Congo Mission - it's good to be back!

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

I’ve just returned to Zambia from a nine-day mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Zambia is poor; crossing the border into the Congo, you realize that the Congo is poorer still. A barely functioning banking system. A postal service that is simply not used because you cannot count on your letter or package arriving. A country strongly rich in natural resources -- hydro-electric power, copper, minerals, but poor in management skills and rich in corrupt officials who siphon off the wealth and leave the people dirt-poor.

I stayed in Kolwezi at a guest house run by Brethren, along with my Congo host the Rev. Mathieu Mufika, and a couple of World Vision types. Guest houses are the African version of an inn, and are often run by Christian churches or missions. Conditions were basic. A toilet that worked, but a water supply that did not. Water was brought in each morning by local women. We heated water in a pail to add to the cold water for bathing. The conditions were much closer to those that you would actually find in the Bible, and it was into this world, and not our world of luxurious convenience, that our Lord Jesus came. It is humbling.

I taught Introduction to the New Testament, and an Introduction to Systematic Theology, over the course of seven days. There were about twenty students, most pastors of local churches, and the most resources any of them probably had was Bible. I was teaching, and my African colleague Rev. Mufika, translated into French. From English, into French, mediated through an African mind. I think the students got most of what I said. Classes were in the afternoon-evening, as everyone had jobs or duties during the day. We generally ran from 4:30 pm. to 7:30 pm.

Most mornings we had a simple breakfast consisting of either cereal (Harvest Crunch brought from Canada) or bread along with peanut butter and honey which I brought in from Zambia. Both the cereal and the peanut butter and honey delighted the Rev. Mufika, who was, I think, suprised that I would share what I had with him.

Most evenings we ate a generous meal at a pastor or elder’s home. Prior to a meal, a basin of warm water is provided, and the hostess pours this water over your hands as you wash them with soap and then rinse. After that, you eat. The women never ate with us; I suppose they ate afterwards, or perhaps, before.

A typical meal consists of some combination of chicken, beef, and small smoked fish. I avoided the fish, but Africa still caught up with me. Along with the meat and fish was a green vegetable dish, spaghetti (!), and the world’s best french fries, at least that’s the way they seemed to me, taken with mayonaise. (French fries were invented by the Belgians, and this is, after all, the former Belgian Congo.)

And, we also ate Nshima at every meal.

Nshima is to the Africans what rice is to the Japanese. It’s made of corn meal and water, and is like American grits or sticky porridge. If an African has eaten a buffalo, but no Nshima, and you ask them, they will say they haven’t eaten. The homiletical point is that Jesus is the nshima of life.

I tried to dress up my guest house room a bit. I went out and bought a power adapter so this western guy could be charging his computer, his iPod, and his rechargeable batteries while running the fan he brought with him from Zambia. At least I think I had as many as three on the go at any one time. I also bought some plastic hangers to replace the tired metal ones sadly hanging in the closet. I put a calendar I had bought up on the wall. I used this as an example to my Congo friend, Rev. Mufika, about how a Christian should try to be a blessing, and leave a “challenged” place like the Brethren guest house, in better condition than he found it. He was, I think, rather amazed at this. But he entered into the spirit of things and went out and bought an inexpensive plastic table cloth to cover the sadly tattered one on the dining room table.


The teaching was done in a classroom rented from the Catholics. There was a blackboard, but no electricity. Once I forgot to charge my laptop, and the Africans volunteered to connect it to two wires coming down a wall. I declined. Another time, the heavens opened, the power failed, and the students scurried around to rearrange themselves to avoid getting wet. I kept right on teaching/preaching over the din of the rain on the metal roof.

I visited the mayor, the burghmaster (which I gather is like the mayor but of a burgh (as in “Pittsburgh”) rather than a city, the security official, the magistrate’s court, a public school Rev. Mufika started, the local copper mines, and the power generation plant (that sells power to Zambia and South Africa, as well as other countries.) Everywhere I went, I was expected to say something, and to pray, which I did.

We also visited Rev. Mufika’s former home, bombed during inter-tribal warfare about 20 years ago. Rev. Mufika had preached against corruption and spent a month in jail. He said his home was one of the first to be destroyed. He still owns it, and hopes to restore it someday.

A major problem, along with official corruption and HIV/AIDS, is child labour. The western countries are fine; it’s the Indians, Pakistanis, and Asians, I was told. Of course it is illegal, but the underpaid police are easily bribed. So children are out “mining”, instead of being is school. They get a taste for money, get status and girls with the money, and before long, many of them have gotten HIV/AIDs.

While in Lubumbashi prior to Kowezi, I did a radio interview and preached a message; the potential radio audience was 400,000. While in Kolwezi, in addition to teaching, and going around everywhere, I preached a 50-minute sermon at a local church (founded by the Rev. Mufika) and also did a radio show on Sunday evening. I was told that the congregation said I preached like an African! High praise indeed!

My departure. We were supposed to be at the airport at 9 am. for a 10 am. flight. At 9 am we were in a prayer session at the Brethren guest house. We left for the airport around twenty after nine. Got to the airport around twenty to ten. And were among the first passagers to arrive. The plane left around ten forty-five for Lubumbashi; from Lubumbashi we took a 75-minute taxi ride to the squalid border town we had entered nine long days prior. We first processed our way out of the Congo, and then processed our way back into Zambia. This took about an hour, but only because Rev. Mufika was there to keep things moving.

Rev. Mufika returned with me to ensure my safety and to spare me the harrassment and delays associated with a border crossing. His plan was to return to Kolwezi after seeing me across the border. But, this time, by an arduous overnight train, rather than the luxury of a no-frills 45-minute plane.

