A-Team Travels - Congo Journey

(The Congo Team - Aaron Heinrich, Jonathan Mayo, Brent Duncan & Billy)
We we got back a week ago Tuesday from our first Congo Survey Trip. While there were some challenges, it turned out to be a great trip - full of African surprises including the breaking off of our rear transmission shaft. Providentially, God had provided Toni, a Congolese mechanic to travel with us and between Toni, the children audience we attracted and Jesus, the Land Rover recovered! We visited Bunia, a large town wherein a Shalom Univerity resides. Sarah Casson, a former Arua friend of ours, is now teaching at the University and we had a delightful time learning about Bunia and Congo from her.


Brent studied in Nairobi with Dino and Sephora Dile (in white shirt and blue/green dress). They have started an orphanage and school in Bunia. They have personally adopted four children to add to their biological four. Sunday several of us attended church with them and then all of us joined them for a delightful meal and wonderful family afternoon. We drove up from Bunia and got to visit a Bible school just across the border from Arua in the Congolese town of Aru. Brent had another friend from school named John Giria who gave us a grand tour of the school.
All in all, we felt like the trip was successfully - in that we got to hear how much the tribal fighting for recent years still haunts the people even today. The University president graciously extended an invitation for us to return before the end of the year for a possible local church pastors conference - and he seemed genuinely excited about ways we could partner with the University. The country is beautiful and the Congolese smiles and dress will charm one's heart. So many of you were praying for traveling mercies, conversations and open doors. God really helped us and we believe He is at work in making a way for WGM to be involved in Eastern DRC. At times that feels overwhelming - and yet, there is an and yet, there is an excitement that God is at work.

Congo Journey

Jesus is working for us! He has safely taken Billy to the Congo boarder and they have crossed over. He is traveling to Bunia, Congo and will be with four other men, scouting out the land to see what God's best might be for us in that nation. We hope to welcome them home on Tuesday.

We have water problems again in Arua! Not simply just water coming out of the tap problems, but many people are suffering. The rainy season simply never came. It has gotten "cold" here, but it has not rained. Crops are not being planted and many are projecting that the hunger that has come upon many will remain now over a year as those crops that aren't being planted of course cannot produce! Pray with us over this situation! Often one area will have some drought, but this time the rains never came here and all around us as well.

We have heard over and over again of hunger from our pastors in Nebbi as well as friends here in the Arua District. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest would provide for His children!

Thank you for Praying

Billy is in Nebbi today for training. Thank you for so many who have caught the vision to pray with us for our pastors there.

Our two new teammates, Aaron and Corrie Heinrich are in Nebbi with him. They were students at Asbury with us, but have been in Khartoum, Sudan most recently. After a trip to the states for a family medical emergency, they have had trouble getting visas back into Sudan. Pray with us for Jesus to make a way for their return, but also that we might serve Him well together in the intervening time.

Their children are Hailey, 4 years old and Eden, 2. Elsie Jayne loves them both so much but calls them both "Eden!" Our whole family has been thankful for God's good gift to us in new teammates!

All three of our big girls (we're thankful Jesus has spared Lucy Mae) have struggled with various illness over the past few weeks. The parents have joined in the sickness every few days as well! We have been a bit discouraged by this constant run of illness. The sicknesses have been nothing big, but constant. Will you pray with us for full and complete recovery as a team!? We would be so grateful!

Over the last two weeks Billy has been working continually on preparations for the survey trip into Congo. It's Africa...so communication between towns is tricky enough, but now that we are trying to communicate with our neighboring country, it doesn't matter that it is only a few kilometers away. It has been a real struggle. Finally yesterday we think (again) that we have definite dates...we will see. But do pray as he and Aaron plan to leave next Thursday for a week in country. They will meet up with Jonathan Mayo, our Uganda field director, and Brent Duncan, our good friend and "Congo contact" in a way. Pray for all four of these men as they prepare for the journey and then go. Pray they might have eyes to see what Jesus wants in that nation.

We are thankful that sweet Lucy is growing well and is a sweet baby! She is sending sloppy baby smooches to you with gratefulness for your prayers and love!

A Call to Prayer

Ocamringa Patrick (wife: Kristen; church: Padel)

Opio David (wife: Grace; church: Payera)

Kisa Patrick (wife: Agnes; church: Tidwere)

Joyce Piboth (husband: Andrew; church: Upedhere)

Cosmas (wife: Joyce; church: Nebbi town)

Benson Omri(wife: Rose; church: Nebbi town)

Andrew Piboth (wife: Joyce; church: Koch Alaro)

Not pictured: Jagen Charles (church: Tidwere)

This last week we got some hard news. One of our pastors, Ukethwengu Patrick, is leaving our training and the Africa Gospel Church that he was pastoring in the village of Vur Aluka. He is the second pastor to leave us this year and we really feel like the enemy is after our pastors. The issues regarding both of their departures are rather minor but how often is that the way Slewfoot works. So now... 1.) We have a church without a pastor and 2.) We are having to ask some major questions of what are we doing wrong or at least, what could we do better?

Our Servant Leadership Team is praying and working with us to seek God's face for our pastors, our Africa Gospel churches, and even for the Alur tribe of Nebbi, Uganda. We don't want to just let the enemy win - we want to fight back.

So we need your help. We have posted the faces and names of our pastors above and are asking you to pick a pastor you'd be willing to pray for on a regular basis. Many of you are already praying but we thought we might give you a face and name to encourage you. We also know that all of us are creatures of habit. So we wanted to suggest you pick a time in our day or some habit in your routine when you could consistently pray over "your pastor." For example, you could pray... while you are brushing your teeth; every time you unlock your car door; while plugging in your phone to charge; changing your baby's diaper; or switching the laundry. We need you. We realize you are busy but we also realize the enemy is at work and we need prayer for our pastors, their marriages, their families, their livelihood, their churches, their communities and their tribe. You can play a huge part in what Jesus is doing in Nebbi, Uganda!
Need to know what to pray? Try praying Ephesians 6:10-20; any or all of those verses would be very applicable for any of our pastors and their churches. Thank you again for partnering with us and our pastors!

If you have questions about a specific family or church, feel free to email us at billy.coppedge@wgm.org or post a comment below. Thank you for joining us in the "battle." Above all else, we desire to be people "standing firm."

Breakfast with Aslan

A week ago we had Andy Mills, a dear friend back in Arua for his third visit. He wins the prize for most repeat visits, which is no small award, and we always enjoy having Mr. Andy around. He is a retired business man from Boston who has a heart for sharing God in the marketplace and specifically, God has laid Arua and its' business community on his heart. He traveled with two young men, DJ and Ted, who got a healthy taste of Africa life. After a significant two day Christian business workshop, consulting numerous Aruan business persons and visiting some of our Africa Gospel Churches for worship, we got to spend a morning in the game park. It was an incredible morning, highlighted by a pride of six lions who had just killed a baboon for breakfast. At one point, we literally turned the vehicle off, served up coffee and tea, and ate our breakfast within about twenty yards of them! Indeed, there are some great challenges to serving in Africa, but Jesus is so faithful to remind us of His goodness... and creativity! Hallelujah! Praise God Forever!
P.S. It was not a talking baboon!