Check out construction progress on the Belize Dental Clinic!
Go to the link below for Update #7 Youtube Video
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Doug Wright Update
Dear Praying team,
Doug's been working on the Logo translation of Romans, a very difficult New Testament book to translate, for the last month-long consulting trip of the year. The first two weeks of the month will be spent in a Central Sudanic Discourse workshop. Doug will land in Congo and the next day begin his three days of teaching (in French) the next morning! He'll be teaching six language teams, including the Logo team, how to better identify and use certain grammatical features in their translations. Then the last two weeks of the month-long trip will be spent solely with the Logo team in translation checking, beginning the book of Romans.
Please would you cover this trip in prayer? We (the Congolese translation teams, missionary colleagues, and Doug) covet your prayers so that we can fight the spiritual battle together in Christ, in bringing God's transforming Word to millions of Congolese who have never heard it in their heart languages.
Thanks for standing with us!
Doug called from an isolated Catholic conference center on Saturday. He said he was sitting on a veranda, overlooking a widespread valley, holding his cell phone out and praying it connected with a cell tower somewhere! (There were no electric lines or cell towers in sight, just lots of tropical rain forest.) And it did connect.
He thanked you for praying, saying that his teaching in French went well and that he and the Logo guys are now working together in the seminar. On Friday they fly to Isiro to begin translation checking of the Logo book of Romans. They'll spend the last 2 weeks in checking work.
Thank you for praying for his travels and for his initial days at the seminar. Please would you pray that his shoulder heals: apparently he pulled something while carrying two computers through about 5 different airports and it's causing pain. And add that to the metal spring bed (little support) and he's not sleeping very well. Thanks for continuing to pray.
Oh, and Doug's mentioned that he's seen the big "bird" spiders. If these are the same ones we had in Todro, they're about the size of a small adult hand :-) . He considered killing the ones in his room but then thought he might let them live to kill the mosquitoes!
Thanks again!
Blessings,
Beth
p.s. I'm feeling very well! (Three weeks in a row - yipee!) Thanks for praying. Will be heading to see the grandbabies for a week.
Oct 11-22: Muhito Center - Doug to help in training six teams of Congolese translators to better understand their own languages in order to produce more natural Bible translations
Oct 22: MAF small plane DRC: Bunia – Isiro
Oct 22 - Nov 5: Isiro - Doug & Logo team to check the first half of Romans in Logoti, always including informal training; the whole team will continue to focus their devotionals on living "in Christ"
Nov 5-6: Entebbe UTB Guesthouse - Doug to rest during long trip home
Nov 6–7: travel
Doug's been working on the Logo translation of Romans, a very difficult New Testament book to translate, for the last month-long consulting trip of the year. The first two weeks of the month will be spent in a Central Sudanic Discourse workshop. Doug will land in Congo and the next day begin his three days of teaching (in French) the next morning! He'll be teaching six language teams, including the Logo team, how to better identify and use certain grammatical features in their translations. Then the last two weeks of the month-long trip will be spent solely with the Logo team in translation checking, beginning the book of Romans.
Please would you cover this trip in prayer? We (the Congolese translation teams, missionary colleagues, and Doug) covet your prayers so that we can fight the spiritual battle together in Christ, in bringing God's transforming Word to millions of Congolese who have never heard it in their heart languages.
Thanks for standing with us!
Doug called from an isolated Catholic conference center on Saturday. He said he was sitting on a veranda, overlooking a widespread valley, holding his cell phone out and praying it connected with a cell tower somewhere! (There were no electric lines or cell towers in sight, just lots of tropical rain forest.) And it did connect.
He thanked you for praying, saying that his teaching in French went well and that he and the Logo guys are now working together in the seminar. On Friday they fly to Isiro to begin translation checking of the Logo book of Romans. They'll spend the last 2 weeks in checking work.
Thank you for praying for his travels and for his initial days at the seminar. Please would you pray that his shoulder heals: apparently he pulled something while carrying two computers through about 5 different airports and it's causing pain. And add that to the metal spring bed (little support) and he's not sleeping very well. Thanks for continuing to pray.
