Thursday, December 10, 2009, 9:45am
For a solid 20 minutes, I have been sitting in a storefront that is still being built. Leaning against the raw brick, unfinished wall, sitting on a stone to keep me off the dirt floor - we are grateful the builders had already attached the metal roof to the building. The rain continues to pour from the heavens, the ground is saturated already, we had rain just two days ago. Sitting so near to the ground, amidst the unending rain, I am overwhelmed by the smell of the earth. Fresh, clean, wet, dirt. It almost reminds me of my Mom's garden.
I'm not the only one taking shelter inside this future-store or boutique. With me is a boy who looks like a college student - clearly late for classes, but with the understandable and acceptable excuse of "the rain came!"
There is a middle aged woman, sitting on a small stone similar to my own, in the middle of this "room." She is either a great faker, or else she has somehow managed to fall asleep while sitting on a stone, surrounded by strangers, in the midst of the thunder crashes. In some ways I'm a bit jealous of the ability she has to sleep just where she has happened to be.
Near to the mama is her taxi driver, who has also decided to close his eyes and try to catch some sleep, sitting on top of his motorcycle.
My taxi driver is under the overhang, just outside our door, as if he's keeping watch for the precise moment this rain will end.
There are several others out there near him, and undoubtedly more in the attached rooms to our particular store. We are a hodge-podge of people, all put together unexpectedly. We listen to the lulling sounds of the rain on the roof and the newly paved road.
Occasionally people will pass by on foot - soaking wet. I wonder why they don't stop and take shelter from the rain. But then I realize that rain is a part of life here. Life doesn't stop when the rains come. And neither do they.
Across the road is Enra, where there is processing and manufacturing of Mahogany, and a large forest within the compound as well. It's surrounded by what looks like a 5 or 6 foot wall. I watched at first in surprise as I saw things falling from or off of that wall. I finally realized that what I saw were sticks and branches. Someone was throwing wood over from Enra. A few minutes later, I saw three children climb over the wall, laughing and dancing in the ever-increasing rain. One of the two girls seemed to take rest under a tall tree. The boy and other girl would occasionally dance, especially when a car would pass by - practicing a new dance move, perhaps? But eventually, life beckoned - the responsibility of the task they had been sent on was remembered and they all started loading up on the sticks and branches they'd collected. And in spite of the thunder, lightening or the rain, they started making their way up the road.
A while later, I saw a woman walking up the hill towards us, carrying a heavy load on her back (likely from her garden). She also had an umbrella in her hand, covering her head. It took just a moment to realize the reason - on top of the large sack she carried on her back, was her young baby. Even though she had hundreds of veggies and wood, she still wanted to protect her baby from the rain, without stopping on her journey to get out of the rain. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking.
By 10:15, I was once again on the back of the motorcycle, on my way to UCBC. It was still sprinkling a bit, but compared to the downpour of the past 50 minutes, it wasn't so bad.
On my mind though are the people I saw while sitting in that room, and the ones I shared the room with. Our worlds met for less than an hour. An opportunity we wouldn't have had if it hadn't rained.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Christmas-time is here...
With surprise I saw that yesterday was December 15 - or since I am studying French, I should say, "le 15e Decembre."
Without snow or Christmas lights everywhere, it can be hard for some to really see this as "Christmastime," but it still is. Regardless of the advertisements to buy more presents, an abundance of Santas and preparations to decorate the house - it's still Christmastime.
We haven't seen too many decorations - though I'm sure it will come, especially this weekend / next week. Last year we decorated the Christmas tree at the Kasali's on Christmas Eve. The same night that Kassie and I baked for hours on end!
I don't know what we will do to celebrate, this year specifically... We are in our house now without Congolese family members - a lot of displaced Americans. And most are new to Congo, especially during a holiday.
So we have the chance to develop a new tradition, a way of recognizing and focusing on the meaning of this time of the year. What will we do? How will we observe and celebrate and reflect on Christmas as a family, this year?
I don't know.
But my hope is that we will still see this for what it is, even if it doesn't look exactly the same.
It's Christmas.
I've been listening to Christmas music the past two days, maybe as a way to remind MYSELF and to put me into the "spirit." And sometimes, I can hear Mama Furaha singing Christmas songs... They are of course in Swahili, but hearing the tune still takes me to the spirit I'm looking for.
