Category: hope

Daniel and Joseph Return Home

by Brad Graber

Joseph (L), Daniel (R) crossing the Kasai by canoe.

After spending the last six years in Kinshasa, Daniel and Joseph returned home to Ndjoko Punda as “rebuilders.” While away from home, all their time was spent in preparation for their return. They furthered their education, faced many challenges, participated in a local church in Kinshasa, and waited patiently for God’s timing.

Today in Ndjoko Punda they quickly engaged with the people to help rebuild and restore the larger community. They assisted the church and community with ongoing projects and began additional projects.

Both young men are serving God with spiritual passion through their specific talents. Daniel has been trained in theology. He is gifted in areas of teaching and evangelism. Joseph has great technical skills and can fix about anything.

Sewing Class, 2 machines/40 women

At the present time, Daniel has focused on the establishment of a sewing school for the women of the community. The local hospital provided classroom space for the school.

Forty women from several area churches signed up. Some come as far as twenty kilometers away to attend the school. The wife of Ndjoko Punda’s medical doctor has the training and the skill to teach these sewing classes.

Hope for Congo purchased two sewing machines for the school. However, due to the response there is an immediate need for another eight machines.

Garden Beds Prepared

Joseph’s first job was to repair the hospital generator. Since he made it operational again it has provided electricity for the hospital. He helped to provide electricity to other community buildings, too.

Joseph also began an agronomy and animal husbandry program utilizing interested people. The photo on the left shows them preparing garden beds for planting. Seeds have been purchased, too. Goats and poultry have been obtained to begin the breeding program.

Daniel and Joseph are involved in the local church through music, teaching, and evangelism. Because these two young men represent the next generation of leadership they give the people hope for the future.

Guesthouse on the left. Entry road to the mission ends at the church. This road and several others are being repaired.

The children in the featured photo (at the top of this article) are carrying bricks to repair the guesthouse. A major storm damaged the outside walls. This guest house (formerly known as Dr. John Zook’s house) is being renovated to include a sewing classroom. Hope4Congo has contributed money towards the installation of windows and doors.

Hope4Congo will continue to provide periodic reports and updates on the progress being made at Ndjoko Punda. Your prayer and financial support have made this happen, and we encourage you to continue to support these two young men as well as Hope4Congo as we look to expand our efforts.

© 2018 Hope4Congo

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

Changing the Narrative from Hopelessness to Hope

Written by Brad Graber

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is found in Revelation 7:9, “After this I saw a vast crowd too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the lamb”. This great crowd along with the angels were worshiping and glorifying God. Their faith and hope in things eternal have become a reality.

This picture is reflective of our missional God. Hope for Congo continues to be missional laying up treasures in heaven where things do not waste away and wear out. We want to participate in changing the narrative from hopelessness to hope.

The story is told of some men bringing a paralyzed man on a bed to Jesus. Because of the crowd they were not able to get to Jesus so they decided to take the man up on the roof and let him down on his bed through the tiles.

The paralyzed man’s friends were instrumental in changing the narrative for their friend from one of hopelessness to hope. Their hope in turn became a reality. The man was healed.

Realized hope always produces more than the specific event. This event was more than a physical healing. The crowd was amazed and awed. The man was healed and his sins were forgiven. Everyone went away glorifying God and saying, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Jesus saw their faith and responded. God is the source of all hope. Hebrews says that faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

If we are going to truly change the narrative in Congo we must look to God and trust Him with the narrative.

We cannot do it alone. Your continued interest, prayers and giving will allow us to continue our investment in:
• individual lives
• printing Bibles
• tools and resources

Thank you for all the ways you have helped Hope for Congo in changing the narrative, we look forward to what God wants to do in and through us collectively in 2016.

With your help Stan and I would like to continue investing in Congo and return for a needed visit in 2016 God willing. Please pray to that end and may we see amazing things to God’s glory.

©2015 Hope4Congo

In the News Recently

The Economist has regular coverage on DR Congo about a variety of issues. Here’s a rundown of recent articles in their publication.

Elephants in Congo. “2,900 elephants roamed Virunga when Congo became independent in 1960, 400 in 2006, and fewer than 200 today.”

Congo and Rwanda continue to flirt with war along their volatile border.

“There is Hope” for sub-Saharan Africa, including DR Congo, according to one article. Another article takes a more in-depth look at the complexities of government, resources, and financial investment in sub-Saharan Africa.

It reinforces something I learned while visiting Congo: “Money doesn’t solve problems. People solve problems.” From the article: “…despite—or perhaps because of—Nigeria’s massive oil wealth, several of the country’s civil institutions, together with human rights and the rule of law, have all withered in the past few years. ” In broad terms, as I understand it, this is called “Dutch disease,” a term I heard used in Congo and coined by this publication back in 1977.

This article closes by discussing “good-news countries” like Ghana, which found oil on the coast in 2007. And they seem to be seeking wise counsel. Yet, there is another kind of wisdom and another kind of good news that must permeate the hearts of Africa’s leaders and people before we can agree “there is hope.”