Top 10 highlights of trip to Kenya and Ethiopia (Cont.)

5. LALIBELA: Heather and I flew from Addis to this obscure little mountain town which is home to 12th century rock-hewn churches, an amazing sight for Sub-Saharan Africa. This will need its own blog entry.

4. ANIMALS: We went to Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Center, and Lake Naivasha. I saw lots of zebras, giraffes, cape buffalo, ostriches, hippos, and various birds and antelope/gazelle-like creatures. Next time I’ll have to find some lions and elephants. It’s very cool to see these animals just doing their thing out in the wild. Many have remarked that my photos finally look like Africa…Well, I guess if east Africa is all you know of the continent then that’s true, but I felt less like I was really in Africa since I was just a tourist. Congo is the real thing for me!

3. ETHNIC FOOD: It was a real treat eating out at a variety of restaurants. We had fantastic American, Korean, and Ethiopian food in Nairobi. We also delighted at the chance to eat Thai, Indian, and Italian in Addis.

2. OLD FRIENDS: It’s really fun that pretty much wherever I go in the world I get to meet up with people I know. Of the 35 people at the conference, I had already met 20 at previous trainings and seminars! I vacationed for a few days in Nairobi with my friend Angi who I met when I went on vacation in Switzerland a year and a half ago. In Addis I got to spend 10 days with my good friends Michael and Colleen who I knew from my summers at ORSIL. No one in my life is really stable—we’re always on the move, coming and going—so it’s always a comfort to cross paths again and see familiar faces. And within the organization I can pretty much count on seeing people again some day.

1. AFRICA AREA LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT CONFERENCE: I guess it’s pretty good, especially considering all the other cool things I got to do, that the coolest thing on the trip was the real reason for the trip. The conference was very interesting and helpful. My team came home with a big list of action items to pursue, new tools to use, and a whole lot of ideas to think about. It was encouraging to consider my professional growth plan and to glean from the experiences of others who have been doing language research much longer than I.

Top 10 highlights of trip to Kenya and Ethiopia

Well, after 5 weeks in Kenya and Ethiopia I've got quite a blogging backlog. I just sent my newsletter, though, so I think most of my readers at least have the synopsis of my trip. How about a top 10 list? OK, here are the 10 best things about my trip...

10. BRACKENHURST, the conference center outside of Nairobi where I stayed for 3 weeks: Three great meals a day, having my room cleaned everyday, abundant flowers, and trails through the nearby tea fields were just a few of the perks.

9. LEISURE TIME: We had great fun in the evenings of the writers’ workshop playing various card games and watching movies. On the weekends we made interesting excursions (more on that later). In Ethiopia Heather and I had plenty of time on our hands for browsing shops, drinking coffee, a day at the poolside, long talks with our friends, a few episodes of Lost Season 4, etc. Leisure time has become a rare commodity for me in Congo between work, choir, orphans, church, etc.

8. NOT SWEATING: I can’t say one of the best things was the “cool climate” because actually I was miserably cold about half the time, but it was really great to not sweat for a few weeks. It was fun actually blow-drying my hair and wearing it down. No frizz! We are grateful to have missed a few of the worst (hottest, humidest) weeks in Brazza.

7. NEW FRIENDS: It was fun to get to know some of the other people doing language research in Africa. At these kinds of events I can’t help but make a few lasting friendships since we have so much in common and there are so many quality people involved.

6. ESPRESSO: Good coffee at cheap prices. Need I say more? There’s a Starbucks-esque place in Addis called Kaldi’s, named for the goat herder who according to legend discovered the coffee bean when he noticed his goats dancing after having eaten some. Fantastic caramel macchiatos for less than $1.

(Top 5 Coming Soon...)

Nairboi Nat'l Park

Last Saturday I went to Nairobi National Park. It's kind of like a zoo...except you're the one in the cage! :o) It's crazy, one minute you're in the city and the next you're driving thru the savannah looking at giraffes, zebras, ostriches, cape buffalo...you can see my pictures on facebook here.

In Kenya

Arrived in Kenya on Saturday with my teammates Dana and Heather. We're out at this really charming retreat center. Pretty much the nicest place any of us have ever seen in Africa. It's a bit surreal. Our schedule is packed for our conference, but I think we'll get to have some excursions on the weekends. Maybe I'll see some big animals! We were really excited to wear our "team pagne" together :o)


There are some beautiful places to walk around here, although getting into town is a bit difficult.


