A letter from Bob and Kristi Rice in Congo
January 2011
Dear Friends,
January 1 is “women’s day” for the CPC. Mama Chantal, center, preached the sermon at their church on New Year’s Day.
On New Year’s Day 2011, we worshipped at church, as most Christians in Kananga do. We thanked God for his protection and presence in the past year and celebrated the gift of life as we begin a new year. After church we walked the dusty road to the bus stop and found a mini-bus willing to squeeze in two more people. “Muambi Disanka,” (Bob’s Tshiluba name) the bus driver greeted us, “You haven’t been on my bus for awhile! Where have you been?” A quarter-mile down the road the side door of the bus began to open. Bob, the closest to the door, grabbed it and tried to shut it. The rickety door promptly fell out of it’s track, and one corner skidded on the pavement as Bob tried to hold it in place. Stopping, the conductor came around, took off the door, and threw it on the roof of the bus. We rode the rest of the way in an open-sided mini-bus, which did not seem very surprising to any of the passengers. I was struck with the thought — “How is it that riding in a mini-bus crammed with 30 people and a door that falls off feels normal? How did we get here??”
One year ago, on January 4, 2010, we flew to Toronto to begin our orientation for serving in Congo. We were excited and nervous, with so many questions and unknowns about life in Congo. We knew then that our first year (at least!) would be consumed with learning — Tshiluba, culture, the structure of the church and figuring out how to “make life work in a very different place. Indeed many times we have felt and said that we had to become like children again — dependent on others to help us learn everything about how to live in our environment. Sometimes life in Kananga feels so different from what we have known in the U.S. — I ponder how we can be on the same planet!
One of our biggest tasks this last year was learning Tshiluba, the language of Kasai. Tshiluba and English are about as different as two languages can be. Tshiluba is a tonal language with eight noun-classes, where a verb and pronouns for a subject, object and indirect object can all be contained in one word. We are encouraged to be at the point of being conversant, but we keep climbing up the mountain towards really feeling comfortable with communication. One aspect that we appreciate is being able to pray for people in Tshiluba — a rewarding challenge!
As we adjust to life in Kananga, we really appreciate the warm, community-oriented culture of Kasai. Sometimes though, the feelings of social pressure and unpredictability have been overwhelming, and we are brought to tears, feeling as if nothing makes sense. Slowly, with fits and starts, we are feeling at home in Kananga and connected in the community.
From left, Simon, Henry and Kristi at a visit to Henry’s house. Simon has been our guide to visit many church members in our neighborhood!
I recall one evening when we had gone to worship with a small group in our neighborhood. We showed up at Simon’s house a little early, because we wanted to visit and pray for Mamu Bambi, whose brother-in-law had recently died. In the process of leading us to the house where the meeting was, Simon stopped at a few houses where a person was sick and asked us to pray for them. This was a meaningful experience for us of being drawn in to the lives of these members of our church community. The fact that Simon and others knew who was sick in their neighborhood and took the time to visit and pray with them demonstrated to us the care and concern that characterizes the church community here.
Another aim has been to learn about our partner church, the Communaute Presbyterienne au Congo (CPC). Given the challenges of communication and travel in this region, a denomination of nearly 3 million members is not easy to keep track of! We have really appreciated getting to know some of the leadership this year, and sense their heart to see people’s lives holistically transformed. We have been struck with the time and energy people invest in worship. We have been encouraged to see firsthand some of the agricultural development, all-night prayer meetings and education of children that are taking place through the church. For most people around us, faith is not taken lightly, as they know that only God is big enough to solve the problems around them.
Understanding the vision, strengths and needs of the CPC is one of our primary goals for this next year. We did not come to set our own agenda or suggest priorities, although when we are surrounded by so many needs and requests it is tempting to do so! We request your prayers as we discern the best ways we can come alongside the CPC. Given the cultural gulf, even small decisions are not very clear cut concerning what would be the best action to take. We long to see continued growth and maturity in the church, and improvement in the living standards in this region. This month (January) we are planning to visit some of the rural villages in Kasai. A great percentage of the church is in the rural regions, and these places often feel neglected and overlooked compared to the city. Please pray that God opens our eyes to see how He is at work in these distant places.
We look forward to what God wants to do this year in Congo! We are learning that hope does not come easily here, but we know that God has a history of doing amazing things in “hopeless” situations when we trust in Him. We appreciate the faith and resilience among the Congolese, which is all the more evident in the challenging environment of Kasai. Please pray with us for faith and hope amongst the men, women and children of Congo.
In Christ,
Bob and Kristi
The 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 61
