Help School an African Child

2013/7/18 Thursday, Kigali – Goma

Dear brother, peace be to you!

At 08h10, Samson and Reverien, from Kigali, came ahead of time to my accommodation to see me. We talked about many things concerning the current situation of Kivu church. As the local government believes our existing place of worship to be unsafe, they have not allowed them to hold services in the building. According to the regulations of the Rwandan government, church buildings have to be constructed from bricks and supporting structures have to be made of metal. This is unlike in Congo, where services may be held in buildings made from wooden planks and canopies. At present, services are held in the open air. Membership is 245.

The local government in Kivu has been insisting that Kivu church builds a church building. If they do not comply, they will not be allowed to hold services. But because the cost of construction was estimated to be around US$10,000, and because it was uncertain how to manage the funds set aside for the construction, the matter was put aside all this while. However, Reverien, who lives in Kigali and has a business in the construction industry, has now specially made a site visit to Kivu church, which is in the mountains, and come up with an estimate of US$13,000. The Kivu members will be responsible for ⅓ of this amount (US$4,392; most of this covers the cost of construction workers). We will bear the remaining US$8,268.

In the middle of our discussion, at 08h30, Baraka, Olivier and Eric, all from Goma, joined us. We talked until 10h30 and asked Reverien to make a draft, listing the costs and time needed for the construction. All who were present put down their signatures as witnesses. I promised them that “if the funds could be raised” (brother, we will have to trouble the Living Spring Cultural Association and the Lily of The Valley Community Outreach once again!), I would send them the money in four batches of approximately US$2,000 each. The amount sent in each batch will be determined based on the actual amount used of the preceding funds sent. We will have to see actual photos of the construction done using the preceding batch of funds before remitting the next batch of funds. Everyone further agreed that the finances would be managed by our co-workers from Goma.

There is still a long way to go, and I do not know what changes may lie ahead. We pray that the Lord will lead the way.
Around 11h30, we parted from our co-workers from Kigali and took a bus to the transfer station for long-distance journeys. It was packed with people and vehicles. We had a quick lunch at a little side stall by the square of the transfer station before we began our journey. Because there were four of us, the normal transportation fare was US$20. But this only took us to the border and we had to get a motorcycle taxi to take us to the checkpoint. It was tiring. We called for a taxi and managed to bargain the fare down to US$70.

Rwanda has given itself a very beautiful name: the land of a thousand hills.

The winding mountain roads were full of bends and curves, and the few straight sections were very rarely more than 300 metres long. The journey in the taxi took 3 hours; the roads twisted and turned all the way to the border. After crossing the Rwanda checkpoint, we arrived at the Congolese checkpoint. The Congolese guard at the checkpoint said to me, “Hey! I know you!”

There are normally many motorcycle taxis competing for passengers beyond the Congolese checkpoint, but today we didn’t see a single one. Haha, I don’t know when the restriction that taxis were only allowed to wait for passengers 500 metres beyond the checkpoint was put in place. In other words... we had to make our way slowly up an uphill stretch of road! Fortunately, Olivier and Baraka took my luggage. Still, this stretch of road was long enough for me, especially after the twenty-odd hours of activity since I got off the plane. The physical strength I need to make another trip to Congo appears to be diminishing.

Brother! Let’s go! Let’s walk while God still allows us to do so.

We got on the motorcycle. For safety reasons, I went to a different hotel this time so that nobody would be able to find me easily. The first hotel we went to was too expensive—US$70 per night. The front and back doors were heavily guarded. We then went to another hotel which was said to be very noisy at weekends. Upon entering the hotel, we discovered that a wedding dinner was being held in the basement. It was really noisy. But the owner appeared to be an old acquaintance of Eric, and the price was bargained down to US$18 per night. The only drawback (sorry, as it is, it is already considered very luxurious by the standards of our co-workers from Goma) of this place is that there is no internet connection in the rooms. For this, I have to go to the common room. However, the connection is very unstable and the chances of dropped connections are high.

Speaking of the information superhighway, I have been coming to Goma for the past ten years, and every year the state of the roads seems to be getting worse and worse. They are full of potholes and the bumpy rides on the motorcycle taxis are painfully uncomfortable. Apart from the roads leading to the residences of high-ranking officials and a stretch of road about 300 metres long near my accommodation—these roads have been filled and repaired—I have never seen any roads in Goma being repaired! By contrast, because base stations are highly lucrative and simple to build, mobile phone networks and internet services have seen extremely rapid growth (the costs associated with fixed line telephones are high and they have all but disappeared)! In Africa, every poor person nonetheless still has at least one cell phone. I previously asked Baraka why this was so; he replied saying that things would be worse without a cell phone—people would have to travel by the very bumpy roads to inform every person concerned of any important news. That would be even more expensive.

Gasana, Nzabanita, Stephano and M., four of our co-workers from North Kivu, came to meet us halfway. We were all very joyful to see one another. We bumped heads three times—left, right and center—as a sign of close friendship. I was left feeling a little dizzy by the fourth head. When we got to the hotel, we put down our bags and went to the common room to listen to the brief reports and reviews of the work of the past year. Two churches were damaged in the war. Some brethren have gone missing, and some have ended up in refugee camps. In this environment where many have been displaced from their homes, the church as a whole has still held up. A total of 200 people were baptized over the past year.

The seven co-workers before me all hope that, apart from conducting the youth spiritual convocation and seminar for preachers and co-workers, I will be able to make an overall evaluation of the team of workers. Thank the Lord. It looks like the Congolese church is now able to operate independently. The four people who came to meet us had not eaten all day, so I quickly made them order some food at the hotel. They all ordered the cheapest thing on the menu—roast chicken, for US$6. The wedding downstairs may have made things particularly busy; it took an hour for the food to arrive! By 20h30, my head was aching and I said goodnight to everyone. On entering the room, I discovered that the bathroom light was broken and saw two cockroaches. I was also met with the most frightening thing that one can encounter in Africa: a disruption of the water supply!

I sat down and stared into space (the day’s journey was windy and dusty; added to this, the fact that I was too tired and didn’t shower last night...hehe), waiting for the water supply to be resumed. I thought about the discussion I had just had with Eric and the other co-workers about the scheme to allow the African children to go to school. Eric is the most popular candidate for the role of provincial president of the Red Cross Society for the next election, which will take place this November. He has been very involved in the work of the Red Cross since his university days, and he is extremely capable, quick and intelligent. Whenever there is a war, he has to go into the battlefield...to collect the dead bodies. He says that the M23 rebels are ruthless when they fight. This time last year, I was also in Goma, with Justin, when the M23 rebels made their way to the border of Goma. Eric had to enter the battlefield every day; he listened to the reports of the various units every morning, and kept urging us to leave without delay every day.

