Team Life

`Our life is full of brokenness - broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God's faithful presence in our lives.` A quote from Henri Nouwen.

When I first started to think about joining Medair, one of the great attractions was the sense of community and belonging that a role with the organisation offered. Living alongside other Christians, from all over the world, all working together to serve the most vulnerable. To me, it sounded like an amazing opportunity to part of a unique community, living with like minded people.

Its therefore pretty ironic that this community has started to become one of the greatest challenges about being here in the DR Congo. Maybe i was naive, I would prefer to think that i was hopeful and optimistic. I have been surprised by some of the dysfunctionality that exists in our team here, and im talking specifically about the international team.

Of course, with our colleagues from the Congo, there are huge cultural differences which sometimes make it difficult to work together. I did not expect so many problems between a group of people who come mostly from Europe and North America.

Life in the field is intense, there is no doubt about that. People grow tired and weary, especially those who have been here for a longer period. Stress levels can be high emergencies can develop pretty quickly. We definately find ourselves under spiritual attack , we are working on the front line after all, soldiers for God. In Bunia, where I have been based for the last 3 weeks, there is a very heavy spiritual feeling. No doubt the results of many years of war and conflict and the terrible things that have been done here. There are all sorts of reasons that contribute to this level of dysfunctionality we are experiencing at the moment. Not that i think any of these are good excuses.

Christ says in Hebrews that we are a Royal Priesthood, that we stand out. Im not sure that we have been doing that as a team here recently. By my own admission I have pretty high expectations of myself and the people around me. Perhaps there is a lesson for me in all of this, to display the same grace God has extened to me, to show that grace and love to the people around me, I can be pretty impatient at the best of times .

Maybe its a lesson that we are all human, we all have weakness and people do from time to time disappoint us. Through the ups and downs Im being stretched and challenged thats for sure, and that can only be a good thing....