Travel

First and foremost, our partner Lazare is still imprisoned (since June, as a political prisoner with no charges leveled against him), but Lazare has been moved to a different prison which at least gives him some access to those who are trying to help him gain his freedom. 

In October, I was with Aimable heading to teach the Bible to a group of primary and secondary students. We began to cross paths with a man, so I greeted him with “Mwaramutse.” The man replied with “Mwaramutse” and then he asked, “Do you remember me?” Ugg… I get asked this question a lot in Minembwe, but this guy didn’t wait for me to answer, but instead he said, “You gave me goats two years ago.” Now, honestly, I didn’t specifically remember this guy, but I did remember giving goats to eight men, so I had Aimable tell him that I remembered the event (read more on that blog post). The man said, “I’m Rwigenza, I was one of those men.” Rwigenza then proceeded to tell me that he now has eight goats, which he said is enough to begin to breed and sell, and that he is also building a home.

Meeting Rwigenza again.

Our first meeting two years ago.

With some of the other men two years ago; Rwigenza is front and center.

Rwigenza’s goats, with his new house in the background.

With his family; most of his kids are at school. I’m sure to remember Rwigenza now, as Aimable and I pass his house each Saturday on our way to teach the students.

Two weeks later…

… Aimable and I had another man approach us. “Do you remember me?” he said. “Miles helped me send my sick child on the airplane.” Ah, yes I thought, I remembered this man and this situation, in fact, he has stopped me in public a couple of times before to say “Hi” and “Thanks.”

In May 2021, this man‘s son was born with a head deformity due to severe swelling pressuring his brain. The boy needed off the mountain quickly, so LaOlam helped pay for the mother and the boy to get down to a hospital. This family was poor beyond poor, so we also paid for the medical costs and the return flight. From that point forward, all went well for the boy and his family, and we’ve seen the boy since then. 

My family and I get to be a part of life changing stories like these BECAUSE of all of you! Little do these families know the teamwork it takes from across the world to bring about stories like these and those below.

How Cool Is This? Orphans Going to University!

In September, Joyeuse (left), the eldest of the orphans, graduated from a university in Bukavu, DRC, with a degree in Community Development. After graduation, Joyeuse completed a computer literacy course, and now she’s enrolled in an advanced English course, after which she will begin an internship with an aid organization. Beatrice (right) just began her second year in Bukavu studying Anesthesiology.

I was able to spend a few hours over lunch catching up with these young ladies as I was spending the night in Bukavu before flying up to Minembwe the next day; the “next day” turned into a three-day flight delay—that’s Congo!

In January, Sami will begin his third year at a university in Bujumbura, Burundi, studying Business Administration.

We started the Next Step House (read more: third story down in that blog) to get the older boys out of the orphans’ housing and into a living environment where they can be further discipled, mentored, and trained toward manhood and independence. Lawi and Andre (L-R), two of the young men from the Next Step home, began university in Bukavu at the end of November. Lawi is studying Agricultural Science and Andre is studying Agriculture Distribution.

Back in May, these three boys, Mahuno, Ndayahoze, and Johnny moved over from the orphans’ housing and into the Next Step home. Fortunately, Andre and Lawi didn’t leave for university until November 2, so Mahuno, Ndayahoze, and Johnny benefitted from six months of living in the same house as Andre and Lawi while watching how Andre and Lawi interacted with Aimable and his family.

So, one of the orphans has graduated from university, and four more are attending university… and another 34 of their younger “brothers and sisters” are dreaming of the possibilities for their future. Above is an unstaged photo of some of the girls who were studying at the orphans’ home when I showed up for a visit back in November.

Random Cool Stuff

It’s just burstin’! Click image for a video tour of our garden.

Our first crop of avocados; sadly, they didn’t ripen in time before I left to head back for Demerey and Jamison’s wedding.  Oh, the wedding?

Jamison and Demerey Dobbs

An inside job. Fixing the faucet.

Thankfully, the rain let up minutes before I was to teach because it’s crazy loud when it’s raining. Click image for video.

I’ve got to end with this photo with Aimable. What a blessing it is to serve alongside of this man and what a great job he’s done caring for the boys who live at the Next Step home.

Somehow!

~Michael

I must begin with an update about our partner Lazare. Sadly, Lazare’s still in prison in Kinshasa, DRC (since June!), but he’s supposedly going to get a hearing soon—that’s Congo. He is being held as a political prisoner with no criminal charges. We are told he is in bad health and we appreciate your prayers for his release. 

