I have been back in the US for 5 days now and there is still some Africa that I can’t shake.  I think that is a good thing.  As time goes on, I’ll post some of the experiences that are still rattling around my soul.  I’ll be posting those thoughts on Africa (and other things) over at Resonate.  See you there.

Photo by John Cho.  John was one of the photographers on the 2011 team.

After 3 weeks, I am leaving Africa.  But Africa is not leaving me.  Like a good movie that stays with you long after the credits, I think I may have some Africa in my blood.  As time goes on, the residual (and often unnoticed) experiences of this trip will come to my mind.  In weeks to come I will make some random posts concerning this adventure.  I have been able to have a front row seat to some beautiful and hellish things.  And in the middle of it, I have seen the Creator and the passion of his creation.

I am now turning my attention toward re-entry; sometimes the most challenging part of the trip.  We have planned my engagement back in the US with my wife, my family, and my church in mind.  I am scheduled to arrive in Indy on Tuesday.  Steph and I will spend Tuesday and Wednesday in Indy.  Wednesday night I will be with my family.  Thursday I will hit the office (with a great team of people).  Friday and Saturday I will spend out of town with Steph and the girls.  Sunday I am preaching at MCC.  (You don’t want to miss it; I have a little surprise for everyone, straight from Africa.)

Thanks for being part of this journey. I feel like we all went to Africa; I just got the shots, took the pictures, and reported on what God is doing here.  I count it a privilege to represent the people of MCC.  I know that Justin feels the same way.

I’ll be dropping off the internet he remainder of the week due to flying and focusing on my family (which I have missed terribly).

See you soon!

- Scot

 

 

Today we attended a church service in Bukavu.  It was a special day: two choirs, ordinations of elders and deacons, communion, sermon (By Ed), and offering. About 500 over-packed the church.  The service lasted 4 1/2 hours.  Four.  And one-half. Hours.

As I wrap up my last day in Congo, I thought I would give you a closer look at Ed and Brenda Buell.  You may know the names.  You may have even met them.  But when you live with them for a week, you get an up-close and personal look at real life.

Ed and Brenda have been in Congo off and on for more that 34 years.  Ed reports that he felt the call early in their marriage.  Brenda did not.  God wanted them in Congo and he gently persuaded Brenda to pack up, leave the Midwest, and live in Congo.  Sounds simple.  I bet it was anything but.

Currently Ed is serving as a director of Spiritual Formation and Congo Field Coordinator with African Christian Mission.  Brenda is the Director of Tracy’s Heart; a ministry for rape victims.  Brenda also oversees the women’s ministry in the churches here.  In a season where many people are making plans for retirement, Ed and Brenda moved back to Congo.  When asked why they came back, they simply reply, “God asked us to.”  End of story.  We would all do well to listen and obey like that.

Over the past week we have shared many meals together and I have asked tons of questions.  Some of their adventures are worthy of a novel.  Many of their stories make me shake my head in disbelief – eating elephant, accidentally blowing up a truck, evacuating the country, dealing with rodents, and chasing off robbers.  Yet in all this they have trained and supported the pastors of Congo without fanfare.

Ed and Brenda fit into the culture of Congo as if they were born here.  When I arrived, Ed picked me up at the airport in Rwanda and led me across the border into Congo.  We went through immigration, customs, and the health center.  We were the only white men to be seen.  I figured at least Ed and I were in the same boat; two white guys in a foreign land.  In our first encounter, Ed walked up to a Congolese official and started speaking fluent Swahili.

Make that ONE white guy in a foreign land.

Ed is tough.  He is not mean, but he is firm.  Last week the police pulled him over.  They were looking for a bribe and made a big deal about the darkness of the tint on his windows.  Ed argued that it was within the limits of the law.  The officer disagreed.  When the officer threatened to take Ed to the police station, he said “Let’s go.  But I’m driving my truck there.”  They guy let him go.

During the seminars that Ed and I taught, it was evident that the Pastors and Choir Leaders of the churches hold him in great regard.  They look to him for advice and guidance.  When he rolls up, they are eager to greet him.  Conversely, you can tell that Ed loves these leaders. He supports them without making them dependent on him.  His leadership is solid.  The health of the churches here are due in part to the contribution that Ed (and Brenda) are making.  Speaking of Ed’s better half . . .

Brenda is one of the best hostesses in the world. She made me feel at home the minute I got here.  “If you are hungry between meals, find something in the kitchen and eat it.”  And I have.  She makes a killer chocolate cake and I helped myself to it multiple times.  As a bonus, Brenda speaks fluent English, Swahili, and Sarcasm.  Because Sarcasm is a 2^nd language of mine, we have had a fantastic time this week.

