The Twilight Zone

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.