In late August, the airport near Bukavu that we use to get up to Minembwe was reopened, but two whole months later than planned—that’s Congo. After this delay, then dealing with some visa gymnastics (bring your wallet—that’s Congo), I (Michael) was able to finally fly up to Minembwe. Eleven days after I arrived, our area exploded in violence again. The general commanding the DRC army that’s in our area, hands down the most accommodating general we’ve ever had up in Minembwe, finally reached his boiling point when two of his soldiers were murdered by the local defense forces—that’s Congo. The next morning, the general announced that in retaliation he was going to cleanse the area of the local population. The general told the second most dominant tribe in our area to clear out before the cleanse began; he even did this publicly—that’s Congo. 

The tribe refused to leave Minembwe so the general closed all shops (70% of which are owned by this tribe), planes were not allowed to land, and there were two retaliatory murders of locals by the army, but after a horrible week… there was peace. During the “peace,” planes were once again allowed to land in Minembwe. However, two weeks after “peace” broke out in Minembwe, things then began to deteriorate in the unrelated fighting north of Minembwe—that’s Congo—so I was strongly advised to get on a plane ASAP to have a better opportunity of getting down the mountain in time to make it to our daughter Demerey’s wedding  before the fighting closed the airport near Bukavu. This was two weeks earlier than I had planned, but I was able to eventually get a seat on a plane out of Minembwe and make my way to Bujumbura. Now I will soon travel to the USA with the Ostranders to attend the December 2 wedding of Demerey to Jamison Dobbs.

As viewed from our yard, the first plane to arrive in Minembwe after the recent conflict. <Click image for video>

On the bright side, with Congo being so ‘Congo-esqe’, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to do some really cool stuff when you’re there. Yes, I got waylaid by “Congo” stuff that shortened both ends of my stay in Minembwe, but a lot of groundwork was laid for when Lisa and I hopefully return in January. Fortunately, I was at least able to arrive at the beginning of the new school year, so Aimable and I together could kick off year number two of teaching the Bible to about 100 students at a local secondary school. Aimable carries on the teaching with these students when I’m not in Minembwe.

We were able to present the 27 new secondary students with a Bible of their own. 

<Click image below for video>

Handing out the Bibles. <Click image for video>

Aimable, seen here with the students, carries on the teaching with these students when I’m not in Minembwe. <Click image for video>

Aimable and I also teach primary school students from the Bible and the Jesus Film, and I had recently received a newly translated version of the Jesus Film that is in the local language.

Everyone, young and old, is excited about this new version of the Jesus Film.

Due to my delayed arrival in Minembwe, I was only able to teach through one book, Philippians, at the local Bible school. The classes for the Bible school for this year ended the first week of October, but the third and final year for this group of guys begins in January. I did get to teach on four different Sundays in three different churches and there will be a lot more of that going on when we return because I now have a second person available to translate for me. The conflict ruined the launching of another program for the most neglected kids who reside in “town,” a crazy and rough place to grow up. We’ve been trying to make a go of this program for over four years, but we’ll be ready to roll it out come January.

After Demerey and Jamison’s wedding, Lisa, myself, and the Ostranders will return to Burundi in January, then Lisa and I will immediately head up to Minembwe. There’s a lot of uncertainty about what we’ll find when we return to the DRC, as the conflict between the government and the M23 rebel group is intensifying north of us. There is also a DRC presidential election coming up on December 20 that is sure to get messy—that’s Congo.

Somehow! 

Michael 

As you all know, for the last five years, we, the Ostranders, have spent a significant amount of time attempting to stay in or make it back up to Minembwe, and many of you have wondered “Why?” This is a fair question. 

The simple answer: It has been an act of obedience. Probably, it has also refined us in areas of trust and patience. We felt very strongly that we were supposed to pursue being in Minembwe, even though we couldn’t physically be there all the time. That burden was very clear and was honestly confusing. We couldn’t understand why it wasn’t being lifted if we couldn’t physically return half of the time.

In the weeks since being here in the neighboring country of Burundi, we have been praying and seeking God for how we are supposed to move forward regarding DR Congo. During this time of prayer, we started to feel a release from Minembwe. This was hard to process at first, considering how much energy we spent pursuing how to return to Minembwe. 

We now feel a peace to pursue ministry here in Burundi. This does not mean our heart for the people of Minembwe has changed, but we feel a peace to pour our energy into serving and building relationships here in Burundi for the foreseeable future. I guess you could say LaOlam Africa is officially branching out into Burundi through the Ostranders. 