Last year, on 19th November, the M23 rebels, numbering several thousand, defeated the government troops, numbering tens of thousands (the United Nations forces were unable to intervene). The rebels occupied Goma for 12 days, raping, looting and committing all kinds of atrocities. You remember last November, brother, when the rebels entered the city and began fighting near Baraka’s house. With bullets flying everywhere, Baraka went into hiding and sent an SMS saying, “... we’ll meet in heaven!” Yuan Fen wept when she saw the message. She then translated it and forwarded it to everyone to ask them to pray for the brethren... the memory of it is still vivid in my mind. On that occasion, Eric’s restaurant was completely looted. It had to be closed down and now he grows mushrooms instead. During the time of the occupation, none of the people of Goma dared to leave their homes. While Eric was out driving his Red Cross vehicle, he was nearly shot while on the road.

Tonight, despite the continuous television coverage concerning the war, which is taking place just 15 km from Goma, I feel much less worried as Justin is not with me this time. Sometimes I think: God has shown us weaklings great mercy by mere virtue of the fact that our children were not born in Goma! How many people can have the faith and endurance of our co-workers in North Kivu, who are able to work so selflessly for the Lord even under such circumstances?

In truth, I can’t even stop a single bullet while I’m here. I have come, very simply, because of one word. Putting myself in their shoes, if I were them, how I would hope that, during these difficult times, someone would come so I could see (not hear) what it means to be of one body, what love is, what it means when it is said that there is no fear in love...if they were our sons and daughters, even if the sounds of gunfire and cannons were to resound to the skies, would we not come? Yet, I have to admit—may the Lord have mercy—because it is them and not Justin, my footsteps have hesitated in the past, and I never stay for very long.
There is no fear in love. Today, as I crossed the deserted Congolese checkpoint, I could not help but feel a tinge of regret at the possibility of not being able to attend Justin’s wedding...

The water supply has resumed. I quickly take a cold shower. How easy it is to be satisfied here! I think of the other six co-workers. When they get home, they will sleep on the floor, without first being able to have a shower. I open my suitcase and take out a change of clothes. Haha, I discover that the glass bottle containing the gherkins that I had brought for my dinner has broken. My clothes smell of gherkins. But they’re still better than the clothes I’m wearing, so I change into them. Hopefully, I’ll make the lucky discovery that clothes soaked in gherkin juice have a 100% rate of repelling mosquitoes. That would allow me to apply for a patent. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about raising funds for our scheme to help send the African children to school. Haha.

It costs US$75 each year for a Congolese child to go to school. Books and stationery costs US$15. Say every family bears a cost of US$30 and the scheme subsidizes them with US$60. If we were to pilot the scheme now on 100 of our schoolchildren who are in the Lord, we would need US$6,000 in funds for the year. I have asked Eric to see to the funding process. Essentially, it would involve signing a contract with each school and opening a separate account. Only designated people amongst us, and the school, according to the number of schoolchildren involved, may withdraw from the account. The Congolese workers will not be touching the money and will only be responsible for overseeing it.

Of course, we also talked about the conditions for subsidizing the 100 schoolchildren: their parents must believe in the Lord, be actively involved in divine work...when things are operating smoothly and funds are sufficient, the conditions may be relaxed.
That’s it for now. Hope to hear your views and those of our team of co-workers.
I should go to bed. Good morning, brother.
Peace and God bless. 
YM   2013.07.18  23:59

 

2013/7/19  Friday, Sake, Youth Spiritual Convocation

It takes 40 minutes to travel from my accommodation to Sake church by motorcycle at normal speeds. Half the journey was spent being jolted and jounced about as we rode over the many large and uneven rocks. Baraka came to pick me up on his motorbike in the morning. Along the way, I discovered that the refugee camps had now spilled over onto the side of the main road! It was impossible to count the number of grass tents that stretched out into the distance. These grass tents are shaped like small bomb shelters. They are roughly the length of a seven-seater car but are very short in height. Each shelter contains an entire family, together with their belongings; they have to carry on living in these tents whatever happens. Five years ago, I went into the camp to visit some brethren. Five years have passed...are they still there? I cannot think how anyone would be able to live for five continuous years in these grass tents.

As we approached Sake, we came upon a perfectly straight road that was, however, lined with potholes. On either side of the road lay a national park. On the left, I noticed that there were many more military sites than there had been last year. These sites were surrounded by sandbags, with grass tents in the middle where the soldiers lived. In order to avoid being ambushed by the enemy, the soldiers had burnt the shrubs and grass around the military site to the ground. We encountered more and more soldiers along the way. At two of the military checkpoints, the sentries pointed at me, asking who I was. Baraka answered them both with “pastor”, and they let us pass without even checking our papers.

The youths began arriving last night, crossing the mountains, rivers and lands all around to get to Sake. Over 300 people came. The co-workers said that those coming from afar had not arrived yet. Preachers and co-workers from various places also came with the youths, and we all greatly rejoiced to see one another. The chapel of the Sake church was packed—even the area in front of the pulpit was filled with people. The youth spiritual convocation thus began in this way. Congregational hymn-singing led by a leader is a very important part of the worship services in the Congolese churches. They learn about the Bible stories mainly through the song lyrics. Groups of youths from various churches came up one after another to present hymns. The response from the audience was rather lively, but it may be that I was physically too worn out today—I found the loudness of the sound coming from the speakers to be very tiring, and the air in the chapel that was packed with over 400 people was so close and stuffy that my head felt dizzy from the suffocation. Nevertheless, seeing the large, clear eyes of the youths as they listened to the lessons, I was reinvigorated and my focus and concentration returned as I shared the word with them.

The prayer session was at 11h00. Fifty-three people who could not yet speak in tongues came forward to pray. Several Congolese co-workers came forward to help in the laying of hands. During the 20-minute prayer, 12 brethren received the promised Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.

Following this, I spoke on the topic “Where are you, Adam?” I told the youths that I hoped that when they were needed by their brethren, when the Lord came looking for them, they would not hide themselves away in fear because of the wrongs they had done, but instead would, like the ancient saints, calmly yet eagerly answer the Lord with the words “Here I am, Lord!”

Whenever there is a large gathering of people such as there was on this occasion, the ones toiling the hardest and also the most admirable ones are the fathers and mothers working in the kitchen. I really do not know how they manage to provide lunch and dinner for so many people! As in the past, the preachers served the students before having their meal, dining on whatever food was left. I asked Stephano if he had eaten, and he said that he had not. I quickly took out a small piece of fruit used in traditional Chinese medicine for soothing the throat from my bag and told him to leave it in his mouth and suck on it. He laughed like a child.