On Sunday, we attended local choir Echo du Salut's concert with a large, well-known choir from Butembo. As the concert opened up, the choir from Butembo sang the Halleluiah Chorus acapella, in Swahili. It was beautiful. Absolutely PERFECT. It was a fantastic way to be reminded of Christmas and to reflect on the power of words, regardless of language.
Joyeux Noel!
(Merry Christmas)
Without snow or Christmas lights everywhere, it can be hard for some to really see this as "Christmastime," but it still is. Regardless of the advertisements to buy more presents, an abundance of Santas and preparations to decorate the house - it's still Christmastime.
We haven't seen too many decorations - though I'm sure it will come, especially this weekend / next week. Last year we decorated the Christmas tree at the Kasali's on Christmas Eve. The same night that Kassie and I baked for hours on end!
I don't know what we will do to celebrate, this year specifically... We are in our house now without Congolese family members - a lot of displaced Americans. And most are new to Congo, especially during a holiday.
So we have the chance to develop a new tradition, a way of recognizing and focusing on the meaning of this time of the year. What will we do? How will we observe and celebrate and reflect on Christmas as a family, this year?
I don't know.
But my hope is that we will still see this for what it is, even if it doesn't look exactly the same.
It's Christmas.
I've been listening to Christmas music the past two days, maybe as a way to remind MYSELF and to put me into the "spirit." And sometimes, I can hear Mama Furaha singing Christmas songs... They are of course in Swahili, but hearing the tune still takes me to the spirit I'm looking for.
On Sunday, we attended local choir Echo du Salut's concert with a large, well-known choir from Butembo. As the concert opened up, the choir from Butembo sang the Halleluiah Chorus acapella, in Swahili. It was beautiful. Absolutely PERFECT. It was a fantastic way to be reminded of Christmas and to reflect on the power of words, regardless of language.
Joyeux Noel!
(Merry Christmas)
Monday, December 7, 2009
Rain
Friday, December 4, 2009
Before leaving the States… Many people asked if it would be the rainy season when I arrived in Beni. I would simply laugh and say, I don’t know! People here tell me that Beni has seasons of rain or sun, but during my time in Beni last year, I never saw it.
It would rain for three days and then we’d have sunshine and no rain for ten. Sometimes we’d have 10 minutes (or 3 hours) in a day and sunshine for the next four. It seemed to happen like this throughout the whole year I was here. “I’m convinced that there are no seasons,” I would proclaim!
Since I’ve gotten to Beni on the 15th of November, it has rained every single day. Sometimes all day long. Sometimes just a quick shower in the morning or for a few hours in the middle of the night...
This morning I woke up to the sound of rain (which I could hear in spite of the earplugs!), around 5am-ish. It continued until nearly 7am. Now at 12:15pm, I’m watching dark clouds approach the school.
I guess there is a rainy season after all. We’re certainly in it.
Before leaving the States… Many people asked if it would be the rainy season when I arrived in Beni. I would simply laugh and say, I don’t know! People here tell me that Beni has seasons of rain or sun, but during my time in Beni last year, I never saw it.
It would rain for three days and then we’d have sunshine and no rain for ten. Sometimes we’d have 10 minutes (or 3 hours) in a day and sunshine for the next four. It seemed to happen like this throughout the whole year I was here. “I’m convinced that there are no seasons,” I would proclaim!
Since I’ve gotten to Beni on the 15th of November, it has rained every single day. Sometimes all day long. Sometimes just a quick shower in the morning or for a few hours in the middle of the night...
This morning I woke up to the sound of rain (which I could hear in spite of the earplugs!), around 5am-ish. It continued until nearly 7am. Now at 12:15pm, I’m watching dark clouds approach the school.
I guess there is a rainy season after all. We’re certainly in it.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Adjustment
Our journey from Entebbe was a bit more eventful than the one that took us there… Again, it’s a fast exposure to life and the things that complicate it when in Africa. I found most of it entertaining, typical and even comforting (because it was familiar and made me feel at “home,” again), but felt bad for Megan… Not because it was so terrible, but because it is quite a transition to go from the States to traveling by bus in the middle of Uganda.
