The MAF Blog: Worldwide Pulse

Posts Tagged ‘Kinshasa’

So Many Reasons to Leave, One Reason to Stay

Posted on: May 9th, 2012 by Jocelyn Frey  |  Leave a comment

September 26th 2011 we arrived in Kinshasa, bright eyed and bushy tailed. It feels like I have been here forever and yet also like I just arrived. Next week I will be heading back to Canada to have our first baby!

I am returning home because in the DR Congo, even in the capital city, there is no real way to take care of a mother and baby if anything were to go wrong. So, I am lucky that I have the ability to travel to a country that has safe medical practices; however, my heart hurts for the millions of mothers here that do not have that choice.

Women here are expected to do almost everything. They’re expected to have lots of children, take care of their families, and also go out and make a living. I cannot imagine having that pressure put on me and also having to give birth multiple times in unsafe conditions.

David Burton doing a morning check on one of the MAF airplanes.


It is a very difficult situation here in the Congo, being a country where the culture and country have been destroyed by many wars and much corruption. DR Congo has only truly been out of war for five years, and it still needs so much healing.

MAF has been here in the DRC for the last 50 years, serving many amazing churches and organizations that are working to heal this country. And MAF has stayed true to the calling that God has for us here. It is a very difficult task and we need all the prayer we can get, as the enemy against our souls would love to see us gone from this place. But we have something in us that is much stronger than him. We stand firm on the words of Jesus:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

So, as I head home next week and get to speak to my friends and family about the difficulty of life here and how there is so much need sometimes you can feel like you are drowning in it, I will also get to tell them how MAF is a light in a dark place. How we’re committed to staying, because even when things are hard, we know that He has overcome the world. I am so glad that He did and I don’t have to.

Bacteria-free Faith

Posted on: January 18th, 2012 by Nancy Burton  | 

During the past several months a lot of our flights have been in response to serious health issues here in the Congo. Four of the provinces in DRC, including Kinshasa, where we live, had been suffering from a severe cholera outbreak. Even an individual who is otherwise strong and healthy can die quickly from cholera. Though cholera is highly contagious, good hygiene, such as washing hands before eating or preparing food and being sure to use safe drinking water, can prevent infection. Many Congolese do not have fuel to boil water, or money to buy soap. Our pilots have flown numerous loads of soap, chlorine and healthcare personnel to areas suffering from the outbreak.

As first world citizens, we have had the luxury of growing up in a culture that teaches the importance of washing hands, brushing teeth, and food safety. We have always had easy access to soap, clean water, toothpaste and other hygiene items. We know the hazards of neglecting to take care of our bodies. As people here become better educated about the importance of good hygiene and we help them in Christ’s name to gain the means to practice it, it is our prayer that they will come to know Him and learn about “spiritual hygiene” as well.

We know we must guard what we put into our bodies and consciously and regularly maintain them because we want them to be healthy, look and smell nice, and last for a long time to come. In that same way, we need to guard what we allow to creep into our thought life and regularly spend time studying God’s Word and praying in order to keep our spiritual life healthy and fruitful.

Bacteria and viruses are so small we cannot see them with unaided eyes, yet they can be deadly. Temptations can get past our spiritual eyes and infect our lives just as easily if we are not diligent to stay healthy. One I have struggled with is the snare of becoming so busy that I am too tired and distracted to take care of myself. I need my teammates to encourage me and hold me accountable, even to help me learn to say “no” sometimes. You might say it’s sort of like getting a checkup. Because, let’s face it, we can all use a little help when it comes to staying fit––spiritually and physically––in this messy world.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” ––Heb. 10:24-25

God’s Plan for Timeless Congo

Posted on: December 27th, 2011 by Nick Frey  |  1 Comment

It’s interesting the way one day flows into the next. We put limits on them and say “at midnight we shall start to call this a new day.” We dissect the day even further into hours, minutes and seconds. At least, that’s what we do in our North American culture.

