heart4congo

The God who lifts shame and brings healing...

2009-10-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

The story of Joy Sarah

July 4th, 2009 was a special day. Yes, that is the day we celebrated independence in the USA but on this day in Beni, DRC Pastor Abrahim and his wife Joy Sarah celebrated 17 years of marriage. On the left is a photo I took for them in recognition of the occasion. Both had come to our conference which was for caregivers who work with abuse survivors . At this conference , Joy Sarah shared with me how she as a child was chronically and severely abused and further more, to her regret she had done the very same thing to her 17 year old daughter.

At the conference we had a session that taught on toxic shame and how it belonged to the abuser and not to the abuse survivor. In typical African fashion, the attendees wanted to hand over there and then the unhealthy shame they had carried for years. So we held a service where the attendees wrote letters to their abusers handing back their shame to them. Then we took these letters and placed them at the foot of a wooden cross we had built to symbolize that while we hand back the shame to the abuser (which physically could not be done) we could surrender that shame to Jesus. One after another, the attendees came and placed their letters at the foot of the cross. Abrahim , Joy Sarah and even Joy Sarah’s daughter all came and surrendered their letters at the cross. After everyone had done this, Joy Sarah and her daughter were left at the cross - they were embracing each other (photo on right - daughter in red t-shirt). They had forgiven each other and were just weeping and weeping and hugging each other. They were there for a very long time. The service ended almost an hour and half later - we ended African style with lots of singing and dancing - celebrating the freedom from shame everyone was experiencing. It was an incredible celebration and worship of God!

We worship a God who can heal the deepest of wounds and restore hope, freedom and relationships. The story of Joy Sarah does not end here. Last week I heard that she now has 9 (yes, NINE) classes (based on the Mending the Soul workbook material) for traumatized children and one similar class for married couples. Joy Sarah is an incredible woman of God who has embraced the healing in her life and is now allowing God to use her to reach out to many, many wounded and help them receive God’s healing.

Our God is an awesome God!

Beauty in Congo

2009-08-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Beauty and Sights of Congo

Congo is a very beautiful country. Most of the stories I have told you about in my blog have had to do with the people and the situation in the country. Tonight I want to show you some of the beauty found in the country - aside from its beautiful and wonderful people...

The photo on the right (above) is an early evening shot just outside UCBC - the Bilingual Christian University of Congo located in Beni where we hold our conferences. It shows the density of the greenery in the countryside, the clouds and the first orange rays as the sun sets in the early evening. The sky at times can be full of bright oranges, reds and various shades thereof as the sun sets and as the rays penetrate through the clouds. See the photo to the left - it is an evening shot taken from the house we stayed in in Beni. Rolling folds of clouds with wonderful colorful orange and red rays shining through. I love sunsets.

Goma

We visited Goma for the first time on this trip. Finally after a few years of wanting to go to Goma we were able to due to the situation being somewhat more stable. Goma is right on the edge of Lake Kivu and beside some volcanos. We flew over the active volcano that had a major eruption in 2002 along with some minor ones since. We literally flew over the top and got to peer down the center. The photo on the right shows the top of the volcano as we reach it - you can see part of the plane's wing - and the photo beneath it on the right is looking straight down in the center of the volcano. We could actually see flames beneath the smoke and we could smell the sulphur from the volcano. Interestingly, you can see vegetation growing between the very center of the volcano and the edge of the rim of the top of the volcano. We were in a little 10 seater plane and so very close to the top of the volcano. I had visions of the volcano erupting and the plane being tossed around like a tiny fly in whirlwind or vortex - with us in it! It was quite a thought to have while flying over the volcano - but it was an amazing sight to behold.

I also saw some really beautiful flowers in Goma. We stayed at this wonderful place by Lake Kivu which had beautiful gardens and loads of different flowers. It was wonderful to come home every day and sit by the peaceful lake, absorb the great scenery and enjoy all the beautiful plants and flowers. It was actually hard to wrap our minds around the fact that here we were staying in what felt like paradise in the middle of a hell hole. Not to say that Goma is a hell hole but it is just a place in the middle of the troubles of Eastern Congo and full of desperate and devasted people, and lots of suffereing and pain which you can see and feel as you travel around the city. It was somewhat surreal coming home every night. Anyway, here are some of the photos I took of the flowers.

And to close, here are a couple of shots of Lake Kivu taken from the shore of the guest house we were staying at.

Gratia Counceling Center, Goma

2009-07-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

Gratia Counseling Center
Gratia Counseling Center (right photo)was started in Goma, DRC one year ago by Daphrose Muteho Kyakimwa. She attended the first conference we did on the effects of abuse and healing in May 2007. As a result she, a high school teacher, decided that the school needed a counselor for the students who were deeply traumatized. She persisted, also attended our second training last year, and a year ago opened up this center (photo on right). Gratia is located in the very center of the school grounds - Daphrose says the heart of a person is their center and so Gratia should be physically representative of that. In this past year alone Daphrose (left photo: Daphrose in blue blouse with her family) and her team have counseled 534 students, mentored 255 students through a Bible correspondence course, helped 500 students with reading, helped a group of 90 orphans (and still are), mediated between students, parents and teachers in 780 cases, seen 336 kids become believers, shown 16 Christian movies, prevented multiple suicides, got 336 students to pledge sexual abstinence until marriage, mentored 50 youth leaders (still ongoing), and are currently talking to other school districts to implement similar counseling models in their schools throughout the country. What an incredible woman of God. Please pray for her.

