Another CKC Update

Check out this story on the Covenant Kids Congo blog at:  

http://blogs.covchurch.org/covenantkidscongo/adolphines-story/

Adolphine’s Story

Post a Comment »Written on November 29th, 2012   
Filed under: Hope Sunday, Missionary Update, News & Updates

Written by Christine Buettgen, short-term missionary in Democratic Repulic of Congo

Christine at the office working on her blog post.

Yesterday I went with one of the World Vision community volunteers, Karl, to meet a child that he helped to register for international sponsorship. Both Karl and I live in a neighborhood called Bokonzo, so he agreed that we could meet a child in that same neighborhood so we wouldn’t have to walk all the way across town. As we headed out in the blazing Congo sun, I asked if we would be walking very far. He assured me it would be a short walk.

One hour later, sweat dripping off my nose, my feet wet and muddy from trekking through the river, I realized that my own neighborhood extended far beyond my previous perception. It was fun to walk with Karl – kids would run out to the road to greet him, and he embraced them with joy and love. I asked who the kids were, and he said he had met most of them through the process of registering children for the World Vision sponsorship program. It’s not always common to see men be kind and playful with children in this culture, so I could see this was another benefit of World Vision’s sensitization for these young leaders.

A lot of time and energy has been invested in training these community volunteers. They not only have a big work to do in registering thousands of children to be sponsored, but they are learning how to take ownership of their community, to know them well, and to value even the poorest.

Congo struggles with a culture of classism, where the wealthier look down on the poorer, and a sense of hierarchy is seen everywhere from families to businesses to churches. These young community volunteers are encouraged to build relationships with even the least of these, and value them as neighbors and friends.

Adolphine’s house.

With Karl we met Adolphine (name changed to protect identity) who is a World Vision kid, although she has not yet been matched with a sponsor. She is sweet and timid, and was shy to speak with me, a white, strange looking foreigner, but was quick to jump on Karl’s back, squealing with laughter. Her parents say that she is well-behaved and helps around the house as she is asked. They told us that the only time she misbehaves is when she comes home from school and there is no food to eat. I think all of us would be angry if we walked 3 kilometers in the midday sun after completing a day at school and we had had nothing to eat since the night before.

Adolphine lives next door to her cousins. 15 family members live in one house and 12 in the other. All three homes are mud structures with three small rooms inside each. Every family member sleeps on the dirt floor; there are no beds to be found.

Last year Adolphine lost one of her cousins to malaria and the other died as an newborn. They weren’t sure of the cause of the newborn’s death because they couldn’t pay hospital fees to determine the problem. Another of her cousins is visibly sick and malnourished. We asked what the problem was with her cousin, and it was explained that they simply have too many children (11) and cannot afford to feed them all with their meager garden and no opportunity for other work.

When I asked Karl what he thought of the visit, he said he was hopeful for Adolphine’s future. Her parents value education and are doing everything in their power to make sure all of their children attend school.

Please consider Adolphine and her family as you and your church pray about hosting a Hope Sundayfor Covenant Kids Congo.

Covenant Kids Congo Update

Check out my blog update on the Covenant Kids Congo blog page!  First of many, be sure to follow CKC for their daily updates too: http://blogs.covchurch.org/covenantkidscongo/reflections-on-congo/

Reflections on Congo

Post a Comment »Written on November 20th, 2012   
Filed under: Missionary Update, News & Updates

Below is a blog written by Christine Buettgen who currently serves as a short-term missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Working with community development programs to support marginalized women in the northwest region of the DRC, she recently completed her M.A. in International Development. Christine has also completed training in tropical agricultural development at Educational Concern for Hunger Organization (ECHO) as well as a course through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). She is a member of Winnetka Covenant Church in Wilmette, IL. Christine will continue writing blogs for us in the future; keeping us up to date on the situation in DRC.

Christine Buettgen

The Congolese people struggle daily to meet their immediate needs. Everyday I am approached by people who don’t have enough to eat, who have only one set of clothing, or have no idea where they will find money this month to pay their kid’s school fees. These are people who are so focused on day to day survival that things like good education and clean water are issues they are often too tired and preoccupied to fight for. This is the reality of life for the average person in Gemena, DR Congo.

As a foreigner being challenged by all these immediate needs, it would be easy to spend the entirety of my time here giving money away to meet each and every request I am confronted with. But our church has been a presence in this country for 75 years, and it seems important that I honor that work that has been done here by carrying it on in ways that transform Congo, even as I am transformed by the experience.

The Covenant missionaries and the staff of World Vision Congo are working hard to put together programs that will empower, train, and build capacity. We believe that facilitating learning that empowers and strengthens the community will leave a sustainable legacy of strong leadership and development. Let me give you an example.

I attended one of the meetings that World Vision Director Bob Kisyula held when he was in Gemena a few weeks ago. He had called leaders from all of the different World Vision community partners to come together and learn more about their partnership model. The training showed the importance of community ownership, and shared statistics on the state of the Congolese economy in comparison to other areas of the world. One point Bob shared that was particularly striking was that the DRC has the land and growing potential to feed the entire world. So, he asked community leaders, why is it that we are having trouble feeding ourselves when all the resources we need are in our hands?

