Crossing Lake Albert

Welcome to my personal account of my journey in Eastern Congo! I have chosen to call my blog “The Road to Reconciliation” because I feel like not only am I here in Eastern Congo to work on a project aimed at the reconciliation of three communities involved in a massacre, but I also feel like I am on a personal journey towards reconciliation. Learning what reconciliation means for my life and experiencing the ups and downs along the way are what I am expecting from this adventure.

Part of our journey into Congo from Uganda had us crossing a lake by boat. For most people this lake may not be of any significance, however, for me this journey was a very emotional one. This otherwise normal lake is the very lake my grandparents crossed in the 1950’s as they were making their own journey as missionaries into then Belgian Congo. As we were making our crossing I was struck by the meaning of what just seemed like a normal and necessary part of our traveling into Congo. I immediately started to think about all the differences between my grandparent’s journey into Congo and our own. We were in a small single-engine motorboat while my grandparents would have come over on a large colonial-time steam ship, we were crossing as a group of three friends and colleagues whereas my grandparents made this journey as husband and wife, our trip only took us 2 hours compared to their several hour journey, we came with only enough supplies for a year while they would have come in with supplies to last a number of years, we were met by Congolese officials whereas my grandparents were met by Belgian officials. Much has changed since the days of my grandparent’s journey into Congo; however, one thing seems to be the same. Around 60 years ago my grandparents crossed this lake, Lake Albert, not having any idea of what was waiting for them, only believing that God had called them to bring hope to the people of Congo. This same calling and journey is what has brought my friends and I to Congo and we are excited about the things we believe we will be able to accomplish and learn during our time here.

Crossing Lake Albert by boat not only gives me a sense that I am part of a long and rich story that started years before my mom was even born, but it also gives me the feeling that I am being reconciled with my past, with my history, with my story.