Back in Congo

2009-06-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Congo!
I am so happy to be back in Congo. We arrived yesterday - it was raining but it was beautiful. It was and is great to see old friends. We discovered today June 30th is indepence day here in Congo and so we got an unexpected day of rest which was much needed. Our conference starts tomorrow.

When we arrived in Kampala, Uganda I got to meet with a group of Congolese refugees some of who we had met last year. The photo above is of them at our meeting. It was good to see them and spend time with them. They have gone through a lot this past year but finally have houses they live in, are officially recognized as refugees and are no longer on the streets - which is a great relief.

Congo is a beautiful country with beautiful people but there is so much destroying it. The level of corruption we have seen these past two days is worse than ever. Yet the people have so much hope. People are rising up to say they want to change the country and they want to be leaders. I was talking to our hosts and saying wouldn't it be wonderful if the African continent was not known as "The Dark Continent" but instead "The Continent of Light" or "The Continent of Hope". And with the determination of the poeple here in Congo I can see this being the case. It is always inspiring to me to come to Congo, to see the suffering and pain, to feel the intense evil and yet see the amazing spirit of the people here, their deep faith and desire to break the strongholds in this country and make it a great nation once again. Truly an inspiration for those of us from the Western world where our biggest decision sometimes is literally which restaurant are we going to eat at today!

Well, our conference starts tomorrow - so I'll provide an update in a few days. The conference is for caregivers (counselors, social workers, pscychologists, pastors, church leaders) who work with abuse survivors. The training is on how to work with the survivors and guide them through their healing and recovery process. We have many attendees who are working with human rights groups and action groups against violence. So we hopefuly will connect with many organizations and be able to equip many to work effectively with rape and abuse survivors. We are looking forward to all that God will ccomplish through this. For the first time we have materials and resources in Swahili which is going to be so helpful.

Thank for your prayers - they are truly felt and needed. Please pray for the conference.

Hello from Uganda

2009-06-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!
I am delighted to be in Africa again. We arrived safely in Kampala, Uganda several days ago. We have been holding a conference for organizations that work with children. It is about recognizing children who have experienced abuse and how to help them heal, etc. It is wonderful to see so many people attend and get so much out of the trainings and teachings. We also went to Ssenge - a home for former street children and got to spend time with them. It was good. The conference continues tomorrow. On Monday we go off to the Democratic Republic of Congo to Beni. I will be able to provide a more detailed report once there.

Thanks for all your prayers - they are certainly felt and needed. Will post more soon.

Going Back!

2009-05-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Can't wait. In a few short weeks I'll be back in the DRC seeing old friends and making new friends. It will be so good to be back and reconnect with all again. God is good - what more can I say...

To My Friends in Congo

2008-11-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

My Dear Friends in Congo
I think of you often - many times during the day. I read the news reports of all that is going on in Eastern Congo and I am distraught at all that is happening. The suffering is beyond words and it tears at my heart. This is my prayer to God: "O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!" (Psalm 83:1). I and many others here in the US pray for all of you often, for the displaced people, the children, the sick, the hungry, the raped, the wounded, the dying and all those trying to help. I and many others here fast and pray for a supernatural working of God to bring peace and stability. But most of all we pray to join you in solidarity - we want you know "you are not forgotten, we love you and we think of you often." We want to be with you but can't so instead we do the only thing we can - pray and fast and tell all those we know of how wrong the situation is in Congo. We also tell the people here of how brave and resilient you are and how strong your faith is in the Lord. We tell everyone of the great things that have happened in Congo and how in the midst of such darkness there is tremendous hope. You all are an encouragement to us here in the US and you teach us much. Know that we pray and pray and pray for you all every day and we cannot wait until we are with you once again.

Dear friends, be steadfast in the Lord. My prayer today for you is that you will have an overwhelming sense of God's love for you, that you will rest in the knowledge that you are His beloved, that He embraces you and you feel it. That you know and feel His presence right there by you. May God give you strength and all you need to make it through this tough and difficult time.

I love you all, be strong in the Lord and His mighty power, and may peace come sooner than we expect.

