6/9/12 Saturday: Day One
Arriving in Congo
Flying into Congo was incredible.
From the plane it looks like any other landscape, there are trees,
farms, dirt roads, lakes and streams but there seems to be something more pure
or untainted than the other landscapes I’ve flown over. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of a local Burundian
tribe, a migrating herd of giraffes, wildebeests or some other visual
stereotype one associates with Africa (thank you National Geographic). After arriving at the airport in Bujumbura,
Burundi you realize you have left all remnants of modern civilization
behind. The airport itself looks like it
could be a large African village with a large hut-shaped terminal. You can now taste and smell the purity of
this place, such a vast and fruitful land.
Driving from the airport in Burundi to Uvira is an otherworldly
experience, just as described in any number of books or movies. Until we reach the Congo border the road is
barely paved for two lanes of traffic, littered with people walking, carrying
goods, bikes loaded with upwards of five barrels.
From the Burundi-Congo border until we reach
downtown Uvira the road is a mix of sand and dirt, you can tell it was once
freshly graded but currently is uneven and having crammed about 25 people and
50 suitcases into an antique bus barely built to haul 15 people we are being
take for quite a ride. There is only one paved road in Uvira and the other
roads are a mixture of dirt, clay, rocks, and potholes all in a random and
treacherous combination that is not meant to be navigated by anyone with a
sensitive stomach. Although the city is
raw and undeveloped there is a simple beauty in everything.
Our hotel is off a dirt road with an unmarked entrance marked by two 10
foot high iron gates with a set of 12 individual bungalows and one common
gathering area where we have our meetings, prayers and eat some meals. It is all very nice given our immediate
surroundings. Our first night the power
kept going out and thankfully they were able to keep things running with a
generator. Not that we really needed the
electricity but being able to have a fan to keep the air at least moving inside
our bungalows helped immensely. There is
only intermittent running water for flushing toilets and showering. When it is running there are two buckets to
store the water for later use.
Everything is small and simple without the creature comforts I have
grown accustomed to but it is perfect for this experience. I only wish Krystle were here to see it and
be immersed in this experience.
6/10/12 Sunday: Day Two
First Day at the Church and
Orphanage
Today we attended the CCMC Sunday service and visited the orphanage for
the first time. The church is still
under construction and is a half finished brick building down a dirt road with
UN Refugee tarps for a roof. The church
is in the process of constructing a permanent roof. This is far removed from last year when the
church didn’t even have a building to call home. The place filled to capacity and many more
watched from the open holes in the brick walls to watch the service and see the
“Muzungus.” It was everything you would
expect from an African service with lots of singing and dancing – these people
seem to love to worship God and are not afraid to do so. I wish I would have recorded the audio from
their worship music, it was beautiful.
When we left the church service we were taken to see the
orphanage. I can’t even begin to
describe the road that led up the mountain to the orphanage’s compound. It will definitely give out its share of
bumps and bruises this week. (Below is a
video I recorded of the drive up the road that led from the main paved road in
town up the hill to the orphanage)
Right before we reached the orphanage there is a final steep climb and
we come charging over the peak only to see all of the orphans lined up, singing
a song and waiving CCC flags for us – goose bumps. With the mountains rising out of the
background, it was one of those “pinch me” moments in life. They presented each of us with a small flag
they had made and welcomed us to the orphanage, their home.
The orphanage is set on top of a mountain, where the dirt road ends,
carved out of the mountainside with an open field of dirt, grass, shrubs and
trees below. The view from the orphanage
is breathtaking – you can see Uvira below and the lake disappears into each
side of the horizon. Without a contextual
reference, the view is straight out of a travel magazine and could easily be
one of those “Top 10” places to see – you would never know the amount of poverty
and suffering in the city below. The
land CCC has here is an incredible gift and will do wonders for their mission
and these kids have a great place to receive hope and God’s love. Every child is so thankful for everything and
full of smiles and laughter. You can’t
help but feel an instant connection with each of these promising young lives.
