MAF - An Interview

Recently we got the privledge of a brief interview with Lisa Lind, who is living in Congo with her family as missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship. We invite you to visit their site and blog to learn more about what they do to help the people of DRC and how you can help contribute. In the meantime, here is a fun conversation with Lisa to learn more about their heart for the mission and their every day lives. Enjoy! 

1. Please tell us about your family.
We are Matthew and Lisa Lind. We both grew up in Christian families south of Seattle, WA. After getting married in 2006, we moved to begin our adventure in Fairbanks, Alaska to help a friend plant a church. After five years and some shifts in our friend's focus, we felt the Lord calling us out of Alaska. Matthew had worked a large variety of jobs, and as we began to seek God’s next call, we found a job description on Mission Aviation Fellowship’s website matching each and very one of his previous jobs/skills. We applied and were accepted for a short term position in January of 2011.

We were assigned to Kinshasa, DRC and felt like if the Lord wanted us there, then we would happily go, not knowing anything about Congo more than the news reports. We sold our home and belongings in Alaska, raised support and arrived in Kinshasa in April 2012. After our year there, we decided God was calling us long term both in missions and in Congo. Matthew’s degree in leadership management matched perfectly with the need for management in DRC. We came back to the states to transition to full time career missionaries, raise long term support, and left for France to learn the national language of Congo in August 2014. We have now been living back in Kinshasa since August 2015, settling well into life here.We have three kids, Levi (born in Alaska in 2009), Amelia (born in Washington in 2011), and Axel (born in Idaho in 2013) and are expecting our fourth, with plans to stay in Congo for the birth. 

2. You are missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship. Can you tell me about MAF?

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) began in 1945 when post-war pilots wanted to continue to use their flight skills to serve isolated people. MAF has since grown to over 60 airplanes in 14 countries. MAF serves isolated people with aviation and technology to reach them with the love of Christ. MAF entered DRC in 1961, just after independence, to serve people all over Congo. We presently have MAF staff in four locations, with nine airplanes, and we also offer satellite internet services for villages to serve hospitals, universities, Bible schools, and missionaries.

3. What led your family to join MAF, and specifically in Congo? 

We specifically looked at MAF because of their hands-on approach to missions - giving people services that are desperately needed, and providing technical resources that might be impossible from within their own country. Besides the perfect match of a job description, we were blown away by the ministry and professionalism displayed by MAF from the moment we contacted them.


4.What is your family’s role with MAF in Congo?

Matthew is presently assisting with the management of west DRC’s programs (one in Kinshasa and one in Lubumbashi). This includes managing human resources (9 families and over 20 national staff), finances, and ministry planning. As the wife, my official duties are just to keep the home running and the household happy - but it is a different world doing it in Congo!

5. How long has your family lived in Congo?

We have lived in Kinshasa for one year, from April 2012 to April 2013, then returned in August 2015.


6. What has the adjustment been like for your family?

Initially, it was a huge learning curve, between the language barrier, cultural differences, timing, and the little differences like food availability and limited resources (like power and water not always being on and available). But, with help from more experienced missionaries and the helpers we have working in our home, those little things are now just a natural part of daily life and we take them in stride. Coming back in August was a simple reminder of why we love it here so much.


7. Can you tell me what your daily life is like in Congo?

Matthew heads into work very early to avoid traffic, at 6:15am. If he were to wait until 6:30, it would take twice as long. The kids and I homeschool and take care of our growing animal farm in the mornings, then focus on the house and anything ministry related in the afternoons. We currently have a growing flock of chickens, a goat, a bunny, a pair of guinea fowl, and a kitten. We are getting a small garden going and still working on projects at the house to make it more of our home. As we settle more and find our rhythm, we hope to become more focused on available ministry options outside of the home, though with so many small children, it will probably be limited for a few years.

8. What are some things you love about Congo?

We love the culture and the people who work so hard as a group. We love that while the systems are incredibly different than what we’re used to, they work in their own way most of the time.

