Worship with my Congolese brothers and sisters

Last night (Thursday) Matteus and I sat in on the weekly outdoor youth service (ages 14-25). Didier led the singing with his guitar and then there was a time of prayer.

Here the leader gives some instruction as to what to pray for and then everyone prays at once out loud, but not too loud with the young people. Some of the older African men in corporate prayer start shouting out and it is a little hard to concentrate if you’re an American not accustomed to such yelling when you’re trying to pray. But their worship and prayer is very sincere and fervent and heartfelt, and is a reminder to me that in my traditions and what I’m used to it’s very easy to not be sincere and fervent and heartfelt in my prayers and worship. Though my culture is different than theirs, I have much I can learn from them, and I pray I will not forget what I’ve already learned.


Back to the more encouraging spiritual side of things from yesterday: Didier taught the youth in a circle from Ecclesiastes 12. He is a very gifted and engaging teacher, I could tell, interacting with each young person one-by-one, using humor and illustration. It was all in French, with Swahili interpretation but as a teacher I could pick up on these things even though I only recognized a handful of words in the hour-long service. In the Congolese culture, they haven’t bought into the American myth of “adolescence” (the idea that there is some inevitable transition time through teen years in-between childhood and adulthood, where adult responsibilities are not expected, and for American males especially, sadly, growing up is delayed into the 20s and beyond at times). Like most other cultures through history, I can tell the Congolese view their youth as adults, not “adolescents,” and they challenge them accordingly (at least the Christian community). Didier explained to me today that by age 12 a young lady is expected to cook and clean and carry her infant sibling on her back around. The Christian young fellas carry the water here and were our masonry team when Gabe and I built the garden boxes in September. No TV or video games in this community to addict and afflict the next generation. Alleluia. Amen.


Last night, two of the judge’s families came out to Didier’s home for dinner and to see the orphanage. It was a blessing especially for Mama P., whose home Stuart stayed in while in Kinshasa, and who met the Wilmarths who also adopted through her husband. She prayed with us, and for us last time I was here.  It was in her home that night that her husband said he wanted to “be a part of this ministry.” Didier said last night they were very touched and understand why their husbands were so moved to help this ministry and these children. After Mama P. prayed for me at her house and knew my story, it was a blessing for her to see the son that God has filled my empty arms.



2 judges wives in center, Mama P. on right. In typical Congolese custom, they are not smiling for the picture, but Didier and his wife on the right have been Americanized so they are grinning (Matteus in his arm is not fully Americanized yet)

On Wednesday night we worshipped, praised God, and prayed together at this mid-week church service on the compound. There were 60 people in attendance for a service on a hot day with no electricity for fans or lights to read your Bible, many who walked quite a ways carrying children, and it was a blessed time of worship even though I didn’t understand a word except “Yesu” (Jesus) … that was sufficient, because He is sufficient. I was struck by the fact that our far bigger church in America (with A/C and lights that we all have cars to drive to) often has less people in attendance on a Sunday evening service than last night’s midweek service here in the difficulties of Congo. GCBC back home typically has 10-20% of the adults from Sunday morning return for another service on the Lord’s Day – I think 90% of Peter’s church was there for a Wednesday evening service, either walking a long distance or paying precious funds to travel by public transportation. I’m just saying...

At the church in Kinshasa we had to leave at 8:15 to get to church in the traffic, and didn’t get back home till 2:30 p.m. These people are not in a hurry to get a religious duty over with and back to what they want to do the rest of the day … they remind me of Acts 2:42-47 (and how different much of American Christianity is from what we read there). If you read Bob Wheatley’s blog, I think he said he preached one time here in Lubumbashi for 2 hours? Maybe we should restructure our services at GCBC? Or at least our hunger for the Word and desire to be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s Day?


Here on the compound they also have 6:00 a.m. weekday prayer and praise meetings most mornings. The way these people sense their need for the Word and worship here is a great example (and rebuke) in contrast to our American delusions of self-sufficiency. I think you can tell I’ve been impacted by worshipping with these brothers and sisters over here. Didier preached in French and Peter translated in Swahili. It was on Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3. He is a passionate and powerful preacher, very animated and gifted in his communication. And Peter’s translation is no dry monotone – his translation is even louder and more forceful at times and sometimes they interrupt each other in their exhortation and it’s hard to tell who is louder or who is talking :)

Didier’s concern is that people can know many things from Scripture and be doing many things “for God” (like Nicodemus) and yet not be born again. I could tell he was talking about people who get all emotional in worship seemingly, but whose lives give no evidence of regeneration, who say “Lord, Lord,” but the Lord does not know them. Again he used a combination of humor and blood-earnest seriousness in his preaching. It was the first time I heard him preach and makes me wonder if we might be able to find someone who can translate French into English when Didier speaks to churches in America, so he can more freely express himself without the limitations of his 4th language English.

The worship didn’t have as many instruments as Sunday morning, but enough banging and clanging and drumming to be classified as “Psalm 150-style.” I clapped as the psalms command me to and did my best to join in their worship, as well as a white boy can.

I counted about 20 children ages 5 and under, which was a blessing to see the young life and young moms and families. Another expectation of their culture is that young children and even infants will sit quietly. At one point Didier stopped his preaching to shush some kids. Here are some pics of the kids around the compound:


Anita in front, Eliza behind her (Didier’s daughters), Elsie the beautiful girl with her brother on back, Nathan (son of Peter and Dorcas with dirt all over face), and Elsie’s brother, I think

                                 The train game at the orphanage (my son Adam would like this one)

                                                      “Give us this day our daily bread”

When you say “Bon Appetit” Matteus says “merci” (note to Jaime: Didier showed me how to make the breakfast he likes so he’s not frustrated in the morning – oatmeal w/out weird stuff in it, then 2 pieces of bread with Nutella on them broken into pieces and mixed in with milk).

                                      From left to right: Kiffanie, Elsie (crazy hair day), and Michel

                         Didier’s kids and Gracia (tallest girl, Mama Angelique’s daughter) off to school

Not so good news after all the good news yesterday:

After sending yesterday’s post, I found out from the embassy that there was a printing problem with my son’s passport and they hoped they could get it fixed tomorrow, but couldn’t promise. At the prayer time yesterday and many times this morning I prayed that his VISA would be printed correctly by Friday noon as the embassy closes half-day and won’t reopen till Monday, which won’t give us enough time in Congo to get the docs. If this is not resolved asap my plans to fly Tuesday with Didier are in jeopardy as I needed the docs mailed this weekend. Just like Jaime and I waiting for our VISAs to come here 3 weekends ago till the last minute, God again is reminding us He’s in charge and we need to trust him.

Update as of Friday late morning: An hour and a half before the embassy closes for the weekend I got a text from the embassy worker that she needed 2 more passport photos of my child to wrap up the file. This makes it look like I won’t be able to fly out Tuesday as I have no way to mail her pics before Monday and even that will take some significant effort to pull off … after spending $385 yesterday to get flights setup for me and my son Tuesday, this is not the news I was hoping for today, but if it’s God’s will I know he can still make a way for me to leave Tuesday if His providence is kind enough.

I tried to call her back a few times but to no avail so we began driving back to the guest house to get the extra 2 pics I had. I sent the embassy worker a text confirming if she needed two 2x2 pics of Matteus and she texted back, saying “sorry, wrong person!” She then texted back that everything is fine for “Layton baby” and that she can give the docs to Louis today (the guy we wired money to yesterday to overnight the docs to us). Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! And as that song says with those words for the chorus, “… and give Him the glory, great things He has done!”