The time is upon me when I am preparing for my mission trip to the Congo with my friend and mission partner Pastor Stéphane Kalonji. There are so many things racing through my mind at the moment that it is difficult just to simply sleep at night. This being my fourth trip to the Congo, I have a good idea what to expect in my travels. It’s the not knowing what to expect when I get there that seems to be the issue, for we will be traveling to a part of the Congo where I have never been before.
Our first several days in the Congo will be spent in the capitol city of Kinshasa where I will have a phone, electricity, and plenty of hot running water. There will be plenty of good food, prepared by Pastor Kalonji’s sister-in-law, Yevette. But then we will be going off to the province of Kasai-Oriental. He tells me that life in Kasai (in the central part of the country) is much different than what I have experienced in Boma or Matadi (in the western part). We will fly from Kinshasa to the city of Mbuji-Mayi and remain there for about three days, then travel to the village of Badibaswa where we will serve a small mission congregation. I’m told that in Kasai, water is not something that is plentiful. As a part of the daily amenities, the hotel we will stay in for about 9 days provides each guest with one free bucket of water. Bucket? Yep, no running water to be had. Once on the ground in Kasai, the first order of business will be to purchase plenty of bottled purified water.
Another difference will be that the churches we will visit and work in have no buildings or shelters. Everything they do is outside exposed to the weather. If it rains during worship, they get wet. If the sun beats down in the heat of the day, they sweat. Truly, there is nothing like a mission trip to the Congo to make one appreciate all that God blesses us with here at home. There is one thing; however, that I do know what to expect in Kasai. The people will be overjoyed that we have come to visit them, bringing them the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In Mbuji-Mayi, Pastor Kalonji and I will be leading three separate seminars. There will be a gathering for the women of the church, then the pastors and lay leaders, and finally, we will have a day with the youth and young adults. Our focus for teaching will be a seminar we have written together concerning the Holiness of God and Living as God’s Holy People. As usual, there will be time for the people to ask plenty of questions regarding faith and life in the Church in America. In Badibaswa, I would anticipate much of the same, although I expect there will be many more questions about life as a Christian and Pastor in the United States. The women will want to know about my wife and children, our home and what a typical day is like.
The people of the Congo are always amazed to find out that Christians in America face many of the same difficulties as they do in Africa. Truly, sin and evil know no boundaries. Thankfully, God’s mercy and grace transcend all boundaries and obstacles the devil attempts to place between God and his people.
While I am away, I would ask that you keep Pastor Kalonij and I in your prayers. Pray that God would use us in mighty ways and that our proclamation of his Word will be bold and well received. Finally, pray for all to whom we will minister, for it is through your generosity that we are able to make this trip. God has blessed us in this mission, and through your prayerful support, hungry children will be fed and mothers and their babies will be welcomed home from detention in hospitals. Pastors and other church leaders will have Bibles to read, learn, and teach from. Those with impaired vision will have eyeglasses to help them see, and children will have beautiful multi-colored bracelets to wear as a reminder of the love we all share in Christ Jesus.
I will be departing from Columbia on Monday, August 1st and returning on Friday, August 20th. As always, I will do my best to keep everyone updated while I am away. I hope to be able to send Angela daily text messages with news of our activities that she can pass along to the church. But again, I don’t know if that will be a possibility when I am in Kasai. Thanks be to God for all who have supported our mission to the Congo. I look forward to sharing stories of St. Jacob’s with the people there and I’m sure I will have plenty of stories to share with you upon my return. Until then, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Pastor David Nuottila
