My Ballot has Arrived!!!

Hello all at St. John and St. Anne!!! A wonderful gift that I have enjoyed in the past few weeks is having access to cable TV!!! Wow, what fun to actually get to watch CNN and BBC news. Of course I cannot get anything like NBC, ABC, or FOX for the really local flavor, but I have enjoyed none the less. Now, the wonderful part about this for me is to get to follow a bit of the campaign news that so dominates the news around the world at this time in American politics. For you youth I want you to think a bit about what the world is looking at in our political process. They see all that you see on the TV and watch with great interest. Of course most of the people that I talk with are so interested because Barack Obama is running. This is something that has the whole world watching and waiting to see what will happen. Barack Obama running for president of the United States has captured the attention of the world in a way that no other election has. It is a turning point in our American history. We are now at a point of seeing the famous words of Martin Luther King Jr. come closer to reality...you know the words, "I have a dream, that someday people will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character...." One of his most famous speeches and we are seeing this beautiful reality advancing in our lifetime and we can do nothing but thank God. No matter what way a person votes, Republican, Democratic, or Independent our political process affects the world. We give thanks to God for the freedom and privilege we are able to enjoy. Especially as I work in a country where justice and privilege are so lacking I recognize afresh my thankfulness for America and all that supported me and sustained me in my life as a child growing up in a country where everyone has a chance to go to school, to have books to read, to have medical care of some kind, and so much more. We are so privileged in the United States of America and I thank God for all that, but now God asks us to help bring that kind of privilege to all of God's children...so here I am trying to some small work for this kind of privilege for all people of the world. OK, now the real exciting thing for me on Monday, October 20 (my daughter Jessica's birthday!!!) was that I was able to send my ballot for the upcoming presidential, senate, and house elections. I had to send in a WRITE IN ABSENTEE BALLOT!!! I first was required to register with my local county auditor and then request my ABSENTEE BALLOT. I did this while I was in Nairobi via internet and my ballot was sent via US postal service. So I waited here in Goma...and I waited....and I waited. Well, my official county ballot has still not arrived, but our government takes all this into consideration and has another option available. It is called a WRITE IN ABSENTEE BALLOT. I was able to go to the internet and fill in this ballot. Then I needed to print it out, sign it, and send it to the USA via a postal service. I chose DHL in Rwanda. I went to the DHL office in Kigali and posted my ballot on Monday the 20th. Following is the legend of travel my ballot has taken to arrive to the polling station ON TIME!!! Take a look at all the locations this ballot has traveled to get to my home state of South Dakota where I am casting my ballot. Might be fun to trace the travel using Google Earth. #3530686121 - Detailed Report Date Time Location Service Area Checkpoint Details October 20, 2008 10:01 Kigali - Rwanda Shipment picked up October 20, 2008 14:36 Kigali - Rwanda Departed from DHL facility in Kigali - Rwanda October 20, 2008 17:21 Nairobi - Kenya Arrived at DHL facility in Nairobi - Kenya October 20, 2008 22:13 Nairobi - Kenya Departed from DHL facility in Nairobi - Kenya October 21, 2008 08:17 London - UK Arrived at DHL facility in London - UK October 21, 2008 11:13 London - UK Departed from DHL facility in London - UK October 21, 2008 11:13 London - UK Transferred through London - UK October 21, 2008 19:10 New York - USA Arrived DHL facility New York City - USA October 21, 2008 23:40 New York - USA Departed DHL facility in New York - USA October 22, 2008 02:25 Wilmington, OH Arrived DHL facility DHL Wilmington-USA October 22, 2008 02:25 Wilmington, OH Transferred through DHL Wilmington - USA October 22, 2008 15:50 Wilmington, OH Departed DHL facility Wilmington - USA October 22, 2008 20:34 Minneapolis, MN Arrived at DHL facility in Minneapolis - USA October 24, 2008 01:44 Minneapolis, MN Departed DHL facility in Minneapolis - USA October 24, 2008 06:08 Plymouth, MN Scheduled for delivery October 24, 2008 06:11 Plymouth, MN Arrived at DHL facility in Plymouth - USA October 24, 2008 06:16 Plymouth, MN Forwarded for delivery October 27, 2008 07:54 Rapid City, SD Shipment delivered 3530686121 Kigali - Rwanda Rapid City, SD - USA Shipment delivered !!!!

