Hello, Congo.

Mbote! Nsango nini?
“Hello! How are you?” in Lingala (one of the national trade languages of Congo).

What a week it has been…and the past four days seem like four weeks in my mind. I have enjoyed so many new and lovely friends, conversations and experiences. My visa finally came on Tuesday, which allowed for my travel into Congo on Wednesday morning. I flew into Entebbe, Uganda on a “little” thirteen-windowed plane where I met up with MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship) to fly into Bunia, DRCongo. Four of us passengers were escorted out onto the tarmac to a little 11 passenger plane…(I soon found out that there are even smaller forms of transportation)!! So, the 5 of us flew across green Uganda and over enormous Lake Albert to Bunia, DRC where “the day” finally arrived…I took my first step onto Congolese soil.
I was warmly welcomed by the Rassmusen family and many others who are living and working there in Bunia. Although I only had about 36 hours total in Bunia (due to the delayed plane schedule on Monday), I enjoyed every hour of my stay! I got to spend time with the Rassmusen’s and learn more about their lives and work in Congo. Their three kids fell in love with Roland, and Joel, their middle child, even came to a nic-name basis with “Rolly.” While I was in Bunia, I got to meet many of the ECG members as well as MAF families.

I attended a little women’s Bible study group with Kim Rassmusen, had lunch with two wonderful women who are working with ECG, and got to spend a lot of time just helping out around the house and playing with the Rassmusen kids. It was a blessing to see God’s people serving Him and loving Him. They are willing to sacrifice living close to their families and in “comfort” in order to come here, learn a new language (many in some cases!), a new culture, a new way of living, all for the glory of God’s name and that His love can be known to people in EVERY corner of the world.
I left Bunia Friday morning on another MAF plane, and this time I even got to sit in front and fly the plane for a bit!! Flying over Congo was incredible…green as far as your eye can see. The little round straw roofed homes were amazing to look at as we flew into a few different villages on our way to Isiro. At one stop, there was a little group of kids that came running out onto the grass/dirt runway to welcome us :)

Around late morning, I finally arrived in Isiro, DRCongo, where I was enthusiastically welcomed by the VanderMeer family (minus John VanderMeer, because he is still on a work project in another part of Congo right now). The VanderMeer’s have been in Isiro for about a year and a half now. They introduced me to their home and their two other “family members”…Boboto
(meaning “kindness” in Lingala) and Bebu (“Nonsense”), their German Shepherd and an African red-tailed monkey! They’re quite shy and are still getting used to me, but Boboto is warming up since I brought him some dog treats, and Bebu enjoyed the termites I gave her…hopefully they’ll warm up to me quickly!

The people I’ve met so far are so welcoming and have the most beautiful smiles and laughs. Everyone greets you as you walk through the red-clay roads surrounded by lush vegetation. The weather has been in the 30’s (celcius) and 50% humidity, which is quite the transition from Seattle in May…!!) Along with the friendly “mbote” that you hear, the kids cry out “mdala” (white-person) and wave their hands wildly at us when we walk by.

I still can’t believe I’ve only been here for a couple days; it feels like weeks! The days seem to go by so much slower here. The next 5 weeks are going to really fly though…there’s so much that I’ll get to be a part of and so much to do, see, and learn! The VanderMeer’s are so much fun! John and Marian and 4 of their 6 kids, Jonathan, Maaike, Joanna, Michelle are so full of life and love for Jesus; it’s so contagious!
They’re so sweet and welcomed me with great enthusiasm and readiness to help me jump right in to the culture here. They’ve taught me so much even in the past 2 days! I’ve already learned how to make a few different Congolese dishes and how to say a few phrases in Lingala. I’ll be learning Lingala from a family friend (as well as from all the excited and willing Congolese that I meet daily), possibly singing in a church choir with Anna (a Congolese friend of the family’s), teaching music lessons (which will hopefully produce a grand concert by the end of June!) and helping with the home-schooling in the mornings, as well as many other fun cultural activities that will give me a greater understanding of the Congolese culture here in Isiro. I am excited to learn more about the people here and how they live. I am also truly looking forward to learning more about Congo’s past and how it affects the people now that they are living in “post-war” culture and circumstances. There is some “trauma relief/healing” work going on here which has been fascinating to learn about; I’m eager to learn more. I have also learned about the music here and how it is carried in these people’s blood, their entire being breathes music. Lingala is actually a tonal language, too, which makes sense.