Our day started at 5am, when we woke up. Two taxis met us at the house at 5:30 to take us to the bus depot. We got there by 6:15 and were loaded onto the bus by 6:45. But even those few minutes were an experience – what with the 15+ men who crowded around our cars to offer help or profess their love to one of us girls. Megan looked at me and asked, "Is it safe to get out?" I only laughed and said of course! They just wanted to help us with the luggage, so that we would pay them some money!
We got out of the car and after haggling about prices to take the bus and prices for the conductor's men (not the ones who came to our car) to load our luggage into it – we get on. By 8:45 we still hadn’t left the parking lot. Finally though, we started to move, only to find two busses ahead of us that were stuck. One was in a deep ditch that had been created by all of the rains the night before, the other had stalled and wouldn’t restart. It seemed like we watched a group of men try to push that bus forward countless times. It would rock forward seemingly far enough, and then it was like they ran out of strength – and it would roll back. But thirty minutes later the stalled bus was pushed out of the lot and the ditch had been filled with dirt. We traveled for about 10 minutes before we had to stop to get gas. We were still in Kampala. But that is when it was decided that our bus wasn’t able to make the 7 hour journey to the border. So we waited a surprisingly short time for the replacement bus to arrive and RE-started our journey at 9:45. We finally left the city of Kampala at 10am, just under 4 hours late.
The bus ride was long, bumpy, hot, and entertaining. I remained amused by everything until about 3pm, when the novelty / hilarity of it started to wear off. We finally reached the border at 5:45 – 15 minutes before it closed! But Honoré and Noé were there to meet us, help us through the customs and get into Congo. That is where we really relied upon them to carry us through the demands of the immigration agents.
The ride into Congo and to Beni took about 2.5 hours… It was a jarring ride – but that’s to be expected when there are no street lights, no pavement and holes the size of tables and TVs in the road.
In filling out the Visa application forms in the States, we are told to indicate that we are visitors and not working or living in Congo. When we were waiting at the border and speaking to the immigration officers, they asked us our professions – we all answered that we are teachers. A few miles down the road from the border, we were stopped at a check point, where the soldier asked us the same question. He was told that we are missionaries.
It’s interesting to see how quickly our identities changed depending on who was asking the question. In a way, all three of those answers are in fact correct. But it’s a shame that certain people need or want to hear certain responses when asking questions. To remember how to jump through the hoops can be an exhausting task!
It’s good to be back in Congo once again. I’ve missed it a great deal and am so happy to be back. Especially after that long journey – I have felt this release or feeling of, “ah, at last I’m here.” It’s good to be back in my second home again.
Work has started right away, of course. I’ve tried to ease into things… But the work is still there. So in a way, I’m running already!
Thank you for your love and prayers. Our students are doing well and gave me such a sweet and warm welcome. It was so strange to stand in front of them in Chapel on Monday morning. It had been over four months ago where I did the same thing… Wishing them success in their exams, telling them I love them, and promising to return again. Well, I am back and expressing to them the greetings of so many of my family and friends. To hear that there are people and churches praying for them in the States – I cannot explain their joy. So thank you.
It has also been exciting to hear them asking about the Kipepeo scholarship program… Soon it will commence so that everyone who has supported a student or part of a student’s school fees – they will soon receive your gifts. Which means that they will soon begin to work! I’m excited to see the progress of the Program and how our beautiful property line has developed.
The internet has been horrifically slow lately. We aren’t sure what the problem is… But when it is working better – I will be sure to upload photos for you all to see.
With love and prayers for peace,
Bethany
Our day started at 5am, when we woke up. Two taxis met us at the house at 5:30 to take us to the bus depot. We got there by 6:15 and were loaded onto the bus by 6:45. But even those few minutes were an experience – what with the 15+ men who crowded around our cars to offer help or profess their love to one of us girls. Megan looked at me and asked, "Is it safe to get out?" I only laughed and said of course! They just wanted to help us with the luggage, so that we would pay them some money!