6/11/12 Monday: Day Three
Orphanage
I spent the better part of the afternoon playing soccer with the kids
outside. It was a mixture of the orphans
and the other village kids that walked up the hill to play with us. Even the village children were eager for our
love and attention. The heart wrenching
part is when a child walks up to you, points to their stomach and then mouth to
indicate they are hungry, and you can’t do anything about it. Seeing the turnout for soccer makes you
wonder the last time they had such an opportunity – if ever. The smaller children just want to hang on
you, touch your arms and hands, dance and do anything else you can to make them
laugh. It is very simple, any noise or
gesture you make is instantly the greatest thing these kids have ever seen or
heard.
One of the most amazing things is that most of the village children and some of the orphans have little or no shoes - yet they have no fear, running over rocks through shrubs, jumping and all with bare feet. I barely walk in the area immediately surfing our house without shoes on and it is all nice pavement and regularly manicured grass...Perspective...We mentioned how great it would be if we could get partnered with TOMS somehow.
I just loved being around the kids and locals, seeing the vibrancy of the life surrounding the orphanage, that from from the outs tide does not appear to be a place where happiness and Godliness would coexist. Just like our Rock Star entrance up the road to the compound with kids running and screaming "Byee" and "Muzungus," so goes our daily exit down the heavily weathered road.
6/12/12 Tuesday: Day Four
The rest of the day I spent sitting by the field, where two of the
younger boys Walile and Ogi came up and sat on my lap. They are two of the liveliest and craziest
kids here – I think they are both around 3 years old. You just can’t help but to fall in love with
these children. Walile is definitely the
B-O-S-S!
6/12/12 Tuesday: Day Four
Orphanage
Tuesday - our second day on the compound…Today was less structured and
I spent the greater part of the morning just hanging around the compound,
watching the kids, and just soaking in some “me” time with my thoughts. Being around all the kids and constantly being
“on” can be draining for my personality type and it was nice to have this time
of reflection and solitude. I think it is important to have some time to step
back and really reflect on my experience on this trip, and not just once I
return home, but while I’m on the trip.
It will help me to be fully present with the kids and with everyone this
week.
We eat lunch and dinner at the orphanage. The process consists of the children washing
their hands and sitting politely in the meal room/classroom on a UN Refugee
tarp. Our group then washes our hands
and serves the children. Each meal
consists of white rice, beans and either bread, orange, cabbage, goat or a
simple fried doughnut and either water or hot tea. Although we eat the same meal for lunch and
dinner every day it does not feel or taste as bad as it sounds. I have already grown accustomed to the diet –
hopefully shedding a couple pounds before returning to the states! I think that under normal circumstances the
children still receive two meals per day but don’t receive quite as much or get
the little extras they have while we are here.
Some of the kids have expressed how thankful they are for being full
while we are here.
After lunch I spent the remainder of the day playing with the
children. Half of it was spent with two
of the young girls hanging off either of my arms. One of the girls, Furaha, is the cutest. Every time anyone smiles at her she proceeds
to smile, cover her mouth and starts laughing.
After spending time sitting by the field, I went back up to the
orphanage as dinner approached and the sun began to set behind the mountains.
I sat on the grass overlooking the field as
several kids proceeded to use me as a jungle gym. More and more I feel a desire growing to go
on more mission trips and will do everything in my power to return here next
year. I’ve only been here for a few days
but it has already started to feel like home, as strange as that sounds being
so far outside of what would be considered my “element.”
This trip has also brought about a renewed desire to seek the Holy Spirit and begin to shape my life as a Godly husband and soon-to-be father. I wish Krystle were here to experience these things but I know that this was God's plan and I will continue to pray for his wisdom, grace and guidance. We have such a great, loving and dynamic group and I'm excited to continue building the community when we return to DC.
6/13/12 Wednesday: Day Five
Rest and Orphanage
Today we were given the opportunity to have the morning off in order to
regroup and recharge for the rest of the week.
I used that time to sleep-in (I have been staying up late every night to
play games with the group, if you haven’t played it before you MUST purchase
Monopoly deal) and catch up on my journaling.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve already reached the halfway point of our
mission. The next 4 days are going to
disappear in the blink of an eye. I
really hope that I can make the most of every moment I have with the children
and in Congo. I feel like there have
been a lot of things change in me spiritually and I hope they carry over to the
States when we go home. I don’t want
these things to be a one-off event because of the circumstances with which I am
currently faced with. My time here has
really been the catalyst I needed to start me down the path of being a strong
husband and leader of our family.
