CONGO RIVER MISSION: 14 JUNE – 20 AUGUST 2010

SHARING THE EXPERIENCE OF “ENDS OF THE EARTH” MISSION

What a bitter-sweet experience to bring Good News of creation, salvation and a believer’s walk in obedience and spiritual growth to an isolated village along the banks of the Congo River and its tributaries.

To reach the Unreached, Difficult to Reach or Unattended in Christ Jesus holds tremendous challenges regarding logistics, planning, prayer, preparation, outreach, execution, exposure and endurance. Getting out is as difficult as is getting there.

The climate at 1 degree north of the Equator is humid, warm, and prone to sudden winds and rain, spectacular thunder storms while it maintains an environment of abundant insects, reptiles, forests and lots of mud.

Following-up on all isolated homesteads and villages is in fact often impractical. They can best be committed to God and the Holy Spirit in prayer. Where villagers can not read, it is prayerfully relied that they will remember basic Scripture truth and the Evangel by means of choir songs or the telling of stories around the village gatherings and night cooking fires.

The statistics and analysis of a Congo River Mission outreach defy Western logic and economics. Where 145 days of mission work were planned, 70 were achieved. Of the 70 days 37% of the time went to actual Evangelism and 63% went into weaving a preparatory path through communications and cross-cultural difficulties, logistic challenges and overcoming corruption.

Of 400 km of Congo River outreach planned by motorised dugout, 135km were achieved, mostly by paddled and borrowed dugouts, the brief use of an outboard motor and at times, two borrowed 100 cc motorcycles. Of 96 villages considered for Evangelism, 42 were reached.

Sustainable and effective mission work is very hard to achieve in these unreached regions of central Africa, unless better logistics and mobile ministry means are implemented. These progressive developments of a harbour, a riverboat, a logistic and mission station and improved methods of ministry and mission interaction on a national and international foundation, are in my daily prayers.

“Ends of the earth” mission is often a repeated attempt to follow up or carry through the brave and obedient attempts of those who went before.

The Baptist Mission Society planted the Communaute Baptiste du Fleuve Congo (Baptist River Mission Church) or CBFC in 1878, after two missionaries, Grenfell and Comber were called from Cameroon to survey the Congo River. They managed to put a steamer, the Peace and subsequent boats on the River, and planted four mission stations which formed the foundation for the CBFC and good works along the Congo River and some of its tributaries.

Yakusu Mission station near Kisangani is one such example, where a neglected church, overgrown and historic graveyard, printing press, a school, a neglected hospital and a Seminary remain.

It was my intention to help clean the graveyard behind the old church as a gesture of respect to those who came before, but thorns discouraged my efforts. Overgrown tombstone inscriptions such as: “In Loving Memory of Maud Francis Kenred Smith, Died 13 th April 1901 “Satisfied”, and “Christine Ford-Maurer, died 3 rd August 1927, “Jesus said: Let us go over to the other side. Mark 4:35”, are silent but vivid reminders of the sacrifices and obedience that yeast the Good News.

The mission church at Yakusu Mission harbours two brass plaques commemorating those who died in Christian service at Yakusu between 1895 – 1973, and the names of medical missionaries that served between 1934 -1936.

Yakusu, and the Church in the DR Congo stand largely isolated due to wars and extreme corruption on all levels of society. Isolation causes corrupted thinking, and corruption encourages isolation. The situation requires mission and church workers who are prepared to do more than hit and run outreach – despite the challenging conditions.

The vast territory of the DR Congo, and its extended and isolated deep rural populations make it unstable. It is a vast harvest field for false teaching, misleading and the ad hoc harvesting of rebel forces.

The existing church fails to reach the isolated regions for reasons of cultural division, tribalism, lack of resources, a lack of encouragement and a lack of willpower.

Christian business, NGOs, projects, ministries and mission from developed countries are rare as the first world still reels after the effects and shocking occurrences of the Simba Rebellion between 1961 and 1964, when church workers were brutally tortured and murdered, and church/mission assets were “nationalised”.

