I MADE IT!!!!

For those of you waiting with baited breath, I just wanted to let you know that I made it to Congo as of about an hour ago. Thanks be to God. All in all, things went really smoothly. Little hiccups (like I almost missed my flight from Newark to Brussels and I never got to mail my letters to my kids) are really non-issues in the grand scheme of things. People met me at airports soI haven't had to use my pitiful French once.

I could tell I traveled alone: I saw two movies, two television shows, and read over 100 pages of a book. And it sounds like my family is doing just fine without me.

I haven't had a chance to open my luggage, but 100+ pounds of formula/bumbo seats made it on and off airplanes, thanks to your generosity. How grateful I am to each of you for your support. As I told someone recently, I strongly feel that we are doing this together; I'm just the one who happens to physically be here. Thank you again for being part of this!

no time like the present....

I have to sleep, as I'll be up in a few short hours. But for those of you that pray, here are specific prayer requests. For those of you that don't, I'd appreciate any good thoughts you think of.

Hi all,
The countdown is almost done! I leave for Congo Wednesday morning, bright and early (8:45am out of SFO; I'm leaving the house at about 6am). There's one way to start adjusting to a different time zone!

Thank you all for your support and desire to pray while I'm gone. I initially had grand plans about having people sign up for a day to pray, but since that didn't pan out, pray as you feel led. Here are some specific prayer requests:
*Nov 10-11: Pray for safety in travel and that I will find the person picking me up from the airport. (My friend's passport will not arrive in time for her to meet me in Kigali.)
*Nov 12: Pray that I will reach Holly safely and that my sleep patterns would adjust to Congolese time (10 hours ahead of Berkeley).
*Nov 13-19: Pray that our discussions re: planning for a 501c3 and sponsorship program for the orphanage will be productive.
Pray that my time with the disabled adult group would be fruitful--I'm feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who attend this group (hundreds). Pray that God would bring people forward that I could teach and that would be willing and able to pass that information to others.
Pray for a refreshing time with Holly and her family; she is worn out and needs encouragement.
Pray for ongoing health for all involved.
*Nov 20: Pray for safety for our time today at the orphanage in Kaziba (a 5 hour drive each way). Pray for effective communication with the women who work with the kids.
*Nov 21: Pray for my family: it is Ruth's birthday and my 6th anniversary today. Pray that they will all be thriving with my mom.
*Nov 22-23: Pray for a safe trip back to Rwanda and a safe (and not delayed!) trip home.

I'll update as soon as I can, most likely once I reach Congo and am in Bukavu on 11/12.
Thanks for all your support!
Coleen

11 days

Visa from the Congolese embassy--check (An aside: it's surprising to me how "naked" I felt without my passport. I don't carry it around, I rarely look at it unless I'm going on a trip, but, by golly, I like to have it available. But it's back.)

Yellow fever and typhoid injections, cipro and malarone pills--check

Time spent with God so I'm calmer and more at peace about this whole trip--check (I realized last night that part of my anxiety about this whole trip was this need to be at peace in case I died. Yep, that put an extra weight on this trip. I can't say that that would be ok with me--honestly, who wants to die and leave a family?--but I will say that as of this morning, it feels re-framed. If I can cast my anxiety on God, b/c He cares for me, then I can trust that He will be in charge, and I don't need to expend any energy on wondering what will or won't happen. I can just live in the here and now and cross each bridge as I come to it. Phew.)

Logistics that still need to happen:
*Money from the bank (did you know you can use US dollars in Congo? Just make sure they are 2004 and newer without rips, tears, or any quizzical expressions.
*Picking up promised bumbos and formula. If you want to donate formula, I still have space in my bag. Talk to me!
*Coming up with a prayer list and contacting folks interested in covering this trip with prayer. (Yes, that could be you.)
*Random mosquito net and bug repellent acquisition. I'm just glad I'm not planning on being pregnant again ever, so DEET, here I come. (Yuck.)
*Practice French. I can now say I understand a little French, which is an overstatement.
*Figure out which handouts to try and take for the orphanage and the disabled group, as well as streamline a questions re: sponsorship.
*Pack bags. Readjust. Weigh. Repack. Readjust. Weigh. Repeat.
*Do I actually get to choose a book to read on the plane? Suggestions welcome. (Nothing too heavy, both literally and figuratively.)

There's more, I'm sure, but thanks for making it through my brain purge.

reality check

I realized the last day or two that my only sense of what Rwanda (the place where I initially land and may spend a day or so there) and Congo are like is based on two things:
1. the 1994 Rwandan genocide (I lived in Costa Rica in 1994 and devoured Newsweek, and saw issue after issue after issue of horror.)
2. the media reports of atrocities (like rape) committed in DRC. For example, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8677637.stm

I know there is so much more to these countries. Heck, I have a friend living in DRC and I hear other stories about how this orphanage longs to be self-sufficient, how there is joy in the midst of suffering, etc. But yet, as the countdown begins (19 days!), I find myself feeling overwhelmed by these complicated histories, these cultures unlike my own in many ways.