Christine

Congo Update: The Latest Turn of Events

2008-10-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

The Situation in Congo
Today I heard or rather read on the BBC news online that President Kabila has called for the people in Congo to take up arms against the rebel leader Nkunda. This is one of the posters you see in Congo (photo by Dan Hoffman). It says: I vote Joseph Kabila for a united Congo, strong and prosperous. The elections took place in 2006 and people in Eastern Congo (see map) are frustrated because this seems so far away.
I fear the situation in Congo will deteriorate and I worry about our friends and the many, many people we have met in Congo and ministered to. I worry that they are not safe and that they endure suffering and evil that is beyond even what we can imagine. The stories I have heard directly from the people themselves are stories that often I cannot share – it would be too much for most people. The depth of evil perpetrated by the rebels and soldiers and even others is really almost beyond belief. If it were not for what I know to be true in Scripture, I would find it hard to believe that a human being can treat another in such ways. But we live in a fallen world and Genesis 3 did happen. I do rejoice however, in the fact that Jesus happened too. Not only did Jesus come to earth and die, He rose from the dead. While the victory is not yet complete, Jesus has overcome death and the victory over evil is sealed. It is just a matter of time for it to be completed. I want to be there cheering when Jesus throws Satan into the pit!
Good News from Congo
Do you remember the prostituted women’s conference (see posts from Aug 6th and Sept 1st)? Well, I have heard that these women (over 40 of them) refuse to stop meeting each week. They are so excited and eager to learn new skills and to be disciple that they continue to meet every week, three times a week. As David Kasali the founder of Congo Initiative said “there is a move of the Spirit that cannot be stopped”. And so, although times are difficult in Congo, God continues to work in ways that are very, very evident and God continues to change peoples’ lives. That is why we cannot give up when we think of Congo. We cannot give up in frustration or exhaustion or think it is more than we can handle. The truth, it is more than we ourselves can do BUT it is not more than what God can do. We must persevere in prayer and beseeching God to act. My same friend David Kasali said to me this week: “It's time to claim back what belongs to our Lord: DRC and its beautiful people who have suffered a lot. When will enough be enough??? So we pray and work and trust. Our Lord is ABLE!!! The Lord will act on behalf of the people he created in his image.” To find out about the work of Congo Initiative visit their website: www.congoinitiative.org

As you think of Congo, or as you see or read news reports, would you take the time to say a prayer for the Congolese, the country and the situation?

Jesus himself said:
“Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea”, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24

And in James 5:16b we read:
The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

It costs a high price to have your heart in the DRC Christine

2008-09-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

Words from my friend in Goma

These words "it costs a high price to have you heart in the DRC Christine. The price is even higher when you have your feet on its dusty soil" were written to me by my friend who lives in Goma. If you haven't heard the fragile peace that existed (barely) in Eastern Congo was shattered a few weeks ago. The rebel forces led by Nkunda are waging war against the civilians and the Congolese army. The UN forces are practically useless at this time. Life has become so unbearable for the people in this part of Congo. My friend who works for the Conservative Baptist Church and his wife who is a counselor live in Goma and they describe the conditions there as 'unbearable'. The fighting is not far from Goma and they can hear the machine guns firing away. Thousands upon thousands of displaced people pour into the refugee camps just outside Goma and they tell horrible stories of the atrocies committed against them. Young children are being kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers. Women and children are being raped by the hundreds and thousands. It is estimated that 1.2 million people have been displaced in the last few weeks alone. My friend said the following in an email to me "When they run for their life, they leave behind gorgeous humus and lava-fertilised fields full of food and livestock to die of hunger in plastic sheet camps a bowl of porridge in hand". In an email I received yesterday he told me "Fightings continue. Every morning, we hear sad news from our vicinity. Frustration, anger, fear...were high this morning in Goma for new displaced people came in. The frontline happens to be in Sake, a small town close to Goma (27 km). Rebels are recruiting boys by force. Some refuse and they are killed on the spot, says CBCA Bitsi Church Pastor who has just run away from the flash zone with raped women and girls and no boys. He witnessed horrible things. This is but a case. Every day we hear stories like this. Thousands of displaced have found no aid so far: they cry for food, water, shelter and medecines. Lots of women are giving birth on bush lieves or litterally on the sand".

The people of Congo and in particular Eastern Congo need our prayers. Their request of me and my fellow team members and those praying in the US is literally this cry: "Do not abandon us, please!" These are not my words but theirs. We must pray for this evil to stop. My friends in Congo need relief from this horrible suffering. The women need to live without the fear of being raped and abandoned. People need to be able to live and tend to their fields and homes. Men need to be able to look after their families without worrying of being killed by the militia and young children need to be allowed to be children and not kidnapped to become soldiers to fight a battle they don't want to fight. These child soldiers live lives of pure hell - often high on drugs, forced to kill family members, friends and anyone their kidnappers tell them to. The young girls who are kidnapped by the rebels become sex slaves to the commanders. This is pure evil and hell. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray for my friends and the people of Congo who are trying to just survive and live in a place where there is so much pain, suffering and evil right now. This has gone on for far too long.

My friend Daphrose

This is Daphrose with her baby daughter Josephine. Isn't Josephine such a beautiful girl? I first met Daphrose last year on my first trip to Congo. She and her husband live in Goma and work with young people and the Conservative Baptist Church. Daphrose opened up a counseling center this past year and now works full time there working with the youth and many survivors of sexual violence. She has done an amazing work and uses the teaching we taught last year. This year she came to the conference we did for the caregivers and church leaders. She and her team just soaked up all the teaching. We were able to give them some resources and materials to take back with them and they were just so grateful. She, like many others in Congo, have extremely limited resources and are just so appreciative of what little we give them. I wish there was more we could do. However, it is so great to know that the teachings and resources go so very far in the hands of our congolese brothers and sisters. Daphrose, her husband and family are my friends who live in Goma and who are finding life so very difficult at this time. They are not the only ones. It is so difficult to see the pain and suffering. When I was there it was so very difficult to hear the stories and see the pain in the people as we listened and they talked and to know and see how much they had suffered. My heart just broke for the women and men I spoke to. But to live in the middle of it is so much harder. No wonder my friend says, "it costs a high price to have you heart in the DRC Christine. The price is even higher when you have your feet on its dusty soil". My friends have no escape, it surrounds them every moment of the day and every day they hear, see and deal with horrible, horrible atrocies. My heart is even more broken as I hear of their sufferings and so wish I could be there with them at this time. Please pray for my friends and the Congolese at this time. If you want to find out more of what is going on in Congo just go to the different news websites like BBC news online and go to the Africa section. There will be several stories.