We went to the orphanage in the afternoon and when we pulled up we were
greeted by a flood of kids running down the hill with outstretched arms so
eager to see us. I didn’t play in the
field with the kids today, instead just staying around the compound on top of
the hill where I lifted, swung around and was used and abused by what seemed
like all the kids.
There is a hand clapping game the kids like to play and they sing while
they do it. I have finally mastered it
and it is most popular with several of the girls.
There was a moment I experienced with one girl in particular, Furaha. I mentioned her yesterday but she has an
incredible personality, always smiling and content to play cards by herself or
with other kids or just jumping around singing whatever song is in her head at
the moment. In many ways she reminds me
of myself at that age, being an only child I was at various times my only
source of entertainment. As my mother
can attest, I was never short on entertaining myself with making noises, jumping
around or using anything around me as a personal drumset. Furaha and I were playing the hand clap game
and I looked into her eyes and in that surreal moment I felt what I think was
God laying something on my heart. I
instantly fell in love with this little girl.
I can’t explain it and I don’t know what the feeling means or what I’m
supposed to do but it definitely means something. God may have been trying to reveal my heart
for the Congo or something much greater – in whatever shape that takes. This feeling stayed with me the rest of the
day and night. As soon as I could get to
a phone I immediately texted Krystle (yes, even in the DRC we can be somewhat
connected to the “modern” world) and I told her what happened that day and she
so graciously called Renee Reed (from Global Outreach – who helped to get the
orphanage off the ground) so that we can sponsor Furaha. I don’t know if that was the extent of the
calling I felt but I want to continually pray for what God was trying to reveal
to me.
The one regret I have it not being able to learn more Swahili before coming here and will make a concentrated effort to learn more before I return to Congo...I hope God more clearly reveals his intentions from the calling I felt while spending time with Furaha today.
6/14/12 Thursday: Day Six
Last full day at Orphanage
Today was our last full day to spend with the kids and I made sure to spend
that extended time wisely.
I spent just
about every moment possible with Furaha, trying to cherish the fleeting moments
I have with her. She has made me realize
how desperately I want to be a father. Every
time I picked her up, she reached for me, held my hand or started laughing, my
heart melted. I’m surprised my face
doesn’t hurt worse from smiling all day.
Trying to cultivate a relationship with a 7-year-old is hard enough
without a language barrier and all of the other distractions around us at the
orphanage.
As I continue to write about this day – I can honestly say I could not
put into words the feelings laid on my heart yesterday and today. I don’t know what any of it means but I’m
going to continue to pray for God’s wisdom and strength with these
feelings. I sat in a chair for a large
duration of the morning with Furaha on one leg and Sophia on the other – there
were several times that Furaha laid her head on my shoulder or leaned into my cheek
– utterly incredible. I could see that
we were building a greater connection today as she sought me out in the morning
and throughout the day, during meals and walked me down the hill to our cars at
the end of the day.
I know that it makes no sense to adopt this girl – she speaks mostly
Swahili with some French and is 7
year old. We have one kid on the
way and just the lifestyle/logistical challenges this would create.. I followed
my prompting yesterday to begin sponsoring Furaha but I don’t feel like that is
the end game. It has to go beyond that –
there has to be something more. Maybe it’s
just the environment or a normal reaction to being with wonderful children but
I keep feeling a calling that it may be something more or greater beyond
that. The first few days I spent time
with several of the other kids and didn’t feel anything remotely similar to
what I’m currently experiencing, which leads me to believe it is something
more.
As I’m writing this I’m distracted by videos from my phone of Furaha. I only wish I could speak more to her so that
I could increase our personal connection.
I was able to teach her a couple dance moves and how to snap and make a
horse galloping sound – in an effort to increase the probability she will
specifically remember me. I kept
repeating “My name is” Evan in Swahili – “Jina langu” Evan, also in an effort
to keep my name firmly planted in her mind.
I only wish that Krystle could be here to see her and experience this. Right before dinner we played some dance
music for the kids and had a good ole fashioned dance party!