9. What is your favorite place to visit in Congo?

We haven’t had the chance to get around much, but we love the tiny village of Kikongo - it is a wonderful respite from the big city of Kinshasa. It is just around 1000 people. We know the missionary couple living there, helping to run a pastoral training school. 

10. What is your interaction like with American adoptive parents traveling to Congo to visit their children?

During our first year here, adoptions were going well, but few families had traveled yet and it was still unfamiliar territory. Each week I took several adopting families out to the local fabric market, souvenir shopping, and sometimes out to eat - just for the chance to get out of the hotels and see a bit of the city.
Obviously, things are quite different now. We do see families coming to visit, though transportation throughout the city is difficult (we do not presently have a personal vehicle). We’ve been able to help with a few families who stay near our house, but mostly we can offer advice or recommendations. And of course we always appreciate when a traveling family has a few spare pounds to bring some supplies or treats that we are unable to get here.

Thank you Lisa!  Please consider supporting the Linds' ministry through prayer and/or financial support.

Less Orphans - Part 3

Helping through Adoption without Adopting


In our two previous posts here and here, we have discussed international orphan prevention and US orphan prevention. There is a final way you can support vulnerable children, and that is to support adoption. You can do so by adopting a child, but you can also do so by supporting an adoptive family. 

“Support” does not always have to be financial. Support could mean that you volunteer to babysit kids who are already home while adoptive parents fill out adoption paperwork, have a stress-free, paperwork-free date night, run errands, or meet with home study agencies. When children come home to their forever families, support could also mean that you take their grocery list to a store to shop for them or you go to their house to do laundry or clean. Support could mean you bring them a precooked or frozen meal. There will be so many things going on when their child(ren) come home that a meal will be greeted with a warm welcome.


Financial support is also extremely helpful, particularly in both international and private domestic adoption, where costs often exceed $30,000. (I doubt that anyone would turn you down if you offered financial support, particularly those of us who have endured an extra-long adoption process.) Adoption is almost never a cut-and-dry process, as the parents who are adopting from DRC are learning. Usually, that means extra expenses will pop up. We HATE asking for money, but if you have some extra and feel inclined to bless others with it, adoptive parents would almost always appreciate a nice financial surprise. Many families often have accounts set up with non-profit organizations so they can even accept tax-deductible donations.


Lastly, advocate. Many people do not even know about orphan problems, systematic problems that create debilitating situations for families, or the hundreds of thousands of children waiting for families. Most adoptive families began their process as a result of learning about a problem that we didn’t even know existed in years prior. Once we learned about it, however, we felt compelled to act. That means the more we advocate for at-risk children and families, the more people we will have to help solve the problems that make them at-risk. Advocacy is a huge player in the fight against the orphan crisis.


Do you have experience, talents, knowledge, skills, extra time or extra money you can use to help in one of the ways listed above? You’ve been given those things for a reason, and you’re reading this post for a reason. You definitely don’t have to adopt to make a difference. Say yes to serving and giving to orphan care wherever you’ve been called.


-JL

Less Orphans - Part 2

One of the best ways we can help orphans—now and in the future—is to do all we can to prevent their existence. In our last post we discussed ways we can work toward preventing children from becoming orphans in developing countries. Today we will discuss efforts that can be made right here in the US.


The first step in preventing the existence of orphans is to support women facing unplanned pregnancies. There are hundreds of pregnancy care centers around the nation that exist to provide financial, emotional, and educational assistance to women and couples who are facing unplanned pregnancies. These organizations can always use financial assistance, but they are also always seeking volunteers to help mentor young women, check in clients, help with medical evaluations, and support them in annual fundraising events. Consider contacting your local pregnancy care center to donate time or money.


You may also want to consider a domestic private adoption. This is an adoption within the United States apart from the foster care system.  Often times, an open adoption occurs, where a birth mother and/or father chooses a family to adopt their child, and they maintain some kind of relationship.  This can be a way to support a birth parent and build a relationship while adopting. Open adoptions often create lifelong bonds between birth parents, adoptive parents, and the children they all love. (On a personal note, my husband and I have a great relationship with our son’s birth mom, and we are excited to see how our son’s relationship with her develops over the years. We didn’t even think we wanted an open adoption, but it has blessed us in innumerable ways.)