Oh, and Doug's mentioned that he's seen the big "bird" spiders. If these are the same ones we had in Todro, they're about the size of a small adult hand :-) . He considered killing the ones in his room but then thought he might let them live to kill the mosquitoes!
Thanks again!
Blessings,
Beth
p.s. I'm feeling very well! (Three weeks in a row - yipee!) Thanks for praying. Will be heading to see the grandbabies for a week.
Oct 11-22: Muhito Center - Doug to help in training six teams of Congolese translators to better understand their own languages in order to produce more natural Bible translations
Oct 22: MAF small plane DRC: Bunia – Isiro
Oct 22 - Nov 5: Isiro - Doug & Logo team to check the first half of Romans in Logoti, always including informal training; the whole team will continue to focus their devotionals on living "in Christ"
Nov 5-6: Entebbe UTB Guesthouse - Doug to rest during long trip home
Nov 6–7: travel
Douglas and Jennings Boone Update
Dear friends,
It seems we just wrote a September newsletter, but October is already flying by… and in a few days we will be flying, as well! This time we are going in different directions. Here’s the scoop (photos at the bottom of the page):
From Jennings:
From Oct. 22-29, I (Jennings) will be in Ibambi, D.R. Congo, helping the Budu translation team finish up the book of Matthew for publication, along with our Translation Coordinator Dave Bradley. I’ve worked with this team before, on Genesis, but this is the first time I’ve been able to visit their home area. Then, from Oct. 31-Nov. 10, I’ll make a trip to Goma to work with the Tembo translation team on the book of Mark. It will be great to see this team again and to see how they are getting on without their head translator Masumbuko Shabani, who has just started studies at Université Shalom here in Bunia.
Please pray that these checking sessions will go well, that the teams will be encouraged, that the translation will be good quality, and that the local communities will be blessed by them. Please also pray that I will stay healthy.
I had a rare opportunity this month to develop as a translation consultant. Our most experienced consultant, Liz Raymond, has been in town to work with the Ndruna translation team on Acts and some of the Epistles. She let me sit in on her checking sessions with them, to observe how she works. One of the key steps in becoming a fully qualified consultant is observing experienced consultants, and being observed by them. I appreciated Liz’ positive attitude with the team, and how she encouraged them to use the Greek/French interlinear New Testament, maps and translation aids. As a bonus, she let me prepare and check the book of Philemon (short but dense) and the fourth chapter of Philippians with them, while she observed. My first experience with Epistles, and with non-narrative Scripture… exciting! She gave me very encouraging feedback, as well.
I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to grow as a consultant!
From Douglas:
Bagamba Araali and I are about to travel to Penang, Malaysia for Language Assessment Community meetings. The centerpiece is six days of sessions (Nov 3-10) that for the first time in five years bring together language assessment personnel from around the world. I'll lead two sessions: one for experienced surveyors on planning the scope and methods of a proposed language survey; and one for new surveyors on analyzing qualitative data. I'll also team up with Bagamba to lead a plenary session on working well in cross-cultural teams.
We'll both stay an extra day (Nov 11) for meetings with other language assessment personnel from across Africa -- the first since March 2008! We're also going early for other "satellite" events. Bagamba is looking forward to two days of meetings with other sociolinguistics consultants (Nov 1-2). I leave a week earlier than Bagamba because I'm one of the facilitators for a "survey report writing workshop" Oct 26-Nov 2: I'll help a small group of surveyors polish their reports on language research that they've done. The value of our research is realized when the findings are clearly explained to those who make decisions about language programs (often including Bible translation), and to the wider community.
Please pray for our preparations, as we both have been very busy with other things. We are very happy that Bagamba received his visa without a lot of difficulty.
