A New Beginning

Recently the word "blog" became a familiar word to me, but I did not know how to define it. Before long I learned that it was a combination of two words: web log. According to the experts it can be used as a noun or a verb. For me this is a sort of permanent digital diary which may interest, help, or encourage others to become involved in a cross cultural ministry. It will tell of my journey and ministry in the Congo.

As a child I loved the stories of my paternal grandfather, a Confederate Soldier, returning to Missouri to a destroyed economy. Penniless and the only surviving son, he took care of his mother until she died, then married after the age of fifty to raise a family.

The family, in search of a better economy, traveled from Missouri to New Mexico in a covered wagon. In New Mexico they "starved out" so they traveled back to Oklahoma where land was free. All you had to do was live and make a living from it for a specified time. I think it was five years. In the "Indian Territory" they lived in a dugout-literally a man-made cave. According to oral tradition there was a small stream of water which ran through the dugout. One of my father's sisters died of consumption during this time.

In such a manner I would like to share how I came to make a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It will be in small, bite sized, consumable portions. Looking forward to next week.