The US also has an extensive network of foster care systems in place to help children and families who are at risk. The intent of foster care is to keep first families together, although that doesn’t always happen. You can help in this quest by getting certified as a foster care provider. We are facing a serious shortage of foster parents at the moment, which leads to an increased number of children in group homes, outside the grasp of a loving family. This tragic situation is cyclical, as the children raised without the care of a loving family are more likely to have children who then enter foster care as well. You can help these children by becoming a foster parent. You must take some training classes and complete a home study, but you can change the life of a child or children in monumental ways. (An added bonus to you: Training, home studies, supplies and medical care is free for those taking in foster children and adopting children from the State.) It’s hard work, but well worth it, particularly to the children you will grow to love. Some foster children go back to their birth families, which is the goal of foster care. Other precious kiddos, however, will become available for adoption and may just join foster families permanently, giving them a family to love them forever.


If foster care isn’t an option, but you feel called to help the foster system in a different way, you can train to provide respite care for foster families. This means you will attend educational seminars and get a home study to provide short-term care for children in foster care while foster families go out of town or when foster parents need a date night. It is an easy way to serve those who are serving vulnerable children.


Right here, in our own backyards, there are so many ways to prevent children from becoming orphans or to intervene in the lives of children who are already orphaned.  If this post tugs at your heart in any way, please don't hesitate to start pursuing one of the options mentioned above.

-JL

Less Orphans - Part 1

You may have heard that November was National Adoption Month. That's kind of how this site was born. Clearly, the group of parents associated with this blog is pretty fond of adoption. However, adoption is just one of the many ways we can help orphans or even prevent children from becoming orphans. There are plenty of other things we can do to help orphans and prevent family crises that might create orphans in the first place.

In a three-post series, we will be discussing (1) international orphan prevention, (2) US orphan prevention, and (3) how to support orphans when you don’t feel led to adopt.

Today we will share some preventative measures we should take to help birth families in developing countries stay together, thus eliminating the need for orphanages.

Orphans in developing countries become orphans for a myriad of reasons. A birth mother dies in child labor, a father leaves the family without any source of income, an epidemic wipes out both parents, and a host of other problems threaten to tear parents from their children. It’s not enough to simply adopt a child from a country and think we have done all we can to help. Most children are orphaned as an outcome of some tragedy that could have been prevented.

Birth families are important. Barring instances of abuse and neglect, birth families are the first and best option for a child, so we must be doing what we can to keep them together. We must be supporting them where they are, in their current circumstances. The United States is fortunate to have an established foster care system that seeks to provide care for children when their parents are struggling in some way. (But the US foster system has its own set of struggles; more on this in post #2.) Unfortunately, most other countries do not have foster care systems. This means parents who are struggling have no means of saving and protecting their children while getting back on their feet.

Often, families in developing countries believe they must forgo their children to give them a better chance at life. When we began our adoption from DRC, we were shocked to find out that many children were brought into orphanages by their own families because they could not afford to feed and care for them. These parents sacrificially gave up their own children—and not just the babies—because they thought the children would have a better life in an orphanage, where they assume they’ll be well fed and cared for. This has been one of the biggest tragedies facing families in developing countries, and it is one that can be prevented.

For example, often the lack of access to water provides a barrier to thriving families. Parents must choose between working to earn money or standing in line for eight hours a day to get clean water for their families. Additional wells would help solve the problem, but there just aren’t enough financial resources for communities to build more.

Similarly, lack of access to medical care, contaminated drinking water, lack of nutritional food, lack of education, and poor business practices create devastating hardships for birth families. Many women even die in childbirth, leaving a father to make the heart-wrenching decision to abandon his children in hopes that someone else will provide for them because baby formula is usually more than the family's entire income.

