Friendship and gratitude

When Douglas lived in Congo in the 90s, before the war, he became good friends with a pastor and his wife. Their son Blaise was gifted in school and wanted to study medicine, so Douglas agreed to help pay his expenses. That was some 10 years ago, before we got married.

Since then, our pastor friend was given a post at Shalom University as chaplain, which brought the couple to Bunia, where we live. They have been some of our very best friends in town, though we don't see them as often as we'd like. Blaise is still in medical school, in a faraway city, Kindu. It has taken longer than expected for a variety of reasons - none of them his fault - and he has persevered and done well. Just before Christmas, Blaise came to Bunia, and the three of them came to our house for a celebration.

 
We had already heard from the pastor that for the next year Blaise will be in Kinshasa doing internships in various specialties. His expenses will be more than they have in the past. Blaise also mentioned that he hopes to do further studies in obstetrics after he finishes his degree, if he can get a scholarship.

At the end of the evening, he said he would like to come back another afternoon to talk with us, just him, without his parents. Frankly, I fully expected that this conversation would involve his asking us for more money - and it would have been perfectly appropriate, culturally, for him to do so. But I was wrong.

He came to thank us. 

He said he knew that we didn't come to Congo to support medical students, and that his studies had taken longer than planned. He told us, repeatedly, how grateful he is for our support. When he heard that we were leaving Bunia for Christmas, he decided he had to get here quickly to see us before we left. That involved a four-day trip from Kisangani in a four-wheel drive vehicle, as one of 14 passengers (some were babies, in case this sounds impossible). It meant sleeping on the ground at night, with only his jacket for a bed; one of these nights was spent in Epulu National Park, with monkeys swinging overhead and the sound of large animals in the forest. He did not ask for a single thing, just profusely thanked us. It was humbling and very gratifying. 

We are grateful, too.