Office work: In addition to their sociolinguistic work, Douglas and Bagamba have found themselves overseeing construction work on a church-owned compound that currently houses three Congolese translation projects, and where our group will soon also have offices. Workmen are building a security wall, installing new plumbing, cleaning out the attic which had housed bats for several years, and making various repairs. They have also built pillars to support a container that will hold all our furniture and stuff until we have a permanent place to live. For Douglas and Bagamba, this has meant frequent trips to this office to check on progress, talking with the denomination's vice-president, Pastor Mbanza, and coordinating technicians and workmen. We will be glad to have an office to work in when the work is completed! In the meantime, it has been a challenge to balance all their various responsibilities while preparing for the conference in Malaysia.
Please pray this office would be used to give God glory, and for good relationships among the groups sharing it.
A few highlights from our first months in Bunia:
- Learning to make yogurt, granola and bread
- Finding a good tailor to sew dresses and shirts from African cloth
- Discovering which roadside boutiques have flour, cheese, oats, chocolate, dishwashing liquid, butter and other hard-to-find items
- Buying fresh passion fruit, pineapple, avocados, chickens, etc., from vendors who come right to your door
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
It seems we just wrote a September newsletter, but October is already flying by… and in a few days we will be flying, as well! This time we are going in different directions. Here’s the scoop (photos at the bottom of the page):
From Jennings:
From Oct. 22-29, I (Jennings) will be in Ibambi, D.R. Congo, helping the Budu translation team finish up the book of Matthew for publication, along with our Translation Coordinator Dave Bradley. I’ve worked with this team before, on Genesis, but this is the first time I’ve been able to visit their home area. Then, from Oct. 31-Nov. 10, I’ll make a trip to Goma to work with the Tembo translation team on the book of Mark. It will be great to see this team again and to see how they are getting on without their head translator Masumbuko Shabani, who has just started studies at Université Shalom here in Bunia.
Please pray that these checking sessions will go well, that the teams will be encouraged, that the translation will be good quality, and that the local communities will be blessed by them. Please also pray that I will stay healthy.
I had a rare opportunity this month to develop as a translation consultant. Our most experienced consultant, Liz Raymond, has been in town to work with the Ndruna translation team on Acts and some of the Epistles. She let me sit in on her checking sessions with them, to observe how she works. One of the key steps in becoming a fully qualified consultant is observing experienced consultants, and being observed by them. I appreciated Liz’ positive attitude with the team, and how she encouraged them to use the Greek/French interlinear New Testament, maps and translation aids. As a bonus, she let me prepare and check the book of Philemon (short but dense) and the fourth chapter of Philippians with them, while she observed. My first experience with Epistles, and with non-narrative Scripture… exciting! She gave me very encouraging feedback, as well.
I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to grow as a consultant!
From Douglas:
Bagamba Araali and I are about to travel to Penang, Malaysia for Language Assessment Community meetings. The centerpiece is six days of sessions (Nov 3-10) that for the first time in five years bring together language assessment personnel from around the world. I'll lead two sessions: one for experienced surveyors on planning the scope and methods of a proposed language survey; and one for new surveyors on analyzing qualitative data. I'll also team up with Bagamba to lead a plenary session on working well in cross-cultural teams.
We'll both stay an extra day (Nov 11) for meetings with other language assessment personnel from across Africa -- the first since March 2008! We're also going early for other "satellite" events. Bagamba is looking forward to two days of meetings with other sociolinguistics consultants (Nov 1-2). I leave a week earlier than Bagamba because I'm one of the facilitators for a "survey report writing workshop" Oct 26-Nov 2: I'll help a small group of surveyors polish their reports on language research that they've done. The value of our research is realized when the findings are clearly explained to those who make decisions about language programs (often including Bible translation), and to the wider community.
Please pray for our preparations, as we both have been very busy with other things. We are very happy that Bagamba received his visa without a lot of difficulty.
Office work: In addition to their sociolinguistic work, Douglas and Bagamba have found themselves overseeing construction work on a church-owned compound that currently houses three Congolese translation projects, and where our group will soon also have offices. Workmen are building a security wall, installing new plumbing, cleaning out the attic which had housed bats for several years, and making various repairs. They have also built pillars to support a container that will hold all our furniture and stuff until we have a permanent place to live. For Douglas and Bagamba, this has meant frequent trips to this office to check on progress, talking with the denomination's vice-president, Pastor Mbanza, and coordinating technicians and workmen. We will be glad to have an office to work in when the work is completed! In the meantime, it has been a challenge to balance all their various responsibilities while preparing for the conference in Malaysia.
