Begging to hear. . . An amazing opportunity

Today we live in an era of exclusivity, choices, entitlement, prosperity, incredibly sophisticated hi tech, and advanced medical options and treatment, to name a few. This era's personality is intertwined with hope on one side and apathy on the other. Because we are surrounded by opulence compared to third world countries, and because many of us have only experienced what we have seen, touched, and tasted, we cannot easily relate to the realities that exist in other lands.

One such reality that renders an amazing opportunity is the hunger for the gospel in Congo. Like America, people in Congo are desperate for Jesus, and they know it; unlike Congo, people in America are desperate for Jesus, but they do not know how desperate they really are. I would rather work with people in the first category because there are far fewer barriers to break through than the latter.

Just this week, Pastor Kapem N'Koy called my husband, Jim, and told him that many many surrounding villagers near Iwungu are literally begging the evangelism team there to come and share the Gospel and the Word of God with them. They are crying out for spiritual help.

Let me tell you that when our evangelism team goes into a village, it is cause for GREAT CELEBRATION! People come running out of their huts with hands waving in the air to greet, welcome, and rejoice with dancing at their arrival. Bodies surround the truck, eagerly anticipating the joyous break in the monotony of village life. As the team exits the large x-military vehicle, the guitars, drum set, fuel, generator, food, tents, video projector, and other supplies are carefully unloaded and set up to prepare for the evening gathering. Our team of ten pastors/musicians start cranking out the songs which attract thousands to come from as far away as the music can be heard.

There are several videos that can be shown, but the favorite is The Jesus Film, which is shown after the music and the preaching of the Word of God. So by the time the invitation is given, 4 to 5 hours have passed. Small pieces of paper are handed out as people raise their hands to accept Christ. As those people proceed to make their way to the front of the crowd, they are ushered to another area, either a hut or some other building, to be dealt with individually. So let' do a recap:

First the music program (30-45 minutes, then preaching (about an hour), then the Jesus Film (3 hours in the Kituba language with some interpretation for those who only speak the tribal dialect), then the invitation (20 minutes), and then one-on-one counseling to ascertain understanding what the individual is coming forward for, which could mean a total of 5 1/2 hours. Does the crowd dwindle? No. Do people complain? Not usually. Do they want more? Always.

Do you see what I mean by an amazing opportunity? Congo isn't America. They have no distractions in the bush comparable to what we have here in America. They know how much they need the Savior and how much they need the hope that the Word of God affords them.

Of course, it takes money to do all this. Missionaries don't get their fuel for free cause they're missionaries; we pay the same amount as the corporate world pays. A total of $2000 is needed to feed our team, fuel our trucks, and visit several villages for an extensive period of time. Please join us in prayer for this great outreach possibility.

You can go vicariously through us on September 11, when we depart Detroit for Chicago, then on to Washington Dulles, then on to Johannesburg, South Africa for an overnight stay, and then on to Kinshasa for a few days, after which we board the Mission Aviation Plane to fly into the bush of Congo, a land ripe for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us find that ripened fruit that is waiting to be harvested for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Souls are one thing we can take to Heaven with us. Help us do the picking in Jesus' powerful Name!