I have come to two conclusions over the past couple of weeks......the first is that I could NOT live on a submarine and the second is that the "twilight zone" does exist and it's here - in DRC.
What, you maybe asking, does a "submarine" have to do with living in Kinshasa and why can't she live on one?? Suffice it to say that I'm feeling a bit "claustrophobic". The past few weeks our world has shrunk to being pretty much confined to our part of town and at times even to just our home. To be fair, there have been a few days where we have wandered outside of our immediate neighborhood - but it's always after checking with different people as to what they are hearing, calling pastors and seeing what the situation is in their neighborhood, etc. To quote a very well used phrase from the state department, we are "being vigilant".
I was raised on a farm, I'm used to wide open spaces. Although Kinshasa does not provide those - it's a huge, sprawling city and Pat and I tend to run the length and breadth of it with various ministry activities as we have AG churches all over. Last weekend, after having spent several days in a row without even leaving our house, I did begin to reflect upon our brave soldiers who, for example, spend weeks or months at a time on a submarine. I think I'd go nuts!! So, in all seriousness, I salute our military!!
And what about the "twilight zone"? Sometimes politics here take on a very surreal, bizarre, "did that really just happen" scenario. As I write this, large "booms" are being heard as Joseph Kabila, who was the incumbent and won a very widely criticized election, is being sworn in. (the booms are "happy booms")......Meanwhile, in another part of town we have the main opposition leader, locked in his house and surrounded by military. On Sunday he had a fiery press conference where he reiterated the fact that HE was the president elect, that all should obey him (including the military....i.e. mutiny) and that there would be a "great reward" for anyone who brought him the current president alive. He also stated that his inauguration would be this Friday at the big soccer stadium.
So the bizarreness continues.....along with very real concerns about security and violence. I am so thankful that I don't have to know the bigger picture, that I don't have to know how things will turn out. I can rest assured that God is God......and the nations are in HIS hand.
In the meantime, we are thankful that, despite all the "doomsday violence fears", widespread violence has not occurred. I am not minimizing what has happened - there has been violence and people have lost there lives......for that we mourn. But the widespread "Congo is at war again" scenario so far has not happened. The Congolese are saying "The Christians prayed for peace and it rained".......this has been the wettest rainy season that we have seen here in years! And there is nothing like a good rainstorm, or an all day shower, to discourage even the most diehard of militants who want to protest or cause problems. Thank YOU for praying and please continue.
Reaching Planting Training Serving in Central Africa
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
A Parallel Universe
Sometimes it's hard to grasp the fact that Congo and the USA exist on the same planet. This last week or so we have felt like we live in a bizarre, parallel universe. On one hand I browse through facebook and read postings of friends in the U.S. - celebrating the holidays, Black Friday shopping sprees, Christmas concerts, parties, etc. Please don't get me wrong - I am NOT criticizing this. In fact, I love the Christmas season in the U.S. I know of some who do not appreciate the "commercialization" of the season and I do get that. But I guess since we only get to experience it once every 5 years (and it's 6 years this term) we tend to soak it all up.
But this year Christmas, in my Western sense anyway, has seemed far away. Our days and evenings have been filled with following election "talk". The actual vote took place on Nov. 28. Results were to be announced on Dec. 6....then delayed to Dec. 8th.....and finally actually announced the afternoon of Dec. 9th. Anticipating violence, the embassy has restricted (or at least advised limiting) circulation to a certain part of town. Other times we are advised to not leave our homes.......nothing like a few days of "lockdown" to put one in the Christmas spirit!!
The girls ended up not having school all last week. Homework and exercises were posted online so that they could continue with their studies. It's been a good system, especially considering that a number of students (at least 1/3 of the student population) have left the country due to fears of violence.
Right before voting day, we finally packed our "go bags".......it's always a bit of a weird moment to do that. You feel kind of "hysterical" and "over reactionary" doing it - but on the other hand, we are in a rather "edgy" moment and better safe than sorry. In about 20 years of missionary service this is only the third time we've packed go bags.......the first time was about 15 years ago when we lived in NE Zaire (now the DRC).......and we used them. In fact we evacuated from Isiro 15 years ago on Dec. 1st.....the circles of life are interesting, aren't they? The second time was in Togo when the long-term dictator died and his son was placed in power. Things were very drawn out and violent, but in the end we did not leave - didn't use the go bags. So this time they sit in Ben's bedroom (which has become somewhat of a "dumping ground" when we don't know where to put things)........Abby's favorite teddy bear sits merrily on top of the pile. I fully anticipate unpacking them in a few weeks, but in the meantime, we are ready....just in case.