Please pray this office would be used to give God glory, and for good relationships among the groups sharing it.
A few highlights from our first months in Bunia:
- Learning to make yogurt, granola and bread
- Finding a good tailor to sew dresses and shirts from African cloth
- Discovering which roadside boutiques have flour, cheese, oats, chocolate, dishwashing liquid, butter and other hard-to-find items
- Buying fresh passion fruit, pineapple, avocados, chickens, etc., from vendors who come right to your door
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Friday, August 20, 2010
Update from Doug Wright on his August Congo trip
Dear Praying Team,
Thank you for praying for Doug's July translation consultant trip to work with the Logo team. We are so grateful to God for his enabling this trip. Thought you'd like to read about how God answered each of the prayers:
• No one was ill during this entire checking session: what a blessing after the March session when each translator and Doug were ill during the month.
• The box with 6 computers DID arrive, a day late but untouched. The computers are now being used by Congolese translation students at Shalom University, Bunia DRC.
• Doug, Aguma, Adara and Madrakele completed the consultant checks of 2 Peter and 2 Corinthians - 16 chapters of fairly difficult epistles genre.
• We updated the Logo translation plan. The team has now drafted 80% of the NT and we've consultant checked about 77%. We're still on schedule to finish translation at the end of FY2012 with technical checks, supplementary materials, and manuscript layout remaining after that. PRAISE GOD.
• Continued our Bible study on what it means to "live in Christ". Shared at a very deep and open level and it was very encouraging and challenging to all of us. Also resulted in some deeper insights on how to handle translation of expressions like "in Christ" in different contexts.
• Did some discourse-level studies (mostly confirming past studies) - pronominal and demonstrative systems, participant reference and clause chaining - in preparation for the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop in October (I'll be presenting all of these topics).
• Agreed on Logo expressions for a number of frequently occurring biblical notions (e.g. "to warn somebody" is "to pull their ear" or "to poke a finger in their eye". The Logo document of Key Bibilical Terms and other frequently occurring expressions now has almost 200 entries (including first and second choices in Logo and some cultural notes).
• Had discussions with Pastor Lalima, Abbé Malitano, Debbie Hatfield, Brigitte Nédellec on progress of the Logo Project, past challenges, current obstacles and the plan.
Looking ahead... Please would you cover these in prayer?
Regarding the translation process, two of the biggest challenges are getting feedback from the Reviewers' Committee in Todro (they're now five books behind the translation team), and finding good Mother Tongue speakers for the translators to do community testing of complex passages.
My next trip will be 7 October to 7 November, consisting of two weeks of teaching and participating in the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop in Bunia, DRC, followed by two weeks of checking with the Logo team in Isiro (first part of Romans).
And personally, please would you pray that Beth be completely healed of the recurrent sinus infections (about every 7 weeks for the last 2 years) that she has had due to allergies and upper respiratory infections. These (and really any) infections cause moderate-severe pain and they are taking longer to heal. Please pray about God's leading regarding allergy testing and desensitization injections.
Finally, we start the l-o-n-g road trip to take our daughter, Sarah, back to Wheaton/Chicago Fri to get settled for the start of her junior year. The May trip to pick her up was "eventful" with 2 mattresses flying off of an open pick-up truck on I-65, one of which bounced into the car in front of us and then into our car. God graciously protected all of the people involved, but not the mattresses! It was a harrowing experience which we'd like to never repeat again!
Thank you for continuing to pray.
Blessings in Christ,
Doug, Beth and Sarah Wright
Thank you for praying for Doug's July translation consultant trip to work with the Logo team. We are so grateful to God for his enabling this trip. Thought you'd like to read about how God answered each of the prayers:
• No one was ill during this entire checking session: what a blessing after the March session when each translator and Doug were ill during the month.
