This page provides information news and reports for Congo.
                                    

Living Hope Ministries in Democratic Republic Of Congo

 Report from Rev. Augustine Gakwaya

 At last t the Living Hope Ministries team left for Congo on 18^th October 2006. Bishop Kiguru Stephen and Pastor Augustine Gakwaya left Kigali and were able to connect with internal flights in Congo from Goma town. We arrived in Kisangani town on the same day even though we were delayed for two hours in Goma airport. Kisangani town is in the northern part of Congo.

 In Goma town we saw the remains of the volcanic lava that closed a part of the air port runways. The eruption burnt a part of the Goma town houses. Our hosts were met in Kisangani town.

 In Kisangani town

 Kisangani town which ranges the 3^rd largest town in Congo is located on the Congo River that is in the northern part of Congo. The town was badly hit by the wars. Many houses still have the holes and people are very poor and jobless. All roads connecting Kisangani to the rest of Congo are not working. The river and the air are the means of the supply of the commodities they need. Few cars that very old, many bicycles and motorcycles form the major transport in the town. The good cars around are owned by UN peace keeping force.

The church

 The church we were hosted in is about two years old. It’s called New Life Ministries. The church is built with Bamboo trees on sides and roof. It’s partially thatched with grasses. The church has no cemented floor. It’s a small church with a seating capacity of 100 or more. But they have other two more branches born in this one year and 10 months. Both Pastor Isaac and Elie who are leaders of these churches trained in Nairobi in a Bible school where Bishop Kiguru was one of their teachers.

The church attended our three days seminar that started on Thursday the 19^th and ended on Saturday the 21^st.  The highest number of the people that attended seminar was 40 in the morning. The highest in the evening revival meetings was 80 believers.

Because of poverty in Kisangani that came as a result of wars that hit this town, the main transport in town is motorcycles and bicycles. I never saw a bus even though I was told that a few of them are operating. One of the leaders in the church that is working in the University of Kisangani organized our stay in the university premises. He could not host us in his house because he had 15 people in his 3 bed roomed house. 

Pastor Isaac Itchulo who leads those churches has 8 children  anis married to Mary. They live one and half kilometres from the church. They reach the church by footing all the time there is any service. Mary is does local bread bakery to raise money to support the family. I was told that at a Sunday service the offering go to $5 (five dollars) only. I was told that some of the families sleep without food sometimes. The pastor’s house is partly roofed with iron sheets and 4/5 of the house is thatched with grasses. The situation I saw in Kisangani reminded me our type of poor environment we lived in back in late 70’s during  Idi Amin’s dictatorial rule in Uganda. All we could see as we moved in this town is poor looking faces that need Jesus. The situation in the church looked fare. But hey also need a touch of God even in the physical. In this seminar we had few pastor from other denominations because of the political meeting that were going on in the town and the country at large. This is the reason we were given by the hosting pastor. But we had a military official ( a colonel) and another Ministry of Justice two officials that came to attend our seminars. They attended just because of the security reasons but the one from Ministry of Justice, in charge of NGO registrations, liked the teachings and brought his wife on our Sunday service. This time, it was not for government work but to hear the Living Hope Ministry teachings. He liked them and told his wife to accompany him on this Sunday service. The security was very tight due to the forthcoming presidential elections this weekend. Pray for these elections of 29^th October 2006. We need Godly leaders and peaceful elections in Congo.

My recommendations.

•  The church in Kisangani needs encouragement. They need prayers     that the Lord may  overcome all forces of poverty in their nation.
   
•  If Living Hope Ministries would have been a mission sending org. I would highly recommend one sent to Kisangani now. These people need encouragement if they have to serve God effectively. In case any church working with Living Hope Ministries desire to do anything for kisangani church I will be ready to serve you or be of any help.  
   
• I can not confirm Kisangani town to be our centre of Living Hope Ministries operations in Congo as of now because of some issues I have to confirm that involves accommodations, security, etc. I hope a good decision would be taken when we met in our March/April meeting next year.

In conclusion I would thank God for the great financial support given by Living Hope Ministries which enabled us to go and come back safely. May the Lord richly bless you that have the love for Africa to be saved,

Your brother and co work in the Lord’s Vine yard

Rev. Augustine Gakwaya

LHM Director

Rwanda & Congo.

Report from bishop Stephen Kiguru 

Hi beloved ones,

Praise the lord. We are doing well.  Bishop Augustine and myself had a wonderful and adventurous trip to Kisangani Congo.

We arrived as scheduled and pastors came to meet us at the airport.  We started the conference on the following day and continued for three days with an average attendance of 44 attending morning hours sessions and 61 in the afternoon.  On Sunday we had about 400 attending the service including children.  Many were the observations, which we may need to discuss when we meet. 

Observations:

Generally the country is good and very fertile for agriculture.  However, very little can be done due to prolong period of turmoil.  Kisangoni is connected to other cities only by air and river.  No roads at all.  People are very poor.  Houses, in the city are dilapidating. No town transport in the city except for bicycles and motorcycles.  Church income is very low.  The new life church  (our host) has a membership of more than 100 but can only give an average of $4 per Sunday.  The church is less than two years old and has three other branches and a total membership of 500.  The constructions are bamboo walls and palm tree leaves thatched.  When it rains people squeeze to the better corners. 

We were able to buy them a few bibles and were very excited.  As w began the conference, very few had some torn bibles.  On hearing that the following day each will have a Kiswahili, Kiligala or French they shouted of joy.  Your vision for supply of bibles actually came from God.

 Recommendations

 More visits need be paid.  More mission teams for survey on what could be above on humanitarian help.  More seminars inclusive of more churches targeting usage of the bible.

 Bishop Augustine is better placed for the co-ordination of the activities in the area.

 Experiences.

 Immigration officials were not kind to us.  If not for a brother in Goma (boarder town) who really helped us, we would have suffered more even losing money.  Our expenses became more than budgeted despite the fact that we neither paid for food nor accommodation.  We were stressed by a flight company, which caused our delay in Congo for a day.  I had to miss my flight from Kigali to Nairobi and was penalized.

 The tough experiences became a reminder that we are missionaries.  We were encouraged by your prayers and constant calls and sms.

 My trip to Malawi should be between November 13 and 19^th 2006.  This depends on your confirmation and the arrangements you make with the brother in Blantyre.

 Finally let them who prayed for us thank God with us for the trip was a success.

Living Hope Ministries
 4 Carisbrooke close, Lancing West Sussex. United Kingdom BN15 0HF
Tel: +44 (0) 1903 522694