Sunday 28th April 2013

Monday 18^th February 2013             

                Up very early to finish packing.  Breakfast at 8am.  The Hostel staff were so sad that we were leaving; and many people came to say “goodbye”.    It was humbling that everywhere in DR Congo; the people are so welcoming, so grateful for the encouragements and so cheerful and hardworking despite living in such hard conditions.  Their Christian Faith is sincere and so very real to them.

                At 9am we piled into our two “Land Rover” vehicles surrounded by our luggage!  It was a 30 minute drive to Isiro Airport where we had the usual airport interrogations! 

  Dr. Nancy left us on the first MAF plane to fly to Bunia. 

 The rest of us (8) had to wait outside until 12.15 for our larger MAF “caravan” plane.  We were pleased to find that Dave Jacobson was our pilot again.  The flight to Aru, on the border with Uganda and our planned overnight stopping place, was an hour and a quarter.    There were big problems at Aru with the Immigration Office (a thatched roofed hut with no door!).  The dispute over visa expiry dates was quite bizarre as no one had out of date visas!  It was eventually settled with a $20 bribe!

                A large lorry transported us to “Diguna” (Good News), a German Christian community with a “Guest House”, where we would stay overnight before crossing into Uganda.  We had travelled since 9am without food or toilet stops and arrived at 3.15pm!   The Guest House was a large brick built “Hut” with a grass roof large enough to have a mezzanine floor!! 

 But, oh the joy to find a bath/shower with running water and a flush toilet with the luxury of a SEAT!!  The German staff gave us a late lunch and an evening meal where we were able to share, talk and pray with the other volunteer members of the community.  We had a good night’s sleep in a very pleasant bedroom.

Tuesday 19^th February 2013

                Breakfast at 7am was followed by a group photo before squeezing into the lorry at 7.30am to go to Arua, Uganda where we were booked on a coach to Kampala. 

 After about 20 minutes we reached the DR Congo DG Migration Office at the border and all went in to present our passports to exit Congo.  Amid much smiling and “play acting” by the Congolese Official we realised we had huge problems to overcome!  We were used to various difficulties with the Congolese Officials at airports and borders but this was a new “twist” which our Congolese driver and guide had not come across before.  They insisted they needed photocopies of our passports and the visa page!  Of course the office doesn’t have a photocopier; and we were in quite a remote area.   We suspect they were hoping for a substantial bribe to release our passports and let us cross the border.  Then our driver quickly had a solution.  He took Stephen McGoldrick with our passports and drove back into town and “knocked up” a friend who had a shop with a photocopier!  Meanwhile the rest of us were ushered outside by the smiling officials to sit under the trees and wait and pray for what seemed to be an eternity.   Our prayers were answered when Stephen eventually returned with the necessary photocopies and we headed off across the border into Uganda where the process of obtaining transit visas was a very civilised procedure!!  Whilst this delay had little financial cost it meant that we would miss our coach connection for Kampala.  Amazingly the “Diguna” Mission in Arua managed to rebook us onto a later coach without incurring any transfer charges!!  What a blessing it is when mobile phones actually work!!  Once we had obtained out Ugandan visas we squeezed into our truck again for the drive to Arua where we arrived in plenty of time for us to have lunch of chicken or beans or goat and rice in a “road side” cafe just opposite the coach “terminus” – and our last group photo was taken during lunch!

                The coach journey was quite an experience too!  It took nearly 9 hours to reach Kampala. 

 There were stops to let folk off and on, and these meant local folk running up to the coach to sell us food and drink and even offering us live chickens!! 

 There was also one “basic” toilet stop.  John had elephants and giraffe which were roaming free pointed out to him as we drove through a game reserve.  

 We arrived in the dark, at 9pm into the centre of a busy and noisy town area.  There was such chaos around the coach as our cases were unloaded that we feared they would disappear off into the dark never to be seen again! Oh ye of little faith!!!!  Our faith was again tested as we now needed a minibus / taxi to take us for the hour’s journey to Entebbe airport.  Thankfully, a young man came to our aid and helped us find one and accompanied us on the journey!  Evan Davies is sure that he was an angel sent to guide us! We eventually arrived at the airport at 10.45pm and immediately checked in for our BA flight home.  Had we been on schedule we would have had 3 to 4 hours in the departure lounge to relax, shower, change our very dirty clothes and have some food before check-in.  We looked and felt like tramps with our very dirty and battered luggage!

                Our departure was delayed for an hour otherwise it was a good flight with much needed food and drink and sleep and we finally arrived at Heathrow at 6.30 am where our son Tim and grandson Ben were waiting to take us home!  