On the other hand, the traumatised citizens of the DR Congo testify of much exploitation and brutality by the West or so called Developed World. No side trusts the other. The church it self is corrupted as clergy and officials see it as a privilege and a right to extort money from old women and mission workers alike – but decline to face initiatives to encourage morality and social reform or economic development.

Nobody addresses their own denial, and the lack of responsibility to develop the land that God gave them despite 132 years of the CBFC (the church) and 50 years of independence.

… It remains the easies just to beg, demand, extort or “acquire”.

Are developed nations and the international church innocent in the plight and condition of the DR Congo and central Africa regions? I think not!

Reaching out by paddled dugout canoe was equally challenging for me, the interpreter named Baelongandi, and the two Reverend Evangelists, Rev. Germain and Rev. Simon (later replaced by Rev. Alfonse).

Looking back, we set of from Kisangani, via Yakusu to cover 42 villages and 100km, having pre-designed two “decision points” along this “Phase I” route. Although overall planning targeted 400 km and 96 villages, we knew from reports that beyond the 100km mark things became exponentially more complex as villages became further apart, the River became wider (the Congo River is 16 km at it’s widest in a high flood season, and has many islands and sand banks) and where isolated populations are less friendly, or less used to visitors.

Exposure, heat exhaustion and a bout of Malaria at the 80 km mark resulted in my and the interpreter’s extraction by three male motorcycle nurses from Yakusu. After receiving Quinine tablets, vitamins, deworming and detox for amoeba, I hired two casual motorcyclists in Yakusu village to take us back to where I had left off.

Grace and goodwill took us down River by dugout to meet up with the two Reverend Evangelists, who admitted that they now were contracting influenza and that the continuous exposure and changed environment were taking a toll on them as well.

At the 100km mark we all withdrew back to Yakusu and then Kisangani to re-assess, and to recover.

During these movements a mission harbour survey was done at Yakusu, a mission base option was assessed, a large dugout for evangelism work in the Yaksusu district was ordered from Yalolia Village, the village of the dugout makers, and meetings and preaching were fitted in, - despite feeling less than enthusiastic due to personal health and exposure challenges.

In early August we threw ourselves at another attempt to see how much further we could get from the 100km mark, having reduced baggage to a minimum, using two 100cc motorcycles borrowed from an NGO agricultural project, and sending a runner with a cleft stick to negotiate for the use of a dugout and Yamaha outboard motor at a point about 120 km downriver.

By now my financial planning suffered from the small but persistent demands of unforseen deep rural mission execution realities – and my “time on mission” was being eroded from an intended stay until November, backwards to September 2010.

In the face of what we were able to achieve, and what had to be overcome to achieve it, I prayerfully accepted these developments. Over-exposure to culture, the deep rural environment and very many daily challenges were beginning to tell on body, mind and spirit.

Not having had a fellow disciple of similar mind and habit meant that I had to cope with minute by minute exposures to challenges, corruption, cultural interpretations, vastly different cultural expression and habits (such as reaching over each other when eating, spitting, slurping hot drinks when such were available, tedious efforts to emotionally manipulating me to give, do or accept something), facing interesting menus with no alternatives, washing from buckets or in the river, no electricity, being exposed to so many health risks, and having nothing at all to revert to as “comfort” except prayer and a study of my Bible.

Mission work is also made tedious by a lot of environmentally-demanded preparations such as waterproofing all gear and knowing what is where at any given moment on the river, in the bush, in the village or trying to brush your teeth.

Much of “1 st world” training and upbringing regarding hygiene, safety, danger, planning, management, prudence, best practice, good manners and procedure must by necessity be filtered out and ignored. It just does not readily apply … despite my Navy and management training of so many years!

Mission training and outreach exposure since 1999, and contact with Africa since 1984 help to equip the mission worker to often respond automatically. Practical courses such as Frontline Fellowship’s Great Commission Course that supplemented my exposure to four other missions and their training, are very valuable in situations where virtually nothing is familiar at all, and where perseverance and endurance are essential ingredients.