WOW!!!! That was quit a journey my ballot traveled, huh?!?!

Our world, God's world is grand and vast! I thank God for our knowledge to be able to make this ballot arrive on time for the intended purpose. Our freedom and political process in America are precious, we must value that process and that freedom. I am blessed to have been able to participate in this election from a far off distant land where war still rages and where good governance is lacking. This work here makes me especially grateful for the benefits I grew up with. We as Christians are called to help that kind of process in all the world. This is when we are more fully living into the image of Jesus that we are called to.

OK, the war is going on here still. I pray for you all as you go to your polling places. And now I go to see if there is any help I can be to those who are struggling to find safe transit for our NGO employees stranded in RUTSHURU where fighting is still going on. FARDC soldiers have stolen some of our vehicles, theives have plundered radios and other items, and FARDC tank has crushed one of the cars of CARITAS GOMA. We are glad it is only cars...it is only money. We give thanks that all are alive and able to continue in their aid work once they return to Goma. We go on, for now there is more work than ever.

Love to you all in the name of Christ,

Jackie

PS:::HAPPY VOTING!!!

BOOKS FOR NKOKWE SCHOOL

Dear Youth of St. John and St. Anne, Well, when I knew I would be going on this wonderful gig over here in DRC, I was thrilled when the Summer Bible School Program of St. John decided they wanted a project here in DRC to support with their offering. Today I show you all the books I purchased with the funds St. John youth raised for us. I don’t know if you can even imagine what it would be like to sit at your desk all day, every day and study without any books to read, but that is how all the children I have seen in our Rugari parish study. Now they will have some few books, a way to start a culture of reading and study so different from what they have ever done before.

While on my way back from Nairobi where I purchased the books I met Bishop Elisha of the Baptist church in Kisumu, Kenya. I was privileged to spend two nights staying with he and his family. They welcomed me and showed me the most wonderful hospitality. When I came back from town in the afternoon I sat with his two granddaughters who live with him and started reading as we sat outside in the evening. Within a half hour we had about 12 kids sharing all the books with us, this convinces me that the children at the Nkokwe School will love to have these books in their school. For the children of Kenya, books are not new and most have access to some books in their education system and if they found such delight in these books certainly children not so far away from them in Congo will also find much delight as well.

Living here in the city of Kisumu, Kenya (be sure to look for it on GOOGLE EARTH) means you can also have some livestock. Bishop Elisha has chickens and goats. My second evening there we had a funny dilemma. The twin kids (baby goats) belonging to the nanny goat climbed through a gate and up the steps to the top of this house under construction and then forgot how to get back down. The poor babies cried from the roof and the mother cried from the ground. If you look really close to the right corner of the roof you will see the two bumps on the top of this roof that are the heads of the kids.

Bishop Elisha and his son had to figure out how to rescue them.

Using a homemade ladder his son climbed up to the roof and brought the babies down, reuniting them with their worried mother.

It was a fun rescue!!!

Now how about these photos of Nairobi, Kenya??? Pretty nice looking city, HUH!!! All the amenities of home are here in Nairobi.

I enjoyed so much to be out of DRC for a few weeks tasting what it feels like to walk down streets and not see soldiers with rifles, to walk in the evening without fear of robbery or worse. I have enjoyed the taste of freedom outside of DRC.

The Sunday that I was in Nairobi I accompanied a friend to a Pentacostal Church and thought you would enjoy this photo of the youth who sang and danced a praise song as part of the church service.

That wraps up my little story of travel through Kenya to buy books for NKOKWE. It was a fun trip for me though a lot of work, but to retell the story has just added to the fun and joy of what I was privileged to partake in. Thank you for this opportunity St. John and St. Anne.

Please pray for all the children who are waiting to see when they can return to school in our Rugari Parish, pray that they will soon be able to enjoy all the books you have brought to them. For the gift of books we say THANK YOU to the YOUTH of St. John.

