Just a glimpse of the beautiful scenery!

These are three of the beautiful children that sat on the porch with me!

Today I found myself reflecting back on many of the wonderful memories of this past week. It's hard to believe that we are back after so much planning and anticipation for the Congo trip. For me, the anxiety of this trip was high, but I knew that we had hundreds of people praying for us, and that God would again prove to be our protector. We prayed that He would watch over our loved ones and give them comfort over the anxiety they were also feeling. He did all that and even more, and as I reflected back, I didn't ever feel a threat of any kind ~ PTL!

Today I also found myself missing the camaraderie of our team. I feel we shared an experience that God alone provided, and I am very thankful for each and every member of this team. We all have special gifts, and I pray that God will help us reveal the way He wants us to use those gifts to form a partnership vision for Hope Church and the CECU.

I'm also missing the brilliant smiles of the Congolese people, the beautiful scenery that God created in the Congo, and the warmth and love these people show constantly. It was so cool to have complete strangers walk up as you sat on the porch, offer their hand, and greet you with "mbote" (hello in Lingala). As we drove along the roads from Gemena to Tandala, we'd wave to those along the way, and their faces would light up and they would excitedly wave back. That particular memory popped in my head today as I was at the store and noted how we don't even acknowledge one another when we pass by. :-(

Please continue to pray for our team as we work together to form a partnership that is honoring and glorifying to God! We'll be meeting again on Sunday to begin the work.

Blessings my friends!

~Deb Sagisser