Brenda is in her element at Tracy’s Heart.  When we spoke to some women there, they gushed over Brenda.  She is leading them from the hell of rape to the hope of Christ.  They see her as a Godly mother who believes in them.  Brenda would shrug off the compliment, but the truth is the truth.  She is an amazing woman and is in her element.

The only downside to Brenda is that she has a cat.  I’m not a fan.  However, the presence of a cat means the absence of mice, so I have been tolerating the lesser of two evils.

Team Buell works together well.  I am sure there are some rocky times, but these two get the job done and do it together, with little time spent on the petty things.  I’m honored to know them and call them friends.  They inspire me to live out the cause of Christ, wherever I am.

 

 

 

This morning we drove into the mountains outside Bukavu.  We headed to Kidodobo.  Kidodobo was once a major tea plantation.  In years since, it was purchased by a ministry and currently houses a church, medical clinic, and has room for an orphanage.  The drive from Bukavu to Kidodobo was interesting.  Some of the road was smooth, the majority was not. The natural scenery was amazing.  The scenery of the human condition was not.  This is indeed a land of contrasts.  I wish I could show you more pictures but the taking of photos is inadvisable in this part of the world.

The staff of the church welcomed us gladly (we arrived unannounced). They said a visit was encuraging and reminded them that they were not forgotten.

In the afternoon I accompained Ed to a business deal.  The people of MCC collected some money to help a friend (Chu-Chu) purchase house.  The home is in a poor part of Bukavu.  Ed and I made the trek down steep steps, squeezing between houses and stepping over running waste water.  We tried not to call attention to ourselves but two white guys here can’t help but draw attention.  We looked at the house then accompanied the current owner and “real estate agent” to another home for the “closing.”  The closing consisted of a bill of sale written on notebook paper and signed by those present.  Cash was exchanged and the deal was done.  On the way out of the house, Ed joked with Chu-Chu that maybe he would sleep in the house tonight.  Ed was joking since the house was barely framed.  Chu-Chu replied, “I never dreamed I would have a house, I just might sleep there tonight.”  Nice work to the MCC community who helped a man provide a place to live for his family. I know Chu-Chu is smiling tonight and wondering why God just blew up his world.

Later in the evening I was visited by a local church choir leader named Sopo. Sopo is a big deal in the area. In a culture where church choirs are a HUGE deal, Sopo is at the top.  He has composed more than 2000 songs and recorded 3 Cd’s.  Churches across Africa are singing his songs on any given Sunday.  Sopo was at part of the choir leaders seminar that we did early in the week.  Because he had to leave the seminar early to go to work, he wanted to stop by and talk about what he missed.  We talked about how to handle criticism.  He assured me that as a choir leader, he gets plenty (unfortunately some things transcend cultures).  In my brief time with Sopo, I can tell he is the real deal.  He knows it is not about the music, but the creator of the music.

Tomorrow we attend church (where Sopo and his choir are set to rock the house).  I’ll be up late working out my dance moves.  I’m certain that they will ask me to come be part of the choir.

Goodnight!

Pretty chill day today.  It was a welcome change. The last week has been filled with getting settled, prepping for teaching, and teaching 2 seminars (Wednesday and Thursday).

It is hard to describe Bukavu, Congo.  Population estimates are between 1.5 – 3 million.  All in a developing nation. Translation: no Wal-Mart, Movie Theater, or anything resembling a strip mall.  It’s a culture that is hard to explain; you have to experience it.

Today we went to 2 “big” grocery stores in town. Let’s just say it was different than anything I have seen. Tomorrow we head to the mountains for a vist to a local ministry.  I’ll let you know how that all turns out.

The people I have met in Bukavu are beyond welcoming.  The Christians here continue to tell me to thank the people back home for sending me over, so, THANKS!

I would send more pictures and video but taking pictures in public is not looked upon favorably. And I’ll be honest, I don’t need to draw extra attention to myself.  Being a white guy in Congo, I get stared at all the time.

More to come.

 

Ed and I led a seminar for almost 40 Pastors today. We started at 9:30 and ended around 1:30.  These guys offered some great discussion and questions as we talked about servant leadership and transitioning the church to do more worship and less performance.

Many of the Pastors asked me to thank the church in America that sent me.  So – thanks Maryland Community Church!

I was excited to see my new friend Emmanuel at the seminar today.  Emmanuel and I met at the Pastor’s Conference in Uganda last week.  He live 20 minutes from Ed and Brenda, so we were able to connect.  He has a great ministry just across the border in Rwanda.

It is dry season in Congo but today we had rain for a couple of hours. Ed and Brenda (like many people here) have their roof and gutters set to collect rain.  There was enough rain to fill some barrells and partiaally fill a large water tank.  So, for the time being, we have some running water in the house!

