Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Road Trip: Congo Style


Dr. Tim Rice writes, "Since we had some recovery/preparation time between medical missions teams, we thought that we should make the day long drive from Vanga to Kinshasa instead of the 1.5 hour Mission Aviation Fellowship flight.    
"Katherine Niles, a veteran International Ministries missionary and former resident in Vanga, discussed two options. The first was the usual way the Congolese make the trip: the first day take a transport SUV 75 km south to the nearest city, Kikwit.  Next, look for an express van or bus going to Kinshasa.  They would leave the following day for Kinshasa, making this option a two or more day trip. 
"The second option, which is the one we took, was to “let it be known” that we were getting a group together to go directly from Vanga to Kinshasa and ask Mr. DeGaulle (same name as the Paris Airport) if he would make the trip.  Mr. DeGaulle is a successful proprietor of Vanga who frequently makes the trip between these two cities with a Land Cruiser full(!) of people and goods.  We were told that sometimes the goods piled high on top of the SUV include a goat, to be sold at market, strapped to the top.
Carrying footlockers to meet the SUV





"We met the cool-headed Congolese driver, Mr DeGaulle, wearing a wide-brimmed soft hat as he was supervising the workers loading the top of his Toyota Land Cruiser. 

The rig was piled high with items bound for Kinshasa. Our suitcases were on extention boards behind the main tarp covered luggage.
  "At a couple of police checkpoints, our driver calmly and carefully explained that this was a missions group (not mentioned: the passengers were all paying customers) and were carrying items for the mission team (not mentioned: the sacks of Cassava and other items being shipped to Kinshasa, commercial items).  The police at the checkpoints were checking to be sure the driver had paid the $50 commercial toll to use the road from Kikwit to Kinshasa.  Once they looked over the drivers receipts, they were satisfied and let us go.  I saw a little “small change” pass between the driver and the officer so he could “buy himself a bottle of water on such a hot day.”
"The 75 km portion of the trip from Vanga to the main road was like 4-wheel driving (literally) on sand dunes.  Erosion is a terrible problem during the rainy season, leaving deeply etched gullies in the terrain.  The road at times traveled through steep vertical cliffs of sand left by the rains.  As the road begin a sharp descent, we knew we were approaching another river, only to creep slowly up the other side.  The villages seemed to vary only in number of huts, with common features of roadside stands, a church, and sometimes a school of brick construction.  
"Once we came to the paved road, the going was smoother and faster until we came to a village where was a very steep, stop-inducing speed bump on arrival and departure.  Since villages are frequent, the going was significantly prolonged by all the speed bumps.  
  
"Here the general topography came into view…rolling significant grassy hills (think Smokey Mountains or maybe the rolling hills of Eastern Montana).  One after another after another after another…..You get a much closer view and longer view by road then the 1.5 hour MAF direct flight from Vanga to Kinshasa.  

General observations:

"There are no wild animals in the grasslands of Congo. They have all been eaten.  The only roadkill to be found are broken down lorries (overloaded trucks)--probably 100 noted.  There are no beasts of burden on the road, just people, especially women, carrying astounding loads on their heads. 
"14 hours + 14 people in a Toyota Land Cruiser, with huge load on top is not comfortable.  We started out with Kathy sitting in the back on a bench seat with minimal cushion squeezed between the 4 other passengers on her side, the less crowded side.  On the opposite bench were 5 adults and one child, and two very healthy Congolese took up half the length of the bench while the other 4 were squeezed in the remaining space.  The poor driver’s helper was smashed against the back door in a small sliver of space.  The driver’s assistant came in very handy with changing the tire. 
"As for leg room, there was NONE.  The woman sitting across from Kathy, a nurse at the hospital, had her overstuffed bag on the floor between her feet taking up every inch of space across from Kathy’s seat.  The only place for Kathy’s feet was directly under the woman’s or twisted around with no room to move around.  (Significance later.)
I sat in the front seat next to a 24 year old Congolese women traveling to Kinshasa with her grandmother sitting in the back.   She talked on the phone when we had cell phone service or texted her friends.  
"Music: Once we got started the driver plugged in his SD card into the car stereo system and started playing Congolese music. This was enjoyable for the first 2 hours but got older and louder as the miles passed.  The driver and the passenger sitting in front with me got a good laugh when I finally pulled out my ear plugs and quietly put them in my ears for a little more comfort. The lady sitting in the front frequently sang softly along with what were probably her favorite songs.  Toward the end of the day I guess they were tired of the Congolese music and stared to playing American music, i.e. Taylor Swift.  At this time the driver’s helper in the back just plugged his ears with his fingers.
"Contradictions We Noticed:  Much of the way along the paved route we noted workers digging a 3 foot deep trench.  This was to lay Fiber-optic internet cable from Kinshasa.  The contradiction is that all the yards they were digging up were mud and stick homes with thatched roof, no electricity or computers. 
"Food:  As we traveled through the first part of our trip, the people on the bus were offered snack items to buy from side of the road vendors.  Things like unshelled peanuts freshly pulled out of the ground, still attached to 6 inches of the stock.  Although there were a few other items bought, but most people nibbled on these freshly harvested peanuts.  Around noon we stopped in a village, and the team was ushered into a covered outdoor restaurant that was owned by someone that used to live in Vanga.  Not knowing the usual protocol for these types of trips, we had brought our sack lunch of bread, salami and cheese.  We shared our American food with one of the passengers, and then they ordered a regular Congo meal with Luku (Fufu).  We also bought very refreshing cold sodas to drink.  

