Helping Hands in Uganda: Friday, March 4, 2011: No, we will not give you money (translation-corruption in Congo)

On the home stretch now, and we head toward 2 pygmy camps about 3 hours from Goma – with only 2 more ministry days, we are expecting these days to be the toughest. Along the way, we stop to buy some roasted corn on the cob, which was delicious (even as I swept aside thoughts of how it was prepared and that I could possibly get some dire stomach ailment from eating roadside food.)

Sitting in the back seat of the van, I watched with interest as our African brothers and sisters ate their corn – very slowly, one row at a time, making sure that each kernel of every row was eaten before starting on the next row. I don’t think it was so much them savoring the flavor of the corn as it was, that they are careful not to waste any bit of food that they are provided.

Just before entering the first pygmy village, we encounter another check-point – this time, all of the pastors who accompanied us (4 in all) got out of the van and went into the little security office. After about 30 minutes, everyone emerged and we continued on our way – the men had demanded money for us to proceed, our team refused and after some heated discussion, we were allowed to continue.

This simply astounds me despite the fact that it is not uncommon for us to encounter bribery situations. I cannot fathom how officials, who can personally see the poverty and devastation in their country, can demand money from people who are only coming to serve the people freely. I am continually reminded that wherever God’s work is taking place, Satan is working just as hard to destroy the work and to destroy lives. Satan is hard at work in the Congo but I am assured, and I know whom I have believed – God is greater.

Arriving at the first village of Burayi, we quickly set up clinic and get started – the people have been waiting for us for months (since last October when we promised them we would return.)

The pygmies are one of the shunned people groups of the world – in the DRC, they are huddled into small villages (called ‘camps’) where they are almost cut off from the outside world. In Burayi, the majority of the children do not attend school (located several kilometers away)- they are "chased away" due to lack of school fees. So they end up working in the fields to get food. I am surprised that the camp is so clean – there is no clean water, little food, no electricity or running water – but the camp is very neat and orderly – no huge piles of trash that I am accustomed to seeing in Uganda and other countries where we work.

The church that was begun in October 2010 is struggling but going on. The pastor is faithful, and travels on foot 13 kilometers several times weekly to have church services and to minister to the people. One problem is that the “officials” (people who decide they are leaders of the camp) want to be in charge. The church has service in a small building that was loaned by the pygmies and thus these self-appointed leaders feel they have the right to dictate what goes on. We are praying for land very near to the camp where we can build our own building and where the church can operate without pressure from the officials. We are also praying that the church body can begin a school for the pygmy children.

There are still larger numbers of pygmies who live even further out in the bush – a few of them have come to the clinic today, but the majority of them are born, live, and die in the bush. Those are the people we need to go and see. We will have to return another day.

From Dr. Brenda in the Congo