Sunday Post

Phil wrote this to me:

I do read the comments people leave on the blog and all emails they send to philincongo@att.net, which are very encouraging to me.

I have posted my notes for Sunday online so you could make a link from our blog so people can read Sunday or even before and feel like they're a little part of what's going on here. Pastor Jerry or whoever's doing announcements could also mention that Sunday since many don't read or blog, though I'm not there in person they can still "hear" (read) their pastor's latest sermon from Africa online by going to our blog link or to http://sermonaudio.com/gcbc (what an amazing thing technology is)!

 Here is the link:

http://media.sermonaudio.com/mediapdf/931131700.pdf

Sunday Recap:

 
Sunday morning Didier shows up a little after 8:00 a.m. at the front door of the place we’re staying and tells me “I have very bad news … all the chairs at church have been stolen.” During the night someone broke the lock to the church (first time ever) and stole all the chairs which were $800 worth of chairs. At the time there was only $157 left in their church fund, so Didier used every resource he had to borrow, rent, and buy some chairs for this week, and I helped him with some personal funds, but if any of the readers of this blog would like to help them purchase more chairs or help in any way to help their church through this huge loss for them, you can contribute via:

Community Bible Church

Check memo line: Compassion for Congo – Didier’s church

5121 Gold Hill Road

Placerville, CA 95667

530 391-6363 (check with Pastor Paul Anthes at this number first to make sure I have this right for church donations)

Church service began about 45 minutes late after we got chairs and people there. Didier prayed for the people who had stolen the chairs, that God would convict them from stealing from a church, and that maybe this would be what God uses for them to come to know Jesus Christ. There was much singing and clapping and swaying and though I didn’t know all the words I was able to join in heartily with “Alleliuia,” “Amen,” and “Jesus ahk-santi” (thank you). Pastor Didier’s leadership and respect by the people was obvious as he directed them and the service and a Swahili-speaking brother next to him interpreted for those who don’t know French as well. Every first Sunday of the month, both Peter’s and Didier’s churches come together and have a combined service and the Lord’s Supper and an agape meal after, which is what we got to experience.

Didier asked Annie to pray for the Lord to forgive us our sins, which she did from her seat, and then he asked a man to pray for the community, I think, and the man stood up and prayed a very passionate and powerful prayer. Then another man stood up and prayed for all the missionaries all around the world. I think there was a reflective song that was then sung, and then everyone prayed all at the same time. It was quite noisy and fervent. Then Didier clapped his hands, and I think then announced that the choir from Peter’s church would do 2 special numbers than the choir from Didier’s church.

Peter’s choir in the black and white matching outfits danced in synchronized choreography and sang in Swahili and they were very good. The choir from Didier’s church in matching flowered dresses sounded better in French than most professional music groups I’ve heard in English in the U.S. – beautiful angelic voices with harmony and intonations I’ve never heard before. As you watch them sing, especially the older girls from Peter’s church, it is clear that this is not a performance for them, their eyes are all upward and singing for the Lord, and the congregation didn’t clap after. 

Josie and I then sang as background vocalists for the 2 guitarists Gabe and Didier, for “Amazing Grace: The Chains Are Gone.” Gabe explained before we sang a little about John Newton’s life as an evil slave trader before God saved him. Then Didier asked if anyone had a praise from the Lord to share. A young man stood up and shared his testimony about how he had been in a car accident that week and how God had spared him.

After we were done I think Didier then said “Now, we get to sing all together as one great choir.” The African drums and other instruments and everything that makes noise was brought out, and much noise and praise was made, and it reminded me of Psalm 150.  I sense as I read that passage that their praise here comes much closer to the biblical calls to worship than our conservative Western traditions. I have some video footage of the service that’s too big to upload that I won’t be able to share till we come back. I felt their service struck a good balance between spontaneity and fervency yet everything done in decency and in order, as Corinthians says.

                                Phil Preaching, Didier translating into French, then into Swahili

Didier then prayed for me to bring God’s Word, and I preached through interpreters, my first time, which I felt God’s blessing and grace upon. It was my first time and the audience was very responsive, and I was told later by Pastor Peter that he appreciated my message and some insights he had never considered before from that chapter, and he was edified. After the sermon we sang another reflective song in preparation of the Lord’s Supper, which took on greater symbolic and spiritual blessing that day in that context. During it the girls choir sang in French a tune we recognized (“Lord we lift your name on high”) so we were able to sing along softly in English. They asked me to do a prayer of dedication for the 3-week old child of Pastor Peter and Dorcas, then I take the child from the father and hand to the mother.

