Category: Uncategorized

Meet Saraphin Kutumbana


by Stan Graber

My friend, Kutumbana is a one-in-a-million evangelist in Congo. He and his wife live in the capital city of Kinshasa. However, as head of a three-man team, he regularly travels on foot or by bicycle to the Bateke Plateau outside Kinshasa. His team seeks to evangelize a tribe called the Bateke.

A few years ago the team visited a certain Muslim village. One man who heard the Gospel decided to accept Jesus as his Savior. Two weeks later when the team returned to disciple this man, he had changed his name from Hibrahim to Jeremie.

“I have come out of the darkness into the light!” Jeremie said.

Jeremie’s testimony was so strong that his former Muslim friends beat him up. His injuries required medical treatment in Kinshasa for well over $100. This may sound like a small amount to us, but we need to remember the poverty level of Congo.

The Muslim villagers burnt his house down, destroyed his fields, etc. But his testimony remained so great that six months later he was able to bring out nine more men (with their families) including his uncle!

A year later, Jeremie decided to move back to the village where he grew up and start a church. Recently, he contracted Malaria and died, but his testimony continues.

What began with a handful of Believers has expanded to twenty Christians. Kutumbana attended Jeremie’s funeral service along with forty-five men, women, and children. Even more folks continue to accept Christ—all because of the witness of Jeremie!

So the ministry of Kutumbana and his team has born good fruit—fruit that remains.

Kutumbana’s monthly salary of $75 from the Mennonite Church does not provide for his mission work. Nor does it fund his ministry to orphans within Kinshasa. He relies totally on God to supply his needs.

When I met with him earlier this year, he told me he’s been praying for a motorbike. It would enhance his ministry tremendously.

Initially, we planned to run Kutumbana’s story here on our website as a fundraiser. However, when several of you heard about his need you stepped forward. Due to your generosity, all of the necessary funds have been raised without one word here from us.

Isn’t it amazing how our Father meets our needs?

Thank you to all of you who have contributed. You are the answer to Kutumbana’s prayers. We praise God for you and pray that you may experience His blessings.

© 2018 Hope4Congo

Kasai Violence Displaces Children

DR Congo Kasai violence displaces 850,000 children

An estimated 850,000 children have been forced to flee fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kasai provinces, the UN’s children’s agency Unicef reported in July.

This makes it one of the world’s “largest displacement crises” for children.

Many of the affected children are now in foster care or with relatives.

Fighting broke out in Kasai in August 2016 after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces.

It has since escalated leaving more than 3,000 people dead. The UN has also discovered dozens of mass graves in the area.

In all, 1.4 million people have had to leave their homes “with 60,000 uprooted in June alone,” says Unicef’s acting head in DR Congo Tajudeen Oyewale.

____________________

This area is in the heart of where Hope4Congo focuses our work.

Prayer Requests:
• Please pray for an end to the violence in DRC
• Please pray for these precious children
• Please pray for the needs (physical, spiritual, emotional) of all Congolese

© 2017 Hope4Congo

Leja Bulela

Leja Bulela
by Brad Graber

Leja Bulela means “show that you care” in the Tshiluba language of the Luba people.

Hope for Congo attended and participated in the 2017 Annual Conference for Leja Bulela in Washington D.C. The theme of the conference was “Congo-Unlimited Possibilities, Unlimited Potential.” Leja Bulela members are part of the larger burgeoning Congolese ex-patriot community in the United States and Canada.

For more information check their website: http://www.lejabulela.org

Leja Bulela was founded in 1993 as a reaction to the expulsion of an estimated 500,000 Kasai natives from the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the early 90s. What began as a response to a refugee need exists today “to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters living in Kasai, specifically those in Tshibombo Tshimuangi.”

A key initiative has been the building, funding, and managing of a medical clinic, which serves a population of 80,000. Tshibombo Tshimuangi is about a 45-minute drive from Mbuji Mayi, which serves as the capital city of Kasai Oriental province.

Leja Bulela opened the Kalala Muzeu Health Clinic in 2011 with the goal that it would eventually be self-sustaining. Leja Bulela members donate monthly to maintain the upkeep costs and employee salaries.

