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?
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