Now in DRC!

August 2, 2008

Today is Saturday, our day of rest. We have the day to shop for souvenirs, check the internet, and just catch a breath. On institute days, we leave by eight and are back in our rooms around 7:00PM. So, the days are pretty full. We shopped in what used to be the oldest standing village in Lusaka, Zambia. While it has the old, thatched roofs, it is now a market that features Zambian arts and crafts. It was interesting just to look around. The clerks say, “Sir…look at this elephant…good deal for you today! Look! Bracelets, drum, bowl, mask?” With our local leader, Pastor Mutali, we had little trouble finding good deals.

I appreciate the emails and the blog comments! They have been a huge encouragement.

Pastor Joe

August 3, 2008

This morning, I preached twice in Pastor Mutali’s church. He is the regional director for our training institute. These believers do not lack for enthusiasm. I had planned a sermon on overcoming difficulties, but the more I thought of it, it just did not sit right. So, I spoke both services on John 13:34-35 which is Jesus’ command to love one another. It seemed to hit home. I preached in English, and Pastor Mutali translated into the Bemba language. During the service, there was also a baby dedication. This is very similar to the dedications I have seen in the US. The pastor commissions the parents, lays his hands on each child, and prays for them. There must have been about 22 kids dedicated in the first service alone.

The church is in an area called Kuyama. It is the most densely populated area in Zambia. Most of the homes are squatters who just took over a plot of land, built a shanty home or concrete brick structure, and made it their own. There is no law here. Garbage is everywhere. No electricity. No plumbing. There were three cars in the parking area, but about 200 people were at church. All of them walk. There is no sewage except for the ditch that runs along the road. You can imagine the smell. These people give birth, live, and then die. Their lives do not amount to more than that. Yet, there are many that attend the church and have committed their lives to Christ. We do not need riches to have meaning, but the poverty is devastating.

Early the next morning, we will be on our way to Nairobi and then on to Goma, DRC. Our plan leaves at 2:30 in the morning. I’m glad that our institute does not start until Tuesday and will go to Saturday. This one will be in French, so we will use translators. This will make the challenge to fit everything in even greater.

Pastor Joe

August 4, 2008

We arrived in Goma, DRC today. We were dropped off early and spent some quality time in the Lusaka airport. I had a few Zambian dollars left, so I purchased some odds and ends and some cookie/cracker items not to mention bottled water. We flew for over three hours to Nairobi (there are no direct flights from Lusaka to Goma). We did not take a major airline. This is not to say that it was junky; it was just hard to find. We finally managed to find the gate where we should be. They confirmed our seats with cell phones and two-way radios. We verified our luggage and road a 50 seat jet. It rides just like a bigger jet until the descent and a roller coaster effect.

Goma is best described as chaotic. There is confusion in the airport and confusion in the town. Once we deplaned, we had no trouble getting through immigration except we could not understand that the clerk was asking if we were military. A nice, French speaking young man next to us translated. We were then surrounded by men who want to carry our luggage (for a fee of course), so we had to grab our bags and not let go. Our bags then needed “inspecting.” Half of the airport staff do not wear any kind of uniform. So, we funneled (and I mean “funneled”) into a narrow line. There was lots of screaming and yelling. They only wanted our main bags checked. Everyone else is trying to get their bags checked too. I was worried that the clerk would take the gift I received in Lusaka from the pastors – a clock to remind me of Zambia. I was able to communicate what it was without unpacking the whole thing. There was barely enough room for me to pass much less with my baggage. I just plowed through like everyone else did. Once in the lobby, we waited for almost two hours for our ride. There was some confusion when our flight arrived. While I watched the bags, John was able to use someone’s cell phone and call our contact, and our ride finally came. The airport is filthy and in terrible shape. It has constant noise. I watched the money changers work while everyone else kept an eye on this obvious stranger.

Our ride through Goma was not quite as adventurous. There are walls of people on both sides of the road. Make shift shanty markets sell just about everything. We needed the high profile car just to make it over the potholes. I was expecting a very low end place to stay. However, our hosts managed a very good price for nice rooms. I even have a view of the nearby lake. No suffering for Jesus here!

The pastor’s institute starts tomorrow. I have met our new fellow teachers, and we will work together well. With the translation, our time will be at a greater premium than in Lusaka, so we are making some tough choices.

Hey, if you made it this far, thanks for reading all of this. I very much appreciate the responses and emails.

Everyone be good!
Pastor Joe

August 5, 2008

We have officially started the Goma institute. As of this writing, I am sitting in the back while the first session is ongoing. I will stress the doctrine/theology portion of my lessons. With the time it takes to translate (English into French or Swahili), we are going to focus on one session each to do a complete job. I will then cover what I can in Romans.

The Goma facility is a little rougher around the edges, but it depends. On one hand, our power should be a little more dependable with a generator. And, we have a chalkboard with chalk. Both places have a sound system. On the other hand, we have no overhead lights here. The bathroom is an outhouse with a hole in the floor. The rest of the facility is more open. However, for both places, we have more than adequate facilities to teach. We make do. No complaints.

Our new team members are Doug Dorman and his son, John Michael. Doug leads a ministry called “Your Next Step Institute.” They do discipleship training. John Michael is a junior in college. He is accompanying his father, documenting their trip, and will work with some kids and teens while he is here. Doug will be teaching a course on Spiritual Warfare. They are good men. Be praying for them too. Thanks.

Ok…power update. The generator cut out and we don’t have power. Oh well. Again, we make do. I was able to get through a couple of sections in theology. We have a fantastic translator, Simeon. I threw out some pretty technical language, and he handled it well. It looks like he will translate for all of us the whole week. I hope his voice holds out!

Grace and peace to you.

Pastor Joe