This place is surrounded by tea fields. Very cool. Although we're mostly enjoying drinking good coffee.

It's a small world: MBiz achieves fame at 5 months

So, funny story for you. Here I am in Kenya (more on that later). I met a man in my organization who I'd never met before. He works out of Dallas. One night at dinner I was about to tell a humorous anecdote about Monkey Business and he interrupted me to ask "Do you have a blog?" I thought maybe he was going to say I needed one since I'm such a funny, interesting person, but he said "I remember your cat. I don't remember you, but I remember your cat from your blog. She has a boyfriend, right?" Ha!

my apologies

So my blogging has been PATHETIC lately. Perhaps a reflection on my life? Nah. At the end of the day I just don't feel like sitting at my computer. And the interesting things in my life are complicated, so then I just write about my cat. Sorry. So here's a little spicy synopsis of the last few weeks:

Two good friends proposed to me. I said no.

The guy I like told me about the girl he is interested in. Awesome.

I preached in French with a Lingala interpreter last Sunday. Very cool!

My team interviewed 5 pastors for our study on language and Scripture use. We were given cokes, avocados, and cash, even though they were the ones doing work for us. Score! We really enjoyed meeting these people and are excited about the project. Yay Jesus!

My gospel choir is revolutionized by our new director. We work really hard at rehearsals and I have a big solo that's really stretching me to improve. So fun!

I'm leaving for 5 weeks starting Friday. 3 weeks in Kenya for a conference and 2 weeks vacation in Ethiopia. Hallelujah!! Stoked to travel with my super cool teammates Dana and Heather. Life is a blast. It's hilarious to be white in Africa and we don't miss a single occasion to laugh about it.

ho-hum, after work entertainment

I've been working a lot lately. So in the absence of creative energy, here are some frivolous internet quizzes...

What Kind of Guy Will You Fall For?
	You would fall for the sensitive guy. You'll find your future man wherever turtlenecks are sold. He will have depth, introspection, and a disturbing knowledge of musical theatre. And he may be a little weird. But hey, while your girlfriends cry over broken hearts, you'll be having Shakespeare read to you every night.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which Disney Princess Are You?
	You are Pocahontas. You defy convention and sometimes do what is considered taboo. Unfortunately, others do not always appreciate your differences, so it's good that you are so strong-willed. You are loyal and you believe in fate. Your true love will find you one day.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

TV Star

The aweseome opportunities I have here in Congo never cease to amaze me. So now not only am I a rock star in Congo, I'm also a television star! My fame may be somewhat fleeting, but who's complaining? Last week my choir was interviewed for a local program called "La Musique du Ciel" ("Heavenly Music"). We all sat inside a music recording studio with the vibrant host of the show who made flamboyant commentary in Lingala (and I was pleased to actually understand most of it!). A bright light was directed on us as the camera man panned around the room, getting some close ups of me since I was in the front row! Thankfully I didn’t have to say anything because just 4 members were selected to respond to the questions. Between questions we sang some of our songs.

Yes, I'm a TV Star

The TV host is sitting on the stool on the right.

Missionary Pick Up Line

Usually guys here don't need pick up lines. They just say "You're beautiful, give me your phone number." Yeah, no thanks.

But today this guy must have really been trying because he actually used a line on Theresa. Right up there with the best of them...

"Do you believe in God?" "Yes." "Oh, well I don't. Want to talk to me about Him?"

Ha! The funny part was he probably didn't realize he was being funny.

Monkies need baths

Monkey Business is not a normal cat. She's a business Monkey. She likes to hang out while I take a shower. She usually jumps in several times, sometimes getting fairly wet.
Tonight I decided she smelled bad so I just put some shampoo on her and let her take a shower with me. She didn't even mind it!
She was fine with the shower, but afterwards it was hard to get a photo because she was too busy scurrying around like a wet rat.

My love life

So the other day Theresa and I designated different roles our friends play in Monkey Business's life. I'm her mom and Theresa is her auntie. Heather is her best friend because she comes over to play and Barb is her grandma because she gets to go to her house to visit sometimes. We decided that our friend Chris from choir would be her boyfriend. The other day at practice he even asked me about her! I felt really happy to see him last night and was like "Theresa! There's Monkey's boyfriend!" Yes, I am living vicariously through my cat's imaginary love life. That's how awesome I am.

