Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission

To Our Friends,

“The parched ground will become a pool” Isaiah 35:7

Hope for Congo is “Providing Hope to the Next Generation” by contributing tools and resources to our brothers and sisters in Congo. We like to refer to this as arranging for fishing poles and access to the pond. Proverbs says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Hope for Congo cannot accomplish this alone. We are dependent on your prayerful support. Through your faithful giving we can be your hands and feet in Congo.

2022 has been an exciting year for us. COVID 19 put the world and Hope for Congo on hold delaying a variety of projects that were in the pipe-line.

We celebrated the joy of successfully drilling two water wells in two separate communities.

We launched two additional agricultural projects in another two communities bringing us to a total of four such projects.

We have been able to lay the ground work for some significant projects coming up in 2023.

We have participated in two, week long, training sessions in Asset Based Community Development. A third training session will take place in April 2023. “ABCD builds on the assets that are already found in the community and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their assets– not concentrate on their needs. The appeal of ABCD lies in its premise that communities can drive the development process themselves by identifying and mobilizing existing, but often unrecognized assets, and thereby responding to and creating local economic opportunity.”

We have purchased 320 copies of the French edition of the Africa Study Bible published by Oasis International. The Bibles are being shipped ocean freight from India to Congo with anticipated arrival January 20, 2023. Hope for Congo will participate with Oasis International in the official launch of the study Bible in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We anticipate a launch in three major cities that will include the capital city (Kinshasa), a port city (Matadi) and a southern border city (Lumbumbashi).

In collaboration with Synergies Francophone, Africa New Day, and African Enterprise we have purchased a print on demand system from Publish4All. This POD will be located in Kinshasa for the purpose of printing Christian literature and making it affordable to everyone. The equipment has arrived in Kinshasa and another shipment of consumable goods is being shipped from the United States in preparation for our launch in 2023.

We depend totally on God to provide for our needs. As God provides, we move forward. Our desire is to keep in step with His Spirit. We will continue our focus in the following areas:

Youth Evangelism
Water Development
Bible and Christian Literature Distribution
Agricultural Development
Infrastructure (Schools, Hospitals, Churches)

Our current project dollar needs are:

Hospital $12,000 Needed to finish the construction

Print on Demand $14,000 Needed for setup, training and launch of the POD

Agricultural Development $5,000 Needed for on going training of existing groups

Water Drilling $15,000 This amount will cover the cost to drill a well, utilize solar power generation, and a 5,000 liter holding tank for water distribution

Youth Evangelism $5,000 Invested in youth camps focused around soccer, evangelism and discipleship

Your donations can be directed to our general fund or to one of the specific areas listed above. Without your prayers we are weak and ineffective. It is through your prayers that we see things happen. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

Designate your gift for your interested project and send your donations to:
Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission (AIMM)
P.O. Box 744
Goshen, IN 46527-0744

You can also make an online donation: https://www.aimmint.org/

May God bless you and keep you as you move into the new year. Thanks for all your support over the last 15 years. Jehovah Jireh, God Provides.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

Your hands and feet in Congo,

Stan and Brad Graber

Come & See, Part 2

h4c-clcn_2-2017_floodedrd — Flooded roadway on the way to Gungu

This week the Congo Leadership Coaching Network team has conducted a seminar and soccer clinic for Gungu area churches. They’ve spent significant time on ministry. On Tuesday, Feb. 14th Charles updated us via Facebook:

We’ve had two very intense but powerful days of seminar. I feel our team is working together at a much deeper level which has been beautiful to watch and to be part of. The afternoon sports clinic has been drawing a lot of youth. Today has been surgery on marriages with Antoinette and Bercie bringing a powerful teaching on leaders’ marital life. Thanks again for carrying us in prayer. Deeply appreciated!!

After today’s work (Feb. 16th) they’ll adjourn to enjoy the youth soccer games. All are invited to these games. This provides a significant outreach to the community.

Why Soccer?
Perhaps you’re wondering why CLCN has been conducting soccer clinics. Charles Buller explained in his recent newsletter below.

From the outset of the leadership seminars, our desire has been to target the emerging leaders within the CMCO community. Coaching team member Robert Irundu also serves as CMCO’s national youth leader and has been periodically hosting soccer clinics in different regions as an evangelistic tool for reaching youth. This vision originated out of a providential meeting between Dwight Short and Robert at the centennial celebration in 2012.

While these clinics have been successful, we have been inspired to explore ways of being more intentional about both incorporating regional youth leaders in our main seminars and upgrading the soccer clinics to be something of a youth camp for local youth—introducing them to the basic principles of following Christ through the paradigm of playing soccer.

We will expand these clinics from one to four sessions with the youth, including a movie night. While we are still in the initial phase of developing the model, we hope to take advantage of the gifts of the entire coaching team to inspire youth to begin a life of radical discipleship.

Since the church leaders are already present for the seminar, they will be invited to attend a portion of the camp and even to engage in some of the soccer drills as a way of building bridges between them and the youth.

Our hope is that by introducing the youth to the principles and practices of discipleship, they will over the course of three such clinics (one every two years over the next six years) embark on a serious journey to become leaders among their peers as future apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the church.

As you can imagine adding this component to our already full schedule is a giant step of faith. It means purchasing additional equipment (soccer balls, micro-projector, energy sources, cones, etc.) printing more materials, and a greater amount of communication not to mention planning.

The soccer clinics will follow the same basic format this coming week (Feb 20 – 23) for the Kahemba area churches as they’ve utilized in the Gungu area. Monday and Tuesday there will be soccer clinics, a movie night on Wednesday and conclude the week with youth soccer games on Thursday. An open invitation is extended to the community for the games.