We got out of the car and after haggling about prices to take the bus and prices for the conductor's men (not the ones who came to our car) to load our luggage into it – we get on. By 8:45 we still hadn’t left the parking lot. Finally though, we started to move, only to find two busses ahead of us that were stuck. One was in a deep ditch that had been created by all of the rains the night before, the other had stalled and wouldn’t restart. It seemed like we watched a group of men try to push that bus forward countless times. It would rock forward seemingly far enough, and then it was like they ran out of strength – and it would roll back. But thirty minutes later the stalled bus was pushed out of the lot and the ditch had been filled with dirt. We traveled for about 10 minutes before we had to stop to get gas. We were still in Kampala. But that is when it was decided that our bus wasn’t able to make the 7 hour journey to the border. So we waited a surprisingly short time for the replacement bus to arrive and RE-started our journey at 9:45. We finally left the city of Kampala at 10am, just under 4 hours late.
The bus ride was long, bumpy, hot, and entertaining. I remained amused by everything until about 3pm, when the novelty / hilarity of it started to wear off. We finally reached the border at 5:45 – 15 minutes before it closed! But Honoré and Noé were there to meet us, help us through the customs and get into Congo. That is where we really relied upon them to carry us through the demands of the immigration agents.
The ride into Congo and to Beni took about 2.5 hours… It was a jarring ride – but that’s to be expected when there are no street lights, no pavement and holes the size of tables and TVs in the road.
In filling out the Visa application forms in the States, we are told to indicate that we are visitors and not working or living in Congo. When we were waiting at the border and speaking to the immigration officers, they asked us our professions – we all answered that we are teachers. A few miles down the road from the border, we were stopped at a check point, where the soldier asked us the same question. He was told that we are missionaries.
It’s interesting to see how quickly our identities changed depending on who was asking the question. In a way, all three of those answers are in fact correct. But it’s a shame that certain people need or want to hear certain responses when asking questions. To remember how to jump through the hoops can be an exhausting task!
It’s good to be back in Congo once again. I’ve missed it a great deal and am so happy to be back. Especially after that long journey – I have felt this release or feeling of, “ah, at last I’m here.” It’s good to be back in my second home again.
Work has started right away, of course. I’ve tried to ease into things… But the work is still there. So in a way, I’m running already!
Thank you for your love and prayers. Our students are doing well and gave me such a sweet and warm welcome. It was so strange to stand in front of them in Chapel on Monday morning. It had been over four months ago where I did the same thing… Wishing them success in their exams, telling them I love them, and promising to return again. Well, I am back and expressing to them the greetings of so many of my family and friends. To hear that there are people and churches praying for them in the States – I cannot explain their joy. So thank you.
It has also been exciting to hear them asking about the Kipepeo scholarship program… Soon it will commence so that everyone who has supported a student or part of a student’s school fees – they will soon receive your gifts. Which means that they will soon begin to work! I’m excited to see the progress of the Program and how our beautiful property line has developed.
The internet has been horrifically slow lately. We aren’t sure what the problem is… But when it is working better – I will be sure to upload photos for you all to see.
With love and prayers for peace,
Bethany
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Uganda
Arriving to Kampala went smooth enough… We said our goodbyes to family at the airport in Chicago, and had a little time to kill before our flight left for London. The flight itself wasn’t the smoothest, but we made it without getting sick, thankfully. With four hours before our connecting flight to Entebbe, we wandered around Heathrow resembling zombies – as we didn’t sleep on that 8 hour flight. Finally though, we got on our flight and 8+ hours later, we landed in Entebbe.
Oh it was clear we were in Africa again by just a few things that hit you in the face right after exiting the plane.
First –we were met with the sweet humidity of the Ugandan air, right next to Lake Victoria. Even though we left the plane at 10pm, we were still surprised at the heat and warmth we found – especially compared to our time in London and Chicago!
Second – instead of having one taxi to meet us at the airport – we were met with two older model sedans… Our luggage (which all arrived seemingly intact) was crammed into the two cars along with the three of us, the drivers and our host, Papa Kawede.
Third – we started our drive from Entebbe into the city of Kampala, which took about 45 minutes. As we drove, our taxi driver commented on the condition of the roads. He told us how he doesn’t think they are safe. The reason? Because of the oncoming traffic – they have such bright lights on their cars now! It blinds him. Moments before, he mentioned the lack of street lights in Uganda and how it’s too dark when driving. But – he finds the brighter lights of other cars to be dangerous.