God’s presence, power, and providence was evident during this trip. The people insisted I must return to help them further. This I shall seek to do.

Updated Plans for the DR Congo

Rev. Mufika called Thurday evening to indicate that our Friday flight to Kolwezi had been re-scheduled from 3pm to 9am. This meant we had to leave the next morning for the Congo border at 6am. We started to prepare on this basis, but then I realized the numbers didn't add up. Leave at 6am. 90 minutes to the border. An hour by cab into Lubumbashi. Another 20 minutes out to the airport. This wasn't going to work. We tried to contact Rev. Mufika to clarify, but could not reach him (a common Zambian occurrence.)

John Kerr, my host, called "Joseph" in the Congo who had bought the tickets. We didn't even know the name of the airline. We managed to determine the airline -- ITAB Air. But no flight number. Tried to look up flight on internet -- unsuccessful.

Joseph called back -- his information was that the flight was leaving not at 9:00am but at 8:30am, with us supposed to be at the airport at 7:30am and the border opening at 8:00am. We decided not to try to make the Friday flight.

(The scuttlebutt on Friday was that a government official had commandeered the plane to go electioneering, and this was the cause for the sudden and drastic schedule change.)

Our current plans are to leave by car for Lubumbashi on Saturday. We'll stay in Lubumbashi over the weekend, and be in the Congo for the Monday flight to Kolwezi. We'll probably stay seven days, and return on Monday February 27th.

Lubumbashi is the former Elizabethville; apparently it has retained some of its European flavour and charm, albeit in a run-down kind of way. There's a theological college there, so I may have a chance to visit it and perhaps even do a guest lecture or something-or-other.

Then on to Kolwezi on Monday. I've stocked up on peanut butter and crackers, Harvest Crunch (brought from Canada), dark chocolate bars, and some honey, so I should be OK. I'm going to try to take a fan with me to help with the nightime heat and humidity.

The pastors in Kolwezi need solid teaching, and I hope to be able to bring a refreshing drink of water to them in the name of Him who is the water of life.

I picked up a Zambian bottle opener for St. George's Anglican Church in Montague, PEI. You have to see it. It's a block of wood carved into an elephant, with two screws acting as the opener. I'll look forward to sharing it with the saints of Montague upon my safe return.

I appreciate you remembering me, and the people of Zambia and the DR Congo, in your prayers.

Plans for the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This week, I will be teaching on Monday, overseeing an exam on Wednesday, and marking the exams on Thursday.

Friday, I leave for a seven-day mission to the DR Congo (formerly Zaire). I will be teaching pastors Introduction to the New Testament and also Systematic Theology. My teaching will be translated into French for the French-speaking audience.

Here's the plan:

We will drive next Friday, Feb. 17th to the Zambian border.

Then, Rev. Mufika and I will cross the border into Congo. (Only someone who has crossed a border in Africa knows what this means!)

From the border, we take a taxi to the nearest town, Kasumbalesa. A local pastor friend will drive us to the airport. We will take a short 45 min. flight to town Kolwezi, which is where we will be holding our college.

Friday Feb. 17th is prayers. Saturday is teaching all day. Sunday I will be preaching in the am. and teaching in the pm. (I am planning, God willing, on preaching on being a new creation in Christ -- all things new; old things passed away.)

From Mon. through Thurs. the students will be working in the copper mines from 8-4pm, and then I
will be teaching them from 4pm - 8pm.

The following Friday, Rev. Mufika and I will fly back together to Kasumbalesa. Cab ride back to border. My host, John Kerr, or someone else, will be there on the Zambian side to pick me up. Then, Rev. Mufika flies right back to Kolwezi, where he
will continue the college!

So, Rev. Mufika is escorting me "door to door", so to speak. (Rev. Mufika is a "bishop" within the African church; he has been thrown in prison at least twice for his fearless presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a very worthy man, and I consider it an honour to be under his authority for this trip.)

I'll be taking in Harvest Crunch and Peanut Butter into the Congo for additional nourishment.

Needless to say, I would appreciate your prayers for me and for the success of this mission.

Teaching at Trans-Africa Theological College, Kitwe Zambia

On Monday Feb. 6th I started teaching my Christian Apologetics class to 18 4th-year students at Trans-Africa Theological College, Kitwe Zambia. The week has now ended.

I brought with me 18 copies of Lee Strobel's book, The Case for Christ, six copies of The Case for Faith, and 6 copies of The Case for a Creator.

Some of the students wanted me to sing in chapel, so I sang two songs -- "Let
me tell you all a story", and "Your Love Lifted Me".

For evening entertainment, we are watching the Canada Cup '76 on DVD - I think Daryl Sittler
scores a big goal to win the series, but we'll see!

The phone/internet is "out" where I am staying, at the Kerrs'. The electricity has also been off this week-end. To top things off, there was a major thunderstorm during the week that flooded the 3rd bedroom. Fortunately, I was in bedroom number 2!

My back has been bothering me quite a bit, so I am making use of a cane. Got some bites from bugs. That's about it.

Saturday, we had an excellent BBQ out at "the Boat Club".

Today, Sunday, we worshipped at a small church being held in a school room out at a "compound". Rev. Mathieu Mufika is the pastor, and his daughters did a wonderful job singing with joyful hearts to the Lord.

Such exquisite worship offered in such a lowly setting!

Next post, I'll tell you about my planned trip to the Congo.

I would appreciate prayers from all who read this.