Down to the Wire

I’m wrapping up my time here; I’m in Impfondo just six more days. I only work two more days, then it’s the weekend and I will be packing to leave for Pointe Noire (on the coast of Congo) on Tuesday! Sarah and I are going with the Wegner family for four days then flying back to Brazzaville to wait for her dad and sister to arrive. Then I will chill out in Brazzaville for a few days before I leave for the states on the 16th!
There have been cold showers, laundry by hand, three mile bike rides to work, limited electricity, making every item of food from scratch, smoldering days, just today we ran out of water, and yet the past four months have been some of the most peaceful and content months I have had in a long while. Watching the sun rise over the river and seeing the boaters peacefully glide along the gradually rising river have been just a few of the perks to living in such a beautiful place. Not to say I didn’t have my frustrations or my days of homesickness, but even behind all of that there has been a sense of peace here in Congo. I have been surrounded by spiritual warriors, crusaders, and sages of the faith. I have seen how these things are important in a culture that harbors superstition and still refers to their local witch doctor for fetiches to cure their maladies. However, I have also seen the power of prayer, miracles of healing, and how faith can lead us through. I have to admit, I was somewhat of an outsider looking in on how the hospital functioned and the missionary team interacted, and I actually liked it that way, it was interesting perspective. But, I have seen a lot of growth, endurance, and progress at the hospital, with the team, and in myself. God is good.