Congo just got real

Up until today, this just hasn't felt real.  We are still literally driving through stereotypical African city, and I am still playing with dusty village kids, but I still haven’t felt like I’m in Africa.  I’m actually not sure exactly what that would feel like… well, granted, I also haven’t been to Africa before.  But today, our eyes were opened to true perspectives of life in Congo.

There’s a soccer field that local village kids gather at about 5-10 minutes’ walk from the house.  I think this is the place where I hear traditional church gatherings occur—complete with drums, chanting, and shouting, all of which I can hear from across the valley.  One afternoon a couple days ago I walked up there with Michelle, and we ended up singing, dancing, and talking with about 50 village kids.  Today, Savannah, Hannah and I went up there again to see what was up.

When we got to the dirt clearing, there were about 10 kids playing soccer with a little ball.  Hannah joined in with them.  After some time we asked them if they wanted to play another game… an American game, perhaps.  Excitedly, they agreed, and we proceeded to teach about 35 Congolese kids how to play duck duck goose with instructions in French.  Heck to the freakin yeah.  They loved that and had a lot of fun.

Teaching duck duck goose

Now up until this point, my main perspective towards the Congolese is that I’m seeking to build relationships with them.  The value of the relationships themselves is intrinsic, but through these I also hope to increase my French language capabilities, which are greatly increasing every day.  After I’m fairly secure in communication, I can proceed to more personal, spiritual, and evangelistic conversations.  A huge underlying assumption of that perspective is that the Congolese would also want to engage in those equal, mutual relationships the same way that I did.  Today that changed.

The duck duck goose game drew the attention of every passing village kid.  One kid tried to talk to Savannah, who let me know that he was trying to say something.  That’s him in the picture below with the white uniform shirt.  His name is Josué, a young schoolboy, about 12-14, very polite and well-educated.  He said hello, showed off some of his English skills, and we talked a bit about how we came, when we came, and where we were staying and all.  At this point, a crowd of about 30 kids and a few mamans (mothers) gathered around us.  He then asks a question that I had trouble understanding at first.  He kept saying “cadeaux,” (gifts) and “de l’argent, money,” (complete with the universal thumb and forefinger rubbing gesture) and he demonstrated what he meant by offering me his notebook, but it didn't look like he was about to give us anything.  Then I finally understood what he said—“Ou sont les cadeaux que nous vous avons apporté?” (Where are the gifts that you’ve brought us?)  Shocked—and trying to be apologetic, I told him that we didn’t come to bring gifts, but we did come to learn to be missionaries.  He then quickly asked that, when we return to America and come back to Congo, if we would we build free schools for them.  I tried to cut off the conversation and push away any promises by saying that I was planning on coming back to eastern Africa but not Congo, but maybe someone else would in the future.  We decided it was time to leave after that.

Talking with Josué

So apparently, someone came through this area in the past and gave these kids free stuff and now they expect it from us too because we’re white foreigners.  How can we build mutual relationships with people who are looking more for a handout than a friend?  How can we play with these kids the same way when they’re always thinking of us as the rich white folks that don’t have presents?  

Here’s a note, no, a WARNING for future relief workers/short term missions organizers:  giving free candy and handouts to needy people may seem like a great and biblical thing to do, but that very relief work will create serious perspective problems for long-term workers who don’t come with quick handouts but do come with greater, longer-lasting development plans. Think ahead to the long-term consequences of your ministry, not just what you can do in a couple weeks to make yourself think you did something good.

I’ve heard many stories about groups that have come to an area, given away stuff, made the people happy, and left, and then later long-term missionaries come in to facilitate long-term change, but the people are even harder to reach and cooperate with because they expect the same handouts from them.  I was not prepared to actually encounter this relief work gone bad so soon, and now we must negotiate the consequences.

That shocked me and greatly turned my perspective of life in Congo.  I’m still reeling a bit from that.  But maybe it’s not all that bad.  I’m not used to being seen as the rich kid, plus about all of these kids may not know where they’ll get food in a few weeks, and they are kids too.  This can also just be the way they think—there’s this African mentality called “patronage,” where the wealthy man gives favors for others in exchange for loyalty.  I may have noticed this in a couple individuals—the main subject of our conversations is them trying to get me to do stuff for them.  Instead of my immediate assumption that they just want to play the rich kid being true, that could just be how they naturally act towards us.  This perspective towards foreigners could be used for good as well, even allowing us to go places we could not have gone if it wasn’t there.  We now have the opportunity to share with them what really matters—is it all about money and stuff, or family and faith?  Nevertheless, this mentality of us rich foreigners having loads of money and goods ready to distribute is still a great barrier that we will have to overcome in ministry to these beloved Congolese.