Then we closed in prayer and the pastors exited first and began shaking hands with the first people exiting church and then they stood in line next to us and the next shook our hands and then stood in line and so on until there was a long line and everyone had greeted one another and shook hands. It is their way of fulfilling the repeated Scriptural commands to the churches to “greet one another.”

After the service we had an agape meal and we spent time in fellowship and came home from church around 2:30. In the afternoon we baby-sat all the orphans, Didier’s kids, and other kids who live around the compound at our place. We read some picture books to them (they are so excited to see a book) and gave them sheets to color, which they loved.

Baby Marie-Claire and I actually caught a quick power nap away from the rest while we waited for Mama Annie. In the later afternoon the men Didier is mentoring for ministry sat around and relaxed in the cool of later afternoon talking about the ministry and future visit with Pastor Bob Wheatley while watching the kids play futbol (soccer).

It would be SO great if Zephanie could be adopted by someone in our community so she has some continuity with her friends from here (Loucks/Wilmarths kids) but she is a sweet girl who the pics don't do justice and who needs loving Christian parents and a home.

You could add to my blog that Annie is caring for the orphan babies in the evening (Mark and now just Kivren) and is now "only" waking up a couple times a night to feed the baby. On Sundays she has all the orphans. Didier has gone to the doctor 3x in last 24 hours and will again this afternoon for some treatment, perhaps. He had a high fever last night and headache and gets a little relief from the meds but needs our prayers to sustain him till everything for Wilmarths is done.

Not only did our morning worship remind me of OT Israel, our dinner did as well. A lamb was slain for us … literally, and we ate perhaps a little like the disciples at the “last supper” where Jesus introduced what we call “The Lord’s Supper” after their meal of a slain lamb. After washing each others hands in a basin much like the Jews used to wash each other’s feet at such meal, we sat down to another incredible Congolese meal. Mama Annie is a fabulous cook who learned from her husband Didier who once cooked as a profession for years. We had lamb on white rice with some incredible sauce, okra, foo-foo, and we even had soft-drinks today.  

Saturday Recap

Saturday Recap

Some humorous moments today:

- We saw a mouse in our guest house, and Didier smiled and said “oh, don’t worry about the mouse, they are our friends.” He explained if we see a mouse, that’s good, that means there’s no snake. But he said when they have a big rat in their house, he tells Annie “if you love me, you will kill the rat for me.” He also said Annie is the one who kills the snakes around here. We were in stitches laughing, you had to be there.

- I was apologizing that I didn’t have as nice of clothes to wear on Sunday as he does, and he explained, “that’s ok, in my country, if you are not dressed properly, they say ‘you dress like an American.’” Another one that had us roaring in laughter that you had to be there. He says even he is accused of dressing like an American, though he is always better dressed than us.

- Josie asked to take a picture of a large spider on the wall and when I got close it jumped at me and flew straight at me in flying spider mode! I’m not sure if the attacking spider scared me more or Josie’s high-pitched scream in my ear! It wasn’t humorous at the time but as we rehearse things from our trip they get funnier.

Saturday night Didier told us all his stories of snakes and scorpions and even demonic activity that’s happened in the past in this area … all right before we went to sleep :) Spiritual warfare is very evident to them and we have a greater sense of Ephesians 6 than before. But we slept good because we had a good practice session with Gabe and Didier on the guitars, practicing special music for a quartet he was willing to sing with us at church (Amazing Grace: My Chains Are Gone rendition)

Saturday afternoon had a good brief visit from Brooke who is the U.S. Embassy representative from the capitol who oversees adoptions. She came out to the orphanage compound with 2 colleagues and a bodyguard, and did a tour of Didier’s home and the orphanage and we interacted for 10-15 minutes and then she was off. I think it went well and it will be good for future adoptions I think that she was able to see this place and to be here at the same time as parents who adopted through her (via Didier as power of attorney). Thank you those of you who prayed.

Saturday evening we had a good meal with the bourgmester and his wife at their very nice home and some guests, which we hopefully were a good witness to as we don’t know that any of them are truly born again Christians. Our host is very entrenched in politics but has a real respect for pastors and Christians and made a point to show us his Bible that he keeps at his desk. He and his wife are very gracious hosts, and the meal was a fabulous fit for an African king. This was also a very big personal connection for Pastor Didier and for the future of the orphanage, as the bourgmester is the key player in any adoptions in this part of the city, so we praise the Lord for that. His wife’s sister is 19 and plays basketball on the Congolese national team, and is about 6’2”, much taller than most men in this country. She hopes to be able to travel abroad and play internationally (anyone know an agent ? :)