I, Miles, sincerely hope that I will be able to make a few trips to Minembwe soon to finish up projects and pour into those who would take over in various areas. At some point we would like to be able to make a trip to Minembwe as a family, but for now we hope that I can occasionally make it up there to support the work LaOlam Africa continues to do there, and to maintain those special relationships we’ve built over the years. We’re excited that other missionaries here in Burundi have voiced a desire that, if possible, they’d also like to visit and support the work up in Minembwe. For now, we, the Ostrander Family, are going to actively pursue ministry here in Burundi, unless God clearly opens a door or gives clear direction elsewhere. 

For this season, our hope is to come alongside other workers and locals here in Burundi, functioning in a complementary support role. Ideally, we would like to eventually partner with somebody full-time, but we hope to have flexibility to help with projects for other missionaries/organizations throughout the country. As he has already done here in Burundi, Miles would like to continue to offer his skill set to the believing community as they reach out to the people of Burundi. Hopefully, this will be a blessing and encouragement, as well as create relationships and provide us a deeper understanding of what others are doing in Burundi.

Being that Burundi has only ONE heart language, as opposed to more than 400 in Congo, we will be focusing heavily on language training this coming season. The main language is Kirundi. French is also spoken in schools and government, but we will focus on Kirundi. A bonus to this would be that if God should reopen the door to Minembwe again, Kirundi is closely related to Kinyamulenge, the language of the main tribe we have lived amongst in Minembwe. 

In many ways, it is hard for us to think of focusing our energy somewhere other than Minembwe. On the other hand, it is also exciting to have frequent fellowship with a solid group of fellow expat/local believers, most with families. In the past, we’ve always felt re-energized when we were circumstantially “forced” to come to Burundi because of the time we were able to spend meeting together with other believing-English speaking families. 

Please be praying with us through this transition, that the Lord would open and close doors for us, and make it very clear where and how we are to serve here in Burundi. We need serious wisdom and discernment right now. 

As for Michael and Lisa, they are still focused on the work in Congo, but as you read in the previous update about Lazare, there are challenges. Thankfully, a good bit of Lisa’s work is administrative and can be done remotely as we have relatively good internet here in Burundi. And Michael? Well, he’s chomping at the bit to get back up the mountain, as so much of his work needs to be done in person. We are praying for the doors to open up for them to get back up to Minembwe soon. Praise God that the people that Michael and Lisa partner with in Minembwe are committed and trustworthy, and that they can continue much of the work in their absence. God has provided the perfect people during such unpredictable times. 

Thank you all for how you have continued to support and pour love out on our family. Feel free to email us and ask us to clarify what we wrote, or for any additional info we may have missed. 

Love, 

Miles, Emilee, Bella, Sophie, Aimee, Ruthie, and Kassy

We’re back in Eastern Africa, but we’re in neighboring Burundi rather than in DR Congo (DRC). We are not back in the DRC due to a couple of big problems.

Problem One: the airport that we use in the Bukavu area of the DRC to then fly up to Minembwe is still closed due to renovation. This airport was originally slated to reopen on June 16, then on July 1, then on July 15, then August 15. Now the word is “soon.”

Problem Two: this is the way more important issue, and it is very sensitive to the point that someone’s life and liberty hangs in the balance. Our Congolese co-worker, Lazare, has been detained by the DRC government since June 28. Lazare’s detention seems to be political, and although the allegations have now been further investigated by the DRC government, and have been found untrue, the government has not yet released Lazare. Lazare has still not been allowed ANY visitors up to this point, and he has only been allowed one phone call to his wife. There are people from many different governments and organizations, both upfront and behind the scenes, trying to help secure Lazare’s release and/or at least get him some aid.

Before any of this had happened, Christianity Today had planned to write an article about Lazare’s work in Minembwe, but they altered it to reflect his current situation and then published this article (click photo).

A quick update, then a request. In short, Minembwe has quieted down due to some odd circumstances—the arrival of soldiers from neighboring Burundi and a leadership change in Minembwe within the DRC army. Problem solved? Not likely as things can/do change quickly here; we’ll see what happens. The biggest issue right now is that there’s not enough food to buy and feed the Burundian Army and the prices here in Minembwe have skyrocketed.