Fourth – the speed of the car! My gosh, I forgot how people drive in Kampala! We were cruising at a good 80 kilometers per hour (about 50 mph) but would burst up to at least 120 at times – to pass and just pray that we got back into our lane before the coming truck plowed into us. Poor Megan – what an exposure to Africa!
My thought? That the dangerous part of the roads concerns all of the people walking along the side of the street. They walk opposing the traffic , but traffic weaves in and out so much that sometimes the pedestrians have to jump from the side of the road to avoid the cars. That combined with the lack of sidewalks and poor lighting and the speed of the cars... Ah. It was a quick readjustment to life in Africa.
Fifth – we arrived at the Kawede home at just about midnight, Thursday night. It was a long ride, but so comforting to see familiar faces and a familiar place again. In spite of the club across the street – I slept soundly, until about 7am. That was when the rooster that a sister of Mama Lillian had left at the house, started crowing nonstop. The problem with this rooster is not how loud it was or how often it crowed, but how CLOSE it was. This sucker was outside our open window, INSIDE of the house! It was stuck inside for the night and hadn’t been let out into the yard… So it crowed incessantly underneath the window to mine and Megan’s room. Ah. Welcome back :)
Sixth – when the rest of the family awoke, we spent time discussing how healthy and “fat,” Justin is. How I need to eat more in order to become “fat,” again (fat=beautiful) and how brave Megan is to give up a year to live in Congo. We were met with such hospitality and kindness by this family – even though they felt like they had nothing to give – we were greeted into their house and family like we were children who belonged there. That is one more thing that made me realize that once again, I am actually back in Africa. The acceptance and love that is so openly and freely given – is incredible. And it’s genuine.
I will write more soon...
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Back to Beni!
Hello!
I'm writing just before I leave for Congo. I will be heading out on the evening of the 11th, and I am excited to return there. It’s amazing how the past few weeks, days, hours seemed to just fly past me. I’ve been back in the States since the middle of July, for four months now. And it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long… Sometimes it feels like it’s been longer, but for the most part – it seems like I haven’t been here long enough!
Where did the time go? I regret that there were so many people who I was not able to visit or spend enough time with. It’s like I’ve watched the time slip out of my fingertips and I’m leaving already.
But just like the time in the States flew by quickly, I’m sure that my time in Congo will go by as equally fast. This time around, I will only be in the Congo until the end of June. There are commitments that I’d made to be in the States in early July – so I will return again after just seven or eight months away. This time around, my stay in Beni will go by even faster than before.
So I hope that I will be able to spend more time with many of you when I return next summer. My trip could also be cut shorter, depending on my financial support. I am so blessed by all of you who decided to continue supporting my work in the Congo, and those who are joining for the first time this year. I am still amazed at this team which we have formed – together we are making an impact on the lives of so many in the DR Congo. And I thank you for joining with me!
At this point, I have enough funding raised to keep me in the Congo for 4.5 months, until the end of March, 2010. Which means that I have just about 70% raised!! I still need to raise enough support to cover the final three months of my time in Congo – otherwise I will be coming back to the States sooner than expected or planned!
I appreciate your prayers regarding all things. Please continue to pray for the necessary financial support for myself and my teammates, Justin and Megan, who I will travel with on Wednesday. Please pray for us as we travel to Uganda and then a couple of days later, when we travel through that country and into the Congo.
We should arrive to Beni, my second home, on the evening of Saturday, November 14th. We will be met by some of the UCBC staff at the border and travel the next couple of hours through the mountains and along the bumpy dirt roads. After being in Beni for a few days, I should be able to update again!
As always, thank you for your love, support and prayers.
Bethany
I'm writing just before I leave for Congo. I will be heading out on the evening of the 11th, and I am excited to return there. It’s amazing how the past few weeks, days, hours seemed to just fly past me. I’ve been back in the States since the middle of July, for four months now. And it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long… Sometimes it feels like it’s been longer, but for the most part – it seems like I haven’t been here long enough!
Where did the time go? I regret that there were so many people who I was not able to visit or spend enough time with. It’s like I’ve watched the time slip out of my fingertips and I’m leaving already.
But just like the time in the States flew by quickly, I’m sure that my time in Congo will go by as equally fast. This time around, I will only be in the Congo until the end of June. There are commitments that I’d made to be in the States in early July – so I will return again after just seven or eight months away. This time around, my stay in Beni will go by even faster than before.
