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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

What is a Visa?


       To some, a visa is a piece of plastic you use to pay for something when you are shopping, or to withdraw money. To others, it is a stamp in a passport that is their ticket to another country. Some people have both a visa in their passport and a VISA card in their wallet. This allows them to go to another country and easily get cash almost anywhere at a moment's notice. However many people who live in developing countries, like the Central African Republic (CAR), don’t have this double luxury. A visa is needed to get in the country, but there are no ATMs around. Cash can be quite difficult to get, and there has to be a lot more planning involved in order to get money when you need it.
       It is like this for many other things too. Food, and basic necessities like shampoo and clothes are more difficult to buy. Many markets don’t have much available because they are either so isolated or there is just not high demand for these goods. Often things can be found in larger cities, but it takes a lot of planning since you may not always have a chance or time to go such a distance. So when you are able to go, you stock up on goods to take back and have available for when and if you need them. I am constantly amazed at how easy it is to get something when I feel I need it here in the States. At a moment's notice I can walk out of the house, drive to a grocery store, pay for a product with money that is readily available, and be back home very quickly. Things just are not this simple in central Africa.  
       Yesterday I found out that I got a visa for CAR in my passport. This is my ticket into the CAR, which is one of many developing countries without ATMs, or well-stocked stores just around the corner. I have traded in one visa for another. Life is going to be different and challenging over the next two years as I figure out how to get things when I need them, or be patient until I can get them. On the other hand, I will not be needing quite as much either. Life is simpler and does not require a whole lot of products out there. Either way, this new visa is going to require a change in my lifestyle.  

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Lord's Army?

More about the LRA can be found on BBC.com

       Central African Republic was in the news again today because of some violence, but this was not from the recent war. Fighting between the dominant rebel group and the government seems to have stopped for now. There are still plenty of other rebel groups in the country though, including one of the more conspicuous ones, the Lord's Resistance Army (the LRA).
       The LRA started its fight so it could take over Uganda and govern by following the 10 commandments. Believing God had called them to carry over threw the government, they have been using fear and destruction as tools of war across the region. They are responsible for the brutal slaughtering of many innocent people, as well as the abduction, mutilation, and/or violent indoctrinating of tens of thousands of children over the last 25 years. Many may remember last year's YouTube video "Kony 2012" that went viral overnight. Joseph Kony is the leader of the LRA and is wanted for war crimes in the international criminal court.  
       Last Friday one of his "bodyguards", the one in charge of "child abduction", was killed.
As of last October there have been 100 US Special Forces soldiers in CAR, hunting this incredibly violent group along with several African countries militaries.
      The LRA appears to be hiding somewhere on the west side of CAR, and my mission station (Gamboula) is located on the far east side, so there is currently not a high risk of them affecting my work there. However, they are still a very dangerous and unpredictable group and I would appreciate prayer regarding stability in the eastern region of CAR, as well as the speedy apprehension of this group. 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

So close


       In less than one month, I will be in Yaoundé Cameroon!  Since I was so close to raising my total budget for two years of living in the Central African Republic (CAR), I was given the go ahead to book my flight! Unfortunately, the easiest way to get to CAR is to fly to Cameroon, and then drive the rest of the way to CAR. At this point I am not sure how long it will take to catch a ride to the mission station of Gamboula where I will be living, but I am excited to finally have a date to leave the US for Africa.
       The whole process of getting to CAR has been quite complicated. I will be living close to Cameroon, and will use that country as my entry and exit point into CAR. If there is any political unrest, Cameroon is also a more stable country to retreat to for a while if that is deemed necessary. For these reasons I am getting a two year residence card for Cameroon. This will allow me to travel to and from there over the time I will be in Gamboula. I also need a two year residence card for CAR.
       Before getting the residence cards, however, I need to get visas for the countries. These visas are quite complicated to get as they require a traveler to have: proof of purchase of a ticket to and from the country and a letter of invitation from someone in the country with exact dates you are coming. It can take a few weeks for these visas to be issued. Not knowing exactly how long the process would take, I had to book my flight for a date that I thought was far enough out to allow time for the letters of invitation for both countries to get here, and then still have enough time to hopefully get the visas back in time for my flight. 
        As of right now, I have tickets to get to Cameroon, part of the way to CAR, and have received and sent in the letters of invitation. The visas have not been issued yet, but I still have a few weeks to get them. I am also at 97% and need to raise the last 3 % (about $150/month) of my budget before I go.  

