Building capacity, and relationships, a trip to Isiro, by Jennings (with a few lines from Douglas)

Our cadre of consultants and consultants-in-training! (Minus two who could not attend.) You will notice I'm the only woman... ask me what I think about that, sometime! 

The other day at the office, I (Jennings) greeted a colleague had just returned from an IT conference that had been deeply encouraging and stimulating for him. It wasn't just - or even primarily - the technical aspects he appreciated, but getting to know other IT people in our organization. "It's all about relationships," he said. I had to think about that... it isn't how I normally think of work here, even when it's called "ministry". But, in fact, building relationships is the essential part of what we are all doing, and we forget that at our peril.

Last month, I spent 3 weeks in the area around Isiro, a more humid, forest-y area. (Bunia is in a hilly, savanna area.) For two weeks, we had a capacity-building workshop for translation consultants and consultants-in-training. There were 16 of us -- 4 expats and 12 Congolese -- at a center outside of town. We debated strategy, discussed best practices for consulting, learned new software techniques, and talked about relating and working cross-culturally.



But perhaps the most important thing about the two weeks together was that we were able to bond as a team. The workshop leader led us in an extended time of prayer one night, where everyone had the chance to share what was on their heart and to be prayed for. We had lots of down time, to play games, take walks and watch movies. Participants commented on how much it meant to them to feel cared for, and to be able to speak openly.

Workshop leader (right) with our senior Congolese consultant

Being away from home and the office, there was plenty of time to just talk.

Translation software is an essential part of our work.

Some of our best discussions were about how culture influences the way we relate to each other, and especially how we relate to teachers and those in authority. 



Role-playing good (and not-so-good) ways for a consultant to interact with translators.

The Director of the local Bible Translation and Literacy Organization in Isiro

Game that involved a volleyball and small trampoline.

Badminton was a favorite activity!

These younger man in the front are the ones who will drive the future of Bible translation in eastern D. R. Congo.

Lika translators (far left and far right), with the consultant-in-training who worked with us, and a back-translator.

The third week I was in Isiro, I worked with the Lika translation team (above). They are finishing up their New Testament, working on book introductions, the glossary, illustrations, etc. They are also learning to do many technical checks, including a spellcheck of the entire New Testament.

By this time, Douglas had also arrived in Isiro, to meet with three different language committees. He led them in a discussion of how they want to use their language in the future.

There are five languages in the repertoire of the Budu people, but which do they use when?

Sharing some of the theory from the course "Introduction to Language Development".
Pointing to a diagram of the cyclical nature of planning, acting, and evaluating.
At middle left, developing your language is like climbing a mountain;
neglecting it it like sliding down.

Committee members who took part on one of the days

We stayed at the Consolata Mission guesthouse in Isiro town. It is home to a group of priests (below) from around the world (Congo, Kenya and Italy at the moment) who run a local food program and serve the community. Some of them have worked with Pygmy groups in Congo, and others with people in the Amazon rain forest. They have a strong commitment to serve the poor, and they love to talk philosophy, politics and religion. We are always very warmly welcomed there, and we enjoy their fellowship.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A few more photos:

The director of the center where we held our consultant workshop was very accommodating,
providing us with generator-powered electricity when we needed it, and even wireless internet (which worked only occasionally, but that was not his fault).

Tea time on the veranda, with chicken. (There were lots of beautiful chickens and roosters around. Yes I have a weird fascination with poultry.)

MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) pilots get us where we need to go, and back again.

On the way back to Bunia, our flight stopped at Mungbere, a small village deep in the forest, but with an Italian-run reference hospital. Many people came to see the plane arrive and take off again. The man in the foreground was keeping children off the landing strip.

A rain shower, from above... really interesting perspective.