Karismatic

I have been marveling at how much I find myself integrated into Karisma Gospel choir. Friday night’s rehearsal was a ton of fun. The last two rehearsals they’ve spent a big chunk of time helping me learn a solo part to one of the songs. The song starts off with one of the other girls singing in a Congolese language. Then I come in with the English rendition. During these lengthy solos, the choir just follows along with some choreography. Then there’s a last section where we all repeat this one line over and over and there are a couple of really awesome solo parts that are so fast I’m not sure how the soloists manage to spit out the words. It’s a very fun song and I’m super happy to be able to do the English solo, especially since it seems to fit my voice and I can do it with a reasonable amount of confidence.

The other song we practiced on Friday is a real “Gospel” style song. There’s a lead part that everyone repeats after: “Hallelujah! (Hallelujah!) Hallelujah, amen! (Hallelujah, amen!), etc.". For some reason, since Gospel music comes from America and I’m American, they kept looking to me to come up with some kind of dance move for the song. This is hilarious to me given that they used to think I didn’t even know how to dance, and at first I was like “What?! Yeah right!” But when they asked a second time I was prepped with the move I wanted to do, so I showed it to them and they all started doing it! I’m a choreographer! The president of the choir was singing the lead part, but then he would call out other people’s names to do it. After three or four others, he called on me to do it one last time! It’s a really fun song and I was into it, but I think I got an adrenaline rush ‘cause I was shaking afterwards!

Anyways, all that to say, not only am I having a blast, but it seems like I’ve really been accepted as a full-fledged member. They’re not just humoring the white girl!

Little Monkey is Growing

Isn't my baby cute? Everyone tells me she's very beautiful, especially for being a random Congolese cat from a quickie mart!

I love this girl

"I'm the only one who is allowed to mix languages."

"Why?"

"Because I'm living in a language cocktail!"

--Theresa, my German housemate who is currently only speaking English, French, and Laari.

New Year's Pics

Here are my New Year's pics on Facebook. Check out my new hobby of taking "Congolese photos".

My Apartment is Awesome

Check out these before and after pics! I have my new furniture and the cushions all covered and just last week we finally got our wall hanging up. It's pretty much awesome.

Christmas in Congo Pics

Here are some photos of my Christmas festivities in Congo this year. Merry Christmas!

Congo's health care system

Here's a recent article about the disastrous state of health care here in Congo-Brazzaville. This is why you're praying I don't get sick :o) Pray for my friends. I know people who have recently been in the hospitals mentioned in this article. I've been in the hospitals and can assure you, it's as bad as this article says.

Money may not grow on trees...but mangoes do!

Waiting for choir practice to start tonight, I was sitting at the church looking out into the courtyard when a huge wind blew up. Mangoes started falling out of the massive tree in the middle of the yard and several people scurried around to pick them up, pleased with their find. It was cute.

I got home after choir rehearsal and heard a rustling above my head as I walked up our driveway. A mango came crashing through the branches of the tree and fell a few feet from me. "Oh, a mango!" I picked it up, took it home, cut it up, and ate it. It was yummy.

My new treat is buying a mango already cut up at the bus stop. They put it in a bag with some salt and I eat it piece by piece on the way home. I enjoy throwing the peel out the window and I think the other passengers enjoy watching the white lady savoring her tasty mango-to-go.

We always talk about Adam and Eve eating the "apple" but I think if it was so tempting it must have been a mango :o)

My Cat Monkey Biz

Here are some photos of the kutest kat in kongo

We had a blast singing at the French Cultural Center again Saturday night. With each concert, our friends seem to open up more and more (or maybe we're the ones getting more and more comfortable). Theresa and I have a little expression..."Once you go black, you never go back." :o)

Today we saw my good friend Louz and he said "Theresa, you really danced good at the concert!" And he kept going on about it while I just stood there, so I said "Hey! I'm jealous!" He looked at me and was like "What? You're already Congolese. She's still white." So then I was happy :o)

Thanksgiving

Here are my Thanksgiving pics...finally (thank you, Poopernet)

Birthday Bash in Brazza

Birthdays in Brazzaville are a great thing, at least judging by the last 2 years. I decided to carry on a couple of traditions from last year, so first thing Saturday morning I went down to the Mandarine for espresso and pastries with Theresa, Dana, and Heather. Then we headed to Total market to shop for shoes and clothes (we normally buy groceries there and don’t ever take time to look around and see what else there is). This year I found a nice skirt and a really cute dress in the “friperie” (Congolese equivalent of Goodwill).