On Dec. 6th, the first day that the results were to be announced, we decorated for Christmas - put up our tree, played Christmas carols, and laughed at how this Christmas season would definitely be in the memory books. One day my kids will have GREAT stories to tell their children. On the 8th, the second day that results were to be announced, we made and decorated Christmas cookies.
Despite the monotony of the days, they somehow pass.......we exercise, we bake, we clean, we play games, we watch DVD's. We are getting a bit tired of one another, haha, but morale remains high.
After the results were announced yesterday afternoon our particular neighborhood was filled with celebratory noise as those loyal to President Kabila, who won a second term, marched in the streets. But large parts of our city were silent - or were filled with more ominous noise as opposition supporters protested, burned tires, looted shops, and confronted security forces. Sporadic shooting occurred throughout the night. From the moment results were announced until at least tomorrow (Sunday) morning we are on lockdown, encouraged by the embassy to not leave our homes.
The opposition has refused to accept the results......their main candidate has named himself president elect and told his militant followers to "await my command". Right now, a "Merry Christmas" for Congo would be peace.....peace on earth and goodwill towards ALL men.
But this year Christmas, in my Western sense anyway, has seemed far away. Our days and evenings have been filled with following election "talk". The actual vote took place on Nov. 28. Results were to be announced on Dec. 6....then delayed to Dec. 8th.....and finally actually announced the afternoon of Dec. 9th. Anticipating violence, the embassy has restricted (or at least advised limiting) circulation to a certain part of town. Other times we are advised to not leave our homes.......nothing like a few days of "lockdown" to put one in the Christmas spirit!!
The girls ended up not having school all last week. Homework and exercises were posted online so that they could continue with their studies. It's been a good system, especially considering that a number of students (at least 1/3 of the student population) have left the country due to fears of violence.
Right before voting day, we finally packed our "go bags".......it's always a bit of a weird moment to do that. You feel kind of "hysterical" and "over reactionary" doing it - but on the other hand, we are in a rather "edgy" moment and better safe than sorry. In about 20 years of missionary service this is only the third time we've packed go bags.......the first time was about 15 years ago when we lived in NE Zaire (now the DRC).......and we used them. In fact we evacuated from Isiro 15 years ago on Dec. 1st.....the circles of life are interesting, aren't they? The second time was in Togo when the long-term dictator died and his son was placed in power. Things were very drawn out and violent, but in the end we did not leave - didn't use the go bags. So this time they sit in Ben's bedroom (which has become somewhat of a "dumping ground" when we don't know where to put things)........Abby's favorite teddy bear sits merrily on top of the pile. I fully anticipate unpacking them in a few weeks, but in the meantime, we are ready....just in case.
On Dec. 6th, the first day that the results were to be announced, we decorated for Christmas - put up our tree, played Christmas carols, and laughed at how this Christmas season would definitely be in the memory books. One day my kids will have GREAT stories to tell their children. On the 8th, the second day that results were to be announced, we made and decorated Christmas cookies.
Despite the monotony of the days, they somehow pass.......we exercise, we bake, we clean, we play games, we watch DVD's. We are getting a bit tired of one another, haha, but morale remains high.
After the results were announced yesterday afternoon our particular neighborhood was filled with celebratory noise as those loyal to President Kabila, who won a second term, marched in the streets. But large parts of our city were silent - or were filled with more ominous noise as opposition supporters protested, burned tires, looted shops, and confronted security forces. Sporadic shooting occurred throughout the night. From the moment results were announced until at least tomorrow (Sunday) morning we are on lockdown, encouraged by the embassy to not leave our homes.
The opposition has refused to accept the results......their main candidate has named himself president elect and told his militant followers to "await my command". Right now, a "Merry Christmas" for Congo would be peace.....peace on earth and goodwill towards ALL men.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Young and the Restless
These are uneasy times in DRC. The second ever democratic elections were held this past Monday (Nov. 28th) and now the country awaits the results........scheduled to be announced this coming Tues., Dec. 6 (supposedly after dark, possibly even around midnight). It feels like we've been in this "season" of elections forever. Around the end of Oct. many organizations in the city began limiting their travels, even around the city. Churches are on edge; if anyone is out after dark it's at a prayer meeting as they pray nightly for peace.
