The Most Difficult Story...

Today I bring to you the most difficult story for me so far. I bring to you the story of one family of our Rugari parish, just another in a long list of the most difficult life stories. This is the story of the charismatic evangelist for the Catholic church at Rugari and his family.

He lives with his wife and 6 children in this home built using the materials available from the surroundings. Their home, built of wood and volcano rock, sits nestled among many such homes; trees and volcano rock the environment they share. This is the same man who has helped at each moment in the work of the parish.

Here we are on the day we moved the tables and items from the clinic up on the hill down to the new clinic by the road.

In these photos we are cleaning the bed that I brought down to our house by the road so that I could have a good solid bed instead of the metal sagging bed I had been using….we were having such a good day, the sun was bright and warm and life was good. This was a good time.

On the weekend of the Vitshumbi youth trip I was asked by this man if I could help somehow to provide some money so that he could take his 9 year old daughter to follow up care at the Rutshuru hospital.

A FARDC soldier had accosted her on the road as she returned from the clinic and raped her. This rape occurred mid-morning Tuesday the week of the Vitshumbi weekend. As the child was headed for school after getting medicine from the clinic, this FARDC soldier took her from the road and raped her very near to the road. This is part of the life of war here in Congo.

This is the child whose life is now marked by a sad and tragic event. As I visited with her in their home I asked if I could have some photos. Both she and her father agreed, but for the longest time this child was unable to make direct eye contact. But as time went on she became more and more comfortable with my presence.

Of course my presence at their home called for many children to come and see what was going on with an Mzungu visiting them.

So of course I needed to get more photos of all the visitors.

HAPPILY SO, AS CHILDREN ALWAYS BRING DELIGHT!!!

Then we went outside so we could get some great outdoor photos.

One child visiting us was lifted up as a very special person because of his difference. They even asked that he be in a photo just by himself to show his special status, it was a way of saying he is highly regarded.

Here is his photo; I was so impressed with the special deference, attention, and affection he was held in by the villagers, his friends and neighbors present. What a love and acceptance of one who was different. I am unable to bring to mind the medical condition this boy has, but the adults present say that at this time he is progressing well with his studies at school and has no affects of pain or deficit from his condition. He is loved and held in high esteem here.

Another element is the story of this little girl’s youngest brother who, in this photo with his mother, rests snuggled close to her back by a wrap, freeing her hands and head for other work as she goes about her day to day work.

This is the first time I had visited their home and she was very happy to receive me, to join in our photos and to tell more of the stories of their life. This was my first visit, but I look with hope to the day I can drop in for a visit again, I know I will enjoy!!!

This youngest brother has quite a severe umbilical hernia. I have seen many of these here in Africa and have heard many stories of these defects that eventually heal and are fine, but also I have heard and seen of those that became strangulated and the child dies. It is a chance one takes to wait and see if it will close on its own, but it is often the only option for those who live in poverty such as this.

Another verse of this song is the eldest daughter who arrived in the middle of my visit. She came carrying a basket on her head and when she saw me visiting she immediately put the basket and cushion from her head and ran to change. She refused a photo as she arrived carrying her basket on her head and seemed embarrassed for this, the adults present tried to force her to stand for such a photo but she very angrily refused and as the adults tried to insist I intervened and said it was not good to force if she felt uncomfortable. The adults present accepted this saying they could understand that it was in fact a violence to force someone to do what they felt uncomfortable doing. Here is her photo after she had changed and came to join us and I read in her face still a fierce anger.

For me this is the face of a young woman who feels trapped by her circumstances.

I end this story with these last group photos.

Family photos with many stories intertwined; this is a story of love and faith, difficulty and adversity, hope and thanksgiving, anger and helplessness, tenacity and endurance...

This is a story like so many lives, touched by all the valleys and mountains of life, they face this life with the sure conviction of their faith in Jesus as the risen Savior of all nations and tribes.