Southland Christian Church

The Call…The Cabbage Patch and…The Kids…

Four years ago we began learning about the country in Africa known as “The Heart of Darkness.” For years this country has been ruled by ruthless dictators that have suppressed and taken from the people. Outside forces, militias from the Rwandan genocide of the 90’s, have made this country a living hell on earth. Today, as you are reading this, 243 people will die from murder, starvation and disease. Today, 53 women will be raped…some brutalized and left for dead. Today, 17 Million people in the Congo are starving.

The Call…

I think God is broken hearted seeing all of this. I think back to the shortest verse in the Bible….”Jesus wept.” I think tears are rolling from His face.

In the past 2 years we have begun development with Food for the Hungry, the Evangelical Church in Eastern DR Congo and just two weeks ago with Ed and Brenda Buell of African Christian Mission in Bukavu. Our main focus is with Food for the Hungry. The Thomas Kelley Project is what we are supporting.

The Cabbage Patch…

Along with our partner Food for the Hungry, Southland has funded the Thomas Kelley Project. The project is a “hand-up” initiative. “Give a man a fish…feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish…feed him for a life time.” For many years numerous organizations have tried to supply food to the DR Congo. Today, starvation remains one of the DR Congo’s biggest problems. Our approach is one of self-sustainability. Remember I said in the beginning of this that rulers had suppressed…the people have to learn and “do it on their own.” They have never been given the opportunity to do better. Southland and Food for the Hungry are merely in the DR Congo to come alongside and help the Congolese provide for themselves. In the picture you see 7 women and 6 men working in the cabbage patch. The cabbage was funded by Southland. The land was a marsh area that flooded constantly. The Congolese knew that this land was some of the most fertile in the area. But, due to flooding, the Congolese could not grow any food in the marsh. Food for the Hungry developed a system of diversion channels to capture the water and divert it around the bottomland. The channels also provided an irrigation system as it ran down the sides of the bottomland and at certain distances across the fields. Here is a picture of a channel.

The other amazing “win story” on this is that there are 6 men working with the women! In Africa, men place the entire burden of work on the women. In the DR Congo as you ride along the roadways you will encounter large groups of “pack-women.” These women, young and old place 100 pound plus bags of charcoal on their backs and carry them all day to the city…sometimes 20 miles or more. We arrived to see the cabbage patch being weeded. The plants are healthy and already returning life to the village. You see, not only can the people eat the cabbage but each head of cabbage is sold to trucks going to the city. The money provides a way for families to afford some other staples and...send the kids to school (in some schools $2USD per week). Now, the village can grow and become self-sustainable. A “win”…ABSOLUTELY!

Other initiatives of the Thomas Kelley Project and our partnership with Food for the Hungry are growing healthy bananas and goat houses. Bananas in the Congo have a disease. Food for the Hungry, with our support, has imported 6 wilt tolerant varieties of Honduran bananas. These are propagated and grown by the people in the village for consumption and sale. In the picture you see the kids learning to propagate and grow the bananas. Each propagator will grow 3000 to 4000 banana plants.

After the bananas reach a certain stage they are transplanted to a field or grove. In 3 villages there are now enough groves of bananas to feed the villages. This comes after just ONE year of our work with the project.

Goats! Yes, goats…In two of the villages where the Thomas Kelley Project is working goat houses are being constructed. These houses will coral the wandering village goats and provide a safe and stable environment. Goats provide milk, cheese and meat and can be sold in the villages and cities. Left outside, they become vulnerable to thieves and thus an asset is gone and so a part of sustainability.

Pretty nice goat house!

The Kids…

The two most vulnerable groups of people in the world are kids and women. Women have been abused and degraded for far too long and yet the example of which day are most telephone calls made rings out loud…do you know the answer? MOTHER’S Day! Where would we be without women? We wouldn’t…think about it. So, why are women vulnerable? What makes men abuse and treat these precious souls so badly? One of the places Southland is hoping to develop a partnership with in the DR Congo is The Hospital at Panzi. Dr. Dennis Mukwege restores the tortured and brutally raped women of the Congo physically and mentally. In 2000 Dr. Mukwege was working in a hospital south of Bukavu mending raped women. He told us that he was caring for over 100 women. One day soldiers came to the hospital and killed all of the women he was restoring. How can this happen? How can he go on? God has definitely placed a call on this man’s life. Please pray that we can develop a partnership. Please pray for the Lord’s leading in this and if we can partner in this work…His love and protection. THIS WILL BE A VERY DIFFICULT WORK! The picture below is of the women at Panzi Hospital getting their daily meal of porridge.

And…the picture below is of a mother who was raped by soldiers gave birth to the little girl standing beside her. Then 3 years passed and soldiers raped the mother again and this time…her 3 year old daughter.

Back to the kids…We would all agree that children are the future. We have to start now sharing about Jesus and the hope He gives. On Friday October 30 the team from Southland was blessed. We shared the story of Noah and how God sent the rainbow as a sign with what we were told would be 50 to 80 children but ended up being 400 to 500 children. Lord…thank you so much for each child that ran through the woods to see the Mugungas (white people). I pray that the two children that looked up at us and said “thank you for coming and we know about Noah” can be used to spread your message to all of the children in these villages.

Our prayer for next time is for enough Kool-Aid and Animal crackers for ALL of the village children. This time we had to look into the eyes of over 300 children that did not get Kool-Aid and Animal Crackers and know that some were starving. This was extremely tough! The pictures show the kids but do no justice to sharing their hearts, hunger and precious little smiles. Notice the bracelets on their arms. The bracelets are fun foam animals, 2 by 2. Thanks to Age Level and Dottie Harney for making these. We gave out over 200. The children were so excited!

Now…how does all of this fit with the Lord’s work and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with others? The relationships we are building mean everything. You have to get to know each other and understand one another and where we both live to know how to move ahead.

Several have asked how the trip to the DR Congo went. I share that we had prayed for clarity of vision and to learn about what the DR Congo was really all about. Careful what you ask for! Our awareness of what is happening in the country grows each time we go. As far as understanding…I am not sure if we will ever understand. I can explain it this way, whenever something seems wrong and perplexing…The Southland team would say to you, “WTC” or “Welcome to Congo!” What a WIN as we continue to walk in this work with the Lord’s leading.

Last and certainly not least some thank you’s. Southeast Christian in Parker, Colorado and Mrs. Kelley, Tom’s wife have, both played a huge part in supporting this initiative and I personally am so thankful. Tom has gone home to be with the Lord but he had the original vision and compassion for the people of the eastern DR Congo. Many thanks for his life and the work that he did. And, as for the Food for the Hungry and the staff in the DR Congo…you all are the best! Michael, Joel, Liz and all of you, you have done great work and truly shown your love and care for others. Thank you for what you do and for all you did for the Southland team!

Thanks to the elders and leaders of Southland for allowing Missions to be a part of this much needed ministry to the people of the DR Congo.