...it's in the mail

Hopefully by the time you read this (which I realize for some of you could be many moons after it is actually posted...) you will have affixed your 39 cent stamps and return addresses to your prayer support letters and dropped them into a blue box in some convenient location, and in fact many potential supporters will begin to open those letters in the coming days.

If you have not completed this task, please be aware that one of the team leaders should be contacting you on Wednesday evening to hold you accountable for getting it done BY FEBRUARY 1 (Thursday). Also, if you need to add more people to your list, please do not hesitate to send out as many letters as desired. There is no limit to the number of supporters who can join our team, however, if you want to send to people who are connected to the Bethel family (or who have been in recent years) please check with me first to make sure we are not bombarding them with 5 different requests for support.

Also, if you need some assistance with personalizing letters again or printing more envelope labels, Kelly is more than happy to show you the process. I have posted the response card template, so you can print more of those at your leisure as well.

Once we begin to receive responses, as people commit to praying or giving financially, you will be handed a response card with the name and address of the person supporting you. You will send them a hand-written thank-you note before the next Congo meeting, and will hand the card back to Mrs. Foggy to let her know that you have done so. We'll talk more about this commitment at our next meeting.

Kiningani

Director of CECA’s radio station Radio Tangezeni Kristo (RTK), which broadcasts from Bunia and Rethy. He worked as a high school chaplain in Kisangani back when Gregg was head chaplain for CECA secondary schools.

He too lived through difficult times in that city. His wife died in childbirth several years ago. He has remarried, lives in Bunia and has recently been named head of Bunia youth ministry for the Bunia CECA churches.

He will be teaching the daily Bible lessons on "Continuous Revival".

Proposed New Timeline

DATE	MEETING AGENDA	ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Saturday, January 13*	Welcome to the Team	initial $100 commitment Every meeting: Bible, Notebook, Pen
Sunday, January 28*	Envelope stuffing	personalized letters for all potential supporters, stamped and addressed envelopes
Saturday, February 10*	What's My Line?	second $100 commitment, medical form completed
Saturday,March 17*	Building a Winning Team I	third $100 commitment, passport application submitted
Saturday, April 14	Watch Your Life!	first 4 chapters of "Seeking Him" completed
Friday-Saturday, April 20-21	Please Don't Send Me to Africa RETREAT	parental permission & power of attorney NOTARIZED
Sunday, May 6	Building a Winning Team II	fourth $100 commitment, testimony / gospel presentation
Saturday,May 19 8:30 AM	We're Not in Kansas Any More!	first 8 chapters of "Seeking Him" completed
Saturday, June 2	Details, Details, Details	final $100 commitment, yellow fever shot, malaria prescription (not filled yet)
Saturday, June 16	Are We There Yet?
Sunday, June 24	Family Prayer and Commissioning
Tuesday, June 26	Countdown to Liftoff	1 large suitcase packed with only what is on the list
Thursday, June 28	Depart for Entebbe, Uganda
Tuesday-Saturday, July 3-7	English Bible Camp in Bunia, Dem Rep of Congo
Thursday, July 12	Return to US
Sunday, July 29	Report to Church and Supporters

*Saturday meetings are regularly scheduled from 9 AM until 11 AM. The support team is requested to join us for the first hour the first Saturday meeting of each month.

Alt-Ctrl-Delete

Greetings. Welcome to a new year of blogging. The newly rebooted Congo 2007 team met for the first time this weekend to establish a couple of things:

1. A fresh focus on our mission, the opportunity for ministry in Bunia
   
2. A reminder of the Biblical mandate for partnerships in ministry
3. A renewal of the leadership team roles
4. A review of the current tentative schedule and deadlines

Bridget's Bunia Blog 35

Happy New Year!

'Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.' Proverbs 17:22

"Yes, Gosapa, you have a question?" I was bringing to a close an English lesson dealing with prepositions of position and I wanted to give the students opportunity for clarification. "Could you explain about 'by the door'? I heard it on the radio and I didn't understand it." "Let's look at that tomorrow since there are several prepositional phrases that involve the door."

So the next day we duly explained - complete with sketches and example sentences on the blackboard - the difference between 'by the door' meaning 'near the door', 'at the door' which has the connotation of someone wanting access or egress and 'on the door', and for good measure we added the adverbs 'outdoors' and 'indoors' and the adjectives 'outdoor' and 'indoor'.

"Gosapa, does this make it clear for you?"
"Not really."
"OK. (Sigh) Well, tell me about the radio program where you heard the expression 'by the door' mentioned. Was it a news program? Was it a reporter? Was he talking from another country?"

Light was beginning to dawn.
"Do you think they were reporting from Somalia? Are you sure the phrase wasn't in fact the name of the town 'Baidoa'?


As I picked up the returned library book, the pages fell open to reveal a razor blade. Evidently it had been used as a book marker or placed there for safe keeping. I didn't interpret it as having any malevolent message. But I did find it ironic (or appropriate) that the title of the book was 'Kill Me Quick' by Meja Mwangi! It led to an interesting exercise in creative thinking. What would be left in 'Arrow of God' by Chinua Achebe? Or 'White Teeth' by Okot p'Bitek? A return ticket from London to Paris would be a very acceptable find in 'A Tale of Two Cities'. Any suggestions for 'Great Expectations'?


Doesn't this misspelling conjure up a wonderful picture?
'My mother gave berth to seven children.'

For those of you familiar with the premise of 'Poisonwood Bible'* by Barbara Kingsolver, the Congolese mispronunciation 'Holly Lord' balances out the error.

With all good wishes for a jocund 2007,
Bridget

*(The white missionary refuses to take seriously the tonal aspect of a Congolese language and so calls the Bible, not holy, but by the name of a bush that gives off a poison that makes the skin itch.)