Didier’s has written over 30 songs. This is one he wrote in Swahili when Pastor Duggar’s 11-year-old son died (at Jim Hagen’s church in Idaho). This is the song Didier and Peter sang at my son’s graveside Wednesday, which you can see in the pics from that day. This song is related to Revelation 14:13, translated into English by Didier last night for me:

            I do not know the day of my death (repeat 3x)

            So I need to get ready

            When I go I will go alone (repeat 3x)

            But my deeds, good or bad, will follow after me

            I do not know the day of my death (repeat 3x)

            Whether day or night I don’t know, so I need to get ready

While I’m alive I need to receive Jesus into my heart

So when I die He will take me with Him

I wept as I heard him translate it last night, and have been singing the song to myself over and over again since, as the song in my heart. 

                                       Pastor Peter and His Wife Dorcus Singing Didier's song

Friday (part deux)

Friday was a good day in God’s grace. Work continued on the brick garden structures, digging and beginning to lay the corners and bricks, mix and make mortar, etc., thanks to the help of a strong hard-working man named Emery who also helps out with the ministry. The young boys who hang around us we were happy to put to work, too.

A man also started plastering and priming the wall of the orphanage big room so that we can begin painting to add some color and fun painting of animals, flowers, grass, a happy sun, etc.

Didier’s daughter Elyse is especially excited about bubbles

We hope to be able to get them a 2-burner gas cook-top for Didier’s house and to share with the orphanage (think camping stove but a little better) some time next week but they’re out of stock right now. There are many things we would like to do that we may not have time to, as things take a long time here (running a few errands in town before you know it, it’s 3 or 4 in the afternoon). Josie had a great time teaching Annie, Didier’s wife, how to make jewelry necklaces and earrings, which they loved (here is Annie and her daughters Elyse and Mary).

The Congolese are very hard-working people. This morning as I came out to the porch of the guest house, I saw a mom carrying a 5-gallon bucket of water on her head and another in her arm with a baby on her back in an African wrap that they wear here. Each morning each family carries multiple water containers to the nearest well or water source, fills them up, and then hauls the very heavy water containers back to their place. Gabe and I got to help do the well and water process which is much more grueling than the way most begin their days in America. The well that GCBC helped purchase is a great help to them, and it was neat to see the fruit of our gifts in action and to get to partake (us Americans are playing it safe though with only bottled water for drinking and using water for other things). Their rolling cart got stolen, I guess, so they carry big water jugs by hand, and when you don’t have running water or electricity you realize how much of the world is like and how much hard work the things we take for granted can be.

They don’t eat very much or drink much, usually just one meal a day. To get hot water can take up to an hour to get their little fires going and water boiling, so it is humbling the hard work they do to get their guests warm water each night for their baths and to cook us a meal that is bigger and better than what they cook for themselves. Each day Annie goes into town mostly to buy food for the day (as they have no electricity for refrigerator and it’s expensive to run the generator even 2-3 hours a night). She also spends most of the late afternoon preparing dinner for us and her family, and on Sunday morning rises extra early to prepare meals for the potluck after church, on the day she’s also watching the orphans as Sunday is Mama Angelique’s day off. What gracious and hospitable people!

They have already been a living sermon to me before Sunday of 1 Peter 4:9-11:

Be hospitable to one another without complaint … serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God … whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Our first night here before dinner Didier explained, “I need to wash your hands.” When all you have is a basin and bucket with water it’s hard to wash and soap your hands so they wash each other’s hands (wet them, soap them, rub together, and then they pour water on your hands). It was humbling to have him do that for me, but it was also a good reminder of what our Lord did in washing the disciples’ feet, and it showed to me the way the Lord’s servant Didier is following that example, which is an example for us.

This is what Josie wrote in her blog yesterday, which gives a woman’s perspective:

I ‘helped’ Annie in the kitchen which just meant keeping her company as she cooked while holding a flash light.  Seeing first hand how she cooks is truly humbling.  They eat one big meal a day which takes about 2 hours to prepare because everything is made from scratch.  They also have to shop just about everyday because they don’t have a fridge to keep things cold.  Before they bought their van through the collaboration of a few churches [including GCBC], they walked just about 2 hours every day ONE way to buy the groceries (and then of course haul them back).  Life is so hard for some… 

Back to the cooking, she heats up her water and cooks with coals that she has to prepare daily.  The cook-top of coals sit on the floor as do her pots.  As twilight crept upon us and it began to get dark, she turned on a small flashlight/lantern.  It barely lit up the room.  She essentially cooks in the dark.  We are hoping to go into town soon to see what we can do about buying them a gas cook-top and maybe a propane lantern.  They seemed really excited at the prospect. It’s pricey to start up but we have gift money from church people to help them with that and hopefully it won’t be too much more expensive over the course of a year than coal and will save Annie much time. What hard working people! 