6/15/12 Friday: Day Seven
2nd to Last Day at
Orphanage
I went into today knowing that it was the 2nd to last day
(half day at that) with the kids and I intended to take full advantage of that
time with Furaha. I spent just about
every moment we weren’t eating by sitting and playing cards with her or lifting
her and holding her in my arms. There
were several times we were sitting there and she would lean her head into my
cheek and put her arm around my neck – each time melting my heart. If this is what fatherhood feels like I am in
for the greatest years of my life.
Earlier in the morning, Dave (our resident Swahili expert) told me that
Furaha means “Joy” in English. My prayer
this morning was for clarity and a full family of children – what more “sign”
do I need? We love the name Joy to use
for a girl; of the 50+ orphans I bond with the one named Joy and I distinctly
remember looking up Furaha several months ago when researching baby names. I continue to feel a calling for something
beyond just a sponsorship with Furaha. I
want to thank God for that “Aha” moment today and will continue to pray for
guidance in this matter. I do think I
received a huge sign from God today – mostly Him just pointing out what was
right in front of me after I asked for a sign.
Every moment with her is a treasure – I can look into her eyes and see
so many things. Seeing her look up at me
and say “Kubeba” = carry me, I honestly don’t care how tired I am – I have
to. Everything in life happens for a
reason. If Krystle didn’t step up and
commit to this mission, get funded right away, prompting me to sign up and then
get pregnant I wouldn’t be in this position.
It was quite the unpredictable chain of events to get me here. God has a plan and I pray that it continues
to be revealed to me. I have never felt
the closeness with God I am experiencing on this trip. This closeness leads me to believe that God
is trying to show me His plan with my/our future with Furaha. I could write for pages about my time with
her and what I was feeling but I also think these aren’t going to be fleeting
moments and that I will get more time to love her and soak in the amazing
creation of God.
At our team debrief tonight I gave my testimony of how I came to Christ
and about how God led me to being on this trip.
I really thought I might tear up when I talked about Krystle, but I made
it through! I ended my time talking
about what I am struggling with as it relates the calling placed upon my
heart. After I finished telling the
team, Ricky spoke up and said that he can see when Furaha looks at me she truly
loves me – at that point I started to tear up.
I really have laid my heart before the Lord this week and have never felt
such a strong prompting. My heart was
wide open and the Lord blessed me with Furaha (Joy). I hope that I continue to feel these
promptings with her/for her to know that I need to make my life infinitely more
complicated. I also pray that Krystle’s
heart be opened like mine and she trust in my feelings and Godly calling. That she can submit her earthly needs and
desires to the Lord and receive God’s grace and guidance and trust me as the
leader of the home.
6/16/12 Saturday: Day Eight
Last Day at Orphanage
Today was our last day in the Congo and if I had a choice I would have
spent the entire day at the orphanage.
We went to the CCMC church in the morning to have a church conference
with different groups and then a church service. Both of these ran long and then we had a long
meeting with some of the church leaders.
By the time we got to the orphanage it was after 2pm – so we were only given a precious few hours to spend with the kids. When we arrived at the compound, the kids came running down to greet us as usual. Furaha was one of the kids but she must not have seen me, so I started walking up the hill. I got halfway up the hill then I feel this tap on my back – Furaha! I was so incredibly excited to see her. I later found out from Ricky that she had been looking specifically for me when one of the other kids, Esperanza, screamed “Furaha” and pointed to me as I walked up the hill. That was an amazing moment because she not only was looking specifically for me but also because she must have said something about me to the other kids. I’ll never know what she told them but all that matters is the connection I felt seems to be just as evident to this little girl. When Ricky told me what he had seen my heart skipped a beat – if it was possible to love her any more in that moment I did. That was the sign I prayed for, I feel that was a tangible gift God gave me to show me the level of connection we have extends beyond just this trip – it goes much deeper and farther than that.
