Mennonites in the Congo

The following is the account of Mennonites Bud and Clement Kroeker who are transporting a truck to Congo for to transport goods to the needy ... 'Bud' Kroeker takes us along for the pickup in Port Boma ... 
 

D.M. Stearns Missionary Fund

P.O. Box 1578

North Wales, PA 19454

Greetingsfrom Kinshasa.  

July 3, 2013

I landed here in Kinshasa safely Tuesday night, July 2. The pilot said that it had been perfect weather for flying, and our arrival was right on time. Just the same, it was midnight by the time I got to the home of Dan and Christine Grings who are giving me lodging.

Thank you for praying for this trip. All the last minute details were taken care of last week in spite of many unpredictable events.

This morning I woke up early. Erik Kumedisa came and we had a long conversation, discussing the plans for the coming days. The ship arrives tomorrow at the Port of Boma so the truck will be unloaded that evening or the next day.  Erik will come pick me up at 6 a.m. tomorrow and we will go by bus to the Port.

Two Congolese men helping us with customs documents are already there. We'll need to get the other papers for the truck, insurance, immatriculation paper, etc. in Boma once we get there.

Please pray that the customs fees will not be too high. Normally, non-profit organizations don't have the same tax fees, but it takes many months, even a year to get this exemption paper.

I will be meeting with pastors in a few minutes.

Thank you for your encouragement in preparing this trip. God is good. We thank Him for providing and for guiding us day by day.

Bud Kroeker

D. M. Stearns Missionary Fund

P.O.Box 1578

North Wales, PA 19454  USA

http://congoopenheart.org/

Clement & Charlotte Kroeker

15, Ave. des Mésanges — BE-1480  Tubize Clabecq, Belgium

Tél. +322 355 99 06 — E-mail: kroeker@skynet.be

07 July, 2013

Dear Friends,

We are here in the city of Boma for the first time, arriving last night. A Pastor welcomed us at the bus terminal and took an old taxi to drive us over dirt roads to the Hostel of the Old Port. As he showed us our room, he told us that the river was right next to us.

Mennonites of Congo, Burkino Faso

Notes from 20 Sept 2012 AIMM Centennial Roundtable at Goda Cafe, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Pastor Benjamin Mubenga, Evangelical Mennonite Church of Congo

“It is not good to cut the roots of this tree which has now grown so grand.”  [The tense in this is off – it seemed convey more a sense of we are preserving what is and celebrate it … not that it was actually threatened].

How can we bring the Good News to the rest of Africa?

a.      Spiritual priorities

b.      Community development

Question:  Many American Evangelicals feel that the missionary focus should be on Evangelism and that the church should not be distracted by social or economic development issues.  Would you agree or how would you address such criticism?