Some Reflections on Goma by Ryan Irmer (that's Mount Nyiragongo, the volcano that destroyed major portions of Goma in 2002, in the background):I didn’t know what to expect when I made the decision to join the group led by Tim and Bridget to Goma, DRC. I remember hearing stories, looking at pictures and videos from my wife, Amelia’s, previous trip to Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda that gave me a little bit of perspective. What I also remember quite vividly is how many people said to me, “When you go, you will find that you are going to receive much more than you can actually give.” I acknowledged what they said but I didn’t truly understand or appreciate that until after I came back and found that to be very true.
What I received from the people of Goma was a deep sense of thankfulness that resonates within me to this day. It was a thankfulness to God who continues to answer their prayers in ways that God and these wonderful people can only know. This thankfulness to God was evident from the beginning of their day in chapel services where their worship through song, dance, and prayer was contagious and uplifting. I cannot emphasize enough how important it was for each of us to begin each day where the focus was on God’s goodness while reaffirming His words of truth, protection, and hope. Starting each day helped to refuel and refocus us spiritually in a way that would provide us with the necessary gifts to enter into an environment that was filled with pain, suffering, abject poverty, ignorance, and violence.
From the first day where we had an opportunity to tour HEAL Africa’s various hospital rooms and witness how many people were being treated by the staff. I have rarely seen a group of people utilize their talents and limited resources in such an efficient, compassionate, and competent manner. The needs were many and everyone did the best they could with whatever they had. From street kids who were practicing Yoga, to women working in the sewing room while awaiting another fistula surgery, to AIDS patients who received visits from counselors, people were being helped and healed by the work of these people and through God’s mercy not only physically, but also emotionally, and spiritually.
One of the strongest memories I have is of our experience at Pastor Samuel’s church on Sunday morning. We arrived at a church that was surrounded on every side by either public toilets or an airport runway. At one point, I actually had to pause my message to wait for a plane to take off only hundreds of feet away from our worship service. This three hour worship service was one of the most remarkable experiences that I have ever had. The church was filled with young and old, men and women who were worshipping with all of their hearts, all of their souls, and all of their minds in a way that revealed God’s true character.
Like virtually every person that we encountered, these people were dressed in a colorful, beautiful, and handsome manner that displayed the pride they had in themselves and their desire to give their best to their Savior. I’m at a loss to describe how much joy, thankfulness, love, and praise filled these people in every aspect of their worship. This was a three hour church service that I didn’t want to ever end!
My experience in Central Africa and my interaction with the people there has brought me back to America with a fresh and new perspective on life. I am exceedingly thankful for the abundance that God has provided in my life and with how He is working throughout the world. By beginning each day with acts of worship and prayer that refocuses our attention away from ourselves and the problems around us and back towards God, we can keep Him at the center of our daily lives. Though I am even more aware of circumstances that are upsetting, confusing, and heartbreaking, I find myself having an outlook that is more like the people that I met. Because of their example I am finding ways to proclaim God’s goodness, His steadfast love, and His amazing ability to enter into these situations and provide relief, comfort and most of all hope.
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