By the time we got to the orphanage it was after 2pm – so we were only given a precious few hours to spend with the kids. When we arrived at the compound, the kids came running down to greet us as usual. Furaha was one of the kids but she must not have seen me, so I started walking up the hill. I got halfway up the hill then I feel this tap on my back – Furaha! I was so incredibly excited to see her. I later found out from Ricky that she had been looking specifically for me when one of the other kids, Esperanza, screamed “Furaha” and pointed to me as I walked up the hill. That was an amazing moment because she not only was looking specifically for me but also because she must have said something about me to the other kids. I’ll never know what she told them but all that matters is the connection I felt seems to be just as evident to this little girl. When Ricky told me what he had seen my heart skipped a beat – if it was possible to love her any more in that moment I did. That was the sign I prayed for, I feel that was a tangible gift God gave me to show me the level of connection we have extends beyond just this trip – it goes much deeper and farther than that.
To others who may read this, I want to provide perspective, that all of
the orphans shower each of us, without discrimination, with love and
affection. It doesn’t matter who it is –
it is merely whoever is closest at the time.
For this reason I believe that what happened that afternoon, which Ricky
happened to witness clearly shows a much deeper bond between Furaha and I. I think that all of the things that had to take
place to make that moment what it was, is entirely God answering my bold and
specific prayer. For the next several
hours I did everything I could to treasure my time with Furaha. I made sure to get pictures together,
pictures of her and videos.
To back track a little, the night before we wrote notes in English to
three of the orphans (each) and I of course made sure to pick Furaha. As part of that I wanted to express that I
loved her and God loves her very much, so I asked one of our handlers for the
translation “Na kupenda sana” means I love you very much and “Mungu a na kupenda
sana” means God loves you very much. I
pray that no matter what happens in the next year, if Furaha is still in the
orphanage and God allows me to return, that she holds on to the note I
wrote. Bold, specific and powerful
prayers, right?! I also made it a point
to express these things to Furaha while we were there to make sure she knew how
I felt about her. I lost count of how
many times I said “Na kupenda sana Furaha.”
Every time she would smile and cover her face – I’ll never forget that
laugh and shyness. When I would ask her
in Swahili to say I love you very much Evan she again would laugh, smile and
cover her face. After a few tries I
finally got a soft whisper out of her and in that moment I was completely lost
in my commitment to this girl’s life.
As I continued to hold, carry, laugh with and enjoy Furaha the rest of
the afternoon everyone eventually went down to the field for a dance performance
(James and Sarah) and then an organized soccer match. When we got down there I crouched down and
just hugged her as we watched the dancing.
We all then gathered in the field to sit and watch the game but first, I
so desperately wanted to catch Furaha saying Na kupenda sana Evan on video so I
could bring it home with me to listen to everyday. Dave helped me and eventually she said it
without covering her face! That made my
entire trip; God put me here for that.
We sat down and watched for awhile, she laid in my lap. I eventually got up and played part of the
game. At some point, Dave (Incredible),
got Furaha and one of the other girls to start chanting “Na kupenda sana
Evan.” They must have gone on for at
least 10 minutes and just hearing her voice scream those words was again,
incredible.
I feel like I really committed myself to opening my heart to God on
this trip and he filled it until it overflowed and blessed me so much. He
allowed me to pour my heart and soul into this little girl and her to me. I made it a point to try and leave her with
tangible memories of me, firmly implanting my name in her hear, leaving the
note and I taught her how to make the horse galloping sound by snapping her
fingers. On this final day, I also
taught her how to wink – she was so happy when she did it and I told her Yes!
Yes! I just keep feeling prompted that this has to be a God thing to feel so
closely connected to this child I can barely communicate with.
After the soccer game we went back up to the multi-purpose room where
the kids sang several songs for us and presented us with their good-bye message
and hats. Before I get into that I
forgot to mention another true reflection of my connection with Furaha. During lunch she noticed I didn’t have
anything to drink so she gave me the rest of her cup of tea. I have not seen any kids do that to anyone
all week! Then after lunch they were
given one small piece of gum and Furaha insisted I take half of her stock –
these kids probably get treats like that (1 stick of gum!) once or twice a week
and she willingly offered me half so that we could share together. Again, God was there. When the representative for the kids started
reading their message, several of the kids started crying, which caused just
about all of us to start crying. The
cries of the 50+ kids turned into wails and I have never experienced something
so emotionally powerful. My heart ached
for each of those children, you hate to see them overtly experiencing that
level of pain but the amount of love we poured out into them far outweighs the
pain. God is all around that place and
watching over the hearts and lives of those wonderful kids.
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