Situations like this are all too common, but the origination of the problem often differs by community. One community might need a new well, whereas another community might need better roads. This sort of orphan prevention usually involves a multifaceted approach at several different levels, so it takes some inside knowledge to serve these communities well. Fortunately, there are several organizations that help with these types of situations. The “Support” tab above can lead you to some organizations doing great things to prevent family crises and children becoming orphans in DRC. Help One Now is another organization that seeks to get to the root of the problem in different communities where they work to keep families together. Compassion International is another great organization that allows you to donate money for families to buy livestock or other resources that will help them support their own families.

In addition to helping with preventative care, we can serve orphans by helping to create environments that will best set them up for the future. This means we can help provide food, shelter, care, medical supplies, medicine, and education to orphaned children so that they will be given a fighting chance at a great future, even if they are never adopted. (However, we should remember that a family would be the very best thing we could give them.)

Several organizations exist to put food in bellies, roofs over heads, medicine in hands, and knowledge in heads. A quick search could take you to an overwhelming list of organizations working to serve orphans where they are. Again, you can find some great organizations that serve DRC in the “Support” tab above. Financial donations are often the most impactful ways to help in these situations, as the power of your dollars can be amplified by the organization’s connections and knowledge.

Lastly, communities in developing countries need to learn to care for their own children who need families. I say this in humility, as I acknowledge the fact that our own country often does not do a great job of this. (Just look at the “waiting child” lists and crucially low numbers of foster families in the US.) That said, orphanages and group homes should always be at the very bottom of the list of options for children without parents who are capable and competent to provide for their children. Communities around the world need information and advocacy efforts that help them see and understand the importance of creating foster homes and adoptive homes for the children in their own communities. This is the most appealing, effective, efficient, and loving option for children who are at-risk of becoming orphans or living without the care of a family. Orphanages provide minimal food and minimal opportunities for education, bonding, mental stimulation, emotional stability and enrichment. A family, even if temporary, will always be better than an orphanage.

If any of the above prevention techniques has struck a cord with you, please don’t hesitate to do some more research and get involved in orphan prevention. We have some great organizations on our "Support" page that do just that. The only way to deal with the orphan crisis in a sustainable way is to take major strides in preventing their existence.

-JL

An Interview with Congo Family Restoration

Love for Congo is comprised of parents with children from the Democratic Republic of Congo, many of whom are still waiting in DRC to be united with their families. Last month we held a fundraiser and are pleased to announce that we raised 

$500 

 for Congo Family Restoration!  

This money will go a long ways in providing orphaned children in DRC with family, education, food, and medical care. Thank you for participating!

Photo courtesy of Congo Family Restoration

If you haven't read our first post about Congo Family Restoration, please do so here!  Recently, however, we had the pleasure of an interview with Christian Ruberwa to find out more about Congo Family Restoration (CFR).  With the tax year coming to a close, please consider making a donation to Congo Family Restoration; you can do so here.  Remember, just $200 supports a child (with food, medical care, education, and a foster family) for a YEAR.  Now, here's Christian...

Q:  What is your position for CFR?

A: Currently, I am an interim Director of Business and Donor development.

Q:  How did the idea for CFR come about?

A: It all started around 2004-2005 when my younger sister Ruth and my mother thought of the idea to help those in need. At the time, my father had just been appointed VP of the DRC and the country was transitioning out of a five-year civil war that had resulted in 5 million+ deaths within the country. As such, we all saw a need and sought to find a way to help those who were most affected by it.

Q:  How many years has CFR been in existence?  Has the program grown over the years? (If so, how?)

A: CFR was created in 2005 and we started with 50 orphans in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC located on the western side of the country. As the years went on we were convinced that we needed to add 50 more children. In March 2012 we were able to do just that in the town of Goma in Eastern Congo.

Q:  From where are most of CFR's children?

A: Most are from the cities of Kinshasa, Goma and their surrounding areas.

Q:  For how many children does CFR currently provide care?  What is the age range?

A: We currently provide for 100 children. Range goes from 6-24.

Q:  What are the most common reasons children are left orphaned and come to CFR?