I keep hearing the great things going on at MCC and I am anxious to get back.

 

Today we held a seminar for the local choir leaders.  Choirs are a huge part of the church in Congo.  Most every church has multiple choirs, and from what I understand, they can bring it.  It is not uncommon for the church services here to have as many as 5 choirs who do 2 songs apiece.  Do that math.  That’s 10 choir songs.  Throw in a couple of worship songs, offering, communion, and a sermon; it’s no wonder the services sometimes last 3-4 hours.

These choir leaders we met with are great men.  We discussed servant-leadership, designing a worship service, and dealing with criticism.  We gathered at 9AM, got started around 10 (it’s Africa) and when asked if they wanted to stop, they said “keep going.”  We finally ended at 2PM.  They engaged for 4 hours without taking a break.

Because of the marathon session, my blood sugar started heading south.  I excused myself to the “bathroom,” a smelly back-room with a squatty-potty that smelled like, well, use your imagination.  I locked the door and dug a candy bar from my backpack and ate it as fast as I could.  I had to do something to get my sugar up and I didn’t want to eat in front of the men.  I started to laugh.  Here I was in a disgusting bathroom in Africa, swatting flies, trying not to smell, and shoving my mouth full of chocolate.  Serving in the cause of Christ sure looks weird sometimes.

Tomorrow we do another seminar with Pastors.   I plan on eating a big breakfast.

I’ll tell you one thing: Ed and Brenda Buell are engrained in this culture.  They speak the language (Swahili) fluently and have major respect from the church leaders.  They are doing a great work here.

Note:  Electricity is now and then here in Congo.  Internet upload speeds are slow. Because of that, many of the posts are going straight to facebook.

 

 

 

 

I arrived in Rwanda early Monday morning. Ed Buell picked me up at the airport and drove me across the border to Congo.  Had to check out of Rwanda and walk across a bridge to check into Congo.  It was other-worldly.  Ed seemed calm with the whole deal (he has done it hundreds of times).  I felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb; mostly because I was, and am.  It’s hard for a pale bald guy to blend into the people of East Africa.

Brenda greeted us at the house and I was able to get settled.  Over lunch and dinner, they shared some stories of their early experience as missionaries.  I had to pick my jaw off the ground a few times.  These people are the real deal as they are serving the cause of Christ.

Tuesday AM (after a killer breakfast by Brenda), I gave them the prayer notes that MCC sent to them. Brenda commented that they would savor them by reading one per day.

I spent the morning prepping for two “seminars” that I am slated to teach this week.  Wednesday will be with church choir leaders and Thursday will be with Pastors.  They are looking for a 3-4 hour seminar each day.  Yikes.

In the afternoon, Ed took me to meet some local church leaders.  They wanted to “officially” welcome me and say that they are looking forward to the seminars.  Evidently it is a big deal for an American Pastor to be with them.  I am humbled and honored.

We wrapped up the evening at Tracy’s Heart (a ministry for rape victims), where a Pastor and his family hosted us for a meal.  In the middle of the meal we heard a goat in the kitchen.  I must be getting used to Africa because this did not strike me as odd.  They brought the goat to Brenda and said it was a gift to her for her kindness to them. This was a gift of honor.  On the ride home Brenda laughed and said “They gave me a goat!”  I’m hoping they don’t give me one.  I can’t fit anything else in my luggage.

Have a fantastic day serving his cause right where you are.

- Scot

Moments ago, I said goodbye to my great friend, Richmond Wandera.  Richmond is the head of the Pastors Discipleship Network. He is a former Compassion International child and a tremendous man of God. I am honored to call him friend.  Before we parted, Richmond shared a few word of thanks to the people of Maryland Community Church.

 

Today was our last full day in Uganda.  We spent the morning with some members of the  Pastor’s Discipleship Network Leadership Team.  We did some evaluating and dreaming.  This is a tremendous ministry to Pastors and I am beyond excited about the future.  PDN is training Pastors who are literally changing their world.

After some shopping, we had a last dinner with the team.

Currently we are packing and will be leaving Uganda tomorrow after church.  Justin will be headed home and I will make my way to Congo (after a one night stop in Kigali, Rwanda).  While in Congo I will be with Ed and Brenda Buell.  It appears that internet is limited in the Congo so these updates may be slow.  It also appears that they have been without water for several days.  Please pray for water to be restored to Ed and Brenda and their neighbors.

One popular form of transportation in Uganda is the boda-boda (motorcycle taxi).  As many as 3 people and the driver are transported.  The boda-boda drivers are everywhere and more than willing to take you from one place to another for a fee.  Today Justin and I took part in the local ritual.

Thanks for all who are partnering with us!