There’s a bigger problem on the horizon as the fighting north of us, near Goma (160 miles away) has escalated as the rebel group M23 has swept through this area. The result of this is that I’m still the only one of us here in Minembwe as the the airport that we use near Bukavu (south of Goma) has been closed for “repairs.” Miles hopes to make his way up here via the UN helicopter soon, but that process has stalled a bit as well.

Here’s my request. Aimable and I have been showing two versions of the Jesus Film with great success in churches and in schools. We stop the video from time to time to teach, but what we’d love to teach from would be graphics/slides of Bible stories. We want to put up graphics and teach from our Bibles; no text and no audio track is needed. I know what some of you are thinking, but a flannel board won’t work as we’re teaching fifty to hundreds at a time, and we meet in poorly lit buildings. Our projector works like a champ; please help us wear it out.

The graphics will be used for both kids and adults, but don’t worry about the level of sophistication of the graphics; everyone will be impressed as the only way to watch anything here is on a not-so-smart phone. It would be great if I could use the graphics in conjunction with Power Point (Windows as Mac isn’t an option) so we could intersperse the presentation with scripture and bullet points. It would be better if each story had too many graphics rather than too few. Please ask around, maybe starting with your church? Thanks!

Somehow!!!

Michael

Here’s the latest from Minembwe. Sorry for the big delay in communication but sometimes “Africa happens.” If anything can go wrong in the DRC, sadly, it will. Rather than explain the past three months, I will fast forward to the present.

I’m the only one of us in Minembwe at this point in time, and probably for many future points in time. In Minembwe, the cow poo here, what is left of it since most of the cows have been stolen, has truly hit the fan.

Miles and I made it up to Minembwe via the helicopter on December 6. Things were horrible the entire time Miles was here as the DRC army soldiers would kill civilians, and then the civilians (or somebody else?) would kill a soldier. The current army commander over the region wants to chase everyone out of here for whatever nefarious reasons. These revenge killings went back and forth until the day that Miles was supposed to leave, December 20; on that day the commander of the army here brought in another 1,000 or so soldiers to destroy the Local Militia and there was a big battle. The Local Militia are local guys, trained and led by former DRC army officers. The Local Militia (who are not soldiers) were raised up almost four years ago to fight off the rebels, and sometimes the DRC soldiers when they behave badly. Sadly, I need to note that the Local Militia haven’t always behaved in honorable ways as well, but they make the people feel safe.

Thankfully, Miles was able to fly out on the UN helicopter the following day after that first big battle and is now back in Bujumbura with the family. Sadly, while Miles was waiting to get on the helicopter that day, he and I watched a DRC soldier die just before the soldier was to be loaded onto the helicopter; this soldier had been mugged and beaten to within an inch of his life the night before.

So, it’s been crazy tense up here, especially with all the extra soldiers around. On Christmas Day, there was an attempt by the local pastors to negotiate peace with the commander of the army, but sadly he is an evil young man looking for power and said his decision to rid the area of the Local Militia was final. On Thursday, December 29, the army set out to chase away the Local Militia, but miraculously, the Local Militia beat the army back, even pushing them off the base that the army occupied near the airport, which is very close to our house. All morning you could hear “pew pew pews” and “kabooms” off in the distance, but eventually the fighting made its way toward me and the battle ended sometime after it had come about 2,000 feet from our house.

<Click image for video> Sounds of the fighting.

The Local Militia allowed the army to collect their dead and wounded, and the Local Militia pulled back as a gesture of peace building, asking the army to end their pursuit of them and to restore peace to the area. The army’s answer was to bring in many more soldiers from another area; they arrived Sunday night. Good news is that generally, the soldiers themselves really aren’t too interested in this fight, in fact of the three army base-camps here, two of the commanders don’t agree with the reasons for this fight and are in “jail.” The soldiers are mostly interested in sitting in their camps and drinking beer.

I’ll be staying here in Minembwe as there is a lot to do with regards to meeting needs. Obviously, Minembwe is not a good fit for the girls at this time, so pray for us, especially Miles and Emilee, on how we/they should move forward here in Minembwe.

Somehow!

Michael

We are currently “next door” in Bujumbura, Burundi. We needed to deal with visa issues and five of us (Lisa, Bella, Sophia, Aimee, and myself) needed to renew our passports at the US Embassy in Bujumbura. We hope to start making our way back to Minembwe in the next week or two. In the meantime, we will continue to joyfully consume milk, butter, cheese, beef, chicken, fish, Nutella, bread, and fruit. We also are enjoying the ease of flipping a switch to get hot water for washing our dishes and taking a shower, happily washing our clothes in a washing machine, and marveling at having the clothes dry so quickly in the heat. We are also spending much needed time in fellowship with other missionaries/expats and Burundian friends that we have gotten to know over the years.