During the afternoon prayer session, the Holy Spirit came upon 17 people and they began speaking in tongues. That made a total of 29 people across the two prayer sessions, more than half the number of people who had come forward to pray (53). The Lord has indeed comforted the Congolese church, who has labored ceaselessly even in the midst of war.

The experiences of recent years have been quite extraordinary. On the pulpit, it is said: “The Holy Spirit bears witness to the word of grace that we preach.” In their work reports, our co-workers also often claim that “God is working” with them and that “God is pleased”, based on the fact that “one or two” people have received the Holy Spirit. Yet when I report that the Lord God has especially blessed the places I have been to, the very same co-workers who have just made their reports turn around and declare, “We should not use this as proof that God is working with you or that God is pleased”! It is as if they absolutely have to make me out to be the person they imagine, then issue documents informing the whole world that I really am the person they have imagined me to be. So it has happened, letter after letter. Year after year.

Some elders have put it most directly: “Most preachers can understand the things you say. But because it is you who have said them, there are some who feel compelled to render them incomprehensible!”

I was so exhausted that I could barely withstand it any more. Who would have thought it—when I got back to the hotel, there was again...no water! I simply lay down and fell asleep right away.

Hearing that I was unwell, at around 18h00 in the evening, Eric’s policy advisor, Bertin, who works for the country’s government, came to my accommodation to visit me. Hearing the news, Eric also hurried over. Seeing that I had recovered considerably, he stayed and we talked for a long time. We also discussed how we would coordinate the work if Eric were to be elected as president following the Red Cross elections in September (the work would be done more easily with the backing of the Red Cross, and the finances—the most problematic aspect of the work—would be well monitored).

I asked Eric to write an outline in English of the plans and procedures involved in the implementation of the “Help School an African Child” scheme so that I could pass it on to the team. This will be a long-term project. We ask God to guide us.

Setting the volume to the maximum seems to be a characteristic feature of African countries. It’s the same in Benin, West Africa. Before checking into this hotel, the people who had stayed here before told me that the hotel was very good but that at the weekends, on Fridays and Saturdays, the noise was “deafening”. Sure enough, tonight the noise went on from around 18h00 to 23h30! Thank the Lord, despite the extremely disturbing volume of the sound, I have been able to write my diary with calmness of mind.

Time for bed! Thank and praise my Lord and my God!   23h51

 

2013/7/20  Saturday, Sake

Dear brother, peace be to you!

I woke up at 0600, turned on the computer and typed out the first impression I had upon waking up: “Thank the Lord! After yesterday’s exhaustion, it seems that today my body has adapted to my new environment. I can once again run, jump, spread my wings and fly! Thank and praise the true God!” Sure enough, on this Sabbath day, there were 425 youths from various places, plus the brethren from Sake; the chapel was filled with more than 600 people, but not only was I not tired at all, I was full of strength and energy, and my breathing was normal!

I spoke on the topic “Do you love me?” In the middle of the sermon, the loudspeaker broke down for a time, so I had to resort to shouting: “The Lord Jesus asked Peter the same thing three times, not because He would not know whether Peter loved Him if He did not ask. The Lord Jesus posed the question three times in order to awaken Peter’s true self that was slumbering in the depths of his soul. This true self had been roused from its sleep when Peter became afraid a few days before, and in fear, had denied the Lord three times.”

“After the Lord had resurrected, He returned to Peter, because He knew that although Peter had denied Him, he was the disciple who loved Him the most, was the only one of the disciples who did not abandon Him and run away!”

“The resurrected Lord wanted to hand over the flock to Peter; He posed the question three times, because He wanted Peter to face his bare, naked self. Peter gave the same answer three times, but his heart and his tone showed more and more the depth of his love for the Lord.”

“The Lord Jesus, after Peter’s three replies, told Peter that, for the sake of the one he loved, he would be bound and taken where he did not wish to go.”

“In other words, if Peter had had the choice, he would not wish at all to go to that place. But if it was the one he loved who had made the choice for him, he would accept that choice with gladness, and glorify the Lord in doing so.”

I told the youths gazing at me, “In the same way, we need to call out to the true self that is hidden deep within us. To face ourselves very honestly and truthfully. Because what God wants from us is a sincere and true participation, and a ready and willing sacrifice. For example, in coming to attend this spiritual convocation, did you ever ask yourselves three times: ‘Why am I going to attend the convocation?’ Actually, before I came to Goma, I also asked myself many times before God: ‘Why do you want to go? Do you love the Lord more than these?’”

“In the midst of the questioning and answering, I heard a faint voice from within my heart say to me, ‘Very well! Since you say you love the Lord, then for His sake, you shall go to a place where you do not wish to go—Goma! Go and feed the Lord’s flock!’ At the same time, I heard my Father repeatedly reminding me: ‘Many people like to teach others as if they themselves are masters, but you must love the flock with the heart of a father!’ This is also why you see that I have come to you so gladly and so willingly.”

During the morning’s prayer session, 14 people spoke with new tongues, and 7 people did so in the afternoon session. The area in front of the pulpit was getting emptier and emptier as fewer and fewer people came forward to pray. The numbers were given to me by the Congolese co-workers and roughly tallied with what I saw when I laid hands on the brethren. The secretary of North Kivu church, Chérubin, testified concerning how he had begun to speak in tongues in his prayer today. I was shocked. Who would have thought that a youth such as him, who had suffered all kinds of persecution for the Lord’s sake and who had served the Lord faithfully for so many years, would be determined by some rule or regulation to be one who was “not qualified to serve”!

Brother, you know very well that there are many, many people in the church who pray in tongues very loudly, but when it comes to doing the work, particularly work that is difficult and will get one’s clothes dirty, it is often the “new believers” and “truth-seeking friends” who are putting in all the effort!

This is why I pay no attention at all to the question of how many people are able to “speak with new tongues” at convocations (TJC says this has been “promised”, so even if a person doesn’t receive it while he is alive, he will still receive it at his death all the same!). Since people today like to use this as “proof”, let’s do it too! However, I am curious to know—given the way in which they have used these two different standards to explain things according to their own purposes in recent years—exactly what the ability to “speak with new tongues” is supposed to prove!

In recent years, when these “clear proofs” are seen in the work of TJC preacher Preacher YM’s work, they become tongue-tied and instead try their best to insinuate that these “proofs” are actually “deceptions”! It has never occurred to them that in using two different standards to attack others, they have not only not protected their “truth” before others, but have muddled God’s wonderful works in the minds of everyone!

Moreover, going by IA’s regulations, according to which workers have to study X years of theology, complete all their course credits, pass their exams, go through reviews, etc., not a single Congolese worker would pass the requirements; not one would be ordained, nor would there be a single minister!

They are all brothers and humble members within the body of the Lord. Though they are lowly, though they are as nothing, yet whenever they intercede for others, illnesses are healed; whenever they lay hands on others, the Holy Spirit is granted!

