Our Family
Other than celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve, it’s been quiet here in our village. We have much appreciated all of the emails and WhatsApp messages, and all the prayers on our and our area’s behalf: we’re feeling the love!
in March, it’ll be four years of conflict here in our “backyard.” . This video represents life here; we have chaos, then we have peaceful days, then chaos breaks out all over again. In between, we, and everyone here, just Keep Pushing On (cue REO Speedwagon - live version only!).
As expected, after a weeklong lull from the last battle, things started to get crazy again as the DRC army said that they and the Burundian soldiers were going after the Local Militia, who from this point on will be labeled the “Local Defense.” The next day, everyone prepped for conflict, but the Burundian government had been solicited by numerous entities to not have their soldiers join the DRC army in the eradication of the Local Defense, so we had a quiet weekend. The following week began peacefully, but the rhetoric from the DRC army commander got everyone geared up for another battle that coming weekend, but again, no fighting. Here comes another weekend and the same thing is happening; unpeaceful peace. A recipe for PTSD? You betcha. (Update: the weekend passed quietly)
This brings us to our family’s problem here; when things get bad, and you get off the mountain, but then the next day, or even the next week, or maybe even the next two weeks might be peaceful, but then it’s chaos all over again. Also, we can’t simply leave because the people we work with and our neighbors have become our friends, some to the point of being our “family.”
These three women work with us five days a week. These women are our family.
These three girls from th orphan’s house came by our house about three weeks ago to charge a phone, but when I saw that the label on one of their jackets read “School Kills,” I had to get a photo. These girls are our family.
At one point during the gun battle that took place back on Dec 29 (see the previous update, A Not So Merry Christmas), I was urged to get a ride off the mountain via the UN helicopter. The problem was that I was sitting in a chair next to my friend and co-worker Aimable, and standing a few feet away from me was my neighbor Papa Ruhosha. I asked, “Is the helicopter big enough for Aimable and his family, and for Papa Ruhosha and his family, and for all the rest of my friends and neighbors?” A sheepish “No” was the answer given to me and that was the end of the discussion. So, we pray and keep moving forward the best we can. I’m not brave, but I’m a family man.
Somehow – Michael