Daily Archive for June 18th, 2010

The Night the Army Attacked

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keithmosier
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Barry Mosier

The frantic whining of our dogs in the porch rudely awakened me at 3:15 am. We raced to the door to find out why they were acting so crazy. As we opened the door, they fled into the house in terror.

A quick investigation proved our worst fears. The army was indeed attacking us. They had already entered the back porch and pantry. A look outside revealed that they had already surrounded most of the house. We were under attack from ARMY ANTS. We call them siafu here.

They travel in columns searching for food. If you walk through them unknowingly, they defend their column vigorously! They climb onto your clothing searching for a place to bite, and when they do

Column of ants on the move 4bite…. Well, let’s just say that everything else you are doing becomes unimportant until you pull of the biting ant. It gives the phrase ”ants in the pants” a whole new meaning! The big ones will produce blood and when you pull them off, the head often pulls off and has to be taken off separately.

In my flashlight beam I saw they had already invaded the woodbox on the south side of our porch. I grabbed a container of kerosene and poured a trail of it across the cement floor hoping it would discourage them while I tried to assess the situation better.

The dogs were racing through the house barking from the ants still attached to them. Marybeth and April tried to remove them and Marybeth made the mistake of taking one of the dogs out to tie up a ways from the house. She was back in a flash picking her assailants off her as quickly as she could.

Reports started to come in. “Dad, they’re in mine and Andrew’s room, but not real bad yet,” April shouted over the still whining dogs. “I’m flushing the ones in the bathtub down the drain,” called Marybeth. “They’re attacking on the south side,” I called back as I CAREFULLY walked around the house to research the extent of the problem. I knew that I did not have enough kerosene to deal with them. We prayed for the Lord to help us repel this invasion and praised His name for the dogs and their early warning. Otherwise, they would have totally taken the house and we wouldn’t have known until they got into our beds.

April saved the situation with her quick thinking. “Dad, remember that the locals use mihogo (cassava) flour to repel the ants.”

“Yes, run to the cook house and get some from the guards,” I called back.

Marybeth started dipping strips of cloth in kerosene while I placed them in strategic entry points to avoid further infiltration. Soon Nikolai, the guard was back with the first bowl of flour and started sprinkling it around the house. As I went out to help him I felt sorry for him. After sprinkling a little, he

Closeup of Army Ants 2would have to run aside and pull off the attacking ants. I raced back inside and put on my gum boots and tied kerosene soaked strips around the tops. This was the answer. I went out and took over the flour sprinkling operation and sent the guard for more flour. It took three bowls of it.

Let me explain a little about cassava flour which is the main staple of food here. In the process of turning it from tuberous roots into flour, there is a fermentation process. In the end you have a stinking, fermented flour that none of us has learned to eat. The fact that it is repulsive was proved by the ants. They fled in terror from that flour! They hated to even walk across it.

After about an hour the Lord gave us the victory. The ants were clearly on the run as their columns moved away from the house. I have a new appreciation for mihogo flour. I love the stuff and we have determined to keep an adequate supply in the house at all times. Not for food, but for ant repellent!

The Bible tells us, “Go to the ant thou sluggard, consider her ways…” Friends, if we as workers for Christ were half as organized and fervent as these ants, would we not have finished the work before now? Let us move forward column by column to assault Satan’s strongholds with the truth!!


Lighting Up a Dark City

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P9250478 3

I wanted to ask my taxi driver, “Is it still a long way to the hotel?” However, my French was not up to the task. Since leaving the airport an hour and a half ago, I had watched the swarms of people who lined the road. All were scurrying about their daily activities of finding enough food for another day. Yes, my first visit to Kinshasa, DRC in 2007 was memorable.

Pastor Mtenzi teaching laymen 2

Eight million people. Sadly, this sprawling metropolis is still virtually unreached with the truth. Although the faces that day were just a blur to me as we raced by in the taxi, Jesus died for every person. He longs to live in each person’s heart. The question was, “How to begin?”

In March 2010 Congo Frontline Missions answered the call to provide evangelism training to laymen in Kinshasa. Twenty six church planters received training in establishing new congregations in this massive city. Pastor Mtenzi provided most of the training along with division vice president Noah Musema.

We trust that this training will be the beginning of many new congregations. We hope that thousands will meet their Savior and understand the truths for these last days. Please pray for these 26 laymen as they carry the gospel banner forward in Kinshasa.

Pygmy People

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keithmosier
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Although there are many sad stories to tell from Congo, one of the saddest is the plight of the Pygmy people. Certain other tribes actually considered them as less than human, and up until only 50 years ago they were cannibalized by these tribes. Very few can read and write as they have clung to their traditions and avoided civilization.

April with an old Pygmy lady in front of her hut 5 They moved frequently to follow the game in the forest. Their traditional houses look like small igloos in shape, made of sticks with leaves laid over the top. Generally, they clear a small area in the forest and set up camp, leaving the largest trees for shade. The men went to the forest daily, hunting with poison arrows in their bows. Women built the houses and cared for the children. They traded meat for grain with other farming tribes.

Now, their world is collapsing around them. When Hutu’s from the Rwandan genocide fled to Congo in 1994, Congolese people fled in terror. These misplaced people cleared land and started farming, thus pushing the Pygmies out of their traditional areas. Soldiers terrorized their villages, leaving a trail of death and rape.

Laws were passed that prevented them from hunting big game like buffalo and elephants, so they began to move towards the roads to search for work. As the war ended and the roads were repaired, lumber companies invaded huge sections of forest, cutting down the big trees. The illiterate Pygmies watched helplessly as the trees disappeared and the chain saws scared all the game away.

They own no land legally, so they often work as laborers for farmers or loggers. With no education and skills, they carry lumber like human mules or hoe in the hot sun for minuscule wages. Although

Barry with Mr 3they still hunt some, most are living in utter poverty with pitiful clothing and few cooking utensils. Medical care is usually unaffordable and they eat anything that moves. Some have turned to alcohol as their situation is so discouraging. Most of the 600,000 Congo Pygmies are animists. Now, for the good news! They are beginning to see the need for education and are very open to the Gospel.

Recently, we traveled to Beni to investigate their needs and learn how best to begin work among them. We met with Brother Yang, a Korean Adventist who has been working with certain Pygmy camps for the past several years. He came from Uganda to meet us and show us several of the Pygmy camps where he has stationed SDA pastors. This is only one of his many projects in different countries and I was amazed by his enthusiasm and energy.

Although usually shy and suspicious, the Pygmy people welcomed us over and over. We sang together and shared the simple Gospel truths. They seemed as anxious to see us as we were to see them. We met the pastors who live near them and better understand the challenges. They really need to learn to farm to sustain themselves. They need clean water sources. It is not a short term work and

Pygmy children listening to preaching 4they need people to live among them, gain their confidence and teach them how to improve their lives. They need education for their children and education about healthful living. But most of all, they need to know Jesus who not only made the world they live in, but died for each one of them.

Please help us to reach these beautiful people. I was moved to tears by one story I heard of Pygmy children who had started to go to school. The other children had pencils, but they only had little pieces of charcoal to write with. The other children laughed them to scorn and they hardly wanted to go back.

We currently have only one church planter to the Pygmy people and 28 of them are worshipping with her each Sabbath. This is a most urgent need. Many more church planters will be needed. As they accept the gospel truth, we hope to develop workers among their own people who will work as church planters. We feel the Lord has called us to carry the three angel’s messages to this down trodden people. Won’t you help with your prayers and support?


Barry preaching to Pygmy camy 3
Pygmy hunter 2

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