For us, it's a bit of a restless time - trying not to over process the whole election, who will win, what will happen when the winner is announced, etc. as well as needing to stay close to home for security reasons. The title of this blog is "The Young and the Restless".......so we're not so young anymore........but we are restless and it just seemed like a good title.
Everyday the tension seems to build a bit more. Polling stations were supposed to count their ballots the night that they closed and then publicly post the results......so people are slowly formulating their ideas of who won (keep in mind that this is a HUGE country and there were around 63,000 polling stations, so the best guesses have large gaps in votes counted). Every day we notice that there are fewer cars on the road - so far it's "business as usual" downtown, but workers have reported that it's getting harder and harder to find transportation as each day less people are willing to take their vehicles out.
The girls had a 6 days Thanksgiving weekend......normally it would have been 4 days, but last Monday and Tuesday were also announced as "no school" just in case of violence. Now they're back and we are hoping they can at last finish up this week. They will also have next Tues. and Wed. off of school - to see how the city reacts to the results. About 1/3 of the students have left the country, parents being fearful of what will happen.
When discussing how to arrange for 24/7 watchman duty for next week, during the time that the results would be announced, we decided to ask one of our workers if he could stay here, offering him a place to sleep, etc. Even with the tempting bonus salary that we were willing to pay, he politely declined. He explained that he had teen-age daughters and he needed to be home.....just in case. "You can't trust anyone right now", he said. "I have no idea if my neighbors will turn on me because of who I voted for." I appreciate his commitment to family - It's just hard to hear of the anticipated violence that is to come.
So we wait.......each day marking one less before we will at last know how this will turn out. In situations like this, it's not so much a question of "who will win".....it's more a question of "how will everyone react?"
For us, it's a bit of a restless time - trying not to over process the whole election, who will win, what will happen when the winner is announced, etc. as well as needing to stay close to home for security reasons. The title of this blog is "The Young and the Restless".......so we're not so young anymore........but we are restless and it just seemed like a good title.
Everyday the tension seems to build a bit more. Polling stations were supposed to count their ballots the night that they closed and then publicly post the results......so people are slowly formulating their ideas of who won (keep in mind that this is a HUGE country and there were around 63,000 polling stations, so the best guesses have large gaps in votes counted). Every day we notice that there are fewer cars on the road - so far it's "business as usual" downtown, but workers have reported that it's getting harder and harder to find transportation as each day less people are willing to take their vehicles out.
The girls had a 6 days Thanksgiving weekend......normally it would have been 4 days, but last Monday and Tuesday were also announced as "no school" just in case of violence. Now they're back and we are hoping they can at last finish up this week. They will also have next Tues. and Wed. off of school - to see how the city reacts to the results. About 1/3 of the students have left the country, parents being fearful of what will happen.
When discussing how to arrange for 24/7 watchman duty for next week, during the time that the results would be announced, we decided to ask one of our workers if he could stay here, offering him a place to sleep, etc. Even with the tempting bonus salary that we were willing to pay, he politely declined. He explained that he had teen-age daughters and he needed to be home.....just in case. "You can't trust anyone right now", he said. "I have no idea if my neighbors will turn on me because of who I voted for." I appreciate his commitment to family - It's just hard to hear of the anticipated violence that is to come.
So we wait.......each day marking one less before we will at last know how this will turn out. In situations like this, it's not so much a question of "who will win".....it's more a question of "how will everyone react?"
Friday, November 18, 2011
What if......?????
In the U.S. it's now holiday season. Stores, streets, and individuals are happily decorating, there are parties and dinners to attend, many stores will be staying open late to accommodate shoppers, and there is often an extra measure of "good cheer" and graciousness in many interactions.