For dinner, Annie prepared an absolutely delicious meal that would easily rival Julia Child’s best.  We had stewed beef with such an amazing flavor made with chopped vegetables and green beans on the side.  Rice and foo foo were served as well.  I had heard of this mysterious food and was quite curious.  I watched her make the foo foo and it is basically these smooth baseball sized balls made of corn and white flours added to first luke warm water then brought to a boil.  She had a special mixing technique with a giant wooden spoon that she used to mix the flour mixture after it had boiled.  She held the bowl with her feet and so gracefully stirred.  It was pretty fascinating.”

Prayer Updates:

- Praise the Lord the Wilmarth twin Visas are finally done by U.S. Embassy and will be hand-delivered by a DHL guy who we’ll meet at the airport Monday!

- Pray for Pastor Didier who went to the doctor Friday night and will go again Saturday morning for blood tests to find out how his fight with malaria is going or if he has something else that has been bothering him. He has been working so hard non-stop to get orphans adopted in the last many weeks and he rarely stops or rests and we pray for wisdom for the doctor Saturday moment in treating him so he can get relief

- Pray for Pastor Didier who is applying for a Visa to visit the U.S. again, but it is hard for the Congolese to get short-term Visas

- Today (Saturday) we are meeting someone from the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa (the capitol) who is in town and had sent her condolences and also offered to meet us and see the orphanage. Please pray for this and that this will be another providential and profitable meeting for the orphanage and for the good of future adoptions

- Tonight we go to dinner at the Bourgmaster’s house and we pray the same for that time as well

- Pray that as I preach at church tomorrow that I would be able to encourage the brethren though I can’t speak their language (Pastor Didier will be translating in French each line, followed by Pastor Peter translating into Swahili)

Here’s the end of day Friday

Friday

Lubumbashi, Fri – Sep 2

This place is starting to feel like home, a little.  We love Didier and his family and their neighbors though longing for our high tech world in ways.  You know, all those high tech things; like running water, valves, toilets that flush with a lever, a toilet seat that isn’t broken in half with no hinge that falls off if you don’t sit on it just right in the middle of night. 

We do love these people though.  What humility and simplicity.  Their expectations are very low and they are just happy to see you.  The highlights of the day are things that we take for granted.  This gives me lots to think about when I consider the life of luxury I live.  I’m going to think about everything differently after this trip.

Last night we gave the children, 10 of them, glow sticks that make bracelets.  They’d never seen anything like that before.  It was fun to watch them swinging their bracelet laden arms glowing with light and hear their voices laughing with glee as they danced around the dark central room in the orphanage.

Today we went to town again to run some errands.  While there we received a call from the Embassy saying that the children’s Visas were ready for pick-up.  What an answer to prayer.  We should have them in our hands on Monday after they make a trip via DHL.  All that should be required is one office visit next week and then we can bring the kids home.  Please pray to that end.

We also got the garden beds started.  Hopefully they will be near the end of construction in a couple of days.  While working we had about 12 boys standing around us watching and “helping”.  I think this was the most exciting event of the month.

Josie spent time today with Annie (Didier’s wife) teaching her to make jewelry.  She had a fabulous time, was very proud of her first necklace and would like a second lesson tomorrow. 

(Gabe and Josie wrote this)

Brandon and Kara are extremely cute and run up to us every day exclaiming “daddy” and “mama”.  We have been told that sometimes adopted children will cry a lot as they are adjusting to a new family.  Kara will be one to fall into that category.  Both children are old enough to remember quite a bit of detail.  Maybe one day they will express it to us.  For now we can expect to see more of what Kara did today.  On two occasions Kara sat in laps, first in Josie’s lap and then mine, and began to slowly break down into a full cry.  We’ll be praying for her a lot as her parents.  I feel bad for the poor girl.  Brandon fell asleep in Josie’s lap tonight, to her delight, leaning on her chest.  I think he will respond differently to the changes but not necessarily with less heartache, just a different expression of it.  He is a very analytical boy and seems to process information in a systematic way.  He’ll make a very organized Wilmarth male, like the rest of us.

Tomorrow we meet with Brooke from the U.S. embassy.  I don’t know her title but she is an administrator of sorts over adoptions.  She wants to see the orphanage and meet with us.  Pray that our interactions will influence future adoptions in a positive way.  Also we will be going to dinner at the home of the Bourgemestre who is the district “overseer”, kind of like a mayor of a region within this big city.  He is in charge of orphans in his district and is beginning to really trust Didier and his orphanage and use them more.  He was glad to know that the adoptive families of these children are real people and that we are Christians and that we have a desire to care for and love them.

