From rest to exhaustion....

Sorry for the silence.  These last 2 months have been full in good and heavy ways.  It’s just been particularly challenging to know how to put into words what we see and experience here. 

We got back from Greece and Italy on April 25.  We’ve decided that we need to go somewhere for some rest and respite every 3 months (at least!).  Well, by June 9 (six weeks into being home), we felt tired, and strained and needed a little break from daily life here.  Our closest getaway is Bunia, the beautiful (not), restful (not) city.  It’s a VERY bumpy 1.5 hours away.  Dust is prolific, but green and peace are not.  BUT it is something different, and we can rest in a way we can’t rest in Nyankunde, because we are not always being sought after.  I’ve been reading the gospel of Matthew recently and started wondering how in the world Jesus always dealt with the crowds and requests presented to Him?!  For example in chapter 8 all these happened in succession: “When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him…when Jesus had entered Capernum, an centurian came to him, asking for help…When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.  He touched her hand and the fever left her…When Jesus saw the crowd around him…When he arrived at the other side, two demon-possessed met him…”  Everywhere Jesus turned people were there, with needs.  Often the Bible says that he healed ALL the sick.  It’s incredible. 

We returned to Nyankunde on Monday morning to be back for work.  I decided to stay home and get us settled back in.  We came home to find our refrigerator broken, our freezer full of melted goods.  Then in succession over the next 3 hours, 4 different people showed up at our doorstep asking for financial help- requests for hundreds of dollars. Since we moved here over 11 months ago, no hospital employee has received their full salary every month (usually about 80% of it), and they are about 1.5 months behind in payments.  We only felt we were to give to one of the four, but my heart still went out to them, and I prayed with them.  If anyone of you speak French and have skills in budgeting, come and teach!  Saving and money management is not a common skill here.  'Spend and enjoy while you have it', is more the motto.

Later that day I went down to the hospital and the mother of one of the young women in my Bible study said she’d like to talk to me.  At least once a day I get this type of request, and it usually always means they are going to ask for money.  We found a moment and she said, “You know my health isn’t very good and the doctors really don’t know what is wrong with me.  I just want to know that my daughter will be taken care if I’m not here to do it and my husband died 6 years ago.  My mother and sister are widows too so can’t help.  Do you happen to know of anyone who might want to adopt her (17 yo)?”  Wow.  I thanked her for sharing and said I would think and pray about this situation. 

By about 5 PM after cleaning out our fridge and melted freezer, welcoming multiple guests, tending to our kids, and answering 4 requests for money and talking about the desire for adoption, I was exhausted!  It was amazing how quickly the rest we acquired in Bunia wore off and exhaustion and frustration returned. 

We all are finite; we can’t give everything it takes, right?  I’m thankful to feel that so often here- the end of myself.  I really can’t fix everything, or even very much.  But there is Someone, the creator God, the beginning and the end, LOVE made flesh- Jesus- who can.  We long for a time when all things will be made new, don’t we?! But for now, we all work toward beauty and justice, the ushering in of a new kingdom. 

I’d love to share some pictures.  Lest you think our lives are all dreary and hard, see below!  We have an amazing life here.  Today Luke said, “I’m going back to America when I’m 5.” I said, “And after being in America, will you go back to Africa?”  He said, “Of course, because I LOVE my friends here!”  We’re grateful.

-Anna

Lucas, son of Dutch missionary friends, comes to our house to be watched by Denise and play with our kids a couple of times a week.  Miriam adores him and smothers 'Du-ah' with hugs.

The 4th year nursing students just took their oral final exams.  The French education system is BRUTAL.  They were all chastised for silly things like spelling words wrong or not centering their wording in the center of the page.  

There is a new pool in Bunia!  It used to be a Belgium country club in the days Congo was a Belgium colony.  The Miller family works with SP and spent some time with us last year in Nyankunde, but now live a 4 hour drive away.  They happened to be in Bunia the same time as we were and we had a great time with them.

Jebel Miller and Luke are best buds.  They had so much fun swimming and playing together.

I took this picture as I was writing this post.  Miriam in on our front porch with her 'Yaya' friends.  They are identical twins, Ange and Lounge (Angel and Praise).  For some reason, months ago, Miriam started yelling 'Yaya' whenever she saw them and they'd respond with 'Yaya!'.  They are our gardener's daughters and super sweet.  

I also took this picture while writing this post.  Luke is using a stick to hit mangos out of our mango tree,  his friend Dorica next to him munching on a mango.  His friend Exauce is down in the tree looking for mangos.  Down below are two other friends looking on.  Luke's favorite things to do: BE WITH FRIENDS while looking for mangos, looking for palm nuts and looking for guavas.  Our little hunter and gatherer :).