DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO – Three members of First Baptist Church, LaBelle, spent 12 days in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and saw God move mightily.
Pastor James Renot, his wife Rhonda, and his sister Vivian Simmons, a retired teacher from Jefferson County, Mo., joined African team members June 26 – July 8. The Renots had been in the DRC before.
The Power of Prayer
The trip was moved up two weeks when, as LaBelle church members prayed, it was impressed on the Renots that Congolese were praying for someone to share the gospel with them.
As time played out, the LaBelle team realized by God moving the trip up, they avoided the computer outage that shut down airports and a taxi strike that has since happened.
“Initially, we assumed the Lord was sending me back to a tribe that wasn’t open to the gospel, near the Kwilu River, in the Bandundu Province. When the bush plane landed, we couldn’t cross the river. Instead, our team traveled 180 kilometers (111 miles) over five days, sharing the gospel in nine villages, among several tribes. The testimony of many was their prayer for someone to come and tell them about Jesus,” James Renot said.
“There was a church in every village, and most people attended weekly. They prayed, sang, joined choirs, and gave offerings of manioc (root crop), but many people didn’t surrender their hearts to Christ. They tried to please God by being good, but had no peace, and lived with fear.”
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO – More than 200 people professed faith in Christ after hearing Bible stories told using an International Mission Board (IMB) story cloth, shown above.
While James traveled to the villages, Rhonda and Vivian led a women’s program in Delvaux Baptist Church, attended a graduation at Nbenseki Baptist Church, and led a two-day Bible School at Nbudi Church.
“Using an IMB (International Mission Board) story cloth, 213 adults surrendered their heart to Christ.
“God used each person of the team uniquely. Jean drove the truck and took care of the team. Charles was our guide and Kituba Interpreter. Christian coordinated the trip details, led music and helped with the invitation, and I shared the gospel. None of us could have accomplished God’s will alone. He brought each of us together for His will and His glory,” he said.
Changing a Community
Life in the former Belgian colony of Kinshasa has few opportunities for financial success. Girls and women rise early each day to find and carry water long distances. The work makes it difficult for girls to finish school.
In their desperation, some use prostitution to support basic needs, despite messages of sexual purity. When pregnancy occurs, it is another mouth to feed.
Some women sew for income. FBC LaBelle’s WMU group provided funds for five hand-crank sewing machines for a women’s class at Delvaux in Kinshasa. Each week, single mothers learn to sew at the church. A teacher prayed and shared God’s Word. The church uses the sewing ministry to evangelize and provide hope for young women learning a skill to support families.
“The pastor said they could use more sewing machines,” Renot said.
Experiencing God’s Goodness
Pastor Sita of the Limete Commune in Kinshsa started his ministry elsewhere in the city, but while the followers grew in number, there weren’t enough funds to build. Then property disputes followed here and in another area where they tried to start a church. After being evangelized, several from violent gangs in Limete gave their hearts to Christ and were baptized in a stream.
Renot preached at a mosquito-laden outdoor service and “a large number” of people surrendered to Christ.
“While some had attended for a long time, it was the first time some heard the plan of salvation,” Renot said.
When Opposition Comes
He said often mission programs fail to tell the stories of opposition to the gospel.
“After a few days of successful evangelism in Bandundu Province our team planned to spend a night in a village. Before dark, a dog appeared and caused concerns of rabies. The next morning, an angry man came believing we were buying property. He and a group of people didn’t want us to go to the church and intended to cause problems. Immediately, one team member recalled a dream a few nights prior, and another feared arrest.
“Having prayed about potential opposition, I had peace and encouraged them to remain steadfast in the work. Like Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27), we may be called to share in the suffering of Jesus, or like the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 11), we may be called to suffer for the sake of the gospel. We must ask for the grace of Christ to endure the hardship of our faith for His glory (Matthew 5),” he said.
“Perhaps I was naive, or didn’t fully understand the level of the opposition. I knew what God wanted us to do, and we went to the church. Although people were discouraged from attending the service, a great crowd came rather than working in the forest that Monday morning. Those opposing didn’t come, but 56 adults prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior,”
“It was a great lesson for our team to learn about God’s faithfulness. Regardless of the outcome, we must trust Christ and serve Him faithfully.”
Servants Hearts
“For years, the Mt. Salem Wyaconda Southern Baptist Association (MSWSBA) meets monthly for sewing. They have sewed thousands of eyeglass covers for different areas in the world. During our evangelism trip, FBC LaBelle provided reading glasses for pastors and deacons of a Baptist association in Kinshasa, and eyeglass covers sewn by MSWSBA members.
“There was great joy for the pastors in reading their Bibles without struggling to see the words,” Renot said.
Going the Extra Mile
“The last morning of ministry work in DRC, we went to share Bible stories in a small village. No people were present when we started singing under the palm fronds. The pastor arrived and played the drum. Soon children arrived, followed by the mothers, teenagers, and men.
“When the choirs finished singing, the church was filled, and most people stood to hear the message. The gospel was received, as some people prayed for several months to hear the Good News of Jesus. During the invitation, 38 adults surrendered their hearts to Christ.
“At the end of the invitation, a choir of six women from another village a few miles away came through the forest. Since they walked that far, the pastor asked the church to allow them to sing. When they sang, I was amazed to hear the words. My interpreter confirmed their song was the message I shared that morning.
“After the service ended, we shared the gospel more fully. They knew about Jesus and sang about Him, but did not know what to do. When they heard we were going to share the gospel, they went the extra mile to learn about Jesus. All six women invited Jesus into their hearts. It was a blessing to see the Father drawing the lost to Himself (John 6:44).” Renot said.