Pastor Joseph Mulongo Ndala and I at a mass grave in Kyoba
We're halfway through the month of September and at 509 miles toward the 1,000 mile goal.
I'm still saying "we" as if Mulongo were riding with me. He is still stuck in Lubumbashi awaiting the arrival of his new passport. Dr. Ivan is in Kinshasa trying to help. We're hoping Mulongo will be on a plane very soon and be able to finish with us. We're planning on making some rounds in October, as well.
The ride has taken us through southern Indiana in a beautiful time of year. Farmers are in the fields picking corn, and summer is beginning to yield to fall. We've been the excuse for a number of end-of-summer cookouts. There has been only one day of rain, which I rode in anyway.
Presentations have ranged from the whole sermon to 5 minute greetings, but mostly I've enjoyed meeting with small groups in informal settings answering questions. Here's the outline:
Pastor Mulongo and I rode 1,000 kilometers earlier this year visiting remote villages in eastern Congo. We were interested in learning two things: the state of the church and community in districts that were overrun in the war, and the state of mission stations that had been run by resident missionaries before the war.
What we found were deep feelings of abandonment. Often we were told that our visit was the first time anyone had visited them since the war. Of course, a visit like ours implies a promise to return with real help.
We found local church leaders working hard to maintain mission stations, but completely out of needed resources. We found health centers without electricity, water, drugs, and salaries for nurses.
We found pastors and school teachers continuing to go to their appointments, even with no expectation of pay. We found an incredible corps of community and church leaders hard at work, but exhausted. Our Indiana tour is to get some attention for these leaders and some support.
They need our support for the basic necessities of life, and they need to be employed militantly as a tremendous force for peace building and community development.
Bob
I'm still saying "we" as if Mulongo were riding with me. He is still stuck in Lubumbashi awaiting the arrival of his new passport. Dr. Ivan is in Kinshasa trying to help. We're hoping Mulongo will be on a plane very soon and be able to finish with us. We're planning on making some rounds in October, as well.
The ride has taken us through southern Indiana in a beautiful time of year. Farmers are in the fields picking corn, and summer is beginning to yield to fall. We've been the excuse for a number of end-of-summer cookouts. There has been only one day of rain, which I rode in anyway.
Presentations have ranged from the whole sermon to 5 minute greetings, but mostly I've enjoyed meeting with small groups in informal settings answering questions. Here's the outline:
Pastor Mulongo and I rode 1,000 kilometers earlier this year visiting remote villages in eastern Congo. We were interested in learning two things: the state of the church and community in districts that were overrun in the war, and the state of mission stations that had been run by resident missionaries before the war.
What we found were deep feelings of abandonment. Often we were told that our visit was the first time anyone had visited them since the war. Of course, a visit like ours implies a promise to return with real help.
We found local church leaders working hard to maintain mission stations, but completely out of needed resources. We found health centers without electricity, water, drugs, and salaries for nurses.
We found pastors and school teachers continuing to go to their appointments, even with no expectation of pay. We found an incredible corps of community and church leaders hard at work, but exhausted. Our Indiana tour is to get some attention for these leaders and some support.
They need our support for the basic necessities of life, and they need to be employed militantly as a tremendous force for peace building and community development.
Bob
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