A: Parents die due to disease-related sicknesses such as Malaria, HIV, Diabetes, Cancer, etc. Also, there are some who died during the war in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

Q:  CFR operates on the foster care model, which is great!  Does CFR also have a location where all the children gather together?  (If so, please describe what gatherings are like.)

A: We don’t yet have a place for all the children to gather. However, some children gather at the churches that help sponsor them in Kinshasa and Goma.

Q:  What does a typical week look like for a CFR child?

A: Depending on the age of a child we have most children who are in primary and secondary school. Typically, during school days, they go out to school and come back to their foster homes. We have local church members who have agreed to take these kids in.

Q:  What are CFR's biggest needs right now?

A: I think we lack enough people on the ground to help us coordinate. We’ve had several people leave the past few years due to unexpected reasons.

Q:  Where does CFR get its funding? Does it rely solely on donations? 

A: Generous donations. We also have a small wedding dress rental shop that helps us gather funds. Lastly, my parents also take on the responsibility of funding any needs that come along themselves.

Q:  Do you ever have to turn away children?

A: I don’t believe this has happened yet.

Q:  Would more donations mean CFR could care for more children?

A: We believe so. However, we are still working on the logistics and looking for people who we can trust on the ground.

Q:  Explain the emotional, spiritual, and physical changes you have been able to see in children that come into CFR?

A: It really is night and day. I’ll give an example of one kid in Kinshasa named Alpha Sharadi who impressed me so much. Alpha was one of the first kids we had join CFR in 2005 along with his younger brother. They lost both of their parents at a very young age. Now Alpha is in college at the University of Kinshasa and still very involved in the life of his brother. It’s amazing to see him grow up and still want to be active in the life of his brother.

Q:  What is your wish for the future of CFR?

A: I really want CFR to become a great vessel for the kingdom of God in the DRC. This country has suffered a lot since the beginning of the first war in 1996. My wish is for NGO’s such as CFR to exemplify a beacon of hope and a source of strength for those who have been left with out any hope.

Q:  Do you have any specific prayer requests for CFR?

A: Yes, we are looking to expand into building small clinics particularly in Eastern Congo where many people die of curable diseases. Please pray for us as we enter this new stage.

Q:  Is there anything else you'd want the world to know about CFR?

A: We are an imperfect organization looking to make a difference in an imperfect world. It is only by the grace of God that we are able to accomplish what we do.

Thank you Christian!

Shop with Purpose

It's shopping season!

The holidays are quickly approaching and the remaining shopping days are dwindling! While you’re working on your shopping list, consider checking out the great shops we have listed here! Have someone hard to buy for on your list? These shops all feature beautiful, unique designs that help make a positive impact in our world and are sure to please the recipient!

You can find great gift items while TRULY making a difference in the lives of Congolese people! Each purchase from one of these organizations or shops directly benefits people in need in DRC, or helps to support families adopting from DRC with their ongoing expenses.


Don't forget- we are also currently in the process of our fundraiser for Congo Family Restoration, which ends November 28th! Buy a shirt in honor of Adoption Awareness Month to show your heart for adoption or for Congo. All proceeds benefit unadopted orphans in DRC-read our previous post for more details. Shirts are available in long sleeves, short sleeves, children's sizes, ladies' slim fit, and hooded sweatshirts. Help us get closer to our goal!

https://www.bonfirefunds.com/drc-adoption-awareness-month 

Long-Sleeved T 

Hope and Light Initiative

Original, inspirational artwork, t-shirts, and totes that provide funding for Hope & Light Initiative’s ministries in Kigali, Rwanda; Bujumbura, Burundi; and Goma, DRC. H&LI provides vulnerable women with assistance in medical needs, means of sustainable income, and shares the love of Jesus with these precious women and their children.  www.hopelightinitiative.com/#reachtheworld

Shona Congo

Handcrafted bags, purses, aprons and jewelry made by one of four women in Eastern Congo. These women are each living with disabilities in a war torn area, but through Shona Congo they are able to provide for themselves and their families.  http://www.shonacongostore.com/