I’m already feeling quite at home here with the VanderMeer’s and I am so looking forward to seeing what God has planned for the next 5 weeks. I’m sure it’s going to be filled with so many wonderful experiences that I will forever have locked in my memory.

Thank you so much for praying for me and my time here. God is truly working in my heart and showing me so many things about who HE is and who He has created me to be. I am learning about transition and how to deal with making heart transitions as you move from place to place, as well as learning about “home.” I am realizing that I have made my home here on earth much too many times, and that my heart can so easily become attached to earth and my earthly possessions. But, God is reminding me of His heavenly Kingdom and the home that I have with Him, no matter where in this great, big world I am. My home IS Jesus and with Him and only He brings true joy and complete satisfaction. What a comfort that is to me, especially when I miss being “at home” with family, friends, comfortable situations, and everything that has brought me “comfort” for the past 20 years.

Community is such a beautiful and irreplaceable thing; Africans understand that so well.

Prayers:
-That I will be able to quickly catch on to this beautiful language, Lingala
-Thanksgiving for the VanderMeer’s and for all their preparation for me to be here
-Thanksgiving for my health!! I finally figured out why I was getting sick (my anti-malaria medicine), and now I know how to avoid the cause of my upset stomach! Praise Jesus, I can actually enjoy my days without constantly being aware of my painful stomach.
-For the conversations I will have, the things I will learn…that I will have an open mind and a willing heart.

Much love sent to you from Congo <3
Tokomonana! See ya!

Congo, here I come!

Praise the Lord...my visa arrived today!! So, I am now ready and set to fly out tomorrow morning from Nairobi to Uganda where I will take an MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship) flight into Bunia, Congo. The MAF plane is about a 15 passenger, which will be lots of fun, I'm sure :) I'll be in Bunia until Friday when I will fly out to Isiro where I am meeting the VanderMeer's, the family I am staying with for the remainder of my stay here in Congo (which is until the 30th of June).

Thank you so much for all your prayers for my visa to process and make it here in time for me to fly out tomorrow! Please keep me in your prayers tomorrow as I fly, especially since I won't be with anyone who speaks French. It will be an interesting experience, for sure, but I know that Jesus is with me the whole way.

Here are a few photos of the BTL base here in Nairobi! It's a beautiful place!



And these are the kids that I spent the afternoon with on Saturday. They're great :)



Much love to you from Nairobi.
<3

Prayers:
-Thanks for the visa being processed in time!
-For my stomach to continue to heal...it's still been a bit of a bother to me.
-For my traveling to Congo tomorrow...!!!
-For the language barrier, that it won't be stressful or a hinderance to me...it's easy for the Congolese boarder control to take advantage of people who don't know their language. They're known for adding taxes for things last minute...
-For the 2 days I will have in Bunia with the Rassmussen's

Almost to Congo.

Well, it’s been a fantastic week here in Nairobi. Full of many new experiences and lots of new friends! I’ve been spending the past 5 days resting, getting to know the BTL members and their families, and the typical…being sick. Yes, I was blessed with some kind of bug on Thursday that wouldn’t leave me alone until Friday morning. It ended up being a bit of a blessing in disguise though, because I was able to spend most of Thursday evening resting (6 hour nap!) and another 6 hours of sleep Thursday night. And by Friday morning when I woke up, my stomach felt much much better. The bug has been going around and many of the people here at BTL have had it or are currently dealing with it. It’s basically like a 24 hour flu.

Aside from being sick…I’ve been enjoying my stay in Nairobi very much. The Wycliffe workers here are so welcoming and I’ve gotten to spend quite a bit of time in their homes sharing meals with them. It’s been so lovely! I got to spend Saturday afternoon with a family who is working with DOORs, a group that is working to translate the Bible for the deaf communities all around the world. Their family is interested in learning violin and they had bought 2 violins awhile ago. SO, I got to spend the afternoon playing “violin teacher”, and many other roles as I played with their very animated children :) I’ve also had the opportunity to attend the church where many of the BTL workers go (Karen Vineyard), which is located just outside of Nairobi. And after church a bunch of us went out to Ethiopian! It was fantastic food and wonderful company.

