How do you say..."I love Congo" in Lingala?

..."nalingi Congo" :)


First week in Isiro and it has been incredible to see what God is doing in this beautiful country. It has been such a blessing to get to know a handful of people who are pursuing God’s vision and heart: that every tongue will praise His name in their own language. I have had so many different opportunities over the past week to get to know the culture, the people, their hearts, and the vast country they call home. >What is their home like, you might be asking yourself…well, you’re in luck! I’ve been observing the beautiful, unique, and diverse culture here in Congo and the people who make it what it is.

My “life” here in Isiro became reality last week as I took my “3 days of being a guest” and moved on to “being a part of the family” :) I’ve been helping with schooling for Jonathan, Maaike, Joanna, and Michelle. We’re working on math, research papers, and music lessons. I’m teaching Maaike and Joanna the violin, and they’re great students!
They already know a fair amount of violin and are excited and determined to play fiddle style…so, as you can imagine, we’re having fun working on that together :) And actually, on the topic of music…we’re planning a concert that we will host here at the house! We’re going to invite friends from the area to come and enjoy a time of music, tea and coffee! We’re excited about it and have been practicing little by little for it. I’ve never put together an official “concert” before or figured out all the music directing for one, so it’s been an interesting (and fun!) endeavor :) We have a little “orchestra” of sorts going: violins (Maaike, Joanna, and I), Flute (Maaike), Trumpet (Jonathan), recorder (Michelle), clarinet (Marian) and piano (me). Along with the concert, we’re also hoping to have some jam sessions during the coming weeks with some of the VanderMeer’s friends who are working for other organizations here in Isiro. That should be a lot of fun!

Along with homeschooling and music lessons…I’ve been doing a bit of “schooling” myself! I’m taking Lingala lessons with a neighbor family and it has been such a fun experience. The family knows VERY little English (they do speak French, though); so, fortunately the VanderMeer’s have given me a Lingala lesson-book that Papa Benjamin and Mama Josephine can use to teach me. I’ve had 7 lessons so far, and according to Benjamin, “Jodi azali moyekoli malamu!”…Jodi is a good student! :) It’s been great to accompany being surrounded by Lingala on a daily basis with actual lessons. Now, I can more efficiently learn the language through hearing it and practicing it in conversation. It’s really encouraging to be progressing little by little every day and to actually make sense when I’m talking (or TRYing to talk) to the Congolese here!

On Tuesday night last week, Maaike, Joanna and I went to church to help prepare a meal for about 100 pastors who were coming the following day for a meeting. We arrived around 630pm on Tuesday and left around 730 Wednesday morning, and let me tell you, we had a blast :) We helped make “Pondu” (a leaf that is crushed and then cooked and served over rice) and sort through rice by flashlight. It was great fun cooking alongside the Congolese women (quite different from Twelve Baskets Catering style…!!) After singing our way through a few hours of food preparation, the guys who were there started drumming out some fun rhythms that made everyone get up and dance in the moonlight. Once those guys get drumming, you can’t help but join in and move your entire body to the fun rhythms and loud praises coming from these joyful hearts.

Last week I was able to do quite a bit of “interviewing” with a few of the Bible Translation team members. My heart was filled with joy at seeing their passion for what they do. They know that they were called by God to do a specific work, and that He is the one who strengthens them to persevere during hardships. Without that passion, their work here would simply be a job to feed their family, but it is so much more than that, and that is so evident. They told me about Congo and its needs. Congo is… “BIG”, “rich (yet the people are poor)”, “virtually road-less”, “unstable (somewhat insecure)”, “in need of peace and fellowship”, “in need of education”, and “in need of God.” Those are just some of what they mentioned. So, please pray for those things!! And if you would like to know more, send me an email and I can give you a more in-depth prayer list. For both of the interviews, I was so thankful for the translators who came with me…(Thanks Maaike and Liz!!). Without people helping with translation (for both Lingala and French), my time here in Isiro wouldn’t be the same. I really wish that I knew French…it would make things a whole lot easier for myself AND for everyone else here, too! Next time I come, I’ll know French for sure :)

During the interviews, I was also able to learn so much about how music affects the people here. It is so exciting to hear about how music is being used in Bible Translation work. One of my interviewees is a musician and he (and his grandfather before him!) has been putting Scripture to music so that people can have it in their hearts all throughout the day. He mentioned that “music and song is a medicine.” He told me that he once knew a sick man that sang away his sickness, and of many women who carry 50-60 kilos on their head as they travel from one place to another. Music is what gives their heart the strength to keep walking. This man and his passion for Scripture and music reminded me so much of my dad and his love for music and the Bible!! It’s amazing how God keeps putting music in my path and on my heart…we’ll see where He takes me with that! It’s interesting, yesterday I was grinding wheat and coffee, and I sang my way through all of it. It made the time pass by so nicely, and I barely remembered that I was working up a sweat! Afterwards I thought to myself, ohhh…so this is why people here sing so much! They have the TIME to sing! Everything here takes time, lots of time. And what better way to work in the hot, muggy weather, than by singing a song that puts a smile on your face and joy in your heart? I love that wherever you go, there is almost always someone singing.

The coming weeks are starting to unfold and reveal some exciting opportunities!! I’ll be doing a bit of traveling to a couple different seminars that touch on topics such as AIDS and music, and Scripture use within those subjects, and Bible translation and “checking” for translations that are in the process right now. I am so excited to continue to learn more about what God is doing here in Congo and how His Word is being written on the hearts of the people, whether that be by written words or spoken lyrics…God is doing a great work here and it’s awesome to see even a glimpse of it!

Please keep praying for the next 5 weeks that I have here (4 in Isiro and 1 in Bunia (Congo) and Nairobi, Kenya). And thank you so much for praying for me over the past 4 weeks…I have seen God’s hand working and I am continually learning to be patient and wait for His perfect timing.
After all, “love is patient…”

Prayers:
-Thanksgiving for a wonderful first week in Isiro and for all the conversations that I’ve been able to have (thanks to all the talented translators!!)
-Thanksgiving for health…my stomach has been doing great! But, please pray that I will continue to have strength and energy. My body doesn’t like hot weather very much, so it’s been difficult to get through a full day without having to take a nap.
-Thanksgiving that “Papa John” VanderMeer made it back safely from his work trip! It’s been fun to meet him and get to know him! Although, now he’s leaving again for work and won’t be back for a few weeks, so please pray for him as he continues in his work for furthering the Gospel!!
-That God will give me clear direction and discernment on how to spend my time over the next 4 weeks, as there are many different options that I have to choose from.
-That I will continue to learn Lingala well; to understand and to be understood
-For the concert that we’re putting together! It will be held on the 26th, hopefully!
-For friendships to deepen and strengthen

Peace and Joy from Congo.
Jo


“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, knowing that in the LORD your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58


Nalingi yo mingi!
“I love you very much!”