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!

Dear friends..........meet Kinshasa
Kinshasa...........meet my friends!

This is the capital city of Congo, a city of 12,5 million people! That's a few more than where I currently live...........like about 12,450 million more!! The province of Ontario, in Canada, has 13 million, so that gives you some idea.....
As you can see, this city has some lovely areas for embassies and ambassadors. However, the majority of the city is very very needy!
We drove 90 Km's one day, from the centre toward the outskirts.........we did not reach the edge of the city!
We are currently commissioned, by a church with great vision, my dear Bethsaida, to plant a church here! Bethsaida Church is in Bukavu, on the east border of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kinshasa is on the far west border.
I have been struggling to learn Swahili in Bukavu, and Kinshasa speaks Lingala!
More to come on this.........stay tuned!