By Barry Mosier
Our luggage swayed back and forth as we eased over another large rut in the road on the way back to the CFM (Congo Frontline Missions) campus. The weather was unusually dry and cool as we returned from our two month trip to America. What a blessing to move back into our house, see our workers and pets again, and especially to greet our CFM team.
Nathan Rittenour was relieved to have the families of Keith, Barry, and Mtenzi back again. He had kept things together all alone in Congo while the other three leaders attended the GC (General Conference) Session, as well as other meetings.
Attending the GC Session was a thrilling experience. The meetings were inspiring and encouraging. We watched our church make decisions for the future and praise God for His blessing in the past. Our booth was very busy as people from all over the world passed by. So many were interested to hear about the needs and the work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We gave away almost 2,000 CFM dvds during the 10-day session. Just yesterday, someone from Malaysia wrote about showing the dvd to their church and how the congregation was inspired to get more involved in soul winning. We are excited about the sense of urgency to finish the work that we witnessed during the GC session and in churches this summer.
Kansas-Nebraska Campmeeting was another highlight of the summer. As we shared the hardships faced by the Pygmy people in recent years and the great needs of Congo, the members were touched. When the offering was taken for Sabbath school to launch new church planters in DRC, $6,638 was collected––enough to launch 11 church planters! Knowing the current condition of the US economy, we were quite overwhelmed by the generous response of God’s people. Although we sometimes hear that missions giving is dead, we saw that God’s Spirit still moves His people when they hear the needs in remote parts of the world.
At the end of our visit to America, we attended the ASI Convention in Florida. We were blessed to hear the exciting stories of laymen sharing their faith in ministries in businesses around the world. We were also blessed to receive a portion of the offering taken on Sabbath morning. Our project to print books in local languages and resurrect the literature evangelist ministry in NE Congo was awarded $20,000! What a blessing! Surely we are inspired to finish strong as we return to our work in DRC. Thank you for your prayers.
We could hear the generator working well after midnight and knew that Nathan was still digging. The portable well drilling unit that arrived with our literature container only two days before was doing its work.
“How far did you get last night?” I inquired the next morning.
“Well, I am at 125 feet, but I have hit rock. I’m afraid that is all I can do until I get back from my two month trip to America,” Nathan wearily replied. “I’ll finish it when I get back, but I have already learned a lot about drilling wells here in Congo.”
Up until now, our campus has been using a thirty foot hand-dug well for our water supply. The prospect of a well that actually provides water that we can drink (we filter it now) is pretty exciting.
However, that is really only the start of the plans for wells. As we have considered the many sick people in the village, we see that that vast majority of diseases could be prevented with clean drinking water. Some estimates suggest that up to 90% of the illness is due to impure water.
Thus, we hope to drill wells in many of the villages where our church planters are starting new congregations. As people begin to taste clean drinking water, we believe they will also long for living water. Surely, this is a wonderful medical missionary opportunity. Thank you for your prayers in this exciting new outreach project.
Drilling a Well with the new Portable Well Drilling Unit
All thirty-seven evangelism students stared in wonder as Keith carried in his armload of material into the classroom. After setting them on a table in the front of the room, the entire class rose as one man and started scrambling ahead to grab their share of the precious goods.
“No, no!” Keith shouted. “There are plenty for all! Just go back to your seats and we will pass them out so each of you will get his share.”
Finally, a doubtful group of students returned to their seats. What was object of their clamor? What were they so afraid that they might lose out on? Bible studies in the Swahili and Lingala languages.
The long awaited container of Bible studies from Light Bearers Ministry has arrived. The journey was impressive––crossing the Pacific and Indian Oceans before traversing all of Kenya and Uganda by truck and finally reaching us here at Congo Frontline Missions in Kisangani, DRC.
Although there is a great shortage of Bibles in Congo––especially rural areas––these studies ask topical questions, then quote the full scriptural answers in fifteen lessons. The lessons are colorful and very attractive. Thus, for many people, a full set of these lessons will “become” their Bible. Knowing that God’s Word is the most powerful force in the universe, we expect these silent messengers to mount a serious invasion into Satan’s dark strongholds here.
Our church planters are already taking boxes of these “invasion forces” to the un-entered areas where they are working. Light Bearers Ministry also sent us French lessons, which will help us to reach the educated portion of the population.
A big thank you to Light Bearers Ministry for this huge contribution to the spreading of God’s word here in DRC. We also thank each of you for your prayers on behalf of these Bible studies. We trust the promises that assure us “so shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void” (Isaiah 55:11).
Unloading the Container