Me and Willy

And of course, not all of the Congolese may think that way.  My first Congolese friend’s name is Willy.  He works the yards around the missionary compound.  I see him every day.  He also is a new believer who’s involved in the church we go to.  Oh yeah, I went to a Congolese church this Sunday.  That’s another post for another day.  But Willy offered to take us to some fun places in town, and when an unexpected taxi ride came up, he paid for us.  Yeah.  During that trip, a few times he put his arm around my shoulder, grabbed my arm, or held my hand.  Those are Congolese signs of close friendship.  I love Willy.  I’m kinda crying as I write this.  I am very thankful for a true friend here.

It seems that Congo just got a bit more real.  Now we know what perspectives we’re dealing with, and according the Lord’s strength, guidance, and favor, we can show the love of Christ to the Congolese even more.

Yes, this is definitely the making of a missionary.

I am in Congo

First update from Congo.

And first things first—praise report from last time, the missionaries’ car successfully passed through customs.  Sort of.  Still waiting on some paperwork.  Thank God for Speed the Light anyway!

On Sunday I spent a layover night in Washington DC.  Got to see the monuments and stuff downtown and had a bit of missions experience there as well in trying to work with foreign shuttle drivers and talking to international people.  I was already with one of the interns then, and we met up with the other two the next morning before we got on the plane to Ethiopia.  On Tuesday, after a very short one-and-a-half days of travel, we here to Lubumbashi, DR Congo safely and without any issues. 

The Engage Congo team.  Starting from me going
clockwise is Michelle, Savannah, Bill Shaw, Rachel,
and Hannah.  Sonia's taking the picture.

 Very excited about things to come during this time.    Bill and Sonia, the resident missionaries, are    awesome.  I learn great things about interacting with  life here in Congo and how to do missions from  them.  Rachel DiTrolio, our student coordinator, also  has a lot of great insight and experience to share.

Mon ami Pascal, the one I talked with for a bit

 I still don’t feel like I’m in Africa.  Every morning I  hear the Bible school students across the path  singing in a local language for chapel.  We drive  every day through iconic pictures of dusty African towns, wave at kids running around playing soccer on the street, see women carrying fish and water on their heads… yup this is definitely Africa, but it sure hasn’t felt like it yet!!  I do feel like I’m being more integrated into life here… or at least life to the extent of right outside our house.  Had about an hour long conversation with a worker on the compound and a local student and it looks like I made a couple friends.  But everywhere else, people just kinda stare at us.  When we walk by houses with kids playing out front, they’ll all run off, gathering their friends while shouting “Mzungu!” (white people, in Swahili).  The girls have gotten a few catcalls and bridal prices too.  Two million Congolese francs seems to be where the fellas back off a bit though. 

Here’s a word on ministry plans.  Bill has a close contact with a vibrant and godly young pastor, Pasteur Ezekiel, who’s been heading up a church plant in the local neighborhood since August.  Several opportunities are available there.  The girls are all interested in children’s ministry and about 60-100 kids have been coming to the church’s children’s church.  They’re greatly considering helping to expand that.  Two of the girls are singing in the choir this Sunday.  I’m not too geared for children’s ministry… more at home talking with young people.  There’s two possibilities on my mind right now.  I could possibly do a sort of sidewalk Sunday school deal near the church as a draw for people to come and be integrated into the fellowship and discipled.  Or, I could go more downtown and just hang out with people and invite them to another church in that area.  I really want my French skills to improve this way before I commence any further, larger, more long-lasting ministry plans.

This is a chameleon.
If you can't see it...well, it is a chameleon...