Before noon Theresa and I needed to head back home to get ready for our concert. We spent all afternoon waiting for the concert to start—it was even later than normal since it poured down rain for half an hour. But it was great fun hanging around with our choir friends, especially since we were in a silly mood for my birthday. The concert was an AIDS awareness event promoting the fact that to get tested for HIV/AIDS is free and everyone should get it done. December 1st is International AIDS Awareness Day, or something like that.

Several different groups performed. Our presentation was pretty disappointing. I didn’t feel prepared at all and unfortunately I had 2 solos! The first one I totally botched and sang in the wrong pitch. The next two soloists’ microphones weren’t working and then I did my second solo which went OK. I spent the rest of the performance wishing I weren’t on stage and wondering how I was ever going to show my face in public again after all my friends had just witnessed my idiocy. Fortunately some people didn’t even notice and those who did were gracious. The choir still really wanted me to sing with them at a church service the next morning, so I guess life goes on.

After the concert it was time to party at Dana and Heather’s place. My friends are so cool and they planned a big get together for me. Lydia brought her amazing sauerkraut which she had started making on Thursday. Barb brought her tasty salsa and Theresa made an adorable cake (in the morning she’d even given me a miniature one with a candle!). D and H provided drinks, bread, mashed potatoes, etc, not to mention letting us completely trash their house! My friends Geritte and Espérance were there, along with Marvin, a friend of Espé’s. My friend Patricia from Kenya came and one of our Congolese colleagues Kevin was there too. It was an interesting blend of friends, but it came together really nice! Oh, Monkey Business was there too.

I shared from Isaiah 35, my chapter for the year and we ate some snacks. Then it was time for the real food and then some German techno music! Getting this group of random people to dance together was a trick, but then Espé suggested we choreograph a dance and it was awesome! Wish I could show you the video! Of course the neighbors wondered what was going on up there :o) We ate the cake and I got lots of gifts, which was so nice of my friends, but I’m still waiting for my packages from home to get here.

The party was a great success, so I felt better after my singing fiasco, and overall it was a really full day with lots of good memories.

Monkey B comes for a visit

Yesterday I went to visit Monkey Business and informed the store keeper that I'd like to take him home on Saturday since it's my birthday. As I was playing with him, the guy was like "Why don't you just take him now?" Sucker for cute animals that I am, I did take him home with me, but only for an hourlong visit during which he got stuck behind the oven, got acquainted with the dog, and fell asleep on my lap.

Yes, I know I have the most ridiculously cute kitten ever. I was surprised and happy that, scared though he was, he drank some milk out of a saucer. Classic.

Lovely new profile pic

First Concert with Karisma

Hey! My roomie and I sang in our first Karisma Gospel choir concert--2 concerts in fact! On Sunday we sang at an outdoor venue, dressed like beautiful Congolese women. Then tonight we sang at the French Cultural Center. We placed second in the gospel section of a jazz competition. I'll see about posting video sometime, although I doubt our connection will allow me to upload such a thing. We'll see. Anywho, it was tons of fun. We love getting to be friends with the other singers and performing with such a popular group is a thrill.

Meet my friends

Having Congolese friends has been one of my biggest goals, but it's also one of my biggest challenges. First it's hard to find the ones with whom you have a lot in common. Then you have to find ways of building up the relationship and you have to learn to communicate in their language and in each other's ways of expressing friendship. Some things are universal, but other things are not, or are at least expressed differently.

I have to choose to not be offended when people ask me for things or when they show up late, because I know that they are not being rude, they're just acting in ways that are normal for them. Sometimes I wonder how many ways I'm seeming rude to them too and don't realize it because I'm just doing what's normal for me as an American. For example, I don't often think to ask about their families or about their health, which are basic ways of being polite and expressing friendship here. When I think of how much grace and patience it takes for us to navigate a cross-cultural relationship, I'm amazed that I have so many friends here! Thanks God! Please help us!

This is Geritte and Esperance. They are 2 of my favorite friends. We laugh a lot together and have good discussions about God and our spiritual lives. We all enjoy music and singing and learning new languages.

Meet the new love of my life

I'm back in Congo but sadly I don't have a cat anymore. My cat from last year, Frecky, was only on loan and her family is back in the country to take care of her now.

