I, Allie, got up at 5:45am this morning to go on a 3 mile walk with my new friend, Ann. Nate thought I was crazy and warned me not to wake him up! haha Ann has been a missionary in and around Congo for 20 years. She fluently speaks English, French, and Lingala (a native tribal language). I walked to the outdoor market with her yesterday and she was chit chatting with everyone along the way. Everyone knows her and loves her. She has been so welcoming to both Nate and I since we arrived. She gave me some of her extra Christmas decorations. Now it looks a little bit like Christmas in our apartment! When she invited me to walk with her this morning I was a little hesitant because of the time, but I decided to go ahead and give it a try!
It was a wonderful time and food for my soul. We walked all through the city. Since it was so early, the city was still quiet and peaceful, unlike the usual constant honking of taxis and people everywhere. I got to see many new sights and areas of town. Ann new people all along the way. We first passed a homeless man that was sleeping under a tree. Ann said she has been praying for him for a long time. He would never talk to her when she would say hello and then one morning he finally did! He sat up and said, "Well hello old lady!" haha She said she has never been so happy to be called old. Now he will wave at her when she passes. Next we passed several Congolese boxers. They were training and doing all kinds of exercises on the road. We walked a huge circle and ended up walking right next to the Congo River. The view was beautiful. The sun was coming up, the water was dark, and there were skinny canoe like boats all over the river with men throwing their nets out to catch fish. The city line of Kinshasa, the capital city of DRC, was right across the river.
Ann and I exchanged our stories of how God had called us to the Congo, and talked about her days of growing up in northern Canada. As I walked along listening to Ann and gazing at the Congo river I felt full of God's presence and peace. Like he was telling me "You are right where you need to be, Allie." God has been so faithful to Nate and I through this whole transition. He daily gives me what I need and has blessed me with some wonderful friends. I thank God every day for putting Nate in my life. He is a constant source of encouragement and love.
God has proven this verse true in my life, Psalm 25:10 "The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands."