Can anything good come out of the Democratic Republic of Congo?

(a report on my time in the Congo)

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.
John 1:46

• Every day, 10 new women and girls who have been raped show up in hospitals in a particular region. Many have been so sadistically attacked from the inside out, butchered by bayonets and assaulted with chunks of wood, that their reproductive and digestive systems are beyond repair.

• Eastern Congo is going through another one of its convulsions of violence, and this time it seems that women are being systematically attacked on a scale never before seen here. According to the United Nations, 27,000 sexual assaults were reported in 2006 in South Kivu Province alone, and that may be just a fraction of the total number across the country.



• According to victims, one of the newest groups to emerge is called the Rastas, a mysterious gang of dreadlocked fugitives who live deep in the forest, wear shiny tracksuits and Los Angeles Lakers jerseys and are notorious for burning babies, kidnapping women and literally chopping up anybody who gets in their way.

• An 18-year-old woman with high cheekbones and downcast eyes, said she was kidnapped from a village that the Rastas raided in April and kept as a sex slave until August. Most of that time she was tied to a tree, and she still has rope marks ringing her delicate neck. The men would untie her for a few hours each day to gang-rape her, she said.

• “I still have pain and feel chills,” said a patient who was raped in February by five men. The men held an AK-47 rifle to her husband’s chest and made him watch, telling him that if he closed his eyes, they would shoot him. When they were finished, they shot him anyway.

• In Congo, a nation of 63 million people in the heart of Africa, a peace deal signed more than three years ago was supposed to halt a war that drew in belligerents from at least eight other countries, producing a record of human devastation unmatched in recent history. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) estimates that 3.9 million people have died from war-related causes since the conflict in Congo began in 1998, making it the world's most lethal conflict since World War II.

"Can anything good come out of the Congo?"
This is what crossed my mind over and over while I traveled to the DRC. When I was asked to become a temporary staff person for the Congo Initiative in August, I was like many North Americans. I knew very little or nothing about this conflict. My questions arose after researching the country that I would soon be traveling to. And since my return my questions are these, “Can anything good come out of the DRC?” “Where is the international outcry? “”Where is the church?”

I kept thinking about the verse in John, Where Jesus’ disciples questioned…can anything good come from Nazareth. I felt a connection. And we know the answer about Jesus, but I didn’t know about the Congo.

On November 29th, I set out for the DRC. Traveling alone to a place I had never been before was a bit unsettling for me and my family. We got confirmation of my connecting flights only a few days ahead of my scheduled departure which led to some early stress.

Leaving my driveway and on the way to O’Hare airport, I felt uneasy. I had just left my kids and my wife behind. To me, this is the hardest thing about travel and ministry. Forget all the complications of travel and the unknowns. Leaving my family is difficult.

But this time was more difficult for some reason. Given time to reflect and to process this has led me to believe I was under some serious spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare that I have never experienced before. I believe the enemy was putting some things in my head that was very discouraging. Discouraging enough that I wanted to turn back and just forget it.

I have learned a valuable lesson from this. I believe I left without proper prayer coverage. I did not have my full set of armor on and well quite frankly, going into a region like the north Kivu region in the DRC…you need it! I felt like I asked no one to pray over me and my prayer concerns.

My time in the Amsterdam airport, the feelings again came back as I pondered “Is this worth it?” “What am I doing?” I struggled to have focus. I was wrestling with my feelings…and as I look back...I know exactly what was going on. Spiritual Warfare. You see the enemy, satan the greatest deceiver of all time, roams around looking to devour and he thinks he owns this world. He has a tight grip on that region I was about to enter. He knew I was a threat…and I was going to be trespassing on his property and he knew it. He was having a hay day with me. I wanted to go home in all honesty. I wanted to go home.

I arrive in Uganda late in the evening and had to spend a night at Sophie’s motel. Sophie’s was a nice little motel with all the amenities that I needed. In this room, I did not sleep. Again, I was under steady attack. I decided then that I needed to do something. I brought out my tiny bible that has some pretty big words in it. I just opened it up and came to these verses,
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

Whoa…I needed this!

I knew that I am inspired by the hope I have in my Lord Jesus and I needed endurance. I spent most of the night reading my bible and praying. I felt better. I was ready.
The next morning I needed to be at a tiny airstrip near Entebbe to catch my flight to Bunia, DRC. The excitement of my ‘first’ small plane ride was churning inside of me. Here I met some other North Americans and Europeans representing different NGO’s. These would be the last ‘white’ people (other than Justin) I would see for awhile. You see, DRC, is not a tourist hot spot. While it has that capability, it’s not a place that is recognized as the ‘top ten vacation hot spots’.

