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We were invited to attend Mass at the local Catholic church and
happily accepted. We have actually been attending services at
as many of the churches as we can, as we are missionaries and
brothers and sisters to all of God's children here and we find
Him in all of their houses. Their ceremony was quite beautiful
with more than three hours of singing and dancing. We taped some
of the ceremony and will share this on itineration. The priest,
Abbe Edmond, is originally from Poland. He speaks Tshiluba beautifully,
which means that we didn't understand much of what was said in
the service, but as I remember going to Mass as a child when it
was in Latin, I didn't understand much then either. After the
service, we went to the house "hut" of one of the elders
and had lunch. A day and a half later, this gave us another Christmas
gift and memory but for that day, it was a very joyful experience.
We later ate again with the Sagers, the other missionary couple
here, as we reflected together on the tremendous differences in
the observances of this holiday. Imagine a Christmas without Santa
Clause, without decorations, without catalogs and long lines,
without commercialism but where begins the greatest gift of all
time, from the birthday boy himself, the gift of eternal life.
The joy of being able to experience Christmas as it was meant
to be experienced is another gift we receive from you in allowing
us to serve in the very meaningful place. We did miss the cookies
though!
We begin the new year with joy and anticipation. The health center
is now under construction in the village. We still need to raise
some of the funds to complete its construction and furnish it,
but being able to start it gives such a boost to the population.
It will actually have a water supply as IMCK, our mission hospital
and school, has agreed to pipe water from our dam. Classes in
health, French (reading and writing), Tshiluba, spoken English,
and traditional midwifery are all enthusiastically attended. We
remember thinking, "Do I have to go to school today?"
as kids. As you see both the adults and children packed like sardines
into the little schoolrooms with such joy, it humbles you. Whether
it is many hours sweating in the operating room, sharing a meal
spiced with micro-organisms, participating in a class or church
service with little room to move, or working with our Congolese
friends in their many endeavors to ease sufferings, we find opportunity
to witness to the gift of life realizing that it is not the material
things, but life and the relationships that we share with one
another and with our Creator that have meaning.
God's Peace from Congo,
Mike and Nancy Haninger
The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 31
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