Finding Your Peace

I think about peace differently than I used to. Before moving to Congo, peace was about finding time in the busy hustle and bustle of life to spend time with family and friends.  Peace was about not being so preoccupied with life that I couldn't enjoy it.  Peace also had a bit to do with contentment and realizing that in Christ, not consumerism, I'd have all that I need.  Having lived in Congo for just under five years now, peace has a different meaning.  For people here, peace is an absence of war and violence.  Peace is not having to frantically sell everything you own to pay a hospital bill so that a family member can receive life-saving care.  Peace is not being afraid of your government and what will happen if you speak too loudly when you express your displeasure with your leaders. 

Even though peace means different things to different people, the truth remains that Christ alone can bring true peace.  In this time of uncertainty or business, worry or restlessness, we are all called to come to Christ as he calls us and proclaims, "you will find rest for your souls." (Mt. 11:29).  Upon visiting a school this weak, one young man proclaimed, "I need peace so that I can go to school." This is true in a place where insecurity causes schools to close for long periods at a time.  This is true in a place where families could never hope to send all their children to school.  For this young man, Christ's peace allows him to have an education.  In what ways do you need the peace (rest) of Christ this advent season?   



Greetings from the village of Kafubu, DR Congo.

Putting Hope In It's Place

Hope is a common theme for Christians this time of year.  My dad, having passed away just over two years ago, is especially on my mind during this time.  When doctors told him that he had no more than a month to live, after no previous sign of illness, you can be sure that his hope wavered.  Two weeks later, after finally making my way back to visit from Congo, we first met up at a local San Antonio restaurant.  Taking no heed of the fact that we were in a public place, my father wept openly as he hugged my neck.  Days later, he confided in me that he thought he would never see me again, and his hope being restored, was now ready to face the hereafter. 

Today in Congo, you might say that people's hope is wavering.  Political uncertainty, economic instability and insecurity due to various rebel groups operating throughout the country have people doubting that God cares for them.  Rogue Christian doctrine tells them that they can control their outcome through witchcraft and that they should put their trust in prophecies for their future.  Amidst these odds, we stand firm and proclaim that our hope is in Christ alone.  We preach the Good News of the Gospel, that as Jesus first came to a world that desperately needed Him, he comes anew to us today.  Our hope stands firm in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, as we wait in anticipation of celebrating his birth and our rebirth as people of HOPE.

Below is a short video greeting from Bethsaida Church of the Nazarene in Lubumbashi, DRC.

Grace, Peace, and Hope to you in this season.

Ten Years on the Journey

Ten years is a long time.  In November 2007, Spiderman, Shrek the 3^rd and Transformers were at the top of the box office.  At this time, there was no such thing as an iPhone and Blackberry seemed to be a space-aged tool even with slow mobile data and its physical keyboard.  A lot can happen, and has happened, over the last decade.  But for us, it’s less about changes in technology or what’s playing at the theaters, but more about what we are seeing and experiencing.

Macy, Jill & Gavin - 2007

Ten years ago, the Lord took us from Kansas City to El Paso, where we worked along both sides of the border, spoke Spanish, and were mostly involved in youth and work teams in our ministry.  Five years ago, the Lord took us from El Paso to Congo where we speak French and barely remember any Spanish.  We move about Central Africa regularly and are involved in developing leaders across four countries. Ten years ago, we traveled 16 hours by car to get to our mission field.  Today, we travel 40 hours by plane.  We first went out with a 10 week old and now have two children, ages 8 and 10.  Our lives have changed so much since we first hit the ground as rookie missionaries.  Adapting to different cultures is not easy to do, especially when they are so vastly different. 

Jill, Connor, Gavin & Macy - 2017

Even though we have multiplied and changed our appearance a bit on the outside, even though our surroundings and areas of ministry have morphed over the years, the biggest transformations have been going on internally.  God has showed us amazing things and stretched us when we needed to grow.  God has humbled us and made us like babies so that we may learn anew.  The Spirit has led us through difficult times and allowed us to experience renewal and strengthening. 

I have so much I would say to our young selves if I could.  I would correct mistakes, teach myself patience, and insist on the importance of prayer just to name a few.  Since that is not a possibility, I will take this moment to give some advice to our next-ten-year-selves:  "Gavin and Jill, this job is about people, so make time for relationships.  Continue to learn as you grow in the faith, into your assignments, and as foreigners in another land.  Spend more time in prayer."