 "The Tire Blow Out:  Around 8 hours into our trip, as we headed around a corner down a hill, the right rear tire suddenly had a blow out and collapsed under all the abuse.  This immediately put the already top heavy car into a dangerous swerving, tipping motion.  Thankfully, our expert driver quickly regained control and we pulled to a stop.   This only delayed our travel by 30 minutes and gave time for people to “look at the flowers” as bathroom stops are called in Congo. 
 
"The last part of the trip Kathy sat in front since the small abrasion on the top of her right foot had over the day become a seriously painful infection. Sitting in front, she got some relief and I joined the crowd in the back.  By the end of the day my derriere was bruised with only a little relief from the blow-up travel pillow Kathy wisely carried with her. That evening Kathy started on antibiotics and over the next couple of days her foot is slowly improving and my derriere is getting better as well. 
"What this trip helped me realize is how vast and beautiful the country of Congo is.   
"I will not, however, need to make this trip again soon to remind me of this vastness and beauty that we can see from the air.   
"This trip also helped me realize how valuable Mission Aviation Fellowship is to ministry here in Congo.   
"I believe having the training of medical personnel in a more rural setting helps them understand the constraints, as well as the possibilities, of providing care in low resource settings.  Yet bringing teams of American physicians to Vanga to train Congolese would be much more limited if the team had to make this arduous day-long trip at the beginning and end of each visit."

Saturday, May 18, 2013

A Second Week in Vanga


Dr. Howard exams a child's burned arm.
The team’s second week in Vanga began with a church on Sunday morning and then a boat trip down the Kwilu River. Kathy Rice shares, “I spent Mother's Day with Tim and friends on the Kwilu River in a pirogue (dug out canoe) poled by two very strong Congolese men. Since the hippos haven’t migrated yet, we jumped into the river where the current going down river and up river formed and eddy. It’s the original lazy river and Jungle Cruise that inspired Disney!”  
Anna reflected on some of the week’s events, “Yesterday we had breakfast with some German missionaries, then some of us had a tour of the feeding center for malnourished babies. The program they run is wonderful, but certainly leaves room for improvement. Again, I am shocked at how similar some of our American health system needs are to those here! People are people no matter where they are!” Anna shared she is “learning” three languages simultaneously: French, Lingala, and Kituba.
The team marveled that sometimes God uses extraordinary means to bring healing and health is restored unexpectedly. Sometimes God uses ordinary means to bring healing like a friend feeding a malnourished child with proper diet or someone with malaria receiving the proper medication to cure malaria. Dr. Howard examined a young child’s arm that was nearly unusable due to a burn. Dr. Rice commented, “It seems to me like an extraordinarily, miraculous event that God is going to use a relative minor surgery by Dr Howard here at Vanga DRC to restore complete function to this child’s withered arm.”

On Friday, May 17th four of the St. Louis team members flew back to Kinshasa on a MAF flight. At a departure dinner the night before, the team in Vanga expressed their deep gratitude for the encouragement that the St. Louis team members brought. Dr Brother Reinhardt's 77th birthday was also celebrated at the dinner. Dr. Reinhardt is a German doctor that has been humbly and faithfully serving in Vanga for 33 years. He shared verses including Lamentations 3:22-23 reminding us that God's mercy and forgiveness are new every morning.


Pray for safe travels and that God would encourage the teams (STL&Vanga) as they return to their normal routine. Pray that they would be reminded of God's daily faithfulness and love.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Team Settles Into Work in Vanga

In route to Vanga, the team stopped in Kikongo and had an opportunity to assist with emergency consultations for three patients: a diabetic coma, a case of shingles with loss of right eye function due to infection, and a case of spinal TB with lower leg paralysis. The team landed in Vanga on May 7th and immediately met with Dr. Mpoo about the surgery schedule.