Here, I have seen God’s infinite greatness and unfathomable love. And yet over there, they insist on placing God within the confines they have erected for Him, as if even God had to obey their documents and decrees!

＊＊＊

Eric told me a story I had never heard before. It was full of grace but also very dramatic. He told me how they had caught the person who had sent me an SMS message on 23rd June with the threat that they would end my life if I were to enter Congo again.

After I had received the threatening SMS early on the morning of the 23rd, I immediately forwarded the content of the message to Baraka and Eric, asking them to find out who it was who had sent it. They had their suspicions as to who might be involved, but did not have any concrete evidence.

On the 25th, it suddenly occurred to me that since the person had sent an SMS, they must have a phone number! I therefore forwarded the number to Baraka. On 11th July, it so happened that B. and his brother-in-law, together with Baraka, went to the police station. Baraka showed the contents of the threatening message to the police. The policeman asked who had sent it. Baraka said that he did not know.

So at the police station, he took out his cell phone and called for the first time the number I had forwarded him. And guess what? A ringing tone started sounding from B.’s brother-in-law’s pocket! He was caught red-handed! B. and his brother-in-law were fined on the spot and the incident was put on record.

It was in this “coincidental” manner that, one week before I came to Goma on the 18th, the case of the death threat was solved! God had opened up the way like this, how could I not go? What’s more, this B. was the one whom IA chairman, Lin, unknown to the Western Hemisphere Department of World Missions and the Committee for French-Speaking Africa, corresponded with directly in February 2009, asking him to complain against YM!

After Justin had gone to Goma and met Eric, he recommended that Tina, a Korean sister from Paris, go to the Goma Red Cross Society this year for her internship. Many people were very worried for her. But thank God, during the three months between 12th April and 12th July when Tina was in Goma, she “only” encountered three days of attacks by the rebel army, between 19th and 21st May. The United Nations Secretary-General arrived in Goma on the 20th May but stayed for only 2 hours before he left. During her internship, Tina was involved in the construction of refugee camps and also participated in the work of Goma church. During my two days here, everyone who has met Tina has thanked me for recommending that such a wonderful girl and sister come here! Thank and praise the Lord!

Brother, please convey my thanks to everyone for their prayers. God has truly been gracious to me. I am in good physical and mental condition today. The youth spiritual convocation is under way and running smoothly by the grace of God. More than 400 brothers and sisters have to sleep in the unpartitioned 9x15 square meters of the chapel. Water is a 15-minute walk away, and it is too dangerous to go and get any after dark. There is no bathing area and only one toilet. The conditions are rather difficult, but Baraka says that the youths are very happy and joyful in the Lord. Thank the Lord! Praise the true God!

In contrast to them, here I am, a bit like Moses living in the palace! I cannot but feel ashamed, grateful and thankful.

The deafening music coming from downstairs has just stopped. All of a sudden, there is a comfortable feeling of complete silence all around. It’s time I turned in. Good night. Oh! Good morning, brother. God bless.

YM  2013/7/21  00:37

 

 

2013/7/21  Sunday, Sake – Goma

Today is the last day of the youth spiritual convocation. At 11h00, after lunch (breakfast is not provided at convocations), the youths will return home. I asked Baraka, who came in the morning to take me to church, how far away the farthest person lived. He replied that they would have to walk a day and a night—a total of 20 hours—and would have to spend the night on the road.

My heart ached as I sat on the back of the motorcycle; I let the wind kiss my tears away.

Yesterday, I was chatting with a group of young people and asked them how they had come. A sister rushed to answer: “I walked for 8 hours!” Her answer stunned me; they all simply looked at me innocently. I acted as if nothing had happened, and continued clowning around to make them laugh.

I am afraid of today’s lesson. I am afraid to see them today. Afraid to say goodbye to them.

Even though there is a language barrier between us, the look in their eyes during the lessons is so clear and focused that it feels as if every word of the lesson is springing forth from the bottomless depths of their being. From the outside, it looks as if I am speaking and they are listening, but in reality, from their clear, limpid eyes gushes forth God’s boundless consolation and warmth. I, on the other hand, seem to be scooping up the drops one at a time, feeding myself with my own words.

I am afraid that I have not taught them well, that lying under the star-lit sky, they will feel a hint of regret at having come so far but returning empty-handed.

The time has come. Standing before them, I look at them, and they look at me in return. It is unusually quiet. I open my mouth to speak: “When people ask me how many children I have, I tell them I have just one.” They stare at me blankly, shocked that the answer isn’t six.

I continue, saying, “When people ask me again how many children I have, I will say I have two thousand. In Congo.” The voices die down. Then applause arises, and cheers of “Amen!” ring throughout the chapel.

“Who can tell me what ‘love’ is?” Thus begins the final lesson. “When you love someone very much, how would you react? Would you keep asking him to give you this and that?”
“Apana!” (No!) The response is resounding. “Do you love God?” “Dio!” (Yes!) “Then why do you keep asking God for this and that!” All goes quiet. “Is this love?” The voices ripple through the chapel. Amid the perturbation, I say with difficulty, one word at a time “Love - is - not - asking; love - is - giving!”

“Those of you who are fathers and mothers, if our Lord Jesus were to come today, and you got to go to heaven, but your little children had to go to hell, would you still go to heaven?” “Apana!” “Very well! Then why is that, knowing that most Christians will not be saved, we feel so smug and complacent that only we will be saved?” There is utter silence.

“Moses, in order to turn away God’s wrath against the people, was willing for his name to be blotted out of the book of life and to go down to hell with his people. This is love! Paul wished that he himself were accursed from Christ for the salvation of his Israelite brethren! Do you and I have this love?”

“You grow plants at home; from the time of sowing to when they are full-grown, what is it that you most hope for? If they do not bear fruit, would you not be very disappointed? I might not be able to see you grow up, but you must remember this: our Lord is waiting for you to grow up, to grow up bearing abundant fruit! … Will you disappoint the Lord?” “Apana!”, comes the deafening reply.

“Over the past two days, we have shared concerning two questions from the Lord: ‘Where are you?’ (Here I am, Lord!) and ‘Do you love me?’ (Then go where you do not wish to go!). For today, the last question is not directed from the Lord towards you, but is directed from you towards God: ‘Oh Lord! What can I do for You?’”

“Children! Start to love God and care for people from today, from now! Because ‘tomorrow’ will never come—it will always be ‘the next day’!”

＊＊＊

When it was all over, Baraka told me that the chief of police of Sake and the neighboring town and Banyanga were waiting separately for me outside the chapel. I apologetically told the chief of police that, because I had not received advance warning of his visit, it would be difficult to see him, as I already had an appointment with someone else at 13h00. I hoped that I would be able to call on him at his office on Wednesday afternoon. He readily agreed to this.