My prayer for my friends in Congo

I cling to the verses in the Bible that talk of the promises of God: The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18. This is my prayer - that my friends in Goma will feel the presence of God with them and experience HIs love embracing them at this time. I pray that God in His miraculous ways will "save" my friends and others in Congo and that He will enable all parties concerned - the army, the rebels, the DRC government, the international community and governments to work together to bring about true peace in the DRC. I have seen God do BIG things in Congo and I know God is not finished in Congo - He still has work to do and so my prayer is "God just do your thing". I remember Ephesians 3:20-21. These were the verses that came to mind as I was leaving Congo and I remember them now - because God can do MORE than what we ask of Him or can even imagine: Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

We accept the pain of longing, for it is also joy…

2008-09-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Julian of Norwich and Congo?
I have always connected with the words of Julian of Norwich a 14th century anchorite. She desired to know more of Christ and became a spiritual advisor to many who came for her words of wisdom and spiritual direction. This morning as I reflect on my time in Congo I have come to realize that Congo is with me every moment of the day - every hour, every morning, every afternoon, every night. I see faces, hear stories, see pain and see hope. I see God in action in Congo and I get so much joy when I hear of all that continues to happen in Congo some of which I’ll tell you about today. Yet my struggle is that I feel so far away and I want to be there – to be with people who have become so dear to me and to be able, in a small way, be present with people who are so broken and wounded but who yet seek so boldly to recover and bring hope and peace. It’s not a romantic thought or feeling – because life in Congo is not easy and I am a person who loves my comforts and organized life. But I have come to realize this time that part of my heart is not with me here at home in the US – it is in Congo – I left it behind. The only joy in that is that I know I have to go back because I have to be whole again but the pain comes in longing to be there. And hence the words of Julian of Norwich: “we accept the pain of longing, for it is also joy.” Life is so paradoxical…

This may sound strange but it is true. The joy comes in the praying, the planning and the figuring out how it is going to happen again. Instead of one trip to the Congo next year, let’s plan two – or more. Instead of just waiting for the trip to come around, what can I do in the meantime to support my sisters and brothers in Congo, how does the work continue, what can I do? There is pain in the longing – because it is so hard to be here and not there and I long to be back. And then there is joy in hearing the stories of what is happening since we left.
Discipleship and training:
The women from the prostituted women’s conference that we held last July who became Christians and signed up for skill training have since then been meeting three times a week. They meet every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for discipleship training, literacy classes and skills training making soap and beads. There are over 40 women who have faithfully done this. Kassie, Mama Dorcus and Decky have been the teachers. Last week, the women had three full days (7AM to 5PM) of teaching and discipleship. These women are serious about changing their lives and living in the hope that Jesus gives them. They have discovered a new life and are determined to do their part. David Kasali the founder of Congo Initiative said to me “There is a move of the Spirit that we cannot stop”. Is that not amazing? Is that not the way it should be? That is such an encouragement to me that the work God did through us during our trip has prospered and given these women such hope. God is good. I love the redemptive power of Jesus, the hope that Jesus gives and the new life – really our original design – that Jesus gives when we call on Him. The photos show some of the women who had signed up for the skills training and discipleship.
Romans 10:11
For the Scripture says. “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

The Innocent Ones

2008-08-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Children of Africa
There is something so beautiful to me about the children of Africa...actually any child no matter where they are from. The children in Africa LOVE having their photograph taken. Then they LOVE to see their photo on the screen. They gather round you after you have taken the picture and giggle in delight as they see their image. And then the photographer gets so much delight as they interact with the kids. The kids are the innocent ones. Sometimes you see a young child and they stare at you in fascination - they touch your skin and giggle as it goes white and then red as the blood flushes in. They stroke your arms to feel the texture of your skin. They yell out "mzungu, mzungu" (white person, white person) and just call you over to take their photo. They are a blast.
Uganda
We arrived first in Uganda on our way to the Democratic Republic of Congo. There we visited African Hearts - a NGO that has a home for former street kids. It is a beautiful ministry and the boys in this home are so loving, gentle and polite. They learn to play in band to raise support for their schooling and needs. There are many boys there - over 50. And Lutaaya the leader is himself a former street child. His heart is so for these street kids that he set up this ministry to get the boys off the streets and raise them in a loving environment. So since we were there we visited African Hearts. There I med Sowedi. I don't know how old he is but I do know he is a cute kid. He seemed to bond with me very quickly and hung onto me as we walked around, visited their home, heard them play in the band, sing songs and even act out a play regarding AIDS for us. As we walked around he slipped his hand into mine and clung to me at times. When it came time to leave he cleared the way for me as we headed to the van. He would tell the people and other boys to move aside for "his mother". Then he looked at me and told me I was his mother. It was so hard to leave him after that but I did tell him he was my son and I would always remember him. He didn't want to let go of me and we hugged each other for ages. That's Sowedi leaning against a wall - cute kid isn't he?
Street Kids
Kampala, Uganda is said to have over a million street kids. That's a hard hitting statistic and hard to believe but that is what we were told. And when you walk the streets and you see all the kids then it becomes more than just a statistic. On our last Saturday in Uganda after we had returned from Congo on our way back to the US we went in search of the true street kids. Our intent: we wanted to feed the kids. We had seen the kids - they were as young as 2. I can't tell you how many 3, 4, 5, 6 year olds we saw sitting on the streets, begging and crying. Yes, its true that some of these kids have homes and their parents send them out to beg. Yes, it is true that some of these kids are parts of gangs were they are made to beg and yes some of these kids could go home. But many kids had come from Northern Uganda where the rebel fighting had driven them to Kampala. Others were simply orphans, rejected or on the streets for some other reason. But many, many of these kids were hungry - you can tell. So our team bought all the bread we could - we bought all the bread two stores had and we got peanut butter (high nutritional content) and made peanut butter sandwiches. And then we walked among sewer ditches, along city streets and we found the kids. They snatched up the sandwiches and sat down on the streets and started to eat. We talked to them and we loved them. I think this morning was one of the most heart wrenching mornings of our trip. I just wanted to bring all these kids home with me. It is so hard to see a 3 or 4 year old on the street, crying, hungry and sitting there alone and just walk away. Yes, we gave them food but we walked away. And we are left to wonder what has happened to this child, that child today? It makes me glad that God has called people like my friend Abby - a young lady in her twenties - who feels called to work among the street kids in Kampala and who has boldly accepted that call. There are others like her and the leader of African Hearts Lutaaya who was once a street kid now wants to help these kids in that position. They are heroes in this world who bravely accept the call of God and minister to the least.
Kids in Congo
These kids are the innocent ones too and they are just so cute. Here are some photos of these beautiful children:

Just content to play with a bit of paper (left). On the right below - kids playing with balloons.

Some kids have the most amazing smiles!

The smiles are indeed infectious!

This photo shows Jeff playing with the kids. They loved it. All he did was lift them up into the air and they just laughed and laughed and smiled with joy.

Above is one of my favorite photos taken at a church in Beni - the church known as the "church of the rubbish" because it is the church where the people who attend are the drug addicts, the prostitutes, the homeless, the unemployed, those people considered the least of the people in the city. It's my favorite church to visit - it's also one of the churches where we are made to feel the most welcomed. During the service, different groups come up to sing songs of welcome - the youth, the ladies, the choir, etc. The youth leader - a very animated character called Moses speaks English and has words of encouragement for us and then leads the youth in song. This year after our visit there we were invited to the house by the side of the church where upon they brought out plates of food - chicken, vegetables, a local pastry, peanuts, and sodas. What a treat. We shared stories, encouraged each other, prayed, laughed and joked and just had fun visiting. The pastor of this church is a man called Peter Amani - this is his prayer request "pray that I will love my people the way Jesus loves them". He is an amazing man - his love for the least of the least is very evident - and they love him.

Caught yawning in church! No surprise - the services last 3-4 hours!

A beautiful country...

2008-08-18T23:19:00.000-07:00

The Democratic Republic of Congo
Congo - the DRC - is a very beautiful country. It's raw - in the sense that you don't see tarmac roads, or many houses with electricity, or heated water. But there is a beauty to the land. It is very green. The rain forest is evident and everywhere you look all you see is greenery - at least in the countryside. The above photo shows the view from the cockpit of the plane and the dirt airstrip in Beni in the distance. But there are some wonderful views of beautiful green grass, lots of trees and wild plants. The photo on the right is an evening shot just outside the university building. Here are a few more photos of the views around the university in Beni. These are some of the houses from the nearby village. As you can see it is just so very green. It is pretty amazing and the colors change at different times during the day.

Smiling Faces
Everyday I would see women walking in the fields on their way to work in the shambas - as the fields are called in Swahili. Whenever they saw that I was taking photos they would smile at me - like the two ladies in these two photos. When you see the women it is hard to imagine that such beautiful women with wonderful smiles on their faces face danger every day. Yet most of the stories we heard from the rape survivors all had a common theme. They were raped on the way to or from their fields or while they were working in the fields. These women have no choice. This is their work - they grow their food and this is how they make a living and support their families. It's hard to imagine what it must be like going to work every day wondering if you will make it safely through the day and get home safely at the end of the day. It is sometimes hard to even conceive of the danger when you are there because you look out into the distance, see the greenery, the women going to work or returning and it all seems so peaceful. Yet towards the end of our stay in Beni we heard of a woman who had been raped and murdered not too far from where we were staying. The locals even gave some of our team members photos of this poor murdered woman. I think it helped them - it gave them a voice and a hope we would tell the world their story and what was going on. So all is not as peaceful as it might seem.
One Voice, One People, One Stand
Our last conference was for rape survivors. At that conference we heard story after story and it was so hard to hear them all. The stories are horrific. The pain is etched into the faces of the women, their eyes are dead and numbed and their bodies tell the stories of their suffering. And many of the women had babies, or were pregnant or had young children - many were the result of their rapes. We wept as we heard the stories, we prayed with the women, we prayed for Christ to heal the pain and take away the shame, we prayed that God would help the women see how precious and beautiful they were and that they would understand their value and that their dignity was not destroyed but that God would reveal to them their original design and help them be the women He wants them to be. At this conference rape survivors became believers, many stepped forward to take the first steps in healing. At the end of the conference, we - I and Steve gave what I considered the most difficult teaching and talk of the whole trip - a talk on forgiveness and what it means to forgive our abusers. We explained the true meaning of forgiveness that Scripture talks about and the need to establish safe boundaries and not offer relational forgiveness unless their is true repentance and a demonstration of change and implementation of changes so that the survivor is not abused all over again. It was a tough talk but the Spirit spoke powerfully. At the end we decided it was late and the conference should end. But the interpreter turned to me and said we can't stop. the women want to come forward and take steps towards forgiving their abusers. I was amazed and speechless. Woman after woman came forward. We prayed for each and every one of them. In my western naivety I was so concerned that we didn't have enough interpretors to translate our prayers. I wanted the women to know what we were praying! The interpretor said to me - it doesn't matter - God knows what you are saying! Silly me...Does Scripture not say that the Spirit intercedes for us and in the same we we were interceding for the women - they did not need to know our words - they just needed us to pray for them, to help them take that first step towards being able to forgive their abusers. What a humbling experience.