So, many of you might be wondering…why is Jodi still in Nairobi? Isn’t she supposed to be on a plane to Congo right now? You’re correct in wondering…I AM supposed to be on a plane to Congo, but, God had some other plans in mind :) In order for me to have flown out today, I needed to have my visa completed by the Congolese embassy, and when we went to pick it up (or “pick it” as they say here in Kenya) on Friday, it wasn’t ready! So, we had to move my flight from today (Monday) to Wednesday. It actually has worked out quite nicely, because it’s given me more time to spend here, getting to know the people who work here. Jesus knows what’s best, and Lord willing, I’ll fly out on Wednesday, Congo visa in hand! We’ll be checking on my visa tomorrow morning, because today is a holiday in Congo, so the embassy was closed.

Today Karen Bradley took me and two of her kids out to see the Elephant Orphanage located just outside of Nairobi! It was so much fun! The elephants were so sweet and had been rescued from the wild because of unfortunate circumstances.

Some of them had gotten separated from their family, or else they were ill and were in need of immediate medical attention. On the way to the reserve, we drove past a family of baboons running alongside the road! Don’t see that every day in the states…AND you don’t see baboon road kill too often either…poor little monkey :(

Well, it’s been quite interesting being here and experiencing all of this by myself. I know that I’m not “alone” by any means, but I’ve been realizing that this is the first trip that I’ve made where I am really doing this by myself! Even when I’ve traveled alone in the past it’s been because of Capernwray, where everyone else is in the SAME boat that you’re in. So, I’ve been exploring what that looks like and asking God more questions about how to best go through this experience and learn from whatever I face. He has been so faithful to speak to me…I just need to be faithful in giving Him the opportunity to SPEAK! I’ve been reading through the letters of Peter and John, and they have been extremely comforting and have given me the strength to continue to be strong through the week. Even if I begin to feel alone, I know that I have the greatest Companion of all :)

Thank you so much for all your support as you pray for me!! I can feel your prayers here in Nairobi. God is so faithful and every day I see His provision and His faithfulness. It’s amazing how when we are specific in our prayers, He is specific in His answers :) He answers when we cry out to Him.

Until next post!
Much love.

Prayers:
-For my visa tomorrow!!
-That I will have a safe flight into Congo on Wednesday (Lord willing!) and that I won’t have any trouble with the flights…I have to fly alone, instead of with someone. (If I would have flown out today, I would have flown with an ECG member who has been working in Congo for years now.)
-For my health…my silly stomach just isn’t too happy with me
-That God will continue to open my eyes, ears and heart to His plan
-And a thanksgiving for all the people here who have made such a lovely welcome (“Karibu” in Swahili!) to me. They are all so kind and generous and I am learning so much from them.

second heartbeat.

May 12, 2010
13:29
Nairobi, Kenya

Jambo, friends!
I am thankful to say that I made it to Kenya without any glitches…not one!! It was a smooth 22 hours of traveling, and although I was by myself, I never once felt alone. Jesus is an amazing travel buddy.

During the flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi, I experienced something that I hope to never forget. It was while we were flying over Sudan, perhaps, and it was the most spectacular sky I have ever seen in my 20 years and 6 months of living. The clouds were majestic, resembling an overflowing bubble-bath. And each cloud, great and small reflected the blazing sunlight which then bounced off of other clouds creating the most marvelous sight. And below them, the vibrant green land was full of tree covered hills and valleys. It only lasted about 10 minutes, but those 10 minutes will forever be engrained in my memory. It fascinates me how we can fly over sheets of pure white, broken glass floating in ice cold water, and then across a vast desert followed by a thick jungle all within about 20 hours of each other. I love the diversity of this planet. It’s all so beautiful in such drastically unique ways.

It was about 8pm when we finally arrived in Kenya, (smoothest landing ever, by the way! Way to go, KLM.). I felt like my heart was racing with excitement, but I also felt at complete peace. I was ecstatic to finally be back in Africa, and I truly realized that I had indeed left my heart here three years ago…I was glad to have found it.  I felt so silly grinning from ear to ear as I looked out the little window…nothing “special” about the Nairobi airport, really, just that the utter JOY that my heart was pumping into my body affected my face uncontrollably! Mmmm…one step closer to my long lost friend, Congo.

Shortly after arriving at the BTL (Bible Translation and Literacy) guesthouse, where I was warmly welcomed, I fell asleep to the sound of the sky soothingly drumming the earth with its water, and awoke 8 hours later to hear the birds singing praises to Jesus for giving them another beautiful day. Nairobi is lovely. Although, one thing that was lost in translation at some point is that Nairobi is 10 hours ahead of Seattle time, not 8 as I had thought. And because there were no other clocks in my guest house I set my clock ahead 8 hours. My alarm sounded at “8:00am”, but as I opened my eyes and looked out the window, I found that sheesh, Kenya’s dark at 8 in the morning…yes, Jodi. 6am it is still quite nighttime here in the middle of May…I finally figured out the actual time by 720; just in time for 730 breakfast :) Thank you, kind sir, for making a bit of noise outside my door so that I could kindly ask for the time.

