CMS Ireland David Gough

What's in a name?

2013-05-16T00:00:00Z

During the introductions to a session which Andrew delivered to Diocesan staff and Pastors on ‘Forgiveness’, we discovered that all of the participants had a European name, as well as their family name. So for example Pastor Lusenge Kapeppa’s name is John and Masoud, the Archdeacon of Kindu, is called Paul.

Andrew suggested, “As you all have European names we should be given Congolese names.” We invited them to suggest what names to christen us. A number of people responded immediately by suggesting that Andrew’s name should be LUTUNDO. Andrew of course asked him what it meant, the Bishop replied smiling, “In local Maniema dialect, Lutundo means loved.”

“So what name should I have then,” I responded, “Your name should be MUKULUMANIA”, several of the Pastors replied. “That’s a mouthful!” I retorted. The Bishop broadened his smile and replied, “Mukulumania In our local Congolese dialect means, a bringing together.” As we queried him more he concluded that the name had a similar meaning to reconciler or mediator. We certainly each have a Congolese name that will be very hard to live up to.

On the final morning of our nine days in Kindu Diocese, the staff gathered for our farewell and to present us with some gifts to remind us of our visit. We were each given an oil painting of the Congo River and then two large-patterned African style shirts were revealed. But the wonderful thing was that they had our Congolese names embroidered onto the inside of the front tail of the shirts.

Let's twist again

2013-05-16T00:00:00Z

Being the father of a son who made his living at one time by twisting balloons, I know that’s the correct terminology, but I’ve certainly seen their potential in a new light.

From those first few days in Kindu while we waited on Bishop Masimango arriving from Kinshasa the balloons have had a daily airing and attracted throngs of children as the funny Muzongo Pasteur creates brightly coloured dogs and animals from balloons.

In Kasongo, as we waited for the car to be pushed out of a sticky patch on the road, the children at one stage literally mobbed him and I attempted to help him to meet their demands. But as we blew the balloons up with a small hand-pump the children were frantically grabbing at the balloons. We had no option but to stop the twistin’ to prevent a riot!

Even on our long journey home Andrew took time to twist for two young children as we waited for our plane in the waiting room at Goma airport.

Tafadhali kuomba kwa ajili yetu

2013-05-16T00:00:00Z

Tafadhali kuomba kwa ajili yetu – These are the words that appear in Swahili at the top of a credit card style two-sided full colour card that Andrew brought with him to Kindu. His plan was to hand the cards out to every pastor he spoke to as a way of encouraging them to pray for his three churches in County Tyrone.

Andrew had produced 250 of these cards the front of which had these words (which mean ‘Please pray for us’). Each card also had a photo of Brackaville, Donaghendry and Ballyclog Churches, a photo of Andrew with the Mothers’ Union ladies and of some of the children. On the reverse there was a quotation from Philippians 4 (v4-7) in both English and Swahili.

Each time Andrew handed out a card he did it in a meaningful and prayerful way by explaining what he was asking the people to do and assuring each one that he and his three churches would be praying regularly for each of them. He handed these out everywhere he went so there are now over 200 people in Kindu, Kasongo and many other villages as well as in Bukavu and Goma praying for Andrew and his churches.

The Blues and the Gunners

2013-05-15T00:00:00Z

Andrew (Rawding) – who has been by travelling companion for the final leg of my DR Congo visit – was born in Highbury, London and consequently became an avid Arsenal Football Club supporter from an early age. I have three sons, the eldest is a dedicated Liverpool supporter, our middle son is not keen on any sport and our youngest is a mad Man United fan! That leaves me, their old man, and yes you’re right for whatever reason I am little more than an armchair Chelsea supporter…from the days of Peter Osgood, Bobby Tambling and ‘Chopper’ Harris!

Well I’m glad to report that there are more Chelsea fans in DR Congo than Manchester United fans and everywhere I looked I could see boys with Chelsea shirts emblazoned with Drogba and Torres numbers and names. When I told Andrew about this he started looking in earnest to find some Arsenal fans and he did so successfully snapping photos anywhere he saw the Gunners logo.
Seriously though, the beautiful game of football is an international language and each day in Kindu before the sun drops behind the horizon, the game is played with as much passion and commitment as the Premier League.

