Monday, February 16, 2009

Monday. . .

Not much happened today. We went to get Congolese currency, which was a distance of 2 miles which took more than 30 minutes. What is known as a main highway, the 30th of June, is two large lanes of cement pavement embedded with thousands and thousands of cars. The street is the same as it was when constructed by the Belgians in the forties, maybe the thirties. I don't know what the population was back then, but today it is probably close to 9 million, and the road is the same. So it is bumper to bumper and zigzagging from more lanes than there is room for to get to one's destination. It definitely requires a defensive driving attitude. We leave the driving to Augi who has been on staff with Laban since the late 90's.

Little children and beggars come to the car windows. Clusters of scattered refugees can be found on the streets downtown. Dodging potholes is a full time job, and windows must be kept rolled up to avoid being robbed. Mind you, they are not malicious robbers in that they will not harm one bodily, but are desperate for food or money for their children's education. Vendors also run up to the cars, selling anything from maps of Congo to watches, to kleenex to puppies. Thousands upon thousands are walking the sides of the streets as well, trying to catch a ride to work or going to buy goods they can turn around and sell down town or wherever. What a sad life the people of Congo have been forced to settle for from policial leaders who promise them everything and just do not deliver to the masses.

Every time we leave Congo, we say to ourselves that surely it can't get any worse, and then when we return here, we see that it has in fact become just that.

Pastor Gary Kapinga, the national director of Laban in Congo, called us today on his cell phone. He lives at Nkara, our mission campus. It was good to hear his voice. We will see him on Friday. Funny, everyone--even the poorest--has a cell phone here, just like everyone in the States has a TV, even the poorer.

Bodies everywhere. Faces I don't know. Many tongues; in fact, I hear there are over 800 dialects in Congo alone. And God knows everyone of those faces and understands all those tongues!

Someday you will make it all right, Lord. Cannot the judge of the earth do right? We place them all into your hands, Father. It is overwhelming. The need is beyond fathoming or putting into words. Lord, bring them to yourself.