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.