Banyanga was waiting to one side. I told him, “You don’t have to come on Wednesday for the time being. I will first talk to the chief. There will be a seminar for the preachers and co-workers in Goma; if it is necessary, after Wednesday, we can arrange a time when we can all meet.” The chief hopes that there will not be any disputes in the church within his precinct (e.g., Banyanga has previously tried to prevent the youth spiritual convocation in Sake from taking place). Banyanga hopes to be able to return to the team of preachers and co-workers.

In the afternoon, Eric invited Baraka and me to his house for lunch. We had salad, beef, fries and fried bananas. Eric’s wife cooked the meal herself; it was very tasty.

We spoke at length about the implementation of the “Help school an African child” project. We also talked about his working life after his graduation from university.

Eric studied accountancy at university. He previously worked as a financial executive in the hotel industry. Every night, he saw shady business being conducted in the hotel. He knew that he would be able to earn a lot of money through tax evasion if he were to stay on, but he was concerned that his character would be corrupted as a result. Therefore, in the end, he firmly resolved to leave. He is now the auditor of several large companies. He further talked about the work plans he intends to implement should he be elected president of the Red Cross Society in North Kivu in September. He also recounted some of the stories that he had come across during his years in the Red Cross. May God bless and guide him!

Eric said that he wanted to take me to see the Governor. I said that we should wait until our plans were more fully-formed first! It looks as if Eric’s election and the realization of this project will bring the church (brethren) many unexpected opportunities.

The seminar for preachers and co-workers will begin tomorrow and run from the 22nd to the 27th. Twenty-seven people will be attending.

We pray for God’s guidance.

YM  2013/7/21  23:30

 

2013/7/22 Monday, Goma

Dear brother, peace be to you!

Night time is a good time in Congo. Olivier sent me back to my accommodation the day before yesterday. We had sat down to chat, but before we had managed to exchange two sentences, he, seeing that the sky was darkening (it was nearly 18h00), hurriedly said goodbye. I was very surprised and asked why he was leaving so soon. Eric, who was beside us, answered, saying that riding a motorcycle at night was very dangerous in Goma because one could get robbed. As a result, in Goma, one has the night to oneself. When I first came, the number of hours of power supply was limited, and I often sat alone, in close communion with God under the candlelight. Over time, electricity was gradually supplied at night, too. However, whether because of insufficient power or because the hotel I stayed at was trying to save on the cost of light bulbs, the lighting was always dim. Not only could I not do any reading or writing, I had also lost the unique feeling of solitude and warmth that comes from being bathed in the glow of a candle.

This trip, I have discerned a pattern: water and power are supplied from around 18h00 in the evening. Moreover, the lighting in the room is bright enough that I am able to do some writing. The problem is that the hotel also runs a restaurant, and at weekends, on Fridays and Saturdays, there are bands coming in to perform. From 18h30 to 23h30, the noise is alarmingly loud, making it hard to concentrate on one’s work. It is difficult to write while having to think clearly and put up with annoying music at the same time. But the funny thing is, today being Monday, it feels a little strange not to have ear-splitting music playing in the background while writing my diary!

Eric’s house is only 1 km from my hotel, so he comes to see me almost every morning. Baraka comes to take me to church. Hence, the breakfast for one provided by the hotel is shared by three people every morning: I have coffee and my own biscuits, Baraka, as always, has two fried eggs, bread and butter, and Eric is responsible for consuming the coffee, (powdered) milk and biscuits. It may be because of the war, but it feels as if I am the only guest in the hotel! Even the instant coffee for breakfast seems to have been newly-bought especially for me!

Eric told me that the Red Cross needed Baraka and asked me if I could excuse Baraka from today’s seminar. I was puzzled; why would the Red Cross need Baraka? It turned out that a Red Cross worker had been taken captive by a certain rebel group (there are several different rebel forces in Eastern Congo), and they could do nothing to rescue him.

But the leader of that rebel group was...Baraka’s cousin! They had been in contact the whole time. I nearly fell off my chair when I heard this! I laughingly urged Baraka to join the rebel group so he could be a colonel there and earn big money; there was no point in him being a preacher here only to be put in prison, bullied and made to suffer!

However, Baraka, with his usual seriousness, said, “I will not do bad things! I want to serve the Lord!”

In the end, Baraka went for a meeting with the highest provincial and national representatives of the Red Cross in Goma. One of the generals from the government forces also personally telephoned to give his instructions. Tomorrow, Baraka will go with the Red Cross personnel to assist in the rescue mission in Masisi.

Eric said that Baraka had become the most popular person in the Red Cross overnight, and that he would take the opportunity to introduce Baraka to everyone so as to facilitate the work of the church in North Kivu in future.

I arrived in church as Gasana was leading the morning devotional. I did not understand what he was saying, but from his expression and from the congregation’s response, it appeared to be a wonderful sermon. Gasana is the oldest among the preachers; he is very faithful, able to bear great hardship, diligent and has the respect of all his co-workers.

The most important task for today was to listen to the work reports of the various churches for the past year. There are currently 21 churches left. Because of the war, the members of four churches were scattered and the churches are now deserted. At least two places of worship were newly established this year (report still in progress).

Over 125 people were baptized in Nyamikingo church this year. I asked if Nyamikingo wasn’t just a small village? How did they manage to baptize so many people there? The reply: they had gone to the nearby villages to preach! I asked the preacher from Sake church if the church provided him with a living allowance. The answer: he did not receive financial assistance, but during busy farming periods, there would be 20–50 brothers and sisters from church who would go and help sow seeds and harvest the crop every Sunday.

In addition, there was a major interpersonal dispute between certain people from two churches. Thank God, after negotiations with the preachers and co-workers present, the problem was satisfactorily resolved.

In dealing with this major interpersonal dispute and its associated back and forth exchanges between the two parties, I was reminded of the events of March 2012. I told my Congolese co-workers that in interpersonal disputes, whenever the matter involved the other party, they had to be very honest and truthful, and not secretly team up to bear false witness against others. Otherwise, God would use His marvelous methods to expose their secret plans, just as He had with the SMS threatening my life that I had received.

Back in my room, I once again pulled up the resolution of proposal no. 21 of the IA EXCO meeting held in March 2012.

I am willing to put my eternal life on the line to testify that the first version of the resolution, below, is the real one from that day. I had been called into the meeting room to listen to the reading of the full pronouncement, which had already been voted on and decided by then.

After hearing the verdict, I told the IA EXCO members present (words to this effect), “If you insist on doing things in this way, I will sue.” (After this, they hurriedly changed the resolution, and, as if trying to conceal something, came up with two or three “new” resolutions in succession, each differing in content.)

