Week 5:  9 days in Congo River; "Congo Inland Mission Trip"

                     Banandjale – Kilindi - Kindu: Nov.6-14, 2010

Early in the morning of Nov.7 Sunday, we have conducted evangelism in

Banandjale village.

Dawn break over Congo River makes Banandale village very impressive;

gorgeous landscape and clean environment.

Receptive Chief Mulombo Albert and residents make us feel welcome.

As usual, we always start with children because we know children bring adults.

Our mobile PA system can play CD of hymns and sacred music including

children’s song.

As soon as we play some music, children come in numbers;

they are curious to find out what’s going on, plus there are Muzungu.

Maha always deliver very simple message of Gospel;

Jesus life, suffering, death on our behalf, resurrection and 2nd coming,

and especially Heaven where there is no sorrow and no worries.

They all want to go to heaven in the end! Moses, Maha missionary,

usually starts with children, and then followed by Pastor Malembe then he

introduces Muzungu missionaries.

Muzungu missionaries should pay extreme caution not to distract their

attention away from crusade, especially when it comes to Maha lady

missionary Min Ha.

She is just an idol wherever we may go.

People seem to be amazed just looking at her; she is small, fragile and

innocent looking with smiles. People want to touch her to check if she is real.

They want photos to be taken with her.

After evangelism, so we left toward upstream south.

Captain Issa is an experienced navigator along this long Congo River,

acquainted with every corner of waterways.

My car was blocking his view, so he steers boat with foot

so that he can lean sideways to see front of boat.

Of course he has two assistant crews, Cefu and Omba,

who guide him constantly checking depth of water with a long wooden pole.

After a while, suddenly, engine died out.

Captain Issa’s effort to repair was futile.

So he decided to peddle back to Ubundu, 75km away, to bring a new engine.

Since we were at some distance away from next town,

all passengers were asked to jump into river to push our boat till next town,

Kilindi. These passengers were very low fare paying guests because we

chartered boat and their fares are additional income to the crew. In return

to Capt.

Issa’s grace, they have to be obedient to him.

Luckily, the depth of water is only from waist to chest high that people

managed to push boat to Kilindi.

Eventually, we had to wait for a new engine for 3 days in Kilindi,

and during this waiting period Maha was running evangelism everyday by

the riverside and we became friendly with Kilindi village people.

There is a Christian church in Kilindi although it is not functioning.

No one knows what has happened.

We introduce and quote below mission report of Min Ha Kim, co-worker;

“Mission trip on the Congo River with mission car on 3 small boats;”

Not knowing who we will meet, what situations we will be put in…

hopeful expectations mixed with certain fear, we embarked mission trip on

the Congo River.

Natures we see as we pass-by along the Congo River by boat help us to

praise God as in Hymnal

“O Lord my God! When I in awe-some wonder, Con-si-der all the worlds Thy

hands have made…

Then sings my soul, my Sav-ior God to Thee; How great Thou art, How great

Thou art!” (SDA Hymnal 86)

I was sold on watching the nature not realizing sun-tan has made my leg

look like wearing a black short stocking.

And that was only for a while; the reality of this world began to unfold.

Staying in a boat on the river all day long brings difficulties such as toilet

issues, showers and foods…basic conditions of life are more severe to

woman like me.

As you can see photos attached, there is big car in the center of boat

and about 15 people are riding around it;

no shower, no toilet! As soon as the boat stops by at small village,

I had to run to take care of nature’s need.

But children who had never seen a Muzungu (non-black) in their life kept

following even to toilet, innocently.

While waiting 3 days for new boat engine arrival in the village of “Kilindi”,

I have been washing clothes, face and dishes, and  taking showers in the

river, then when children in upstream were having a lot of fun,

there sometimes passes by a human waste as big as an arm.

That forces me to take shower at night when nothing could be seen.

Spending time in a village by the river we were able to observe happy laughter

of children and the lives of people.

Though not affluent, when we witness their smiles and content life depending

each other, we realize how important it is to introduce Jesus to them.

Valuable experiences that we can never purchase even with money that we

gained, along with special time and personal date with Jesus during this

period helped me to endure inconveniences gladly with thankfulness to God.

For 3 days and nights we were waiting for new engine arrival,

whenever the sound of engine reaches from far,

we were hoping that was for us and expected them to stop by this village,

stretching our neck far out. 2nd night after the captain left,

we expected the captain would return, but he never came.

After end of 3rd night early in the morning of Nov. 11, as I was awake but

staying lying in tent, I was hearing a sound of boat engine from far away.

Rushing out of tent, I saw a boat approaching.

It was our captain finally with new engine we were waiting for so long.

He got engine at 1 pm the previous day and he was driving without ceasing,

arriving only the following morning early. How thankful we were!

We now could not delay any longer; packed our bags, folded tent then

boarded our boat.

Usually it took us at least 30 minutes for this ritual but this time we were

able to complete in 10 minutes.

Where this speed did come from? 

Now our boat is again on our way and after a while it came to my thought;

How are we preparing ourselves in our daily life the soon coming of

Jesus Christ?

Am I waiting for Jesus 2nd coming as much as

I was waiting for soon return of the captain with new engine?

 Each new day we were given as if Jesus is coming tomorrow,

are we living today ready for tomorrow’s Jesus return?

Are we paying attention for the signs of His 2nd coming?

How soon then I could be ready packing luggage

and folding tents to leave to rapture in the air with Jesus?

Or maybe I may not be ready to depart on time packing too many

luggage…

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness,

but is long suffering toward us,

not willing that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…” (2Pet3:9, 10 NKJV)

“Therefore…what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and

godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…”

(2Pet 3:11, 12 NKJV)

The Adventist church has drawn boundary on this river;

Upper Congo Field (Kisangani) of NECAT

(North East Congo Attached Territory-Goma)

is responsible from Ubundu to Lowa for about 150km, and includes about

15 major river shore villages.

Maha would like to suggest Kisangani to dispatch lay evangelist either to

Banandjale or Kilindi in coordination with CFM Mosiers.

This mission could be important accomplishment for the Field.

Maniema Mission (Kindu) of East Congo Union Mission

(ECUM-Lubumbashi)

controls Lowa to Kindu for 160 km includes about 5 major villages.

Maha Mission is happy to announce ECUM leadership has already

decided to dispatch

one lay evangelist to “Lokando”, one of shore villages.

Shore villages are significant “the Ends of the Earth” evangelism.

Waiting for 3 days until a new engine arrives, missionaries were busy

cooking;

surprisingly it was difficult to purchase rice, eggs, chickens, let alone

vegetables. Villages simply do have enough for themselves.

They usually grow corns (maize) only enough for themselves

to get by and they do not have any vegetables.

Vegetables are not Congolese diet,

which the Adventists should to educate them the importance of fresh

vegetables.

Even Maha pastor and missionary do not like to eat fresh vegetables.

River shore people are not eating balanced diet at all.

Evangelists should be educated minimum health ministry to serve in river

shore un-entered villages

so that they can slowly enlighten and improve dietary habits.

Full three days and nights have gone by but on fourth day early in the

morning, Captain Issa finally showed up with new engine.

Thus, Maha spent 9 days and nights in Congo River instead of expected

5-6 days. So, we have arrived to Kindu, a big city of Maniema Province,

and we were so happy to be welcomed by pastors waiting for us.

Most of Congolese pastors were communicating by SMS texts on

Maha Mission progress.

Week 6 will soon follow.

Maha Mission