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Commentary: Praying for paradise in Kamina

Dec. 20, 2005	 News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*
Nashville {709}

NOTE: Audio, photographs and a related story are available at
http://umns.umc.org <http://umns.umc.org/> .

By Taylor Walters

Relaxing on a woven mat, I pop another roasted peanut in my mouth. The
breeze is gentle but still strong enough for the kids running barefoot
in the sand to keep their hand-made kites high in the air. Some of the
younger girls cuddle up next to me. They are enjoying salted lemons -
much too sour for me. From the churchyard across the way, I can hear the
youth choir practicing. I can't help but think they sound like the
Grateful Dead.

Am I in paradise? Well, I've got palm trees, warm weather, fresh fruits
and vegetables, good music, and 48 incredible children to play with
every evening, but, no, I am not in paradise. Not yet, that is.

I am in Kamina, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the so-called Heart
of Darkness, where most people are lucky to eat once a day. I am less
than 40 miles from the edge of the war zone where millions of people
recently lost their lives in ways too nightmarish to describe. Countless
communities were looted and burned to the ground. Kamina, which has
suffered much over the years, was spared this time. Much credit for this
miracle is due to the leadership and mediation skills of Bishop Ntambo
Nkulu.

While the war raged on, the United Methodist Church of North Katanga
continued its many projects, focusing its energies in Kamina. Church
leaders from across the conference were forced to flee for their lives,
and many took refuge in Kamina, just as tens of thousands of others did.
Working together, they planted crops, raised cattle, and built churches,
parsonages, schools, clinics and wells. Feeding programs - especially
for the in-flow of war orphans - were organized, and a children's home
was created.

In fall 2004, Bishop Ntambo served as the moderator for the country's
major peace negotiations, held in Kamina. Recently, I got to watch as
high-tech voter registration centers were opened across town. Hopes are
high that Congolese will soon get to vote for the first time since the
country's independence.

I am often asked, "What are you doing there?" When I hopped on the plane
for Congo last March, I was not sure how to answer that question. All I
knew was that great things were happening in Kamina, and I wanted to be
there to witness the transformation and to offer whatever assistance I
could. I was humbled and thrilled a few weeks later when Bishop Nkulu
appointed me as bishop's assistant for the North Katanga Annual
Conference and coordinator of the department of development, which is in
charge of creating and supervising community development projects in the
conference.

I am responsible for responding to all e-mails sent to the bishop,
checking on projects, creating accountability and support structures for
projects and their directors, supervising and leading seminars on
everything from AIDS to cooperative farming, raising funds and doing
anything else the bishop asks. Early mornings are often spent in
intensive French and Swahili classes. Evenings and whenever else I can
sneak in the time, I lead songs and games and just hang out with our
children at the orphanage.

Focused on rebuilding

Things are mostly calm in North Katanga, and the United Methodist Church
is doing more than pray that they stay that way. While many
international organizations are waiting to find out who will rule the
country next, we are committed to starting a massive rebuilding effort
to infuse help, hope and sustainability into our devastated districts
right now. This means constructing schools, clinics, churches and
parsonages. It means digging wells for clean water, distributing seeds
and tools, providing agricultural training for people to start
supporting their families again, and purchasing ham radios and solar
panels for a new and improved communications/emergency notification
system between our districts.

In Kamina, the many projects that began during the war are accelerating.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief has stepped in to help us with
innovative ways to address hunger. It has helped us fund the
construction of an agricultural training center at our 500-hectare farm
outside town that will allow 20 men and 20 women from across the
conference to live and learn at the farm for several weeks at a time.
The agency also is sponsoring cooperative farming programs and farmer
field schools, a system whereby farmers are trained to be teachers in
their communities by organizing teams to cultivate demonstration fields.

There is so much going on that I can't mention everything, but most of
our projects are highlighted on our North Katanga Web site, just
launched at www.northkatangaumc.org.

One of those ministries is the Kamina Project, an initiative that is
starting between South Indiana Conference and North Katanga. The dream
is simple: encourage one another to bring about transformation in North
Katanga and South Indiana. This means improving communications between
our congregations - which will be easier now that the very first
Internet cafe in North Katanga recently opened in Kamina - exchanging
ideas and sharing resources to accomplish the visions we create. Since
most United Methodist churches in North Katanga are so packed that
people often look through the windows even after all the children have
been crammed on the floor in the altar area, church growth methods might
be a topic to discuss.

We picked the town of Kamina as our focus community because it's the
only place with phone and Internet access, and it already has all the
ingredients for the makings of a development success story. All we'll do
is act as catalysts and enjoy the fun of creating glimpses of heaven
here on earth.

*Walters is the bishop's assistant and coordinator of the department of
development in the United Methodist Church's North Katanga Annual
(regional) Conference. More information about her work is available at
www.taylorinafrica.org. To receive Walters' e-letters, send a request
for an invitation to taylor@taylorinafrica.org.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470
or newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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