The nine of us who left on the 12 arrived safe and sound with all of our luggage: Praise the Lord!
Paul will be flying in this coming Tuesday and then we will have the whole team together.
This first week has been mostly introductions and building relationships with the Congolese people. Kinshasa is a beautiful city which feels like a small village. The people are friendly and welcoming. Some members of our group are finding the air pollution stifiling but for the most part we are all doing well.
We are learning to make the adjustments that living in a new culture requires. Yesterday we went and spent sometime at Boma yi sika an orphanage that the regular team will be working with more as the month progresses. Today we spent time at Bon Berger the clinic that the nurses will spend some of their time at. Both projects were started by local people with extrodinqary vision and heart for their people.
Now I have to go. We pray that our families and friends are doing well at home.
Thank you all for your continuing prayer and support.
Britt on behalf of the team
Friday, July 17, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Reflections on Orientation
As Loyd and Carol (the coordinators for the Winnipeg Action program) say our team is the largest and most diverse as far as age and experience. We are the first team to have professionals going in a professional capacity. So this poses unique challenges to our team but nothing we can't overcome with love and humility relying on Christ's strength and grace.
Our first week and a half of orientation has been good. I feel as if it has given us tools to equip us in transitioning between cultures. For the first week we had twice daily sessions on topics from evangelism to listening prayer. We also had powerful worship sessions. During the evenings we did team bonding activities like rafting or floating down the Roseau river, square dancing. Our days quickly filled up with team times, intercession prayer time and logistics meetings.
Most of the groups flew out on Thursday but our team and the Peru team spent some extra time here. Our team flies out on Sunday the twelfth at 6:00pm. We did language training because most people speak French or lingala. So we tried to learn a few key phrases.
Tonight we tackled team packing and somehow we managed to fit everything that needed to go into our bags including medical supplies donated to the clinics. We were all so relieved when the packing was done.
Today we Skyped Jean Baptiste the local pastor that we partner with. I think I speak for the whole team when I say we are so excited to just be in the DRC. Only one sleep and close to 28hrs of air transport stand between us and the DRC.
God has blessed us with a team filled with amazingly talented and gifted individuals on our team. I cannot wait to see how God shapes and forms each one of our lives during this trip and how He will use our journeys to impact and encourage others.
While it is getting late and I should try and rest before we fly out.
I'd like to leave you with a few prayer requests
>Unity and humility within our team
>Safety while traveling, Paul, our leader is flying out a week later so He is flying alone and we are flying without him.
>Pray for patience and grace as we adjust to living life within a new cultural context
>Pray that we can encourage and lift up the Congolese people that we meet and interact with
Merci Mingi (thanks so much) for your prayers and support.
Brittany on behalf of the Congo team
Thursday, July 9, 2009
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