Preparation Day

Today was a day of running around and getting things prepared for tomorrow. We first went to World Vision to talk to them about feeding at a refugee camp. We ran into protocol and procedural issues, and it did not seem like they wanted to help. We ended up at Caritas, a Catholic organization, and found out that they do a monthly feeding at this camp. Long story short, we care going to the camp with three people from Caritas to do the feeding.

We then went to Heal Africa which in the best source of medical care in most of Congo. We met with the founding doctor and he shared that their operating room in up to date and the best in Congo. All the equipment has come straight from the U.S. The hospital does great work and is the base for their main work. They send teams of medical personal into the bush to provide medical care. They bring the most serious cases back to Goma for treatment. We met with women who where in recovery from surgery to repair damage from sexual violence. Most of the women remembered us from last Friday when we met with them. Once women asked if I would pray from God to heal them, and I was honored to do so.

After a break for lunch and misc. things, we went with Esther to buy salted dried fish for the distribution. When we got in the SUV, Esther asked if I wanted to drive because she was tired so, I go my first experience driving in the DRC. It was not as crazy as Kinshasa, but I certainly was more focused they when I drive at home. The fish buying took awhile, we purchase 1200 fish. They are large and each family will get two.

Pray for us as we go out of Goma to the refugee camp. There are about 500 families living there, with about 5 people per family. These people had to flee their homes in the mountains because of rebel forces.

The connection is here is very slow and I have been unsuccessful getting any more pictures up load, but I will keep trying.

Grace and Peace,

Michael.