The opportunity to participate in the
LoveWorks short-term mission program at
Point Loma Nazarene University has been a life-changing and unforgettable experience. I was ready and prepared for God to show me new things and change my life, but I couldn’t expect how.
Each summer Point Loma Nazarene University sends out 10 to 12 teams to various areas of the world including Ethiopia, India, Peru, New Zealand, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Each team consists of 12 to 14 students and two team leaders.
Teams undergo three months of training prior to the three-week long trip to prepare them spiritually and culturally, and bond as a team. Pastors and churches in the host countries provide the team with numerous projects including construction, school visitations, church ministry and relationship building. Students get the opportunity not only to serve others, but to experience a new culture and build incredible relationships around the world that are remembered for a lifetime.
The DRC LoveWorks team in the town of Rusizi at the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in front of one of the many structures destroyed during the Rwanda genocide.
After spending a few days in Rwanda, our team walked across the border to the city of Bukavu which is the capital of the South Kivu province.
Rwanda (left) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (right) are separated by the
Rusizi River, which flows into one of the great lakes of Africa, Lake Kivu. The lake is
located in the North and South Kivu provinces of the DRC and is used for fishing,
swimming, baptisms and more.
The culture, atmosphere and living conditions in the DRC were starkly different than that of Rwanda. Minutes after crossing the border we knew we would be having an unforgettable experience. Greeted by members of the local Nazarene church, we walked to the city of Bukavu and our journey began. After only a few hours the members of the church already made us feel at home.
Youth from an orphanage in Karoba, Rwanda. Children and youth love to have their
pictures taken, especially on digital cameras so they can see themselves afterwards.
My team and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit numerous orphanages in Bukavu, as well as in the surrounding villages. The orphanages usually housed between 200 and 300 children and teens, as well as groups of widowed women.
Vincent, a nurse in the DRC, helps feed a child at a local feeding center in the
village of Kabuya, 23 kilometers away from Bukavu. The LoveWorks team paid
a visit to this center twice during our trip.
The majority of the children at these orphanages have lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS, the genocide or the current violence occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While visiting the numerous orphanages we had the opportunity to worship in song, share testimonies and sermons, play games, take photos and just have fun with the wonderful children and adults.
Children use their supplies at a public primary-level school in Bukavu. School is taught
in French, the official language of the DRC.
In addition to visiting orphanages, we also got the opportunity to visit a few schools. We were able to step into classrooms and get an idea of what school life is like for children. There are usually 20 to 30 children per class, sitting in benches like desks (pictured above).
We learned that the children in these schools we visited were very lucky to be receiving an education; the majority of children in the DRC do not. Public schools have an enrollment fee, so most parent are unable to pay for their children to receive an education. Parents are customarily expected to pay teachers' salaries; due to the war that has been occurring in the DRC this has been impossible for many families.
One man our team had become close with has six school-aged children. It will cost him $200 dollars per child to keep them in school the next year. He says that with the expenses needed for food and daily living his children will most likely not be able to continue their education. Unfortunately, this is common for most families with school-aged children.
One of two construction projects built by the DRC LoveWorks team. Both buildings the
team began to construct will be used as church buildings for local villages.
Our team was able to help in the construction of two buildings that will be used for church services, as well as re-paint and clean a building already in use. Helping with the construction served as a challenge to our team. Although many of us had participated in construction before, the structure of buildings in the Congo is unique and like nothing we had worked on before! We had the opportunity to not only work as a team with each other, but to work as a team with our Congolese brothers and sisters. We were challenged to be patient and listen to the directions of the Congolese, and not just step in with our “advanced American construction knowledge.” Instead, we took the time to listen, have fun and work hard with each other and saw unexpected results!
After the construction of one building, there was a large rain storm with lots of wind. Many of us had little faith that the building was still standing. We were thrilled to find that it was!
Children and youth from Mumusho village watched in excitement as our LoveWorks team
worked with the village women in the fields, learning how to harvest vegetables.
Cultural experiences were another great aspect of our trip. Our team received multiple opportunities to participate in some of the work that Congolese citizens do every day. In villages such as Mumusho (in the DRC) and Karoba (in Rwanda), we got to meet with local village women and learn the difficulty of harvesting. While it looked simple, we discovered how rigorous and difficult it can actually be.
Women from the Mumusho village work hard to take care of the many fields, including
the harvest of sweet potatoes.
The women of the DRC have great skill in what they do. We got to help in picking cassava, sweet potatoes and other vegetables. We also had opportunities to fish and help cook common dishes such as fufu, mandazi and plantains. In most orphanages the widowed women living at these places do the harvesting and cooking.
Some members of a local church in Bukavu, DRC, where the LoveWorks team got to help
participate in HIV/AIDS ministry to provide information and knowledge on prevention.
Visiting churches and ministering was a major priority in our trip. We were able to participate in worship and fellowship with the Congolese and hear amazing testimonies and sermons. Church services could last two or three hours some days, but was always well worth it! We got to teach and lead American worship songs, as well as listen to the beautiful African choirs and drums perform with us.
Services usually involved sermons from both the Congolese pastor and one our leaders, as well as testimonies by our team members and the Congolese church members.
Fellowship was a big part of church gatherings. After services we were able to spend quality time with the children, youth and adult members of the church. Spending time really connected us to the people of the Congo; it was a joy to spend time and bring smiles to their faces, just as they brought the biggest smiles to our own.
The DRC LoveWorks team with members from their host Nazarene church in Bukavu.
The team was able to build strong relationships as these church members traveled
around the country with them during their trip.
While spending time meeting various Congolese citizens, pastors and children was always a wonderful experience, our best bonding experience was with our host pastor and church family. Each Point Loma LoveWorks team is hosted by a pastor and his family. Each day after working hard, we came back to our wonderful host pastor's home to rest; but we did far more than rest. We went beyond just meeting our brothers and sisters in Christ to actually build relationships and bonds. We were able to have deep conversation, have fun and feel at home in a place that was so far away from where our homes really are. Though I left the DRC with many memories, I will cherish the relationships I have made the most.
Children from a school in Bukavu gathered around me and Max of the PLNU LoveWorks
team. The schools often postponed classes to perform skits and activities when the team
came to visit.
A child at the local feeding center waits in hope of the opportunity to receive a
small cup of porridge to eat.
Awbrey Yost (left) and I (right) have some fun with children on a soccer field in Bukavu.
The team had two opportunities to play soccer against local church members.
In addition to being blessed by the opportunity to serve in a broken, war-stricken country, I received love I never expected to receive. “Brothers and Sisters in Christ” became so much more than a simple saying or written scripture; it became real. I was loved by a true family and saw firsthand what loving like Christ is all about. God really opened my heart to how amazing these people are, and how important it is to show love as Christ did to all our brothers and sisters around the world.