July 2003
Greetings from the capital city of Kinshasa where we have now been one week, lodged at the headquarters of our church partners CBCO (Communaute Baptiste du Congo Ouest). Though not yet in our village home in Kikongo, we feel at home in large part due to the preparations of an apartment by fellow missionaries, the warm and respectful welcome of church leaders and workers, and the re-establishment of our e-mail system with MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) so we can better communicate both in country and out.
Our days are filled with morning worship, logistics of documentation/photos for government permission to reside here for 4 years and to go into the Interior, meetings with Coordinators of various ministries, shopping for literature + other resources, dining with new + old acquaintances, visits from students and friends who want to share needs, reading, and language study. Despite the humidity, dust, insects and oppressive poverty, we are happy and inspired by the continuing ministry that has been occurring, and the vision for ministry in the future.
We are sad that the installation of the new government (which was to have taken place the 15th of July), did not occur. All here remain hopeful for a new day of permanent ceasefire, and negotiations toward the coalition government. Kinshasa "feels better," with less inflation, and even some repairs to the major thoroughfares, and the second location of a Christian bookstore in our part of town.
We were privileged to have these last two months of "continuing education" made possible by God's grace, the contribution of hospitality by 2 families in France (Antibes and Grenoble), our own savings, and you our friends and family. The one month of formal French language study, followed by a month of visiting in homes and travel in France, is paying off.
Yesterday a young lady visiting us commented on our improved French; and in general we feel more at ease conversing on many topics with all kinds of folk here. A fellow missionary was impressed with the good quality of dictionaries and pertinent books which God had helped us to find at used bookstores all over France + Belgium.
Not only did our language improve and resources augment, but our spirits enlarged and deepened through encountering God in his creation-- in beautiful territories and cultures new to us. Some of the "HEIGHTS" were: the gift of a parasail flight in the High Alps, descending 3000 meters into Chamoinix; hearing an impromptu a capella classical number sung by a small choir of tourists in Sainte Chapelle; and, hearing the "full choir" in the Sunday morning worship at the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
The "LENGTHS" included the gift of a new "historical perspective." Knowing that a NEW home in California is built with the life-exptancy of 40 years, we were awed to be visiting in French homes where 3 + 4 generations have lived, and in one chateau which has belonged to the same family for over 1,000 years! And, we were consistently exposed to a more relaxed dining experience: multi-coursed, where fine food and drink, conversation and fellowship are carefully savored.
(Virgil here): Being in Kinshasa for a few days shows me again how much I need an "attitude readjustment". I find that I can very easily focus on all the frustrations or continuing "problems", and MISS or take for granted, the many UNEXPECTED KINDNESSES and miracles. During the past two months we have been showered with unexpected kindnesses/surprises:
The telephone service operator for a private company who kept me on line, and set up a three way conference call with our credit union to resolve a credit card problem.
The department store employee who did not help me with the unwieldy pile of my purchases as I left the register, BUT DID turn in my wallet which I left on the counter, to the store manager with credit cards and cash intact.
The train station taxi driver in downtown Macon, France, who LED me to the nearest open gas station on a holiday weekend, THEN to the "other" train station for car rental return, and then HELD the days last bus to Taize so I could catch it.
Our friend Dow Jones in Ventura who spent hours/days solving our broken (during the flight to France) computer problem, and successfully got it to us before we left France for Kinshasa.
The cities of France, most all of which provide public toilets.
The delivery company driver in Paris who, when asked directions to his company's main office, invited me into the cab while on his route, so he could drop me off within a few blocks of the headquarters--very helpful in a city where many intersections have 5 or 6 choices of direction.
For CBCO staff who met us missionaries at the Kinshasa airport, helped secure our luggage, eased us through customs and the "wall of humanity" desperate to help us carry our bags the 1/4 mile to our vehicles;
For ABC Missionary Ed Noyes, whose years of efforts to establish internet access with CBCO have paid off, and have blessed us and the community with easier, faster + more reliable means of communication;
The LIST GOES ON, and not the least of all IS YOU who support us with your thoughts and prayers, and tangible actions of love and caring for us and one another!
At the Taize community in France --where we were treated to a week of prayer, worship and Bible study--we were able to be attentive to God's call for us this second term in the DRCongo. Now we are listening to the Congolese church leaders for how they experience God's leading for our involvement.
We look forward to sharing more details with you in the future, as our adventure with God in His Kingdom work unfolds here in this place.
SHALOM,
Lynn and Virgil