By Olivier Carion
KINSHASA, Congo--As I stepped off the plane in Kinshasa, June 29, I thought, What a change!
Where was the usual mob fighting to offer help with customs? Nowhere to be seen here in the former Zaire.
Instead, an army officer gave a salute, welcoming travelers to the new Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kinshasa seemed peaceful, except for the shelling in Brazzaville across the river.
The next day I took an eight-hour train ride to Matadi. After a two-hour drive I was in Boma, on the Congo River across from Angola.
Our Boma brethren are doing well under the care of Raphael Benza Tsuka, our only elder in the Congo.
They organized a two-day campaign. The first evening Mr. Benza and I gave a Bible lecture for about 80 people, and the following day we had a social with songs, dances, skits and food. Journalists were present and gave reports in the press and on the radio.
The next morning we baptized a man from Matadi in the Congo River.
I took a boat from Boma to Muanda, where I was met by Marc Mbatshi, one of our leaders. We headed out to the village of Nsiamfumu.
The village chief gave us permission to conduct services there. When he realized that the Worldwide Church of God wanted a long-term presence in the village, he gave the church a piece of land in the middle of the village, and Marc and others built a hall out of bamboo and grass, supported by metal poles.
We invited the village leaders to attend our services that evening.
Early Saturday morning, July 5, the boat took us back to Boma, where we took a car to Matadi, where a group of 50 people, including prospective members and the man in charge of religious broadcasting at the radio station, were waiting for us.
However, the fan belt broke outside of Boma, and we returned to town to fix the car. By the time we reached Matadi, everyone had left the hall.
We went to the radio station to apologize, but the man who had waited for us was not there. We were told to come back before 6 in the morning, which we did.
At 7:50 a.m. we went live on radio with a message that went to all towns in the province. I spoke in French, and the man translated into Kikongo and Lingala. Near the end, I passed the microphone to Mr. Benza. It was important that a local representative of the church be heard.
I asked God to bless the Congo, and inspire the new leaders to make wise decisions for the benefit of the whole population.
We conducted our third training seminar for church leaders July 7 to July 10.
The participants committed themselves in a "mutual accountability agreement of sincere and honest obedience to Christ." On the last day we celebrated the Lord's Supper, complete with foot-washing.
Before taking the bread and the wine, we each committed ourselves in prayer before God and before our fellow leaders. This ceremony had a profound effect on everyone.
Television journalists covered the formal closing of our seminar at worship services on Saturday, July 12. That afternoon I was a guest on the national news program.
On July 13 I left the Congo, leaving a group of enthusiastic leaders. We pray that the country will know better days under a government that seems to want positive change.
Church leaders in Kinshasa, Congo
Aug. 19, 1997, WN, page one
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