Yesterday I went to the Mauritanian mini mart across the street and saw that they had a pretty decent looking orange cat. Cats around here tend to look pretty mangy, so when you see a nice one it's of note. I told the young clerk that he should tell me if ever his cat has kittens. "She has kittens!" he exclaimed. "Where? At home?" "No, here." "Really?! Where?!" "Behind the notebooks." Sure enough, on a shelf behind the notebooks the kittens were snuggled away.

I went to see them again today and informed the clerk that when they are 6 weeks old I will take a boy cat. I think they're about one week at this point. I'll be lucky if they hold on to them until 6 weeks; I'm sure by 4 they'll be wanting to get rid of them, but that's not really old enough in my opinion.

Anyways, this is Monkey Business, hopefully my future cat. Depends on if he's really a boy or if he turns out to be a girl--kinda hard to tell when they're so small and furry :o) We hope he will be friendly and affectionate. He's already got the cute factor going for him.
This is my new roommate Theresa from Germany with our cat, Monkey Business.

The Internet is not my friend

I take back anything good I ever said about our connection here. I've been trying to send my newsletter all week and it won't leave my outbox! I'll load a webpage and by the time I click on something else I've already lost the connection. OK, just venting and letting ya'll know why you never hear from me. Well, that's partly why...the other part is I haven't figured out where emailing fits into my schedule yet. Sorry! I'll talk to you someday...

Uncle Bob 1937-2007

My uncle Bob died Sunday after a courageous battle with cancer. My mom was able to be with him and her sister Jo for the past week. I’ve been praying for them here in Congo, so he was covered with transcontinental prayers :o) I will remember Bob for his kindness to children and his devotion to his wife. We had a good visit with them this summer while he was still feeling well and even got to celebrate his 70th birthday with him. We will always remember that as a special time. Let’s pray for my aunt Jo during this time of immense loss, that she will be comforted in her grief and be able to make a new start. I love you, Jo and Bob!!

some summer pics

Hey! I'm pretty pleased with how well the Internet has been working on our center since I came back. I'm sitting in my apartment using the wireless connection. It's not fast or really that consistent, but hey, look at all the photos I'm uploading!

This is an album of photos from August when I went to Sacramento and Dallas and celebrated Everly's 1st birthday. Enjoy

A few new pics of Congo

From left to right: Heather my new teammate, John James BBC journalist, Me, Mike who is doing a construction project on our center, Dana my other new teammate, Theresa my new flat mate.

This is where I go running in the morning, down by the Congo River, looking across to Kinshasa. Some miracle has occurred and I actually get up early in the morning to exercise :o) People yell to me "C'est bon le sport!" "It's good to do sports!"

We saw these crazy long horned cows on our way out to swim at Papa Gabriel's on Saturday (a favorite place to spend the day outside of Brazza). They were herded by some muslim men. I think it was the first time I've seen a cow in Congo (besides the one laying on the butcher's table at the market, of course)

As usual, the scenery on the drive to and from Papa Gabriel's (along the north road out of Brazza) was beautiful. It's a nice contrast to the concrete jungle that I live in.

Greetings from Brazzaville

Hey everybody! Just a little note to let you know...I'm here! Haven't been doing much emailing the past couple weeks, so it may seem like I've fallen off the planet. Nope, but I am in Congo!

It's been really good to be back. I'm so thankful for the joy that God has given me in being here. Thanks to all who prayed for my bags--they arrived on time with me and I didn't even have to go through customs!

I had moved out of my apartment and put all my stuff in storage. I'm back in the same room now, trying to get settled in again. My stuff got pretty musty/moldy, so that's been a challenge airing everything out and doing a lot of laundry. I can't fully move in because I ordered new furniture for the living room and it's not here yet. When I get all set up I'll be sure and post a few pics for you.

One development is that I'm sharing my apartment with a new person. Theresa is 19 and from Germany. She's here to tutor one of the missionary kids. She is full of life and is a lot of fun to be around. She's planning on joining a gospel choir with me and is ready for a lot of new experiences.

I also have 2 new teammates, Dana and Heather, who just arrived about a month ago. They're getting oriented and are enjoying themselves. We went to the market today, and 3 young white women together seems to make quite the impression ("Hey, look at the white people!!!"), so being a team here should be interesting.

