History ain't nothing like the present - Paris to Kinshasa - June 23, 2012

Paris has been fun, a good test of my French skills and my ability to manage in a somewhat foreign environment. One might wonder why I detoured to Paris en route to Kinshasa. Moi aussi, yet there are some great incidentals along the way.

Incidentally, while in Paris I visited the Musee de Quoi Branly, Europe's largest collection of Oceanic peoples, Asian, African and American first peoples history and culture. It is referred to as the collections of 'non-Western' cultures. I began my history tour of the museum with the Pygmy people of Papua New Guinea and finished with the Chilean people of Chile.

Along the way, I saw artifacts and history of the food, lifestyle, dress and culture of the first people of many cultures including Congo, Angola, Haiti and Vietnam. I feel like I learned stuff about a history many centuries old, as much as you can from dead people's stuff. (Shrug). I also saw that one of the largest collections came from one Western European doctor who brought back to Europe all the "gifts" the people had given him. I had my misgivings about the number of funeral staffs and pyres that were on display. I appreciated seeing them in the museum, but wondered about the ethics of uprooting someone's culture and heritage in the form of their tombstone so it could be in a museum. Hmmm, that is a debate that I believe rages beyond this blog.

While I learned about the people of Congo and the Yoruba culture (in Congo and neighbouring African countries), it has only whet my appetite to learn more about the culture and heritage of Congo from those living it today. Just like studying French language and history. Going to the museums is fun, but it is a damn-sight removed from the France of today, which is more complicated and diverse than the revolution would suggest. I have attended two churches this week and I keep remembering that getting rid of religion and religious hierarchy was a tenement of the revolution. Hmmm. Yet, Paris and many other parts of France boast the most beautiful and largest churches with strong congregations, the language is built around religion. With as complex a history, or more complex and diverse some could argue, (but each person's and country's history is relative and unique), the Congo of today may be far removed from the Congo of years past that I saw reflected in the museum.

I realize that not many people get the opportunity to visit a country different or 'foreign' from their own and live the culture, heritage and history of that place by living among it's peoples. Most of us are limited in our experience of other cultures through museum visits and what we learn on the internet or from a library or the media. I am grateful for this opportunity to live another culture and experience another life, another lifestyle by living among the peoples.

I hope I can give back to others what this experience will give to me. I only wish more people took the chance and the opportunity to be somewhere else and do something else.

It's official and my journey has official begun

"Project Africa: Giving/getting back 2 CULTURE" is the name of my project. I named it last summer when I first committed myself to a missions/volunteer/service thing, I called it a year of service. Though I will be giving three months of my time to a VIDES (www.videscanada.ca) project in Senegal, I've committed to realizing a year of service to my community in a variety of forms.

Friends have heard me talk about this for quite some time. My friend Nancy said of me, "It has been MLGs dream for a number of years to give of herself through service overseas and, in so doing, to bear witness to her faith as well as continue to grow as a person and deepen her spiritual life." Right on! That is it exactly.

I’ve been exploring many opportunities to do more in my professional career and in my volunteer efforts. I found a program through VIDES to volunteer abroad, participate in community building and work with people on projects that would improve the life of the community.

I know that it will be a challenge to live in a foreign country, culture and language, but I am ready for the challenge. I will be going to a French-speaking African country, it would be too easy if I went to a country where they spoke English as I already know English. Duh!

The +plus for me is that I will also be able to share my culture and music, learn another culture and a language that is important to my familial French Creole heritage. Finally, I will be immersed and can share some of the Cantiques de Noel that I have learned over the years.

"Giving/getting back 2 Culture" is about giving back to the community, getting back to roots and sharing talents and time with others. My VIDES trip will take me to Africa to help a Salesian ministry provide education opportunities to children and youth and supports to their families. I am raising funds to support this ministry. I've set up an online account to collect donations, am organizing fundraisers, asking for cheque donations to VIDES Canada and am inviting all my loved ones to support the mission.

How can you help?

Spread the word - follow this blog online - http://MLGsVIDESmission.blogspot.ca, tweet about it and add the hashtag #MLGsVIDESmission or #MLGsVIDES or #MVM

Donate - send cheques of any amount to VIDES Canada, amounts over $20 can be tax receipted, cheques are made to VIDES Canada and sent to Sr Jeannine Landry, 178 Steeles Ave East ON L3T 1A5

Donate online - http://www.indiegogo.com/MLGsVIDESmission from now until May 29, 2012

Support the fundraisers - Show up and bring friends to MLGs fundraisers - upcoming events are May 20, 2012 and June 10, 2012. Check out facebook for more info.

Pray - your prayers for me on this journey are appreciated and for the community I will serve.

Thank you in advance for all your mental, emotional and financial support!