Keep In Touch Adam's Blog: Pictures from a BTAK install in DRC

Keep In Touch Adam's Blog: Pictures from a BTAK install in DRC: Here are some pictures from our successful BTAK (Bible Translation Acceleration Kit) install. Running the wires from the solar unit outsid...

Pictures from a BTAK install in DRC

Here are some pictures from our successful BTAK (Bible Translation Acceleration Kit) install.

Running the wires from the solar unit outside to the control unit inside the office.

Blake is teaching some of the Bible translators how to use the bgan. This is a satellite unit that allows them to send e-mails.

Building the wood frame for the solar power panels.

The finished solar power panel set up.

The control unit and deep cell batteries for the BTAK.

 

These pictures come from my friend Matt who traveled with me on this last trip.

Trip Report from Democratic Republic of Congo: failure and success

There is nothing quite like flying at 34,000 feet about the ocean while noticing the ever changing nature of the clouds. I am writing while aboard a Delta airlines flight heading back to the USA. I just finished a couple week trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country of my birth and yet it is a country in many ways still foreign to me.

The purpose of my trip was to deliver and set up two BTAK’s or Bible translation acceleration kits. This acceleration kits would dramatically decrease the time it would take to finish the translations being worked on by many years.

The trip was a success in some ways and also a failure in some significant other ways. I traveled with two other men. One is a volunteer with Wycliffe Associates named Matt who has been on more trips with Wycliffe than I have. The other is a Wycliffe Associates member living long term in DRC named Blake Berry.

My initial flight out to the Democratic Republic of Congo was delayed several days at the start. This meant Matt and Blake met up and started the work before I got there. Happily a previous trip to the DRC had brought enough equipment that the first national translation team was equipped with a BTAK.

When I did get to the DRC myself, I barely got off the plane when I was met by my contacts in Kinshasa who whisked me away to my flight to Gemena. It felt like a whirlwind carried me through the airport. Though I did not pay any bribes at the time, I was asked for money at least five times by different officials.

This trip to Gemena went ok, except I soon found out my luggage had not arrived. I had checked three 50 lbs. bags of equipment and computers on the Air France flights. The third bag, which held computers, came through. However, the first and second bags with the equipment for the second deployment did not. We were told the bags were just delayed at first and would come the next flight. When they did not show up, we were told surely the next flight, and then the next. The day before my departure from the DRC back to the US we received word the second bag had arrived. When we got it, it consisted of only the lid. The rest of the bag (a large plastic footlocker) and its contents were simply gone. The first bag is completely lost. Beside the equipment for two complete BTAKS which accounts for thousands of dollars, I lost a good portion of my work and dress clothes. I also had some other equipment I was bringing for national Bible translation teams that were worth several hundred dollars and some more personal items.

Disappointed? Yes, I still get the pleasure of working with Air France to see if I can get the bags or reimbursement for the bags back. I’ll update you on that latter. The result was that our second BTAK install was called off. I learned a few things from the misfortune of the lost bags. First of all, my colleagues showed real class in how they responded. Matt had experienced difficulties before and was simply glad for the work that he was able to do and the work God will be able to do through the improved office he helped with. Blake knows all too well the difficulties of working in the DRC. The country runs very fundamentally in a different way than the US. I won’t pretend to understand how it does work. There is corruption on all levels of society which presents big questions about how those outside can help. The state of Congo is a topic far too big to talk about now, but I strongly believe having God’s word available to all the people there will be significant in changing the society. Blake worked tirelessly to help me with my bag issues as well as another missionary who was having issues with obtaining a visa.

I have nothing but respect for the work Blake and his wife Lindsey are doing in the DRC. They work selflessly all week long, all year long. They have a baby on the way and are not coming back to the states, but will raise their child with them in DRC.

I am reminded that our plans do not dictate to God what will happen. After I discovered our trip to the second install was going to be cancelled; I also learned that the only airline that could fly us back to Kinshasa had cancelled all flights in our part of the country. We would have missed our connection to Kinshasa and also the flight back to the US. That would have complicated things quite a bit.

Everyone will face challenges and changes in plan. How we respond to these challenges says a lot about who we are. The generous and kind reactions by my colleagues were a good witness to those around them. Does the love that overflows us from God overshadow the problems we face? God’s work will go on in the DRC with or without the BTAKs and help I can bring. I hope in the long run this trip will help mold me in a positive way just like other successful trips can. You tell me, how have failures and disappointments made you a stronger individual or believer?

 

 

Some more pictures from DRC

I first picked up this trusty backpack in college. It has traveled over 100,000 miles with me.

Here is a typical chair you might find all over central and east Africa. Just as common are plastic chairs about the same size.

The window in my guestroom in Gemena.

Here is an interesting looking chair in Gemena.

Some form of palm tree.

This little spiders nest is just one of many that cover the ground every morning. The morning dew makes them stand out and glisten with the sunrise.

Blake's dog. One of the luckiest dogs in DRC. Most dogs I know in Africa are beaten and downright scared of humans. They are flee ridden and ugly. This one gets love and is kept clean and healthy.

These bushes are really neat. The light shines through the leaves and allows them to gleam or shimmer a little.

This flower is similar to some I knew in South Sudan. Might be the same, but they are quite pretty all the same.

This is a series of covered gardens with all sorts of plants below.

The side of the guest house in Gemena.

One of the tiles in the guest house.

Here is a path leading to the well. I went there to get some water on a few occasions.

Here is a fixer upper. A little grease, some shinning and think of the possibilities.

Here is our morning tea.

Blake and Lindsey's house helper. I apologize because I forget his name.

Chickens are all over the place. On several occasions I heard yelling as people chased of chicken hawks.

Want to see what the countryside and plants in Madagascar looks like?

 I thought I would share some more photos I took in Madagascar. These first pictures come from an arboretum I visited. I also wanted to give you an idea of what Western Madagascar looks like. So I have a variety of pictures from the country side.

This is a map of the arboretum. One of the features of the park I did not capture are a number of huts, that model different styles from different parts of the island.

 The walkway through the park. Many of the plants are suited to survive longs dry spells. Western Madagascar is more desert like, as opposed to the more lush Eastern regions.

 This picture is sideways, this plant was around 25-30 ft tall.

 A closer look at the branches of this arid tree.

 This is a seed pod, the tree it was on was covered with these pods. The pod is about two and half inches wide.

 Here is one of the houses or huts that are common in part of Madagascar. I apologize since I can't remember from which part.

 Here is a friendly spider. Maybe not so much, this thing was big. It had a web ten feet wide and the spider was as big as a tarantula. It was probably around 5 or six inches long. I was scared just looking at the thing from ten feet away. Happily it did not move, because if it had jumped at me. . . .

 This is called an elephants foot. Supposedly it bears a resemblance. It kind of looks like a big white carrot.

The arboretum had a number of tortoises.  This big ones can be over 100 years old I hear. I got to see a number of baby ones too. I was surprised when the guide let us hold one for a few seconds.

 At the end of the arboretum was a small museum. Here are a few shots from there.

Ok, the next series of shots are from around the costal and mountainous regions in the southwest of Madagascar. This is to give you an idea of the environment.

 I did not take this picture, it is from Russ Perry. This comes from the Eastern part of Madagascar. I included it to give you some contrast to the other pictures you see from the West. I did not see a lemur on my visit.

This is a really deep sink hole. I could not see the bottom of it while flying over, we even circled it to get a better view. I was told tests where being done to look at the difference in the environment and air at the bottom of the hole.

I was not expecting to see a turkey.

 

To finish off,  here is a picture of a lunch I had. It consisted of naan and curry.