Alright, I better post this before I lose my Internet connection. Have a good day!

more Facebook photos

A few pics from the last month

More pictures of Congo on Facebook

Ouesso trip with Mom

First 2 months in Ouesso

Off to the land I love...

Hey I'm in the Portland airport! In about 40 hours I'll be in the Brazzaville airport! :o)

"We are tragically uncool compared to these people." --Matt Gerber, said while watching a video of my Congolese musician friends

Amber's wedding pics

Here are some more pics on Facebook...

Amber's Wedding

Urgent: cheap digital cameras needed

Hi! Yes, I'm due for a real blog post, but first I have a question...

Anybody out there got a used digital camera to sell? I'm looking for 2 cameras at about $40 each to purchase on behalf of 2 Congolese colleagues. Let me know asap if you do 'cause I leave in just 2 weeks!

Thanks!
Jessica

Living and loving the African life

People ask me all the time if living in Africa is hard. It does have its downsides, most notably the fact that it’s located thousands of miles from my family. The public restrooms are atrocious, and I’m not free to express myself in my mother tongue. Other than that, it’s really not too hard to live there. In fact, I feel that living in Africa facilitates a lot of good things in my life. Here are a few that come to mind:

1) I have easier access to solitude. Because I have a limited network of relationships and because not much happens after 9pm there and because I have my own place and because I don’t have a television, I seem to find more evenings to spend in prayer or doing a creative endeavor or just reading.

2) I am more generous. The Congolese obligate generosity. There are just so many needs and they tell you about them and ask for your help. To be a real friend you have to be giving.

3) I am less of a consumer/garbage generator. There’s just not a whole lot to buy. Things don’t come with as much packaging. I don’t get junk mail. I can give stuff away that I don’t need anymore, including empty jars or plastic bottles.

4) I am constantly improving myself. You just can’t get away with a lot of junk in your life; it comes out ugly under the stress. I am always surrounded by seasoned missionaries who voluntarily mentor me and help me grow. The challenges that I face force me to become a better person.

So yeah, it can be hard. But I wouldn’t trade the benefits for anything. I’m happy to be going back in 4 weeks. In spite of the distance. And the toilets.

Facebook Photos

Check out my new albums on Facebook

Congolese people

Brazzaville daily life

My orphans

Summer 2007

My Congolese Self in America: #2 Church

OK, it must be time to talk about Congo some more. Unfortunately my biggest disappointment in coming back to the States has been church. I just haven’t found the fellowship and worship I was looking forward to. The first Wednesday I was home I went to the evening service at my home church and didn’t know anyone! I went back to the youth group and didn’t know anyone there either! So I ended up leaving early simply because I didn’t have anyone to sit next to. So where does Congo enter in? Well, I’ve been shocked at how many services and different churches I can go to without ever being introduced! (Although there have been exceptions!) I was so used to Congo where when a person comes back from a trip or when a minister visits from out of town, they get a minute to give a report or they are at least greeted from the pulpit. It’s a really big deal for Congolese and I’m used to getting acknowledged quite a bit in church over there. On the other hand, there’s something nice about being able to go to church here and NOT be noticed! :o)

It’s also odd going to church here because it doesn’t feel natural to me anymore. I’ve been to a lot of different churches this summer, but everywhere I see all the cultural traditions we have, rather than just joining in like I used to. I feel like more of an observer than a participant in our huge concert-like services. I notice how nice our buildings are and what elaborate sound systems we have. This is disappointing because I was looking forward to being back home where I wouldn’t have to be distracted by cultural issues in church!

I hesitate to write this entry because I really love a lot of churches here and believe they are doing just what God has called them to. I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing the American church. I’m not, I’m just saying how I see it through my Congolese eyes. I think this is a pretty common experience for missionaries who come home.

I guess if I were really Congolese I’d have a few other things to say—like “People! Get up and move when you sing!” :o) The Congolese would love to hear our beautiful worship songs, but ultimately I think they’d prefer their own music. If I were Congolese I think I’d be very jealous of all the wealth that the church here enjoys and I’d probably ask if they could spare something for the church in Africa! All of the churches I’ve visited are VERY giving, yet I don’t think a Congolese would see that when it’s obvious that those churches still enjoy a great amount of money for themselves. Our wealth and living standards are just so foreign to them.

So I’m left with knowing that even if no single service or church building is going to completely make me feel at home, I’m on the road to my heavenly home and I can get a taste of it no matter where I am when I’m in Jesus’ presence and with His people.