Adventures, Blessings and a Broken Heart

Mbote na bino (Hello to you all),

      Greetings from the jungle of Africa! Sorry that is been a few weeks since I last posted, things have gotten busy and time just seems to slip away so quickly. A lot has happened here since I last wrote so I will update you on the big things that have been going on. The days here are beginning to go faster and faster, as I am more adjusted to the culture and lifestyle here. I knew that I was “truly adjusted” when I had goose bumps and was freezing cold when it was 75 degrees out. Good thing it will be warm when I come back to the US in August or I would have a rough time. Getting used to the culture here has also brought about a lot of new emotions for me. For the first two or three weeks here, I was still dealing with culture shock and understanding my own feelings. As the homesickness has faded and my life has become more invested here, I have begun to really notice the pain, sickness and suffering around me. I am beginning to feel the injustice of this world. I have been reflecting on how blessed I am to have a family that loves me deeply, friends that go above and beyond to encourage me and the blessing it is to go to college and have a world of opportunity in front of me. I have realized what a blessing air conditioning, ice cream, laundry machines and many other things are. In the midst of realizing these blessings, my heart is hurting. My heart breaks when I see people here with illnesses that could be treated in the US, but not here. My heart breaks for the malnourished children that are just skin and bones. My heart breaks for the people dying from malaria. My heart breaks for the people who cant afford medical care. Many people don’t have money to pay for treatment, so they come to the hospital when they are very sick, which often means that it is too late. All these thoughts and emotions have been flooding over me and I am not sure what to do with them. I am not sure what changes these encounters will produce in me, but I do know that there is ALWAYS hope in Christ. That has been the beacon of light for me and I pray for all the people suffering as well.

     Anyway, I have experienced a lot of new things since I last wrote, so I will share some of the big things:

1. James Waterman, a good friend from Wheaton College arrived about a week ago! It is great to have a familiar face in such a foreign environment. He will be with me until I leave in August.

2. I finished the first month of the insanity workout program with fellow missionary, Joyce. It is really out of place for women to run here, so I have to get my energy out some how. It has been hard, but I am getting stronger!

3. I learned to how to suture in the simple interrupted style and closed a leg wound one a girl who was in a motorcycle accident.

4. I swam in the Ubangi river (an off shout of the Congo) and jumped off a tree into the water. I still can’t believe I went in that water and went under. I’m praying I don’t get worms!

Guylvie paddling the canoe to pick us up from shore 

Kate talking to some kids we met in the water 

Getting ready to jump in, I didn't want to go under 

It looks a lot higher from up here 

Elena jumping in 

5. I got sick for the first time yesterday with a stomach bug, feeling a lot better now.

6. I watched a leg surgery where a plate was put in to correct a broken tibia. I actually ended up seeing it done twice, as the surgery had to be redone to add a needed bone graft from the fibula.

The x-ray pre-surgery 

Once the plate was screwed in during the first surgery 

Tom scrubbed in for surgery with Bonifast 

7. I ate antelope and fufu (one of the most popular foods here, it is made from cassava).

8. I went to an African pizza party. James brought the cheese from Brazzaville (no cheese here in Impfondo), Serge got sausage as a gift for all the wedding baking and we used the neighbors outdoor oven to bake the pizza. We also had corn on the cob, cake and a lettuce salad- all of which are luxuries here. It was the feast of all feasts in Impfondo.

Sausage Pizza! 

Pizza Party

9. I wrote my bike 68 miles with Tom and James to the town of Dongou. It was the longest bike ride that any of us have ever done. Lets just say in the sun, heat and humidity it was a struggle. I was proud of myself for making it back alive, but I am not anxious to do it again anytime soon! Our ride took us north pasts lots of small local villages and lots of empty space. We were also greeted with lots of “mondele” and a run in with a bull. The locals were trying to lure the bull away from the road when we arrived but it wouldn’t budge. We ended up biking very fast past it, but he followed us. The boys enjoyed luring him and then speeding off (he was a slow bull).

Jungle view on the way to Dongou 

Arriving in the town of Dongou 

Some cute kids we met on the street 

The local man trying to lure the bull off the road 

James is ready to bike away 

The church/school in one of the local villages 

10. I got stopped by someone in town, who recognized me and wanted to say hi. I always say that you know you are at home when you see people you know while out and about.

11. I said bye to Tom Diehl as he headed off to Rwanda for the rest of his trip. It was great to get to know him and have another Wheaton student here.

Tom's goodbye lunch with Siko and Delphine 

Last english class for Tom 

12. I went to an Acca church in the village of Mwito, which is about 8 km from Impfondo. The service was really interesting and Sarah translated the lingala into English for James and I. It lasted for 3 hours, which is actually not long for churches here. I am glad that churches in the US stick closer to the 1-hour mark. The people were very welcoming to us and showed us the river where they gather fish and explained to us that it is almost caterpillar season, so some of the men are in the forest gathering food. When it is caterpillar or other animal seasons the men will go in the jungle for months at a time to gather food. They make little igloo houses with leaves and branches to sleep in while they are out, While I was in the church I kind of had a déjà vu moment. For a second, I realized “Wow, I am in the middle of church in a small African village in the middle of the Congo Rainforest, in the middle of Africa.” It seems kind of surreal. Unfortunately, we all forgot our cameras, so I have no pictures from that journey. The people did however send us back to the hospital with lots of plantains and oranges. Even though they have so little, they are so generous with what they have!

  Thank you all for your continual prayers and support. I leave you with a verse from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that I read this morning that encourages me to always love here, no matter how I am feeling: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Peace and blessings,

Lauren