At the end of the conference after all this happened the women mentioned about how we needed to be their voice and to tell the world. We told them that they need to stand together, be one voice and tell their country and the world that enough is enough. Sexual violence must stop. We told them we would join them. This was a bold move for these survivors. They don't feel like they have a voice. Well, look at these next photos. It's all the women and us (the women on the team) standing together raising our hand - one finger pointing making the statement - we are one voice and we stand against sexual violence. The photo above is a close up and the one below on the right is the whole group. I have to say this was a bold moment for these women, a happy occasion and one where we all felt we were standing together as sisters in Christ and ready to fight for the cause. I will tell their stories here and tell people of how boldly these women seek to heal, recover and move on. Many of these women have experienced not only sexual violence but abandonment and have lost a lot. Here at this conference not one woman left without having been connected with a woman in her community who was connected with a NGO or organization that could help them. Do you know that Beni and the surrounding cities have more organizations than the city of Phoenix - they just have very limited resources and training but they certainly have a heart to help the wounded and broken and change their country.

The people of Congo have much to teach us....

Free to Live

2008-08-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Some thoughts...
I continue to think of the people in the DRC everyday. I pray for them, go over their stories in my head and simply wish I was there with them. Life operates very differently here in the USA. Life is so convenient - I can have a hot bath any time I want without having to think I have to heat up the water. In Congo if you want hot water you have to make arrangements to have a small bucket of water heated up on a log fire in the yard. So you get used to cold water. You can't watch TV any time you want because their is no electricity. The houses use generators in the evenings for a few hours. But these are just personal inconveniences which are quickly put to one side when you experience the hospitality and love of the people in Congo. I love being with the people - they welcome me and others with open arms, they are gracious hosts and seek to fill our every need. The Congolese understand community in a way we Americans don't. We seek to go into our rooms at night and be by ourselves. They seek to come over, hang out and spend time with you. It isn't even a question of time, how long they are with you but that they spend the time with you and each other. Hence church services last 3-4 hours. It always strikes me when I come back to America and go to church - we get so stressed out that our services will go a few minutes over the hour. Yes, God gets upset if our services are longer than an hour - we can only sing our few songs lest we upset the people in the congregation and it would just simply be awful if we had to listen to the preacher for an hour instead of our prescribed 30 minutes. Yes, I know - I'm being cynical but somehow I think we Americans have got it wrong. We have lost the true meaning of community and then of worship. It's so hard to come back to the US and see this and try so hard not to be judgmental about it.

The photo on the left is just an example of hanging out at the house after a day of ministering. Jeff is playing and singing along with some of our local friends. We would go outside, just enjoy the company, sing the songs and hang. The Congolese love music and love to spend time with you.

Free to Live Conference

This was the conference for prostituted women. It was an amazing conference. Some 77 prostituted women attended. The first day it took some time for them to show up. Turns out they were afraid they were being rounded up for the police. One of the students at the university was connected to the police somehow - either by working for them or had a relative working for them. So the women thought they were being rounded up, taken to the police station and/or tested for HIV. They were pleasantly surprised to find out that this was not true. However, the local brothel owner (lady in orange dress in photo) had put five of her girls into hiding. These poor girls were in hiding all day but at least at the end of the day the owner was able to take them some food and get them out of hiding.

This photo of myself with the brothel owner and some of her girls was taken on the first day of the conference. The conference was designed not only to provide spiritual guidance and support but also to help these women come out of prostitution by helping them learn how to get new skills and develop their own businesses. Some 56 women signed up for professional skill training (sewing, soap making, basket making, etc) and for micro-business set up. As a team we were able to provide sponsorship money and seed money for micro-business set up for all these women. It was done through Dorcus - a woman who works with Scripture Union and who has a ministry that helps train women in new skills and how to support themselves. Since our return to the US these women have been meeting three times a week for discipleship and skills training. During the conference over 50 of the prostituted women became Christians. So the spiritual discipleship component is just as important as the skills training.