On Wednesday, May 8th Dr. Tim made rounds with the Internal Medicine residents, while Kathy and Anna visited the nursing school at the Vanga Health Zone center. Anna  announced she was a public health nurse and was met with loud cheering and clapping, followed by the group bursting into a Congolese welcome song. Anna was able to provide nursing care and physical therapy. 

Dr. Rich and Becky visited patients who would have surgery on Thursday. Wisdom is needed as the team makes decisions regarding who will get surgery during the time here.  As news gets out that an orthopedic surgeon has arrived more and more patients have arrived with orthopedic needs.  

On May 9th Anna and Kathy went to prenatal clinic where about 200 pregnant mothers were assessed and provided education, mosquito nets, and vitamins. Anna shared, “It has been an amazing DR Congo trip so far. Most remarkable is that it feels kind of normal. It is clear how God has been preparing all of us on the team for this trip for quite some time.” Becky Howard shared John 13:34 reminding the team that God's love has been given to us so we can love others facing extremely heartbreaking problems, like a 24-year-old women, Mama "C", with an abnormal leg x-ray and painful mass that needed evaluation. 

The following day, the team witnessed multiple technology miracles on behalf of this young woman. Doctors in Vanga found a two-bar wi-fi connection and cell phone service (miracle #1) and were able to make contact (miracle #2) with a mission-minded resident in St. Louis, who served as immediate liaison (miracle #3) to cancer specialists at St. Louis University Hospital. Within  thirty minutes (miracle #4), photos of the patient were sent by phone (miracle #5) and a text message diagnosis received back in Vanga (miracle #6). PRAISE the Lord with us for His incredible attention to detail! Please also pray for a medical miracle for this young woman. Despite amputation of a leg, her chance of survival is only 15%. Great odds for a powerful God!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Medical Team Arrived Safely

Two medical teams are serving with Congo Mission Network during the month of May.  Team members met late April to pack foot lockers with medical and school supplies.

Medical Team member: Anna Hardy, nurse.

Medical Team members: Dr. Richard Howard and Katherine Williams
The first team will be in Congo for approximately two weeks. Team members Dr. Timothy Rice, Kathy Rice, Dr. Richard Howard, Becky Howard and Anna Hardy left St. Louis early Saturday morning, May 4th and have arrived safely in Kinshasa. 
 
As the group assembled at the airport for departure, Tim shared a favorite scripture passage and encouraging words on the focus of the trip, "We are going to Congo to teach about health and also bring the really good news that Jesus died to restore us to God. In addition, Jesus is working to reconcile us to each other and to bring wholeness to all the brokenness in the world. We, as a team, get to be a part of the great work God is doing in Congo."

Prior to leaving Anna shared, "When I went to nursing school I pictured myself caring for the sick abroad after graduation. I told God I would go anywhere! All I ever want in life is to know my Lord and be faithful to where He moves me. So I was surprised when He threw me over to East St. Louis fresh out of school. It's been ten years since I've been out of the country, but I trust DRC is part of this continued plan of serving God where He places me."

 
Lockers containing medical and school supplies safe in Congo.

"He sent them out to tell the Good News 
of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick." 
Luke 9:2.   

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Remembering Dr Fountain

We mourn the passing of our hero, Dr. Dan Fountain a visionary missionary physician who died on February 12, 2013 after a prolonged illness.  He blazed the trail for comprehensive whole-person medical care in resource-constrained DR Congo.   He served 35 years at Vanga Evangelical Hospital setting an example of care and compassion. There is a wonderful story online about Dr Fountain's willingness to serve written by his daughter Katherine Niles who is currently serving in Congo. Dr Fountain also was a prolific writer and just finished writing a book about the Vanga Story.  He has published books in both English and French including The Kingdom of God, What Is It? God, Medicine and Miracles; Primary Diagnosis and Treatment; Let’s Build Our Lives; and Health, the Bible and the Church There are online articles that reflect his visionary prospective like Bringing Faith and Medicine Together and AIDS Care as an Avenue for Ministry in Congo.  MedSend reported that in 1992, Dr. Fountain co-founded MedSend with Dr. David Topazian "to help alleviate the critical shortage of healthcare professionals on the mission field."  Our prayer is that God would raise up a mighty team of like-minded faithful servants in Congo and around the world that would, like he did, humbly lead the church in selfless care for the marginalized sick and suffering.




Sunday, November 18, 2012

Working long-term to show God's love in Democratic Republic of Congo. 

If you want to walk fast, walk alone...if you want to walk far, walk together.  Congo proverb.  


The mission of this network is to partner churches from around the world with network-aļ¬ƒliated Congolese churches to practically advance the expression of the kingdom of God by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a mutually growing understanding of the Word, and by serving the poor through humble, Spirit-led deeds of justice and mercy.


Waiting outside in rural Congo for prenatal check.