discussion with CECU’s Director of Christian Education about a new camp and retreat center to be built behind ELIKYA. So you could say it was a busy ten days.

After several weeks of preparation on both sides of the Atlantic, the team arrived on Saturday, June 4th. They had quite an eventful trip, as their “guide”, Jim Snyder (who speaks French and Lingala and knows the Kinshasa airport well) was held up in the US by an airplane malfunction and was unable to meet them in Brussels as previously planned. So they had to go it alone but were assisted in Kinshasa by two Congolese pastors. When they arrived they were welcomed with a brief ceremony/service at the CECU offices. Then we brought them back to ELIKYA, their home for the next week and a half.

That afternoon we had an initial orientation meeting. The highlights of this time from our perspective were the cultural lessons that had been prepared by our Koyamba Team. Each had been tasked to educate our visitors on a specific point of Congolese culture such as appropriate greetings, how to be gracious guests and what (not) to wear. There was also a brief Lingala primer thrown in. So the Koyamba team had to prepare and deliver a short teaching…in English, of course. They did great and the Lingala lesson by Simplice was especially engaging.

On Sunday we worshipped at Temple in the morning and that afternoon Michelle threw a surprise baby shower for Sarah that the team got to be a part of. Read more about that here.

The team’s work began in earnest on Monday. We spent that morning praying over the restaurant planning that would occur during the week. In the afternoon we took everybody on a quick tour of Gemena.

Touring the Sights of Gemena

Tuesday through Thursday the four girls went to Temple in the city to take part in a kid’s seminar for children from the Global Fingerprints orphan sponsorship program. They each gave their testimony, told a story about God’s love and presented the both the gospel and a brief lesson on AIDS using e-cube resources. Their involvement was coupled with testimonies by orphans in the program and Bible verse memorization.

The restaurant planning took place throughout the first week, included meals at two local establishments to get some local flavor and culminated in a dinner at a mock restaurant in our English classroom here at ELIKYA. The restaurant planners cooked all day, the Kids for Congo girls served and the rest of us enjoyed some absolutely delicious food. It is generally in agreement that Gemena has no real restaurants so the establishment of an ELIKYA restaurant could be a big draw and source of income for the center. It would also provide another training track for the widows and orphans.

Eating out on the town

On Friday, Dede Taylor, the Directrice of Hidden Acres, met with Pastor Passi to discuss HA’s growth and mission and to hear about CECU’s camp ministry. Afterwards we visited a school where CECU currently hosts kid’s summer camps and walked the perimeter of the land purchased for a new camp behind ELIKYA.

On Saturday we took the team to a nearby cave (where CECU also hosts summer camp) to explore and made it back in time for the ELIKYA students’ graduation ceremony.

The view from above the cave

The following Monday we took a day trip to Tandala to visit the hospital there. Read more about that here.

The girls were able to visit some of their friends in Global Fingerprints on Tuesday. Everybody also made it to the CECU garage later for a very special ceremony. Edison, the head mechanic and chauffer has been making special hand-pedaled “tricycles” for the handicapped. He was able to present four people with a brand new means of transportation that will greatly improve their quality of life.

And on Wednesday they were gone…We thoroughly enjoyed hosting them and even better, so did the Koyamba Team!

Kids for Congo

Jenna, Jesse, Anna and Alysha

A big part of the team that came out this month was four girls that make up a group called Kids for Congo. “Kids for Congo” is a partner of PEASITs Global Fingerprints program. What’s exciting about Kids for Congo is that it is a non-profit founded by kids for kids. This is the second time that the girls have been to Congo in the last two years. They have made it their mission to get more orphans sponsored and to find more pen pals for Congolese orphans in the program. They would love for you and your family to get involved. Visit their website for more information.

Tandala Hospital

On June 13th we took a day trip to visit the Tandala Hospital. Many of the team members had heard about the work that had been going on at the hospital for years and were excited at the opportunity to go and see it firsthand.

The visit, brief as it was, had an impact on all who went. The work at Tandala faces an uphill battle right now because of a recent dip in support from US churches. There is not enough money to buy medicine or pay the doctors. It is hard to quantify the impact that this has on the health care that is provided for the entire Ubangi region. Needless to say, there is an enormous need here that you and your church could help meet. To learn more about the Tandala Hospital and how to get involved, click here.

