Author: SuZan Klassen

2015 Congo Trip

In Africa plans are always subject to change. It requires flexibility. This blog was scheduled to be shortened for the summer months. However, things are happening that require us to post here twice per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next several weeks. Be sure to check back as things are busy for our ministry in Congo right now. Your prayers are very much appreciated.

Stan was sick earlier this year. His doctor recommended that he not make the trip to Congo this time. Dale Beverly took his place. Dale is a veteran missionary from Kenya, but was born and raised in Tanzania.

Dale and Fred Suter are working on a water project at Tshikapa right now. Your prayers are requested for them to successfully dig wells for the people.

The following information is taken from Dale’s notes to Stan.May 16 at 11:50
Am on plane. Adventure here we come.
Am in Paris to pick up more people. Then on to Addis.IMG_2951
Am in Kinshasa. Just arrived. They lost my 2 big suitcases.
Been to church and everywhere. Will send photos.
Am on taxi now, music blaring and crammed.
Can’t get any word on luggage.
Going to Tshikapa
Am waiting for taxi to small airport with Fred.
Am traveling light. Ha Ha.
Am ready for a wonderful adventure today with my Lord.
God bless,
Dale

That’s Dale in the land rover hat in the photo on the right. Looks like he found some clothes to purchase and help the local economy.

Fred Suter writes:
Both of us (Fred and Dale) purchased clothes in the local market. One of my suitcases is still in Kinshasa.I hope to have it later this week. We are talking with people about where to drill the next well. In the meantime, the pineapples and mangoes are outstanding.

We’ll post more on Thursday. Follow us so you won’t miss a single photo or story.

IMG_2976
The “new” used pants needed some adjustments.

©2015 Hope4Congo

 

 

Disrepair in Congo

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This old hospital building illustrates the disrepair at the former Ndjoko Punda mission station

This week Stan gives us special insight into some of the reasons things are in such disrepair in the Congo and the concern this represents.

“I’d like to explain why the Congolese don’t fix things—no one has the money to fix these things and the people with the skills to do so are dying off. The youth are not learning these skills. It’s one of the reasons we’re interested in providing AIMM vocational schools to teach these needed vocational skills. This is so important.

“The youth are more interested in earning quick money through diamond mining to get rich. One of the women in the church said, ‘Our youth are giving up food for diamonds.’

“This is very sad for their culture in the long run and desperately dangerous for the Congolese youth. Many die in their quest for diamonds. Their techniques and tools are primitive. The youth dig in river banks or they will dig a thirty foot deep pit with a three to twenty foot diameter opening. At the bottom of the pit they may tunnel sideways. Tie a rope around their waist and lower down into the hole. If they tunnel sideways the tunnel walls may collapse on them. They also drown while diving for diamonds.”

Thank you for helping us to understand the situation, Stan. Of course we know there are diamond mining companies that provide more advanced tools for their workers. That would be safer. However, the point is that the youth are going after a quick buck rather than developing a skill or a trade that would provide them with an income and be a service to their country.

This will be our last post for May. Starting June 2, 2015, we will only post the first and third Tuesdays of June, July, and August. Remember to Follow Us so you won’t miss anything.

For those children looking forward to the Crocodile Story, make sure you join us in June.

If you’d like to donate to any of our projects please go to the AIMM page here on our site.

©2015 Hope4Congo

Congo Leadership Support Network

As we’ve mentioned previously, we here at Hope 4 Congo are dedicated to keeping you informed regarding other ministries to Congo.

If you’ve looked through our site, you know that any dollars you give to Hope 4 Congo go directly to fund the project you’ve indicated when you designate your donation to Hope 4 Congo. You will also have noted that we ask you to make your checks payable to: AIMM, Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission. They make certain that your gift goes exactly where you’ve indicated.

We want to make you aware that AIMM has a Facebook page: Congo Leadership Support Network that you may wish to follow if you’re on Facebook.

And as always, we invite you to Follow Us so you won’t miss any of our Hope 4 Congo posts.

©2015 Hope4Congo

MAVUCO, Ministry to Gemena Prison

These photos were provided by Rod Brown as part of his trip in Congo last year. As you know, if you’ve been following us, Hope 4 Congo wishes to support other ministries to the Congo.

For more information view African Medical Alliance website: http://africanmedicalalliance.com/

MAVUCO is a prison ministry that was started when Rod Brown lived there.

The following photos were taken at the prison in Gemena, Congo. Paklawele faithfully ministers to the prisoners. God recently provided Paklawele with a bicycle to make his trips easier.

 

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Paklawele, Rod, Dr. Embeke at Bible Translation Center

Here are members of the MAVUCO committee with Bibles for the prisoners at Gemena. Congo.MAVUCO.Com

Churches provide food and clean water for prisoners through MAVUCO.Congo.Church.Helps.Prisoners

Prisoners respond to God’s Word.Congo.Prisoners.Respond

 

©2015 Hope4Congo

Paklawele’s Story

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Paklawele (on the left) with his bicycle (a recent miracle) and Ron Brown (right)

At an age when many in the United States would be living at their leisure in retirement, Paklawele has faithfully ministered to the prison in Gemena, DRC. Please rejoice with us in how God has used this man’s faithful ministry as Ron Brown shares how he and Paklawele connected in ministry to the prison. (More photos of the prison ministry will be included in next week’s post–stay tuned.)

