When I arrived at the Bible College, I was given a little table so that I may work. The work surface it offered me was not big and the chair wasn’t very comfortable. It’s therefore with joy that I can show you my new office furniture with its super comfy chair. Aaaaaaah! Ok, now back to our mission. Before leaving Quebec, we knew the Scripture Union had an office in Lubumbashi. We stopped by as you can see in the centre picture. We were accompanied by the superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Katanga, Pastor Jean Ilunga (on the left) and we met the Provincial Director of the Union, Pastor Fidel (on the right). In the past month, we participated in many events of which an Easter Gathering, on Easter Sunday, in the city of Likasi. This town is 120 km North of Lubumbashi. The church was to its fullest and many had to stay outside as many churches gathered for the special event. We heard many choirs, you can see one of them in the picture on the right.

 

We are starting to participate in the regular church life. When we last were in Kasumbalesa, a town 90km south of Lubumbashi, near the Zambian border, I was asked to dedicate a new-born to the Lord. In the same meeting, I had the privilege of leading three “spirituals born-again” to the Lord. Unfortunately, I also had to participate in a burial in one of the neighbourhoods of Lubumbashi. Here in Congo, death is a daily reality. Afterwards, we traveled North of Lubumbashi again to Kapolowe. This town is located 90km away and the main activity of its inhabitants is fishing. We were also invited to share the Word with members of the Scripture Union at their annual meeting, which was an honour for us.

                

Up until now, we have ministered to all kinds of churches. Some are big with brick walls and metal roofing; others, only had a thatched roof held up by tree branches. And some didn’t even have a roof, just tarps spread out overhead by ropes. I reminded each of these congregations that the richness of a church does not reside in its buildings, but in the people that it’s composed of. The Body of Christ is the people gathered in His Name. I want to take this opportunity to thank the churches and individuals who support our ministry here, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Know that your contribution is helping the Kingdom of God progress in the Congolese population (62 million inhabitants).

                     

                           The church in Kasumbalesa              The church in Kapolowe               A church in the outskirts of Lubumbashi

                                                                                                         

The Bible declares that the worker deserves his salary.

We received bananas, a big pouch of sweet potatoes and two chickens… alive.

Marielle couldn’t stand to see them die. So, she assigned the task to someone else.