Here’s what was going on in Minembwe before we left:

Summer English Program for the Orphans

We provided the older orphans with four-weeks of English teaching/training in July and August using…

… role playing (in this instance they were shopping)…

… teaching simple sewing repair skills… 

…using a Bible-based ESL program using the Book of Mark…

…and through teaching songs of worship.

<Click image for video> Beautiful sounds coming from our payot.

The Jesus Film

We went on a rotating basis to three different churches this summer using the “Jesus Film for Children” to teach their youth and children.

We were able to show and teach about a third of this version of Jesus Film with each visit.

<Click image for video>

Being able to use The Jesus Film for Kids is a unique opportunity for kids to see and hear the gospel, and then they get someone to explain it and answer their questions. By the time we are done with each meeting, you walk away with the feeling that these kids have had an incredible chance to see and hear something they might have never seen and heard before.

It sure is nice to have the motorcycle to help us schlep all the equipment.

 

Water Filter Distribution

It doesn’t take anything to motivate us to distribute the gift of clean water…

… but these smiles are a nice perk. 

The Three-Wheeled Thingy

<Click image for video>

If we weren’t viewed as an anomaly before, we sure are now.

<Click image for video> Using the three-wheeled thingy (“MotoGari”), we can now easily/quickly/cheaply gather needed supplies and get things done.

It also made sense to get a welder generator if we were getting a three-wheeled thingy…

… so we could take on tasks like this.

<Click image for video> The three-wheeled thingy gives us the opportunity to take on tasks like this and to meet LOTS of needs throughout the community.

 

Vocational Training Program

Miles taught another “Small Solar Systems” certification course as part of the local university’s accredited Vocational Training Program.

The students who took this course.

 

Bible Studies

Just before we left Minembwe, I was asked to lead a two-day seven-hour verse-by-verse study of Colossians for these six pastors attending a Bible School. Within days of our return to Minembwe, I will have the opportunity to lead a weekly verse-by-verse study through the book of Matthew for another group organized by the leader of a local congregation.

 

Pump Buddies

During the dry season, it is necessary to pump water up to the community holding-tank a minimum of twice a day. While engaged in the pumping process, I’m frequently entertaining early morning guests.

<Click image for video> Boys will be boys.

<Click image for video> Having a wheelie good time.

<Click image for video> The girls are singing “The Good Shepherd Leads Us.”

<Click image for video> Early morning guests.

 

Gettin’ it Done

Ruthie is always looking to help. If you zoom in, you’ll see that she’s speckled with cement.

Mama Aimee is happy to have a work buddy. Ruthie chats it up with the mamas as well.

<Click image for video> Just before this video, Mama Chance and I were, much to Ruthie’s delight, banking the clothespins off Ruthie’s chest and belly and into the basket.

 

Running Water

<Click image for video> This is what I show people if they ask if we have running water.

Somehow!

Michael

Doors are beginning to swing open for Aimable and I to teach and train up elementary and secondary students in the Bible. Back in January, one of the schools gave us an hour of time once a week to teach biblical concepts to about 90 secondary level (Jr. High/High School) students. Aimable mentioned to me that it would be nice if the students had their own Bibles to use during this time of teaching, but at that time, we were strapped for cash. 

Well… it just so happened that a week later a team, completely unrelated to us, came to Minembwe for a few days to observe the situation here and to encourage the locals; Aimable acted as the translator for the English-speaking Canadian that was traveling with them. As the team was leaving Minembwe, the Canadian told me that he wanted to send some money here to help, and he asked if I knew of a pressing need. I mentioned the need of 90 Bibles for these students and this man’s eyes lit up. By the time April rolled around, the funds were in place, and in May we returned to Minembwe with the Bibles. 

<Click image for video>  Joseph (who is here working with us for four months) and Aimable distributing the Bibles.

 

The room was full of grateful smiles.

 

We asked the students to immediately write their names in their Bibles.

<Click image for video>

 

<Click image for video>  This young lady asked if she could express her gratitude. Roughly translated: “Our parents didn’t think to do this for us, but you have thought to do this for us. That’s amazing that you teach us. May God bless you. I wish you blessings of God. We have no money to give you. What I can ask is that you pray for us so that we have the courage for reading. It can be discouraging for us to try to read the Bible, but please pray for us that we can keep reading this Bible. May God bless you.”

