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!