Here in DRC it's now "election season". The country's second ever democratic election(after 51 years of independence) will take place on November 28th. Believe me, the ambiance of election season here is vastly different from that of the U.S. holiday season. The city is "decorated" with thousands of posters and banners promoting various candidates. Riot police patrols dressed in full riot gear are a common sight. Tensions are high and people are stressed. Many do not want to go out at night as crime is on the increase and even wearing a tee-shirt that supports a particular candidate can easily get you beat up. One of our pastors told us, "It's awful. People go into their homes and lock their doors at 6pm. We don't even know for sure if we can trust our neighbors."
Pat and I have tried to go on with "life as usual" in outings and ministry, but we, too, are finally succumbing to the tensions and security warnings. The members of many churches that we work with are not wanting to go out in the evenings to attend seminars. Most pastors are mainly preoccupied with encouraging their congregations and communities and praying for peace - which of course we support and understand.
The other day, we finally had to have our "what if" conversation......."What if the girls are up at their school while we're down here at home and violence breaks out?" "What if we have to evacuate? Where would we go?" "What if looters come over the walls - where do we hide the girls?" Although I am keen on problem solving and big on prevention - I have not wanted to have this conversation. I don't want to think about it!! Any of it!! But especially when it concerns my daughters!! Granted - If I were a betting woman (and I'm not!!) I would definitely bet on a no evacuation scenario. But things here are tense and edgy and in the end, in situations like this, one has to draw up their plans for the "what if's", put a few processes in place, and then go on with life, knowing that you're ready....IF............
I'm so glad I serve the God of "what if's"......although I believe He expects me to use wisdom and common sense, in the end He is God and we can have peace because of that.
Please pray for Congo! Pray for peace, not just during elections, but even more importantly when the results are announced (scheduled for Dec. 6th). Pray for our safety and protection, and pray for the Congolese. In the midst of planning for the "what if's" we, as Westerners, have many more options to consider than most who are here.
Here in DRC it's now "election season". The country's second ever democratic election(after 51 years of independence) will take place on November 28th. Believe me, the ambiance of election season here is vastly different from that of the U.S. holiday season. The city is "decorated" with thousands of posters and banners promoting various candidates. Riot police patrols dressed in full riot gear are a common sight. Tensions are high and people are stressed. Many do not want to go out at night as crime is on the increase and even wearing a tee-shirt that supports a particular candidate can easily get you beat up. One of our pastors told us, "It's awful. People go into their homes and lock their doors at 6pm. We don't even know for sure if we can trust our neighbors."
Pat and I have tried to go on with "life as usual" in outings and ministry, but we, too, are finally succumbing to the tensions and security warnings. The members of many churches that we work with are not wanting to go out in the evenings to attend seminars. Most pastors are mainly preoccupied with encouraging their congregations and communities and praying for peace - which of course we support and understand.
The other day, we finally had to have our "what if" conversation......."What if the girls are up at their school while we're down here at home and violence breaks out?" "What if we have to evacuate? Where would we go?" "What if looters come over the walls - where do we hide the girls?" Although I am keen on problem solving and big on prevention - I have not wanted to have this conversation. I don't want to think about it!! Any of it!! But especially when it concerns my daughters!! Granted - If I were a betting woman (and I'm not!!) I would definitely bet on a no evacuation scenario. But things here are tense and edgy and in the end, in situations like this, one has to draw up their plans for the "what if's", put a few processes in place, and then go on with life, knowing that you're ready....IF............
I'm so glad I serve the God of "what if's"......although I believe He expects me to use wisdom and common sense, in the end He is God and we can have peace because of that.
Please pray for Congo! Pray for peace, not just during elections, but even more importantly when the results are announced (scheduled for Dec. 6th). Pray for our safety and protection, and pray for the Congolese. In the midst of planning for the "what if's" we, as Westerners, have many more options to consider than most who are here.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
How do you spell relief?
My mind is constantly reflecting on the issues of relief and development. I just can't help it - I live in a country whose infrastructure has literally declined over the past decade rather than seen even the most miniscule of advances. I am a registered nurse, therefore concerned about health and health issues. And I am finishing up a Masters in Public Health with an emphasis on international public health. Effective methods and strategies for tackling the immense issues that we see in Central Africa are constantly on my mind.
To be honest, these things also weigh on my mind because I'm a missionary and I have a great network of supporting churches and individuals who give generously of their finances and prayers to allow us to live here. I take that support very seriously.