Also, potential ministry idea.  There is a new school that is almost done being built down the road.  It is a Christian school and looks nicer that most of the schools in America.  It costs $35 per month for a child to attend.  There are no public schools in the Congo, so if you are too poor to pay you don’t get to go.  Most people here are too poor.  It would be fun to sponsor a child who would like to go to school.

Wilmarths Post

All you ladies reading need to read this post by my friend Josie.  Our lives are so easy!
http://wilmarthjourney.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html

Thursday Recap

Thursday morning I awoke after amazingly actually sleeping 7 hours straight (12:30-7:30 a.m.), something to praise God for and not take for granted since it’s been a week since I’ve had that privilege. My stomach feels better and my soul feels good today as well. Here are some highlight pictures of the last day or two.

Little children with irresistible smiling faces began showing up around our place, hoping we would give them a cracker or something (which we did). Some of them call me “daddy” but I am not sure if they think that is English for “pick me up” because some of the same kids say the same to Gabe (which we did … pick them up that is). How can you resist these faces of kids in the community? I love how dirt on their face doesn’t stop them from smiling :)

Here is a picture of a beautiful young girl and her brother that I’m throwing in just because I like it so much (I don’t know if they are a part of the church community or just passing through, but sure are cute!)

This morning we met Peter’s wife Dorcas and their precious 2-week-old baby who we got to see while she was asleep. We have heard her sweet cry in the morning. We have seen more of her sister Diveen (in purple) who has been staying with her to help with the baby. The man standing to the right of below picture I think is named Stephan and may be related to them as well, but don’t quote me on that. Their beautiful son Nathan is in the front.

I also met that man’s sweet wife and kids who live within a few thousand yards and this is their house which doubles as a pharmacy. The little guy he’s holding was hiding behind mom’s skirt for the pic and he had to pick him up.

I like the symbolic nature of this picture of Kara with Didier on the left who has been her only father figure, one who would have otherwise been a fatherless orphan, now in the hand of her father on the right, which gives Didier such great joy.

Psalm 68:5-6 “A father to the fatherless … God makes a home for the lonely” (NASB, NIV “God sets the lonely in families”)

What an orphanage and ministry and heart Didier has, reflecting the heart of God! The sacrificial self-denying love he has given our family and these other families is truly an inspiration that I would love to share with any of you further sometime if you ask and want to learn more about this ministry.

To help the orphanage with our spare time (that has been limited thus far), Gabe and I began planning the garden project with the help of some of the men here who we met. We have 1,000 bricks to make 4 large raised garden beds (20 feet by 5 feet, 2 feet high) and planned and prepped them, and began some work after we were already quite sweaty from a soccer game with some of the kids pictured above, some of whom are much more skilled than Gabe and I, including an amazing goalie who looked like he was 8 years old, but played like he was on the national team. Several amazing diving saves he made of Sports-center quality. When they scored a goal, some of the kids would celebrate by plopping in the dirt and pumping both arms to make themselves bounce around on their bottom on the ground, stirring up lots of dust, and making us Americans laugh. We made them laugh when I caught a ball between my knees and when Gabe took his hat off to head a ball another time, they roared with laughter.

The most important thing we did today was visit the bourgmaster’s office. He is the man without whom none of the adoptions through Didier’s orphanage could happen, the one who signs papers, approves whether or not a child can go to an orphanage or to parents, etc. (I think he’s somewhat like the mayor but the judge has higher jurisdiction). We got to thank him for allowing Stuart and Jennifer to adopt Jamie and Jordan (who both the Wilmarths and us know and are friends with) and the adoptions he allowed for us as well. We also told him much about the U.S. Adoption process and how much we love and trust Didier and how he is doing this as a labor of love, not asking for money or anything in return for himself, but seeking to get orphans into Christian homes in the U.S. It’s hard to explain by email how huge this meeting was potentially for the orphanage in a positive way, but it was what I had been praying for this whole trip, a lasting impact for the good of many families and adoptions in the future, and I sensed it was. Didier told me the bourgmaster was so happy to hear that Joseph’s (Mark) father was coming and is looking into ways he can help others adopting infants in the future – I think it really touched him for me and the Wilmarths to be there, and it was important for him to have a personal connection with real American families who thanked him for what he was doing and any help he can provide in the future to Didier. He invited us and Didier’s family to dinner at his house Saturday night, which I also sensed was huge. This was a big answer to prayer and may be one of the most significant events for the orphanage, thank you Lord.

