I must begin with an update about our partner Lazare. Sadly, Lazare’s still in prison in Kinshasa, DRC (since June!), but he’s supposedly going to get a hearing soon—that’s Congo. He is being held as a political prisoner with no criminal charges. We are told he is in bad health and we appreciate your prayers for his release.
In late August, the airport near Bukavu that we use to get up to Minembwe was reopened, but two whole months later than planned—that’s Congo. After this delay, then dealing with some visa gymnastics (bring your wallet—that’s Congo), I (Michael) was able to finally fly up to Minembwe. Eleven days after I arrived, our area exploded in violence again. The general commanding the DRC army that’s in our area, hands down the most accommodating general we’ve ever had up in Minembwe, finally reached his boiling point when two of his soldiers were murdered by the local defense forces—that’s Congo. The next morning, the general announced that in retaliation he was going to cleanse the area of the local population. The general told the second most dominant tribe in our area to clear out before the cleanse began; he even did this publicly—that’s Congo.
The tribe refused to leave Minembwe so the general closed all shops (70% of which are owned by this tribe), planes were not allowed to land, and there were two retaliatory murders of locals by the army, but after a horrible week… there was peace. During the “peace,” planes were once again allowed to land in Minembwe. However, two weeks after “peace” broke out in Minembwe, things then began to deteriorate in the unrelated fighting north of Minembwe—that’s Congo—so I was strongly advised to get on a plane ASAP to have a better opportunity of getting down the mountain in time to make it to our daughter Demerey’s wedding before the fighting closed the airport near Bukavu. This was two weeks earlier than I had planned, but I was able to eventually get a seat on a plane out of Minembwe and make my way to Bujumbura. Now I will soon travel to the USA with the Ostranders to attend the December 2 wedding of Demerey to Jamison Dobbs.
As viewed from our yard, the first plane to arrive in Minembwe after the recent conflict. <Click image for video>
On the bright side, with Congo being so ‘Congo-esqe’, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to do some really cool stuff when you’re there. Yes, I got waylaid by “Congo” stuff that shortened both ends of my stay in Minembwe, but a lot of groundwork was laid for when Lisa and I hopefully return in January. Fortunately, I was at least able to arrive at the beginning of the new school year, so Aimable and I together could kick off year number two of teaching the Bible to about 100 students at a local secondary school. Aimable carries on the teaching with these students when I’m not in Minembwe.
We were able to present the 27 new secondary students with a Bible of their own.
<Click image below for video>
Handing out the Bibles. <Click image for video>
Aimable, seen here with the students, carries on the teaching with these students when I’m not in Minembwe. <Click image for video>
Aimable and I also teach primary school students from the Bible and the Jesus Film, and I had recently received a newly translated version of the Jesus Film that is in the local language.
Everyone, young and old, is excited about this new version of the Jesus Film.
Due to my delayed arrival in Minembwe, I was only able to teach through one book, Philippians, at the local Bible school. The classes for the Bible school for this year ended the first week of October, but the third and final year for this group of guys begins in January. I did get to teach on four different Sundays in three different churches and there will be a lot more of that going on when we return because I now have a second person available to translate for me. The conflict ruined the launching of another program for the most neglected kids who reside in “town,” a crazy and rough place to grow up. We’ve been trying to make a go of this program for over four years, but we’ll be ready to roll it out come January.
After Demerey and Jamison’s wedding, Lisa, myself, and the Ostranders will return to Burundi in January, then Lisa and I will immediately head up to Minembwe. There’s a lot of uncertainty about what we’ll find when we return to the DRC, as the conflict between the government and the M23 rebel group is intensifying north of us. There is also a DRC presidential election coming up on December 20 that is sure to get messy—that’s Congo.
As viewed from our yard, the first plane to arrive in Minembwe after the recent conflict. <Click image for video>
Handing out the Bibles. <Click image for video>
