
We are continuing Brad’s account of his trip to the DRC this past March.
The following is the second story in this series.
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During my visit to the southern Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, I made a trip to a Bible school about 5 kilometers from where I lodged. I met a young couple with great smiles and the “joy of the Lord” evident on their faces. He was a pastoral student at the Bible school.
The next day I met them again at a MCC food relief distribution area. We conversed briefly before they left. My friend filled in the details about this couple’s recent experiences.
For safety concerns and in order to save money, the husband and wife had agreed that she would stay in her home village while he relocated to a different area for Bible school. While they were apart, her home village came under attack. She was forced to run into the forest with their ten-month-old son and hide. She hid in the forest for several weeks. While they were in hiding, the ten-month-old child died.

The families blamed the couple for all that happened because they had chosen to live in different locations. Later she became pregnant again only to lose the child before it was born. Again the family blamed them. They told the couple if they had properly sacrificed a chicken this would not have happened.
With the help, compassion, and teaching of my friend, this couple is working through the trauma that sought to destroy their lives. Through trauma counseling—healing and forgiveness classes—they are moving forward with their lives. Their renewed faith in God has enabled them to seek resolution with their families. He will be graduating in July and looks forward to being a pastor in his home area. They are now expecting another child.
Please pray that God would bless them with a child, and bring spiritual and emotional healing.
Note: Hope4Congo has been giving each graduate of Kalonda Bible Institute a new Bible and an African Bible Commentary. We purchased carpentry tools several years ago for their carpentry shop and we have helped with the purchase of some books for their library. This school was started sometime in the mid to late 50’s by AIMM.
© 2019 Hope4Congo
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