Theo Chocolate

Theo Chocolate was the first organic, fair trade certified chocolate maker in North America. Congolese farmers provide over half of Theo’s total cocoa supply and Congolese sourced cocoa is in every chocolate product Theo makes. Through the purchase of cocoa from small-holder Congolese farmers, Theo Chocolate has positively impacted over 20,000 people living in Eastern Congo.  www.theochocolate.com

Congo Coffee Project|Equal Exchange

Equal Exchange created the Congo Coffee Project, coffee sourced from a co-op of over 3,200 farmers in Kivu, DRC. Each purchase from the Congo Coffee Project not only benefits these farmers, but also the Panzi Hospital in DRC, which provides live-saving medical care, counseling and rehabilitation for survivors of sexual violence.  http://equalexchange.coop/congo-coffee-project

Lemon Sugar Threads

These whimsical fabric headbands are designed and sewn by an adoptive mom waiting to bring her son home from Congo. All proceeds go towards ongoing adoption expenses.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/LemonSugarThreads

More Love Mama

Find gorgeous, authentic Congolese fabrics as well as other African, Indonesian and Australian fabrics. A portion of the proceeds are donated to other adopting families, and to Our Family in Africa, a humanitarian aid group that provides housing, food, medical treatment, and education to the children of Congo.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/MoreLoveMama

Not Home Yet

These “Love Africa” decals support the adoption expenses of a family waiting to bring their child home from Congo.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/NotHomeYetShop

You can also visit our "Shop" tab above anytime.

Now, have fun shopping!!

A Taste of Congo

Food is one of the things we all have in common. People everywhere gather around the 

table to eat and discuss their days and their lives. In the DRC, this may be even more evident
than in our fast-paced American culture. As we slow down this week to observe Thanksgiving
and gather around a table for turkey and dressing, we want to share some Congolese recipes
that bring people together. 

The Congolese typically eat two meals a day. One of the meals almost always contains
Fufu. Fufu/Ugali is the staple starch in the DRC and most of Western Africa. Fufu is typically
made from yams and can contain plantains sometimes. Ugali is traditionally made from cassava
root flour but can also be made from corn flour, semolina, rice or potatoes. Fufu always
accompanies stews, soups or any dish with sauce. A portion of the staple starch is torn off and
rolled into a ball in the right hand and used as a spoon or scoop for soup or stew. 

Fufu with Cassava Flour 

6 cups cold water
1tsp salt to taste
2 cups cassava flour or tapioca
2 cups instant mashed potatoes
2 cups Bisquick

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. On high heat bring cold water to a boil in a large sturdy pot.
3. When boiling, slowly add half the dry ingredients to the water a spoonful at at time, stirring
continuously with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to medium and
stir non-stop to avoid lumping or burning.
4. On medium heat, add remaining dry ingredients a spoonful at a time as before, stirring
continuously.
5. Mixture should be very, very thick (similar to play doh), smooth and without lumps, with no
liquid remaining.
6. Once the consistency is reached, remove from heat, cover pot, and allow to stand just a few
minutes before serving. Top with a pat of butter, if desired.

Meat Moambe

Moambe is often considered the national dish of Congo. It is made with Moambe sauce, from
the fruit and oil of the African palm. Moambe can also be made with wild game meat such as
crocodile or venison. 

2-3lbs of stew meat (goat or beef),cubed
1lemon (or 1/2 grapefruit) juiced
Salt-to taste
1 tsp pili pili (or hot pepper), minced
2 Tbsp palm oil (or peanut oil or vegetable oil)
2 onions, chopped
6-8 tomatoes (or can of tomatoes) chopped
1 cup palm soup base (or palm oil or peanut butter)
3 green onions, chopped-to garnish

1. Mix together meat, juice, salt and pili pili. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp oil and add onions, cook till softened. Add meat and cook until browned. Mix in
tomatoes and water to barely cover.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until meat is tender.
4. Reduce heat and stir in palm soup base until well blended and heated through.
5. Serve hot with garnish and staple starch like fufu or rice. 

These recipes come from the Congolese Keepsake Cookbook, available for purchase at:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/177940286/congolese-keepsake-cookbook