Getting to Know Ndunge
As you might remember from the last issue of MennoExpressions, Beth and Andrea like using Top Ten lists as a means of introduction. It is how we introduced Pastor Jonathan last fall, and we decided to do the same with our MennoExpressions introduction of Ndunge Sefu. Enjoy discovering the many facets of Ndunge.
I lived in Kikwit in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from childhood until college age. I then moved to Kinshasa, the capitol of the DRC, where I attended medical school at the University of Kinshasa. After discovering that was not my thing, I transferred to the University of Bandundu’s School of Economics to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Rural Development and Economics.
I was part of the youth choir of the Mennonite Brethren Church in Zaire (now DRC), which toured the world following the 1997 Mennonite World Conference in Kolkata, India. I also had the opportunity to attend the Mennonite World Conference in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in 2003.
I enjoy hiking and camping. My favorite spot has been the Lion’s Head and Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. I would like to walk the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa and Kilimanjaro at some point, too.
The African storytelling time around the fire in the evening can keep me awake for a long time at night. I have spent many hours with cousins and extended family members in the village around the fire, listening to the family wise man telling stories of where our ancestors came from and how we have come to be where we are right now.
If I weren’t doing what I am doing now, I could have gone into politics or law so I could speak for people without a voice. I don’t shy away from including political topics in my sermons or any other discussion.
I have spent more than half my adult life away from my biological family in search of better living conditions. For almost eight months, I was in a refugee camp in Namibia, not by choice though. Life was not easy at that time.
Micheline and I grew up in the same town (Kikwit), and for a year we attended the same university but didn’t know each other. Her family moved in a couple of houses away from mine; yet we didn’t ever meet in Kikwit. We finally met through her older sister in Cape Town. I invited her to visit me in April 2005, and in August 2005, my family went to see her family to pay the bride price. On January 7, 2006 we got married. Our son, David, was born a year later.
I love watching sports. Football (the real football: soccer) is perhaps my favorite, with Manchester United being my team. I have convinced my entire family to support Manchester United. In fact, we have a saying in our home: “As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord… and we shall support Manchester United.” Tennis, Formula 1 racing, basketball, and boxing are among the other sports I like.
I also love theatre, dance, and debate. Movies don’t really catch my attention. Most of the time when I go to the movies, I find myself falling asleep minutes after the movie starts; however, a movie about an interesting court case, crime investigation, or a real-life story can keep me awake. Oh, before I forget, Denzel Washington is perhaps the best I have seen in movies.
How can I forget to mention jazz! I loooooove jazz, any jazz, from Africa to all over the world. Micheline and I find it a treat to dance to live jazz music. Of course, jazz typically goes hand in hand with good cuisine. I love African, Indian, Chinese, Thai, American (Amish), South African, and Mexican cuisine.
Bonus Item: Being a person on the move, I am continually curious to discover new cultures, meet people and discover new places. I had been to Kenya, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, India, Japan, and Canada before I turned 30. I would like to visit Latin America before my body is too weak to travel. But for now, I can’t wait to discover Indy, its people, and culture.