So I try to do a lot of reading on relief and development, effective techniques, best practice strategies, etc. Because the reality is - Relief and Development is an entire track of study - just like education or medicine or even theology.
Right now I'm reading an excellent book that I would recommend to ANYONE, missionary, pastor, interested lay person. It's called "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. After discussing the difference between "relief" (the need to provide IMMEDIATE assistance such as the immediate hours or days after a natural disaster) and "development" (addressing issues of poverty - and not just material poverty, but relational, emotional, and spiritual as well) I found the following paragraph:
"Ironically, you will also typically find that most existing organizations in your community are focusing on providing relief. Why? There are at least three reasons. First, many service organizations have a material definition of poverty; hence, they believe that handouts of material things are the solution to that poverty. As a result, they often provide relief to people who really need development. Second, relief is easier to do than development. It is much simpler to drop food out of airplanes or to ladle soup out of bowls than it is to develop long-lasting, time-consuming relationships with poor epople, which may be emotionally exhausting. Third, it is easier to get donor money for relief than for development. "We fed a thousand people today" sounds better to donors than "We hung out and developed relationships with a dozen people today." (When Helping Hurts, Corbett and Fikkert - the page shows up different on my Kindle, so I don't know the exact page in the book, but it's page 1885 on my e-reader).
I'm really struck by those words..........I have to admit - relief is "sexier" than development. It's a lot easier to write about a huge food or medicine distribution rather than to write about a small training seminar of 10 community health workers. And I also admit - there are times when I feel pressured from wonderful supporters to do more relief (even when the circumstances don't call for it) than development. I want to minister in a way that turns people and communities towards Christ, in a way that encourages independence and not dependence.
I haven't written on this blog in so long - that probably no one is even reading my musing, but if you are, I'd love to hear your thoughts. As a supporter or a church pastor/member who is heavily involved in missions - does relief seem more attractive than development? How do we bridge this gap so that lives are touched - but touched in ways that leave true change?
To be honest, these things also weigh on my mind because I'm a missionary and I have a great network of supporting churches and individuals who give generously of their finances and prayers to allow us to live here. I take that support very seriously.
So I try to do a lot of reading on relief and development, effective techniques, best practice strategies, etc. Because the reality is - Relief and Development is an entire track of study - just like education or medicine or even theology.
Right now I'm reading an excellent book that I would recommend to ANYONE, missionary, pastor, interested lay person. It's called "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. After discussing the difference between "relief" (the need to provide IMMEDIATE assistance such as the immediate hours or days after a natural disaster) and "development" (addressing issues of poverty - and not just material poverty, but relational, emotional, and spiritual as well) I found the following paragraph:
"Ironically, you will also typically find that most existing organizations in your community are focusing on providing relief. Why? There are at least three reasons. First, many service organizations have a material definition of poverty; hence, they believe that handouts of material things are the solution to that poverty. As a result, they often provide relief to people who really need development. Second, relief is easier to do than development. It is much simpler to drop food out of airplanes or to ladle soup out of bowls than it is to develop long-lasting, time-consuming relationships with poor epople, which may be emotionally exhausting. Third, it is easier to get donor money for relief than for development. "We fed a thousand people today" sounds better to donors than "We hung out and developed relationships with a dozen people today." (When Helping Hurts, Corbett and Fikkert - the page shows up different on my Kindle, so I don't know the exact page in the book, but it's page 1885 on my e-reader).
I'm really struck by those words..........I have to admit - relief is "sexier" than development. It's a lot easier to write about a huge food or medicine distribution rather than to write about a small training seminar of 10 community health workers. And I also admit - there are times when I feel pressured from wonderful supporters to do more relief (even when the circumstances don't call for it) than development. I want to minister in a way that turns people and communities towards Christ, in a way that encourages independence and not dependence.
I haven't written on this blog in so long - that probably no one is even reading my musing, but if you are, I'd love to hear your thoughts. As a supporter or a church pastor/member who is heavily involved in missions - does relief seem more attractive than development? How do we bridge this gap so that lives are touched - but touched in ways that leave true change?
