Kony 2012
I have intended to respond to this video for several weeks now. If you haven’t seen the Kony 2012 video from Invisible Children, I recommend watching it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc). I understand that the video and much of the news coverage in the US has made this look like a Ugandan conflict. Well, it was. However, today, Congo is one of the countries affected by Kony’s reign of terror. I just spent the past week in communities that have been terrorized by Kony’s rebel group. These communities are still under threat of attack from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the rebel army created and controlled by Joseph Kony. Samaritan’s Purse in Congo works almost exclusively in communities directly affected by the LRA, who are operating in the tri-border region between Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Women, War and Weeping
On March 8, we celebrated International Women’s Day here in Bunia. Women across Congo paraded through the streets to remember the economic, social and political achievements of women. Here is a photo of the Samaritan’s Purse women celebrating together.
And yet as we celebrate, women across Congo and the world are subjected to violence, oppression, and rape. Women are among the most vulnerable victims of war. I became acutely aware of this reality while visiting our field sites last week in North-eastern Congo. I spent an afternoon with Jackie and Patience, who both spent 2 years in the bush as sex slaves to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The suffering they endured is unimaginable. They’re only 16. They shared with me their dreams to own and cultivate a big garden and to finish school. I pray that their dreams will one day become reality.
These two experiences have shaped the past month for me. I am angered by the injustices faced by women in Congo, which the UN calls the rape capital of the world. I am brought to tears as I reflect on the stories of Jackie and Patience. I mourn all that they lost in those two years. Yet I rejoice in their freedom, celebrate their dreams, and pray for their future.
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
This is my prayer.
From Haiti to Congo
I have officially made the move from Haiti to Congo. I landed this week in Bunia, located in the Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am transitioning and in the process of learning my job and my life here. This is Bunia.
As you can see, I have made the transition on the blog as well. The information about my organization, Samaritan’s Purse, can be found on the SP page up at the top. If you haven’t already, you can get email updates (see the top of the main page of my blog). And check out the About Me section if you’re interested in learning more about this new season in Congo.
The Congolese are a strong, resilient people. They have seen deep suffering, yet they rejoice better than most people I know. There is evidence of fear and hatred in massacres and destruction across the country, yet I have seen beautiful love and hope of new life here. The exploitation of a country rich in resources testifies to the reckless greed of the world, yet the selflessness and the best of humanity can be seen in Pastors and leaders laying down their lives for their brothers and sisters in Congo.
Congo is truly a place of paradox.
If you are interested in learning more about Congo, I suggest you start by reading King Leopold’s Ghost. It will open your eyes to the ways the country has been exploited since its inception.
Haiti Reflection 4: Good Intentions, Not Good Enough
I have wanted to blog about this topic for a long time, but I wanted to make sure I was writing it for the right reasons. I want to clarify that I don’t have it all figured out when it comes to development and missions. It is messy. It is bigger than me and my contribution. It is full of moral dilemmas. The main reason for writing this blog is to think deeper about “helping” people. Even the best of intentions can be devastating to communities and cultures in the long term.
My primary example of good intentions gone wrong is a church in Wisconsin. They held a “Peanut Butter” drive to feed the hungry in Haiti and shipped down 28,000 jars of peanut butter to Haiti.
Yes, this is an easy way to get people engaged. Yes, everyone wants to feel like they’re making a difference. Yes, their passion and action on behalf of the poor is inspiring when you consider many churches around the world.
However, if you know the reality on the ground in Haiti, this well-intentioned gift is doomed to have disastrous effects. You might say, lighten up Lisa! They’re just giving peanut butter to the poor kids who don’t have enough protein. And yet their good intentions are more damaging than imagined.
Here is the reality: Haitian farmers produce peanuts and there are many companies producing and selling peanut butter in Haiti. There is no scarcity of food in Haiti. Just take a walk into any local market. There is plenty of food (even if it is imported from the USA). Anyone with money can buy whatever they want or need, including their choice of Haitian or American peanut butter.
The issues are deeper. The economy is flooded with US goods, free rice handouts, free peanut butter handouts. Cost of food is ridiculous. Unemployment is extremely high. And how can local peanut businesses expect to survive and provide jobs when 28,000 jars of peanut butter are being shipped down to Haiti every year?
Yes - I think it is so important to get people motivated and passionate about causes. Yet we have to be careful that we’re not hurting more than helping. This is just one small example of how good intentions can go wrong.