Friday, January 11, 2013

Peace deal signed for CAR after Gabon talks - Africa - Al Jazeera English

      There has been a peace deal signed between the Rebels and the government of the CAR! I am relativity new to the politics of the CAR, and these groups, but from what I understand, this seems to be a good sign. Some of the terms are talked about in this news clip Peace deal signed for CAR after Gabon talks - Africa - Al Jazeera English
       Hopefully things will calm down by the time I get there, but it is Africa, any thing can happen at any time.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

6% left!


       This past week, given my current level of support, I have been given the go ahead to begin working on Visa applications for the Central African Republic (CAR)! I don’t have dates yet, but it looks like it will be sometime in Mid-February.
       Today the Rebels and Government of CAR are in peace talks in the neighboring country of Gabon. The hope is that a deal would be made, and the political situation would calm down by the time I get there next month. 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Conflict in the CAR

      During the past few weeks, there has been a rebel group marching on the capital of the Central African Republic. They have advanced quite quickly forcing the evacuation of a lot of the country. In less then a month, they took more then half the country, and today are only about 40 miles from the capital. It seems they are willing to talk though, and are going to be meeting with the government for talks in Gabon on Tuesday the 8th. There have been quite a few countries including South Africa that have sent troops to aid the CAR including South Africa which might be one reason the rebels have halted their advance.
      I am in communication with the missionaries I will be working with, and they are still there. The village I will be going to is just about the farthest you can get from the violence, and work is going on as normal. Still as I get ready to go it is uncertain what the next few weeks are going to be like in the CAR.
      Pleas join with me in praying that peace would be reached at these talks over the next few days.

Here is an article from this mornints news about situation: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/01/201317102214414514.html

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Reflections from living in portland and adapting to change


     This last summer I moved from South-west Florida to North-west Oregon. The move was from one corner of the US to the other, and in many cases a study in opposites. The weather, people’s political and social views, and other physical characteristics were quite different. There were also many extremes in my personal life. All these experiences have been challenging, and I have felt the Lord using these many new and different situations to teach and bring me closer to him. 

Adapting to change
     I have always lived in rural or small town settings.  Although I have been to cities and spent bits of time in them, I have not lived in them for extended periods of time. Portland turned out to be a great city as far as most cities I have seen go, but it was a city none the less. I had to figure out how to get around within its maze of streets, buildings, and then function in that culture. I learned about public transit, and biking in the city, both of which were super easy. On top of that, the city is quite pretty, located right on the Colombia and Willamette Rivers, with hills and interesting buildings, streets and houses all around it.  
     Despite the beauty being surrounded by houses, buildings, and people for miles, I felt trapped. The many parks and green areas were nice, but small and there was always the knowledge that I was surrounded. Many things I like to do, or are in my routine I had to change as a result of being in a city. 
     I have used running as a means of escape, relaxation, and exercise for years. Running on concrete is hard on my body though, and having to cross streets every block broke up my runs too much to be enjoyable. It became more work than relaxation, and I quit running altogether. Instead, I rode my bike a lot. I enjoyed the exercise and it got me out of the house, but again was more stressful rather than enjoyable since I always had to pay attention to cars or pedestrians around me.
     So what did I learn from all this? There are so many people in the city, and many enjoy its fast and crowded life style. I experienced it, had to change my habits, and made the most of it, but have no desire to go back to a large city for any extended period of time. But, more than that, everywhere I will go will be different, and habits will have to be changed. I will have to adapt and change my life style to function in the new place, and be thankful for what God is teaching me in that situation. CAR will be rural, but present a whole different set of challenges I will have to overcome. 