                The end of an amazing 4 ½ weeks in DR Congo – and back to England where the cold wintery weather was vastly different to the heat, sun and tropical storms of Africa!

                We thank God for safety in travel throughout the 4 ½ weeks and for good health apart from Janice’s brief bout of Malaria!!

                We trust that you have enjoyed journeying with us and ask you to continue to pray for the CECCA16 Churches in DRC as they face both Spiritual and Financial problems.

                Here is an update on the “Deaf School” mentioned in the January posting entitled “At ISTM Nursing College and PRORRESO School for the Deaf.”  (Click on “January” and then that heading if you need to refresh your memory!!).  Before we left Congo we heard that the solar panels and associated wiring had been installed. The computer classroom had the ceiling installed, the floor concreted and the walls plastered.  The desks with lockable drawers for the laptop computers had also been made to measure and installed so the Teaching Lab was up and running!!  We only wish we could have made a return visit to see the finished project!!  We are patiently waiting for some pictures!  We praise the Lord that sometimes thing DO happen at speed in the DRC.  Our thanks go to those who have contributed this project. We are still committed to raising finance for the project which you can read about and contribute to at http://my.give.net/solarpower.

                On a personal note, both Janice and John have hospital appointments this week for which we would value prayer.  At the end of February John had an annual check-up following his heart surgery in Dec 2011 and was told that the repaired heart valve is leaking more that it was in Feb 2012.  This is being investigated and he has to admit that he has slowed down a bit during the year though not to the level before his surgery.  Janice is suffering pain around both ankles, particularly when standing, and will be seeing her surgeon who carried out repairs to both ankles about ten years ago.  So watch this space!!!!!    

Sunday 21st April 2013

Friday 15^th February 2013

At 9.15am we were driven to the CECCA16  offices in Isiro.  The Church President Modibale and his secretary have an office in the building along with admin staff including the Treasurer and Pastors in charge of the Bible Schools and Evangelism. 

  Modibale and Vice President Manzimba are excellent, dedicated church leaders.  Dr. Omelebatti, who is the Medical Admin Officer for CECCA16’s districts, moved to Isiro a year ago as this was the best place to co-ordinate plans with  President Modibale and Vice President Manzimba  who both live in Isiro.  We met the Doctor in Isiro Hospital yesterday.  There are34 Hospitals and 39 Health Centres throughout the 20 districts.

                We saw school and office buildings in need of repair or rebuilding, and equipment from the 50’s which needs updating.

                The President thanked us for coming to DR Congo; and particularly thanked John for assisting so many of our team, and the team on motorbikes to get their visas.  They know that it is very difficult to get permission to enter their country.  They feel that our “Centenary Prayer Walk” is a foundation for the future.  It is motivating people by the encouragement we give them and they know that WEC still holds the DR Congo close to its heart and supports it in many practical ways including the donation of money raised through the Mission.

                After visiting buildings, discussions  and prayer we were driven to the home of Vice President Jean & Christine Manzimba for lunch. 

 A typical Congolese meal was enjoyed by all.  The photograph shows their typically extended family with children, grandchildren and nephews and nieces.   A son tragically died and they have taken his children into their home.

                After lunch John went off riding pillion on their son Sam’s motorbike to the SIL offices to try to fix a problem with a laptop which he had brought from the Bible School in Ibambi; unfortunately without success!

                Later in the afternoon some of the team attended another local church for a celebration / praise service (similar to yesterday!)

Saturday 16^th February 2013

                Today continued very hot and humid with another visit in the morning.  This time it was to the Commercial College.  We visited a site on the outskirts of town where a new building project had to be abandoned due to rebel activity and had never been restarted.  Then we visited the rented building they now use, met some of the students and the staff and were told of the problems they face which are similar to all the other establishments we visited.  There was considerable frustration as no one has been able to use their mobile phone for the last few days, though on the whole it was a more relaxing day.  In the late afternoon John, Evan, Nancy and Stephen visited the President for some wide ranging discussions regarding church structure, organization, financing etc.

Sunday 17^th February 3013

                After breakfast we went to an area near the Gamba church for a really huge open air Centenary Celebration Service under a canopy of bamboo poles and palm leaves.  It is fascinating to watch them building these canopies!  Over 1000 people of all ages, from babies to oldies, some even older that us! 

 Many speakers, many chorales and bands (Janice has some great video clips!) and of course we “missionaries”, sitting together with the church leaders and their wives (only one each!) AND the District Commissioner and his wife who had an armed bodyguard also sitting with us! 

