Prayers

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Congo trip : power of prayer

As the five of us, from Elpetra Ministries in Vredenburg South Africa, set out for the Congo, in our “Jesus for Africa” bakkie, I felt a terrible sense of foreboding. I doubted our vehicle’s ability to get us to the Congo and back (traversing some 8000 km) and questioned whether our available resources (finances) would be sufficient for the trip. I was concerned about where we would sleep, and more importantly, whether we would find decent ablution facilities. Had God in fact sent us on this trip – or were we doing this out of our own?

As our journey into deepest, darkest, Africa progressed, these questions were being asked more earnestly. Our bakkie already started giving us trouble in Gauteng - stalling on the highway in Randburg. This was before we had even got over the South African border. Our voyage through Africa was fraught with fault-finding, bribe-seeking, officials – at the border posts, along the roads, in the cities and towns. Hygiene was a misnomer – there weren’t any decent toilets and ablution facilities over the South African border. And the worst was still to come. We were heading towards the country featuring in the South African news because of its faction wars and civilians fleeing the country. These were my fears – and the devil was having a field day with me.

But there was also no denying that we were enjoying good fortune, and good favour from men, along the way. Despite my (initial) pessimism, I had to admit that we were moving in victory over despotism and other evils. In every awkward and difficult situation there was ALWAYS an escape route. Obstacles arose, but were overcome. Every threat to our progress was cancelled. Clearly God’s hand of protection was over us (undoubtedly in response to the prayer activity surrounding our trip).Our morning, Bible, devotions always shed light on our proceedings for the day ahead. For example humility, that we had read about in Luke 14:10-11, was the key to getting us through the taxing Zambian borders (without paying penalty fees), and for receiving mercy from traffic officials (for speeding, not wearing safety belts, etc). In times of despondency Psalm 37 gave us the necessary encouragement. Our pastor, Trevor Brandon, who was leading the trip, used this same scripture to motivate many of the Righteous (Christians) who crossed our path in Africa.

After 4 days’ traveling we reached Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a third-world country. It is war-torn and derelict, but spiritually rich. (And this is my impression of all the African countries we traveled through). The Congolese are a beautiful, majestic, yet warm and meek nation. We, as Christians, can learn a lot from them. They wake up early in the morning not to rush off to work, but to spend time in prayer (we awoke to the sound of their prayers every morning). They humble themselves; they appreciate the little they have; they make do with the little that they have; they are grateful for the least; they give their last to strangers. Their receptiveness and responsiveness to our team, which came to preach the Gospel to them, perform dramas and give personal testimonies, was unfathomable.

The community, where we were staying in Lumbumbashi, treated us like celebrities. Wonderful relationships were forged between them and ourselves. Myron, Wayne and Denise on our team, won the hearts of the Congalese children – teaching them, playing with them, and entertaining them. It was a heartsore moment for these children when we left to go back to South Africa.

This outreach trip to the Congo has made me realize that I am not cut out for missionary work - an extremely sacrificial lifestyle. I found it a real challenge to adapt to the impoverished living conditions and the language barrier (in the Congo specifically), and therefore have absolute admiration and respect for the early missionaries into Africa. Modern day missionary work in Africa is tough enough. We could travel through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Congo, and Botswana, which are all (largely) Christian countries thanks to the pioneering work of the early missionaries. Their legacies continue in Africa through the buildings they have erected – churches, schools, clinics. One of the members of our team needed urgent medical (hospital) care. Thanks to a catholic priest, who had established a clinic in the area we were staying, we could get her the emergency medical care she required.

Our trip to the Congo gave me the opportunity to share my testimony, and encourage others to seek after the Truth. I also gained much spiritual insight. The Bible tells us to accumulate riches in heaven (viz in the spiritual realm), rather than in the world. What struck me about the Christians we encountered in the Congo was their spiritual wealth. They have been through an ordeal with political strife, etc and know what pain and suffering is. They now desire peace, love and joy above all else. We might see them as poor, but they are happy people, who really know how to rejoice in the Lord. This wealth, in the spiritual realm, is the resource that we draw from when facing hardship in life. A person, like our pastor leading the Congo outreach who has been a child of God for many years, has a greater spiritual reservoir (ie a greater concept of God) to draw from than someone like myself who is relatively new to The Walk. This explains why I could feel so crushed by fear, whilst he could proceed so boldly, when faced with the same circumstances.

Prayer is one of the building blocks of spiritual wealth (and I endeavor to spend more time in prayer). At the time of our trip I was reading a book on prayer by Philip Yancey. Our experiences in the Congo bear witness to the conclusions reached in the book – that prayer does work, but on God’s terms. I cite the following example as a case in point: While preparing for our Congo outreach trip we were hoping to be blessed with a suitable vehicle. We prayed about it. We envisaged a 4*4, luxury, vehicle. But when God answered our prayers, we did not get what we had asked for. We left for the Congo in our almost-decrepit, high-mileage, Nissan bakkie. However, God saw to it that the vehicle went way beyond her manufacturer’s specifications, and current condition, in getting us from Vredenburg to the Congo, around the Congo, and back to the Western Cape (where the engine finally ceased in Van Rhynsdorp). In jest, we christened her (our bakkie) after the biblical “Martha” because she really had worked hard for us (for the Lord). The vehicle breaking down in Van Rhynsdorp was no coincidence. It gave us the opportunity to link up with, and bless, other modern-day good Samaritans. Again – God’s will for our Congo trip.

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