The Calm and the Storm

In March, we watched in horror and wonder as COVID-19 spread through much of the world. In DRCongo, we began to prepare and brace ourselves. But so far, there have only been 2 confirmed cases in our province, and those were months ago. So it was as if we were living in the calm before the storm. Except we had our own storm. Here’s how it all looked to us.

March 31, 2020: Coronavirus had begun to spread in the capital, Kinshasa, and there were 2 confirmed cases in Ituri province, where we live, including one in our town of Bunia. The Congolese government issued restrictions: schools, churches and restaurants were closed; public gatherings of more than 20 people were prohibited. Our administration decided to close our office. We had a final prayer meeting and said good-bye to each other.

Prayer meeting to close our office

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.

April 2015 Group Meetings



The whole group



In April, our group - spread out over several countries and three continents - met in Uganda for 10 days of spiritual retreat and business meetings. Here are a few photos from that time together:

Home Away From Home (by Jennings)

Tomorrow I go to Goma for another 2-week visit with the translation team. When I was leaving from my last visit, in December, one of the team members (far right below) said aloud what I was also thinking: it was actually hard to say good-bye. We've always had a friendly relationship, but we've spent so much time together now that there is a depth to that relationship that wasn't there in the first years. I was deeply touched when he said that... and a little scared... great, another chance to suffer, more people to miss. But that's part of the deal, a blessing that is precious and painful.

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.

Hospitality (Or, Walls and Umbrellas)

Last week we had a special tea time at the translation office in town. We were saying good-bye to an American volunteer (now a dear friend) who spent 3 months here helping to refurbish the office and to start some new building work.  Three translation teams use the office, plus our group.  The office will serve everyone's needs much better when it is completed.  It already looks much, much better.

The first job was to build an enclosure wall around the compound.  The office is on a busy corner, both for foot traffic and vehicles, and pedestrians often cut through the yard.  The wall keeps out potential thieves, as well as (some of) the dust and noise from the road.

During the tea time, one of the translators bemoaned the loss of "la culture africaine", as more and more people put up these enclosures. Traditionally, during a rainstorm, people would welcome in passing strangers to wait out the storm so they wouldn't get wet.  But now, with these enclosures, there is no place for people to take shelter, and the traditional hospitality is lost. A couple of months ago there was a very heavy hailstorm, and a man was knocked down and nearly blacked out just outside the office.  People inside saw him, somehow, and went to help him.  But if the wall had not been there, he could have come in and taken shelter in the building, and perhaps he would not have been so hurt.

We were struck by the hospitality of this tradition of giving shelter to passers-by.  In typical, self-sufficient American fashion, we carry our own shelter around with us, in the form of umbrellas.  It would never occur to us to ask someone to let us into their house in during a simple rain shower.  Self-sufficiency is not a high value in Congo; community is. 

Our "Top Ten Things We Love About Living in Bunia" List

1. The People - We have dear, close friends here, both expatriate and Congolese.  We are constantly touched and humbled by how generous people are with their time and resources.

Two of our American friends made and decorated this gorgeous cake when we arrived in July.

2. The Clothes - Congolese women and men love bright, colorful patterns. Most women here wear traditional African cloth outfits, especially to church or on a special occasion. Tailoring is truly an art form. We have a particular tailor that we like, and he has made nice outfits for both of us (below). People literally stop us in the street to say how marvelous we look. They seem to love the fact that we appreciate Congolese fashion enough to wear it ourselves.

Janvier in his shop, tailoring a skirt for Jennings



Our Christmas outfits

It's always fun to see the different styles and designs that people wear.  And spotting a burly young man with a hot pink, tasseled messenger bag or a lavender "My Little Pony" backpack... that can just make your day.

Members of a choir often have outfits of matching cloth, but with individual style

An impromptu photo calls for just a bit of "spiffing up".

3. Singing - On a Sunday morning, there can be 4 or 5 different local choirs performing at church: full-throated, exuberant singing, with choreographed movements.  Generally the songs are in Lingala or Swahili, but sometimes they are in French. Thrilling!

4. Rainstorms - We get *serious* rainstorms here - drenching, full-on downpours, complete with thunder and lightning. They come down from the Blue Mountains, pushing delicious cool breezes in front of them. Wonderful!

5. The sunsets - stunning!!! (... we have not yet seen so many sunrises)

6. Goma cheese - Surprise! We get better cheese here than we did in Nairobi! Goma cheese (from the North Kivu region) comes in one-kilo rounds and is great "as is" or melted on stuff. It can fill in for many varieties of Western cheese to make grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza, lasagna, you name it. It is one of the brightest spots in our meals here.

7. Fresh produce - Passion fruit and papaya from the market, pineapple from our friends' garden, different kinds of local greens (leafy vegetables)... we love them all! Passion fruit is great by itself, and it also makes delicious juice.

Still life with Goma cheese and passion fruit

Those aren't hats on the kids' heads; they're to help them balance baskets of corn.

8. Fresh milk - Delivered to the front gate: just boil, skim and drink! Collect the cream and whip into butter! One of the advantages of living in a cow-raising region.

