Joy in Congo Brazzaville
21/07/2011
At some point, most people have had the experience
of patching up holes in a
wall. Furniture, children rough-housing, and repairmen needing to access pipes,
all can cause damage to walls, and result in the need for repair. During the
spring Global Mission Team to Congo Brazzaville, the seven team members patched
many holes, large and small, but in this case the damage was caused by bullets
and conflict. Civil war at the turn of the century had left the Salvation
Army's camp in Yangui in disrepair and in need of attention. The team, along
with skilled locals and Salvationists, took on this task, replacing bricks,
patching bullet holes, building new beds, and installing a new roof, just to
name a few of the challenges. The worship center and dormitory then received
new coats of paint inside and out, transforming the worn buildings to places of
dignity and beauty.
The project location
brought with it a
few obstacles: hot, humid
weather; muddy roads that kept vehicles stuck as hostages for hours until
another truck or group of Congolese people came by to help; a lack of local
hardware stores to obtain any needed supplies; and generally primitive
conditions on site. But the joyful spirit of the Congolese people and the team
through their common love of Jesus Christ, overcame these issues. Smiles
overcame language barriers as the team laughed with the ladies who did the
cooking and the local workmen on site. God was doing something very precious
with the Yangui project: even as the repairing of physical structures was
taking place, the uniting of the hearts of both Americans and Congolese took
place. The result was a joyful glimpse of the kingdom of God.