“Congo Inland Mission trip” – 
 Week 2  (July 12-18, 2010) Mission Report;
 

Congo DR is again at a verge of rebel disturbances, and Maha had to change drastically its route to south;
while part of North Kivu (mainly from Butembo to Goma) is uncertain of rebel influence, most of South Kivu
area is rebel controlled today.
 
Therefore, we gave up the original route of “Aru – Butembo – Goma – Bukavu – Shabunda -Kindu”.
Instead, we painfully took north-east to northwestern route, namely;
 
Aru – Bethel – Durba – Moku - Isiro (up to this point, it is westward) – (to south) NiaNia - (southwest to) Kisangani.
 
From a large city of Kisangani, there is no car road leading to south to “Kindu”,
thus we planned to go by boat including the mission car.
 
July 12, 2010 (Monday) – Maha Mission team has left Bethel (52km NW of Aru) to Durba (154km west).
The road condition was surprisingly very good. Big corporations are in operation to dig gold in Durba town

and they re-constructed a smooth road and also a small.  but efficient air-strip.
 
We have a church here, since about 10 years. This was only church in the whole region west of Aru and
they are doing well until Maha expanded Bethel church 3 years ago. And today, Bethel has 3 branches,
and Maha dispatched a new pastor to Biringi.
 
Pastor Muluhali of Durba SDA Church has done well because in his vision, he has emphasized an Adventist
school and today they have more than 1,000 students of high standing. All gold-rich town people would like
to send their children to this Adventist school, and then this benefits our church. We spent over-night here
and had an early morning devotional.
 
July 13, 2010 (Tuesday) – After morning devotional, Pr Muluhali was kind enough to escort us to “Moku” ,

56km away, west to Watsa then southwest to Moku. 
 
“Mukdong Jeil SDA Church” in Seoul, Korea, is supporting a frontier church Pastor Wathum in November

of 2009.
 
After 2 months of orientation, Pr Wathum was sent to this town with his family and it was a real venture because

Moku does not have a church of any denomination. And this was also our first visit with this new church and

the pastor.
 
Pr Wathum worked hard in spite of difficult environment; 15 baptism and 9 additional souls pending.

He built a simple structure church and his own residence. We pray Pr Wathum would branch out in 2-3 years.

We pitched our tents on a hill not far from church. Our first night in a tent was a blessing and many souls

should be saved was our prayers.

As we were leaving the town of Moku, a soldier stopped us (this is usual in Congo) and checked where we

are going.
 
And this soldier had told us there are rebels on the way to Isiro. We had ignored his advice.
How a foot soldier will have intelligence in Congo.
 
As we proceed, Pr Muluhali has stopped our car, saying a high level “Chief” on a moto-bike was passed.
This chief has confirmed rebels have killed 30-40 people not long ago on that route.
These rebels are remnants of “LRA” (Lord’s Resistance Army of Uganda), operating along borders of Uganda,
Sudan and Congo DR, most of them were pushed back to CAR (Central Africa Republic).
 
Thus, we had to turn back to Aru where we all started in Congo, so that we can take far detour via Bunia to
Kisangani. We had to bypass Isiro. Then, we decided to stop by and stay over-night at Biringi where Maha is
building a humble house, and it was a 210km ride. (Mission report earlier)
 
July 14, 2010 (Wednesday) – Maha advance team to Biringi was so surprised to see us so soon.
Advance team includes carpenter Pascal, Bethel 2nd elder Nzia and his family (they volunteered to emigrate
for evangelism. He is the one who climbed the Maaracha hill tree and shouted.
 
Biringi’s beautiful entrance flanked by old mango trees, vast rich field with shoulder high weeds, 3 Lugbaran
houses Elder Nzia has already built and finally Maha house of woods…these photos we attach for your pleasure
what paradise it would be soon.
We pitched tents again, cooked first meal of trip. Pr Malembe always has to clean dishes.
 
July 15, 2010  (Thursday) – Biringi to Aru, 65 km. We had to repair car during afternoon.
 
July 16, 2010 (Friday) – Car is repaired and we left toward Bunia. Road was really bad condition (see photos),
and we could manage barely 148km all day long. We wished to settle in well before sundown, however,
a small town after Katanga did not allow us to stay, and we had to drive a long way, finally, and fortunately,
we arrived at a town called “Kambala”, where no church existed and town chief welcomed us. It was in time
for Sabbath. He was kind enough to allow us to pitch tents in front of his house, and permitted to worship on Sabbath.
 
July 17, 2010 (Sabbath) – A beautiful Sabbath morning after misty and chilly night, we were able to dry our

tents and clothes. Sabbath Divine Service already allowed, we brought mobile P.A. system

(donated by Korea SDA East Central Conf.)and played some prepared hymns and sacred music.

This has attracted immediately a number of children, 20 became 30, then 100. Many adults also joined

out of curiosity.
Muzungus (non white or foreigner) are around and it was good enough curiosity. We began with children’s ministry, Congolese missionary teaching them to sing along with body gestures. All children were excited. Then we taught them how to pray. Some prayed with eyes open. A few elderly ladies joined. We offered them our movie director chairs. They liked it.
 
Min Ha and I sang a duet, and although it was not well prepared, just the fact Muzungu were singing was sufficient.  
To them, Gospel was first time to hear. And we find people are very receptive and friendly toward Gospel.
Now, the number of people grew to about 200. We were lucky to find an interpreter (Swahili to local dialect) and he did so well.
It was our first experience to preach in a town so remote that no church existed regardless of denomination.
Unlike a small town that refused our stay overnight, our Chief here was so friendly we are seriously considering to dispatch a pastor here to start a church.
 
We finally ended a Divine Service teaching them how to pray, children’s homily, and distributed

the Advent World magazines.
To children, we gave them some sweets. They behaved so well and stayed quiet during entire worship service.
 
We are sure this town people will be blessed by being receptive to Gospel.
We thank God for His grace that made us successful in Kambala.
May God bless these wonderful people.
We pray, very soon we will be able to dispatch an Adventist pastor to Kambala.

 
(Week 3 Mission Report will soon follow.)
 
Maha Mission