Ashley blogging (way past her bedtime):

Today our team met up with Chelsie at the crack of dawn for a lovely breakfast at Bloom Hotel in Kigali. We shared coffee, spanish omelettes, and opened Christmas presents (wait, what?). Chelsie received her gifts a bit early this year. We then rented our personal taxi drivers for the day, and headed into town.

Our first stop was at women's led initiative called Mbwirandumv ("Speak, I am Listening"). This is an organization that has grown and developed over the years, but first started following the genocide in Rwanda, serving 200 widow survivors. Immediately following the mass killings in 1994, a small group of women began to meet regularly to talk, cry, and pray together over all they had experienced and continue to face as victims of the genocide. The group has since expanded to meet the needs of hundreds of women who receive trauma counseling, education, medical assistance/referrals, and support for income-generating activities. After meeting with some of the staff at "Speak", our team was able to meet groups of women who spend time each day 1) making beautifully hand-crafted greeting cards... which some of us purchased  2) tailoring and sewing purses, bags, napkins, etc. For many of these women, the skills they are learning will equip them with opportunities to earn incomes to support their families.

The amazing thing about this organization is that it offers women and their children a new chance at life, following such a devastating time where many of these women were brutally traumatized, raped, and lost their properties and families. The vision of "Speak" is to support these vulnerable women, encourage them to talk about their feelings as a means of healing, and to help them sustain themselves and maintain their dignity. Movements such as "Speak" are truly the priceless pearls that lead people to forgiveness and renewals. We have much to learn from these women and those who have given their lives to walk along side them.

P.S.  We also ate dinner in Heaven, and visited the Rwandan Genocide Memorial. I'll leave others to blog about this... there is much to tell...

We've arrived!

Kacia Commenting...

After 2 days of traveling, including 3 plane rides, we are in Rwanda!   Our travels were so uneventful, there really isn't anything to comment on.  Lots of plane time, a few hours in airports and several interesting people to meet, can summarize the last 2 days.  Along the journey, I met a couple who were heading to Rwanda to work at a hospital.  We had a nice time sharing our medical mission experiences.  They were going with World Medical Missions, part of Samaritans Purse.  Small world, as that is the organization I had previously traveled with to Tenwek and Mukinge.

While waiting for the group to arrive from the airport,  I had come with the first round of luggage, I had an opportunity to speak with a Rwandan named Focus.  He shared a bit about his experience through the genocide.  He was 9 when it started and was actually a child soldier by 10.  I asked how Rwanda was able to make peace when Congo has not been so fortunate.  He then spoke about reconciliation and forgiveness.  His best friend had actually killed his sister.  The friend came to him and asked forgiveness and he said "what else can I do, but forgive".  This friend has since married another one of Focus' sisters.  How beautiful is that!

I can't tell you how nice it was to have a bed to sleep in last night.  We arrived at the hotel at 3am and crashed.  After I took a cold shower (the water heater wasn't plugged in and I didn't know it) I had a lovely night of rest.  Today we woke and had a great breakfast at the hotel; omelets, fruits and COFFEE!!!!  It was great to meet up with Chelsie this morning as well.  She has provided a lot of insight to history and the people of Rwanda.



Plans for today include visiting the genocide memorial, visiting an organization named Speak, I'm Listening, a bit of shopping and then maybe diner in Heaven:)  Sounds good to me!

Kacia

Mike commenting...

Hi! My name is Mike Hotz and while I’m a pastor of Domestic Mission at Christ Presbyterian I am just a learner on this trip. Like the others have shared in their updates, thank you so much for following our travels and experiences of what God is doing in Goma, Congo through the amazing ministry of Heal Africa.

Going on this trip is really a privilege for me. My “normal” work-a-day ministry is spent facilitating our church’s on-going work amongst those on the margins in the United States and particularly in Minneapolis/St. Paul. But the reality is that we worship the God of all creation, every tribe and every nation, so if we are to know God, it is vitally important then for us to recognize how God is present in all those places with all those people. So through this trip my hope is to not only expand my own understanding of how Christ is at work in the world, but to maybe help those of you who read this blog to gain some insight of this as well.

At this point of the trip things are a bit surreal. While the travel here took a long time, nearly 20 flight hours, we are staying at the Bloom Hotel in route to Heal Africa in Goma, Congo. For a variety of reasons, some good, some bad, this is an oasis. The hotel itself is beautiful and elegant with lush gardens and amazing food. All of this though is minutes from the sharper edges of life in this part of the world.