My flight over to Bunia was great. I loved it. The landscape was beautiful and thoughts entered my mind what it would be like to hike and travel through this unbelievable beautiful country side. Landing on a tiny paved airstrip in Bunia was uneventful and that’s the way I like it. But I soon realized that this was a whole different world and the thoughts came ringing to me from the movie the Wizard of Oz….your not in Kansas anymore Rick…your not in Kansas anymore. There where UN helicopters and the UN base was right next to the airport with all the razor wire and the smell of unrest was in the air. What the heck am I doing here, I asked?

Most of the people stayed on the flight and were heading to a different destination or Bunia was it for them…I was left alone with a French speaking couple and had to figure out how I was going to switch planes and how to do that not knowing any French. I made my way through it and waited patiently for my flight which was to depart in a few hours. Once I boarded the plane, I felt at ease. I was on the last leg of my trip which had started about 32 hours ago.



I landed in Beni, this airstrip was gravel and interesting. I got off the plane and there was about 100 armed police men doing some type of military routine. I asked myself jokingly, what a reception…do they do this for all mondeles( a white person)? I was greeted soon by a familiar face from the Congo Initiative website, I recognized him, Daniel. He made me feel welcome and I was safe.

I arrived at Dr. David Kasali’s house soon after and we had warm greetings. I have grown to love and respect David and his wife Kaswera from my time studying at Elmbrook. David was my professor for two classes I took and we built a relationship out of that. He knew my great desire for transformation and love for Africa and it was he who approached me about helping the Congo initiative. What a privilege it was for me to be standing in his house on DRC soil. We then broke into prayer for about 3o minutes. I then realized this is what keeps them going in this environment. Prayer.

I then took a ride to visit the university. The University Christian Bilingual College (UCBC) is a vital part of the initiative. Its goal is to train tomorrow’s leaders for the Congo and teach them to do business, church, government and community with each other with a holistic Christian model. In my opinion, this is probably the best way to transform this country. I was welcomed by the students, 90 of them. When they first opened the doors in September, they were hoping for 30 students. Word travels fast here. The next thing they knew they had 90 students, which led to many logistical issues.



The next ten days I met with students, interviewed them, hung out with them, spoke at chapel, and just observed the HOPE that the Congo Initiative brings to this region. The Holy Spirit is alive and well in Beni and the enemy knows it and now it was making sense to me about my earlier struggles.

This initiative is local and that’s the way it should be. No western influence. This is being done by Congolese and it does not resemble any colonization hangovers. I was amazed by the ‘excitement’ the students had. Over and over I heard the words hope and what can I do for my country, it was impressive. They were taking ownership! Sure, the question is raised that most of the funding came from great partners in the west, BUT most of the labor was provided by the community. The community is taking pride in this new hope. Parents see hope for their children…over and over David and the staff at UCBC hear this.

I also got to know the Kasali’s better and Justin Hubbard, who is the first English teacher, during my time there. I have great admiration for the Kasali’s. They didn’t have to go back to their country. They both have doctorate degrees. You can guess the salaries they would be making here in the west. Instead, they have returned home. Home has limited or no electricity, no running water in the city, very limited goods and services(the services that are available are incredibly high priced),unstable country, bribery everywhere, sexual abuse around every corner, a church that is in disarray and yet they are happy to be home. The Lord will repay them well. They are the servants in 1 Thessalonian that Paul is talking about.

I met many new friends in Beni. Justin, Honoré, Daniel, Charles to name a few. What brothers they are. I left, but they are still there, fighting the good fight day after day with limited resources.

This leads me to my role, to help with resources. I’ve been asked to help find funding for different projects and operational needs. Projects like a bus for the students, a good communication system, and salaries for the staff in the initial years, and building projects. I also will be working on church partnerships with CI. I will be looking to fill staffing needs as they arise also.

I arrived home with a heavy burden. I felt like I am so inadequate for this. Why would God choose to use me in this manner? After downloading with a few trusted friends, the same answer came back again and again. You are right where God wants you. Depending on Him.

So to answer the question” Can anything good come out of the Congo?” The answer is YES. There is now hope in this region because of the Kasali’s and the Congo Initiative. My prayer and hope that this will be a transforming agent for the land of Congo and by God’s grace and goodness, the land will be restored to its rightful owner.

I’m on the winning team.The war has already been won. I know that!