• The box with 6 computers DID arrive, a day late but untouched. The computers are now being used by Congolese translation students at Shalom University, Bunia DRC.
• Doug, Aguma, Adara and Madrakele completed the consultant checks of 2 Peter and 2 Corinthians - 16 chapters of fairly difficult epistles genre.
• We updated the Logo translation plan. The team has now drafted 80% of the NT and we've consultant checked about 77%. We're still on schedule to finish translation at the end of FY2012 with technical checks, supplementary materials, and manuscript layout remaining after that. PRAISE GOD.
• Continued our Bible study on what it means to "live in Christ". Shared at a very deep and open level and it was very encouraging and challenging to all of us. Also resulted in some deeper insights on how to handle translation of expressions like "in Christ" in different contexts.
• Did some discourse-level studies (mostly confirming past studies) - pronominal and demonstrative systems, participant reference and clause chaining - in preparation for the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop in October (I'll be presenting all of these topics).
• Agreed on Logo expressions for a number of frequently occurring biblical notions (e.g. "to warn somebody" is "to pull their ear" or "to poke a finger in their eye". The Logo document of Key Bibilical Terms and other frequently occurring expressions now has almost 200 entries (including first and second choices in Logo and some cultural notes).
• Had discussions with Pastor Lalima, Abbé Malitano, Debbie Hatfield, Brigitte Nédellec on progress of the Logo Project, past challenges, current obstacles and the plan.
Looking ahead... Please would you cover these in prayer?
Regarding the translation process, two of the biggest challenges are getting feedback from the Reviewers' Committee in Todro (they're now five books behind the translation team), and finding good Mother Tongue speakers for the translators to do community testing of complex passages.
My next trip will be 7 October to 7 November, consisting of two weeks of teaching and participating in the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop in Bunia, DRC, followed by two weeks of checking with the Logo team in Isiro (first part of Romans).
And personally, please would you pray that Beth be completely healed of the recurrent sinus infections (about every 7 weeks for the last 2 years) that she has had due to allergies and upper respiratory infections. These (and really any) infections cause moderate-severe pain and they are taking longer to heal. Please pray about God's leading regarding allergy testing and desensitization injections.
Finally, we start the l-o-n-g road trip to take our daughter, Sarah, back to Wheaton/Chicago Fri to get settled for the start of her junior year. The May trip to pick her up was "eventful" with 2 mattresses flying off of an open pick-up truck on I-65, one of which bounced into the car in front of us and then into our car. God graciously protected all of the people involved, but not the mattresses! It was a harrowing experience which we'd like to never repeat again!
Thank you for continuing to pray.
Blessings in Christ,
Doug, Beth and Sarah Wright
Monday, August 16, 2010
Update from Isaac Anguyo
Thank you for your prayers and all the concern you have shown to us. We work because there is someone standing at the Gap interceding for us.
This year, I went to Germany alone and had some rest in between work. It was wonderful to meet friends and partners who are willing to share their lives with us in the Lord's work.
Sally is coming for a week to be with our son Joel and his wife Jane. It will give her some rest and do some medical check ups. She has not been all that well. She was admitted to hospital for malaria and typhoid.
Thank you for your concern for Elly and Rose. We had a BOD meeting. During this meeting the members appreciated Elly's work and have given him more responsibilities. As I grow older, I shall use him more. He and Rose really need prayers to shoulder more responsibilities.
The Lord called us to start from Jerusalem. Wilmington is your Jerusalem. I shall pray that you will be strengthened and empowered to reach many more for Christ. These too will join the band to reach the world.
This year, I went to Germany alone and had some rest in between work. It was wonderful to meet friends and partners who are willing to share their lives with us in the Lord's work.
Sally is coming for a week to be with our son Joel and his wife Jane. It will give her some rest and do some medical check ups. She has not been all that well. She was admitted to hospital for malaria and typhoid.
Thank you for your concern for Elly and Rose. We had a BOD meeting. During this meeting the members appreciated Elly's work and have given him more responsibilities. As I grow older, I shall use him more. He and Rose really need prayers to shoulder more responsibilities.