The people here are just as I expected them to be; fully of warm smiles, welcoming eyes and honest words. Being at BTL has been wonderful, and it’s only day 2! Everyone who works here has such a passion about them that comes out in their words and actions. They love their Lord and they love Eastern Africa. They are so dedicated to His calling on their lives; it’s inspiring to see their diligent work and humble attitudes.

When I met Karen, the woman that I have been corresponding with for the past 6 months, I felt like I was meeting up with an old friend. It amazes me that I didn’t know anyone prior to coming here; I definitely don’t feel that way. And now that I have come face to face with some of the people I’ve been emailing with for the past 6 months, it’s unreal that I have only just met them!

Karen and I have gotten most of the details taken care of that need to be dealt with before Monday, the day I fly to Congo. I got my visa application sent in today and I went through a bit of an “orientation” this morning with Karen.

It’s been a day full of getting to know people, driving around town to run some errands, and taking a 2.5 hour nap, and just relaxing as I try my best to catch up with myself and internalize that, Jo, you’re really here.
You’re on your way to Congo.

Please Pray!
-That my visa for Congo to get processed quickly and easily
-That I will be a sponge and just soak all this in!!
-That I will continue to find strength to be here, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
-That I will have the eyes to see the needs of the people I’m here serving and so that I can do it without even being asked. I want to be a blessing, not a hindrance.

Word(s) learned:
-Jambo welcome, hello
-Asante (sana) thank you (a lot) “Asante sana squash banana…” :)


“Come rest your head upon His breast, listen to the rhythm of His unfailing heart of love, beating for His little ones, calling each of us to come. Be still.” –Steven Curtis Chapman.

First Heartbeat.

Where to start…I am overwhelmed with so many emotions and feelings right now. I am patiently awaiting Monday, May 10th, 12:50pm with eager anticipation as I head into the unknown. I’m not sure what to expect in terms of what I’ll be doing, learning, or experiencing (which is a perfectly healthy place to be in), but it can sometimes make a person feel anxious and even a bit “numb” to reality, as if reality is only my imagination.

It has been so hard for me to truly believe that I am actually going to the Democratic Republic of Congo this summer to work in the field of literacy and Bible translation; to actually experience a world that I have only dreamed about for as long as I can remember. It has been difficult for it to truly “sink in”, and I don’t think it actually will until I am IN Congo walking on its soil, sharing life with its people, listening to the beautiful sounds that come from their living hearts (even if I cannot understand a word they’re saying…), smelling the scents that are only found in Africa, and seeing its culture come to life in my heart and mind. It will be a breathtaking experience, and one that has been long awaited.

I have been realizing the past few days, as I prepare for this unbelievable journey, that this is truly a gift from my sweet Friend, Jesus. He is giving me the desires of my heart!! I cannot explain to you the feeling of such a gift; I’m still trying to figure out how to express my complete and passionate gratitude to Him. He is such a great and loving God who absolutely ADORES giving His children gifts. I’m in awe of Him.

The work that Wycliffe does all around the world constantly brings joy to my heart. The dear people who put their hearts and their commitment into providing the Word of God for people who have never even heard the name of Jesus, is the most inspiring and self-less thing I have ever heard of. I am so excited to see first hand how God is using this organization to spread His LOVE to the entire world.

Well, you’d better get ready, because we’re all going to Congo this summer!! I will be posting updates as frequently as possible, all depending on the internet situations wherever I’m at. Please feel free to email me though; I would love to hear from you! I’ll do my very best to respond :)
My email address is:
jodi.in.wonderland@gmail.com

So, as I prepare for this journey, please keep me in your heart and in your prayers (wherever you are in the world!), and in my heart, you will be also.

Thank you for being a part of this adventure!!


Prayer Requests:
-For the transition period: I will be in Nairobi, Kenya for 6 days before heading to Bunia, Congo (my first stop before flying to Isiro where I will be for 6 weeks)
-For an open and willing servant’s heart
-For strength from my LORD to be strong and courageous
-For health and safety!
-For my visa to get into Congo: I will be applying for my visa as soon as I get to Kenya and hopefully it will only take a couple days to receive.