Midwife Kit Going to the Congo

This is a kit that the Team will be bringing to the Congo.

Ministers and Africans

This is a re-post of Veda Penick's Blog"'La Dolce Veda" and her comments about Lunch in the Congo

 

 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Ministers and Africans

What a funny title.  And yet, really there is no other title that I can use.  For this was the weekend that I became a Stephen Minister, and also the weekend that the Congo team (of which my husband is a part) had their fund raising lunch at church.

It began at 5:45 Friday evening.  As I drove to my last weekend of training for Stephen Ministries, I found myself getting a little emotional.  I wondered if after this weekend things would be different.  There are (were) 12 of us in training.  We've become rather close over these last 4 months.  We've had meals together, role played, laughed, cried, shared stories and asked questions.  We have become a team.  A team of willing followers of Christ, who are ready to listen, share and minister to those whom God brings into our lives.  We do not take this lightly.  We are a little worried that we might possibly fail the very ones that we seek to help.  However, I believe that our hearts are right before God.  And I also believe that He will use us in a mighty way.

And so, after another long day on Saturday of our last 8 1/2 hours of training, with tears in our eyes, we said our goodbyes.  Until Sunday morning that was.  However, my day did not end at 5:00 that Saturday.  No, my day was to continue on for a few more hours.  My husband needed me.  He was setting up for a huge lunch to be held the next day after church.  The entire congregation (all 200) of us were invited.  3 African families (from our church body) had volunteered to cook all the foods from their native countries, and all we (the team and their willing and very hard working spouses) had to do was set up tables and chop, chop, chop.  Late that afternoon I walked into our little church kitchen and rolled up my sleeves.  With a headache, sore feet, and an aching back I began to chop cabbage.  Some of you know me--I am a type A personality and quite the crazy person.  I am organized and fast.  I see the job/problem and I get the job done.  Chop, chop.  However, that is not the African way--as was so kindly pointed out to me.  No, their way is to visit, to talk, to slice and with every slice/chop, there is a prayer said for the person who will be eating that dish.   What?  Slice and pray?  Why, that will take hours!   My brain almost exploded.  I remained calm though--OK calm for me.  And I sliced and chopped and talked until I thought my back would break from the standing and talking and slicing and chopping--however, I learned about Africa, and their ways of doing things.  And I made new friends.   I did it.  For my husband, his team and my new African friends.  And I tried hard not to think about my food processor sitting in my pantry at home.  Really I did try.

Later that night as we sat at dinner with friends (a very late dinner I might add) we laughed at my naivety.  And the next day, I'm glad that we had had that laugh.  But, first, back to Stephen Ministries.
When I got to church Sunday morning all ready to be commissioned as a trained Stephen Minister, I noticed that I was nervous.  I began to pray that God would calm my anxiety, I wanted to really enjoy the service.  And He did calm me down, a calmness settled over me and I was fine, I didn't even cry as our pastor prayed over us.  It was a solemn and somewhat formal service.  A reminder of the seriousness of what we are about to undertake, it was wonderful.

Right after the sermon, I scooted out to help my husband with the lunch.  The tables were all set, the decorations in place, the African women were setting out the food, the men were grilling, and loads of excitement was in the air.  I wondered and prayed the entire time--how much in donations for this mission trip, this team of 3--how much would they collect today?

The lunch was fabulous--if I do say so myself.  For one thing the food smelled amazing.  I can't pronounce, let alone spell the many dishes that those 3 families prepared, but let me tell you something--they were delicious.  There was rice, beans, chicken, and goat.  Yes, I just said goat.  There was soup and salads, and all types of beautiful fruits.  At each table we set out bookmarks to remind others to pray for this team.  During lunch a video was played and afterwards the 3 team members spoke concerning their calling to the Congo.  I don't know about the others in the room, but my eyes did not remain dry.

After the lunch and after everyone went home, several of us stayed to clean up.  And do you think for one minute that those 3 families from Africa, who worked all week cooking for the Congo team left and went home?  No they did not. There they were--cleaning, washing dishes, pots and pans and making up plates of leftover food for others to take home.  They were scrubbing counters and floors and all the while--just as they do while chopping and slicing--they were talking, and visiting, and smiling.  I can't help it--I love them.  Those sweet ladies whom I now call my friends.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You have taught me, though all this, how to relax and enjoy and savor friendship.

When I got home later that afternoon I sat down in my chair and cried.  I cried the bottled up tears of a new Stephen Minister.  I cried the bottled up tears of a wife whose husband is about to go on the most exciting missions trip ever.  And I thanked God for blessing us with awesome friends--who've donated time, money, skills and prayer so that my husband and I could be blessed by God.