So I hope that I will be able to spend more time with many of you when I return next summer. My trip could also be cut shorter, depending on my financial support. I am so blessed by all of you who decided to continue supporting my work in the Congo, and those who are joining for the first time this year. I am still amazed at this team which we have formed – together we are making an impact on the lives of so many in the DR Congo. And I thank you for joining with me!
At this point, I have enough funding raised to keep me in the Congo for 4.5 months, until the end of March, 2010. Which means that I have just about 70% raised!! I still need to raise enough support to cover the final three months of my time in Congo – otherwise I will be coming back to the States sooner than expected or planned!
I appreciate your prayers regarding all things. Please continue to pray for the necessary financial support for myself and my teammates, Justin and Megan, who I will travel with on Wednesday. Please pray for us as we travel to Uganda and then a couple of days later, when we travel through that country and into the Congo.
We should arrive to Beni, my second home, on the evening of Saturday, November 14th. We will be met by some of the UCBC staff at the border and travel the next couple of hours through the mountains and along the bumpy dirt roads. After being in Beni for a few days, I should be able to update again!
As always, thank you for your love, support and prayers.
Bethany
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Going back to the Congo
Hi ya'll!
Well it's true. Soon I will be heading back to work again in the DR Congo. We have booked flights to leave on the 11th of November - less than two weeks from now!
I currently only have 50% of the necessary financial support to work in Congo for the next eight months. So while I am in Beni, I will have to continue to raise that support. Otherwise, I will be returning to the States very quickly! After the costs of my visas, flights and health insurance are paid for - I have enough funding to remain in Congo for just two months. So keep me in mind and prayers as I continue to work with the Congolese leadership at UCBC.
There will be a sendoff open house at my parents' house on Saturday, November 7th. Please come out because I would love to see as many people as possible before I go back to Beni. Send me an email for more details - bethany.erickson@gmail.com
Thank you as always for going on this journey with me.
love,
Bethany
Well it's true. Soon I will be heading back to work again in the DR Congo. We have booked flights to leave on the 11th of November - less than two weeks from now!
I currently only have 50% of the necessary financial support to work in Congo for the next eight months. So while I am in Beni, I will have to continue to raise that support. Otherwise, I will be returning to the States very quickly! After the costs of my visas, flights and health insurance are paid for - I have enough funding to remain in Congo for just two months. So keep me in mind and prayers as I continue to work with the Congolese leadership at UCBC.
There will be a sendoff open house at my parents' house on Saturday, November 7th. Please come out because I would love to see as many people as possible before I go back to Beni. Send me an email for more details - bethany.erickson@gmail.com
Thank you as always for going on this journey with me.
love,
Bethany
Friday, October 23, 2009
Breaking the Silence
Hello everyone,
As I prepare to leave the States and return to Congo, the country has been weighing heavily on my heart... This is Congo Week, so there have been a number of articles in papers and online. So I urge you to look at the following articles, petition for the Congo and for her people.
Why we must break the silence. http://allafrica.com/stories/200910230077.html "A global consensus has existed for the past thirteen years. It basically says that it is fine to remain silent in the midst of the deadliest conflict in the world since the Holocaust, while the most unspeakable acts of atrocities are waged on the bodies of women and children in the heart of Africa."
Stopping Rape as a Weapon of War. http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/18/stopping-rape-weapon-war-congo "The United Nations estimates that 200,000 women and girls have been the victims of sexual violence since 1998. In 2008 alone, nearly 16,000 rapes were reported in Congo. In the east of the country, a battleground for government troops, militias, and foreign armies, sexual violence is practiced systematically by many fighters."
Thank you for caring about the Congolese people... We have the duty to not be silent, to advocate, share about and pray for the people of Congo who face unimaginable atrocities. Their hopes, dreams, fears, desires and families are not so different from ours here in the States. Please petition for the Congo.
With love,
Bethany
As I prepare to leave the States and return to Congo, the country has been weighing heavily on my heart... This is Congo Week, so there have been a number of articles in papers and online. So I urge you to look at the following articles, petition for the Congo and for her people.
