Church Planting Season in South Katanga Story 2

“If the rhythm of the drum beat changes, the dance step must adapt.” That African proverb swept through my mind sitting across from the rhythm section of the praise and worship team in the little Nazarene church called Puits de Jacob. Pastor Jean Luc Kasongo was already fired up and dancing as the praise team danced their way to the front of the church to do their Sunday morning special.

The drum section consisted of a tire rim perched on a used tire. the drummer had two wrenches in this hands and was tapping a syncopated rhythm that I had no chance of clapping to. The other four drums were hollowed out logs also laying on used tires leveled by rocks. The three boys with wood batons were beating out a rhythm that had the church rockin’!

The joy of visiting and preaching at churches like this, is the experience of pure joy and fervent prayer of the people. After service we were invited into the home of one of the church members and we enjoyed ugali, sukumawiki, chicken and potatoes.

After blessing the home and praying for the sick, we jumped in the taxi and started on our way to Kalubamba Village, 40 km east of Lubumbashi. The afternoon showers dropped a heavy rain on the road, and as we left the city the streets were like a river of muddy water. As we plowed through the waves motorcycles were stalling, and some cars had already been abandoned and filling with water.

Two hours went by on the winding bumpy road. The business of the training week and technical training had warn me out and I was soon taking my Sunday afternoon nap. Then suddenly we broke out into an opening in the trees and there on a recently cleared plot of land were about 60 people, praising God and welcoming us to their village.

We shared words of encouragement, then were presented with another live chicken as a gift. The pastor, Daniel Ngoy was so glad to see us. He testified that he had seen the Jesus Film, accepted Christ, and then felt a call to be the pastor. He love the Nazarene church because of the doctrine of holiness lifestyle and declared that he would establish a church in this village.

In this part of the DRC it is a Matriarchal society. The chief of the village was a women named Marie Mujunga and she has offered land and welcomed the Nazarene Church. The church members had quickly cleared the land, they started making bricks and were already had 3,700 bricks on their way to 5,000.

We sang and prayed, and then put in the corner stone of the new church building with Rev. Nzola Dieumerci. After commiting this plot to the kingdom of God, they brought two sugarcane plants and both Rev. Nzola and I each planted one as a sign that this church plant would not only bring sweet good news and hope to this community but that it would also multiply to other areas.

We then marched with the whole crowd to the Mama Chief’s home and the church promised that after they finished their church, they would also make bricks for the chief so she could have a better place to stay.

We then went to the Pastor’s house to pray for his wife who is about to have a child. In these remote areas and with minimal medical care, every birth is a threat to both mother and child, so we prayed for good health and safe delivery.

We then walked over to their main source of water, pulled up by bucket on the end of a rope. This village is like so many others in DRC. Even though they have abundant water below ground due to the rains, the rivers , and the lakes; more than 50% of the population does not have access to clean water.

The brown water that came up out of the well made me wonder how the people can survive. After even leaving the water to settle over night in a basin, the dirt settles to the bottom but the water is still dangerous. Even Rev. Celestine was trying to recover from Malaria and Typhoid that he had contracted while doing Jesus Film ministry in this area.

If ever there was a place that needed a proper borehole dug to 80m at a cost of about $85 USD per meter, it was this village. Our church is not only sharing the gospel of good news and faith, but we also must share compassion and bring about hope, healing and new life.

Pray for this community that not only will their faith in God bring about a change in their lives but that somehow they will also find access to clean water. God had brought us to this village on this weekend to encourage and share our faith, but I also felt like this village was about to change. The rhythm of the drum beat is about to change, and I pray that the dance of these new believers will also adapt.