In Africa, the sun rises at about 6 a.m. and sets 12 hours later. I knew this fact well in advance of arriving here in September but didn’t think it would significantly affect our lives. Because of this constant, the seasons also don’t change too much. What this does is create an environment in which is it hard to tell one day from the next, or one month from the next, or even one year from the next. And so time just keeps flowing on and on. Not much preparation is required for “winter,” not much attention is put toward creatures coming to life again in “spring,” and not much is recorded in terms of one “summer’s” heat to the next.

Culture here seems to have frozen. Because of the monotonous way time unfolds, it remains, in many ways, very similar to biblical times. The biblical principal of needing to care for the poor, for orphans and widows, is very visible. Oral stories and traditions are extremely valuable. Transportation and traveling is quite difficult.

There have been many Bible passages that have come to mind as we explore this country. I can almost picture Jesus walking down a dirt path and seeing a blind man sitting beside it, begging passersby for money or food. People crying out for justice and truth are everywhere. Then I think of Jesus saying “blessed are those…”

MAF Missionary Family, Nick and Jocelyn FreyI have no doubt in my mind that God has been preparing Jocelyn and me to live here since the day He brought us into this world––weaving the strands of time together so that we learned the lessons we needed and met the people who’d help us along. His majestic symphony has been played out as we chased “our” dreams––of flying, photography, psychology, and others––all to be used for His glory instead of our personal gain.

We see much opportunity here. This place is rich with beautiful people, many of whom love God and serve Him with more faith than I have at times. Abundant in resources and overflowing with gorgeous landscapes, this jungle land shows off the greatness bestowed it by the Lord.

As we follow the way God has put before us, we are eager to serve Him with Mission Aviation Fellowship here in Kinshasa, DRC. It’s almost like being royalty if you belong with MAF, whose history here stretches far and wide. We are proud to be a part of the good reputation MAF has and we hope to continue improving it.

Though it may seem like times don’t change and weather stays the same, we know that God’s plan is being worked out in this land and its people; and we are excited to discover what’s around the next corner!

An Honest Shade

Posted on: October 19th, 2011 by Nancy Burton  | 

The “centre commercial” near my home is an interesting place. Kinshasa is hot, so if you can’t afford to lease a building and don’t have a large umbrella, the next best place to establish a business is under a tree. We have a realtor-under-a-tree, a barber-under-a-tree, a money-changer-under-a-tree, policemen-under-a-tree, florists-under-a-tree, a cafe-under-a-tree, a mini-mart-under-a-tree, and several other under-a-tree businesses, including Papa Joseph, my favorite vegetable vendor.

MAF Missionaries Esther Writebol & Nancy Burton with Papa Joseph

Esther Writebol (center) with Nancy Burton visiting Papa Joseph. Photo by Jennifer Abbott

I see Papa Joseph on Mondays and give him a carefully printed list in French of what I need for the week. We go over the list together and he tallies the cost so I can pay in advance. When I return the next day to pick up my vegetables, Papa Joseph insists on showing me the quality and quantity of each item. He often says something like, “You ordered six limes, but they are very small so I gave you ten. You ordered four tomatoes but I gave you five because they are small.” I have seen him pull out his best bunch of carrots to put into my sack.

Sometimes Papa Joseph makes mistakes adding prices or reading his own handwriting (or mine) because he is not highly literate. He doesn’t get every order perfect, but he always gives me his best service. I could buy my produce from other vendors who may have better math and reading skills or nicer vegetables. I prefer Papa Joseph because he is honest and his heart has good intentions. Honesty goes a long way when choosing an under-the-tree-vendor in the Congo.

Bound for Africa

Posted on: October 3rd, 2011 by MAF  | 

Follow some of our newest MAF members, Nick and Jocelyn Frey, as they relocate from Canada to Kinshasa, Africa. Three days of travel, 11 bags of luggage, and one chaotic baggage claim area.

Hop on over to their blog, Following the Way, for the full story.