North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Since the horrific genocide in neighboring Rwanda in 1994, some six million people have died and millions more displaced as the Rwandan toxin continues to spill over into North Kivu, Eastern Congo (DRC). With occasional respites along the way, the past 20 years have been filled with ongoing political chaos, corruption, and outside agitators. Consequently, the Congolese people have been forced to cope with crushing violence, massacres, food shortages, disease, and displacements, over and over again.  

Amid so much horror and suffering, some Congolese are asking the same questions that I’ve heard from oppressed and abused Christians in Myanmar and Thailand. Prayers are going unanswered, and victims feel abandoned by God. They’re asking, where is God? Why is God allowing us to suffer like this? When will God deliver us? How can we cope with so much uncertainty, deprivation, and violence? 

Mother with her children outside their makeshift home

IDP camp in Mudja, DRC

Photo Credit: Kelvin Batumike/CARE

To address questions like these, I created a revised, French version of my 2020 book, written in response to the COVID-19 crisis. What We Can Expect from God Now: Seven Spiritual Truths for Trusting God in Troubled Times is now available in the DRC under the title, Que Pouvons Nous Attendre de Dieu ? (What Can We Expect from God Now?) Several thousand copies have already been printed and several (part time) Congolese staff have been hired to advance the ministry. Since 2021, we have already conducted 25 webinars and taught 548 pastors, chaplains, doctors, schoolteachers, and other ministers and leaders in Goma, Butembo, and Béni, Eastern Congo. 

Pastor with French Translation of "What We Can Expect from God Now"

The response has been extremely positive. The Rev. Dr. Kambere Bolingo, FHLGM’s DRC National Coordinator, has repeatedly heard how valuable Que Pouvons Nous Attendre de Dieu is for pastoral ministry. One person who works at HEAL Africa exclaimed, “This book is talking to my soul!” A teacher at the university in Goma now believes “it is better to focus on a positive expectation [of God] than lamenting all the time.” Rev. Sosthene wrote, “Since I rediscovered the seven spiritual truths for trusting God, I continually seek to live according to the directives of the Lord.” Now he is volunteering to make these truths known among the university students and pastors throughout his hometown, Beni. He's already distributed free copies of the book to nearly 100 pastors scattered among internally displaced people in the region. 

Frequent comment from webinar participants: "This book came at the right time!"

Going forward, we hope to expand the reach and depth of our Congo ministries by creating additional resources and responding to more invitations to help train under-equipped pastors. Already, I’ve been conducting monthly webinars for about 30-35 pastors under the Ecumenical Council of Churches (ECC) on Spirit-led leadership. Soon, a second book of mine, The Spirit-Led Leader: Nine Leadership Practices and Soul Principles will be published in French, which will provide a great boost to our future trainings.

Our ministries in the Congo are growing in exciting ways, and we feel deeply grateful to God, to our collaborators in the DRC, and to you. Thank you. Your financial contributions and prayers are critical to our ability to “teach, inspire, and encourage followers of Christ to serve God more effectively as Spirit-led leaders." As we continue to develop Christian leaders in the Congo, Myanmar, and Thailand (our three target countries), please pray with us for God to supply all that we need to fulfill the work with which he has entrusted us. Thank you. 

In Christ's Service,