Beds without mattresses

Shelves without medicine

Sarah's Baby Shower

The first full day the team was here Michelle hosted a surprise baby shower for Sarah. Read Sarah’s post on their blog, Snyders in Congo, for more on that.

May 2011 Update

At the moment it is a little after 2:00 on the afternoon of May 31st- a fine time to send out our monthly update. Right on time; though by the time we make it to the mission to send and receive e-mails it will most likely be June.

Much of the past month has been spent making preparations to host a short-term team flying into Gemena on June 4th. The team is coming for several reasons; 1) to begin planning for the construction of a restaurant at or by ELIKYA, 2) to minister to orphans in the Global Fingerprints sponsorship program and 3) to do some planning for a new CECU camp/retreat center to be built behind ELIKYA property. This “teams within a team” approach means a more affordable trip but can be difficult to organize logistically. So during the past month we have put together a schedule, divvied up responsibilities among ourselves and the Congolese “koyamba” team we’re training and made sure that all the details are worked through thoroughly.

The team that is coming is from Boone, Iowa and is eight-people strong. They will be accompanied by Jim Snyder and Rachel Martin (veteran Congo missionaries and our immediate supervisors). There are four teenage girls coming out under the banner of Kids for Congo, a non-profit organization that has partnered with the Global Fingerprints program here. They will be visiting with orphans in that program and teaching Bible lessons at a local CECU church. Those involved with the restaurant planning will remain at the Elikya Center and will work through some of the initial questions regarding the establishment of a restaurant. It is hoped that this restaurant will be both a source of income for ELIKYA and a training platform for those interested in learning about it. The camp planning will take place primarily on Friday, June 10th.

Pray that the Lord would prepare the way for this team as they begin their travels in only a few days. Pray that their ministry would bear fruit and that their visit would be a big encouragement to the church here in the Congo.

Our English classes have continued as usual. We have purchased some new curriculum that is being brought out with the team and are looking forward to making the switch. This coming month we will be upping the hours of class per week from six to eight by adding 2 extra hours for conversation, discussion and dialogue. They are getting some from the weekly English club that we are a part of every Saturday but it will be helpful to have even more exposure and more opportunities to practice speaking. They will, however, have some great opportunities for the ten days the team will be here. Pray that our students would increase in their English ability and would be encouraged.

Aside from teaching English and preparing for this team, I have continued with the development of an agricultural program here.

We encountered a very difficult situation that has affected the ag program this past month. Mowa had selected a local agronome to help with the teaching. He is a very hard worker and very knowledgeable and practiced in the field of agriculture. About a month ago his wife died very suddenly and he was accused of poisoning her. He was subsequently jailed and was only released within the last couple weeks. It remains a very difficult situation for him as he has lost his wife and much of his livelihood (his place was ransacked when he was jailed) and is still dealing with the suspicion that has been placed on him even though he has been acquitted by the district court. Pray for him as he is dealing with his grief and the uncertainty of how to proceed.

Soleil is growing up fast. Lots of people tell her that she’s a mokolo (adult) aleady. She resists learning to sit because she’d rather stand. She rolls over as soon as she is laid on her back. She babbles and gurgles and drools constantly. She grabs at anything that comes close enough so she can put it in her mouth. So I wouldn’t call her an adult quite yet. She is a lot of fun and we are really enjoying being her parents.

Well, that’s May. Keep our ministry in your prayers. There is more transition ahead as the Snyders will be leaving us for Gamboula where they will have their baby. So it will be our turn to hold down the fort.

In Him,
Aaron and Michelle

Soleil learning English at Saturday English Club

Spreading mulch at a Foundations for Farming demo

There are mangos...and then there are mangos!

Foundations for Farming

About one month ago, Pastor Marc Deolo, head of CECU’s PEASIT program (AIDS Education, Prevention and Treatment), attended a training in Zimbabwe with Foundations for Farming (formerly Farming God’s Way). He attended with the hope of implementing their farming methods here in Congo as a way to help people with AIDS provide for themselves. He also got directive from the CECU leadership to spread what he had learned when he got back that it might be of benefit to the church as a whole. When he got back he connected with me and we began making plans for getting the news out. I had been aware of Foundations for Farming for some time and was excited at the opportunity to try it out.

