Friday's Update From the Congo
OK, folks, we have several updates that have come in on Facebook ... including a video of Elissa actually eating termites, believe it or not! (Until I can figure out how to get this up on the blog, check my Facebook profile ... you probably have to be my friend to see it ... send me a friend request if you can't see it.)
I am working on getting these all coded in for a blog update, but due to my work and Young Adults Ministry schedule this evening, I may not get them all in until tomorrow morning. So, be sure to check back then!!! But I'll post a few easy ones now ...
- Larry
Brian's Blog Entry for Friday
Well, I have a lot to write. Yesterday was rather eventful. It started at 3:30 am. We got up to go to Budjala. The drive to Budjala was surreal. I seriously thought we were going to get robbed. We were in the middle of nowhere, driving through the jungle. It was crazy.
It was a thick jungle. At some places the truck was wider then the road. The road was horrible as well. There were lots of huge holes with water in them. It took us two hours to get there.
When we got there we were greeted with a band and a choir. It was 6:00 am and the band was ready and waiting for us. They had a bass and electric guitar with a drum set. They also had a African Drum, one of the big ones. (I'm not sure what it's called.)
Then we had to wait for two hours for our seminar to start. We ate breakfast at 8:00 am when the seminar was supposed to start. We had bread, fish and some tea. The fish was good. I did feel sick about an hour after eating it. I blame the fish.
When we started the seminar we had over 220 people there. The crowed was very responsive. In fact when I stood up to give my testimony they all started laughing at me. I asked the interpreter why they were laughing. He said that I had a big smile and was very happy, so they were very happy I was happy! The seminar went well. We were all real tired. The driver tried to take a nap in the truck during the session, but I am not sure he slept at all.
This was the first time since I have been in Africa that people have just kept asking for money. We had two high school students ask us to pray that God would give them the money to go to Bible school. They asked us to pray for them ... that was the nice way to ask for money.
Then right before we left we had a guy come up to us and ask us for a Bible. We said they would have to ask the pastor that was traveling with us. He didn't like that answer. Then he asked if we could give him a PA system. I said we didn't have one. He didn't like that answer either. He was mad at us when the conversation ended. I was rather frustrated. I blame some of that on the fact that I got very little sleep the night before.
We arrived back in Tandala at 7:30 pm. It was such a long day! But it was a good day. I had fun teaching the seminar. It seemed to go well. One of the funnest things we did was to teach them all how to throw a Frisbee. Just image 220+ people playing Frisbee. It was chaos.
Today was not very busy. I had very little to do. We didn't have a seminar. I went to chapel. Brent and I took a tour of the hospital. A big group of us went to where the locals get their drinking water. I tried to carry it on my head like they do, but I didn't do very well. It was interesting. They bathe at the same place where they get water. Let's just say some of the ladies didn't care that we were there. Thelma told them that guys were coming down. When we first got their everyone was clothed. But by the time we left a couple of them were bathing.
We also were able to play soccer with the kids. It was fun. I was so sweaty. Today was hot.
Well I think that is all for today. We are off to Kungu tomorrow. The team with be Brent, Tyler, Elissa, Amanda and I. We want to show them what youth ministry looks like. Please pray for safe travel. We will be leaving at 5:00 am. I am just making up for all those times I didn't get into work early enough. Pray that the seminar will go well.
If you have any questions please ask. (Editor: Click the "Comments" link at the bottom of Brian's blog.) I would love to know what information people want to hear about. As my wife would tell you, I give them as little detail as I can get away with when writing!
Brian's Blog Entry for Wednesday (posted earlier)
Today was rather uneventful. When we woke up it was raining. I guess when it rains, nothing happens. We were able to sleep in. The temperature was low. It was nice. Yesterday was so hot, so it is nice that it cooled down.
We were supposed to travel to Budjala but with the weather we drove to Tandala instead. Tandala is closer to Budjala and the roads to Tandala are better. We are going to do a seminar in Budjala tomorrow.
On the way to Tandala we saw many people who were at our seminar in Gemena. It was very humbling. They would say "Hi" then erupt with happiness. Again, this is very humbling.
Yesterday’s seminar went very well. We had 150 people attend. They seemed to respond very well. We had one funny thing happen at the seminar. We were teaching through inductive Bible study. After teaching them about it we gave them a passage of Scripture to assess, based on the inductive tool we gave them. It took them over an hour to finish. The story we gave them to assess was the story of the prodigal son.
When they were done and we had reviewed it with them, we asked if they had any questions. One gentleman stood up and was questioning if what I was teaching was biblical. I said something to the effect that the prodigal son lost his inheritance. That when his dad died he would get nothing. This young man said that nowhere in the text does it say that the dad died and that the son would not get an inheritance again. The two other guys in my group and I laughed at that one afterward because that had nothing to do with the story or the training.
I am sorry this post is so short! I am tired and we are leaving early in the morning. Please keep praying for us. We are with the rest of the team. Everyone seems to be doing well (Elissa and Amanda are both feeling fine. They are teaching some Congolese people to sing "How Great is Our God"). We have internet at in Tandala so hopefully you will get more updates.
