Just a brief update on the national scene in Congo: First of all, it really is a testament to the grace of God expressed in countless prayers around the world that the situation in Congo has not degenerated into a bloodbath at the turn of the new year.

A midnight deal (literally the last hour of 2016) was negotiated by the Catholic Church fathers. It has resulted in something of a road map to free and fair elections for Congo – hopefully by the end of this year (2017).

To lay the groundwork for these elections to happen the parties at the negotiating table have agreed on a shared government structure that is still being worked out. Please continue to lift up in prayer the Catholic leaders that have boldly stepped in to ‘hold the peace’, as their task is a very thorny and tricky one, to be sure.

Virtually every point of the fine print of the deal has to be further negotiated between the stakeholders as ‘the devil is often in the details.’ It’s a huge, painful, ongoing exercise in compromise. But tremendous lessons are potentially being learned in the process that could serve the country for generations to come!

Please continue to pray for these negotiations. May the participants utilize godly wisdom and exercise personal humility to find their way to a healthy lasting peace for their country.

© 2017 Hope4Congo