Author: SuZan Klassen

Bible Distribution Project

Our goal at Hope 4 Congo is to make the purchase of Bibles in the “heart” languages affordable and available to everyone.

The demand for Bibles far exceeds the current availability.

In May 2016 a pastor’s conference was held at Tembo beside the large River Kwango, which is the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. The famous William Falls are within walking distance.

Thirty-five (35) pastors were expected. Two hundred thirty-five (235) filled the pews the first day. The attendees were asked if they had a Bible to please raise them high. Eight Bibles were counted. Eight!
Let me emphasize that.

235 pastors with only 8 Bibles among them.

The pastors were asked what they used to preach from.

Parts and pieces, was the answer. A few pages of this and a few of that. From this meager supply, they wove a sermon.

Surely God blesses their faithful offering. However, couldn’t they offer even more if they had whole Bibles? No wonder so many came to the conference. They needed more of God’s Word to refresh their own souls and to share nourishment with their flocks.

While there are many needs in Congo, the need for Bibles in the heart language of the people has always been our ministry’s area of greatest emphasis.

Hope for Congo purchases the Bibles through the American Bible Society for $9.00 and sells them for $3.00. Money from the sales goes directly back to buy more Bibles.

Hope for Congo has purchased and sold 10,000 Bibles
in three languages to date:
1) Tshiluba, 2) Kikongo, and 3) Chokwe.

The Bibles are distributed through the local churches. Our goal is to have Bibles readily available on demand in each of the primary languages and sufficient funds to cover the transportation costs to the various communities that request Bibles.

We purchase Bibles as we have funding and opportunity. A typical print run is 3,000 Bibles for $27,000.

For two years we’ve been working toward updating a Bible translation in a fourth language, Kipende.
We are in negotiation with a qualified translator in order to accomplish this goal. Once the translation update is complete we’ll again use the American Bible Society to print the Bibles. The estimated cost for the translation update is $20,000. Printing will cost an additional $27,000 plus shipping.

We have received a request to create a fifth translation in the Teke language for the Bateke tribe. Since no translation exists for this language (that we know of), producing this Bible will involve research and development, which of course adds to the costs and difficulties. Pray that God would provide the resources and a team to accomplish this translation.

It is only through your generous donations that Hope for Congo can continue to come alongside our brothers and sisters in Congo—to walk with them and bring hope to their lives.

Hope begins with the Word of God.

Your donations are tax-deductible.
Make your checks payable to: Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission or AIMM
Designate your donation to: Hope 4 Congo

With your donation, please indicate which of our projects you wish to support. Monies sent to our general fund will be applied where needed most.

Your gift will go directly to support Hope 4 Congo’s mission. This is a non-profit ministry. Everyone who works for this ministry is a volunteer so every dollar you send goes straight to the project you designate or to where funding is most needed.

Send your U.S. Dollar Donations to:
Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission or AIMM
P.O. Box 744
Goshen, IN 46527-0744

Send your Canadian Dollar Donations to:
Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission or AIMM
440 Main Street
Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5

Next week we will share the opportunities that exist to help with education.

© 2017 Hope 4 Congo

Making an Impact

Making an Impact
God’s ways are above our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We make our plans but God directs our steps. Below is a partial list of how God has expanded the efforts of Hope for Congo over the last eight years.

Hope for Congo is . . .

Invested in Projects
• Bible Distribution (10,000 Bibles to date)
• Safe Drinking Water (Ram pump supplies water to Ndjoko Punda and the hospital)
• Hand Drilling Equipment
• Training for Well Drilling
• 20 Hospital Beds
• Medical Equipment
• Tools for 4 Technical Trade Schools

Joseph

Invested in People
• Academic Assistance for 8 People in Post-secondary Education
• 2 Young Men Completed Education & Ready to Serve God
1. Joseph trained in areas of mechanical and electrical technologies,
He also studied agriculture and animal husbandry
2. Daniel received a degree in Theology from the Protestant University
He has the gift of evangelism
Both young men have said yes to God
They return soon to invest their time, energy, and skills back into the community
They will represent and assist Hope for Congo directly with projects in Ndjoko Punda

Invested in Healthy Partnerships
We have been blessed through collaboration with these groups:
• AIMM
• Church in Congo
• Congo Collaboration Group
Our goal is to continue these relationships and to expand our collaboration to include other faith-based organizations. Together we can create an even greater impact over a larger geographical area and population.

You Can Partner with Hope for Congo . . .

Our Congolese brothers and sisters our able to work for themselves. What they need are tools and resources to help their community move forward in areas of agriculture, community health, education and jobs that will enable them to break the cycle of poverty.
You can help the Congolese move forward and bring hope to the next generation.
Over the coming weeks we will expand on the details of this initial outline. In the meantime please consider how you may support the people of Congo through your donations and especially through your prayers. We are asking for your help.