At one stage, at the furthest point of our achieved outreach, I was sitting in the dugout on a wide part of the Congo River, being burnt by the sun, and wondered about the grace and many diverse stages of the return journey (by river, trail, foot, motor cycle, perseverance, social exchanges, air travel, transit through Kinshasa and so many pitfalls that would be required to get me home to my wife, daughter and the family pets.

A message received in early August, that my mother had suffered a third stroke added to mixed feelings at some stages.

The periodic SMS and telephone encouragements from Frontline Mission in Cape Town, amongst others who prayed and advised me from Scripture over the distance, helped to remain focused despite challenges and having to mentally process so much on a daily basis.

The hospitality of African culture must not be down-played. Although food, routines, expectations and accommodation might have been unique by certain standards, it was hospitable and well meant none the less.

The forward planning and many runners with cleft sticks who diligently went ahead with mobile phones, bicycles, feet and motor cycles or dugouts, must be recognised to the credit of people eager to hear Good News and who are isolated from the developing, developed and reached world.

By 23 August 2010 I returned to Pretoria in South Africa to re-group and re-plan a number of elements towards improved stability in the personal “mission equation” and according to the experience gained and the realities faced on the most recent Congo River Mission.

Praise be to the Living God, Yahweh!

My deep appreciation to those who sent me through their prayer, finance, advice and encouragement. They are not many yet, but hose individuals, congregations and a mission like Frontline Fellowship made it possible to reach at least 1000 isolated villagers and to lead at least 420 to Salvation in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. My heart and prayer remains with the estimated 17 999 000 remaining deep rural dwellers along the 14 000 km of riverbanks of the Congo River and its tributaries.

Where ever follow-up and congregational ties are possible, the CBFC does develop plans and procedures, or referrals for continued ministry to isolated communities that we managed to reach.

We used a principle of using the CBFC and its years of good work to reach more and more isolated communities and to encourage them in turn to reach out to the really isolated people who farm and fish for a living, far from any organised society.

Our village outreach contained a balance of church and “street” or open-air Evangelism – where a Scriptural Good News message was proclaimed, un-connected with any denominational indoctrination, but with the invitation to join a faith community for spiritual growth and a fellowship and a worship road of encouragement in daily sanctification and faith based Believer’s living.

The Holy Spirit guided us to recognise and utilise talents and spiritual gifts amongst the team members. I preached, Baelongandi prayed where-ever short prayer was required, and the other Evangelists exhorted and prayed against illness and demonic manifestation.

A family emergency in the highly social structures of deepest Africa meant that Re. Simon was replaced by Rev. Alfonse on the second evangelism outreach effort.

It was with a big regret that we had to admit to each other that neither my own nor the CBFC’s resources were going to allow us to cover the area from 136km to 400km down-river.

Revelation and insight gained in prayer since 2007 remain clear. To effectively and sustainable Evangelise along the Congo River and its tributaries, a dedicated riverboat is needed as mobile mission station that protects the workers from the changing environment, stabilises domestic needs, provides for cultural differences in personal habits and eating preferences, and promotes logistic preparedness.

Until such time as Congo River Mission is a fully viable mission ministry consisting of independent co-operatives and goodwill donations for basic infrastructure working with the CBFC, and forms a sustainable and effective Maritime Evangelism sub-division to supplement Urban and Rural Evangelism, - we persevere with the means available to us.

Your prayer, encouragement and active participation to bring the Good News and regional hope to central Africa regions, the Congo River and Kisangani/ Yakusu area in the DRC are invited. Much ground work had been done, and co-operative avenues are available.

The ESPI/ CBFC Community Development facilitating and coordination function at Yaliele Mission in Kisangani and the Evangelism Function at Yakusu Mission are open to the enquiries, referral and co-operative mission work of any international Christian group.

Please contact me at mobile 00 27 82 443 5685, e-mail: esprojects@swissmail.org or via www.elshaddai.givengain.org at any time to become a sending or co-operative partner in Congo River Mission.