Images of Africa 2011
Laura, Phobice, Kim
Every time I return from Africa, there are definite highlights that I am eager to share with those who have supported me both in prayer and with financial resources. This trip of course, is no different. I was gone for 19 days so actually missed nearly three weeks of work (June 21-July 9). The overall highlight for me was having two younger therapists accompany me. Many of you will recognize the name, Kim Whittaker (Chelf-she got married only 3 weeks before our trip!) who spent a year and a half with International Justice Mission in India, working with people who had been rescued from either bonded slavery or sex trafficking. Her dear friend (and now mine!) Laura Fairchild Joiner is an experienced therapist who has worked extensively with abused, traumatized and acting-out youth in San Francisco. What a joy and privilege to have these two along as co-teachers. And of course, I must mention Ugandan Pastor Phobice Tweheyo, who not only preached at the Anglican Cathedral in Matana, Burundi, but accompanied us on all of our travels, teaching alongside of us. Her husband, Pastor Frank Tweheyo, is Empower’s Pan-African representative, and was here in February for EIM’s fundraiser.
Our first stop was in Nairobi, Kenya where I got kissed by a giraffe, one of those “once in a lifetime experiences”! (see picture below). They have really long tongues with tons of saliva! On our way to the Giraffe Park, we passed a cemetery that was so crowded with mourners that I commented on it. Our driver, Geoffry, said that things had slowed down at the cemetery because there were “only” about 10 funerals a day for AIDS victims! His two older sisters died of AIDS contracted from their husbands, leaving children behind–very sad.
From Nairobi, we flew to Kigali, Rwanda to meet our host, Ms. Baraka Paulette Uwingeneye, RN, Counseling Intern and Director of Gate of Hope Ministries. I worked with Baraka last year, having actually met her in the U.S. at an ATTACH conference back east. She stayed with me this past September and some of you would have met her at the Go-n-Tell at SFC then. Since my last trip to Rwanda, Baraka got her driver’s license and so drove us from the guest house where we stayed, to the place we were teaching (her father’s latest church plant in the village of Ndera). The only problem is that they were having unseasonably HEAVY rains and the normally dusty dirt roads, were instead a maze of slippery mud and “lakes”, populated on either side by walking villagers. I prayed a lot on those car rides!! Some of the time Baraka’s father, Pastor Abel, drove us in his truck and we not only slipped around barely missing the pedestrians, he added 5 guys to the bed of the truck. How they managed to hang on when we lurched, and bounced along through puddle and muck was beyond me!
Ndera, Rwanda was where I first got to hear Laura and Kim teach Created to Belong. We had worked through the curriculum here in California, but I was blown away by the phenomenal job they did teaching this material. It was so-o-o rewarding! I felt as if this were my paycheck! In spite of not having been trained ahead of time in the Healing from Trauma curriculum, being seasoned therapists they did a remarkable job teaching this material as well. And of course Pastor Phobice taught alongside us, her great sense of humor adding to the enjoyment of our time together. And speaking of fun, after lunch ever day, Baraka led us in crazy, fun games which not only revealed our competitive natures but also provided ample opportunity for belly laughs and community building. We found this game time so valuable, that we brought it with us to Burundi!
I visited the Genocide Memorial Museum for the second time; such a sobering and somber experience. The people of Rwanda (and survivors of genocide everywhere) have experienced trauma that most of us will never have to endure. And yet they persevere, through the reconciliation process, moving forward, rebuilding their lives and their country. Every person in our trainings had their own genocide experiences. Agnes, an older woman, lost her husband and two of her sons, not to mention all the other losses that accompany the horror of trusted neighbors and friends turning into predators (“genocidaires”). Monique, a younger woman, was lying beneath a pile of dead bodies (most being her immediate family and others she knew) after being shot herself in the hand, was mistaken for dead and survived. She has gone through the difficult reconciliation process and forgiven the one who murdered her family. She shared with us the newly completed docudrama of her story and hoped to be able to help others through her experience. After one of the Healing from Trauma classes, we offered personal counseling, which felt a little like a “drop in a bucket”, but we attempted to be safe “containers” in the moment and connect our counselees with others in their community, for on-going support.
One of the serendipitous highlights of teaching in Ndera was the adorable singing of school children outside our meeting room window each morning. Forty children (many with missing front teeth so about 6 years old) would pantomime and sing songs such as, “I wash my face, I clean my teeth, I brush my hair, I dress myself, I put on my pack, I go to school”. We took many pictures and returned their gift of entertainment with impromptu puppet play, the open window being our stage.
The second edition (English) copies of Created to Belong were well received and even though they took up almost 40 pounds of our allotted 150 pounds, it was well worth it! Unfortunately the Kinyarwanda translation was not ready in time to distribute. It should be finished soon.
