We have just finished the week of work at the clinic at the edge of Goma. Many displaced people, refugees, are living near this clinic in churches, schools and with families. so although we are not working in an IDP camp, we are seeing those who have fled the war. Everyday there are unbelievable stories of tragedy and hope. A 10 year old girl from North Kivu, where the fighting has been, was raped by soldiers and lost her family in the attack. She walked for two days to get to Goma, on the way was raped again. Fi nally a woman picked her up and brought her to HEAL Africa. With the love and support of the "mammas" living in the transitional housing, the medical care from the staff, and the grace of God, she has started her long journey of healing.
It was an especially difficult day at the clinic today. I was called to the labor room where 3 women were laboring. One woman was bleeding and there seemed to be no movement of the baby. After relaying my findings to Jonas in English, who relayed them to jDr. Albert in French, Dr. Albert agrred to do a cesarean delivery. Lost in translation was that he would do it after he returned from a meeting! With the help of Jonas, the doctor was called back to the clinic, as the mother had continued to bleed. Sadly, a perfect baby boy was born dead. I cried.....much to the surprise of the Congolese workers. It is the African way. Suffering seems to be part of every moment of everyday. Life is so difficult here. Truly about survival. Please pray the woman and her husband feel God's comfort and love as they grieve the loss of their son.
Upon arring for church this morning at HEAL Africa, we were greeted by the sweet faces of the chilren. I held the hands of a boy on my right and a girl on my left, probably each 4 or 5 yrs old. Sitting on my lap during the service, they continually held or rubbed my hands. Their precious tiny, dark hands were dwarfed by my large "muzungu" (white) hands, yet they trusted me. I pray for that short time, the tragedy that has brought them to the compound of HEAL Africa was forgotten.
Mungu akubariki!
(God bless you in Swahili)

On Africa Time

We have just finished visiting clinic at the edge of Goma, where we will work tomorrow. Let me bring you up to date. We made it into the DRC on Friday afternoon. The HEAL Africa guest house has been our home the last few days, as we wait to get final word on our projects. I had no idea that humanitarian aid is so bogged down in governmental red tape, turf wars, all the while the people in need are left unattended. MTI hopes to be the NGO awarded the camp called Mubungo 3. This is a IDP camp with approximately 20,000 displaced persons with no health care, shelter, food and water. MTI hopes to provide the health portion of this project but we are in "competition" with other NGOs. Humantarian aide is big business. So we wait patiently, trying to meet with the right people, organize our supplies, and secure what we are lacking.

I have met some incredible people already on this journey. Joe DiCarlo, with MTI met us when we arrived in the DRC. He had been working on assessing the needs and what role MTI would play. What an incredible story he has! In the 1980's, he was a bible smuggler, living in Austria, smuggling bibles into Russia. He and a fellow Christian would drive a specially equipped car over the border, with bibles stored in a secret compartment in the trunk. One trip, they were questioned at the border, the car was stripped of parts for 6 hours and eventually they found the bibles. Joe and his partner were taken in for interrogation for 18 hours. Joe spoke Russsian, but did not let them know this. Each time they would question him, he would tell them about the Gospel and what Christ did for them. One young man that Joe remembers well was Igor. He was 21 and believed that he needed nothing the Bible had to offer. Joe talked with him, and just encouraged Igor to take a Bible and read it. Joe was finally released, never knowing what happened to the Bibles. One year later, another person from Joe's group was caught at the border of Russia, smuggling in Bibles. He went through a similar experience with interrogation. After he was released, he returned to the hotel where he was awaked at 3:00 in the morning. It was Igor, thanking them for the Bible and his new life in Christ.

So far, we have felt very safe. UN tanks are around, government soldiers have a presence in Goma, but no fighting that we have heard of lately. Each morning there is a security briefing with the UN, we plan to attend tomorrow. We hope to get permission to travel north to a camp that has no help and has an outbreak of Cholera. Please pray that doors will be opened so the people may be served. It is frustrating to "hurry up and wait' when there is so much need.

Oh yes, the highlight of yesterday was attending church service at HEAL africa. A choir of women, who are all survivors of sexual assault and surgical fistula repair sang. Their beautiful, sweet voices, praising God, was an experience I hope is seared in my memory. What a testimony to the resilience and hope of the human spirit when they have the love of God in their hearts. It was such a blessing to witness, inspiring.

Breakfast in Rwanda

I just finished breakfast looking out over the hillsides of Kigali, Rwanda. It is so beautiful this morning. We are trying to arrange transport to the DRC for today, apparently there has been a little mix up. We expect to be leaving today to drive to border of DRC where we will obtain our visa for the month, then head to HEAL Africa hospital and guest house. They have a website, healafrica.org, check out the amazing work they are doing.
All is well here, just waiting to head out.

God bless each of you. Thank you for your prayerful support of our team!

17 Hours & Counting Down

By this time tomorrow, I will be almost half way to my destination of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I will spend approximately 20 hours in the air, with a few hours in the airports of St. Louis, Newark, Brussels and finally, Kigali, Rwanda. Our team will be representing Medical Teams International in this disaster response effort. We will drive into the DRC from Rwanda on Friday, where we will be working for the next month.

I have a multitude of emotions running full tilt tonight. Of course I am in overdrive panic mode due to waiting until the last minute to pack, but those of you that know me well would expect nothing less! I am excited to be going, as odd as that may sound. Not excited to see the horror of what men will do to one another, but excited to be going where God is leading me. It is my Great Adventure! Praying that the healthcare we will offer will provide some relief and hope in the lives of the refugees, and knowing that we will be touched far more than we can ever imagine.

It is my hope that through this blog and hopefully some photos, a few people will learn more about the tragedy of the DRC, and tell a few people, who will tell a few more.....you get the picture. Too many lives have been lost with little attention by the western world.

My bags are awaiting, I must finish packing. God bless my family, friends @ Ste.
Genevieve Co. Memorial Hospital, Medical Teams International and The Bridge Community Church. Thank you for your prayers & support.