Je suis arrivee a Goma!

Today is my first day ‘on the job.’ Not quite sure what that means, I trail behind Harper, whose friendly laugh greets everyone, overflowing with fluent Swahili. I must learn Swahili asap! She introduces me as Cristina, ‘yes, yet another Cristina, Christina, Christine and Kristin.” The Congolese must think all Americans have the same name- since currently or in the last 2 months there have been about 5! My favorite so far is not actually an American; Dr. Christina is from Holland, highly gifted in surgical procedures other doctors cannot succeed in. When she stays at HEAL Africa, she performs about 5 fistula repair surgeries a day, whereas the hospital usually performs that amount in an entire week! She is funny, easy to talk with and very humble.
The day I arrived in Goma (Saturday), we crossed the Rwandan border by foot, and then hopped into cars toward the HEAL Africa hospital. As I was receiving a tour, who walks by me but a young lady, the very one featured in the LUMO documentary! I meet eyes with her and smile, but avoid singling her out by yelling out her name in recognition.
The house where I now live is beautiful; there are always a ton of guests, volunteers and workers living there. I share a room with Harper, which has already been a blast for talking at night and catching up. It’s just great to hang out with her again, only now we are living in the Congo! Our room overlooks Lake Kivu, so we are lulled to sleep with the lapping waves and woken pleasantly in the morning by the busy birds chirping amongst the garden. I love the lady of the night, a flower that exudes its fragrance when evening sets! Smells of all sorts assail your senses wherever you are in Goma, so my nasal fixation delights in escapes like these.

February 21, 2008
My first realization that I was finally truly on my way to Africa happened with the first steps I took into the Dutch aircraft towards Amsterdam. My hypersensitive nose twitched at the smell of sardines as I juggled my carry-on luggage and favorite pillow down the long row of compact seats. I stumbled upon the source: a burly man in full traditional African garb, complete with a black and red speckled turban. His work-roughened hands cracked pieces of dried fish from a ziplock bag on his lap into his mouth, to the dubious look of the mid-twenties, adventure-eager American next to him. I eased on past them, wondering what awaited me at seat 43J. My companion for the next seven and a half hour flight stood to allow me in, wafting of Acqua de Gio cologne, to the relaxation of my senses. His perfectly slicked back hair moved not a millimeter from the partitions provided by his comb the entire 8 hour flight, complimented by a dark red shirt and a black vest. A previous military serviceman during the first Gulf War, his current job at Best Buy doing security investigations made him quite a pleasant person to coexist with as we soared over the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the wintry night. Oh, it’s true that I have left the snow in Minnesota behind for at least 10 months!

'Silent Emergency'

Eastern Congo (North Kivu region) in the news:

Anderson Cooper (CBS / 60 Minutes) reports on violence against women:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/11/60minutes/main3701249.shtml

Why has there been war in Congo for 16 years & why approximately 45,000 people die every day? (hint: resources & exploitation) The Mediastorm report is amazing:
"The Rape of a Nation" http://www.mediastorm.org/0022.htm (11 minutes)

Read the facts in the UN Security Council report on the Illegal Exploitation of the Resources of Congo: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/sc7057.doc.htm

Ann Curry (Today Show) reports on HEAL Africa: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23143082#23148340 (2 minutes)

Ann Curry (Today Show) reports on Congo: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23143082#23143082 (2 minutes)

Ann Curry reports on both suffering and hope in the Congo:
http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/13/663262.aspx

Slideshow on HEAL Africa and Goma:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23155008/displaymode/1107/s/2/

The Audacity of Hope

Yes, my friends, I am ready to act on 'the audacity of hope'! To hope that we can all one day have an attitude of collaboration, not divisiveness, with those that are different from us. To hope that one day, all will work together for a dignified life for each human being on this earth, with enough for everybody.

Problem is, in order for everyone to have enough- for there's more than plenty to go around each year in regards to resources- it's far more about the question: are we willing to share? Are we willing to give up a bit of our wealth for the sustainability of another person's life? Are we willing to love by setting up systems so that all people can have access to become more educated, should they desire to do so? In my experience, in my short 26 years of life, I have increasingly grown to believe what the Bible says about generosity: "give and it will be given to you." Those that share are sustained with enough, but is "enough" enough for those of us from the land of plenty?

Yet I will hope that we will share. I hope that one day our brothers and sisters across the world in Iran, in Iraq, in Peru, in the Congo, in Kenya and Chad and Darfur, anywhere where there is need- that we will all be able to love by sharing. That we may be content with "enough", and find ourselves blessed with plenty.

Yesterday I saw "The Kite Runner," and was struck by the young boy's father. He stated that the only sin is theft. He claimed that if you kill someone, not only do you steal a life, you steal the man's wife's right to her husband's life; the children's right to a father. If you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. So, if we turn a passive eye to the world around us, do we not steal the people's right to a dignified and hopeful life? And on the other hand, if we do not ignore it, do we not infuse their future with the opportunity to truly live?