We left Kigali with joyful hearts and boarded a plane heading toward Bujumbura, Burundi. We were met at the airport by The Rev. Canon Seth Ndayirakiye, an Anglican priest who assists Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi. He drove us all around Bujumbura on many errands and then on up the mountain to Matana where we were next set to teach. While in Bujumbura we visited Sarah and her 19 orphan children. They sang for us and gave speeches and showed us their newly completed bathroom (thanks so some generous Saratogans). Prior to this, they had no indoor toilet and no place to shower. We then raced up the windy road to Matana at breakneck speed honking all the way, passing vehicles, zooming through crowds of people-we closed our eyes and prayed a lot! We all breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived safely. Seth assured us he had learned to drive “diplomats”, which means he drives slower than normal. Amazing! His driving earned him the title of “The Flying Matanan”!
We attended a 3.5 hour service at the cathedral the next morning. It was wonderful to see old friends, though we missed the Archbishop who was in the UK on church business. Throughout the service young children would come up and greet us and various ones sat on our laps. Really fun! One of my favorite images is seeing a little boy whose dark hand was patting Laura’s white blonde hair! When someone is a visitor at the cathedral, the entire congregation breaks out in songs of welcome. Also when there is answered prayer the person comes up testifying about it and then everyone breaks into song. What a difference it would make in our churches if we acknowledged visitors and answered prayer like this! The 4 of us each gave a little speech and the congregation responded with a song of honor and welcome. Phobice very effectively preached about the man by the pool of Bethsaida.
The trainings went well and I am always amazed at the new things I learn about cultural differences. Two worth mentioning are the definitions of “beating” as in beating your child, and “sexual abuse”. We had quite a lively discussion about beating one’s children (you can imagine where we Americans came down on the issue) and it wasn’t until the next day that we learned their use of the word “beating” is very different than ours! Additionally, the term “sexual abuse” is synonymous to rape with most Africans, so we did some intense education about how we see them differently. I think it was informative for our African friends to learn from us on this.
Our Burundian partners also appreciated the new workbooks and promise to have it translated and printed in Kirundi, soon.
Do any of you remember either leaving your child at college for the first time, or being dropped off by your parents? Well, this is just how I felt when I waved good bye to Kim and Laura as they accompanied Rev. Archdeacon Pontien Ribakare to Rutana, a town an hour away. They spent 2.5 days there conducting the Created to Belong training, all on their own! They returned with rave reviews and requests to return next year, this time for two weeks instead of two days.
One really hysterical image from our trip was Rev. Seth taking us to see the Southernmost Source of the Nile River. You must understand that at lunch that day, I sat at a table with Phobice, who claimed that the Source of the Nile is in Uganda (Jinga). She held up her end of the debate with 4 male pastors (one also a Canon and another, the Dean of the Cathedral), who were seated at a table perpendicular to us. So when Seth took us to see the source of the Nile-we were all truly under-whelmed! There coming out of a small pipe, from the side of a small hill side, came this little trickling flow of water. We laughed quite a bit, and Seth, still trying to prove his point, bent over and washed his face with the water and then took a drink from it. What can I say?
Our last night in Matana was so memorable. We had a fabulous dinner prepared by Egide, our guest house cook “extraordinaire”, and shared by and Rev. Fidele (father of 14 great kids), Rev. Paul and Rev Seth. We did an appreciation cheer (2,4,6,8, who do we appreciate; as well as “he’s a jolly good fellow), and a certificate (very important in Africa) for Egide and then the Revs all made speeches. They really appreciated the trainings and felt they were both practical and well done. They specifically asked us to help our donors and prayer warriors for making this time possible. We then made speeches back to them. Rev. Fidele then led us in very touching time of prayer.
The next morning we honored Mahoro, “the old man” who did all our laundry (“Except knickers, I don’t do knickers”-aka: underwear), and assisted in the kitchen, in the same way we’d honored Ejide the night before. Rev. Paul, the “minister of food” came by one more time to say good-bye, as did Pelagie, the leader for the Mother’s Union in Burundi. (Both had attended our workshops.) We left and Seth said he would drive us like “diplomats”, which meant, just a hair under break neck speed (still the honking and passing however)! It’s a lovely drive-green fields looking like a quilt, eucalyptus forests with shimmering silver leaves, the ubiquitous banana fields, lovely symmetrical tea fields.
I feel as though this was a particularly effective trip. Having three others on the teaching team and the commitment of our African brothers and sisters, to equip others, expands our work. It was encouraging to get so much specific, positive feedback. The materials are practical and helpful. Together with Kim and Laura, I hope to re-write and publish the trauma material for next year.
It is a joy to be surprised, supplied and empowered by Jesus. Surprised, because he has as many lessons for me to learn, as the ones I teach. Supplied, because he truly does provide everything I need. And empowered, because it is in his strength, empowered by his word that I have the stamina for these trips.
My husband Russ, prepared 19 days worth of Lectio Devina for us to enjoy together as a teaching team. Though we weren’t able to get to it every night, we found it so meaningful and nourishing, when we did. And of course your prayers and practical support were so appreciated and helpful. The saying, “Couldn’t have done it without you,” surely applies here. Thank you.
Yours in His Worldwide Love,
Linda Ikeda