Topics discussed at the conference included:
• Best practices for managing a health facility
• Impact of primary health care strategies and initiatives
• Leveraging the power of water
• Using technology to build community

Hope for Congo was impressed with their passion, commitment, and engagement in the East Kasai. It is a witness to their love and care for their brothers and sisters in Congo.

The needs in the Democratic Republic of Congo are great. The complexities do not allow for simple short term solutions. Leja Bulela is entering its 25th year of direct involvement and personal commitment to a long term goal.

Hope for Congo is encouraged by the efforts of Leja Bulela and realize the complexities in Congo can only be addressed through an array of organizations collaborating together with a common over-arching purpose, to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters living in Congo.

Hope for Congo has been blessed by the collaborative and generous donations that our supporters have and continue to make. We are grateful and humbled. The collaboration of giving and doing, generosity and action, praying and keeping in step with God will continue to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters in Congo. Let’s put our “YES” on the table and let God put it on the map.

Leja Bulela!!! Show that you care!!!
_______________________________________________

Thank you, Brad for letting us know about another organization formed to help our brothers and sisters in Congo.

Please continue to pray for peace in Congo and wisdom for all parties to maintain it.

© 2017 Hope4Congo

DRC News

We want to keep you informed on DRC. This week we provide a link to a BBC news article. Please click the link below:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-11108589

Prayer Request:
Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Congo.
Pray for peace.
May cooler heads prevail.

© 2017 Hope4Congo

Nehemiah Project

The Nehemiah Project
Restoration and Renewal

by Brad Graber

Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
and a restorer of homes. ~Isaiah 58:12 (NLT)

Hope for Congo is making preparations to embark on a long-term venture: The Nehemiah Project. We have spent ten years in prayer, conversation, and evaluation to arrive at this point.

The Nehemiah Project’s purpose is to rebuild communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eight strategic locations have been selected:
• Ndjoko Punda
• Mukedi
• Kandala
• Nyanga
• Kamyala
• Kalonda
• Banga
• Mutena

These eight villages share 100 years of history through the ongoing work of Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission (AIMM), formerly known as the Congo Inland Mission.

Our initiative will begin with two villages: Ndjoko Punda and Mukedi. These two will serve as a model for all the others. The process will involve the church, community leaders, and faith-based organizations.

Each location will have a designated team member to serve in the rebuilding efforts. Team members will be chosen based on character, giftedness, and passion.

However, it will obviously take more than one carefully chosen person to accomplish this huge task. Hope for Congo is seeking sister churches and individuals in North America willing to adopt a community in DRC.

Financial support, prayer support, and relationship building are all necessary aspects of such an adoption. It would also be wonderful if churches and individuals could share life together with their chosen sister villages as much as time, distance, and technology allow.

Areas of focus will be determined on the basis of individual community needs. These could include:
• Evangelism
• Health
• Safe Drinking Water
• Micro Banking
• Education
• Leadership Training

Hope for Congo will share more about The Nehemiah Project as this effort moves forward. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in partnering with us.

____________________________

Prayer Requests
• Please continue to pray for peace in Congo. The unrest caused by the political turmoil is stretching relationships and rekindling ancient tribal issues even among Christians.
• Pray for wisdom regarding all ministry efforts.
• Pray that God would impress the hearts of those He wants to be involved in ministry to Congo
– through prayer
– through finances
– through short term mission trips

© 2017 Hope4Congo

Summer Posting Schedule

This is Hope4Congo’s last post for May.

As in the past, Hope4Congo will return to our summer posting schedule for 2017. We will post twice per month in June, July, and August unless there is a pressing need to post more frequently.

Look for posts on Thursdays: June 8th & 22nd, July 6th & 20th, and August 10th & 24th. Until the next post, please consider the prayer requests below as ongoing concerns.

Prayer Requests:
• Please continue to pray for peace in Congo. The unrest caused by the political turmoil is stretching relationships and rekindling ancient tribal issues even among Christians.
• Pray for wisdom regarding all ministry efforts.
• Pray that God would impress the hearts of those He wants to be involved in ministry to Congo
– through prayer
– through finances
– through short term mission trips

Please join us June 8th for our post on the Nehemiah Project.

© 2017 Hope4Congo