Tuesday Recap (Ethiopia)

Going Back a few days:

Tuesday Recap in More Detail

Ethiopia was cooler than I expected for Africa in the summer but I guess that is normal there. It reminded me of Baguio in the Philippines, including the traffic and landscape, unfinished buildings, poverty on the side of the road and pedestrians all over the road, high-rise hotels next to squatter communities (tiny ply-wall houses), and a Mercedes Benz swerving around the guy walking his water buffalo in front of the hotel. As the old song says “everybody’s got a water buffalo” … more true in some countries than others.

We rose early Tuesday to the noise of what Gabe thought sounded like bombs going off, which we later found out was fireworks for a Muslim holiday (thankfully not explosives). During the dark hours you can hear an announcer to a soccer game in the heart of the city, and other festive things on a PA system that remind me of the Philippines. I don’t know if they did calls to prayer in the morning, but we did get a wake-up call from the hotel front desk, scarfed down breakfast and managed to get the last seat on the shuttle to the airport, our biological clocks still off from jet lag and time zone changes (getting more than 5 hours straight sleep hasn’t happened yet for any of us I think). We exited the hotel past lion and cheetah (stuffed and in glass cases in the entryway) and rode to the airport with a nice Congolese lady heading back to her country to work with the elections. She explained to us some of the political dynamics in Congo and was kind enough to help us learn some Swahili (I think she spoke 6 languages or so, similar to Didier). There are many more Muslims in Ethiopia than in Congo.

In the airport I noticed an interesting sign right next to the Restroom sign “Prayer Room for Females.” There was also one for Males, but I guessed my non-Muslim garb and God may not be what they had in mind, so I decided to do my prayer elsewhere while sipping Ethiopian coffee, which is excellent.

The national soccer team of Ethiopia was going through security with us, and Gabe explained to one guy who asked about the guitar that he played Christian music on it, music about Jesus Christ. On the flight, God’s providence allowed each of us to have an exit row seat in 3 different rows for extra leg room and each of us were in the middle seat of our row and able to share about our trip and about Christ with different people. I had printed out the Powerpoint slides of my great-grandfather’s story in Congo (see 8/23 blog post) and was able to share the story and gospel and what it can do with my row mates, while I heard Gabe also speaking a lot about Christ behind me to an African man. A young lady from mainland China on my right not only listened with great interest to my story, but she literally read along with me the entire sermon notes I was writing on my laptop for what I will preach on 9/4/11 in Congo, and I gave commentary and explanation to her along the way and was able to explain the gospel and adoption in ways she had never heard before. I felt like Philip on a “flying chariot” of Ethiopia (Acts 8) explaining Christ to one on the way to Africa.


We touched down for a brief layover in Malawi, which has a landscape you expect to see Simba and Nala and young warthogs in (Lion King, for those of you who don’t have children). Then the final leg of our trip brought us to our final destination. We began this journey at 5:00 a.m. Saturday 8/27 California time, and finally arrived in Lubumbashi, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Congo time Tuesday afternoon. A grinning open-armed Didier greeted us with a warm Christian embrace and wonderful words in his thick African accent: “welcome friends, to the other side of the ocean.”

The airport is quite chaotic getting through customs and getting out with your bags, but Didier has a friend who works there who escorted us through the mobs out to the parking lot for an unforgettable moment where Josie and Gabe first embraced their twins Kara and Brandon (Gabe and Kara on right below and Josie and Brandon on left).

                                                   Phil, Josie Brandon, Kara and Gabe

                               Happy Boy in his Daddy's Arms, how can you resist loving him!?!

Somehow all of us and Didier and Annie and their 6 kids, the twins, and baby Marie-Claire (Kivren), and our massive luggage all fit in their van. Some things we’re getting used to in Congo:

-          steering wheel on right side of cars

-          pedestrians all over the road, no sidewalks and no one looking where they’re going, walking with their back to you, and your van consistently seems to just miss many by inches

-          parking in front of the mayor’s office and the business building 20 yards away says on its sign in big red letters “Al-Qaida” (I decided not to hang my American face out the window while we waited for Didier to come back to the car :)

-          no toilet paper or toilet seats except in the nice bank or places in town (which makes things complicated when you don’t have Imodium with you and ate some vegetables you probably shouldn’t have the day before)

-          driving over ditches when you park

-          dirt roads that are more like dried out river beds but with more potholes than typical ditches

-          markets that feature large octopus as you walk in

-          pharmacies that are little tin shacks

-          incredible kids who love you and swarm you, especially if you just pumped up a soccer ball and gave it to them

                          Brandon on right, Anita (Didier’s daughter on left, my buddy since I’ve gotten here)

Wednesday

Wednesday Recap

It’s after 9 on Wednesday 8/31 here and though we don’t have any electricity or running water our gracious hosts provided us a generator to run a couple hours a day to charge our computers and gadgets plus a bucket of warm water to bathe with which I just took advantage of (it’s a somewhat complicated process that we don’t need to get into here). Last night I spent writing the tribute to our son and tonight after a full day I have a little time to write a little more about today.

