NEW LIFE GOMBE CHURCH!

God gave us the entire top floor of that building!

Give Him glory, for He has done great things!

“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful”

 - Mother Teresa 

Joy to the World!

Merry Christmas everyone!

the new church....

Why? Why, why, why do I do this ???

I have heard that some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible!

This is how our new church looks presently! They are working very quickly to have it ready for us in January.

Wait until you see some before/after pictures!

GREAT GREAT NEWS...........

 I have been impatient to share with you, what God has done! He has provided a new church for us. It is a story filled with miracles!
It is currently being renovated for our use in mid January.
Glorify God with us please!!

The building is 'L' shaped. This shows the entrance at the far end;

This is the centre, where the stage, pulpit, and screen will be; 

This is the other direction. It shows the office at the far end. Washrooms off the hallway (door to the left);

WE are hard at work, renovating;

Bus anyone?

This is the line up for a bus. Sometimes it is blocks long! These people are patient, I tell you! They wait everyday for the bus to take them home from work.

So, our dear Clementine, whose picture you have seen, works outside the church, selling small things to get enough food for herself and her family. Tonight she brought some soap to give to the patients at the hospital!! How do you say 'thanks' to such a generous person?
Kind of makes me think of a widow mentioned in the Bible, who brought her penny to offer. We are told that was a great gift indeed, and so was this!
I love these special people, there is so much to learn from them!

Meet Kaemba.....

Actually he calls himself "Hooligan"! That is how he first introduced himself to us. He is a great guy! He is walking away from a serious alcohol addiction, and needs your prayers! 

He came to church and swayed to the altar, after the message, and became a new man!

This morning, after church, he told me that he was sick today, but he came early and cleaned up the church after last night's party in the bar!

He is such a good guy.......really! He, too, has a tough walk ahead of him. God will walk it with him, but your prayers would be appreciated!

He, too, has been sitting outside our walls to bring in something to live on and keep starvation at bay!

Meet Victorine....

Her first few times at church, she arrived in a bad state, with her head hanging, and hunched over, discouraged and hopeless. Each time she came forward for prayer. Then one Sunday, she walked in well dressed, head held high, and walking with pride! She gives all the credit to Jesus!

Pray for her, as she faces many challenges. Finding a new place to live, a new way to earn an income, and tries to leave behind the old ways, which kept her trapped.

She has so much ahead of her, she can not do it on her own!

But then she doesn't have to!!

Meet Clementine....

She is quite challenged. She has 4 children and was deserted by her husband, so she leaves home each day to sell small things, outside our church. One day she came in and met JESUS!

The transformation in her was staggering! 

Have you ever seen such obvious joy? In spite of an badly infected foot, this is her face today.........

Here she is at work, where we first met her.......

I love this lady!

Taxis work hard.....

Kinshasa, the endless city

The tilt is not caused by the road, but by the load. I have seen 24-30 people crowded into these buses! The more expensive buses have been named (in French) "The Spirit of Life". In response, reflecting their great sense of humour, the people have dubbed these buses "The Spirit of Death"!

A colourful visitor:

 

Our car was shipped from Bukavu and has finally arrived. Beside it are Mapendo & Hilary.

Our neighbour's cat. Isn't he a beauty? I think he knows it!

Our cat. Keeps visitors, like photo #4, out of the house, as well as a few other unwelcome visitors which shall remain unnamed!

Have you ever seen;

- a man walking with a freezer balanced on his head?

- armed guards managing traffic at your grocery store? (who will also carry your purchases to the car and hold your door)

- a hotel called 'Fracas"?

- a policeman directing traffic by waving his automatic weapon at the rows of vehicles?

- a minivan with 24 people crowded inside?

- 4L of ice cream for $30.? Lettuce for $10.?

- a baboon throw a rock at you?

- 6  or 7 lanes of traffic on a 4 lane street?

- 2 goats guided through your church during service?

I have............now. 

Isn’t life fascinating?

Yes, I made it across this 'bridge'......

