Life In Goma

Saturday, August 18, 2007

The time here in the DRC is flying by just as I expected it would once we reached this point in the trip. We have just 3 full days left (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday). We head back to Rwanda on Wednesday at about noon. It’s Saturday and I’m finished for the day, having gone to chapel early this morning where we saw Timo deliver the sermon. It was very well done. He has a remarkable capacity to make connections with people. Out of all of us, he has mastered the most Swahili and uses what he knows with great effectiveness. All five of the men on the team (Timo, Dan, Paul, Ryan and I) have had the opportunity to preach a sermon at the 7 AM chapel service the hospital holds most mornings for patients and staff. All of these guys have done a great job behind the pulpit! Every morning there are a couple of choirs that sing, interspersed with congregational singing (some of these moments have been captured on video and if you get the chance to watch these videos I think you’ll be able to get a sense of the utter joy and worship that flows from the patients, doctors and staff). Tomorrow morning all five of us will be in four different congregations. Dan and Ryan are teaming up to preach at one church, Timo is on his way to a Pentecostal church service which lasts 3 hours, Paul will be speaking at the worship service for the patients of HEAL Africa at 7 AM (the whole team will be attending that service together) and I will speak at the French church’s worship service that is held in the HEAL Africa chapel at 9 AM.

What we’ve done the last couple of days is a good example of the way our work has developed over the week. Melissa, with the help of the IT staff at HEAL Africa, took an rolling, adjustable IV bottle stand, cut off the top and bottom of it and used the pole to mount a wireless antenna on top of the hospital. They then walked across the street to the Jubilee Center, climbed the stairs to the second floor, wrapped a shirt of some kind around one of the IT guys and held him as he leaned out the window and nailed the other wireless antenna to the side of the building. Melissa tells me that she is getting a solid connection between the two antennas which will help HEAL Africa create a communication link between the buildings. She’s in conversations this afternoon with one of the doctors about their database needs.

Naomi hopped on the back of a “moto” (one of the hundreds if not thousands of motorcycles in Goma that function like a taxi) to buy paint for the mural she is painting in the pediatric HIV clinic. She is painting a wonderful African scene filled with animal in the jungle. She’s using oil-based paints so the windows are kept wide open while she works. Sarah has been helping her with that project as well as assessing some of the educational needs of the children at the hospital.

Timo has been discussing many of the engineering needs of the hospital with the staff and will be heading off with Ryan to join a soccer (that is football) ministry on Sunday afternoon. HEAL Africa sponsors sports clubs in Goma and the surrounding region. They bring a football team from the hospital to play another local team and before the game and during half-time the HEAL Africa leaders talk to those who are playing and those who have gathered to watch about respect for women and about HIV. Recently they had a woman referee the match.

Paul has been working with the counselors and staff of the hospital, exploring issues of spiritual care for patients. He had a room packed with doctors, nurses and hospital staff on Friday afternoon. Paul also helped Dan and me as we led a day and half retreat with the people from the Nehemiah Committees which were formed to help rebuild the communities of Goma after the volcano devastated the city. The founders of the Nehemiah Committees knew that they could not wait for assistance to come from outside the country. So they acted to provide a wide range of services to hurting people. Dan did a great job leading the Nehemiah Committees through a discussion of "Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors." Yes, we to are teaching through the Lord's Prayer here in Goma. To lead a discussion on the question of forgiveness with people who have been through what has gone on here is not an easy thing to do. It was an amazing discussion.

Bridget has continued to be a champ. She keeps all the pieces of our mission together. She connects us with people, makes sure we have transportation, solves an incredibly wide range of practical problems and quietly comes alongside each of us to see how we’re doing. She is an enormous gift to our team. I can’t imagine doing this with out her.

As I write this we’re at the Lusi’s home on Lake Kivu and we’re experiencing an incredible wind and rainstorm. The lightening has just started with bright flashes of light and loud clashes of thunder. It’s awesome!! The waves of the lake are crashing onto the deck and there is a waterfall of water coming off the roof. I love Africa!

Thanks for your prayers!

Tim (for the entire Goma Team)