Foundations for Farming represents a new way of doing subsistence (or commercial) farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. It takes a look at the symptoms of slow agricultural growth and declining yields on the continent and diagnoses the problem: us. We are farming in such a way that we are not taking care of the soil as though it were our inheritance. We burn. We plow. And when the soil is used up we abandon it and move on. The Foundations for Farming method is an effort to make the work that happens in the field more in line with how God plants; that is, no burning and no plowing. It promotes a system approach in which weeding, composting and mulching play a big role. Individual planting stations are prepared in straight rows and planted in year after year after year. This method has a lot of potential and it will be exciting to see what happens with it here in Congo.

We started by planting cowpeas in a field next to the CECU mission. There were several attendees and we all played a very participatory role in the process, from laying out the field, to digging the holes, to planting and adding mulch in between rows.

That was April 7^th. This is what the cowpeas look like now.


We also incorporated a Foundations for Farming lesson and practical into the classes at ELIKYA. A 10 x 6m plot of corn was planted exactly one week ago.

This Thursday we will be planting soy and continuing the training with a handpicked group of CECU development leaders in the area. We will be training every Thursday and hope to expand the training in late June or July, right on time for the next round of planting before the rains diminish in October.

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
Psalm 113:3

So I know there are some blog posts that are simply expected from missionaries in central Africa. You may have been wondering when they will show up. Well, wonder no more. Here they are…

The one where they get malaria

Thankfully, I have been the only one to come down with this illness. I don’t think it’s any surprise that of the four of us here I am the worst about remembering to take my daily malarial prophylaxis. I skipped a couple days about two months ago and paid for it. Sam and I were walking to church one Sunday in late February and I noticed by the time we arrived that I was no longer sweating. I also happen to be notoriously forgetful about staying hydrated so I figured I just hadn’t drank enough water before heading out the door. Half an hour into the service, though, I started getting chills. Not a good sign. I figured that I would just wait until the end of the service and take my temperature when I got back to the house. I thought it might be malaria, might be dehydration, might be something else. But by the end of the service (two and a half hours later) I was not doing well. All I wanted was to get home and drink a huge glass of cool water. When I got back I got my wish but it did nothing. I sat on the couch just trying to cool off. Michelle claims I was “cranky”. I probably was. She got the thermometer and took a reading of 107 degrees F. At that point we both started worrying a bit because that’s a bit too high to be anywhere close to healthy. So I took a cold shower and started on an anti-malarial medication we had in the house. Within two days I was good to go. I take my prophylaxis a bit more regularly now. Lesson learned.


The one where the snake gets in the house

One afternoon last week we had just put Soleil down for her nap and were bringing the laundry in off the line to fold it when I spotted a snake inside our doorway. It looked like it had gotten into our hose from who-know-where and was all bunched up trying to make its way out the front door. I grabbed my machete and pinned the snake against the wall with the point. I wanted to cleanly lop its head off but it was busy sliding behind the couch at that point and didn’t present itself well enough for that. So instead of a smooth strike I ended up standing there with my legs spread out with this snake thrashing around trying to get away or take a bite out of somebody. Michelle was in search of the Snyder’s machete by this time. After a while I gave up all hope of a clean kill and just started hacking at it. That did the trick, of course, and we brought it outside, chopped the head off and buried it. A neighbor kid took the body. We were told it was a venomous snake whose bite would hurt like crazy but most likely wouldn’t kill you. Good to know.

April 2011 Newsletter is hot off the presses! Click to view. Past newsletters are available to view or download on the sidebar.

Soleil Goes to Church

About a week ago we had a worship service called a "Kobimisa Mwana", in which after 3 months of staying at home, a new baby is "brought out" of the house and prayed over by your pastor. It's similar to a baby dedication, but more like a prayer and blessing service. After this you can take your baby out and about, and it especially means you can now bring your new babe to church. Though Soleil had technically already been out of the house- on a trip to the neighboring country no less- we thought it would be best to keep with tradition as best we could. So we invited 20 of our closest friends and colleagues to share in this celebration with us.

