There are as many Disciples in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as there are in the United States and Canada. We are a delegation from the Indiana Region going to learn more about how the Congolese church works and to begin building the personal relationships that will allow this partnership to ripen and mature.

We've got sunscreen, insect repellant, anti-malaria drugs and quite a bit of nervousness about what we are going to encounter in this country that is among the poorest 25% of economies in the world (according to the State Department print-out that we have received.)

At Central Christian Church, Indianapolis, just before heading off to the airport, my husband, Rick Lowery and I are commissioned on behalf of the whole group, by Bishop Medardo Gomez of El Salvador – another one of our Global Ministries partners. He lays hands on us and asks for God's blessings on the travelers, the hosts, and on all the interaction that will occur. He reads Psalm 121 – the travelers' Psalm, he says – and indeed, this time I hear it as a prayer for God's protection:

1. I lift up my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come?
2. My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
3. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.

That part about the sun not striking us is particularly welcome as we imagine going directly onto the equator in the days ahead!

Welcome as well, is the knowledge that we are truly part of a global network of partners, as a bishop from one continent blesses travelers from another continent who are preparing to make our way to a third. Hopefully this visit will be a big step in helping all of us grapple with the true meaning of partnership on a global scale.

Monday, May 19, 2008 »

Share Your Comments