I like to come to the Congo during rainy season, but I like the evening rains and then the clear days. I’m now sitting in my room watching a torrential daytime rain outside, thinking of all those ladies out on the road bringing their produce in from the fields, of the vendors beside the roads who have to shut down early, making a dollar today rather than the two. Then there is the terrible erosion in a city, unplanned. Houses being soaked and even washed away. Tomorrow there will be mattresses on rooves, drying.

 In the meantime, my biggest problem is my cell phone. I’m without internet and I suddenly realized that most of what I do with my phone requires internet. Right now, I might as well toss it out. All it’s good for is phoning.

  Back to Henri Nouwen; at first, I felt a whole book of letters responding to letters of others which we don’t see, would be a bit tedious. Yet I’m coming to realize that these letters inspire me more than a whole book would, for several reasons. Firstly, the letters written to Nouwen are written by people with issues I can relate to, suffering, loss of family, depression, career indecisions, etc. In many cases, they would have been my letters. Secondly, Nouwen responds not out of a privileged, comfortable setting, but out of the same pain and isolation felt by his supplicants. His answers are powerful and always lead to a deeper connection to God.

  Just today I received the most thoughtful email from Jeannie. In researching ‘Lent’, she noted that most of the sites returned were Catholic. I think I have an explanation, though others may add to or correct me. Most Protestants have eliminated Lent from their theological calendar. It is the Catholics, who have retained the understanding of the blessing of resurrection that is possible only through the journey of suffering and the Cross. Many Protestant leaders view suffering as self-imposed (it could be at times), a weakness of faith, a state to be avoided at all cost or a symptom of failure. Lent reminds us that suffering is a way to deeper faith and finally to glory. Alternately, it could lead to bitterness and defeat. A choice to be made.