We hope that by asking these critical questions, patterns of thinking about the state of poverty in this region will begin to change.

Pray for the growth of these seeds of change being planted in the minds and hearts of the Congolese people.

Francine

Today was disconcerting.  I woke up running through in my mind how I would speak to a group of women in Congo about how to improve their micro-businesses.

Other thoughts were running too, I was fuming about an email I received earlier this week. After three days, one minor comment a co-worker made kept ringing in my head and making my heart sour. 

So, with that comment on my mind, I went to my women’s meeting.  The meeting itself went well, there was open sharing and building of community, essential to formation of self-help groups that can work and save to provide an economic safety net together. 

But, I noticed Francine (not her real name) hadn’t come to the meeting today.  She had stood out to me from our first Wednesday morning meeting, because she was a prayer warrior.  Her solution for every problem that came up was always to be on her knees in prayer, day and night, and to not forget the power that each of us had through the Spirit in our lives.  I remembered her because of her hopeful spirit, because she inspired me to take my faith deeper.

I assumed she didn’t come to the meeting because she had too much work at the house, in her garden, or a family member was sick in the hospital.  Those are some of the regular reasons that keep women from showing up to meetings.  But at the end of our morning session, it was shared that Francine herself was in the hospital.  What for? we asked.  Last week her husband beat her so badly she could barely walk.  My heart sank into the pit of my stomach.  I didn’t know. I didn’t know the burden that she carried with her everywhere she went.  I insisted that we go visit her in the health clinic. 

We walked in the blazing sun, and through the sweat of my furrowed brow I tried to think of what I would say to my friend, when I knew all of my normal American advice would be less that helpful.  “ You leave that son of a bitch. You don’t deserve this behavior.  Do what’s right for yourself and for your kids.”  But that wouldn’t work here.  Being married is your social key to survival.  If a woman wanted a divorce, especially someone like Francine, without a high school education and another job to support herself, she is chained to her marriage.  Leaving her husband would be social suicide.  And in Congo, social ties are everything, the key to survival.  So her choices are to stay with an abusive and devaluing husband, or be excommunicated.  Oh God, help her.

We reached the health clinic, but they informed us that Francine had already gone home.  She lives in a mud home not far from the clinic, so we hurried on to see her.  She tried to smile as we approached, and was quick to find us chairs so we could sit and be comfortable.  I shared a broken bamboo chair with Francine as she settled in to tell us her tale of woe.  Her face was downcast, but I could see, her spirit was not broken.  She told us what had happened the Sunday before – her family had two guests staying for the evening, and Francine was responsible for feeding and taking care of the guests, which is a typical role for Congolese women.  Cooking and cleaning literally take all day, so Francine was exhausted, and had had little time for herself.  Finally, when the meal was finished and the visitors were relaxing with a cup of coffee outside the house, Francine decided to bathe before going to bed.  As she was bent over to wash her feet she felt something come down hard on her lower back “WHACK!!”  She gasped for the air that had been knocked out of her lungs and tried to turn around to see what happened – her husband continued to hit her, screaming that she should not be outside the house with the visitors, that she was being unfaithful.  Francine fought to get out of his grasp and yelled for help, and eventually the neighbors stepped in.  But damage had already been done.  Francine told us through a quiet yet hard voice that she needed to leave, because he could have hit her on the head and she would be dead already.

 Francine has a difficult decision.  She could go to her family, over 400km away for refuge because the community recognizes that her husband is a mean drunk that is not changing his abusive behavior.  But if she does that, her husbands family has the right to her three children, and they will not be able to go with her to Bumba, her hometown.  It is likely that Francine will decide to stay with her husband and continue to endure beatings for fear of losing her children.

There is no abuse hotline to call here, no functioning policing system.  Francine will rely on the council of her neighbors, church and extended family members.  And she is not broken, because she has a faith stronger than mine – she knows her God has a plan for her life and that he would not let her suffer for nothing.  When you look into Francine’s eyes, she sees beyond pain and abuse – she sees the light that she has been invited to claim, and she is reaching, always reaching for it. 

I thought back to the email that had made me so angry earlier that week. I was all up in arms about a small comment that was made about me.  I have the privilege of being angry, and being able to safely voice my opposition when I feel I’ve been wrongly judged.  Francine doesn’t have that privilege, and is forced to live in fear for herself and her children, but continues to trust that God will make a way.  My worries suddenly seem so small and silly.

Pray with me for Francine, and the millions of women just like her in Congo and around the world. 

harvest dinner and women's micro business training

Just had a wonderful chat with my WCC family at their Harvest Dinner last night.  Despite technological challenges, I was able to be heard! Thanks so much to Dad, Mom, Jeff, Bernie, Greta, Terese and everyone else who helped collaborate to make it happen!

I shared about a class we started in basic bookkeeping for a women's group here in Gemena, so I here are some photos of the class.  These ladies have been a blessing to me, and so willing to learn something new!