The Lord called us to start from Jerusalem. Wilmington is your Jerusalem. I shall pray that you will be strengthened and empowered to reach many more for Christ. These too will join the band to reach the world.
Doug Wright in Congo
Here's Doug's 3rd update from the DR Congo. The final trip report will come out in a few day... (He was due home Sunday night, August 15. They will leave the end of the week to take Sarah back to Wheaton).
I'm gett'n kind'a tired of beans. It's easy to imagine how eating too much of the same thing could lead to poor health. They still taste pretty good, but are kind of hard on the system...if you know what I mean! Really I have nothing to complain about. Joseph, my cook, takes good care of me. Although we only "touchons à la viande" (taste a little meat) about once a week, we still have plenty to eat...especially compared to the extremely poor people I've been meeting in Isiro and the surrounding countryside on my bike outings. But more on that later.
The Lord has really been answering your prayers for us! Aguma, Adara, Madrakele and I have really sensed his protection in the spritual battle. Not to mention the great fellowship, unity, encouragement and inspiration we've all experienced during the translation checking sesssions. We've almost checked 12 chapters of 2 Corinthians, and I expect we'll finish the last chapter tomorrow. Pastor Lalima gave us the ultimate compliment the other day after joining us for a checking session. He says, "Now this is really how the Logos speak, and it's powerful!" Of course, that implies that we need to bring the whole New Testament up to that standard. Next week, we'll print out 20-25 copies of 2 Peter and 2 Corinthians in Logoti for the Reviewers' Committee to check back in Todro. Then hope to finish some consistency checks and update the translation plan before I leave on Friday.
Had an unexpected surprise at church today where I met up with five Logo friends I hadn't seen for years. They'd traveled nearly 350 miles by bicycle on muddy rain-forest roads for some church meetings/training in Isiro (and a couple of them are my age!). After the service, we had quite a chat in Logoti about the progress of the translation project and how the Logo churches are praying for the team and our family. It's really encouraging to hear that the Logos themselves, like many other Christians around the world, are engaging in the battle to see God's Word translated into Logoti. And they were excited to hear that we hope to make it to Todro for the dedication in about 3 years.
I can't seem to shake a growing burden for the poorest Congolese I've been meeting here. It just doesn't seem like enough any more to just greet them and then walk (or ride) on by. And no coincidence that I've been reading a book Peggy Laney gave me on how to help the poor without hurting them (and yourself). So God sends a very special Congolese lady named Kabibi into my life. I first met her last March when she literally came crashing into one of our checking sessions. Some Congolese friends had tried to restrain her, but she was very determined to see me, the visiting "mundele" (white person). It only took me a few seconds to realize that she had more than just a mild mental and physical handicap, affecting the way she walked and causing very slurred speech. I soon found out that she had been abandoned by her parents as a child, was now about 28 or 30, a widow, and had four little kids (three out of wedlock by guys who took advantage of her frail mental condition and then split). I tried not to seem too bothered by the "interruption" of our translation work. Gave her a meager handout which seemed to console her for the moment, and she left. But I couldn't get her off my mind, and knew that I hadn't even asked the Lord how he wanted me to respond.
So guess who shows up again this time. Right! Kabibi - and even more determined than before! She somehow sidesteps Joseph's protesting gestures (he tries to protect me from the many vendors that come to the door), barges through the front door and comes hobbling right up to the translation table. Then she launches into what seemed like a 5-minute supplication for help with food for her kids, begging for mercy, stumbling over words, arms flailing, spit flying. By the end, she was actually trembling - thought she might break down sobbing right then and there. I was struck with pity for her, and even anger that any human being should have to abandon all dignity and beg like that in order to get through to hard calloused hearts like mine. Went over to her and said softly, "You don't have to ask anymore, Kabibi. I'm going to help you!" She was suddenly quiet and a big smile came over her face. I gave her a more meaningful gift, and she was off. But I still had this nagging burden that my gift wouldn't have any lasting effect, and that I hadn't really listened to the Lord.
