Peace,

On our first Sunday we were to go to both the French and the Swahili services, however the decision was made to just go to the Swahili service. While attending this service, the energy I had expected seemed muted. Perhaps it was the structure of the service, I am uncertain, for it is a structure that was clearly UM, which was probably a good thing as it was a UM church, but which for me was not as engaging as it could be. Perhaps as well was that as the service ws going on my body was screaming to me, and I was in a place where I could not get up to go and try and care for it. Perhaps that was the worst day my body had while there.

The next opportunity would be when three of us would go to a youth rally held at the Methodist University one night. we went to part of the service. it was of Pentecostal flavour. It was interesting though parts of it I wondered about. The teenagers drew the three of us into the dancing to several of the songs, I’m sure we looked like fools… it was an interesting time, and the power went out while there and did not come back on for two days.

The next service was the village service. This one I went with two others to, and here I finally encountered the joy I in worship I had been expecting, though the sermon as I understood it through phone chain translation… was interesting though at times hard to follow as at times there would be long gaps between hearing translations of parts of it. Some of the UM specific things were a little interesting as well. That even when asked about it and what was different than in the US I couldn’t truly tell since, many of the differences I knew were in part tradition differences and not geographic differences.  Later I learned they held service just because we were coming, otherwise they would have canceled due to a death in the community, and for that I was sadden, that we altered and interrupted their normal way of being. It was also a bit awkward as they gave us a place of privilege in the service, while the congregation sat on benches, up toward the front on the side they placed three plastic chairs, for us to sit in. They also had us say a few words to them as part of the service.

These were not the only time of worship, but the only designated ones. For there was one morning at Mama Louise’s  where we ended up singing many songs, or singing at the orphanage, and various other encounters of worship in day to day life. In those moments the Spirit could be felt, at least I could feel it and engage. Then of course was the service we did as our farewell, which went okay i guess, but I wish had been different.

Enough for now,

Peace,

As we traveled around the city my heart went out, and I struggled to understand some of what I saw. In part as it was hard for me to tell at times the state of a building. For at times in new areas of the city, would seem buildings that seemed old and abandoned, but perhaps were just halted in the construction process, or buildings looking as if they were deteriorating, but perhaps just in use even though never fully finished. Would see small homes of some of the poorest of society right next to homes of wealthier ones. And then some neighborhoods primarily of one level at least from street view. the vast differences amazed me, not so much because they existed, but existed side by side and so clearly evident. Upon our trip was a stop at an equestrian center, a place where few Congolese would ever go the cost way beyond what they could afford. It was interesting to see, but among the group were some who wondered why we were visiting a place so few of this country could see, as they wanted to be out and with the people, and not where they could not afford to be.

afterwards we traveled to visit a deteriorating hotel. Built in the 1960s it is one of the fanciest in town, but like everything else years of neglect has taken its toll, though unlike where Iw as staying the first two nights, it still had running water, and was scheduled to shut down in a few weeks  for 9 months for rehabilitation to bring it back up in quality. Around the time it was built is when the political situation in Congo would be changing and lead to years and years of neglect to the countries infrastructure and economy leading to some of the great struggles the country is now dealing with.

We then went to lunch and then started the driving tour of areas where perhaps the more typical Congolese citizen lived, in smaller homes, bunch together, less walled in compounds, more homes in proximity to one another visible from the road. We stopped at a small market where artwork was sold, and experienced the wonders of negotiating prices, some better at it than others. We drove by many churches. While often the church structures were some of the bigger buildings they often seem to have some feel of connection to the community they were in, some perhaps a bit grander but rarely did they seem maintained better than the surrounding community. perhaps the one exception was the LDS compound we drove by, right near a community of small brick un-stuccoed homes, it was a well maintained stuccoed building that seemed somewhat out of place in relation to the finical state of the community around it. In that community nearby was the elder Sister of the leader of our group and her family, also not far from there was the Methodist church that Caleb was one of the Pastors for, where we encountered many kids playing basketball and football (soccer as most in the US call it).

As we drove around town I also found it interesting to note in a country that “technically” drives on the right, only a few of the vehicles had the driver on the left, most were imported from areas where the driver sat on the right, and thus indication of driving on the left side of the road, thus perhaps a US postal worker would feel right at home in one of them, but others it would be a bit strange driving sitting toward the curb rather than the center of the road. Knowing income levels of people here and seeing prices in stores, I found it hard understand, since wages so much less but prices not much less and perhaps for some things equal or higher than back home.. and yet people seemed to get by. perhaps the greater family support, and much more grown and made rather than purchased. Being able to do more with less perhaps, and the joy upon the faces of the children was so amazing, and upon others. Truly those with less physical did often seem to be the most joyful… though their struggles also often evident.

My second night in the cong would result in a dream.  In essence it was about work, both I and my supervisor being upset at each other as she asked me to work the day I came back for a few hours, after I had already agreed to work the next day, both of which I was not on the schedule for. Afterwards I tried to go and apologize, but was unable to as she was in a meting. And talking with a fellow co-worker concern about how she was doing arose. perhaps it stands out even more, for in reality when i came back and was worn out and she saw me at church on Sunday she re-arranged the schedule so that I didn’t have to work Monday and had another day to recover… Getting upset at her in the dream though bothered me for several days, if not the whole time I was there. Silly perhaps, but it is true and so this  Monday I told her I know it is silly and awkward, but it is still on my mind, and told her in brief that I had a dream where I had been upset at her and apologized for it… I know it makes no sense but sometimes that is just how things are.

That’s all for this entry…

Peace be with you