The original version of the resolution of proposal no. 21, from that day’s diary entry:

23rd March 2012. Around 17h00, at the end of the IA EXCO meeting, the Chair asked the person in charge of the Western Hemisphere Department of World Missions, Preacher Derren Liang, to read out the decision they had made concerning proposal no. 21, which was shown on the white board. As I have yet to receive the official document, I reproduce the following from memory:

1. 13 votes were for the motion, 2 votes were against the motion.
2. My status as an IA preacher is to be terminated on 24th March. Three months’ living allowance will be paid following the termination.
3. My status as an IA EXCO member is to be terminated on 24th March. (I asked there and then, “On what basis?” but received no reply.)
4. Conditions of reinstatement. I would have to write a letter of apology and acknowledge:
1. God’s oneness, omniscience and omnipotence; completely eliminate the concept of the self-existence of Satan from my thoughts. (I replied, “I have abided by the resolutions of the IA Truth Research Committee concerning this question.” Answer: “Not good enough!”)
2. “Speaking in tongues is a prerequisite for being filled with the Holy Spirit”—this is a basic doctrine of the church. (I replied, “Having believed in the Lord for over fifty years, I’ve never heard of such a doctrine!”)
3. I must not speak negatively about the IA.
4. I must abide by the mission postings of IA. (I replied, “When did I not abide by them? I followed standard procedure and went to China while I was on leave!”)

Having dealt with the matter of the interpersonal dispute between the Congolese brethren today, I re-read this piece of history tonight in peace and quiet, without the sound of loud music playing in the background.

The strong emotions of that period have subsided with time, and more and more people now are having discussions about the truth. Tonight, I am shocked to see how obviously this resolution shows that the committee (as a whole, or in allowing two or three people to do so) has borne false witness against its neighbor!

1. When did YM ever deny the oneness, omniscience and omnipotence of God in his thesis on the self-existence of Satan?  

This is like those who believe in predestination accusing those who don’t believe in predestination of denying God’s absolute sovereignty, omniscience and omnipotence. Isn’t it so? Yet, the TJC has never accepted the doctrine of predestination. Does that mean that the TJC has denied God’s absolute sovereignty, omniscience and omnipotence?

2. One year later, March 2013, this “basic doctrine” has yet to receive “retroactive endorsement” by the Truth Research Committee. It has become the most concrete proof that IA has borne false witness against its neighbor.

3. In other words, the IA may issue false documents to slander you, but you may not explain yourself with the use of meeting minutes and audio recordings! 

4. Since March 2012, I have been to China many times and visited many TJCs there. I now understand better why, that year, the IA and Fuqing’s Board of Ministers had tried so hard to prevent me from entering areas which they had no control over, not hesitating even to lie and convict me of “undermining the unity” of the church. Yet, in fact, the various TJCs in China (particularly the northern and central sections) have never been in contact with Fuqing’s Board of Ministers nor with the IA; what “unity” was there to “undermine”?

When one quietly reflects upon these past events, one cannot help but shudder at how an organization which ought to have been very spiritual has instead degenerated to the point of bearing false witness (whether as a collective or whether two or three people were simply allowed by the others to act as they wished). At the same time, this gives rise to a mood of caution.

Something an elder has said: “This is a great spiritual battle”, suddenly comes to mind.

The IA was established by our predecessors to assist in the divine work in various places (various aspects of 6 of the 7 existing GAs hadn’t yet been properly established at that time), and forces were combined in order to pioneer new areas (Africa, India, the Philippines, care of the members and immigrants in Europe and America). However, this IA that was originally set up to serve has today become an IA that cannot be restrained, concerned only with its own power.

Perhaps this degeneration can only be explained by the possibility that the IA has already accomplished its beautiful mission, and that the glory of God has now left this organization that has gone rogue (Lam 1:6).

Goma has twice been covered by volcanic eruptions, and there are volcanic rocks of all sizes everywhere. On the way to church, there is a very long road covered with jagged, uneven rocks that the motorcycle has to negotiate. Even my backbone is tired after having being jostled about on the back of the motorcycle for several days in succession. I have to take frequent breaks while writing to lean my back against the back of the chair. I must remember to bring a waist support belt next time.

My eyes are tired—I even went specially to buy eye drops today!

All is well and going smoothly by God’s grace. Goodnight, brother. God bless!

YM 2013/7/23  01:02

 

2013/7/23 Tuesday, Goma

“I am dark, but lovely … Do not look upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has tanned me”. My heart aches every time I hear this “dark” person’s heart-rending plea in the Song of Solomon for others not to look down on him.

In creating man, God made everyone’s spirit of the same color, yet man judges the nobility of a person’s spirit by the tone of his skin!

It has been over 40 years since the TJC first entered the vast land of Africa. Excluding China, the overall size of the membership of the French- and English-speaking areas has long been the third largest in the world (after Taiwan and Sabah). The membership of North Kivu province alone (2,496, excluding those who have gone missing because of the war, according to yesterday’s written report) is comparable to the 3,000 or so members in the each of the four General Assemblies of the U.S., U.K., Malaysia and Korea!

Nevertheless, in the minds of many (this includes some co-workers who go to work in Africa), dark-skinned preachers may be left out of various meetings and types of work, particularly when it comes to our understanding of the truth! There’s no need to listen to their views or to pay any attention to what has moved them or to what they have received!

When reading about the story of the widow offering her two mites, people often exclaim in spontaneous admiration of her true faith. At the same time, it serves as a sharp warning and reminder to those who think that they have already sacrificed a great deal. And so I like coming to Congo, for one important reason: to immerse myself in a rich and noble love, and to clear and refresh my mind and spirit.

＊＊＊

Yesterday, I purchased a small tube of eye ointment. It cost US$5. That’s two-and-a-half days’ salary for Felix, who teaches at a private Catholic secondary school. After I had asked him about it, Felix, who is 28, told me that he has a girlfriend who is a church sister, but that they don’t have enough money to get married. Today, Baraka told me that Felix has done a lot of preaching and pastoral work for the church, but that he has recently encountered some difficulties: for reasons of faith, he may decide to resign voluntarily from his job as a school teacher. When Justin came to Congo, he got on very well with a few university students who were also our brethren, and Felix was one of them. Yet, they live lives that are worlds apart. This has nothing to do with their respective talents or abilities; the bottom line is that only one of them lives in Africa and his skin is dark.
 
＊＊＊

Early this morning, Cherubin, who is the church secretary and a university student, came looking for me at my accommodation. He brought with him a letter signed by 9 preachers. It related to arrangements concerning the personnel of Sake church. This is one of the very lovable aspects of the Congolese church. Everyone is very direct and honest, and the administration of the church is democratic. Many important issues are put on the table for repeated discussion. Everyone speaks openly as if speaking only to God, without trying to hide anything.