Actually, they reinforced it before my arrival.......it used to bounce as you crossed! It was no 'walk in the park' but it got us to our cell group meeting. It was only about an 8 foot drop, but my mind always magnifies heights.....subsequently, as I edged across, it became a 20 ft drop with white rapids below!! WHEW!

Interesting side note........our lesson tonight was baptism! I will let you fill in the blanks on that one!!!

Saturdays.....

In the morning, we visit the patients in the hospital/clinic across the street from the church.

I am sorry the map at the side is not working. They tell us it can take up to one month to update it. I enjoy seeing where my visitors come from :(
For now, I can't.
At any rate, you are always welcome!!

traffic.....

Traffic is always tough here, and at certain times it is worse! It can take up to an hour to travel the 10 minute drive to our home! I took this picture while we were waiting to inch forward.
After a time, the passengers in the 2 busses started to hang out the windows, shouting and waving their arms (some sort of competitive discussion, I suppose) Bored, I guess, anyway, I thought I would share it with you.....

New Roof.....

We have been baking our church people from week to week. Finally, we put a covering for shade. It made a real difference! Our temperatures average between 30 - 35C, so this was a big deal for us!

Kinshasa Burger!

This is a hamburger Kinshasa style. It is the size of an average dinner plate, and has lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, fried eggs, and french fries.......possibly cole slaw, I forget....it stands about the height of a hand !! It could be breakfast, lunch and supper.......WOW!

with deepest gratitude......

we thank this couple for the time offered to help us start up a new church! They are the greatest people to work with and we have come to love them so much! They are going to be missed a lot!
Have a good rest, guys, and don't forget us! Oh, and the cute guy in the middle is my grandson!

We are growing!

time to participate......

this photos is begging for the right caption. Enter your suggestions in the comments, and I will post one.

This is a small map showing the area of our new church. The intersection of 7 ! yes 7 streets! 

We seem to have ‘come and go’ church service. Our speaker is so loud it attract attention. There are literally hundreds of people passing by during service. Some stand outside ot listen, some enter in.

As you know, we are sharing the location with a bar/restaurant. God has given us favour, over time, with the staff. Their....what?.....bouncer? is eager to set up chairs and help to take them down again. The waitresses have welcomed us with smiles and warmth. 

On Sunday we were told that when customers come in for the bar, they are told, by the staff, “we do not serve alcohol, this is church!”

Perhaps some will leave with their ‘thirst’ eternally quenched! May it be so!

Drive through.....

If you are out driving and you get hungry, you can always stop for a ka-bob of meat at one of these stands

Today's conversation with the taxi driver;

me: do you speak English?

him: no

me: Swahili?

him: no

him: (pointing to me) French?

me: no

him: Lingala?

me: no

 (mutual laughter)

end of conversation

:)

Dear Friends;

I CAN'T WAIT!!! Tomorrow is CHURCH! So excited......really!

The presence of God as we gather together in fellowship is something you can't describe! He is with us as individuals, of course, but when we gather with more of His family.........WOW!

I hope YOU have found a safe place where you can bring your brokenness, your disappointments, and your failures and find support, hope, and encouragement to stand and keep going.

Why do people judge us as hypocrites? We are not faking our needs and failures........it's real!

I'm just sayin'.............

look what we have........

This is a traffic robot. He directs traffic and drivers are to do what it indicates, and we do........well.........not all of us.......and not all the time, but sometimes.........ok! alright......rarely.......well the other day I think I saw someone stop, but then every one honked at him!
Ahhh progress......
I think he's kinda cute though. :)

this lady stood quietly outside our church meeting place during Bible study, to listen without being seen.....

welcome to New Life, Gombe.....

This is us......

Gombe is a district of Kinshasa. We share accommodations with a restaurant/bar......how cool is that? In the background you see a banner advertising, in French, the opening of a new English speaking church!

Keep praying please!

first service......

great turn out and show of support! Many dignitaries and leaders, and one new brother in the Kingdom! It was wonderful. Keep praying!