 Now imagine 5 hours sitting!!  Whether it was because it was such a special celebration or not, we don’t know, but anyone with a camera or phone to take pictures, including us, were getting up and walking around taking pictures from every conceivable angle. 

 A lunch in the actual church followed for missionaries and dignitaries, including the DC and his friendly police guard who John spoke to through an interpreter and told him the he should have no worries about security today as we had angels guarding us!!

April 1st 2013

Thursday 14^th February 7:00am.

 Prayers and service in the church followed by breakfast at 8:00am.

At 9am we set out for a tour around the community, visiting the bible school, health center and small hospital.  

 Again we saw the needs for better equipment and repairing / rebuilding of the buildings.  There was excitement at the hospital, which is one of the newer buildings in the community, because solar panels were being erected on the roof. The workmen are just visible in the picture below!!

A special celebration this morning was the distribution of 3 motorbikes, 50 bicycles and several hundred bibles to the pastors and evangelists of some of the 20 Church Districts.

  These were a gift from WEC as part of its centenary celebration.  Bicycles are the best way of travelling for the Pastors to cover the widespread communities and little settlements in their Districts.  Bicycles are seen in various states of dilapidation transporting people, huge bundles of wood and charcoal and bananas!  Also all kinds of household goods (including huge mattresses!)  or several  5 gallon water cans strung  all over the bike.  

 In these cases the rider becomes the “pusher” often walking for miles through the forests.

If it was interesting to see a young girl repairing the walls of her home with the usual clay-like orange mud!  

 These mud and cane houses can be destroyed by termites in two or three years so there is constant repairing to be done until the termites win and the little house collapses. (They also catch, dry and fry termites for food!)

After lunch and a short rest we set of at 3.30pm to Isiro. To get there we always had to drive across an old disused railway line. 

 We were going to a small church in the town for a local Centenary Celebration and welcome service. 

 A lovely time with the usual bands, singing and preaching.  The service was suddenly drawn to a close (it would probably have continued for another couple of hours) because a storm was imminent.  We scrambled into and onto our two vehicles, John traveling in the back of the pickup truck this time! Again we got home just before the rains came!!

We had our evening meal, time of prayer and chat about the things and people we had seen and experienced today and then off to bed!

Wednesday 20th March 2013

Tuesday, 12^th February 2103 Cont:-

After our visit to the Church Schools there was just time for a brief rest before we walked to the home of CECCA 16 Church President Modibale and his wife Bettina. Bettina is German and has been a missionary in DR Congo for 25 years with S.I.L. International doing major translation work.

 Before enjoying the evening meal together, 

we spent a couple of hours in the garden discussing church issues and looking at the ways forward for their very widespread  communities is in this very large country. 

Apart from the common needs and concerns as previously mentioned, there were some which had saddened and shocked us all.  There are no pension schemes (government or private) or retirement structures for Pastors; (or anyone else for that matter) so when they retire they have to leave their church house and find other accommodation. Sometimes this might be with family, but.............? 

The government has no interest in their future or well-being (or anyone apart from themselves it sometimes seems!)  and pastors do not receive any income other than  via the church community, mission donations and other ways of supporting themselves.

And in all these large districts these pastors and their senior church staff seem to carry out very similar work to our UK local councils in looking after the welfare of their community, providing and supporting most of the clinics, schools and teachers. A very small number of teachers have government pay and if four out of ten get government pay in one school, we believe that they share it among themselves along with any money from the church. Yet these teachers and pastors are dedicated to their work in providing the children with a good education.

Wednesday, 13^th of February 2013

 At 9.30am we set off for a day visit to Nala. That’s 1 ½ hours in the usual two vehicles over even worse roads and hazards than we had traveled before. 

 Crowds cheered us into the village including many schoolchildren in their blue and white uniforms lining the road.  

  We were welcomed and seated under a purpose built canopy of bamboo and palm leaves. 

 The Gamba band folk had come with us on the back of the pickup truck so they soon joined in with Nala’s music and singing groups! 

 Introductions and welcomes from the pastors before the speakers on various subjects. 

 We toured the schools and health center before having a typical Congolese meal!

Suddenly it was obvious that there could be a rainstorm within the next hour or so, which meant a hurried departure amid excitement and crowds waving us goodbye and safe journey! 

  We watched the black clouds during the 1 ½ hour ride back to Gamba, Isiro, because a storm while driving through the forest would be pretty awful!!  Our prayers were answered for a dry drive, and as we were clambering out of the vehicles the heavens suddenly opened, and the ground was soon like mud rivers! 

  It was cooler with the rain and we sat on the veranda and relaxed before we had a meal and wondered what we would be doing tomorrow!