Visit by Minister of Higher Ed

We want to thank you for your continued prayers and standing with the people of Mulungwishi in the things that are so pertinent to our lives. In the past few weeks, God has done wonderful things in putting pieces together.

Electric hope

In terms of our electricity, the railroad has ended its strike and there is hope that they will be bringing in another transformer to replace theirs that was burned out. We have ordered a new more powerful transformer for the mission station. It is being assembled in South Africa and we should have it in Congo within 6 to 8 weeks.

College of Agriculture too?

The Minister of Higher Education came to visit the Universities in the Province. Mulungwishi was on the agenda. Everything that he was looking for in a University, he found at Mulungwishi. He said, “The hope for Congo and its educational system is found in the private Christian Universities.” He also wanted us to start a college of agriculture. He commented that our library was probably the second or third best in the country. The Minister also visited the graves of Bishop and Mrs. Springer, who started the Methodist work in this part of the Congo, Mom and Dad Bartlett and Congolese pastors.

Lori destined for TV?

The Women’s School was a revelation to him and he insisted that Lori be interviewed for national television. Over supper, David gave a speech outlining Mulungwishi’s past, present and future. He mentioned the problems of miners wanting to take over the Mulungwishi hill with the cross. That hill is a symbol to the Christian community and an historical site containing the caves where Msiri, a chief who opposed the Belgians, hid during the colonial period. Below the hill is the underground river which is the source of the station’s water supply. David also mentioned the abandoned farm across the road which belongs to the state mining company. Since the minister is pushing us to open a college of agriculture, this farm would be ideal for this project and could the government give it to us. The minister wanted to take all this information and take it back to the capital to the members of the Cabinet.

Be in prayer

We have put together dossiers on the hill, the farm, accreditation for our Masters of Leadership and also accreditation for the College of Public Health at our extension in Kamina. Dr. Kasap, the President of the University, and Bishop Ntambo have flown to Kinshasa to present these dossiers to the various Ministers concerned. Be in much prayer that the Lord would intervene and give us grace in the eyes of the authorities.

More photos

I've completed scanning and posting of the 2008 Graduation period photos. Also, Esther, a volunteer from Switzerland, was kind enough to mail a CD of some photos from her visit to Mulungwishi in July and August, 2008.

The photos are mostly about the Nutrition Program, Doris Bartlett Women's School, and of children, but there are a few others. Included in the newly posted photos are ones of kids at Fungurume, a town about 18 miles from the Mulungwishi campus.

David says, "It will soon be a boom town. There are fantastic copper and cobalt deposits and they are just beginning the production. The big investors are Phelps Dodge out of Phoenix. They have just been bought out by Freeport. But it is an impressive setup and one that would make Americans proud. They really care about safety and the environment. I won't go into details, but it is mining done right and with concern for the population."

• Doris Bartlett (Mama Doris) Women's School photo gallery
• Nutrition Program gallery
• All of the new photos

Post-Easter news

We have just celebrated Easter and we rejoice in the truth of our risen Lord! What a hope we have. Our local Mulungwishi Church celebrated with special music and baptisms of three babies, eleven children, and thirteen adults and then received thirty-two into membership.

Lori's aunt died

This Easter was particularly meaningful to us as a family this month. We lost Lori’s Aunt Joan on Palm Sunday. She was Lori’s mother’s younger sister and died at the age of 86. Aunt Joan was like a second mother to Lori, particularly when she was separated from her parents when they were in Congo. All through the years she has been encouraging and always had good counsel. She was a wonderful person and we will surely miss her. On Easter Sunday evening, Lori’s second cousin on her father’s side, Kyle, passed away from cancer. She has been battling this for several years. She was in her 40’s and leaves behind her husband and three children. It has been a hard week for the Family. Truly the resurrection brings us hope in the midst of these losses. As Paul says, “Death where is your victory?”

Internet access is intermittent

We also need to catch you up on several items that we asked you specifically to pray about. We have to explain that even though we now have Internet in our home, it does not always work! Smile! Also, we need the generator running … sometimes we think the Internet runs when the power is not on and stops when we put the power on! So we are not always able to keep up with your emails. Keep praying for patience! Wish we could send our parrot, Isaiah, to tell you about everything because he picks things up and makes comments all the time!

Bandits may be under control

First, our concern with the armed bandits that had come on the station several times and have beaten people and stolen their money. Part of the problem, was one of the local chiefs, who was also the police chief for the area, and has a real alcoholic problem. He had come on to the station, out of his head with all kinds of accusations and didn’t make sense at all. He was angry and threatening to anyone who tried to help him. As he got angrier and he said he was calling for soldiers to come and destroy the station and also he wanted to shoot our Dean Emeritus, Dr. Kajoba! Finally he left. It was that night that the first bandits came on the station. So there was a real sense that his people were behind it. The following day police from outside the area came to make an investigation and we called in all the local chiefs and explained what happened. They were appalled and that evening he was arrested and removed. It put everyone in a state of insecurity as we have not had to deal with people with arms before. The District Commissioner and head of the police came and brought a new police chief. We have two policemen, patrolling with arms, on the station and we also have students patrolling from time to time. Things seem to have quieted down but we remain vigilant. Thank you for your concerns and prayers. We trust these were isolated incidents.