God Created Us for Community


      I spent last year in an incredible Christian community in Florida. As an intern, I lived in intern housing with others, worked with volunteers, work teams, and other staff all day. Although I am an introvert and needed time alone, I enjoyed the year of being around lots of people, and was able to share and learn from others so much more then I would have been able to on my own. The move to Portland put me in a city surrounded by people, but lacking the intentional community. Since I hoped to be travelling while raising support, I did not immediately get involved in my new environment, because I did not know when I would be available. When I became a little settled and got a job, my new hours limited the Bible studies or community events I could attend.   
A few of the interns and I at ECHO
      As I was living and facing many uncertainties, learning a ton about my life, it was evident that I needed community for support and comradery. I used Skype as a tool to communicate with a few people, but I missed being with people physically, or having people always present. I learned just how important it is to find a community or stay in close contact with community as soon as possible to help with transition and processing.    
      When I head to the CAR I am going to be faced with this going to a new place, and not having community right away. I am going to have to stay in contact with the community I have, and work hard at finding community there. It will be a smaller and more intentional community there, so that will help, but it is something to pay attention too in the CAR, as well as where ever I end up next.   

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation”

     Growing up on the equator, I really run from the cold. In my opinion, it should always be hot, and never even cool. Continual rain is another thing that is really annoying to me. So, how did I end up in Oregon? That is a different story!  During my months there, it was cold and rained a lot. I mentioned in my previous post that God gave me a job. Turns out that the job had be working at the airport! I love planes, and airports, and this job let me be around them all the time.  It also meant working in the cold and rain every night with co-workers who held many different viewpoints on life and our job!  Going into winter, both days and evenings at the airport were tough. I am convinced though that God brought me to Portland and put me where he did to teach me, about being content in difficult or annoying situations, and how to react to them.
Me being eaten alive by hay bales. This could be quite a trying situation.  
     The couple I was living with were an incredibly positive and caring Christian couple. I was always greeted by a smile.  When it was raining or something unforeseen happened, a good light was shed on it, life was good, and life moved on. I really saw that although I did not like the weather or certain things that were happening, it was not something to be completely unhappy about, and dragging myself and others down with me over, but to see the positive in it. Life is hard, and in some cases there is not much we can do to change things. The fact that I knew my situation was temporary, as well as my love for aviation, helped me be able to tolerate and even be joyful in my circumstances at the airport, but helped me to also see other situations, and my attitude toward them. I saw how a positive attitude effected every one, and how God helped me learn to keep it positive.

A balanced life with purpose



      Last week, my job that I waited for, for so long, ended. I have worked hard all of my life in school, and then at ECHO. I like being productive, and hate going to bed without having anything to show for the day. When I moved to Portland I was out of school, and did not have a job. Reading was nice in little bits, and there were things I was doing for Reach Global that kept me busy, but I did not really feel like I had accomplished much it the end of the day. It felt like I had no real purpose and was not living for anything. Since I hoped to be visiting churches on weekends, employers refused my job applications, looking for people who would work flexible days, instead.
    My roommate would ask me every day after he got home from school, "What did you do today?" I would be forced to think about having not accomplished much of what I thought to be of much value. 
Taking a brake from work to munch on a few carrots 
    During this time I came to see how much I focus on work, and how much it can take over my view. As a result, other aspects of my life suffered  like spiritual, physical, and relational. I spent a lot of time with the Lord, thought a lot about my values, and volunteered at a soup kitchen. It was a good time of reflection and feeding some parts of my life, but not others, but this time I was unbalanced the other way. Then, when I could almost not bear going to bed any more for lack of daily work, God gave me a Job. I got hired at the airport to load and unload UPS jets. It was only part-time, but gave me purpose, allowed me keep weekends open, and still gave me plenty of time to spend in quiet time with the Lord. I saw the importance of a balanced life, one which keeps me busy, but also allows me to have time for other needs.