Praying on the back porch

Of course it started raining at exactly the hour we had planned to start, but true to Congolese culture, people just came later. So, we gathered together in worship, singing and praying together. We carried Soleil into the house accompanied by a seemingly random group chosen from the "congregation" outside for more prayer.

Praying in our living room

Then Aaron and I went outside and everyone still inside marched out in a line singing with Soleil being carried at the head. Strangely the person that our Pastor asked to carry Soleil out of the house was a new missionary with the Covenant church that had just arrived in town and whom we had met a few minutes before the service. She also found this strange and had no idea what was going on seeing as she didn't speak Lingala.

Marta bringing Soleil out of the house

CECU VP Badi praying for Soleil

The Pasteur Responsible ( Pastor in charge of the region) gave a short sermon about Jesus growing in wisdom, stature and showing kindness to others, charging us to pray for and raise Soleil in the same manner.

The PR giving the mini-sermon

Now that Soleil had been "bimisaed" we decided to bring her to church for the first time. That Sunday also happened to be a special outside service to raise money for the roof of a new church building. We were quite the sight as we walked the 1.5km. I was carrying Soleil shaded by our new blue leopard print parasol, which I could not leave the house without for fear of being chastised by every mother on the road and probably also some small children. Aaron was carrying on his shoulder a great sheet of metal roofing as our offering for the special service.

Off to church

Bible and manzanza in hand

Now here's where things get strange. We had settled in for what we knew would be a long service but there would be lots of singing and dancing. The service was held in a yard with chairs set up under several tarps supported by sticks staked into the dirt. About an hour after the service started, and one impromptu diaper change in my lap, signs of a storm began to show. I was holding Soleil close to my shoulder when wind started whipping things around, the tarp over us collapsed and the heavy support post in the center smacked me in the back of the head. My mothering instincts and the shock of the hit kicked in as stunned I tried to cover Soleil from anything else. (Also, I had no idea, but Sarah told me later, that a startled Congolese child was clinging to my legs.) I was immediately whisked to sit with a group of ladies who took charge of Soleil. The signs of the storm did not let up and Soleil started crying because of course church is during nap time. So I'm bouncing Soleil next to the road with a whole congregation of people watching when it starts to rain. This is how I found myself standing in the house of I'm not sure who, trying to rock Soleil to sleep; there are chickens in the corners and a duck walked in. A woman who I think lives there came in and asked if we could trade babies. It was then that I realized my head was throbbing, my eyes couldn't focus well and my ears felt "funny". I hadn't seen Aaron since the smack in the head, but then he walked in to save the day saying we should just go home. So, we walked home to nurse my mild concussion.

We have completed the first edition of the ELIKYA Beekeeping Curriculum! There will likely be many more editions to come as it goes through more editing by John and as it is added to. Parts of it will probably be removed as the inevitable result of transferring practical instruction from a Minnesota apiary to a project in the middle of Africa. The curriculum still needs to be translated, first into French and then into Lingala as well. As non-native Lingala speakers, this is not a job for us. I will be working with Jonathon, one of the students in the class last month, to get the French curriculum squared away. The curriculum has been run through Google Translate already but it remains to be seen how well the program fared with it. So I will be visiting Jonathon soon with a fresh cahier (notebook) and a red pen.

ELIKYA Agriculture

This week we are kicking off the agricultural program here at ELIKYA. I am pretty excited and tentatively nervous about it at the same time. I will be teaching a 2-hour class every Tuesday from 7-9 AM. The class will then be followed by a one hour practicum. In addition to the garden that we have been working with, away and behind our house, we now have a parcel of land towards the front of the ELIKYA property, closer to the main road. This parcel is divided between widows’ and orphans’ food plots and land that is for the Ag Program’s use. This means experimental plantings, a small orchard, new and introduced crops, compost piles and a nursery. This is what it looks like now:



So none of this is here right now but hopefully by the end of the week we can report otherwise. Keep this project in your prayers. We are receiving project funds each month from our ReachGlobal ministry account to pay for associated costs like tools and labor. We are making an investment and praying that the Lord blesses this project in the lives of the students here at ELIKYA. It is daunting to be teaching a class in Lingala every week on a subject that I am still learning- tropical agriculture. But God has equipped us with the funds and the resources we need to be successful. May we be faithful in leaving this work in his hands and trusting his leading concerning its growth and utilization.