Not long after, Baraka also came, and I asked him for his views on the letter. I also asked him once again about the events that have taken place in Sake church in recent months. Sake church is big, and currently the most easily accessible church in North Kivu. This is why the youth spiritual convocation, attended by over 400 people, is held here every year. It holds a rather important position among the churches. 

Recently, Banyanga has involved himself through the security units and tried to prevent the youth spiritual convocation from taking place. Some preachers, feeling that the resident preacher, Bangoye, had not done his best to protect the church and that the relationship between him and Banyanga was doubtful, hoped to send Nzabanita to assist in the work. However, the suggestion was rejected by Bangoye. It was only at the beginning of July, before I came to Congo, that they all managed to reach a consensus, and the youth spiritual meeting took place smoothly. Thank the Lord!

Yesterday, Bangoye and Nzabanita waited in Sake until the last youths who had come to attend the spiritual convocation had left, before coming to Goma together to attend the seminar for preachers and co-workers. They both sat together, talking and laughing. After the seminar yesterday, I directly expressed my surprise at how the incident at Sake had been resolved so suddenly. There were two possibilities: 1. God’s grace, 2. subterfuge. Many preachers and co-workers held similar doubts. I had previously asked Baraka whether the arrangements had come with any conditions attached. Baraka had said no. Yesterday, Bangoye gave the same answer.

Yesterday, Bangoye also told me privately, in tears, about his difficulty: Banyanga’s brother-in-law lives near Sake church’s quarters. He has been asking Banyanga to sell land for him, which is why Banyanga often comes over. They are old acquaintances and merely exchange greetings whenever they meet.

As for Banyanga and Baraka going to the police station over matters of the church, this had nothing to do with him. Oh yes, I have a further piece of news: Baraka made a report during the seminar yesterday and mentioned that the person who had sent me the SMS containing the death threat had been caught before I had gone to Congo, and that he had been jailed for three days and fined US$200.

I told Baraka that he was more familiar with Congolese matters than I was. My work essentially was to strengthen the cohesiveness between the Congolese co-workers and act as their support. I hoped that he would do his best to take into consideration the feelings of every co-worker about any given issue. I asked him to take the opportunity this morning while everybody was present to convene a meeting with the preachers and co-workers to discuss the Sake issue, so that everybody’s views could be heard and they could see what arrangements would be best for the church. In order that the meeting could be conducted smoothly and easily, no interpretation would be needed; I would remain in my accommodation and wait for their decision.

I asked him how long he expected the meeting to last. He replied saying 3 hours. I therefore asked him to come and pick me up at 13h30 after his lunch. However, by 16h00, there was still no news from Baraka. Thinking that he must still be chairing the meeting, I sent an SMS to Felix to ask how the meeting was going. He replied that they had reached a decision and that it was just being announced.

Shortly after this, Baraka sent an SMS briefly describing the proceedings of the meeting and its resolutions. I asked him to bring another person of his own choosing along with him to where I was. Baraka brought Cherubin, the secretary, with him. Seeing how exhausted they looked, and since I hadn’t had my lunch either, I quickly ordered three portions of a quarter chicken, fries, fried bananas and salad. We had to wait a whole hour for our food to arrive! Eric came just as the three of us were finishing our lunch. He gave up the idea of having dinner at the prospect of having to wait 30 minutes for his food. We all went over the proceedings of today’s meeting (Eric was present at the meeting and had made some very good suggestions). Thank the Lord, everything went smoothly and everyone spoke without reserve.

Cherubin, the secretary, had brought with him the long and detailed minutes of the just concluded meeting. Taking a close look at them, I discovered that many co-workers had made very insightful comments. For the good of the church, they had offered up themselves completely without regard for their own feelings. Thank and praise the Lord!

＊＊＊＊

Brother, yesterday I mentioned that Baraka was going to Masisi today to rescue the Red Cross worker. However, for some unknown reason, the rescue operation was called off at the last minute by a general in the government army. He said that they would first have to hold a meeting about it. It is expected that they will set off on the rescue operation on Thursday morning and return before noon on Friday.

Well, that’s all for now. Goodnight. 

I hope you and your wife are well. God bless.

YM  2013/7/23  21:34

 

2013/7/24 Wednesday, Goma

I have been thinking about yesterday’s meeting held by the preachers and co-workers, and the comments and resolutions that were made concerning the personnel issues of Sake church. I am full of thanks and praise towards God for giving me the opportunity to serve Him here together with these faithful, forthright and fearless workers.

Two nights ago, I heard Cherubin say that Stephano (a young preacher who once resurrected a person from the dead) was so sorrowful over the Sake issue that he could not even sing. Early yesterday morning, all the preachers and co-workers, as usual, prayed and sang hymns from 05h00 to 0600 (singing hymns for half an hour and praying for half an hour). They prayed especially for Sake church. After the prayer, they began their meeting at 09h30.

For the good of Sake church, everyone expressed their innermost worries before God and spoke with clarity about the future outlook of Sake church. After nearly six hours of discussion, the Congolese co-workers made a decision of great wisdom.

After almost ten years of observation, I have discovered that, because all kinds of minerals are buried under the land of North Kivu, it is rich in resources, and that has attracted many “rebel forces” of all sizes who try to seize the land from the government. In addition to this, the intervention of neighboring Rwanda and Uganda has made it hard for the war to be put under control (the Congolese capital is in the West; because there are no road networks, it is essentially impossible to control the eastern part of the country). It is not at all easy to survive in such an inherently challenging and complex environment. The people who do manage to cope in such an environment are either bad people who are extremely intelligent, or good people who are wise and brave. From what can be seen, there are more bad guys than good guys around. Hence, most of these good people are no ordinary characters.

August 2004; the memory is still vivid. The first time I stepped into Goma, the first sermon I gave was “Silver and gold I do not have! What I do have I give you!” After I had spoken, two or three hundred Christians, led by their preacher, shouted, “We do not want silver or gold! We want God’s word!” I said, “Good! Let’s begin!” Since then, God has been merciful and the Holy Spirit has led them all the way. Year after year, the Congolese workers have shown greater and greater honesty, simplicity, faithfulness and courage, never slackening in the divine work despite their extreme poverty. From yesterday’s meeting, I could also see their wisdom and decisiveness! Thank God.

“I am dark, but lovely … Do not look upon me, because I am dark...”

This morning, I went to an extremely primitive chapel made of wooden planks. It was no more than 5x10 meters in size. The floor was covered with sharp, knee-piercing gravel and a dozen or so long, backless benches were arranged in the chapel. I saw Stephano in front of the pulpit, beating the drum with both hands, his head slightly upraised, eyes closed and singing loudly. I walked over to him and gave him a big hug. As in times past, he gave me a simple smile in return (we do not have a common language). Then, as in previous years, he very naturally took my bag, which contained my most important belongings.