It probably doesn't help that I went to the State Dept website today and started reading about the warnings about traveling in DRC. My body also seems to be in rebellion, and my nose and sinuses are leading the charge. Between that and the drizzly day I'm ready to curl up with a book and some tea and pretend that I can live an insulated life. (And yet, and yet, that's not the life I want to lead. This wrestling may never end, and I don't think it should. And yet.)

On a happier note, I have seven pounds of formula and promises for more. I'll end there, and keep further pondering internal for a while.

a formulaic drive for formula

I got to skype with my friend Holly last night (who is in Congo) and asked how much formula I should try to bring. Her response? 50 pounds. While I'm not quite sure how all this is going to fit in my luggage with the bumbo seats, some random stuff I need to bring for her family and, oh yes, the clothes I suppose I should bring for myself, I'm willing to give it a try. So...if you live somewhere in the SF Bay area and want to donate formula (any size, any brand, so long as it hasn't been recalled) let me know.

I confess it's a bit odd for me to get formula. I've made a bottle once while babysitting, but it feels quite foreign to me despite having two kids. But hey, how else was I going to expand my horizons today?

On a related note, I guess the security outside of Bukavu hasn't been great recently, so I pray that things will improve enough to allow us to actually make it to the orphanage while I'm there. Regardless, Holly will make sure that it gets there eventually, but I do hope I can interact with the kids and their caregivers myself.

bumbo--check!

How humbled I am by the well-wishes, prayers, and support you have sent my way! As of today I have promises for three bumbo chairs. (Thank you Alice, Elizabeth, and Kristen!) I'm not sure a duffel bag will hold many more.

It's these steps that make me realize this is really going to happen, God willing. Now I just need to make an appointment for vaccinations. Yellow fever vax here I come!

Thanks again.

Coleen
ps--for those of you that have offered to pray I'll be contacting you. And to those of you who have written emails I haven't responded to yet (key word is yet), know that I am still working out some details and will get back to you soon!

Starting with the basics

If you're looking at this blog, it means you've either stumbled here (unlikely) or you've heard that I'm heading to Congo. As I've been talking to people about my time, a few questions have surfaced repeatedly. As a result, here's my own version of a FAQ:

*When are you going?
My ticket has been purchased for November 10-22, arriving home on November 23rd. God willing, I'll be a very tired and very thankful person come Thanksgiving (one day later).

*Where are you going?
I'll be based out of Bukavu, at the south end of Lake Kivu. Here's a map that might help give some orientation:

Bukavu is on the right above the word Congo on the map.
From Bukavu I'll be taking trips to Kaziba (~5 hour car ride) and other places, but the thought is that I'll come home each night.

*What are your plans while there?
We all know that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. With that said, here are the three things I hope to do while there:
1. Work with a disabled adults group. This group has people with amputees, spinal cord injuries, polio, and gunshot wounds, to name a few diagnoses. Apparently physical therapy is truly only for the rich in Congo, so I'm hoping to do some education and leave some materials behind that explain some basic anatomy/biomechanics and what people can do to maximize their independence.
2. Work with caretakers at the Kaziba orphanage. This orphanage cares for children 0-5 years old. Because there are so many kids not yet walking at the orphanage and a limited number of hands to hold them, some children have developed plantar flexion contractures. What this means is that their feet are pointed downward because their achilles tendons are tight. I'm hoping to teach caretakers how to prevent this, how to treat it, and to work with them on other developmental activities with the kids there.
3. Do some footwork to determine the logistics of setting up a sponsorship program for the kids at Kaziba. What are the yearly costs for kids? To get updates on kids? Is there someone who can be on the ground there to do this? What do the people at Kaziba need and want?

*Are you going alone?
I'm flying to and from Congo alone, but we will be meeting up with a dear friend once I reach Congo. She and her family live in Bukavu and have connections with the two groups mentioned above.

*How can I help?
If you'd like to support me in some way, you can! Here are ways:
1. Bumbo. This is a supportive seat that some folks use here before kids can sit on their own. I'd like to bring one to two for the orphanage to give kids a chance to be upright out of their cribs more often.
2. Formula. Formula is extremely expensive in Congo, so I'd like to bring a supply of it from the States.
3. If you have money you'd like to donate to the orphanage or the disabled group, I can bring it. (Talk to me more about this if that's what you want to do; I need to ensure that there's a reputable person to receive it, which I know there is at the orphanage, but I'm more unclear with the disabled group, as I know less about it.)
4. Pray. Pray for my safety, pray for my family while I'm gone (I'm somewhat concerned about how my kids will do with me being gone for almost two weeks, especially Nathan), pray that God would prepare this time and space and that His will would be done. I truly do covet your prayers bathing this adventure.

I think that's where I'll start for now and get more info out as the countdown begins. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
Coleen