Why we must break the silence. http://allafrica.com/stories/200910230077.html "A global consensus has existed for the past thirteen years. It basically says that it is fine to remain silent in the midst of the deadliest conflict in the world since the Holocaust, while the most unspeakable acts of atrocities are waged on the bodies of women and children in the heart of Africa."
Stopping Rape as a Weapon of War. http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/18/stopping-rape-weapon-war-congo "The United Nations estimates that 200,000 women and girls have been the victims of sexual violence since 1998. In 2008 alone, nearly 16,000 rapes were reported in Congo. In the east of the country, a battleground for government troops, militias, and foreign armies, sexual violence is practiced systematically by many fighters."
Thank you for caring about the Congolese people... We have the duty to not be silent, to advocate, share about and pray for the people of Congo who face unimaginable atrocities. Their hopes, dreams, fears, desires and families are not so different from ours here in the States. Please petition for the Congo.
With love,
Bethany
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
CONGO WEEK
Around the country, people will be holding events and talking about the DR Congo. This year it is being held October 18th - 24th.
Congo Week is organized as a way to raise awareness of the plight of the Congolese people: the atrocities that are committed against the country's citizens by their own leadership, and things that can be done to change the future for the country.
Please take time to learn more about Congo, talk to people, share what you know, and pray for the DR Congo and the Congolese people.
Here is the link to the Friends of the Congo's website for Congo Week 2009.
Thank you as always for your love and support of the DR Congo.
peace,
Bethany
ps - here is an article on BBC News about the unrest that is being increased due to mineral companies' lust for the resources in Congo
Congo Week is organized as a way to raise awareness of the plight of the Congolese people: the atrocities that are committed against the country's citizens by their own leadership, and things that can be done to change the future for the country.
Please take time to learn more about Congo, talk to people, share what you know, and pray for the DR Congo and the Congolese people.
Here is the link to the Friends of the Congo's website for Congo Week 2009.
Thank you as always for your love and support of the DR Congo.
peace,
Bethany
ps - here is an article on BBC News about the unrest that is being increased due to mineral companies' lust for the resources in Congo
Monday, October 5, 2009
Building update
Here are photos that Grant Haun and others have sent to me recently... They speak of all the progress still taking place at UCBC, which is for the students!
It's incredible to see how much has been done to the buildings, since I left in July. And I can't wait to see it all in person, when I return soon! Enjoy the photos :)
This first photo shows how the construction workers actually build up the walls... The wood slabs and sticks are scaffolding. The bucket in the hands of the man in the middle, holds concrete, the mortar for the bricks.
This second photo shows the men lifting up the braces for the roofing of the Welcome Center. This is not easy work!
Here is a close-up of the work those men did on the structure of this building! 
The next several photos show different views of the Community Center... And the progress that is being made! 
To think we were breaking ground for this very building at the beginning of November, 2008! That was when we started to dig the foundation... In December the first of the foundation went it. January and February of 2009, we started building up the walls... And in July they were preparing the floor for concrete! 
To see this building nearly ready for classes for this Academic year is incredible! And so exciting! I love to see how God provides... He really is providing and at the perfect time as well. Without this building, we would not have the needed classroom space for all of our current students and their different faculties of study, not to mention the new class of 60 students coming in this year!
Here is the Community Center with the first Academic Building in the background on the far right. 
This is inside the Community Center... Concrete floors and students holding classes already! Notice that the windows aren't finished yet, and neither is the door. But there are walls and a floor, not to mention the roofing is up! So the students meet in this new classroom, which is a whole lot better than meeting on the outside porch (where they had been).
The back side of the Community Center (this was taken less than two weeks after the ones above)... Can you notice the changes made in that amount of time? Compare to the sixth photo above! :)
Here is an inside view of the roofing and braces for our new building.
And this is a view of the hallway inside the Community Center... We are doing this Community Center in two stages. The first is the more practical side. When this phase is completed, it will have 16 classrooms and offices. But this is only for one half of the building. The second is the "community," part. We will be building an auditorium that will seat 1,600 people! In addition, there will be a radio station on the top section of the building. This hallway will divide the building into two - separating the classrooms from the auditorium. For now, it will just be a hallway connecting all of the rooms and offices.
There is the Community Center. Still under construction... But making progress and creating the chance for dreams to become reality for the people of the DR Congo. With love,
Bethany
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