Stories To Tell

I enjoy writing, and I think Gavin would say the same. We love telling the story of what God is doing around us in this different context in which we find ourselves. We love sharing about new things in Central Africa. However, as we drive down the road passing men on bicycles carrying their load of charcoal to sell for the week or stop to purchase bananas from a basket on top of a woman’s head or drive down a bumpy, pot-hole filled, dirt road to get to one of our Nazarene churches or get greeted with kisses on our cheeks, it all seems so natural now. Even our son, Connor, when asked about his favorite food, will say “Fish!” But, he’s not talking about boneless, skinless filets. He’s talking about whole fish, including bones and eyeballs.

So, when we go to tell stories that might capture our reader’s attention, we find it more and more difficult. What can we share about that we haven’t shared before? What new insight did we learn this week? Our vision has become a bit more blurred. The lines of “difference” become a bit harder to see. In fact, you may have to tell us when we are doing something that seems out of place for one culture or the other, because we forget where we are. Now, there are obvious differences between Central Africa and our home of the United States. But, I’m talking about words we might use (open the lights vs. turn on the lights), using a fork and knife (or our hands) simultaneously vs. using a fork and knife then setting our knife to the side, driving a bit crazier and using our horn more vs. calmly waiting on other drivers around us.

Our lives have changed. We’ve adapted. We’ve adjusted. And, I think we’re a bit different.

We’ve owned a monkey.

We have four dogs and three turtles.

We’ve had 23 people in our car…at once.

We eat whole fish with skin, bones and eyeballs.

We’re pretty good at taking bucket baths.

We might be guilty of standing to close to you when we talk.

We show up late on purpose.

Gavin carries five different currencies in his wallet.

We may not have stories to share all the time. But, we love where we are. We love seeing the hand of God move in people’s lives. We can see how God has brought us here, walked with us and continues to lead us. May God give us all the ability to embrace where He’s brought us and the courage to be different for the sake of reaching some with the Gospel.  

Two Differences (guest post by Macy)

I want to talk about the big differences that there are between the United States and Congo. I like to be in Congo because I go to a very nice school that I’ve been in for 5 years and I can speak French (although, this year I will be changing schools). I have lots of friends at my school. I have a best friend and her name is Jessica. But, I also have another best friend, who does homeschool, and her name is Grace. Sometimes, I like to go shopping with my Mom or Dad at the grocery store and little markets where we buy fruits and vegetables. In both places, I play with my brother Connor, although in Congo, I don’t have to share a room with him (thankfully).

My cousin who lives in Oklahoma

I like to go and eat at Panda Express while we’re in the United States. I also like to go to Mexican food restaurants and eat enchiladas, chips and salsa, and warm tortillas (flour, not corn). While in Congo, we mostly eat sandwiches, chicken, rice and fresh vegetables. I enjoy getting to see my grandparents and cousins. People notice me less and I can fade into the background easier in the States, too. However, I do not like the automatic toilets, because it flushes on you and I can’t get away fast enough.

Helping our Dad with a service in the US

When we’re visiting the United States, I enjoy that church isn’t as long as it is in Congo (it’s usually 3 hours long). I enjoy going to Children’s Church and that it’s in English, my first language. In Lubumbashi, it’s mostly in Swahili or sometimes French. But, one thing I like about church in Congo is that choirs of girls, women or boys sing and dance up front.

What I also like about living in Congo is that we have four dogs, two males and two females. We have two German Shepherds, a Great Dane and a dog that is a mix of some kind. Their names are Nala, Bowser, Jupiter and Samson. We’ve also had different sets of puppies that we like to play with.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you found it educational and funny.

Que Dieu vous bénisse,

Macy

Time at the Beach in Mississippi

My cousins who live in Louisiana

Church friends in Lubumbashi

Friends in Lubumbashi

Why General Assembly?

I’m going to get real honest.  I’ve been a Nazarene for nearly all my life and I’ve never quite understood all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the General Assembly and Conventions.  I grew up in a small Nazarene Church that seemed to always be in the shadow of the larger churches around it.  I could tell that they were there, but never really saw them.  I would occasionally hear about quizzing, district events, camp and assemblies, but my little church almost never participated.  I was in college before I realized that most Nazarene Churches thrived on their district community.

Seeing as I didn’t understand the need for district events, you can be sure that I didn’t understand the hullabaloo that surrounded an event such as General Assembly.  There was particular excitement expressed by a small few in our church about the fact that General Assembly would take place in my hometown of San Antonio, in 1997.  Although I enjoyed myself, our youth leader (yes, our youth group had four people and thus needed a leader) had to practically drag me to the NYI convention.  At this moment, I got a small picture of how truly large the Church of the Nazarene was. 