Our daily bread...

2013-05-15T00:00:00Z

No matter where I travel overseas to visit partners, there are two things that never disappoint; the warmth and genuineness of the welcome and the delicious banquets I am served up.

Our visit to Kindu Diocese was no different, everywhere we went we were greeted by welcome songs and music and without fail invited for the customary ‘cuppa tea’. This was in fact always much more than the cuppa we’d be served at home maybe with a tray bake. It usually consisted of rice, foo-foo, sometimes even potatoes, cassava leaves, cooked bananas and usually chicken, fish or meat with soup (what we call gravy or sauce).

Three times each day as the Bishop’s wife Naomi brought us our meals she would say the same thing as she uncovered the serving dishes. She simply said, bq.Every day rice…our daily bread.bq. Me being me, as we became more at home in the Bishop’s home, I would make fun of the lifting the lids of the serving dishes routine by saying bq.Please don’t tell me we’re having rice again.bq. Naomi would respond by simply smiling and saying, “Every day rice…our daily bread.bq.

150 mile safari to Kasongo

2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

Kasongo is a strategic town in the province of Maniema, DR Congo. Originally it was the Belgian Administration centre for the province and it had also been the centre of the Arab slave-trade in Zaire (now DR Congo). This predominantly Muslim region is also centre for evangelism and mission in the Diocese of Kindu – this is an area where the Anglican Church has been slow to develop. The nearest active parish is 45km away, but Bishop Masimango has prioritised the building of a Primary School and then plant a permanent church in Kasongo.

Our journey south took us through numerous mud-walled grass or magongu leaf (large leaves) villages on the edge of the jungle. We traversed many rivers sometimes on bridges made of felled trees, many over bailey bridges and on two occasions we actually drove through the river. On our 2-day journey we passed through three Archdeaconries and were warmly greeted at the seven parishes of Kantimba and Kasenga, Kayuyu, Mubunzi, Lumuna, Kunda and Kipaka. We had dinner and slept overnight in Kayuyu, which is 120km from Kasongo.

On the final leg of our journey to Kasongo we had a flat tyre, while the driver changed the wheel, I took a short walk. Only one bicycle and one motorcycle passed me as I strolled down the trail with dense jungle either side. I was greeted with long stares as if to say…what’s that strange Muzungo doing out here? As I turned around to retrace my steps the half kilometre to our vehicle, a Police truck pulled up with about eight officers aboard. They jumped down and started questioning me in French, I panicked and kept walking pointing to the car now driving towards me. We met the Kasongo Police Chief the following day and the Bishop told me that they were surprised to see a Muzungo in the forest and were cautious when they could not see both of my hands. I could have been arrested, but I was certainly the talk of the town! Thankfully, that evening the driver found someone to repair the flat tyre in Kasongo.

Our vehicle also got stuck, literally grounded, in the mud on three occasions – twice on the outskirts of Kasongo, where the road was in atrocious condition. When we tried to get help to push the vehicle out we had many volunteers who were happy to dig and push us out as long as we paid them.

Our final grounding was a few hundred metres from a nearby village. Andrew noticed a woman pointing out another route, she pulled some branches away which hid the trail. Andrew and I walked it, the track emerged from the forest close by someone’s house in the village. Again for a small fee we were told we could use it…and as soon as we dug and pushed the vehicle out…we did.

The Diocese of Kindu stretches over 500 kilometres north to south and over 200 kilometres east to west. That’s bigger than Northern Ireland and, the Bishop informs me, than the neighbouring country of Rwanda. It was the first time in five years that the Bishop was able to make the safari to Kasongo and even he said that the road was now much worse than he remembered.

I could tell you many stories, share several reflections and show you many photos from our grand expedition to Kasongo. However, they cannot accurately reflect the sights, the smells, the jungle sounds, the stifling heat and the abject poverty we witnessed. Nothing can match the feeling of driving through village after village peering in on people’s lives sitting around a fire or meeting by oil light, LED light and torch light and the smells of their evening meal and burning charcoal. There’s nothing like the night-time market beside the Congo River or travelling across the great river in complete darkness.