Bruihlers Volunteer for Africa Mission Service

Read the following article for an account of the Bruihler's time with us at the ELIKYA Center, courtesy of the Tri-County Record of Rushford, MN.

Bruihler's Volunteer for Africa Mission Service

Be assured, we did more than just cook. In case you were wondering.

A Special Visitor

Our first short-term missions team was accompanied by another traveler, my Mom. She came out to see her new granddaughter (we had to think of some way to get our family to visit us) and to stay with Michelle in Bangui while I accompanied the Bruihlers to the Elikya Center. It was a huge encouragement to have her. Not only was she a big help with Soleil but she also taught a sewing class while she was here and visited with a lot of old friends (she hadn’t been to Congo since a visit in 2002). It seemed that every day there was someone at the door asking for Mama Judy.

This trip was also sweet because my Mom was influential in the beginnings of the Elikya Center. ELIKYA as a concept came into existence back in the mid 90’s and it was known as CEVO (Centre d’Encadrement des Veuves et des Orphelins translated as Center for the care of widows and orphans). I remember coming out to ELIKYA once with her when I was a kid to help clear some of the land for the Center. It didn’t end too well. I ended up in tears because some of the others were picking on me. One of the deacons from a local church was there and said that maybe God was using the experience to prepare me to be a missionary someday. Sure enough, here we are at the very origin of that statement no less. It was great for Mom to be able to see how the Center has gone from concept to reality and how it is growing and bearing fruit.

So we were thankful to have my Mom out for a lot of reasons and we were sad to see her go. We made sure to send her back with lots of pictures of Soleil for the rest of the family. Maybe she can convince the rest of them to make the trip too.

The daily wash

Koko time

Livin' large in Bangui

Mom's Daily Handiwork

Teaching the sewing class

How to Apply for Your Child's American Passport in the Central African Republic

A Do-It-Yourself Guide

1. Call the US Embassy and schedule an appointment. No problem.

2. Find the US Embassy. Easy enough; helps to know some French. Also, try not to spill water all over your child’s birth certificate and other important papers during the taxi ride. Don’t forget to bring money.

3. Don’t be thrown off when the Vice-Consul appears with a checklist and explains, “Sorry, we don’t do too many of these here.” He’ll think you’re a novice (which you are).

4. Fill out the application.

5. Get a passport photo taken. Simple. Go on over to the nearest Photo Lab, skirt the hucksters snapping pictures out front and ask for a passport photo inside at the desk. Watch bemusedly as they try to hold your child’s head up long enough to get a picture, wait a while, fork over some cash and it’s done.

6. Get a passport photo taken. Oops. You need to clarify it’s for an American passport. Otherwise you get something like this:

Not quite the required 2 square inches. Swallow your pride, go back, fork over some cash and get larger prints.

7. Get a passport photo taken. No good. Difficult as it may be for your two-week old child, the applicant must present both ears.

Go to another photo lab to save some dignity. And make sure you don’t try to get this done between noon and 3PM. Everything is closed. Sorry.

8. Get a passport photo taken. Return to the lab at an acceptable hour and ask for an American passport. Watch bemusedly as they try to get your child’s attention, hold her still and get both ears in the picture. Fork over some cash and be on your way.

9. Get a passport photo taken. Make sure the background is brilliant white. Grayish white, off white, mostly white or any other shade of white simply won’t do. Keep it under control as the Vice-Consul refers to your photo technicians as a “bunch of clowns”. Take matters into your own hands. Lay your child on the back of a poster on a sidewalk in the sun, try to wake her up and snap this gem.

Then have it printed by a fellow missionary who took pity on your trials and tribulations.

10. Present your photo at the US Embassy. Feel free to sing the Star Spangled Banner with joy as it is accepted and your now complete application is sent on its way (after you fork over much more cash).

11. Wait the prescribed 4 weeks for the passport to return from processing in neighboring Cameroon.

12. Wait many more weeks.

13. Drive 8-28 hours to pick up your child’s official US Passport!

We’re still on step 12. This guide would have been very helpful had we been able to read it beforehand. Had we done so, I have a strong suspicion that steps 5-9 could have been condensed into a single step. Oh well. Next time.