Electricity problems

Our second and more complicated problem is that of electricity. The Train Company remains on strike! As you know, our own newer transformer was blown. Then from time to time we were lent one from the Train Company … paying rent for a lesser one and yet it was their fault that ours blew! Then with poor maintenance the small transformers blew also! We need a new one, with more power, than before, as the University keeps growing! We wrote all this up as a project, as well as construction for new dormitories. This project was presented to the Governor of Katanga in mid-February. He gave the order that we be given $50,000 for the project ($25,000 for the transformer and $25,000 for the construction). Will wonders never cease! However, knowledge of his letter and his gift was kept from us by his staff for several weeks. Finally, we got the message! Yea! Dr. Kasap, the President of the University, went to Lubumbashi to follow up on this and get the money. It took him a month to get it! (Kind of like paperwork in our government! ) The lower echelon of government people were not interested in parting with so much money if they did not get something also! Dr. Kasap held firm and didn’t lose his cool but persistently kept pushing to get the money. They cooked up many hurdles to get through! (Someday, we should write a book!) They finally had the money for him. Praise the Lord for answered prayer and using people we did not expect help from!! In a real concrete way, He is bringing light into our darkness!!! We are now working with engineers and people in South Africa, to order the best transformer that fits our needs. Our guess is that it will take two to three months to get it!! Also, we have to have the Train Company up and running and work with the Electric Company. This will mean more leg work and paperwork and getting the right people to work on installing! Keep praying!

Everyday news

On the everyday home front, we keep teaching classes and answering the hundred needs at the door. With the world financial crisis, people, here, are struggling even more than before, if that is possible! The mining groups have closed most of their places for now, waiting for copper to go back up! Soooo much malnutrition and children hurting for help! Thank you, to all those who keep the nutrition program going.

Prayer request

Again, we want to thank you for your continual prayer support during these difficult times. Indeed, God’s presence in these times and your standing with us is a great comfort to us and to all living at Mulungwishi. We are very much aware of the financial crisis in the States and what you are going through, so it means even more, to have your faithful gifts and support! Keep praying!

Dozens of new photos

As I scan in more printed photos, the online albums are growing. Most of the latest ones are of the Nutrition Clinic, but they also include a new one of Lori in local dress.

• Photo Album

Our hope is in the Lord

We want to thank you for your continued prayers for Mulungwishi Station. The tension has subsided somewhat since we wrote last. The local village chiefs have been around to talk and to help. Also the regional administrator and police chief have been to the Station to investigate. The Bishops have also been following the situation closely. We are comforted by their concern. There are just so many people who have been laid off and are desperate. The use of guns is a new thing here. There have been robberies before but never life threatening with weapons. Everything … classes and work are going along normally during the day but then at night it changes. With no electricity it makes any kind of guarding and prevention difficult. We have students patrolling at different times of the night and even some of the chiefs have been helping out. People are being very careful and lock up their houses as soon as the sun goes down. We know that our ultimate security lies in the Lord and continually people are encouraging each other and praying. This is such a new twist for us here, that is seems that it is not even true! Along with the prayers for safety, we are sooooo wanting to have the electricity back! The Train Company is now, back at work after being on strike for almost three months. (because they had had no pay for 36 months!) So we are now trying to work with the top people to get connected to some kind of transformer. There is always careful negotiations with the top because they are hungry too! Then things will have to be set up … rebuilt and reconnected. Thank you for being there with us.

Water

Surrounded by ants in the bath-basin ... a fight to the death! They are not getting any of my water except what I flush them down the drain with! The spout off the porch roof would make a wonderful shower ... think I'll ask the Lord to heat it a bit! Of course that may not be a good "missionary" connection with the neighbors! David is out washing his hair [photo at right. Click the photo to see it and the other rain-related ones] while collecting water in buckets at the roof spout. I think we should just soap him down and then he could have a bath and we could wash his clothes at the same time! Just think of the millions of people who have no close water supply or it is a dirty shallow well. They walk miles carrying buckets, basins, or any containers that will work ... tied to their bicycles, their backs, on their heads ... with always a line to wait through! We are so Fortunate! that we have the good well and the rain here at Mulungwishi! Pray for others and the many leaders of nations who do not see these issues as important and may it also challenge us to use water wisely. Pray for more rain!

Prayers needed: Typhoid fever and armed bandits

We apologize for not being in contact with you. This is due to a lot of factors. The first being the lack of electricity, which also limits our Internet time. We have also had to hit the ground running in order to catch up on our classes, and different projects that we have. We continue without electricity. This has developed other problems that we can add to what we have already written. There has been an outbreak of typhoid fever in the area due to bad water. We are going into the dry season and we need to pump water so as to provide clean water. We have started to pump twice a week using diesel fuel at $5 a gallon. When we have electricity, it is free and we have it 24x7. The other problem of lack of electricity is the living in the dark. Already twice this month, armed bandits have come on to the station and have robbed, beaten and tortured a number of our teachers. In fact as we write, we are up because four men in black clothes were spotted coming on the the station and looking for our driver. The students are mobilized and are circulating around the campus. However they do not have guns. Since we will be up most of the night, we figured we would try to catch up on some of the e-mails. This is where we are and we need your prayers.