The 480km three-day round trip from Kindu to Kasongo and back is certainly one that I hope will live on in Gough family folklore for many a generation.

Peace in the darkness

2013-05-11T00:00:00Z

The reading for Morning Prayer on Thursday included the verse from Isaiah 52: ‘How lovely on the mountains, are the feet of him who brings good news – proclaiming peace.’

As I had originally set out from Coalisland to meet the people of the Congo, I had hoped to be part of the good news of peace. So it was appropriate and encouraging to read Isaiah 52, as on Thursday we set out on the road from Kasongo back to Kindu, visiting rural parishes in predominantly Muslim areas. We needed peace in the vehicle as it slid and veered through deep mud and was navigated over log bridges. We needed peace as we got stuck in the mud with 150 miles and deep forest between us and our final destination. We needed peace in the darkness as we crossed the Congo River in a dug out canoe.

At each visit to the parishes, greeted by children without shoes, and led into churches without roofs, we were given the gift of peace in the warmth of the welcomes and the joy of the singing. This was ‘good news’, being part of a global family, receiving love and generosity. The lovely feet are not just in the mountains, but in the forests of Maniema too.

Muzungos in town

2013-05-10T00:00:00Z

The second leg of my visit to DR Congo began on an airstrip at Beni in Eastern DR Congo, where I met up with Rev Andrew Rawding. Andrew is the Rector of the Parishes of Brackaville, Donaghendry and Ballyclog, Coalisland and Stewartstown, County Tyrone. He had flown from Dublin two days earlier and had to stay in Beni overnight, while waiting for the connection to Goma.

As the Bishop’s flight was rescheduled to arrive from Kinshasa, the capital, on Saturday afternoon, we would have two and half days to explore Kindu, before starting our programme in earnest. Travelling anywhere in DR Congo is not as simple as we’ve become accustomed to at home. Nothing can be taken for granted here and arrangements often don’t happen as planned.

I first travelled into DR Congo ten years ago while working for Concern Worldwide. Without knowing at the time, I was actually in the Diocese of Kindu in a place called Kasongo as well as crossing the Congo River to the rail-head at Samba.

After our warm welcome led by Archdeacon Paul Masoud and some familiar faces I remembered from my last visit in October 2011, we were driven to Kasuku Parish for the official welcome and yes… a ‘cup of tea’. After a short welcome with the small choir singing in perfect harmony we were led down the road in a procession to the Bishop’s home, where we’d be staying.

Andrew had brought some modelling balloons and was the centre of attention every time he took them out blew up the balloons and transformed them into dogs, giraffes and other animals. We now had time to take an evening stroll into Kindu town and along the Congo riverfront practicing our few words of Swahili and French. People are so friendly and keen to engage the two strange ‘Muzungos’ (white man) walking around town greeting people.

One noticeable change from my last visit to Kindu is the number of new roads being built, including a dual-carriageway, being built by Chinese contractors. When I asked where the roads led to I was informed to Kindu Roman Catholic Cathedral. I also noticed that the town had its second bank. The Bishop proudly showed me the first bank eighteen months earlier.

The Diocese has seen some progress too with a new satellite internet connection installed as well as the opening of the new Kasuku Parish. So I’m glad to say that Kindu is developing slowly, slowly.

Jambo and Asante Sana

2013-05-06T00:00:00Z

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a stunningly beautiful country with the Ruwenzori Mountains on the Eastern Border with Uganda and many smaller rolling mountain ranges across its lush green, mainly eucalyptus tree-covered interior. It is a very fertile country and its people are extremely industrious growing vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize, cassava, cabbage, carrots, onions, and beans and fruit like pineapple, bananas, mangos and passion fruit. As we drive throughout the region every vista from the car window is truly spectacular with hillsides lined with terraced fields of crops. We even spotted a few John Deere tractors.