Aimable and I are looking forward to adding another school to our schedule this coming school year. 

Sawyer Water Filter Distribution

A group of women in the States raise funds so that they can buy Sawyer Water Filters to give to people like us to distribute to people around the world in need of clean water. 

We’ve been able to weekly distribute 15 Sawyer water filtration systems to homes in need of clean water. We’ll keep this up until we exhaust our supply.

 

These twins were pretty excited to receive such a gift for their home.

 

As it is wherever we go, we always have a group of kids following us.

Security… Or Lack Thereof

In the last blog, I wrote about the “wave after wave” of rebel group attacks. The “waves” haven’t stopped, and sadly, neither has the loss of life as another “good guy” was killed the other day and four were injured. Joseph told us that this was the first time since he had arrived that he had heard the gunfire from the fighting; it was about four miles away.

Somehow!

Michael

Things have been a little tense in Minembwe since we returned, as the area has been inundated with wave after wave of attacks by rebel groups. It appears to be coordinated by someone (?) with so many different rebel groups involved, even attacking together as one force. The army sits by and does nothing, so over the past couple of years a local self-defense force has been raised up. Though they repeatedly repel the rebels, it comes at a great cost. A lot of sadness shrouds the area as this truly local defense force has already buried many sons.

A rebel leader recently proclaimed that the people of this area would be eliminated this past Saturday (June 25), but that day came and went without a major offensive. We have heard many of these threats in the past, so we, along with everyone else, breathed a little easier until Tuesday morning when the fighting began in earnest. Many villagers had rushed off to bolster the local defense force, i.e. their fathers, brothers, and sons whom the government and the UN mistakenly call “rebels.” We heard the fighting from our house all day long. It was a bloody day for them as they lost seven men and had twelve injured.

To make matters worse, one rebel group, called M23, is still poised to take over a section of Northeastern DRC, particularly the city of Goma. Some people are saying that the M23 rebels, who are well trained and well equipped, are supported by Rwanda, so threats and tensions are increasing between the DRC and Rwanda.  

The Wi-Fi relay system between the university and our house is busted, requiring us to walk to the university to get Wi-Fi (only a three minute walk). Unfortunately, you pretty much need to use the Wi-Fi before 6:45 AM to have any success. But, on the bright side, walking to the university at this early hour grants you a beautiful view of the rising sun.

We wanted to give everyone a heads’ up about the above situations; I’ll soon write about the good stuff that’s also happening here in Minembwe.

Somehow!

Michael

We returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 7. Our biggest travel concern was showing up at the airport in Goma, DRC, with 11 people and 25 pieces of checked luggage; having that much luggage would pretty much guarantee us having to negotiate a bribe—oh, sorry, I meant a “fee,” with the custom agent at the airport. Fortunately, a friend knew someone with some authority at the airport, so we slid through the airport somewhat easily. The “somewhat” part of “easily” refers to finding out that 11 of our 25 bags had not made it to Goma. Since all of those 11 bags belonged to the Ostranders, their family had to wear their travel clothes for a few more days until the bags showed up.

Once we had all of our baggage, we began purchasing our needed supplies and trying to secure a flight from Goma up to Minembwe on a small plane. There was bad news on top of bad news regarding our finding a flight, as one of the two planes available to us was getting serviced in Kenya and the other plane was getting repaired as it had hit a pig on a runway in a rural village. The few days we had planned in Goma turned into two weeks, but we finally arrived back in Minembwe on May 20.

Our ranks have been bolstered by Joseph (21, Oregon, USA) and Hadassah (20, Washington, USA), who are going to work alongside us for the next four months. Another Ostrander also joined us on this trip; please allow me to introduce you to Kassandra Saoirse, born December 17.

The photo below is from our arrival back in 2018.

 

Sofia, Bella, and Aimee with our pilot friend Captain Ted.

Our stuff. 

As it often happens when we travel in and out of Goma, one week after we flew out of Goma up to Minembwe, Goma came under attack from a powerful rebel group called M-23. Since this time, many people have and are still fleeing out of Goma, and the M-23 situation has severely strained the already fragile relationship between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda.

For those of you who are used to staying in contact with us even when we are here in the DRC, please keep in mind that communication via the internet is even worse than usual this time around. 

Somehow!

Michael