DRC

Well, at this point, I’m only going to get 4.5 hours of sleep, so I’ll make this very brief.  I’m leaving early tomorrow morning for an EMI project trip in eastern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo).  We’re designing sustainable electrical, water, and wastewater systems for a 100-acre campus that houses a university and other ministry centers.  (The campus is off-grid and needs a plan to serve a campus of what may become 2000-3000 people!)  The ministry is the Congo Initiative, which was started by several Congolese community and church leaders who came together several years ago to ask how the church could be working to help improve the future of the DRC.  Their plan: a university and other training centers to help raise up and train future indigenous leaders to make a difference!  Please pray for safety as we drive 12 hours to reach our site and will be in a relatively unstable region once we get there.  The whole team of 10 just got together today for the first time, and I’m really excited for this project and the great team that God has brought together!

The PFLOGHD Blog

(Blog title courtesy of my friend Kate … if you say it right, “PFLOGHD Blog” sort of rhymes.)

“Oh!  I need to order pizza tomorrow!” I exclaimed to Heather as we were volunteering together on Wednesday afternoon.

“Why?” she asked, a little startled at my sudden, excited outburst.

“It’s Groundhogs Day!!” I replied, figuring that explained the whole matter.

“So…?  What does that have to do with pizza?”

PFLOGHD Society Mascot

Well, it has EVERYTHING to do with pizza … at least to me, my dad, and a dozen or so other people.  See, my dad started his own personal tradition way back when to eat pizza for lunch on Groundhog Day (which I always incorrectly call “Groundhogs Day”).  He decided it was such a great tradition that he formed the “Pizza For Lunch On GroundHog Day Society,” aka the PFLOGHD Society.  This is a great society to join.  All you have to do to be a member: eat pizza on Groundhog Day*.  Over the years, my dad and I have each celebrated this holiday with various friends and at different work places, such that some of these people will occasionally let us know that they still eat pizza on Groundhog Day.  =)

Ugandan Pizza

Some of My Small Group Enjoying Pizza

I had Bible Study on Thursday night, so I decided to celebrate the holiday by ordering pizza for everyone for dinner.  Yes, fortunately you can still order pizza here.  They’ll even deliver, although I decided to go pick it up this time (using a motorcycle taxi) since I didn’t want to try to explain where my Bible Study was located (they don’t really use addresses here).  We didn’t technically have pizza for lunch, but in my defense, it was lunch time in the US!  Everyone in my Bible Study was very happy to hear about and participate in the tradition.  It’s a great tradition to invite others into.  You, too, could join us next Feb 2 by eating pizza!  In fact, I even heard that the interns happened to make their own pizza for dinner on Thursday as well!  Coincidence?  I think not…. Somewhere deep down inside, they must have felt the subconscious draw to join the society....

*For those of you not familiar with Groundhog Day, it is a peculiar little unofficial holiday celebrated in the US on Feb 2.  Tradition says that when a groundhog comes out of his burrow on Feb 2, if he sees his shadow, he gets scared and runs back inside, and there will be 6 more weeks of winter.  If he doesn’t see his shadow, then spring will come early.  According to Wikipedia, it began as a Pennsylvania German custom in the 18^th century, with its origins in “ancient European weather lore.”  There is a groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania named Punxsutawney Phil.  Since 1886, large Groundhog Day celebrations have taken place here, with Phil generally regarded as the official Groundhog Day groundhog.  A groundhog is apparently a type of marmot, the same thing as a woodchuck, and basically a giant, fat squirrel with no tail … not to be confused with the rock hyrax, whose closest relatives are the elephant and manatee … go figure.

Groundhog

Rock Hyrax