Which reminds me of a big lesson I’ve realized.  Listen up all wannabe missionaries and cross-cultural workers.  If you learn the language of the people you’re working with, your effectiveness there in every aspect of life and ministry increases tremendously.  If you learn the local heart mother tongue language as well, your effectiveness increases many many times more.  Language learning is something that cannot be skipped or skimped on in ministry preparation.  How is my French doing here?  I’m surprised at how much I’m recalling.  Like I got through an hour long conversation today.  Wow.  Praise God!  Yeah whatever verb tense comes out just comes out, and I pay no attention to noun genders, but it’s coming, “petit à petit,” as my Congolese friends say.  Let’s place a goal to preach in French sometime, shall we?

Oh but about the ministry plans… I do only have 11 months here.  During this time, I want to use what I can offer and be who I can be and be where I can be in order to leave the greatest long-lasting influence.  That would include discovering what God is already doing and integrating myself into that.  Ultimately, it’s all about discovering what God wants to do and following through with the work that God is doing in us, the desires and the actions He’s forming in us, in order to complete His purpose and will.  That’s what I want to do.  And that requires some patience and carefulness with choosing opportunities and even friends.  Every opportunity is not a calling, as Bill said today.  Please pray that I am guided to the right place and use in faith what God has given me to benefit His kingdom!

One thing about that too… church dynamics are interesting here.  I’ll talk more about this once I’ve been to church, but as far as Pasteur Ezekiel’s schedule goes, they have a service on Sunday, intercessory prayer on Monday, I think a Wednesday night service, a women’s group on Thursday, and a big prayer meeting on Friday.  An interesting thing about the leadership dynamic is that leaders here have a “chief mentality” as Bill calls it—if I’m not benefitting as a leader, something is wrong.  I am serving to be served.  Which is exactly the opposite of what we Americans understand as “servant leadership.”  I’m actually really not sure how that should be approached… do the people function well underneath that kind of leadership because it’s a part of their culture?  Or do the largest churches grow because the pastors can delegate well and have a stable church structure that doesn’t depend on them?  Well the latter is a fact.  Point is that sometimes, or most times, “biblical” principles that Americans follow are just cultural applications of a certain perspective on Scripture.  We must be careful in translating what really is biblical and what is only American so as to create the least amount of baggage within the church.  And here’s another thing I noticed… within about a couple blocks of this church there’s about 3 other churches if not more, and yet Pasteur Ezekiel tells us that spiritual darkness is becoming more and more openly practiced.  Reminds me of New Orleans a bit…

About the faith life here—Bill says it’s a mile wide and an inch deep.  Everyone will claim Christianity, but not much fruit is shown.  A large part of that is due to the lack of training in the pastors.  I think in about 150 pastors, one had a solid biblical education but about 50 didn’t even have a Bible.  Talk about up the river without a paddle.  That’s what Bill’s been placed to work on recently, to revive the 60-year old Bible education (and I thought some of my textbooks for school were outdated…), to train the teachers teaching the curriculum, and facilitate access and accreditation for church-planting pastors. 

These were probably the first things you looked at, but I posted a few pictures of life around town.  As you can see, it’s a bit dusty, there’s trash on the ground, and the buildings aren’t super polished but definitely no less vibrant.  Looking at the children and people in the residential areas… yes, they do have much less than we do here and ya’ll do there, but I do not want to be the first to tell them that they’re poor.  They live and are loved.  Not that they don’t need help in some areas… ok poverty is something that I definitely do not know a lot about and haven’t experienced much.  I do know that this country and this Congolese church is very wealthy.  There’s a church nearby that’s built a quarter-million dollar church building all on with the congregants’ own money.  Granted this may be coming from a higher strata of society (there are business people and stuff here too), but the resources are certainly there.  Now our final goal, towards which our work would also go as well, is to help the Congolese church mature in to a missionary-sending church using these trained pastors and allocated resources.  May the Lord be with us and guide us in this!

Well… this just might be the making of a missionary.

MLK Memorial

Our house

Oh and biggest prayer request now falls along what I mentioned about following what God wants us to do and that we would be empowered to do that and communicate effectively through growing language skills.  Thanks ya'll!  This is it!  

10 days

Here’s for a general update, some Congo information, and a bit of insight.  I’m home now, and have been from SAGU for 6 days now… and I have 10 more to go until I finally fly out. 

