Internally Displaced

 

     I thought I would take a break from discussing the tragedies we witness in the lives of some of the Congolese we see, and show you the great time I've had sharing the experience of flying here with my mom, dad, Dawn, Talia, and Brady (although Charlie asks me almost everyday if he can come with me, I'm not yet sure how to adequately contain a two-year-old at 10,000 feet...there are all kinds of scenarios I see him taking advantage of while I've got my hands tied in the front...so, not yet Charlie).  I was litereally in the middle of putting some pictures together, when the tragic unrest arrived at our front door.

     The rebel militia who call themselves "Bakata Katanga" (meaning "Cut Katanga"...they want succession) came into town on Saturday apparently seeking political demands.  One of their 3 routes they chose to take into the city center was by our house where the military happened to encounter them.  The clash was short-lived and we camped out in the hallway just to make sure we were out of the way.  And then had a slumber party in Mommy and Daddy's room that night.  To this idea Brady said, "this is the best day ever!" 

      

    
     All of us are doing very well, but as a precaution due to further rumors and threats, we have decided to take ourselves and our airplanes away from Lubumbashi for a little while. We leave in the morning with Nate and Terra's family for the town of Kamina where Nate will drop off the small plane.  Then we'll all continue on together to Kinshasa in the Caravan.
     It has struck us how fortunate we are.  Even in circumstances where we become "internally displaced" due to rebels, we can just fly away.  Hundreds of thousands of others here in Congo are currently living as Internally Displaced People (IDP).  But, when they get displaced from rebel and/or military activities, they run literally on foot into the bush where they have to scrap together sticks for shelter, and have to find a way to feed their families and avoid cholera and other diseases that arise from such conditions.
     We were planning on being in Kinshasa next week anyway for a family conference with the West DRC MAF team.  And, although it is very discouraging to cancel flights here, God may have just had other plans for the plane since Kinshasa's Caravan is down for maintenance right now and there is a line-up of flights that our plane can jump into now to accomplish there.  We are hoping to be back in Lubumbashi on April 8th...but we'll see.
    In all, God is good and He is sovereign despite all the effects of a sin-cursed world.  Please take a minute to pray for those who are living right now, in Congo's bush, not knowing how or when they will make it back home...or even through the next few days.
    Thanks to all of you praying and being with us in all God brings our way.