Ron says, “I had been serving in prison ministry in the US and Nicaragua for 18 years. I felt God calling me to full time missions in 2009, I thought in prison ministry. However, in the process of preparing for that, Wycliffe Associates recruited me to go to Kenya to support Bible translation. It made no sense to me, but I really felt it was God’s doing. I finally got to Kenya in 2011. After a few months I was re-assigned to Gemena, Equateur Privince, DRC…pretty remote spot.

“There is a prison in Gemena so I asked if the churches were doing anything there and the answer was no. But, there was this guy, Paklawele, who had been walking to the prison, 10 miles round trip, twice a week with no help or support of any kind for over 15 years…and Paklawele is 75-80 years old!. And to my great surprise, he lived in the village right beside my house!

“I began going to prison with Paklawele and we started talking to some other folks. As it turned out, there was a strong church leader with CECU (the Evangelical Free Church of the Congo) who was interested and within 2 months he had organized a committee (MAVUCO) of other strong leaders who began to go to prison with Paklawele and on their own. Seems like God had been working on this for some time…imagine that!

“The prisoners have no clean drinking water, get only the food that family and friends bring them, no medication when they get sick and you can imagine the conditions inside. So MAVUCO, out of their own pockets, began providing drinking water and a meal twice a month. This is a great challenge financially so we decided to see if we could drill a well for the prison (on private land) that would provide all the clean drinking water they needed and they could sell the excess to provide food and medication as well. That was early 2013.

“Today (March 4, 2015), I received word that the parts for the well are in, the land has been purchased and preparation of the land has begun.

“Isn’t that incredible?!! That is light speed for the Congo!

“My church (in the U.S.), has been providing Bibles, devotional materials, and song books. And there is now a church in the prison in Gemena.

“Isn’t God amazing?

“My heart is filled to overflowing for Paklawele today. He must feel like Joseph who labored in obscurity for so long before God, who was already at work, revealed His plan. And the best part for me is that I will be in the prison celebrating with the prisoners on March 22 (He should already be on his way back now.).

“So as those who love the Lord and love the Congo and her people…please rejoice with me today for our God is mighty, He is faithful and He is sovereign over Africa!”  ~Rod Brown

Thank you to Ron for sharing this story with us here at Hope 4 Congo.

Remember to check next week’s post for more photos of the prison ministry.

©2015 Hope4Congo

African Medical Alliance 2015 Trip Summary

We want to give you more information about the African Medical Alliance trip to Congo March/April 2015. The following information is provided to us through Ron Brown.

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Ron Brown with Tandala Hospital Surgical Staff

While living in the Congo, I met Dr. Dave Strycker and his wife Andrea. Dave is a dentist from Northern Indiana who sold his practice to serve God full time, first in Russia and now in Africa. For the past 18 months, I have been working with Dave as he created the African Medical Alliance, Inc. (AMA), a non-profit organization the mission of which is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ by supporting healthcare needs in rural Africa. http://africanmedicalalliance.com/

 Mission of AMA / African Medical Alliance, Inc. is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the poor in areas of deepest poverty in rural Africa.
We accomplish this by working with like-minded organizations and individuals to identify and acquire resources to support and promote healthcare delivery in the areas of greatest need. Specifically, AMA assists with the larger projects such as building construction, equipment, staff training, potable water, roads, electricity and community development.
Each year, thousands of patients come for treatment to rural hospitals and clinics across Africa. The ultimate goal of AMA is to share the gospel with each patient, then pursue the potential for church planting in the remote villages from which these patients come for treatment.

Purpose of the March/April 2015 Trip The Evangelical Free Church in the Congo (CECU) has asked AMA to join them in improving the quality of medical care administered at Tandala Hospital and the surrounding health zones they oversee in the Sud Ubangi Province. Also, the Covenant Church in the Congo (CEUM) has asked AMA to perform a similar evaluation at their hospital in Karawa and their associated clinics.

The purpose of the March/April 2015 trip is fourfold:

  1. Complete a site analysis needed to create a comprehensive plan from which individual projects can be identified, cost estimates developed and priorities set.
  2. Determine immediate and short term needs for continuing education for doctors, nurses and staff at Tandala so that a schedule for on-site teaching and mentoring can be established in Tandala.
  3. Meet with the of the leadership of the Tandala Bible Institute to help them plan additions to the curriculum to support a chaplaincy program for the hospital and a church planting program of study to accomplish the stated goals of evangelistic outreach and church planting.
  4. Meet with various organizations in Kinshasa related to establishing AMA as an NGO in the Congo; meet with the Ministry of Health; meet with leadership of the Protestant University Medical School and establish other relationships necessary for the ongoing work of AMA in the Congo.(see attached schedule)

My Responsiblities My role on this team of three will be to assist with the evaluation process, draft a master plan for the AMA leadership, prepare for discussions with the Tandala Bible Institute regarding the creation of hospital chaplaincy and church planting programs and assist with some translation.

While in Gemena, I will visit the prison and meet with the leaders of the prison ministry (MAVUCO) that we started when I lived there. (A group of folks at Parkway has been supporting that ministry for the past 18 months by providing Bibles and discipleship materials.) We have been working on a project to dig a well for the prison and there is a critical issue that needs to be discussed so this visit presents a timely opportunity for that ministry as well. (CECU and CEUM are also sponsoring churches for the prison ministry in Gemena.)

©2015 Hope4Congo