Seeking God's Peace in Africa

Dear Friends and Family,

 

I know you have gotten a lot of emails from us recently, perhaps it’s because we finally have some news, and perhaps because we feel the need for your prayers!  So, thank you for your prayers, and your emails and kind words—both are encouraging.  We are slowly learning more about our new home, but Bukavu is a challenging place.  The electricity is often off, and while we have a generator coming, cooking gas is not available in Bukavu for our camp stove, so we have found ourselves eating sandwiches for dinner or cooking over a kerosene burner.

 

Food is difficult to get and has to be purchased from passing merchants, or from the limited selection at the over-priced import shop, or within several of the many markets in the city—a task challenging because of the distance, our limited knowledge, and haggling which is exhausting because people assume we should pay more as foreigners and there is always an audience.  So while we are not keen to have a cook, we have hired one for 3 days a week who can do our shopping a couple times a week.  The mission compound we are renting requires a night watchman, and a groundsman (who is currently attacking the overgrowth of neglect for the past 14 years).  We have also hired a woman who is helping us clean this house and settle in.  Having a staff of 4 is a little overwhelming, but we are glad we can provide jobs, and we are trying to be good employers and to make tough decisions like how much to pay people in an economy where such jobs pay only $50-$100 a month.

 

Logistically, I have spent a lot of time at the immigration office, and now all our passports have been sent off to Kinshasa for processing (scary) to get work permits and long-term visas, and more time trying to get my car registered locally without paying the $6000 they are suggesting.  All other paperwork seems to be done—we have registered with all the various ministries and the police.  Everyone has to give you permission to stay, and of course everyone has a fee for you to pay.  Money is a challenge here as there are no ATM machines, and only two banks: one which has no money, and one which advertises ATM machines (which it does not have.)  I opened an account at the latter today, which seems legit (it has money and people in suits in it.)  So hopefully we will be able to start receiving our salary soon.

 

The girls did their first day of school today.  They did well, came back with lots of stories (mainly tattle-tales) and Elami says she already speaks French (“I peeped wench mama!”).  We also got 2 dogs today.  They are local mongrels - a lanky puppy Tovah has named “Shotsi” (no meaning given), and a porky puppy Lami has named “Woofy”.  Shotsi seems to be adjusting well, Woofy seems to have a fear everything and a penchant for squeezing into small spaces and whining (after which he flees in terror if you come to the rescue.)  

 

Our house is old and in need of lots of work.  I would list things, but that would take too long.  In some respects it seems the house should just be replaced instead of repaired, perhaps by one of those “Extreme Re-model” shows, but labor here is inexpensive even if hardware is mostly Chinese stuff designed to Congolese tastes.  We are trying to prioritize the work, and to keep it from becoming a distraction.

 

So….what about our work?  We have been here one week so far, and we have asked for a couple weeks to get settled in, but already I have had a few administrative meetings and there are more planned, as well as a trip out to ELI’s farm out in the country this week.  It appears my experience in school admin and teacher training will be very useful not only to ELI’s school but hopefully also to the broader community of schools.  There also seem to be lots of opportunities in youth ministry—a crucial ministry not only because of the trials of any teen life, but also because of the looming threats of AIDS, and the prevalence of violence and sexual predation in Congo.  

 

On Sunday we enjoyed going to a very Lutheran and a very Congolese church.  We did the full liturgy—sung with beautiful Congolese fullness and harmony.  When the hymns were sung the church vibrated with the tremendous percussion section made entirely from USAID food aid cans—some turned into drums, others into shakers.  After the service the men met with me, and the women with Jen, who has been invited to join the women’s group who buy food on Monday, cook it on Tuesday, and serve it in the Bukavu Jail on Wednesday.

 

We have been touched by the faith of a people who have seen the worst of humanity, yet still praise God in the face of poverty and trials, and claim his miracles daily.  We have been challenged by how well they put their faith to action—the women feeding prisoners in a jail that makes US prisons seem like the Hilton, the watchman who finishes his nightshift and goes to the church to wash chairs, the many who speak of God’s goodness to them throughout the war which claimed millions here in Eastern Congo.  Even while we face the challenges of toilets that don’t flush, electricity that is undependable, bureacracies that seem designed by lunatics (the Belgians?), corrupt policemen and soldiers determined to get bribes……we are reminded and challenged by those who face far greater trials and still say, “God is good.  We are blessed.”

 

 

That’s our news.  Sorry if this is a rather long and tangential email.  We seem to have a lot of stuff to say these days J, we may try putting more of the daily news on our blog as to not clog your inbox.  You can find our blog at: http://davisandjen.blogspot.com/ 

 

Thank you again for your support and love.

 

God Bless,

Davis for all the Davises

 

I leave you with this Franciscan benediction:

 

May God bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships

So that you may live deep within your heart.

 

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace

 

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

To turn their pain into joy.

 

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.