My perspective was broadened and enriched throughout the years and even more profoundly so when we were sent as missionaries to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  I saw how the individual churches, districts, and countries within the Africa Region truly depended on one another. General Assembly was finally starting to make sense.  The entire event is a commitment to being a global church community.  It is a chance for us to see the strengths and weaknesses of our brothers and sisters in Christ so that we may know how to better serve one another.  Yes, it is about the boring business stuff too; the kind of stuff that my teenage mind dreaded so intently.  But I see now just how much it means to be able to do the business of running our church together.

Members of a district assembly in the DRC 

In the DRC, there are more than 22,000 active members in the Church of the Nazarene.  However, finding the funds to send more than a handful of delegates is quite difficult.  In addition, visas are not often granted to Congolese applicants.  This year, we will have only seven delegates, yet they are thrilled and honored to carry the voice of the Congolese Nazarenes to the General Assembly. 

Let’s continue to bring the General Assembly and Conventions before the Lord in prayer; that they would be a means of fellowship for our global community and an avenue to more effectively make Christlike disciples in the nations.

Getting Our Farm On

As a child growing up in suburban San Antonio, TX, I never found agriculture interesting.   My dad was a good gardener and often won our neighborhoods prestigious “Yard of the Month” award several months in a row.  There was even a time when they changed the rules in the neighborhood so that the same house couldn’t win the award multiple months in a row.  In the spirit of full disclosure, the award was just a sign proclaiming that the yard which contained it was indeed the yard of the month, but nevertheless, from this point on, we could only host the sign every other month. Ok, maybe the “award” wasn’t that prestigious, but even at a young age, I could see that the recognition of my father’s hard work meant something to him.  For me at the time, all this meant was that I often had to pick up hedge trimmings, sweep the sidewalk, and help spread mulch.  As I said, I never found agriculture interesting.

I would have never guessed that growing plants and keeping a nice yard (if you notice, I’m doing everything I can to not call this gardening) would become something that I truly loved doing.  While living in the desert terrain of El Paso, TX, my neighbors would jokingly ask what my water bill was or ask what secrets that I was keeping from them.  The truth was that I never spent a lot of money, but could install and maintain sprinklers, usually had the greenest, fullest yard in our neighborhood, and had a variety of nice plants blooming throughout the year.  Somewhere between weed eating and spreading fertilizer, my dad’s skills must have rubbed off on me.  Soon, I was collecting seeds and taking clippings of plants wherever I went.  This has continued up to today, where at my home in Southern DRC, I have plants from all over the Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Togo, South Africa, Jamaica, and the USA. 

I suppose that it could be said that I do today find agriculture interesting, but to be fair, it snuck up on me.  The great climate and otherwise wonderful conditions here in Congo first led me to be interested in bananas and pineapples.  Did you know that if you plant a banana tree, it will sprout new plants and your harvest will grow exponentially?  Did you know that if you twist off the leafy “crown” of your pineapple and haphazardly plant it in the ground, it will grow into a pineapple plant?  These were things that we discovered upon first arriving in Congo over four years ago.  Today, these interests have expanded into raising chickens, pigs, rabbits, goats, guinea pigs, and others.  Together with the local church leaders all around Congo we are also harvesting honey, milk, eggs, and vegetables.  We are farming multiple acres of corn and raising fish in ponds.  We are supplying cane sugar, bananas, and a variety of fruits.  Indeed, we are very interested in agriculture. 

Leafy vegetables sprout near the village of Kiwanja.

A rabbit heads to market from the village of Samba.

Strawberries growing beside watermelon in Lubumbashi.

Peanuts freshly planted in Brazzaville.

50 young trees planted in rows near Lubumbashi.

Here in the DRC, as we struggle to be the church and reach holistic needs of those around us, we discovered that many of our pastors were unable to feed themselves.  So we have encouraged farming and livestock as a way for our pastors and their families to improve their lives.  But we are also partnering with them all over Congo so that their agricultural efforts will feed their neighbors and raise money for building the Church in Central Africa. Please pray with us that the DRC will be able to sustain its growing population of around 80 million people from local resources.  Pray for our agricultural initiatives taking off all across the country.  And pray for the hearts and lives of those who will be touched through these outreach efforts.