Here is your first glimpse of the new church plant. It is at the junction of two very busy streets in downtown Gombe. First service is this Saturday, with regular services beginning on Sunday morning.

Many preparations underway between today (Thusrday) and Saturday. 

Our vehicle has not arrived yet, so one generous person let us use theirs for the duration. Some people are so considerate and selfless.

My Lingala vocabulary has more than doubled since my arrival. I must be up to about 10 words now! (provided I remember my notes)

My jet lag has jet lag I think......I wont know for another week at least :)

the time has come.....

 After careful seat selection......

on arrival, my next reality .........

I will be in touch. The usual internet interruptions will probably continue to be a factor. I will be on the ground in Kinshasa Thursday afternoon their time.

Please stay tuned my friends.......

school water tank

This is the latest picture of the water tank at Les Prophets School in Bukavu. (top view) It is the first water available in the community, and the reports say that it is providing well for the children and the community.

It is a reality in the lives of many children in Bukavu, to rise as early as 3:00 a.m. each morning, in the dry season, to search for water. These children are then unable to attend school until the rains come.

I hope you feel some sense of satisfaction, when you see the evidence of your contributions and understand how great the outcome!

Again, I am left with only the words 'thank you' to express for your support.....
I wish 'thank you' could bring even one of these children to your door to smile their appreciation;
or one mother to tell you what a wonderful change this has made;
or let you see all the children sitting in classrooms because they don't have to search for water today!

But, I leave you with 'thank you'!

Good Morning!

The countdown indicates only 10 days until our daughter's wedding, 13 days until we assist our granddaughter into University, and 28 days before leaving for Congo!

I was just pondering things this morning when a dear friend posted an interesting article. I will share some of it with you.....

Missionaries ask because......

• this job we’ve chosen is way bigger than us. So we ask you to join us. Join us in prayer, in dreaming, in completing the mission.
• working overseas strips us of the usual framework that allows us to be independent. So we ask you to support us.
• we commit to a mission without available resources to complete it. So we ask you to contribute.

Today I’m feeling grateful to all the people who said yes!!

Thank you again and again!

latest news from Bukavu......

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake has hit eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing two children, Information Minister Lambert Mende has said.

The epicentre of the quake was near Lake Tanganyika and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in DR Congo, the Associated Press news agency reports.

The two children died after the house they live in collapsed in Katana, near the airport in Bukavu. Other buildings in the area were also slightly affected.

Eastern DR Congo has been mired in violence since the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda.

.......BBC News

The count down is ON!!

5 weeks until our daughter's wedding.....
7 weeks until I leave for Kinshasa!

The reading glasses have arrived once more. Thanks to the Lion's Club for their fast, efficient service!

I am so pleased to announce that another couple from Manitoba are joining us in Kinshasa for the month of October......to assist us with the church plant. Their faith and support has been a very great encouragement to us!

Thank you to the many churches who have invited me to share this vision with you! You have been a beautiful blessing! Without you......we could do nothing!

That is why we are called TOGETHER Building Africa, right?

I will keep you posted as things progress.

reading glasses

I love this part.......just ordered 300 pairs of reading glasses! One village I visited said they only had 3 pair of glasses in the entire community! When someone was attending a meeting of any kind, they had to phone around and locate a pair to borrow.......enter 300 pairs of reading glasses........such a celebration!

These glasses are ordered every year from the LION'S CLUB. The people are friendly, easy to deal with, and offer quick delivery.  The glasses have been cleaned, repaired, and packaged in small plastic bags. They even go one step further and put the strength on a paper in each bag. That is very helpful when you are trying to find the correct strength for each person.

If you have never donated your old glasses, you might want to consider it. Your glasses may provide the gift of sight to someone!

moving day

In the city of Kinshasa, we saw many small businessmen working hard to provide for their families. This man was weaving in and out among the cars and busses, with his heavy load, in temperatures exceeding 30 C. 

I was told that their busses are purchased from European countries who have written off the vehicle. Often, the brakes don't work along with other mechanical problems.....it becomes quite risky for the foot traffic troops.