It is only April.  And already this is the best year of my life.  I have seen God work in miraculous ways before, so this is not new to me.  However, in saying that--please understand--we've only been going to this little church of ours for about one year now.  And yet they have accepted us into their church family, into their hearts and into their lives.  We are two very grateful and thankful people.  Yes, this new Stephen Minister, and this man bound for Congo--we are overwhelmed by the goodness of our God.  Thank you for praying...

These are the 3 that did all the wonderful cooking!

African lunch

We had a lot of food!

Thank you for all your hard work!

Time to eat!

Explanation of food...

The grill masters!

Thank you to all who came!

Sharing about the Congo...

And the call on their hearts...

Stephen Ministers being commissioned.

And a prayer over our service to our God.

Re-Post of La Dolce Veda Blog April 3, 2013

My wife Veda posted this blog on her personal site (http://ladolceveda.blogspot.com) yesterday without my knowledge and after wiping away a few tears, I decided to share it with those of you who are following our Naperville Congo Team journey...

 

 

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Humbleness

My husband made a comment to me last night.  I'm going to share it here, without permission.  You know what they say--better to ask for forgiveness.  If I thought he'd be upset though, I wouldn't share it, don't worry.  So anyway, the comment--he said, I've never felt so humbled in my life.

Let me explain what is going on.  Since this little story affects the both of us, I am taking the liberty to share.  I guess I'll find out what he thinks later.  We belong to a local Covenant church, and my husband is preparing to go to the Congo with several others from our denomination.  They have had a presence in the Congo for 75 years now.  Taking and shipping over medical supplies, food goods, and  investing financially.  And now our denomination is working with World Vision--called Covenant Congo Kids.  I am very proud of my little church, we are small but mighty.  A congregation of a little over 200 and yet we support 71 children in the Congo.   We are committed financially to send money monthly until they reach the age of 18.  We send over small gifts throughout the year, and we pray for them every day.  We take this commitment very seriously.

An opportunity came up in our church a few weeks ago.  Our congregation was asked if there might be a few people who would have the heart and the passion to go with a team and visit the Congo, they would also get to meet the children that we support, and work along side other missionaries--doing, caring and giving as much as possible.  The minute the announcement was made, I knew that if there had been a show of hands, my husband's would have been the first to shoot up.  I knew, that I knew, he was going to the Congo.  I wonder now if I knew it even before he did.  When we got into our car after church I patiently waited as he gathered his thoughts.  He then faced me and said--I want to go.  God is calling me to go.  All I could do was look at him, and with tears streaming down both our faces I said--I know.

He leaves in a few short weeks.  He has been preparing like a crazy person.  He'll only be gone for 2 weeks, however, by the passion, the heart, and the intensity--one might think he was moving there for good!  He watches videos, reads books, and talks to others who've been.  He talks incessantly about his trip to anyone, and I do mean anyone who will listen.  And he cries, he tears up, and is greatly moved by anything Congo related.  I've never seen him like this before and we have been a couple for 41 years.  This my friends, is life changing.  And he hasn't even left yet.

Now for the first time in my husband's life he has had to ask for help.  Normally he's the one helping out.  Whether it be financially, good ol' hard labor, or praying for others--whatever someone has need of, he's one of the first to volunteer.  That's just how he is.  This time around though, he's not supposed to rely on himself.  He's supposed to itinerant.  You know--ask for money.  And then, he's supposed to pray and trust God that the money will come in and that his trip will be provided for through our church congregation and other donations.  I know him.  He'd rather pay for this trip on his own.  He'd rather not impose on anyone.  However, the truth is this--if we had to pay for it on our own, he wouldn't be going.  We couldn't swing it right now--the cost is too great.  And I believe that this little trip came up at just the right time.  A time when our own finances are lean, but we all know that God's finances aren't ever lean, are they?

My husband and the others wrote letters.  They are letters detailing the plans of the trip, sharing their hearts and reasons for wanting to go and then lastly asking for support--of finances and prayer.  This was a very hard thing for my husband to do--but oh, what growth!  I wish you could be here to see it with me.  As people commit to supporting his team, tears fall down his face and he is humbled by the graciousness of our God.  God is making a way for this little team, from this little church to travel to the Congo.

If you are reading this--please pray for their safety.  It is dangerous, and scary, especially for those of us who will be waiting at home, praying that they will be brought back safely to us.  Pray that they are changed, that they are humbled before their God, and that this would be the first of many more trips to the Congo.  This, I know--is my husband's heart.

Gemena Slideshow by Diann Anderson