Prayer Requests:

Daniel
  • Ndjoko Punda – May Christ intervene in this horrific situation.
    Reports indicate battles rage between the military and the militia. People are in hiding.
  • Pray for peace.
  • Pray for an end to the evil that is causing the violence and greed.
  • Daniel and Joseph planned to return to Ndjoko Punda.(Photo above is from their commitment ceremony at the Kinshasa church, their church family throughout their education and training while in Kinshasa) Hope4Congo was able to return them safely to Kinshasa. Praise the Lord. Pray for their safety in Kinshasa where they will remain for the near term. Pray for the safety of their Kinshasa church family as well.
  • Pray for wisdom and safety of all Christians working in Congo to Change this Powder-Keg Atmosphere

© 2017 Hope4Congo

Dedicated to the People of Congo

This week’s blog post honors Michael Sharp and all the other Christians (missionaries and nationals) who have lost their lives laboring for the people of Congo.

We also honor Zaida Catalan (Michael’s fellow UN worker) and Betu Tshintela (their Congolese interpreter) who shared the same grave with Michael.

It is believed the three died because of their work to bring peace and justice to the people of Congo.

Please read the link for more insight into Michael’s life, motivation, and work: http://mennoworld.org/2017/03/29/news/sharp-pursued-peace-around-the-globe/

Urgent Prayer Requests

  • Negotiations have broken down. The violence has increased for civilians including children, especially in south central Congo’s Kasai region which is home to many Mennonite congregations. Please pray for the people of the Kasai region. The situation is critical.
  • Pray for an end to the violence and greed. Only God can bring the balance of justice and grace that are so desperately needed.
  • Pray for the safety of those whose God-given work takes them into dangerous areas. May our Lord Jesus who made blind eyes see, make the seeing eyes blind of any who seek to do evil to His servants.
  • Pray that these recent deaths are not in vain. As God brought good out of the evil Joseph’s brothers intended for him, so may God bring good out of this situation. (Genesis 50:20)

Please pray with us.

© 2017 Hope4Congo

 

 

 

 

 

Sad News

Last week we sent out an Urgent Prayer Request for the safety and release of six kidnapped victims. If you did not read that you may use the link above to do so.

Today we received the following news:

Two Caucasian bodies have been found in shallow graves in the search area, one male and one female. Since no other Caucasians have been reported missing in the region, there is a high probability that these are the bodies of the American, Michael Sharp and the Swede, Zaida Catalán.

Dental records and DNA samples will be used to confirm the identities. This will take some time.

Please pray for Michael’s and Zaida’s families.

Please pray for peace in Congo.

© 2017 Hope4Congo

 

Urgent Prayer Request

IMPORTANT PRAYER REQUEST:

Six Individuals Were Recently Kidnapped
Michael Sharp (from Hesston, KS) was one of them.
Please pray for the safe return of all six people.

ADDENDUM: The following information is from an online source, BeniLuberoOnline. It has been condensed from a longer article, which was translated from the orignal French. We cannot verify the accuracy of the information or the opinions expressed concerning the political situation.

This conflict began in the summer of 2016 when this guru (traditional chief Kamuina Nsapu), at the head of a political-religious movement, decided to make a crusade against Kinshasa and its local representatives in order to denounce the corruption and the waste of the central State. The chief (Kamuina Nsapu) was killed in August 2016 during a particularly violent military operation. From the time of the death of this leader of the militia, the province was plunged into a spiral of reprisal-repression, which extended into the other Kasai provinces east and west.

In February 2017, the cycle of violence increased after the circulation of a video, which showed Congolese soldiers killing at point blank range some of the Kamuina Nsapu followers who were armed only with sticks. The video caused a great stir. The government initially denied its authenticity before authorizing the formation of the commission to investigate what seem to be summary executions of civilians.

Several days later, three communal graves were discovered in connection with the violence, which had taken place since the Kamuina Nsapu insurrection. The militia groups swept toward the town of Kananga to seek revenge, but they were stopped in the outlying areas of the town by the army. The militia groups ransacked the grounds of a convent.

On 11 March, 18 militia fighters were killed in skirmishes with the police at Mwene-Ditu, at Lomami in ex-Kasai-oriental. The security crisis took a completely different form the next day, Sunday, 12 March, with the disappearance of two foreign UN experts who were on a mission in the region: the Swedish woman Zaida Catalán, the American Michael Sharp and four Congolese men who were accompanying them. A “kidnapping” denounced by the Congolese government who accused “negative forces.” Monusco, the UN mission in Congo, is actively pursuing an investigation and accuses, like the Congolese authorities, the Kamuina Nsapu of being behind this kidnapping.

PLEASE PRAY for the safe return of all six people.

© 2017 Hope4Congo

Praise & Prayer Ongoing Need

Youth in Kahemba wait for the movie after soccer clinic

The photo above shows some of the dear ones we hope will be used of God to make a difference in their country because of the difference God has made in their lives.

Prayer Request:
Tensions seem to be heating up in Congo once again. Please remember the situation in your prayers regarding the delayed election. Pray for wisdom and peace.

Read the article at the link below for additional news:
http://abcnews.go.com/

©2017 Hope4Congo