Rod Sharing His Job for a Day

While our pastoral team was here last week, we got to go on a flight with Rod.  Actually he was flying for us that day and not doing regular flying but it helped us to see a little more of what his work is like.  It began with our normal routine of waking at 5:00 a.m. and I made breakfast as usual.  I didn't have to make lunches because we would be back by noon and could eat at the hanger. 



So I found out that when Rod walks out the door he actually goes and stands or sits in front of our neighbor's house to wait for the MAF van or whatever vehicle will pick him up.  Our neighbor is our manager.  Nick is with Rod in this picture and he was also doing a flight that day in the Cessna 182. 
 We rode in the newest MAF van which to me is always a treat because it has air-conditioning.  David Francis was our chauffeur. He is also a pilot but was doing maintenance that day. 
Driving through the streets of Kinshasa can often mean a traffic jam.  The pilots and mechanics try to leave before 6:30 a.m. to be sure to avoid heavy traffic.  We were glad to be able to drive straight through with no stopping.

Bright-eyed and Bushy Tailed

When we got to the air-port I went to the MAF office and waited for our pastors.  Rod went with the other pilots and mechanics to the hangar to prepare for the flights for the day.  Our MAF workers were busy getting passengers ready by weighing our luggage and bodies. Our pastors and wives showed up in the office and we all had our turns on the scales.  We all made sure we held on to our heavy purses and back packs so nobody could tell our true weight.  From there we went to the reception area of the airport.  We had to show our passports because everyone shows their passports no matter whether you are traveling in country or out. I was questioned as to why the pastors had tourist visas when they were pastors.  I guess you are not supposed to be a tourist if you are pastor.  We also had to buy a Go Pass which is a tax to improve the airport. We were then ushered into a waiting area which is a rather nice place.  From there, Maya, our MAF hangar worker, picked us up in the MAF van with air-conditioning.

Pastor Beau was Co-pilot on the way out.

We got to the MAF hangar and Nick was already taking off.  It was only a few minutes before we were ready to go too but it was great opportunity to get pictures at the airport.
 Once in the airplane we waited for Rod to complete his pre-flight checklist.  I was very anxious for him to get in and get the plane started.  It is amazing how that propeller can cool you off.                 

Kinshasa from the air, at least a part of Kinshasa

Kikongo Fishing ponds

The Wamba River next to Kikongo

It took a little over an hour to fly to Kikongo.  As we flew we saw many fields that were growing manioc which is a staple for the Congolese people throughout the country. There were also plantations of palm trees that produce palm nuts. The many miles between were full of savannah grass. When we arrived over Kikongo we circled over the river then came in for a landing. We could also see the fish ponds, the seminary and the hospital from the air.                                                                                                                                                                 

Pastor Beau enjoying taking pictures of the kids

 On the ground we were greeted by village children.  The plane landing is a very exiting event in Kikongo.  We surprised the Chapmans with our visit since our flight had only been officially planned the night before and Glen and Rita do not check their e-mail until the afternoon everyday.  They still welcomed us with open arms and provided fresh squeezed tangerine juice.  Rita then gave us a tour of the mission station.

First we went to her back yard where the children watched us through a chain link fence while we looked at Rita's managery.  She usually has quite few animals in her yard.  This time there was Bill the Bird, a blue diker, rabbits and chickens.  She doesn't have any crocodiles right now. She does have a Congo Clawless Otter but he had escape in the night.  Apparently he comes back every evening and routinely escapes to the forest to sleep in the early morning hours.
 

A diker is small antelope.

At the pastoral school.  Rita gave us umbrellas for shade.

 Rita then showed us the Pastoral School that she and Glen teach at.  School was on break for the week therefore Rita and Glen had time for surprise visitors.

I will try to post a second post soon to give more on the visit. I am finding posting pictures can get frustrating.

The children had collected cans and were pretend cooking.

Don Hamsher modeling the newly built outhouse

To see the other parts of the day, you can go to the links below.

Rod's Second Third of His Day

The Third of a Day with Rod

Throw Them Away?

I was focusing on the little girl to the right and my camera didn't move.

Last week we had the honor of having two of our pastors from Ohio come and visit us.  We also got to show them around Kinshasa and even the village of Kikongo in Bandundu Province.  During our touring we took them to a couple of children homes.  I usually go to a Catholic home just outside of town to visit orphans, Kibondo orphanage, but we chose to take them to two other homes right within the city.  The first one we visited is run by two missionaries.  They have delegated overseeing the home to Papa Nono.  There are about 15 boys who live there right now.  Each one has a different story but for some reason, their parents can’t or won’t take care of them and they have found their way to Elikia (Hope).  Here they are given a bunk to sleep on, no mattress, but with a mosquito net.  They also receive at least two meals a day.  This seems very harsh but it is so much better than being on the street and not knowing when you will get another bite to eat.  Along with this they also have their school fees paid.  Also this home wants to be sure that each boy is taught about Jesus and what it means to follow Him.