I’ll end now because I don’t want to project into this trip what our next experiences will be. Only God knows what they are and I look forward to embracing them.

Thanks for your prayers, they mean the world to us!

Blessings

Mike

Less than 55 Hours to Go!

Hi!  Thank you so much for visiting our blog and supporting our team as we prepare for this trip!  My name is Leah Burton and I am a clinical therapist.  I stand in awe of the amazing work God has done at HEAL Africa, and feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to return to Congo.  I was a part of the same Upper Room trip to Goma that Jessie went on two and a half years ago.   While in Congo in 2007, I developed a love for the Congolese people and an admiration for the amazing work being done at HEAL Africa. I began to feel God asking me to use my passions, skills, and education in different ways than I had ever dreamed of. Since returning, I have been seeking ways in which I can use my experiences and training to love and serve the Congolese. I have had a deep desire to return to Africa. Recently, when the opportunity arose to travel to Congo again, I began to feel a real tugging at my heart and spent time prayerfully considering the trip. After taking it into consideration for several months, I decided to go! I feel incredibly blessed and excited about this opportunity!  My time at HEAL Africa will be spent sharing education and skills training in counseling and trauma. 

I too want to express my gratitude for your support and prayers. Without the support of those walking alongside us, this trip would not be possible.  Please pray for our preparation, our time in Goma, and our return.  There is much excitement, but also anxiety at this time.  May our hearts be opened and our hands be used.  May the love of the Lord flow out...and may we continue to stand in awe of who He is.

Dear friends,

Please keep the Congo Medical Team in your prayers.  Here is a prayer guide for you that you can print out and put on your fridge or bathroom mirror:

CPC Congo Medical Team (L-R): Ashley Lundberg, Mike Hotz, Leah Burton,

Jessica Spencer, Kacia Engel & Chelsie Frank (below)

Friday 11/6
Please pray for the team as they pack and prepare for the long journey to Goma, Congo.  Pray that God will prepare their hearts and spirits for this “spiritual retreat” of service and vision with our partners at HEAL Africa.

Saturday 11/7
Pray for each team members’ family and friends who will be supporting them from afar. Pray for smooth airport changes in Amsterdam and Nairobi.

Sunday 11/8
Pray for the team as they arrive in Kigali, Rwanda.  Pray that they will all have good health on the trip.  Pray for the community of CPC and for churches gathering together for worship today in the Congo.

Monday 11/9
Pray for the team as they visit the Rwandan Genocide Museum and reflect on the enormity of that tragedy which still affects the entire region to this day.  Pray for team unity and camaraderie.

Tuesday 11/10
Pray for Chelsie Frank, CPC’s staff member in Congo, as she helps the team travel from Kigali to Goma.  Pray for a smooth border crossing into Goma.

Wednesday  11/ 11
As the team prepares for its first day at HEAL Africa, please pray for the leaders, staff, and volunteers of HEAL Africa.

Thursday 11/12
Pray for Mike Hotz as he learns and serves with the chaplains at HEAL Africa.  Pray for the many Congolese people living in the refugee camps around Goma.

Friday  11/13
Pray for Kacia Engel as she uses her ER medical skills to serve alongside the Congolese doctors.  Pray also for the victims and perpetrators of sexual violence in Congo.  Pray for their healing: emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Saturday 11/14
Pray for Leah Burton who will use her expertise in counseling psychology to serve with the HEAL Africa chaplains and other staff.  Pray also for peace in Goma and all of the Congo

Sunday  11/15
Pray for Jessica Spencer as she uses her skills and gifts in Physical Therapy to support the incredible PT work at the HEAL Africa hospital.  Pray for the team as they worship with their Congolese brothers and sisters.

Monday  11/16
Pray for Ashley Lundberg as she uses her ER nursing skills to serve and teach with the Congolese staff.  Pray for the support staff at the Maji house, where the team is staying.

Tuesday 11/17
As the team finishes its service at HEAL, pray for the relationships that have been born and the mutual learning that has taken place.

Wednesday  11/18
As the team heads back to Rwanda to catch flights, pray for a smooth border crossing and that they make their first flight on time.  Pray for restful flights and that the long layovers would fly by.