Didier and I had some good conversations last night where I opened up to him and shared some of my feelings and heart to him regarding the loss of my son and some of his story and the story of Joseph and Mark that was posted previously on this blog. He is a tender and sensitive shepherd who I felt bad to make cry and told him this morning I was sorry if I made him sad last night when I started weeping unexpectedly. I told him this morning I want him to have joy in the Lord with me, and that we can be sorrowful yet always rejoicing, not grieving like the rest of the world does who have no hope. Josie helped share the story of Mark Joseph’s name and our family heritage (previous blogs) with Annie on the drive as she speaks mostly French, and she got to see Mark’s American family in a photo album we made for her, a bookmark someone at church made in memory of Mark, and a letter Jaime wrote her thanking her for being such a wonderful mother and not to lose heart. I later got to show Didier the same pictures.

Today we visited the Amani orphanage in town, the place where the Wilmarth’s twins were abandoned. Someday I hope to upload a song the girls at that orphange sang for us. We were blessed to begin to give gifts to the orphanage and Didier’s kids to priceless smiles. I also got to hold baby Marie-Claire / Kivren, who they call “Beni” (blessed) who is blessed to be in the process of adoption for another godly couple.

I was also blessed to get to hold my son’s casket, another one who was blessed “of God” (the meaning of his Swahili name Waleza). It was an honor for me to ride in the back of the van with him, to carry him with Pastor Peter, and to bury him myself. I had written out words to share but they were left behind in the car and God gave me grace to share verbally from the heart at the graveside everything from it I felt was important to share, and to urge any onlookers who didn’t know Christ to trust Him today. I didn’t completely lose it until I said the words at the end “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” with perhaps some of the emotion Job had when he said those words by the grace of God.

Didier and Peter then sang a beautiful song, during which by God’s grace I was able to focus on and comfort Annie more than needing comfort, and beyond my hugs and love, the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 was there in His amazing mercy. Not only is there peace and comfort, there is a joy set before us. My tears that had washed over the casket earlier in the car were now wiped away by God, and as I knelt to kiss and embrace the son I never got to hold, God’s Son was doing even more for me, to Him be the glory.

                                                  Pastor Peter and Pastor Didier singing

Other Evidences of God’s Mercies Being New This Morning:

-          we woke to beautiful African choral music in their sunrise chapel service some 50 yards away

-          the Scripture I had been meditating on last night, Psalm 139:7-16, was playing on Didier’s car stereo as he turned it on for our ride this morning

-          in the Internet café, I noticed a sign above the exit with the words in big letters “God is good all the time.” That certainly proved true today.

It’s nearly midnight now and there’s more to the story but that’s where I must end for now. Please continue to pray … God is working and answering prayers. Pray that Josie and Gabe can get their documents from the embassy very soon (perhaps finalized tomorrow or Friday?). A burden is lifted, and I am ready by God’s grace for what he has for us next to do, in the next page of this chapter. After reading this, I hope you will open your Bible and read Ephesians 3:14-21 and pray for us in light of that passage. There will be more new mercies tomorrow morning (and every morning) from our God of immeasurable love who strengthens the inner man and is able to do exceedingly immeasurably beyond all we ask or think, to Him be the glory.

A Dad's Memorial of a Son he Never Knew

My memorial to my son for the graveside service 8-31-2011 in Lubumbashi, Congo

MARK JOSEPH WALEZA LAYTON (5/20/11-8/24/11)

I didn’t realize how much I could love someone I’ve never seen in person or touched physically. But as Christians we understand our greatest love is for someone we’ve never seen or touched physically – the Lord – and His greater live is present here in great ways.