Well, you wouldn't believe it. I just sat down to write this letter, when someone starts pounding on the front gate. As soon as I opened the gate, Kabibi comes barreling right into me with a baby in her arms and a little girl in tow. "Ok, Lord," I thought, "I'm going to try to listen to you this time." I almost had them sit on the porch, but then thought better of it and had them come in and sit on the couch. Tried to listen patiently as Kabibi stumbles through her plea - this time for help with her daughter, Ndisi's school fees. After repeating herself several times, she says, "I really can't explain what I want to say, so I brought Ndisi to explain to you."
Now Ndisi is a lovely young girl, about 10 or 12 years old, and well-spoken - no sign of any handicap - in fact, obviously quite bright, but with a look of desperation in her eyes. As I listened to her, it suddenly occurred to me, this is the answer! Ndisi is the way the Lord will provide long term for Kabibi and the other kids. She just needs a good education. I asked what she needed for school - a uniform (what a shame she hadn't had one up to then), notebooks and pens, for starters. For a relatively meager sum by Western standards, I was able to meet the need. You should've seen her eyes light up when I gave her a fistful of decent Bic pens! Then I felt led to say to Ndisi, "You should never feel ashamed because of your Mom. She loves you and your siblings so much, she never gives up looking for ways to meet your needs." Ndisi lowered her eyes as my words obviously hit home, then looked up at me through her tears and nodded in agreement.
Well the climax was Kabibi's prayer. In broken Lingala (which, by then, I was following pretty well), she thanks God for his great love for her and her children, only lamenting that she didn't have anything to offer him in return. "Oh Lord, you see us when we don't have food to eat, or enough clothes to wear, or even a roof over our heads at night, and you hear our cries for help!" Then she thanks the Lord for leading them to this fellow believer, who gave them a cup of water in Jesus' name, and then listened to them and met their need. Well by then, it was all I could do to keep from really losing it. Kabibi had finished praying, but I couldn't look up with my eyes filled with tears. When I did, both Kabibi and Ndisi seemed fixated on my tears, perhaps surprised that the Lord could break into even a mundele's heart. As I walked them out to the gate, I found myself thanking them even more than they were thanking me. I was pretty sure that I had received much more through them, than they had through me!
I'm gett'n kind'a tired of beans. It's easy to imagine how eating too much of the same thing could lead to poor health. They still taste pretty good, but are kind of hard on the system...if you know what I mean! Really I have nothing to complain about. Joseph, my cook, takes good care of me. Although we only "touchons à la viande" (taste a little meat) about once a week, we still have plenty to eat...especially compared to the extremely poor people I've been meeting in Isiro and the surrounding countryside on my bike outings. But more on that later.
The Lord has really been answering your prayers for us! Aguma, Adara, Madrakele and I have really sensed his protection in the spritual battle. Not to mention the great fellowship, unity, encouragement and inspiration we've all experienced during the translation checking sesssions. We've almost checked 12 chapters of 2 Corinthians, and I expect we'll finish the last chapter tomorrow. Pastor Lalima gave us the ultimate compliment the other day after joining us for a checking session. He says, "Now this is really how the Logos speak, and it's powerful!" Of course, that implies that we need to bring the whole New Testament up to that standard. Next week, we'll print out 20-25 copies of 2 Peter and 2 Corinthians in Logoti for the Reviewers' Committee to check back in Todro. Then hope to finish some consistency checks and update the translation plan before I leave on Friday.
Had an unexpected surprise at church today where I met up with five Logo friends I hadn't seen for years. They'd traveled nearly 350 miles by bicycle on muddy rain-forest roads for some church meetings/training in Isiro (and a couple of them are my age!). After the service, we had quite a chat in Logoti about the progress of the translation project and how the Logo churches are praying for the team and our family. It's really encouraging to hear that the Logos themselves, like many other Christians around the world, are engaging in the battle to see God's Word translated into Logoti. And they were excited to hear that we hope to make it to Todro for the dedication in about 3 years.
