In Their Own Words

Michelle and Jerry in Bangui's Central Market

The January Team wrote about their experiences in the Congo and it's worth a read as their updates and thoughts help to paint a picture of what it can be like to take a missions trip to the Ubangi.

Jeremy Howe wrote a couple blog posts detailing his trip, especially being in transit through Bangui. See below:

Bangui, Central African Republic

Crossing into the Congo

The Constance Team also posted frequent updates. You can read them here.

January Team Recap

Better late than never I suppose...

Jim Snyder, Jerry and Nancy Hibma, Debbie and Randy Discher, Dan Byers

Jeremy Howe, Jerry Jameson

A girl collects clean drinking water from the newly finished well at ELIKYA

Two members of the January team, Jerry and his nephew Jeremy, came out to Congo to train a team of Congolese how to drill for water using a rig that was purchased with funds raised by Constance Evangelical Free Church. Access to water has been a major difficulty in the Gemena area. Not only are there few pumps but there has also been a problem with the potability of the water that is accessible. A lot of it has microorganisms that can be dangerous, especially to young children. So having clean water available at ELIKYA is an enormous blessing.

Carpenters taking a rest from constructing the shelter for the ELIKYA well reservoir

Push starting the truck that carries the water necessary to drill

While the team was here they managed to see two wells drilled, one at ELIKYA and the other at the CECU mission. The Congolese team that was trained took the lead on the second well and Jerry took more of a backseat, letting them make the decisions and adding his input when necessary. Following the succesful drilling of these wells, the team looks to have a few more jobs on the horizon as there are some interested organizations in Gemena as well as plans to drill at the CECU hospital in Tandala.

Drilling at the CECU mission

Well drilling is an involved, dirty and time-consuming endeavour. The team did well, though, working through some setbacks such as the pit collapsing multiple times and difficulty getting enough water to flush out the sand, gravel and earth from the pit. Jeremy posted an update to his blog as preparations were being made to drill the first well:

"We've now met the team of drillers. The main guy, Ahundambi, was selected as the leader I believe by congolese folks in the e free church. He then selected 5 others to work with him. He did a good job, most of them have a mechanical or electrical training background of some kind, and they all seem to be pumped to be here.

Yesterday we finally started making material preparation to drill the well. There are a lot of preparations to make! Dig a pit, bring in thousands of gallons of water, make all the tools that aren't already here, etc. We'll spend all day doing that today, and then hopefully the next we'll drill the well, which should be done in one day."

It ended up taking more than one day but they got it done.

Nancy Hibma and Dr. Bienvenue making the rounds during the tour of Tandala Hospital

In addition to Jim and Jerry there was a team present from Constance as well. They were split several different ways and accomplished a lot. Their projects included 1) Pastor Randy lecturing at the Protestant University of the Ubangi (UPU) on spiritual warfare and healthy church growth, 2) Debbie and Nancy giving a 3-day seminar to women’s leaders in CECU churches on the value of women and on spiritual gifts, 3) Dan training ELIKYA staff how to counsel students and Nancy and Debbie training teachers to offer Biblical Worldview/Life Skills lessons, 4) Dan giving a seminar to pastors concerning counseling for youth and relational difficulties and 5) Jerry developing business plans for a variety of ELIKYA initiatives. The team also visited Tandala Hospital to understand the work and the needs and to investigate a potential partnership with their church.

Constance Team meeting doctors and pastors at Tandala

March Update (in April)

We are at the point now where we can actually count the days we have left here in Congo and they really aren’t that many. It is hard to believe how our two years here can be drawing to a close already. Nevertheless, there is still a lot to get done and a lot that will occupy our time for the remaining months.

ReachGlobal as a mission has as its modus operandi “Develop, Empower and Release”. That is to say, the way that it operates is to train nationals in ministry, equip them and let them take over. As we prepare for our departure we have to evaluate what has been done and what needs doing in that light.

DEVELOP. Since the last team returned to the US in February, a significant portion of our time has been spent continuing to teach English and adding computer classes to the schedule as well. Sam and I are currently working through a series of computer classes on Microsoft Windows, Excel, Outlook and Word. The classes are primarily for the benefit of the Koyamba Team but have been opened to others within CECU as well that it might benefit other ministries.

EMPOWER. The Koyamba Team will have another opportunity before our departure to begin the process of taking over our responsibilities. In May we will be hosting a ReachGlobal team. The team will be small, being comprised of Rachel Martin, our supervisor, in addition to Karen, a Global Fingerprints staff member and her husband, Ben. At that time, we will take on a an observing role and the Koyamba Team will fill our roles in hosting the team and even translating. We are thankful for the opportunity for this “dry run” and excited to see the Koyamba Team step up and really begin the task for which they’ve so faithfully trained over the last year and a half.

RELEASE. The four of us have decided that we will be returning to the United States in the beginning of the month of July. Come July we will have fulfilled the two years that were allotted for this mission and it seems that everything will be in place to allow for our return at that time. We want to make sure we are leaving behind a healthy ministry and we are confident that at the close of these next two and a half months the team that we’ve been training will be able to take the reins.

Our time here is even shorter given that in one week we will be making the drive to Bangui (again) in order to fly out to Nairobi, Kenya for a week and a half. We will be attending the ReachGlobal All Africa Conference where we will connect with other RG missionaries serving throughout the continent and take part in workshops to enhance our ministries. Please pray that this time would be blessed by the Lord and that we would all be refreshed and encouraged by this time together.

Thank you for your prayer and support of our ministry here in Gemena. It has been such a blessing and a privilege to serve in this context and to know that we have such a committed and generous support team behind us. Please continue to pray for us during this integral time. Pray also for the Koyamba Team as they are taking on a big job and one of great importance in the life of the partnership between CECU and the EFCA.