A little while back, I think started to realize what it means “to number our days,” as the Scriptures tell us in so many places to have the wisdom to ask for.  I only have 10 days left, and then I won’t see anybody I’ve known in the States for a long time.  Because of that, I'm making the most of every opportunity to greet a friend, shake a hand, help someone, pray, worship God….  Like the other day, while walking in the library to find a place to finish a paper, I saw a friend off to the side.  I could have kept walking and gotten started on my paper…or I could have gone over to talk to him for a bit.  Since I wouldn't see this guy but for another few times before I left, I decided that a waiting a few minutes to finish my paper while talking to my friend was definitely worth it. It seems that when time is short, the things that really matter and last the longest become easier to prioritize and act upon. 

Center of town

 This mentality should carry over to our entire lives—statistically, I only have about 60 years, or 720 months, or 21,900 days left to fill.  Tomorrow, that will be 21,899.  Soon enough, if I’m not careful, I may find myself if the same attitude as now, with only this many days left.  There is the wisdom—making the most of every opportunity, appreciating every moment, loving every person, because there just isn’t enough time to do otherwise.

Well there’s my philosophy spiel for today.  I’ve been asked a few questions frequently about my trip and I hope I can knock out a few of them here.

When will I be leaving?  I’m driving down to DFW with the fam early on Sunday the 18^th, then from there I’m arriving in Washington DC that afternoon.  After some probable historic DC adventures and meeting up with the rest of the interns the next morning, we’re flying the next day to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and then finally down to Lubumbashi, DR Congo. 

Our house in Lubumbashi

With whom and where will I be staying?  There’s an on-site mission compound, and the missionaries, Bill and Sonia Shaw, have a house there.  I’ll be staying with them.  The other interns will be staying in the other house on the compound along with our Engage student dean, Rachel DiTrolio.  I posted some pictures they took of the surroundings on here.  And there's a cat.  This is definitely confirmation from the Lord that I'm supposed to be here... I freaking love cats.

What will we be doing there?  Our supposedly normal daily schedule will go something like online studies in the mornings, then language learning/ministry time in the afternoons, and internship discussions/ministry time in the evenings.  I can speak French, Congo’s national language, decently well after taking 4 years in high school, so instead I’ll be learning Swahili, the trade language, and the language that’s most commonly spoken in the area I’m called to—Kenya/Tanzania to the east of Congo. 

Cat

As far as specific ministry opportunities, I can’t say right now—a big principle of missions, or really any organization that wants to develop projects overseas, is that plans made at home without first consulting the people being helped in regard to their actual needs most likely will not bring much help at all  to the local people.  The foundation of missions is understanding and relating to the local people.  So on that note, I anticipate that we’ll spend the first part of our stay learning from the people and observing their culture.  But for some current ideas and possible starting points… I’m still thinking about starting that radio ministry, there’s plenty of university students, of course childrens’ and youth ministry, a couple of the interns are interested in medical stuff, there’s Engilsh as a second language too, and the local churches are into street evangelism… the list goes on but I’m looking forward to really implementing some of these and sharing about what the Lord is doing there!

 As far as funding goes… for plane tickets, living expenses and such for the entirety of the 11 months, I needed $11,895.  But as of today, I’ve received $19,631.  Yeah.  Yeah.  That’s 165% of what I needed!  If that’s not a testimony to the provision of God, I don’t know what is.  I’m very blessed to have the support of friends, family, home church Gateway Church, my away-from-home-church Waxahachie Bible Church, and even strangers.  Wow.  I’m very thankful.  The excess will be used towards those ministry projects later on. 

For contact while I’m there, I’ll still hopefully  have internet because I kinda have to do my online classes.  That means I’ll still be on Facebook, email (zachc4@att.net), Skype, and this blog.  We’ll have phones, but I don’t have the numbers for those yet or if they’ll be useful for contact overseas.

That’s about all.  I’ve been reading a couple books on Congolese history.  I’ll share more about that and the current state in Congo, or at least what I've read on the internet from here.  Thank ya’ll again for your tremendous support.  Every day I’m reminded of how much a blessing my friends are.  A couple things to be in prayer for too… not sure about the current status of this, but the missionaries were having some trouble getting their vehicle through customs.  Please pray that works out!  And that we prepare well to face whatever we face in Congo, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  Ya’ll are the best.