November 8, 2004

Dear Friends,

As the United States approaches its national election, a true democratic election is anticipated here in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the first time since independence. When independence came in 1961, it was with a democratic election, so far the only one. Unfortunately, the elected leader, Patrice Lumumba, was soon assassinated by Western forces fearing his relationship with Russia during the height of the Cold War. Mobutu was installed in Lumumba’s place and he ruled as a dictator for over 30 years until the rebellion led by Joseph Kabila, who was succeeded by his son after his assassination. There is promise of a true election next year where the Congolese people will have the chance to choose their own leader and move toward a nation of law that they, as a people, determine. Peace and a stable government are the prerequisites of development. Please pray for them.

During all of this turmoil, the church has stood, and it continues to be the center of life for many people. We recently were paid a visit by the pastor of our local village Presbyterian church, the Reverend Katema Jonas, and one of the elders, Tatu Bilolo, who is also our gardener. We were interested in learning what mechanisms exist in the church community for helping the truly poor. Even in a community where everyone is poor, there are degrees of poverty, which include the desperately poor—the elderly, widows, orphans, and handicapped people. During this discussion we learned a good deal about how the church functions. Our pastor, for example, is a refugee (technically, a displaced person) who fled during the war from one of the areas of conflict with nothing but his Bible and the clothes he was wearing.

We learned that the monthly collection totals equal no more than 10,000 franc Congolese, and usually it’s more like 5,000. At an exchange rate of 420 francs to the dollar, 5000 francs equals about $12 per month for the whole church. Thirty percent of this goes to the presbytery, 30 percent for church functions, and the remaining 40 percent for the salary of the pastor. He makes about $5 per month. If his salary cannot be met, or if he or one of his family get sick and need to be treated at the hospital, the elders of the church must provide the money necessary. Among the elders are the only two men in the church who have a job, Bilolo, whom we employ, and a man who works for the hospital complex. We learned that, in theory, this same group of elders works with the pastor to decide how to help the desperately poor, but they have no financial means to do this. There are other ways help is given, be it some food, clothing, help in keeping the house standing, etc. In spite of this responsibility, to be an elder is an honor much sought. Our church will need to replace an elder who died recently of liver disease. Liver disease secondary to hepatitis is one of the many great killers. Trying desperately to get help, he sold everything he had, including his house. (As an aside, we bought a village house to convert it into a clinic before the more solid clinic was built with your help. We paid $30 for the house.)

Every Sunday the church is packed, and people praise God for His grace. We have churches in our village of 6,000 people and this plays out not only in our church but all over Congo and all over the developing world where there is no lack of faith in God. There is no bitterness toward God in spite of the suffering, which includes hunger, thirst, exposure to the elements such as the tremendous thunder storms that blow houses down, disease that is every present in the forms of malaria, typhoid fever, pneumonia, hepatitis, cancer, and the list goes on. The people do cry out for one thing. A chance. They want a democratically elected government. They want the chance to use the resources of their country to benefit their people. The kids want to be able to go to school even if there are no books. The women want to be able to survive childbirth along with their children. The sick want care so they can return to health and be productive in their lives and in their communities. They ask us to be truly Christian, to listen to the words of Jesus who instructed us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and even to love our enemy.

Should we, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, a nation that frequently cites its Judeo-Christian heritage, use that wealth and power to maintain and isolate itself or, in His Name, to reach out, to insure that all of His children have the same chance that we do?

Our love from the Congo,

Mike and Nancy