Together in Congo by Cheri Harper

I wish that I could fully describe the heat of that day. It’s not quite enough to use words like oppressive or stifling to accurately covey what a Congolese afternoon in May is like. I guess the best description I can offer is that you have to imagine yourself the size of a cupcake ready to be baked, then think about how hot it is when you put your muffin pan into the preheated oven, and then picture yourself being that cupcake baking away, getting nice and crisp, in the center of the oven. I know this may seem like an exaggeration, but that’s about how hot it felt during my visit to the village of Tshikaji in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo last spring.

We walked for half an hour in that heat. Our group consisted of a Presbyterian mission coworker who is a nurse in Tshikaji, a journalist from Presbyterian News Service, a Presbyterian woman from the Churchwide Coordinating Team, and me. It was just women (we left the men for the afternoon so we could “do our own thing”); we were visiting with the women and children of the village and learning more about their clinic.

What a disappointment it was, as our group finally walked up to the clinic and learned we had dawdled too long, meandering and talking as we walked. We arrived too late to see the daily activities of vaccinations, family planning counseling and general health care. However, we were able to take a tour of the facility and, to our delight, we got to meet two new mothers holding their brand-new infants in their arms. As good Presbyterian women, we knew had to sit down next to those mothers and ooh and aah over their new babies, and have a little chat.

What did Cheri and the rest of the group learn about life in the Congo? What can Presbyterian Women to make women and children’s lives in the Congo better? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the November/December issue of Horizons.

Call 800/524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/December 2007 issue (HZN-07-260; $4 plus shipping).

Cheri Harper is PW program associate for synod support.

Photo by Larry Streshley

Other Articles Online This Issue

Raising Children, Growing Ourselves
There's Something About Mary
A Miracle in Progress
When We Recognize Our Sisters
Together in Congo
Project Homecoming
Beyond the Kitchen Counter
Continuing the Journey
Keeping the Link [A WEB EXCLUSIVE]
Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church
Working for Justice and Peace
Faithful Parenting
Strengthening the PC(USA)


What did Cheri and the rest of the group learn about life in the Congo? What can Presbyterian Women to make women and children’s lives in the Congo better? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the November/ December issue of Horizons. Call 800/524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/ December 2007 issue (HZN-07-260; $4 plus shipping).	Together in Congo by Cheri Harper I wish that I could fully describe the heat of that day. It’s not quite enough to use words like oppressive or stifling to accurately covey what a Congolese afternoon in May is like. I guess the best description I can offer is that you have to imagine yourself the size of a cupcake ready to be baked, then think about how hot it is when you put your muffin pan into the preheated oven, and then picture yourself being that cupcake baking away, getting nice and crisp, in the center of the oven. I know this may seem like an exaggeration, but that’s about how hot it felt during my visit to the village of Tshikaji in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo last spring. We walked for half an hour in that heat. Our group consisted of a Presbyterian mission coworker who is a nurse in Tshikaji, a journalist from Presbyterian News Service, a Presbyterian woman from the Churchwide Coordinating Team, and me. It was just women (we left the men for the afternoon so we could “do our own thing”); we were visiting with the women and children of the village and learning more about their clinic. What a disappointment it was, as our group finally walked up to the clinic and learned we had dawdled too long, meandering and talking as we walked. We arrived too late to see the daily activities of vaccinations, family planning counseling and general health care. However, we were able to take a tour of the facility and, to our delight, we got to meet two new mothers holding their brand-new infants in their arms. As good Presbyterian women, we knew had to sit down next to those mothers and ooh and aah over their new babies, and have a little chat. What did Cheri and the rest of the group learn about life in the Congo? What can Presbyterian Women to make women and children’s lives in the Congo better? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the November/December issue of Horizons. Call 800/524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/December 2007 issue (HZN-07-260; $4 plus shipping). Cheri Harper is PW program associate for synod support. Photo by Larry Streshley Other Articles Online This Issue Raising Children, Growing Ourselves There's Something About Mary A Miracle in Progress When We Recognize Our Sisters Together in Congo Project Homecoming Beyond the Kitchen Counter Continuing the Journey Keeping the Link [A WEB EXCLUSIVE] Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church Working for Justice and Peace Faithful Parenting Strengthening the PC(USA)	Current Issue NOV/DEC 2007 About This Issue Contents FREE Resource How to Use In Our Next Issue Items underlined can be seen in this Web site, all others appear in the November/December 2007 (HZN-07-260) issue of Horizons magazine. to Horizons, call 800/524-2612 or this issue ($4 plus shipping/handling)

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