For me, this conference was one of the highlights of the trip. The crowning part was when one of the former prostitutes - a teenage girl who had been a muslim who became a Christian at this conference - cam up to me, showed me a picture she had drawn and on which she had written "I love Christine". I have to admit, I just teared up, I was so touched. And that's what it was like. One woman after another, coming up to us - telling us they loved us. We were able to create a safe place for these women and they trusted us. They know they can come back to UCBC and be safe in the future. UCBC is a great place - it's a place that not only teaches students but is also a place where the broken and wounded can come and be safe. God is so good to have given David and Kassie Kasali the vision of Congo Initiative and to set up this place in Beni. The photo on the left is the UCBC building. There is still a lot of work to be done there. The floors are still dirt floors for the most part and some rooms have not been finished. But it is a welcoming place - a place where much healing happens and which embraces the broken and wounded. It is a refuge in the midst of a struggling land and a place of hope. To find out more about Congo Initiative go to their website www.congoinitiative.org

The patients of CEPIMA

2008-08-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

CEPIMA - that wonderful organization that works with so many patients. On our visit to the Beni clinic we were able to meet each patient who was receiving treatment at the clinic as in patients. We went to each room, met each patient, heard their story and we were able to spend some time with them and pray with each one. Here are some of the patients and their stories:

The boy called Prince

Prince really is his name. He is 12 years old and an in patient at the CEPIMA clinic in Beni, DRC. He is a gorgeous handsome looking boy but clearly deeply traumatized. Turns out he is here at CEPIMA because of his father. His father is a strict man and apparently was so strict and even brutal with his young boy that Prince was depressed and mentally affected by the treatment he received from his father. He had to be admitted because of the depth of his trauma. We all fell in love with Prince. Our hearts just felt so much for him. We were able to spend some time with him and a couple of our team members - Jeff and Dan prayed for him. It is no accident that his name is Prince. Prince truly is a "prince" and with the help of the people at CEPIMA, our prayers and God's intervention he will know that he is a "prince" in God's eyes, deeply loved and treasured and that even though his earthly father is brutal and strict, he is loved and valued.

The abandoned and rejected women

Here I am sitting in one of the patient's room. It had three beds in it and there were two women in the room. You can see both on the bed with me in the middle. After a while, to be truthful, the stories started to merge into one. You just hear story after story of women being rejected by their husbands or by their families for one reason or another. But typically, the bottom line ends up being the fact that these women have been sexually abused. Once a husband or family learns that their wife or daughter has been raped that's it. They reject them and throw them out of the home. The women have no where to go and literally have lost everything - their homes, their clothes, their children, their families. Some of these women can't take it, get depressed and literally become mentally ill. In such a society these women are abandoned and alone. No wonder they feel so desolate and hurt; they suffer enormously. CEPIMA is a great organization. They give these women a place to stay, a place to heal and a place to recover. They even mediate with their families to bring about reconciliation and reacceptance into the home. These two women had similar stories - abandoned after abuse. CEPIMA was not just treating these women for their psychological illnesses but also was helping them spiritually, with their children and with their families. It was my privilage to be with them, share some time with them and pray for them.

A girl called Naama
Naama is 15 years old. When she was 12 years old she was raped by five militia. After that experience she became obsessed with having sex with every man she met - she probably thought that was the only way they would have anything to do with her after her rape. In the past three years she has been abused horrifically. She still had wounds on her body from the abuse she experienced - and she was virtually catatonic. She would sit with her hands in front of her, shaking, moving back and forth and quite unable to keep track of what was going on. Last year we met another Naama at CEPIMA in the city of Butembo. She too was catatonic because she too had been raped. This year however, we got to see Naama #1 who had traveled 100 miles and trekked through 5 miles of jungle just to see us and let us know that she, after 5 months at CEPIMA, had recovered, accepted Christ, now loved her daughter who was born of the rape, and was now counseling other women who had been raped and had children and had rejected the children. Naama #1 gave us hope because was a living example of how God heals. So when we saw Naama #2, the 15 year old girl who was severely traumatized, we knew God could bring about such healing in her life too. I think God allowed us to meet Naama #1 before we saw Naama #2 - otherwise it would have been too much for us to take in and handle. I know Naama #2 will recover. I know God will heal her - He will use the people at CEPIMA and God will also speak tenderly and gently to Naama and give her strength, hope and courage to face life and the future. We spent time with Naama. We pray for her and we held her. Naama did connect with us. As Celestia (one of the team members) prayed for her, Naama held on to her and tracked what was been said in prayer. When the prayer ended Naama responded by saying "amen". Then Celestia gave her a little quilt. The photo on the right shows her grandmother wrapping the quilt around Naama. When Celestia gave Naama the quilt Naama broke out into a smile. So we know that she can be reached. There is still part of Naama that is connected. When we return next year, we are praying that this young Naama will be like the first Naama - healed and recovered and in a place where she is once again experiencing the joy of life and of being a young teenage girl. She is a beautiful young girl and my prayer is that she will know how precious and special she is a young lady created in the image of God and that there are people who love her because of who she is - a young lady called Naama. I am so thankful for her grandmother who brought her to CEPIMA and who is there by her side to help her in her healing and recovery from such horrible abuse. By the way, Naama means grace in swahili.

The privilege of being there with the patients

This photo says it all. One of the patients at CEPIMA is literally holding and clinging on to the hand of Jeff as Jeff prays for him and the other patients in this room. Jeff is standing and on his other side, a patient is also holding on to his right arm. This says it all. Being there with the patients, just spending time with them and being able to pray for them, that is what the visit was all about. We were so blessed being there and the patients seemed to love having us there. I pray that we were able to minister to them - it certainly was awesome just being able to spend time with them.