This little deaf boy, Giovani stole my heart.

Papa Nono does not stop there with his child care.  He also had five other children with him that he is caring for in his own home, three girls and two boys.  These children have been approved for adoption.  They are true orphans.  As I looked at them I could see that they had some nutritional problems, that red hair was not genetic.  So I asked what they had been eating.  They get plenty of fufu  (manioc roots) but very little protein. Fufu is not known for its nutritional value but it does make people feel full.  It sounded like they would get some greens too but I doubt that it was often enough.  So I stored in my brain, “These children need some beans right now”.

Lydia and Papa Nono with 3 of 44 children at the home. 

Lunch or dinner?  They got greens with their fufu!

Papa Nono has also begun a separate childrens’ home, Ma Famille. This home was started because the Congolese Government was looking for people to open their homes to more children from off the streets.  Papa Nono kept expressing that these children had been “kobwaka” or “thrown away”.  I use this word for my trash or old wash water every day.  Papa Nono has a team of people who go out and look for children who are living on the streets.  They bring them to the home, and from there they look for the children’s families and ask why they were thrown away.   Their hope is to either return them to their home or to find new homes for these children.  Since they are just starting up, the adoption process is just beginning.  Right now Papa Nono says he has 12 children available for adoption from Ma Famille.  While I am excited for this new ministry, I also move with caution. There are many adoptions happening here in Congo but it is extremely important that all is legal both here in Congo and in the adopting country.  Some families actually do adopt here but there is a large amount of international adoptions happening.  It is too easy for parents to “kobwaka” their child thinking they will get a good education in America or Europe but still be their child.  I appreciate that the U.S. Embassy is beginning  to investigate to be sure that each of these children are adoptable. 

A recent verse I have been studying is James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and keep ourselves unstained by the world.”  Does one visit to them give us the check mark that we need to fulfill this verse?  What does this mean for the country of Congo which is considered “Christian” on the statistics charts?  How do we as Christians  live this?  Where should we start?  I am not going to answer this but I will keep asking and praying.  I am asking what God wants me to do next.  I am asking for God to change the hearts in this country, that the father's would turn their hearts to their children and practice Deuteronomy 6: 4-7. I am asking that God will provide for these children one by one as individuals and not as a mass.

Protection: Learning from the Elephants

This past summer Rod, Lydia and I had the great privilege of going on a safari in Masai Mara, Kenya.  We saw an abundance of animals.  In the Democratic Republic of  the Congo, where we live normally,  elephants are an endangered species. During our three day safari we saw an abundance of elephants including a herd of approximately 70 elephants all at once. We were so glad to see that the population was being protected

One of the things that facinated me about about these elephants was the way they protected their young.  Within each herd of 10 to 15 elephants there would be several young ones.  As we watched the young elephants, we would suddenly see that there was an even smaller little one hidden among them.  The complete family would make it their job to gather around and shelter the littlest one.  While I loved seeing the little tiny one, the family would guarantee that I only got small glimpses of that little one. 

The safari vans on the far side can't see the little one.

 If we came too near, the mother or a bull within the herd would make it clear that we were close enough and they wanted us to back away.
After visiting Masai Mara we went on to visit an elephant orphanage just outside of Nairobi, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/  Poaching is a big problem anywhere there are elephants.  The sad thing is that there have been rumors that there is healing power in the elephant and rhinoceros's  tusk so poachers are being paid great sums of money to harvest those tusks for cancer cure.  Apparently, the same cure can be made with synthetic chemicals and the elephants and rhinoceroses do not need to be killed for these chemicals.
Unfortunately, many will not listen to this reasoning and
 they are determine to get the tusks.
As a result, these elephants are hunted and they of course will give their lives to protect their young  At the orphanage we would hear stories of the mother sheltering her baby to her dying breath  Or of how the mother sent the baby somewhere for protection only for the baby to be caught and injured in a trap.  We also learned that the babies need to be kept warm at all times because they are subject to pneumonia.  Each  orphaned elephant is given its own blanket to wear at all times on its back to keep its temperature higher.  This is a simple substitute for the family continuously gather around this baby.
The family wasn't just protecting the babies from hunters and predators but they were also keeping that baby's temperature at the right level.