Puppies and War

Greetings to the youth of St. John and St. Anne communities, Today I am writing from my vacation. But I continue with a story from Rugari, a story of pleasant memory for me, a story about our new family additions at the parish house. As I remember my home at Rugari Parish I am anxious to return but for now I am on a vacation. A vacation planned in a way, but unplanned in another because I had to leave from Rugari when armed conflict broke out once more. But the story I want to tell is about our new family additions and here they are, these two beautiful puppies sleeping under the chair of John Paul, a seminarian staying with us at Rugari. These photos of lovely little puppies sleeping so peacefully cannot help but remind me of goodness and joy. My only concern for them now is if they are being taken care of or are they dieing of hunger. When we ran away from Rugari I called a Major from MONUC stationed at the parish to ask him if they could take care of the puppies during our absence and he assured me they would be well taken care of…that was over four weeks ago and I can’t help but wonder how they are doing in the midst of a war. I pray they are surviving. I gave these two little pups names, one an American name and the other a Swahili name. This first pup is a female named NEEMA, that is pronounced using the long vowel A two times where you see the double EE and using the soft ah pronunciation for the ending vowel. This is the Swahili word for GRACE.

The other pup is a male whom I named Sandy because he is the color of sand and a bright chipper fellow as well. One wonderful part of this story are the beautiful courtyards that these puppies and I get to play in.

This side is the south side where I look back toward the house and Mikeno Volcano behind the house and church, what wonderful scenery I get to partake in every day. Now on this side I have to confess this is an old photo that in no way shows the present beauty of this north side of the house. This photo was taken when I first arrived here in March and now everything is pruned and trimmed and flowers are blooming…we have made such wonderful progress in restoring the parish to its former beauty. But the restoration goes far beyond just getting the parish house put back together for the priests; classes and religious instruction are back in full swing, the choir again rehearses each week, various groups congregate for support, Mass is said each morning and twice on Sunday, the youth group is active once again, the farming of parish is in full swing again. Life is returning to the parish… ...or at least it was before the fighting of a few weeks ago, but today…. I do not know. We had been preparing for classes to start the first day of September but now I do not know…because I am away there is so much I do not know. I miss it and can’t wait to return. Perhaps my vacation is doing me some good, now I will be ready for the time of being there again and I pray the peace will have returned and I can again feel confident in being there safely. Another wonderful aspect of the work of the parish is that we had started some small work at the clinic again. It is open on a daily basis; staff is there to take care of patients who come in and we refuse no one medical care. Here is a child being bandaged for a gash on his forehead from a fall... ...and then look very closely at the patients standing in line at the medicine room to notice the soldier carrying his AK47 waiting in line to get his medicine. The Congolese Army does not want any pictures taken of them, but I took these photos because it is such an important part of what is happening here. If no one can tell the real story, what happens to us? What happens to our understanding of freedom for all? Here you see the finished work of the nurse who was bandaging this child. He will heal well from his wound.

The soldier and his AK47, this is the difficult part of living here, I have become too accustomed to seeing military carrying these weapons of death and destruction where ever I go and so it goes for the people who live here; we accustomed and it seems ordinary, not unusual. It has come to my mind that it is not a good thing to feel normal in this kind of circumstance and that is just another reason for me to go on vacation and taste freedom again, to remind myself of what it is like to live without the presence of AK47’s and to be able to walk in the evening without fear of death, robbery, or rape. To taste again the normal every day experience for most of us; walking with confidence that we are in a safe environment.

OK, now for another ray of beauty from Rugari before I must close this blog post. These last photos are of a woman in the village who has reached the beautiful age of 107 years young.

Look at this face and see how she still is out in the day doing her work, carrying her parcel home and visiting with the people of the village.

This is a picture of a life well lived in health, she gives me hope that life can be vital up to our last days. I look forward to visiting with her again one day when I have time for a real visit, what an inspiration she is. So I will close my short story of “Puppies and War” hoping and praying that when I return to Rugari the puppies are well, the school is back in full swing, our classrooms are finished, the clinic is working, and our water project to bring water to the village is continuing, there is so much work to do and I love the feeling of getting work accomplished. I will pray for a day when peace has fully returned to this country so that a group of our students from St. Anne and St. John can come for a visit with the students of Rugari Parish, I like to dream big, as many of you already know. Grace and Peace to you all from God our Father!