The wonderful thing about this clinic which might seem so counter inituative to us was the fact among the patients we found abuse survivors, rejected and abandoned women and children, and former rebels and soldiers. It seemed that it didn't matter that there were women who had been abused by soldiers and rebels and that the rebels were there among them as patients. The clinic workers had set up appropriate boundries but they also talked about how they worked with the patients to help them understand that they all were survivors of abuse, they were all sick and that what God sees is broken and wounded people who need help. That was how the patients viewed each other. In that there was a forgiveness for past deeds and an acceptance of the broken person trying to heal and recover. That in itself was amazing to see. It speaks of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus, really the heart of the Gospel. It was a lesson for me too. And you know what...it works. These patients do heal and recover together, they get to be in community together and they get to appreciate each other. I'm sure there are problems from time to time but what I saw were dedicated workers who loved their patients, saw and knew the hope in healing and the peace that Jesus brings and who were bold and courageous in pushing forth in their mission no matter what. I love CEPIMA, the workers and what they are all about. I am glad to know them.

Stories from Congo

2008-07-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's now been 9 days since I've been back in the States from Congo. I miss Congo. I miss the people and I miss seeing God do BIG things each day. Here are a few stories from Congo.

One of my real life heroes...Elige

Elige is one of my heroes. This is a lady who is incredibly brave and courageous. She counsels rape survivors at great personal risk and danger. She sees the tremendous need in her country, the pain and suffering endured by the survivors and feels committed to help however she can. Her husband supports and encourages her because he knows she is called by God to do this. She is truly a heroic woman and a role model not only for her fellow country women and men but also for men and women in the western world.

Last year Elige attended one of the conferences we did when we were in Congo in May 2007. As a result of our teachings, she started a program in her church to care for rape survivors. As part of this program she visits survivors in their villages often traveling up to 150 km a week on foot! Elige described to me how she is so terrified when she visits these ladies, as she has to travel many kilometers through the jungle on her own. She told me that she would wear the wooden cross on a string that I had given her last year. When she would come across rebels and bandits who wanted to harm her they would see the cross around her neck and say, “this is a woman of God – let her pass”. This happened time and time again. She mentioned that the string had broken and she had lost the cross. I was able to give her another cross. This lady counsels women with boldness and courage. She is determined to continue despite the danger she faces. As a result of her ministry she has ministered to over a 100 women in the past year. She is a hero – a woman whom I admire and respect so much.

CEPIMA and Hopeless the Goat

We visited a mental health clinic and hospital – CEPIMA - that we had visited last year. Since last year this organization has opened up five more clinics including one in Beni where we were based. This organization deals with some of the most severely traumatized survivors of abuse. Often these women and men are so severely traumatized that they are catatonic or severely mentally ill. They literally have gone mad because of the severe and extreme evil they have experienced. We heard of how CEPIMA has helped so many patients. Last year we visited their clinic in Butembo - the only one that existed a year ago. This year we were able to visit their new clinic in Beni which had recently opened.

Last year we heard that the caregivers at CEPIMA walked for miles just to see patients in villages so on our return to the USA we raised money to buy them two motorbikes (the common form of transportation in Congo). As a result in the past three months alone CEPIMA has been able to do a year’s worth of work in terms of visiting patients and facilitating their treatment. When we arrived at the clinic in Beni we were surprised and honored to be greeted by hoards of patients and villagers waving flowers and singing. We were ushered into a mud hut meeting room where we were presented with a live goat, tons of passion fruit, potatoes and onions. What an honor! A live goat is the highest honor we could be given. It costs more than a month’s wage to buy a goat. This clinic often barely has enough food to feed its patients on a given day. We went home that day in a van crowded with team members and Hopeless the goat (see photo). We originally called the goat Hope but it got changed to Hopeless when we all realized that it would be eaten for dinner one day. We made our hosts promise not to tell us when they ate the goat, as we want to treasure the memory of a live goat!!!!! We felt truly honored that day. This organization has done so much good work and has helped numerous patients over the years.

This is Mama Abia - the founder of CEPIMA which stands for "Centre de Protection des Indigents et Malnouris" (the center for protection of indigents and the malnourished).

I love Congo: my people, my home...

The people of this country are great. I may be a mzungu (white person) but I come back to the US having been given an African name - Kasoki. My name means first born daughter in the local language. I have a father in Africa - his name is Pastor John. I have a twin sister in Beni - her name is Kassie. And I have many, many friends. I knew when the plane took off from the dirt airstrip in Beni in May 2007 that I would be back and I did return - this July 2008. Taking off again this July, I had the same feeling. I will be back. Congo is so much part of me that I can only return to be there in the place where I feel so much at home.

The DRC may be a land where there is so much evil, pain and suffering but it is also a land where there is so much hope, healing and restoration. God is doing amazing things in Congo. There are amazing men and women who have risen up to help the land heal, to give people hope and to help bring restoration. These people know the true meaning of the Gospel of Jesus - reaching out to help the broken. God is doing BIG things in Congo and it is an incredible honor and privilege to be a small part of what God is doing.

Hakuna Mungu Kama We We - there is no God like you.

Welcome to my blog...

2008-07-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog. I do amaze myself sometimes... I managed to set this blog up and do it all by myself. That is quite an accomplishment for someone who is not a techno sort of person. As you can see, my blog reflects my thoughts, feelings and closeness to a country in Africa that I love - the Democratic Republic of Congo. I just returned last week from there - I had an amazing time. I'll post some stories in future blogs. Right now I'm setting up the blog and with that I enter the world of blogs.....more to follow.