9. Slow walking - When the sun is high during dry season, it can be hot out there, and dusty. You do *not* want to be trying to rush somewhere, working yourself into a sweat (and kicking up dust clouds).  Plus, the roads and paths are far from even, and you might twist your ankle if you aren't careful. So just take your time. Sloooow down. Amble. Look around you... that's how everyone walks! And they're right! Greet people, breathe, relax... now, isn't that better?

10. The "Being There" Factor - When we first arrived, Congolese would ask how long we were going to be here, assuming we were visiting.  When we answered "Nous sommes là!" ("We are here!"), we were rewarded with huge smiles and vigorous handshakes.  There is something very fundamental about sharing life together, about being in the same place, being part of their lives, experiencing (a very small part of) the struggles they experience.  It's more than physical presence, it's solidarity, empathy.  It's a high value here.   "Tuko pamoja"... "We are together".

Breaking Bread and Foufou Together (or Stuff Missionaries Like... to eat)

Our friend Bagali* is teaching a class to Congolese grad students on "Non-African Cultures". Bagali lived in England, with his family, for several years, and has worked with Western missionaries for over 20 years, so he has a good understanding of cultural differences and potential areas of misunderstanding. The purpose of the course is to help future translators understand the Westerners they will likely be working with (...like us). Great idea, right? Western missionaries usually get orientation to African culture, but Africans don't get any orientation to us and our strange behavior.

Last week, Bagali asked us to come speak to the class about Westerners and food... what we like to eat, what we consider a "meal", what we eat for special occasions, what we find difficult to eat, what makes us sick, etc. Many of these translators will be hosting Western consultants in the future, and we want these visits to be a blessing for everyone.

It's always hard to see your own culture clearly, so I sought input from Rebecca*, who worked as a cook for

Rebecca makes amazing whole-grain bread for us

German missionaries before the 1996 war and now cooks for the American family we are house-sitting for. Her first thought was that Westerners eat a lot of  salad (raw vegetables), and a lot of cake.  Then she expanded "cake" to say that we eat a lot of flour... bread, cookies, etc.  We also eat a lot of fruit.

So what do Congolese eat? She listed sweet potatoes, greens (several varieties), rice, meat, foufou.  Wheat is not a staple here, as it is in the West. Also, there is a big difference in how people prepare food. Westerners have indoor kitchens, and we use refrigerators, ovens and stoves. Congolese mostly cook on outdoor "jikos", charcoal stoves. Congolese like fruit (papaya, pineapple, passion fruit are locally grown) and would like to eat more, like we do, but most don't have the money for it. Buying habits are also different. Most Congolese do not have salaried jobs, so they buy food on a day-to-day basis. Today's income (if there is any) buys tonight's meal. They don't generally "stock up" or buy large quantities as do Westerners, or Congolese with salaried jobs. And most have their own gardens.

Charcoal jikos, and social time

Heading to the field, hoe in hand

Back to the class. Bagali had students from different areas write on the board some basic meals: rice and beans, foufou and meat... basically a starch and an accompaniment. Then I explained how our meals might start with a salad, then the main course would be meat, veg and a starch, and then dessert. We talked a little about obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other conditions that mean eating less sugar, fat and salt. These are known in Congo, but not as prevalent.

What are the main problems Westerners have had with food they have been served in Africa? Water - it should be boiled or filtered, or we can get very sick and not be able to do what we came to do. Also, a lot of Congolese food is cooked in large quantities of oil, especially palm oil. Some Westerners are allergic to palm oil; others don't digest it well and can have stomach problems. Another concern is over-spending. In many Congolese cultures, a visitor is honored with a special meal. The host gives sacrificially to provide something fine, slaughtering an animal or paying for expensive meat, milk powder, and other luxuries. But if the guest is staying for weeks at a time (as is the case with a visiting translation consultant, for example), the cost of sustaining these kinds of meals can be very high. We asked them, please, do not feel you need to do this, we just want to eat as you do and be with you. And not get sick.

What we learned from them was that, often, when Congolese are invited to eat at the home of Westerners, they leave feeling hungry.  We tend to eat smaller meals more often (3 times a day, versus once or twice a day for many Congolese), and of course we are generally not as active.

Bagali told us about a missionary in his home area when he was growing up. People knew that, if you were invited to his house for a meal, you should eat  before you go, because he wasn't going to serve much food (by  their standards).

He recalled his first stay in England 15 years ago. For the first two weeks, he still felt hungry whenever he left the meal table. Then his system began to be trained to expect regular meals of more modest size. I think his personal story was very helpful to the class.

Meal to celebrate finishing Matthew's Gospel: rice, greens and beef stew

A related point: what counts as "celebration" food is different. At a wedding in the U.S., the most important food (at least in our home areas) is the cake. Even if you offer nothing else, you have to have a cake, that's what makes it a wedding. In Africa, you are expected to have a full feast - rice, meat, etc.  Inviting someone to a celebration and just giving them cake... that would be bizarre (and inhospitable, I'm guessing). As Bagali said, at a Congolese celebration, the foufou in the pot at the center of the table should be so high that you couldn't see the guest on the other side!

Bagali also remembers another missionary - people noted that he fed meat to his dogs, and porridge to his employees. You can imagine what they thought of him and his love for the people.

One student lamented that we should have been having this discussion many years ago, it could have avoided many misunderstandings. We were very grateful to be informants, and to be better informed.

* names changed for privacy