Life....and Death in Congo

Last week Pat went to a funeral here in Kinshasa. The 26 year old daughter of the bible school director was in a car accident in the fall. Since then she has had lingering injuries including kidney failure. The family has, bit by bit, sold most of their possessions to try and pay for her escalating medical needs. She passed away last week....young, engaged to be married, and most likely having died from something that could have been treated, if she'd been somewhere with better medical care.

Death here is very raw. The most stark contrasts are at the cemetery. Even during the actual burial, there is money to be made. Standing out in the hot, hot sun hawkers mingled through the grieving crowd offering to sell water and bananas. Because of the escalating problem with grave robbers, men are available, for hire, to immediately put a cement slab over the newly buried casket. Sometimes in an effort to mark a grave you will see a small pair of flip-flop sandels........Pat said at least 10 other funerals were happening at the same time.

Life in Africa is not easy........death is not sanitized. We are so thankful for the hope we have in Christ.....death has no victory for Christians.

A child soldier's homecoming

Last year I told the story of our friend whose child was taken as a child soldier, shortly after we evacuated from Isiro in the 1990's. Akyande was the academic dean of the bible school that Pat directed, in Isiro. Right after we evacuated military troops came through Isiro and Akyande's 10 year old son was taken. Years later (around 2007) Akyande was visiting a town in the East when he heard "Papa, Papa"......there was his long lost son!! Though his son didn't return home with him at that time, he has since come back to the family. We asked our friend how it was, having a former child soldier in the home. The family is thrilled to have him back, but there are adjustments to the personality and coping skills that the son adopted as he "grew up" in the military. He's trying to finish up high school, but is obviously several years younger than those in his class, which has been hard on him. His dad describes him as "hard and argumentative."

We praise God for bringing the family back together again. Despite the difficulties, they are together, they're living as a family, the son is trying to get an education, and he is actively involved in church life.

Please pray for this family. When you read what child soldiers go through and how difficult it can be to deprogram and rehabilitate, one can understand how hard it must be for the boy and his family.

The rest of the story......12 years after evacuating.

As rebel troops and rioting government soldiers fought one another in Eastern and Northern Congo, the fall of 1996, we had many anxious moments. We were living in the town of Isiro, with our 3 small chidlren. We were finally told that we needed to leave or our safety could not be ensured. We evacuated from Isiro, Zaire (now DRC), on December 1, 1996. It was such an emotional time - I remember it like yesterday. We said good-bye to friends, paid workers several months wages, and walked through our mission home, wondering if we'd ever see it again. We were evaucated by MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) planes and due to space and weight limitations, we had pretty strict luggage limits. For our family of 5 we were given 3 suitcases. So that day in 1996, when I walked through my house one last time, I knew that I could very well be losing everything I owned.....and I did. We took out what we thought we needed - important asthma meds for Ben, a few precious books and toys for the kids, and some clothes. A week later our house was looted and all that was left was stolen.

Flash forward 12 years......Pat just went to Kisangani, Northern DRC. He was able to reconnect with many former friends and bible school students that he had not seen since we had left 12 years ago. One former student - now a pastor - approached him. He said that after our home was looted a few of our students went through it, seeing if there was anything to be salvaged. Torn books and papers littered the floor. As he kicked around some papers a photograph caught his eye. He picked it up and thought "this is something Pastor would want." For 12 years he kept that photo in mint condition, even as he himself had to flee future rebel groups that came through. He gave the photo to Pat last week. It was of Emily's baby dedication. When she was one year old we were out in Nairobi for a retreat with other Central and East African missionaries - family to us! The retreat speaker was then General Secretary of the AG Pastor George Woods. He gladly agreed to do Emily's dedication, as our good friend and Area Director, Billy Burr looked on. I can't tell you the emotions I felt as I looked at that photo today. What a gift!!! That after 12 years, the Lord allows for us to have a little bit of the important past back in our lives. He is constantly showing me that He is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, even in what I would consider the "little, unimportant things".