Thursday 11/19
Pray for safe and restful travel through Amsterdam.  Pray for a good start to jet-lag recovery.  Pray also that team members will begin to see how this time in Goma has impacted them to be missional followers of Christ back in MN.

T minus...

Being new to blogging, I thought I'd give it a try before we even left the country. My name is Kacia Engel and I am the doctor on the trip. I am an ER doctor and therefore I know a little about many areas of medicine. I am by no means a surgeon or infectious disease specialist, so we'll have to see what happens in the Congo. I must admit I am bit nervous about my time at HEAL Africa. I am not too sure what will be asked of me, but I am willing and able to help in anyway. Please pray for peace and direction as I head out to work alongside my Congolese colleagues. I look forward to chronicling my time there. I have no doubt there will stories and experiences and reflections to share. I am very excited to get back to Africa and serve. I have a hard time putting into words my feelings for Africa and its people. All I know is I am repeatedly drawn back unders God's divine direction.

Anticipation and anxieties

Hello and welcome to our team's blog!  I am so excited to return back to HEAL Africa!

My name is Jessie Spencer.  I am a pediatric physical therapist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minneapolis and more importantly a passionate follower of Christ.  I feel in awe of the opportunity to return to Africa with this team.  I went to HEAL 2 years ago last March.  Ashley, Mike and I were set to go back to the Congo last year with a team, when our trip was canceled 2 weeks before departure due to political unrest in the area we were to work in.  Since then the violent climate has decreased significantly and we are excited to go this time!  As I return to HEAL Africa, I am get the opportunity to use my skills as a pediatric physical therapist to train the rehabilitation team at the hospital on assessment, treatment planning and treatment techniques for children with disabilities.  I will be preparing and giving a lecture to physical therapists, students, and medical residents on a couple pediatric conditions as well. I feel honored to play this role.  I will also be the medial lay leader, attempting to facilitate the planning and utilization of our team for our time at HEAL Africa.

I could not take these opportunities of God's calling without the support, prayers and financial aide of many of you reading this blog right now.  God works in amazing ways to use our resources he has provided us.  I have been provided much encouragement by people who are close to me as well as people I have not even met.  I want to take the time to recognize how important your role is in the success in this team!  We are the faces that the people of HEAL and the Congo see, but they know that there is a who community back home in the United States who refuse to ignore them as well!

THANK YOU

Prayer request:  When I came back from Africa, I really struggled in finding my identity in God's purpose back in the States.  I have come a long ways from that time and have found new joy in my servant hood.  I do, however, have anxiety about going through that reverse culture shock once again.  Please pray that as I prepare God covers and surrounds this fear and for encouragement for me upon returning from another life altering experience.

6 days to go!

Greetings! We were asked to introduce ourselves prior to embarking on our medical trip to Goma (leaving in a few days). I suppose I'm the first to post (which is not typical).
My name is Ashley Lundberg, I do not attend CPC regularly, however I am an active member at Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis (a partnering church of CPC). I currently work in Minneapolis as an emergency room RN. Traveling the world and meeting people who are actively engaged in movements of redemption and restoration is a huge blessing I have been able to share in over the years.

HEAL Africa has been on my heart in and in my mind for the past 2 year since I have heard of the incredible work that is being done there. A holist approach to healing is utilized at HEAL Africa hospital, as individual bodies are physically restored, spiritual and psychological healing is invested in, and societies at large are transformed as victims of violence reenter their communities following recovery.

Women who have been victimized by sexual violence have left me feeling a special burden. Having worked as a sexual assault nurse in the past, I understand that wounds of sexual violence run much deeper than can be imagined. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, rape has been used as a weapon of war to intimidated men and women, scatter villages, and slowly destroy societies where women traditionally hold communities together.

HEAL Africa provides reconstructive medical procedures, psychological support, and economic assistance to survivors of such gender-based violence. When women are invested in, everyone benefits.
I believe God has given each of my team members the skills and knowledge to work in the medical field, to help bring healing to many. As we travel to Goma to work with the medical staff of HEAL Africa, we hope encourage them, as we in turn, continue to be inspired by their faithful work.

Lord, open our eyes, that we may see You in our brothers and sisters.
Lord, open our ears, that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed.
Lord, open our hearts, that we may love each other as you love us.
Renew in us Your spirit.
Lord, free us and make us one.                          -Mother Teresa