Each part of our son’s name speaks of God’s grace:

LAYTON

-          he had our name on him since right after he was born

-          he never had another family name

-          he never lived in America but touched many lives in America

-          he had the same last name as my great-grandfather Edwin Layton who was a missionary to the Congo in the 1900s

JOSEPH

-          named after young boy in Congo who Edwin Layton knew and who God used in amazing ways in 1900s in the Congo church (see blog post on 8/23 for more of his amazing story, one of the great stories of missions of its time)

-          that young Joseph died in 1907 but “his works live after him” (Edwin Layton’s memoirs), a short life with lasting impact

-          the biblical Joseph in the Old Testament lived on the African continent and had 2 African-born sons that were adopted in Israel

-          the biblical Joseph in the New Testament was the “adoptive” father of Jesus, his legal father, though not biologically (the legal ancestry of Messiah was very important)

MARK

-          we didn’t know this when we chose this name but Mark was the name of another important young man in Congo church history, one of their first native evangelists (Mark Njoji, see pictures below)

WALEZA

-          Congolese name chosen by Didier, the same name of one of his sons I met today, meaning “of God”

-          Waleza was certainly a gift “of God” (Psalm 127:3)

-          Waleza was always in the special care “of God” (Psalm 139:12-15) and His days were ordained “of God” (Psalm 139:16)

-          We share David’s hope that his son was elected to pass into the presence “of God” where we too will go to him someday though he can’t come to me (2 Samuel 12:22-24), basing our hope not in sentimental feelings but on the sovereign grace and goodness “of God” (Romans 5:6, 8:28-32) to helpless ones such as us

-          We lean on the special care of our Savior to little ones, our Savior who said the kingdom “of God” belongs to “such as these” (Mark 10:13-16, which we must realize is a picture of how all of us are spiritually to enter heaven, helpless, hopeless, dependent, unable to do anything to save ourselves)

A BRIEF LIFE BUT A BLESSED LIFE

- Born into this world May 20, 2011 in Lubumbashi

- Brought into the care of Kitumaini Orphanage right away

- Legally adopted by Phil and Jaime Layton on 6/17/11

- He was never an orphan; he was always in a family

- he knew the loving arms of a mother his whole life (some children never have a loving parent, he had several)

            - Annie Mukotshi told us she would care for him as her own son and she did

- he was loved and cared for by Didier and his wife and Annie, their family, Angelique and her daughter Gracia, and the Kitumaini kids and community

- he had parents in America that loved him more than words can tell

- his 2-year-old white brother Adam knew Mark’s name and picture and smiled when he saw it

- his 5-year-old sister Georgia called him “Marky” and one time when daddy came home from work asked “where’s Marky” (wondering why I hadn’t brought him home yet in the time I was at work ;)

- his 7-year-old sister Annalee would have been the best 7-year-old mommy ever

- his 8-year-old sister Ella loved Mark as much as humanly possible for an 8-year-old to love a brother she’d never met

- above all, he was loved by our Heavenly Father, who knows the pain of giving up His Beloved Son (John 3:16), so that all His adopted children (“whosoever believes”) in Christ shall not perish but rather will share God’s life and infinite love eternally

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

                                                     

                                                                        

                                                                            

                                           

Please keep Phil in prayer.  He is going to be burying our son very soon. It has been planned to be done on Wednesday.  I wish I was there to hold his hand.

Some people from outside the church to be praying for:

- Brooke from embassy is travelling in Lubumbashi this week and we hope she can visit the orphanage and meet us which could be good for future adoptions

- At Mark’s funeral Wednesday will be Mr. Etienne (from another orphanage in town, the one who brought the Wilmarth’s twins to Didier and has been a great help to him)

- Mr. Kantenga (the social man from the municipality)

The Rugged Road Made Smooth

I have not heard from Phil yet... I am sure he is in Lubumbashi.  It is hard not having constant contact.  We have gotten so used to instant access to whatever we want.  It is a good time to wait, trust, and PRAY! 

I was reading the other day and, as usual, the verse was so applicable to where we are at:

"I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know, I will guide them.
I will make darkness into light before them and rugged spaces into plains."  Isaiah 42:16

Even though we read through the Bible, there are so many truths to discover and re-discover!  His mercies are new every day!  He makes the rugged, bumpy road smooth!

http://www.youtube.com/user/liveoakhome#p/a/FB8F06DE98109E1C/0/B6MBI4d6i0o


Where is the goodness of God in trials, in losing loved ones? How can a good God ...? This message was preached on 4/13/2007 and edited for radio in early 8/2011. In God's providence it is playing on the radio the day before Pastor Phil is burying his son Mark Joseph in Congo and trusting the truths of this precious passage from God's Word.

I. God is Faithful (v. 22-24)

II. God is Good (v. 25)

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sid=82511024441

About to fly...again!

A picture of the Ethiopian Airport

Phil and Gabe at the Smithsonian during their three hour delay.  This is a Enola Gay (B-29 bomber)- the uranium for the bomb was from Congo...

Blackbird SR-71

Congo is one of the richest African countries in natural rescources. 

They should be sitting on the plane about to take off from Addis Ababa... Hope I have an email from Lubumbashi in the morning!