1st Congo (DR) Inland Mission Trip:  (Vertical);
 
My friends in Christ!
 
Today, Maha Mission goes for Congo Inland Mission Trip;
The most difficult task was preparation;
Maps were never certain, no weather information except dry and rainy season, no information on elevations, rivers, bridges, roads and especially rebels. Recently rebels (mainly Interahamwe – Rwanda Hutu) have spread out wider and worse than before from south of North Kivu to all over South Kivu; Maha had to re-schedule from 1st Option Route, to 2nd then finally 3rd. (Please refer maps)
Maha will email weekly “Mission Report” if we are extremely lucky; no warrant for modem connectivity. We will cease our mission journey by Friday noon, and then will show on map where we are before we continue by Sunday.
Maha goes to preach Gospel, because if we do not go NOW, we are not so sure when they will hear about Jesus and we are going to places where Jesus was not testified;
 
1st Congo Inland Mission Trip:   (July 4,-Sept.20, 2010)
Vertical:                 from Aru to Lubumbashi, Sakania, and 4,000km.
Routes:         
Aru – Watsa- Wanga – Isiro – Nia Nia – Mambasa – Beni – Butembo – Goma – Bukavu – Rwanda detour(Congo roads have rebels) – Uvira - Kalemie(by boat) – Kasongo – (Please refer map attached)
Remark:         Butembo – Goma still has rebels but caravan (many cars travelling together) can be safe, Bukavu – Uvira route has rebels, thus detour to Rwanda.
 
2nd Congo Inland Mission Trip; (Dec.2010-Feb.2011)  
Horizontal:    from Lubumbashi to Kinshasa, 3,200km, ending by Matadi.
Road condition is reasonable, and we do not expect any difficulties.
 
3rd Congo Inland Mission Trip;  (April-June, 2011)         
Routes:   (Horizontal-northeast to northwest, then Horizontal-northwest to southwest.)
Aru – Kisangani (by bus) – Bumba (by boat) –Yakoma (by motorbike) – Gbadolite (by motorbike) – Gemena (by motorbike) –Isala (by motorbike) – Mbandaka (by boat) – Kinshasa (by boat)
Remark:       Mission trip cannot be efficient due to no vehicle road. We cannot bring literatures, medicines and even some food for ourselves. We have to travel by boat, motorbike and walking.
 
We share with you our preparations for a year and a half;
 
1)    3 meetings with 25 SDA pastors and elders representing all Congo at ECD, May-July 2009, re: information on road conditions, weather, rivers, brooks, bridges in addition to rare tribes and poor people in un-entered areas.
We thank them for their cooperation through emails and telephones. Congo DR is a very difficult place due to lack of data and roads.
2)    We thank GWS-Korea (Maha’s parent) to sponsor a specially equipped automobile for mission;
Land Rover, 1995, (Black Disco)

A new 4.6 liter engine, special over sized mud tires (295/75/16), body raised for clearance, winch in front, 4 off-road flood lights, hydraulic suspension changed to mechanical, special wide roof rack, 2 x 20 liter holder for fuel and potable water, 2 racks for 2 spare tires, trailer hitch.

3)    Mission team: 5 volunteers
1.    Pastor Malembe Tatasi, ordained North Kivu Field pastor dispatched to Maha, Congolese.
2.    Venaah Kisunzu, Maha missionary, Congolese.
3.    Moses Kaviti, Maha missionary, Congolese.
4.    Minha Kim, a lady nurse, Maha missionary, Korean.
5.    Seung Chun Yang, Maha missionary, Korean.

4)    What we are bringing;
-Emergency food,
-Medicine for mission team as well as basic medicine to treat about 2,000 people,
-15 box of Adventist World magazines to distribute,
-3 tents, 2 machete, 1 hoe, 1 shovel, manual car pull ropes, 3 laptops with modem (hope it works), mobile portable PA system with CD.
-Various Cong DR maps were provided by Elder Choi of Mukdong Jeil SDA Church, Professionally designed stickers for mission automobile was done by "EGPA",Korea.
 
May God bless all of you.
Maha Mission
Part of GWS - Global Welfare Supporters, Korea