However, there are options available........you might choose a taxi......a minivan.........usually seating 18 people! The close quarters serves as a great opportunity to get acquainted! If you have a purchase to take home, they be more than happy to oblige you.....

Please join with us as we pray for a used 4x4 for this fall. One that will transport us safely around the city and out to the surrounding areas as well.

the market.....

There are a few different kinds of bananas in this tropical climate. The tiny ones are my favourites I think. The fruit is incomparable! I would like some today.

For many, this is their sole income. As you see, there are many vendors, each one vying for customers. This gives rise to an atmosphere that is challenging to negotiate, for the foreign shopper!

My Goal.......

"God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life"
                                                - William Booth

(still working on it.........)

WOW!!

I have been locked out of this blog since February!!!

This is wonderful........I am so happy to be back!

I was only able to view the blog, but not post.

We are currently preparing for the next trip in September. We ill be going to Kinshasa this time. The needs there are also very great. We plan to find a facility where we can hold pastor seminars, and have the pastors come. This will save on a lot of travel costs for me.

I will leave you with this short update for now.......more to follow.......

It is good to be back with you!

Reality for many of Congo's children;

The negative spiral of wars in The Congo, have left the country with many orphaned children. The loss of six million people has left many orphans who have no future and depend on international organizations, churches and programs to give them support. The estimate for orphans in the Democratic Republic of Congo at 4.2 million! (The population of Rome is 4.3 million.)

   “The United Nations estimates that tens of thousands of children in the Congo are fighting in armed groups, they are promised food, money or other benefits to the family.”   (Child Slaves in the Modern World)

            “Orphan-headed households are becoming increasingly common. As victims of discrimination, most of these children have no choice but to seek work, whatever the conditions, in order to survive.” (World of Child Labor: An Historical and Regional Survey)

            In eastern Congo, education is destroyed completely, many villages have no school. These villages are in unstable areas, therefore making it impossible to find someone who would teach there.

          The long term effects of these realities are devastating to the society of DRC. (I would say both now and for the future!)

Back in Manitoba now. Sharing at St Ouen's Church........thank you for the great response and reception!

In 3 weeks, a young girl from Congo, arrives in Winnipeg to attend university in the fall. Such an excitng opportunity for her. Can't wait to welcome her!

Today I will be in the school in Beausejour, Manitoba, to give them some idea of the lifestye of a Congolese child. Education is such a privilege!

I apologize for the delays in writing on this blog.......I will try to do better!

Presenting in Ontario today. Had the privilege of visiting this beautiful traditional church. Thank you for your warm welcome!

the Big Reveal.........

Great news!  We are in the planning stages of expanding our outreach to the west side of Congo, the capitol city of Kinshasa!

We will be initiating a church plant, in addition to the pastor seminars and humanitarian project of the past.

Kinshasa is a immense city sprawled over 9,965 km2 !! It is the home of the embassies and ambassador residences, as well as the leading officials and the president of Congo itself.

However, it is also a city of great extremes. There are homes and properties of great beauty, but the vast majority of the city is impoverished. One wonders how such extremes can co-exist?

There is also a new language for me to process. Lingala replaces Swahili as the language of choice on the west.

That being said, it is the people of Congo who hold my heart, and I look forward to being reunited with them this September! I will be spending 4 months in Congo this trip, and anticipate an adjustment period, as I transition to Kinshasa. I will keep you posted.......as long as my faux pas can be made public, of course!

My husband will be with me once our house sells. He is planning to teach English, and has a few other ideas to assist the ministry. I will leave that to unfold in the future (I hope....the near future!)

This is the school water tank! When the cement is dry, they will put a cap on it and fill it with rain water, which will be treated for human consumption.
When we all work together, astounding things can happen! One person cannot do this, it took all of us to make this miracle happen!
For all who invested, you are looking at the results of your vision and generosity, toward a group of children you may never meet, in a country on the other side of the world!
No one can do everything, but we can all do something.
Thanks, again, and again!