Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 37, No. 17 Home Page
Pakisa Tshimika, MBMS International regional secretary for Africa was in North America when the fighting in Congo broke out August 2. He and his wife Linda were scheduled to leave in August, but their return flight was cancelled.
He said the situation in Congo is critical. In DRC, there are about 72,000 MB members. In the capital alone, there are about 20 MB churches with about 10,000 members; in the area of heaviest fighting, there are half a dozen MB churches. At present, there are no North American MB missionaries in Congo, but MBMS International had been using short-term workers. MBMS International's office in Kinshasa, which has a population of five million people, is not threatened by the current fighting there. One Congolese staff person is maintaining that office.
One of the issues facing MB Congolese is that of pacifism, said Tshimika. "One MB pastor in Congo I talked to says it has been hard for the people. The people are saying its time to defend our country from foreign invasion." Nationalism is growing among MBs in Congo, he said.
Another problem is that MBMS International's social development, leadership training and evangelism programs are finding it difficult to access funds from banks due to the tensions in the country, he said. Also, the distribution of funds could be a problem if transportation is impeded.
Also, Pascal Kulungu, health administrator in an MB hospital in Kajiji, is ending his studies at Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, Calif. Because of the war in Congo, he, his wife and two children will need to find employment or an internship in Fresno and get an extension on their visas, Tshimika said.
Tshimika's oldest daughter will be studying at Fresno Pacific University this fall. They also have a son who is Wichita, Kan. and a younger daughter in Lawrence, Kan.
Tshimika says he is anxious to get back to Kinshasa.
Meanwhile, Mennonite Central Committee workers in Kinshasa evacuated August 11 to South Africa. Since the civil war began in 1996, MCC has been able to distribute 33,000 blankets to refugees and war victims in eastern Congo.
Among the MCC workers evacuated is Stefani Barg from Grand Forks, B.C. who was in Congo for a one-year assignment working in an inoculation program at an MB Health Clinic.--PW and MCC reports
He said that during a joint Arabic-French Sunday worship service in an MB church in Kinshasa they heard about a joint MB Congolese-Sudanese outreach to Muslims; 29 Muslims had converted to Christianity. Within a year in Kivu, an MB group of believers had grown into three more groups. He said the Sunday worship service had been upbeat and positive despite the uncertainty that existed.
At 9 a.m. on August 3 they were told that everyone should stay at home because of a skirmish in Kinshasa. During the week, everyone in Kinshasa was under a 6 p.m. curfew. Information was confined to local news broadcasts over the radio, and through the use of cell phones they had some contact with people in other countries. On August 4 the US embassy asked that all non-essential expatriates leave the country. With the help of the MB church they were allowed to stay until Saturday. Because they were not allowed to venture out, their appointments came to see them and their contacts checked up on them. They were very much encouraged because of this, he said.
He also said that they had heard singing one night and were not sure who was singing--government soldiers or the rebels. In the morning, they learned that the singing had come from a group of Christians who had been praying all night. He said that the fighting was very close to where they were staying, but they never felt afraid. The only concern they had was not knowing what would happen next.
On Friday, August 7 they learned that they were 20th on a waiting list of 50 for the flight out of Kinshasa. Not knowing whether they would be allowed to board the plane, they showed up at the airport the next morning. They were quickly cleared and had to wait 45 minutes for the plane. Those were anxious moments, he said. There were soldiers all over the airstrip and in the airport. The Paulses then boarded the plane and noticed the flight attendants were not very happy about the presence of the soldiers. About two hours later the plane finally left for Johannesburg.
The churches in Congo are under a lot of pressure, Pauls said, but the church is continuing its efforts in outreach. Leaders need a lot of prayer for giving direction, he said.--PW
Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 37, No. 17 Home Page