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Apollo
When man first landed on the moon back in 1969, most of us were fixated on our black and white TV sets, watching it unfold (okay, I'm not going to totally give away my age here....but I was pretty young and do not have real specific memories of this, though I'm sure my mom made me watch it). Here in Africa, at the same time, there was a huge outbreak of conjunctivitis (infection of the eye conjunctiva, also called pink eye). Ever since then much of Africa - French speaking Africa anyway- has called pink eye "Apollo"..........I have yet to track down exactly where this big outbreak was, but somewhere on this continent, there was a big outbreak and it was associated with the moon landing.....thus "Apollo".
Last week I was the American school nurse substitute for 3 days. I saw several cases of "Apollo" myself. Within days everywhere you went you would see people with swollen red eyes. We've been very careful with hand washing, etc. but today Emily came home from school and uttered the dreadful words...."my eye hurts." I immediately ran to the pharmacy and bought some antibiotic eye drops. Apollo.....in the Hurst household!
Last week I was the American school nurse substitute for 3 days. I saw several cases of "Apollo" myself. Within days everywhere you went you would see people with swollen red eyes. We've been very careful with hand washing, etc. but today Emily came home from school and uttered the dreadful words...."my eye hurts." I immediately ran to the pharmacy and bought some antibiotic eye drops. Apollo.....in the Hurst household!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
After years of living in Africa I'm well aware that "peace" and "stability" are really more a state of our spiritual well-being than our physical surroundings. This rang home again to me yesterday. Kinshasa has been very quiet - as far as Kinshasa goes. DRC is gearing up for elections this coming November and there's a lot of rhetoric going around with that, but as far as unrest, etc. there has been nothing.
Pat's in Cameroon so the girls and I are here alone. After church, while enjoying a nice, quiet Sunday afternoon I received a text from an embassy friend - something about a "security situation" not far from where we live. I didn't pay much attention - those texts can get sent out for about anything and often by the time you get them the "situation" has been long resolved.
A few minutes later she called; shooting over by the president's house (not far from us!), tanks, etc. My phone began ringing like crazy as others called to give me information while friends who don't live in this part of town began to call trying to get information.
The long and short of it was an attempted coup d'etat. While I manned the phone, had the guard locking up our gate, and started charging all our phones and computers (in case the power were cut) Emily began texting her friends (some with parents in high gov't positions) and adding to the info. Poor Pat in Cameroon was calling and making sure we were okay.
At no point did I feel in immediate danger - but in these circumstances you're always looking ahead; what direction is this going to go? They can turn very violent and all consuming in an instant. Praise the Lord this one didn't. After quite a bit of shooting, general panic and fleeing by the population, and having trucks full of soldiers flying up our street things settled down, the government remained intact and calm was restored.
The suddenness and intensity of it all reminded me of a very important principle - the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. I know that's where we are.........and we are thankful.
Pat's in Cameroon so the girls and I are here alone. After church, while enjoying a nice, quiet Sunday afternoon I received a text from an embassy friend - something about a "security situation" not far from where we live. I didn't pay much attention - those texts can get sent out for about anything and often by the time you get them the "situation" has been long resolved.
A few minutes later she called; shooting over by the president's house (not far from us!), tanks, etc. My phone began ringing like crazy as others called to give me information while friends who don't live in this part of town began to call trying to get information.
The long and short of it was an attempted coup d'etat. While I manned the phone, had the guard locking up our gate, and started charging all our phones and computers (in case the power were cut) Emily began texting her friends (some with parents in high gov't positions) and adding to the info. Poor Pat in Cameroon was calling and making sure we were okay.
At no point did I feel in immediate danger - but in these circumstances you're always looking ahead; what direction is this going to go? They can turn very violent and all consuming in an instant. Praise the Lord this one didn't. After quite a bit of shooting, general panic and fleeing by the population, and having trucks full of soldiers flying up our street things settled down, the government remained intact and calm was restored.
The suddenness and intensity of it all reminded me of a very important principle - the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. I know that's where we are.........and we are thankful.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
I've lost my voice. I know, I know - I'm the chatty one and believe me, I'm getting lots of good-natured ribbing for having to be so silent. I had lost it last week for a few days and then it started coming back. But I made the mistake of trying to stick with my teaching schedule this week - teaching 5 hours a day every day. I made it through Monday with a rather deep, husky voice - but I did it. On Tuesday morning I woke up with a significantly worse voice. But I tried to teach anyway - really forcing it. After about 4 hours of teaching my throat just clammed up and quit!
