Yesu wakubika udi ne muoyo!

The village women ran through the predawn darkness calling all to come out and greet the risen king. Looking towards the northeast, we had a sunrise service. Not knowing the language did not matter, since the message was much louder than the language barrier. After the service the women ran through the village shouting the message for all to hear. Thus came the second Easter morning in Tshikaji for us.

On Palm Sunday everyone came with their own palm branch, some decorated with various wild flowers, some braided like their hair, some simply harvested just outside the sanctuary door. We took ours from our garden, a very plain one but the largest. There were no Holy Week observations at the congregational level, the pastor’s son even got married on Saturday following Good Friday. Nevertheless, the joy of the Lord's resurrection was genuine and complete. Early Tuesday morning after Easter Sunday we even had a minor tremor, which added to the full effect!

The first of the MONUC (United Nations monitors) contingent of 130 Senegalese soldiers came to Kananga to help implement the Lusaka Accord, which was signed by all parties in August 1999, but has yet to be implemented. Is it just us having difficulty seeing these young men in white jeeps and trucks as hopeful signs? For us, they’re a painful reminder of a divided country, whose people and resources are being plundered. May the shouting of the resurrection of our Lord also awake the sleeping Christians to speak the truth with love and come before God with true repentance and humbled hearts. Pray for a lasting peace among these suffering people, and may God anoint a humble servant as the leader of His people. People in the village are hopeful that the new president will be more open and caring. Expert commentators in the region are more pessimistic and predict another period of uncertainty, as the neighboring countries try to strengthen their political and economic hold of the Congo.

As we prepare for our return home, we can't help but reflect on the effect of our stay here on the people we live with, on us, and on you back home. At first, we thought we came here to help the people grow in their management skills, then we were convinced that God sent us here to teach us and mold us. Then we heard from many of you how the story of our experience here helped you realize how blessed you were, made you feel guilty, helped you see God in a bigger world. There were various other reactions beyond our imagination.

When we wondered out loud, what God wants to teach us with some of the things we experienced here, a friend sent us a note saying that God does not always intend our experience for us, sometimes He is using us to send a message or teach others. We may be more willing, available, or simply able to endure the experience, and thus God chooses us for His work. How humbling to be used by God for the benefit of His other children. Any way you wish, Father! As we prepare to leave, our promise to God is that we will once again concentrate on being His children, rather than doing good things. God is alive and present in our sufferings and struggles as much as He is present in our joy. May God be praised in our every breath.

This may be the final note before we return to the States at the end of May. We will be staying in Louisville until the end of this year. Where we will be sent next is unknown. We are in listening mode.

We will participate in the 213th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) during the first half of June. During the last week in July we have a week of sharing with other missionaries in "interpretation assignment," also known as home leave. We have a visit scheduled to Norfolk, Virginia, at the end of September and the mountain states for three weeks starting the last week in October.

This is to say that other times, we will be available to visit you and share our experience in Congo. Should your church wish to have us come and share the story, please let us know. Since we would like to combine visits to the same geographical area, we do need some advance planning.

We can always be reached at the current email address, SHPark@maf.org . Beginning in June Spark@ctr.pcusa.org will also work. We thank you and God for the support you have given us as we went through all the growing pains as first-term missionaries.

In God, anything is possible.

Haejung and Simon

The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 31