Dear dear friends:
On Thursday December 15 I flew home, to the USA. I was paying close attention to the US Embassy warnings about restricted travel in and out of Congo. I would not be able to return on the 18th as I planned. It was unclear when I could return.
So I came home. Last Saturday I received a message from the US Embassy in Uganda, warning of terrorist threat against the US EMbassy and US citizens. I made the right decision.
This has been very sudden and surprising for me. I do not plan to return to Congo for a while, if at all. I have started to look for a place to live and for priestly work in CT or NY. Adjusting to "home" seems to be taking a long time.
Please continue to pray for the Congolese, for the Archbishop Isingoma Henri and his family. Please keep me in your prayers, as I know you have done for a very long time.
Advent peace and Christmas blessings,
Pam
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
So, what HAVE I been doing?
So... what HAVE I been doing, what's going on, where's it at, how... well, evidently it's been exactly one month since I updated my blog. Lots has happened.
I changed guest houses in November, to go to CARITAS, run by the folks who operate the Roman Catholic charity of the same name. BIG difference in accomodations... you know how I am about hot water. Anyway. There I met Sarah and Tony with their daughter. They are adopting 2 Congolese orphans, Micah, 2 and Rita, 16months. Rita is so underdeveloped and undernourished she could not hold her head up. We would share a dinner table together and catch up on the day's successes or otherwise. It was great to get to know them; Americans share a lot in common, besides language. Then 7 couples arrived from France. They were adopting Congolese orphans, as well. To get ahead of myself, Im now in Uganda and have seen several couples with children who I assume to be Ugandan orphans. Blows me away. If I were 20 years younger...
The Anglican Church of Congo has big plans. The archbishop wants to train lay catechists and evangelists to go throughout Kinshasa diocese and raise up new Anglicans! There is one church, St. Peter's, above which the offices of the Province of the Anglican Church will be completed. TEC has generously supplied a grant for that. ERD has made a grant to get Internet into the building so the Provincial offices can work quickly and efficiently, communications-wise. There's a possibility of an Internet cafe on site, to make some money!
I should explain: The Province of the Anglican Church in Congo is comprised of the dioceses of the ACC, of which there are 8: Kinshasa, Kisingani, Boga, Mbuji-Mayi, Katanga, North Kivu, Kindu, South Kivu and Kasai. Each diocese is led by a bishop, as in TEC (the Episcopal Church).
OK. My work involves keeping in touch with the nascent Congo Network, who meet monthly to discuss things Congo... Which TEC group has given what to which diocese, what needs are on the horizon, how can we build capacity in partnership with the Anglican Church of Congo? I work in the relationship-building aspect of TEC/ACC partnership at present. I've just received an invitation to go to Lumbumbashi to visit an Anglican street-kids project, which I will do sometime in January 2012.
So. THe Congo presidential elections were held on Mon 28 Nov. The winner was supposed to be announced yesterday, but the election commission is still counting, so it will probably be Friday when the announcement comes.
I came to Kampala, Uganda a couple of weeks ago, because people in the know, have told me there;s the possibility of violence after the winner is announced. As it was, there were 18 deaths in the run-up to the election. So we'll see what happens. My return to Kinshasa will depend on what happens next. So I am safe, enjoying Kampala and doing a lot of writing, finally, this blog update.
oh, did I mention I was guest of honor at the local pre-school in Entebbe Christmas party? (What's Advent?) will try to post some pics... the kids are so cute.
Please hang an ornament on your Christmas tree for me... it looks like I will be back in April for a couple of months to fundraise, then back in congo in June.
May the Prince of Peace bring you rest from your preparations for you-know-what.
Love,
Pam
I changed guest houses in November, to go to CARITAS, run by the folks who operate the Roman Catholic charity of the same name. BIG difference in accomodations... you know how I am about hot water. Anyway. There I met Sarah and Tony with their daughter. They are adopting 2 Congolese orphans, Micah, 2 and Rita, 16months. Rita is so underdeveloped and undernourished she could not hold her head up. We would share a dinner table together and catch up on the day's successes or otherwise. It was great to get to know them; Americans share a lot in common, besides language. Then 7 couples arrived from France. They were adopting Congolese orphans, as well. To get ahead of myself, Im now in Uganda and have seen several couples with children who I assume to be Ugandan orphans. Blows me away. If I were 20 years younger...
The Anglican Church of Congo has big plans. The archbishop wants to train lay catechists and evangelists to go throughout Kinshasa diocese and raise up new Anglicans! There is one church, St. Peter's, above which the offices of the Province of the Anglican Church will be completed. TEC has generously supplied a grant for that. ERD has made a grant to get Internet into the building so the Provincial offices can work quickly and efficiently, communications-wise. There's a possibility of an Internet cafe on site, to make some money!
I should explain: The Province of the Anglican Church in Congo is comprised of the dioceses of the ACC, of which there are 8: Kinshasa, Kisingani, Boga, Mbuji-Mayi, Katanga, North Kivu, Kindu, South Kivu and Kasai. Each diocese is led by a bishop, as in TEC (the Episcopal Church).
OK. My work involves keeping in touch with the nascent Congo Network, who meet monthly to discuss things Congo... Which TEC group has given what to which diocese, what needs are on the horizon, how can we build capacity in partnership with the Anglican Church of Congo? I work in the relationship-building aspect of TEC/ACC partnership at present. I've just received an invitation to go to Lumbumbashi to visit an Anglican street-kids project, which I will do sometime in January 2012.
So. THe Congo presidential elections were held on Mon 28 Nov. The winner was supposed to be announced yesterday, but the election commission is still counting, so it will probably be Friday when the announcement comes.
I came to Kampala, Uganda a couple of weeks ago, because people in the know, have told me there;s the possibility of violence after the winner is announced. As it was, there were 18 deaths in the run-up to the election. So we'll see what happens. My return to Kinshasa will depend on what happens next. So I am safe, enjoying Kampala and doing a lot of writing, finally, this blog update.
oh, did I mention I was guest of honor at the local pre-school in Entebbe Christmas party? (What's Advent?) will try to post some pics... the kids are so cute.
Please hang an ornament on your Christmas tree for me... it looks like I will be back in April for a couple of months to fundraise, then back in congo in June.
May the Prince of Peace bring you rest from your preparations for you-know-what.
Love,
Pam
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