The Church too is so industrious in the Diocese of North Kivu – for example, it operates 114 Primary and Secondary Schools and 52 Medical Centres as well as a few hospitals. All of these buildings are extremely basic with the majority being of mud-walled construction and mud floors and many are poorly staffed and equipped with insufficient numbers of teachers or health professionals and inadequate scholastic materials and medicine. The staff are poorly paid by the government and their salaries have to be supplemented by token school fees. The majority of the pastors in the Church are also unpaid and can only survive by selling some of their crops they grow or taking on other jobs.

After visiting eleven different locations in North Kivu with fascinating names like Ngwati, Makerere and Kyambogho, by the end of our week we had got into the pattern of introductions, greetings, thanks and prayers. Everywhere we visited we were mobbed by singing children on arrival, paraded to the church, school and medical centre or hospital then had often to endure the humiliation of speaking only a few words in Swahili – “Jambo” and “Asante Sana” or offering a simple French “Bonjour” and “Merci.” The adults giggled and clapped as we told them the number of children and grandchildren we had. While the children laughed at our bemusing accents, as we tried to introduce ourselves bringing greetings from our Parishes and families.

The furthest we travelled in North Kivu was to the territory of Lubero, 64 kilometres south of the city Butembo. On arrival we first met with the Territory Administrator (the Big man), who in this case was a she, not a she. We also met the City Chief before commencing our programme. Before I continue, I must clarify one thing, when I say ‘city’, although Butembo has a population in excess of 850,000 people, it’s nothing like any city you can imagine. Both Butembo and Lubero do not have one square metre of tarmac road. Despite it being the rainy season, the mud roads are dry and clouds of dust linger like the early morning mist. Butembo is sprawled across a number of hills and valleys with few flat areas and mud-walled tin roofed houses sit on terraces on the hillsides.

The purpose of the short visit of Rev Gerald Macartney of Milltown Parish and Rev Robert Boyd of Killyman Parish was twofold: to spy out the land for a future joint-parish visit and to help identify a project that their parishes could support for the foreseeable future. They have succeeded on both counts and have the added bonus of hosting Bishop Muhindo Isesomo of North Kivu Diocese in their Parishes in one year’s time.

On Thursday I moved on to Goma and Kindu Diocese to spend a week with Rev Andrew Rawding from the Parishes of Brackaville, Donaghendry and Ballyclog. But before I left Butembo I received a call from Bishop Masimango who informed me his flight from Kinshasa had been cancelled and he would not arrive in Kindu until Saturday. Travel is not very reliable in DR Congo and maybe that’s why you can only pay for single journeys – no return tickets!

A cup of tea

2013-05-05T00:00:00Z

The poverty may be extreme in Eastern DR Congo but the welcome, hospitality and food are quite frankly amazing yet extremely humbling. We have travelled 64 kilometres south 30 east and 40 kilometres north of Butembo city and everywhere we visit we are offered a cup of tea.

But one thing we could not get accustomed to was the generosity of the quantity of food presented to us daily. Many days we visited three locations and each time we were offered the customary ‘cup of tea’. But we soon discovered the phrase ‘cup of tea’ is code words for a banquet, a feast of the highest order. From mid-morning to late afternoon daily we were presented with rice, ‘Irish’ potatoes, sometimes crinkle cut chips, chicken, rabbit, goat or fish, vegetables like cabbage, carrots and beans followed by bananas, passion fruit and pineapple and to finish off a cup of tea or coffee.

One day we were presented with a dressed cooked chicken with crinkle-cut chips and tomatoes:

All these fruit and vegetables are home-grown in the very fertile Congo soil. These extremely impoverished people treated us like royalty; it was both embarrassing and humbling. But to refuse what they offered would have been unforgiveable and an insult to their culture. As the Bishop said, “This is why I have a big Diocese.” as he spread his arms across his stomach. Consequently we had many cups of tea during our week long stay.

On Sunday at St Andrews Cathedral, Butembo, Rev Robert Boyd presented the Bishop Isesomo with a banner made by the women of St Andrews Parish, Killyman to celebrate the partnership between the Parish and the Diocese of North Kivu. Gerald presented gifts from St Andrews Parish, Milltown, of new electronic hospital ear thermometers to two of the hospitals in North Kivu. Now that’s certainly worth a cup of tea!