Prayer Requests:
Pray for wisdom, favor, and fruitfulness as the team introduces these expanded soccer clinics.
Pray for Andre who is leading the soccer clinics since Robert was unable to attend.
Pray for the CLCN team leaders:
Andre, Jacque, Bercie, Charles, Leonard, Antoinette,
Damien, Sylvie, Albert, Aberteen, Joly

Calendar of Activities:
As you pray through the calendar below, please be mindful of the time difference. All Congo/DRC times are 6 hours ahead of our Eastern Time zone (EST) in the U.S.

February 17th
• Evaluation with local leadership of and follow-up to the seminar/clinic
• Wash clothes, vehicle repair, and possibly start for Kahemba
February 18th
• Arduous 14-hour journey with roadblocks, sand and mud pits, few bad bridges,
and some nasty roadblocks
• Goal: to arrive in Kahemba by Sunday morning or before
February 19th
• Ordination of several pastors; a region-wide celebration is planned
• Sit-down session with church / youth leaders
to work through myriad of details for the seminar / clinic
February 20th
• 200 leaders (men and women) signed up for seminar
Great Grace required for all aspects: food, lodging, protocol in seminar
• Soccer clinic at 4:30 p.m.
February 21st
• Kahemba is a relatively remote region that has often been left out of CMCO events and opportunities
Pray for healing and crown of honor
• Soccer clinic again
February 22nd
• Coaching introduced in the context of the marriage relationship
Marriage requires a relationship that supports, encourages, and builds in accountability
• Movie night for clinic
February 23rd
• Activations and partner exercises along with significant ministry time
Pray for Outpouring of God’s Spirit
• Youth Soccer games follow seminar
February 24th
• Travel back to Gungu and God-willing, as far as Kikwit
• Albert & Aberteen begin motorbike journey back to Tshikapa
visiting churches & leaders along the way

The Congo Leadership Coaching Network is a ministry in partnership with Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission (AIMM). In addition to praying for the team’s work you may donate to their ministry by contacting AIMM.

If you’re unfamiliar with AIMM, you may read their Statement of Faith here.

Why Do We Keep Going Back?

Charles Buller explained it well, “It’s what we do!”

The work in Congo is never ending and progress is slow according to western standards, but like the Energizer® Bunny, we keep going and going.

The Congo Collaboration annual meeting took place at Silverwood Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana, August 11-12. Our group is made up of about twenty individuals who are committed for the long haul. We have seen and experienced change and growth since we first came together in 2008. We praise God for the way He continues to go before us both individually and collectively.

Collectively, we have helped in these ways:
• Congolese women are provided with access to clean water
• Surgeries are performed and hospital staff encouraged
• Tools and resources are provided
• Bamboo bicycles developed to transport goods to market
• Sports camps for youth
• The Life and ministry of local churches is strengthened

We work with and through the Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission. AIMM serves as a conduit for each of us to work with the various Congolese church bodies represented under its umbrella.

The objective in meeting as a Collaboration Group each year, is to encourage one another unto love and good works. We are about doing Kingdom work alongside our brothers and sisters in Congo. We come together to hear about what God is doing through each of our respective areas of involvement, and look for opportunities where we can work together. We always look out for each other and continue to develop a broader network of contacts beyond ourselves.

Our meeting this August began with a full on Congolese meal, stories and laughter. It concluded with a continued commitment to collaborate with each other where and when we can. We agreed to “put our Yes on the table and let God put it on the map.” (Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism)

In addition we committed to:
• Initiate a quarterly Skype communication session
• Revisit the need to develop a more robust communication infrastructure with our Congolese partners
• Seek out and evaluate more cost effective options for transportation and shipping, both personnel and supplies
• Encourage Congolese representation at our next meeting

We at Hope4Congo want to step up our involvement in Congo. To do this, we need to make more frequent trips to Congo. Also, more funding is needed to address the daily challenges for tools and resources both for the Church and the Communities where we have developed ongoing one on one relationships.

To keep up with news of our ministry, please click this link. On the far right side of the page that opens, under the title: “Follow Blog Via Email” enter your email address in the space provided. Our weekly blog post will be delivered straight to your email inbox.

To contact us directly, click here. Fill out the drop down box with your information and we’ll get back with you as soon as we can.

You can also connect with AIMM through their website www.aimmintl.org/

By God’s Spirit and power we are working to turn the parched ground into a pool. Isaiah 35:7
***
Prayer Requests:
1. The potential for upcoming elections in DRC has caused a tenuous political environment. Please pray that cooler heads would prevail in any political dialogue. May God grant wisdom and bring peace to Congo.

2. Charles Buller (CLSN) requested prayer for Albert and Abertine Mulamba (tremendous members of their Congo Coaching team) as they travel by motorcycle to minister in remote areas of DRC. They hope to initiate a church plant among the Batwa people. Pray for their protection on this arduous and dangerous trip. May God bless their work and grant them success.

3. Requests for more Bibles continue to come to us here at Hope4Congo. It is one of the primary needs we began this ministry to address and it continues to be our greatest area of concern. To date Hope4Congo has purchased a total of 9,750 Bibles in three languages. Please pray for all the details surrounding this effort: accurate translations, logistics, etc. So that God’s WORD will be in the hands of His people. Once it’s in their hands and they can read it, God will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Look for an update on the status of Hope4Congo’s Bible project in coming weeks here on this website. Want to reach us? Fill out your contact information using this link.

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.

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