I am working on getting these all coded in for a blog update, but due to my work and Young Adults Ministry schedule this evening, I may not get them all in until tomorrow morning. So, be sure to check back then!!! But I'll post a few easy ones now ...
- Larry
Brian's Blog Entry for Friday
Well, I have a lot to write. Yesterday was rather eventful. It started at 3:30 am. We got up to go to Budjala. The drive to Budjala was surreal. I seriously thought we were going to get robbed. We were in the middle of nowhere, driving through the jungle. It was crazy.
It was a thick jungle. At some places the truck was wider then the road. The road was horrible as well. There were lots of huge holes with water in them. It took us two hours to get there.
When we got there we were greeted with a band and a choir. It was 6:00 am and the band was ready and waiting for us. They had a bass and electric guitar with a drum set. They also had a African Drum, one of the big ones. (I'm not sure what it's called.)
Then we had to wait for two hours for our seminar to start. We ate breakfast at 8:00 am when the seminar was supposed to start. We had bread, fish and some tea. The fish was good. I did feel sick about an hour after eating it. I blame the fish.
When we started the seminar we had over 220 people there. The crowed was very responsive. In fact when I stood up to give my testimony they all started laughing at me. I asked the interpreter why they were laughing. He said that I had a big smile and was very happy, so they were very happy I was happy! The seminar went well. We were all real tired. The driver tried to take a nap in the truck during the session, but I am not sure he slept at all.
This was the first time since I have been in Africa that people have just kept asking for money. We had two high school students ask us to pray that God would give them the money to go to Bible school. They asked us to pray for them ... that was the nice way to ask for money.
Then right before we left we had a guy come up to us and ask us for a Bible. We said they would have to ask the pastor that was traveling with us. He didn't like that answer. Then he asked if we could give him a PA system. I said we didn't have one. He didn't like that answer either. He was mad at us when the conversation ended. I was rather frustrated. I blame some of that on the fact that I got very little sleep the night before.
We arrived back in Tandala at 7:30 pm. It was such a long day! But it was a good day. I had fun teaching the seminar. It seemed to go well. One of the funnest things we did was to teach them all how to throw a Frisbee. Just image 220+ people playing Frisbee. It was chaos.
Today was not very busy. I had very little to do. We didn't have a seminar. I went to chapel. Brent and I took a tour of the hospital. A big group of us went to where the locals get their drinking water. I tried to carry it on my head like they do, but I didn't do very well. It was interesting. They bathe at the same place where they get water. Let's just say some of the ladies didn't care that we were there. Thelma told them that guys were coming down. When we first got their everyone was clothed. But by the time we left a couple of them were bathing.
We also were able to play soccer with the kids. It was fun. I was so sweaty. Today was hot.
Well I think that is all for today. We are off to Kungu tomorrow. The team with be Brent, Tyler, Elissa, Amanda and I. We want to show them what youth ministry looks like. Please pray for safe travel. We will be leaving at 5:00 am. I am just making up for all those times I didn't get into work early enough. Pray that the seminar will go well.
If you have any questions please ask. (Editor: Click the "Comments" link at the bottom of Brian's blog.) I would love to know what information people want to hear about. As my wife would tell you, I give them as little detail as I can get away with when writing!
Brian's Blog Entry for Wednesday (posted earlier)
Today was rather uneventful. When we woke up it was raining. I guess when it rains, nothing happens. We were able to sleep in. The temperature was low. It was nice. Yesterday was so hot, so it is nice that it cooled down.
We were supposed to travel to Budjala but with the weather we drove to Tandala instead. Tandala is closer to Budjala and the roads to Tandala are better. We are going to do a seminar in Budjala tomorrow.
On the way to Tandala we saw many people who were at our seminar in Gemena. It was very humbling. They would say "Hi" then erupt with happiness. Again, this is very humbling.
Yesterday’s seminar went very well. We had 150 people attend. They seemed to respond very well. We had one funny thing happen at the seminar. We were teaching through inductive Bible study. After teaching them about it we gave them a passage of Scripture to assess, based on the inductive tool we gave them. It took them over an hour to finish. The story we gave them to assess was the story of the prodigal son.
When they were done and we had reviewed it with them, we asked if they had any questions. One gentleman stood up and was questioning if what I was teaching was biblical. I said something to the effect that the prodigal son lost his inheritance. That when his dad died he would get nothing. This young man said that nowhere in the text does it say that the dad died and that the son would not get an inheritance again. The two other guys in my group and I laughed at that one afterward because that had nothing to do with the story or the training.
I am sorry this post is so short! I am tired and we are leaving early in the morning. Please keep praying for us. We are with the rest of the team. Everyone seems to be doing well (Elissa and Amanda are both feeling fine. They are teaching some Congolese people to sing "How Great is Our God"). We have internet at in Tandala so hopefully you will get more updates.
posted by Larry Short at 6:23 PM
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