Drama depicting good business practices, i.e. keeping organized records of sales.  The ladies liked their drama so much at class that they decided to perform it for their church the following Sunday!

Here's our practice "checkbook".  We use plus and minus signs for debit and credit to help our illiterate group members.  

This woman is writing "kosomba", "to sell" for the very first time in her life! I think starting up women's literacy classes might be the next endeavor.

Our checkbook, complete with symbols to represent purchases and items sold, although it's hard to see in this picture.  Every woman received a notebook and pen to practice this week, and we'll come back next week to see how everyone did keeping track of their finances.

reflections on chaos

The defining factor of my life as of late is living in the present because the future is so completely unknown.  This way of life is counter North American culture, and I think a lot of my US friends would feel very uncomfortable with the unpredictable, day to day mentality of living.  Sometimes I hate it.  When I spend time and energy to plan a seminar, and no one comes because of a rainstorm I get frustrated.  I understand why – lightning storms here are more frequent and deadly than anywhere in the world – so I stay home too – but it messes up my plans.  I guess it’s about control.  In the States, I more or less had control over many day to day circumstances – what time I got up, what food I ate, what I wore, how I got to work, and where I spent my free time.  I have some control over these decisions here in Congo, but it is much more restricted.  I get up when I hear the kids talking and playing right outside my door at 5:45am.  I eat what’s available – that’s generally greens, beans, rice and fruit. I am trying to wear pants to break the norm, but the reality is that it is more socially acceptable for me to wear long skirts.  Sometimes it gets old.  I walk or take a motorcycle on roads ruined by erosion to wherever I need to be, if the roads are passable that day.  My choices for free time are pretty limited - I went to a restaurant the other night that had only roasted goat meat on the menu.  Actually, there wasn’t a menu either, you just have to ask for what you want.  And that’s the only restaurant in town. 

Even my job seems to be constantly changing.  I start projects, something else more urgent comes up, and the entire department shifts their focus.  Planning ahead doesn’t happen naturally and I am consistently preaching the importance of gantt charts and timelines, yet often to no avail.  I am learning day by day to find calm within the chaos, and to truly understand how life works here.

I realize too, that I’m describing chaos how I define it.  My Congolese friends would probably be overwhelmed at the fast pace of life in the States, the cutthroat corporate environment, the high value of perfectionism at almost any cost.  That could be the epitomy of chaos for many of the people I know from the Global South.  It’s about perspective.  Everyday I have to remind myself to look through another pair of lenses to gain insight on a different point of view.

 And, I hope, I am becoming better for it.

75th Anniversary Celebration

The days are running.  We just finished with the 75^th Anniversary celebration of the Covenant Church in Congo, and it was an epic event – two days of 8 hour long church services?! President Gary Walter said it well:

“I’ve heard Alaskans talk with pride about how if Alaska was cut in half, Texas would still be the third largest state, not the second.  As with the church service we had today, if it was cut in half, it would still be the two longest services I have ever attended.”

Opening ceremonies, complete with a salute from the Congolese military.

True statement. Despite long days, it was a blessing to revisit the united history of the ECC and CEUM in Congo, look at where we have come from, learn from successes and mistakes, and map a new pathway forward for the future. 

There were around 25 foreigners present at the celebrations, mostly Americans, and representatives from Canada, South Sudan, Kenya, Central African Republic and Congo- Brazzaville.  The celebration highlighted the diversity of the church through Mbaka, Mbandi and Pygmie cultural programs and songs in French, English,  Lingala, Swahili, Mbaka, Mbandi and more!

Foreigners! Mostly representing past and current missionaries to the Congo and current Covenant offices reps.  It was great to be together to reflect and learn.

I was encouraged by the celebration of different cultures represented, and also by the time given to women to talk about their role in the church.  Pastor Esther and Reverend Kikwiti encouraged women of the church to take their place and to take up roles of leadership in their homes, communities and churches.  When women’s rights were discussed there was still snickering in the crowd, a reminder that we have a long way yet to go.  But with our first three ordained women’s pastors in the CEUM, they have blazed the trail for young women leaders who will come after them. 

The pygmie group travelled hundreds of miles by bike to be here for the celebration. They had previously been an excluded and marginalized people group in this region, so it was great to see them have a special time of prayer and recognition during the ceremonies.

Cultural programs celebrated mbaka culture of the past - people are not wearing grass clothing and body paint today.  The group in white are the "majorettes" and dance beautifully! The group includes girls age 7-11.

To my left are Rev. Kikwiti and Rev. Kanda, two of the CEUM's ordained women pastors.  They are my friends, co-workers and co-visionaries for our collective work with women's ministry and development.

Today, I went to the field bordering the new girls school with Rev. Mama Kanda (one of the 3 ordained women pastors) and we prepared the land to plant peanuts and corn.  We are experimenting with a method called “Foundations for Farming” using principles of sustainable agriculture to double corn yields.  Once we see the method working well, we will have the girls in the community learn and share this new technique that will help feed this community where malnutrition is one of the major battles the Congolese face everyday.  

A miraculous expectation, that we find a hope for our future in a seed.