I don’t have all the answers. But this is my prayer. May we never cease to be eager to serve and help those who suffer. Yet at the same time, may we think critically about our actions and their repercussions. May we seek to empower not to make dependent. And most importantly, may we love well.
For those of you who want to learn more about this subject, I highly recommend reading When Helping Hurts. This fantastic read has a great balance between theory and practical examples from development professionals working with the poor in the US and abroad.
Haiti Reflection 3: Strength vs. Weakness
“Lisa, don’t cry. You don’t want people to think you’re weak.” said a coworker of mine. “Haitians don’t cry – at least not in front of anyone.”
I think I cried more in Haiti than I ever have in my entire life. Given, I was never a big fan of crying, especially not in front of anyone. During this time, there were many lessons I learned about others and myself. God shaped my character and matured me. I wouldn’t trade this season for anything. But it involved a lot of tears. It involved admitting sometimes I don’t have control over situations. It involved realizing that I don’t have to be strong all the time. I have always thought, like my coworker, that tears are associated with weakness. But, my question is, why is weakness so bad?
Haiti Reflection 2: Systemic Injustice
Some of you may know Haiti’s story. Many of you may know nothing beyond the January 12, 2010 earthquake. Here are a few facts about the small island nation:
- Haiti was subject to centuries of Spanish and French exploitation after its discovery in 1492 by Columbus.
- Haiti is the second oldest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, achieving independence from France in 1804 as the only nation born of a slave revolt.
- Twenty years after achieving independence, Haiti was forced to pay a large indemnity to France for losses during the slave revolt. They agreed to this in order to receive diplomatic recognition as a nation. Since then, Haiti has lived in a state of continuous, insurmountable debt.
- The 19th century saw a series of coups, with the elite, the army and the commercial class contending for power.
- From 1915 to 1934, the United States occupied Haiti.
- For thirty years until 1986, the Duvalier family dictatorship controlled the country.
- Plagued by violence during most of its history, Haiti is today the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
- Haitian Creole and French are the two official languages, while less than 10% of the population speaks French.
Haiti Reflection 1: Power vs. Powerlessness
Power should not be concentrated in the hands of so few, and powerlessness in the hands of so many. – Maggie Kuhn
Ravine in Port-au-Prince.
Reflections on a Transition
Over the past 10 months, I have been honored to serve here in Haiti. The people I have encountered will forever be a part of my life. All of your prayers and support have been invaluable to me! Your friendship has guided me during this time in Haiti.
As my job is phasing out here in Haiti (officially ending in February), I want to truly reflect on my time here. I apologize for the silence on this blog over the past few months. I have learned many lessons from this season in Haiti and I plan to document these lessons on this blog in the coming months.
I know, I know. The big question: what is next, Lisa?
The Pearl of Great Price.
I remember the day I met Gregory like it was yesterday. It was an ordinary day on my way to work in Los Angeles. A quick drive to the train station and the rest was reading and relaxing on the metro. Some days I miss the long commute, time to prepare for the day in the morning and time to unwind after it’s all over. Only an hour on the train and a quick 10-minute walk to the office and I was there.
This day was like any other day. I was wearing my dress suit and pearls. I had just finished Francis Chan’s Crazy Love and was reading the excerpt from his new book at the back of Crazy Love. I don’t even remember the name of the book, but there was an idea in the excerpt that struck me. The idea was, imagine if we completely submitted ourselves to the Holy Spirit, if the Holy Spirit had control of all things – what would be different about today? The cynic in me said, “Yea, right, I’m sure a whole lot would be different today at this office job of mine. Maybe I wouldn’t think bad thoughts about the difficult person I work with … just maybe.” Yet the curious, wanna-be devout woman in me decided to give it a try. I prayed a short prayer: “Alright, Holy Spirit, have it your way today.”
Called to action.
“Nou preske rive!” We’re almost there, Pastor Felix says, as we continue down the dirt road that can hardly be called a road. In the mountainous area we work, even a five-minute drive down the “road” leaves you feeling exhausted. Fog surrounds us; nothing is visible beyond the rows of cabbage in the field facing us. As we step out of the car, I am suddenly aware that I am cold. Night will fall in about an hour, yet the cool breeze has already set in.
We walk down a dirt path, arriving at the home of a family who attends Pastor Felix’s church. Immediately the shiny tin roof strikes me. I know I am here to take a quick photo of the roof for the donor who provided it, and then we can go home. It’s already close to 6pm and it’s Friday. My coworkers, Leila and Odines, and I – we are all beat from a long week and an afternoon of meetings in the field.