I can't seem to shake a growing burden for the poorest Congolese I've been meeting here. It just doesn't seem like enough any more to just greet them and then walk (or ride) on by. And no coincidence that I've been reading a book Peggy Laney gave me on how to help the poor without hurting them (and yourself). So God sends a very special Congolese lady named Kabibi into my life. I first met her last March when she literally came crashing into one of our checking sessions. Some Congolese friends had tried to restrain her, but she was very determined to see me, the visiting "mundele" (white person). It only took me a few seconds to realize that she had more than just a mild mental and physical handicap, affecting the way she walked and causing very slurred speech. I soon found out that she had been abandoned by her parents as a child, was now about 28 or 30, a widow, and had four little kids (three out of wedlock by guys who took advantage of her frail mental condition and then split). I tried not to seem too bothered by the "interruption" of our translation work. Gave her a meager handout which seemed to console her for the moment, and she left. But I couldn't get her off my mind, and knew that I hadn't even asked the Lord how he wanted me to respond.
So guess who shows up again this time. Right! Kabibi - and even more determined than before! She somehow sidesteps Joseph's protesting gestures (he tries to protect me from the many vendors that come to the door), barges through the front door and comes hobbling right up to the translation table. Then she launches into what seemed like a 5-minute supplication for help with food for her kids, begging for mercy, stumbling over words, arms flailing, spit flying. By the end, she was actually trembling - thought she might break down sobbing right then and there. I was struck with pity for her, and even anger that any human being should have to abandon all dignity and beg like that in order to get through to hard calloused hearts like mine. Went over to her and said softly, "You don't have to ask anymore, Kabibi. I'm going to help you!" She was suddenly quiet and a big smile came over her face. I gave her a more meaningful gift, and she was off. But I still had this nagging burden that my gift wouldn't have any lasting effect, and that I hadn't really listened to the Lord.
Well, you wouldn't believe it. I just sat down to write this letter, when someone starts pounding on the front gate. As soon as I opened the gate, Kabibi comes barreling right into me with a baby in her arms and a little girl in tow. "Ok, Lord," I thought, "I'm going to try to listen to you this time." I almost had them sit on the porch, but then thought better of it and had them come in and sit on the couch. Tried to listen patiently as Kabibi stumbles through her plea - this time for help with her daughter, Ndisi's school fees. After repeating herself several times, she says, "I really can't explain what I want to say, so I brought Ndisi to explain to you."
Now Ndisi is a lovely young girl, about 10 or 12 years old, and well-spoken - no sign of any handicap - in fact, obviously quite bright, but with a look of desperation in her eyes. As I listened to her, it suddenly occurred to me, this is the answer! Ndisi is the way the Lord will provide long term for Kabibi and the other kids. She just needs a good education. I asked what she needed for school - a uniform (what a shame she hadn't had one up to then), notebooks and pens, for starters. For a relatively meager sum by Western standards, I was able to meet the need. You should've seen her eyes light up when I gave her a fistful of decent Bic pens! Then I felt led to say to Ndisi, "You should never feel ashamed because of your Mom. She loves you and your siblings so much, she never gives up looking for ways to meet your needs." Ndisi lowered her eyes as my words obviously hit home, then looked up at me through her tears and nodded in agreement.
Well the climax was Kabibi's prayer. In broken Lingala (which, by then, I was following pretty well), she thanks God for his great love for her and her children, only lamenting that she didn't have anything to offer him in return. "Oh Lord, you see us when we don't have food to eat, or enough clothes to wear, or even a roof over our heads at night, and you hear our cries for help!" Then she thanks the Lord for leading them to this fellow believer, who gave them a cup of water in Jesus' name, and then listened to them and met their need. Well by then, it was all I could do to keep from really losing it. Kabibi had finished praying, but I couldn't look up with my eyes filled with tears. When I did, both Kabibi and Ndisi seemed fixated on my tears, perhaps surprised that the Lord could break into even a mundele's heart. As I walked them out to the gate, I found myself thanking them even more than they were thanking me. I was pretty sure that I had received much more through them, than they had through me!
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