 Lately I read Psalm 91 which is a great comfort when you live in a country that is constantly dealing with war.  Recently we had friends evacuate from two different cities because of rebel activity.  I take comfort in the words,

 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
 Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress,
 My God in whom I trust!
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark."
 Psalm 91:1-3

When I read this I am guessing that the author was thinking of a bird and its protection of its young.  But I am seeing those mighty elephants.  To stand in their shadow is a mighty thing.  My God is so much mightier and He is my shelter and my refuge.  Like the baby elephants, I don't run out and yell, "Nah, nah, nah, I have a mighty strong guard behind me." Instead, I stay in His shadow and close to Him for there is a shield and a bulwark that protects me.
Yes, I have faced troubles!  Living life brings those troubles but God does protect.  From rebel cross fire, to lightning strikes, to car accidents,  to walking over a black mamba, He guards and protects.  I don't go out hunting for those situations but when I end up in them, He is guarding. He is mightier than any bull elephant, any soldier, or any storm.  He is the Creator and Sustainer of all.

High School Musical

Opening Song!

The Cat and Jo Jo just had too much fun together!

Our Three Stars! JoJo-Lydia, Horton- J.D. Francis, The Cat in the Hat-Anna Abraham

Whether on the stage or off, these two enjoy a good argument!

One of our Great Directors: Sandy Francis did all the music!

Gertrude and her 100s of long songs to Horton.

The Cat enjoying a few moments during intermission with the audience

 The second act seems to have loaded before the first.

"This war is ridiculous, I quit"

Gertrude trying to get Horton to notice her with her long feathers.

The "Hunches" leading "JoJo" home

JoJo, alive and at home with his parents on Who!

Horton on trial and the Sour Kangaroo giving testimony

"We don't like Green Eggs and Ham"

My faithful man up in the booth with the Spot Light

Lydia as "The Boy" meets "The Cat in the Hat"

Whoville meets the Cat in the Hat

"Jo Jo" trying not to think but "The Cat" is able to tempt him.

Mr. and Mrs. Mayor at Whoville

Horton and Jo Jo "Alone in the Universe"

Jo Jo with his parents sending him off to The Military Academy

Mayzy and her egg talking Horton into giving her a break!

The TASOK High School has been putting on a musical this week and they have done a fantastic job.  I am posting pictures for Grandmas  and Grandpa to see.
They don't seem to want to load in order but you can enjoy the colors.  These students are fantastic! 

The Sound Man and our Pastor

Animals of the Congo

Glen and Rita's Turaco
Photo by Marilyn Gorenflo

Our first years in Congo were spent in the Ubangi which is in the northwest corner of the Democratic Republic of Congo.  There were many groups of people in that area.  The largest people group is the Ngbaka people.  They are known for being great hunters.  Therefore, we rarely saw wild animals around.  What we did see were baby animals after the mom’s were shot the hunters were capture the baby and bring it to the “white” people to sell to make some money.  Now I am not the a very good pet person in the world so I was not out to start a menagerie. The variety that came to our doorstep was amazing over the four years we were there.  We saw a pangolin, a dik-dik, a beautiful baby owl, a crocodile, a Cayman, and various other animals. 

Diker, we had one for a pet for a while

Bonobos at their best!

Since we moved to Kinshasa we are definitely living the city life but we have had some occasional interesting visits with animals.  Just outside of Kinshasa is "Lola ya Bonobo" (Bonobo Heaven).  Bonobos are the pygmy chimpanzees and many scientists say they are closest related to humans.  After visiting them I would like to put a disclaimer on any relationship there.They are endangered here in Congo and so a group began an orphanage that has grown over the years.  The Bonobo have an enclosed area that is very much their natural habitat but they can be observed, protected and cared for if they are sick.

The hippo is on the sand bar to the right of us.

 Another group of interesting animals we have visited are the hippos out in Vanga, where Lydia was born.  They roam up and down the river close to the mission station.  One day we were going for a swim in the river and our guide decided to show us the hippos first.   We paddled down river to a sand bar next to an island.  We saw a papa, mama and baby hippo.  Then our guide said, “You can swim here.”  Being from the city, I looked at my local missionary and he didn’t say anything so we cautiously proceeded to enjoy the water.  I kept my eye on the papa hippo that was standing on the far side of the sandbar.  The mama and baby had gone for a swim on the other side of him.  The whole time I had a contingency plan to grab my two kids that were with me and run for the island where people were working with machetes. 

Mazu
Photo by Marilyn Gorenflo

My favorite animal of all was Mazu, the Congo Clawless Otter.  Missionary friends, Glen and Rita Chapman, took Mazu in when she was a baby and raised her.  Rita, took Mazu to the river almost every day to swim and enjoy being an otter.  While we were visiting Mazu went swimming in the river with us.  There was a group of about eight of us and she enjoyed coming around and checking each of us out.  What surprised me was she had big teeth but loved to test our fingers with her mouth and never bit down.  Since I wore a skirt and Rita wore a skirt she occasionally mistook me for Rita in the water and would swim around my legs. 

Mazu checking out Lydia
Photo by Marilyn Gorenflo

So even though I am not an animal collector, over the years I have been able to enjoy a few of God’s beautiful creation.  God has a way of blessing us in so many directions in life.