My friends Paul and Laurel are in the Congo
A few weeks ago, I published a post called “Is God opening a door of opportunity for us in the Congo?” In that post, I explained that some friends of ours (Paul and Laurel) were moving to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After several long flights and a few days in Entebbe, Uganda, Paul and Laurel and their four month old son Noah arrived in their new home in Isiro, DRC a couple of weeks ago.
Paul and Laurel will be working with locals to create written versions of several local, tribal languages. It sounds strange to many of us in the west, but many of the languages in that region (and in other regions around the world) are only spoken language. There is no written version. When my friends visited the area a couple of years ago, they were present when a man wrote down a story for the first time even in his native language.
Last weekend, I had a chance to Skype with Paul and Laurel – and even Noah. So far, they are getting adjusted to their new home and beginning to learn Lingala. (They have already spent alot of time learning French, which is one of the national languages of DRC.) Soon, they will begin their translation work.
I enjoyed catching up with my friends, and it’s amazing how technology (like Skype) can help us continue interacting with one another even though we are thousands of miles away.
Of course, as I explained in the post liked to above, we are also praying about how God could use us in the DRC and how God could use our brothers and sisters in the DRC to help us. That’s right… mutual edification across continents.
So, what’s going to happen? We don’t know. Paul and Laurel have already seen some opportunities, but we’re waiting both for more information, for them to meet more people in their city, and for direction from God. We trust that if he wants us to work together with our brothers and sisters in the DRC, then he will make that clear.
Still… it’s an exciting time. Already, I’m learning about more things that God is doing half way around the world.
Alan, this is so cool I’ve got to tell you.
The photo of Paul and Laurel being greeted in Isiro shows them shaking hands with a dear friend, Marion Vandermeer, who with her husband John, have been serving tirelessly for many years, with their children.
They are returning this year as more of their children will go to college.
Our circle of friends here have been keeping a close eye on several of their other children who came back earlier to go to college.
John and Laurel are among the elect of God.
Did I read correctly that you are considering going there?
blessings
Greg
Greg,
It is really awesome that you know people in their pictures! Are we going to the Congo? We’re talking about it and praying about it. So, perhaps.
-Alan