So here I sit - drinking hot tea with honey and lemon, not going out of the house lest I be tempted to try and communicate with someone. I've always known I'm a real people person and definitely a verbal processor, but the importance of having a voice and communicating is really hitting home to me during these quiet, housebound days. I honestly feel a bit down....isolated.....kind of powerless.
It's given me a lot to think about. The course that I'm teaching (or supposed to be teaching) is on the church and development. We spend a lot of time talking about the vulnerable and marginalized people in this culture (usually women and children) and how can the church lend it's voice, its influence to try to change the way these people are treated. Having a voice is really a privilege. Our churches have a strong, loud voice in the culture and society of Kinshasa. Churches (of many different denominations) are present in every community and are generally respected. How churches choose to use their voice - or to not use it - is very important. Having a voice that is listened to is power. It feels good to have some power - not in a greedy, "it's all about me" way, but in a serious, "I can comment on issues and provoke dialogue and change" way.
On the other hand - not having a voice really stinks! You feel rather insignificant and......well....powerless. I try to communicate with my kids - and they're great kids. But sometimes I have a hard time getting their attention. I stand and clap and hiss and stomp my foot - waving my hands, trying to get them to disengage from their social networking, listening to music, or whatever it is that they're doing.
It's made me think about the people here in Africa - in Kinshasa - who don't have a voice, figuratively speaking. They live in this writhing mass of humanity (over 10 million people crammed into this city) but they are of a sex or age or people group that is not listened to. They can stomp their feet, clap their hands, wave their arms and no one pays any attention. Women who can't protect themselves from potential HIV exposure because they have no voice in the sexual activities of their husband - or of those activities within their marriage. Kids who are abused and beaten, some cast out into the street - they have no voice. They have no childhood. And then we marvel at the societal anger that can flare up at any moment here. Riots, looting, crime, violence.......a frustrated group finding some way to make their presence known, and finding a way to get back at someone....anyone.....for not listening.
A voice is a powerful thing....and mine will return. In a few days I'll be back to myself, laughing, talking, chatting.....and being listened to. Pray with me that the churches in DRC would find their voices and become involved in advocating for those without a voice.
So here I sit - drinking hot tea with honey and lemon, not going out of the house lest I be tempted to try and communicate with someone. I've always known I'm a real people person and definitely a verbal processor, but the importance of having a voice and communicating is really hitting home to me during these quiet, housebound days. I honestly feel a bit down....isolated.....kind of powerless.
It's given me a lot to think about. The course that I'm teaching (or supposed to be teaching) is on the church and development. We spend a lot of time talking about the vulnerable and marginalized people in this culture (usually women and children) and how can the church lend it's voice, its influence to try to change the way these people are treated. Having a voice is really a privilege. Our churches have a strong, loud voice in the culture and society of Kinshasa. Churches (of many different denominations) are present in every community and are generally respected. How churches choose to use their voice - or to not use it - is very important. Having a voice that is listened to is power. It feels good to have some power - not in a greedy, "it's all about me" way, but in a serious, "I can comment on issues and provoke dialogue and change" way.
On the other hand - not having a voice really stinks! You feel rather insignificant and......well....powerless. I try to communicate with my kids - and they're great kids. But sometimes I have a hard time getting their attention. I stand and clap and hiss and stomp my foot - waving my hands, trying to get them to disengage from their social networking, listening to music, or whatever it is that they're doing.
It's made me think about the people here in Africa - in Kinshasa - who don't have a voice, figuratively speaking. They live in this writhing mass of humanity (over 10 million people crammed into this city) but they are of a sex or age or people group that is not listened to. They can stomp their feet, clap their hands, wave their arms and no one pays any attention. Women who can't protect themselves from potential HIV exposure because they have no voice in the sexual activities of their husband - or of those activities within their marriage. Kids who are abused and beaten, some cast out into the street - they have no voice. They have no childhood. And then we marvel at the societal anger that can flare up at any moment here. Riots, looting, crime, violence.......a frustrated group finding some way to make their presence known, and finding a way to get back at someone....anyone.....for not listening.
A voice is a powerful thing....and mine will return. In a few days I'll be back to myself, laughing, talking, chatting.....and being listened to. Pray with me that the churches in DRC would find their voices and become involved in advocating for those without a voice.
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