Congo Update

For those of you who know me I am a fairly blunt person. I like when I know where I stand with people and things. I stink at journaling, so this blog is going to serve as my journal. This means I may say things that come across as in sensitive but really I am just trying to process my experiences while I am in Africa.

I have been in Africa since Thursday morning the 23 of April. We landed in the Central African Republic. While there we stayed at the Grace Brethren mission. I learned that some of my friends from my former church were just there. It was a nice visit. Driving in the CAR was crazy. There was extreme poverty.

On Friday the 24 of April we crossed over into the Democratic Republic of Congo. We arrived by dug out tree trunk. Then we drove for 14 hours in a Toyota land cruiser. We had 12 people in that vehicle. it was tight. The trip actually did not seem that long. The other truck that was with us actually had three flat tires on the way to Gemena. It was interesting to see them fix the flat tire. They had the land cruiser drive one tire onto the flat tire of the truck. The truck tire was on the ground laying flat. The land cruiser was breaking the seal and making it so the driver’s assistant could fix the tube.

We are all now in Gemena. We have been here for two days. It is nice in terms of accommodations. I have had a shower every night. We have eaten well. We have had the same meal for the last two days. I do miss American food. I am not going to lie.

I am struck by my lack of being moved by the poverty. Some of that has to do with the fact I am comfortable with the team I am in. I think it makes it easy to be emotionally detached from my surroundings. When Monday comes and our groups split up and we are doing the training and talking with people I believe I will be more moved.

Please pray for me that I would allow God to work in me. I have been in the word. We have been praying as a group together. At this point I do not feel God moving anything in me. Mostly I think I am unable to see what God is doing. I believe he is at work. It will probably be seen better from the rear view mirror of this trip.