Thus began the class. It was as though the events of two days ago had never happened—Stephano was back to his normal self, and all things had been made new(er).

“Are the requirements for ruling over ten families in Goma the same as those for ruling over a city?” “No!” The strange thing is, when God wanted to select rulers of tens, rulers of fifties, rulers of hundreds and rulers of thousands, the requirements for these rulers were the same (Ex 18:21)! These men, able enough to be leaders, had to “fear God” and be “men of truth, hating covetousness”! Why does God ask for the same requirements regardless of the number of people being ruled? Because we have not been chosen to rule over people, but to serve God! A person who is able to serve God by fearing Him, by being a man of truth and by hating covetousness will surely also be given many talents to lead the flock, regardless of its size!

Do you know that the greatest reverence is demonstrated by the most sincere love? Reverence is not maintaining a great distance from God; the people who revered and feared God most were the ones who were the closest to him!

Do you believe that if you truly love Him, you will naturally not be unscrupulous? And because you love Him alone, you will naturally not be tempted by mammon!

The Lord Jesus wanted Peter to feed His flock. He asked Peter only one question, because He only cared about one thing: “Do you love me?” Why? Why is it that the deeper the love, the more talents it will naturally give rise to? Look at your surroundings, look at your wives (in preachers’ families, it is the wife who works and cultivates the land to sustain the family)!

Why is that a mother has so many “tricks” up her sleeve? Not because she has learnt them, not because she is particularly good at anything, but because she loves her family deeply, such that in any circumstances, no matter how difficult, she will do her best to find ways of keeping this family from harm. The more difficult the circumstances, the more she shows herself to be a person of many “talents”!

Finally, let’s not forget the twelve spies who went to spy out the land of Canaan. They weren’t just rulers of thousands; they were all leaders of their tribes! They must have been very spiritual in all respects. We cannot say, just because of their subsequent failure, that they were faithless men who did not fear God when they were chosen—quite the opposite!

They were chosen precisely because they were better than the rulers of thousands! But the moment they entered the land of Canaan and saw their enemies, ten of these twelve capable spies, God-fearing men of truth who hated covetousness, fell almost immediately! 

What will tomorrow be like? We do not know. What is going to happen to us? We do not know. What can we know today? That no matter what life may bring, God’s love for you and me will never change. Let us resolve that no matter what hardships may come our way, our love for God will forever be constant and unchanging!

Your extraordinary love for God will give you an extraordinary ability to overcome all obstacles and all conflicts (Rom 8:31–37)!

＊＊＊

In the afternoon, as agreed on Sunday, I went to the Sake police station to meet the chief of the security division. I was worried that he would use the excuse that the church was “disrupting public order” to stop the church’s activities in his precinct. Midway through our discussion, Banyanga came into the office. Words were exchanged for a short while. I said that I had to go back for classes. Thank God, the chief made a conclusion highly favorable to us: “Until the central government issues a directive to the contrary, within my jurisdiction, neither Banyanga nor Baraka may claim themselves to be legitimate representatives of the church in order to interfere with its activities.”

＊＊＊

After this, Eric and Baraka returned to church to discuss in detail with the other preachers and co-workers how to implement the “Help school an African child” scheme in the various places. In order not to waste time having the discussion interpreted for my benefit, I did not attend the meeting and instead got Olivier to take me to his workplace and home for a visit.

Eric (representing the Red Cross) and I (representing the Living Spring Cultural Association and Lily of The Valley Community Outreach) are in the process of drafting a “bilateral agreement”.

In order that the church in Congo might also be viewed by the government as an organization that contributes to the society, on our part, we have asked that the local executors of the project expressly state in writing that this is a project of VJE (TJC in French). The Red Cross will mainly provide financial monitoring, perform regular follow-ups of the pupils’ progress and performance, and liaise with the schools. On our part, we will give the Red Cross 10% of the total amount to subsidize the expenses incurred in performing the above-mentioned tasks. For example, if we provide an annual subsidy of US$6,000 to 100 pupils, we would pay the Red Cross US$600 to offset the operating costs involved.

We have 21 churches at present. Should we select 5 underprivileged pupils from each church, or should we pilot the scheme by selecting 100 underprivileged pupils from within a single area? The advantage of the former is that it would be fair to all the local churches; the advantage of the latter is that it would be much easier to conduct follow-up work and liaise with the schools.

It should be noted that this is a plan that is still being worked out and evaluated. Everything depends on the funding situation as well as on whether Eric is elected as the provincial president in mid-September. If Eric is not elected, it would mean that, although the Red Cross would be able to manage and help with the technical aspects of the work, Eric would not be able to effectively monitor the funds, and this might potentially lead to problems.

Under these circumstances, VJE would have to carry out the plan on its own as well as conduct the follow-up work. We pray for God’s guidance.

YM  2013/7/24  22:47

 

2013/7/25 Thursday, Goma

 
No matter how poor are African co-workers are, they all have decent three-piece suits

From left to right:
Samson (Rwanda, Kivu church preacher),
Olivier (Congo, Goma missionary, has a small car upholstery repair factory)
Reverien (Rwanda, Kigali brother, in the construction business),
Baraka (Congo, Goma church preacher), YM
Front row: Eric (Congo, North Kivu, provincial vice-president of the Red Cross, accountant for the Red Cross)
Taken on 2013.07.17 in Kigali, at the hotel where YM stayed

 
Hello, Preacher Yang!
 
A meal without hamburgers, fries and coke
 
Spiritual convocation
 
Let's go to church!
Let's go to church!
 
Our church in Goma and the venue of the preachers' seminar. One hundred and fifty people attend services in this "chapel" every Sabbath.
 
The bumpy road strewn with volcanic rock we travel on every day.
 
Seminar for preachers and co-workers
 
Seminar for preachers and co-workers
 

2013/7/26  Friday, Goma

The class began with Stephano’s question about Paul gladly boasting in his infirmities so that the power of Christ might rest upon him (2 Cor 12:9).

Today, this verse is often quoted in many testimonies about the “prodigal son” coming home. It is claimed: “Because I was spiritually weak, God’s grace came upon me.” Hearing many such testimonies, one may end up with the mistaken belief that it is difficult to experience God’s grace personally if one is not spiritually weak!

When some such testimony has ended, the one leading the session even goes onto the pulpit and quotes the verse “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12) in order to admonish the “listeners” who have been keeping themselves carefully in the Lord: “Look! The one who has just testified was able to see God only because he admitted that he was spiritually weak! You have not experienced anything in your faith, precisely because you think you haven’t sinned! Beware!”

(The one leading the testimony session has made a grave error in his understanding of the temporal order of events: The testifier, whose spiritual weakness caused him to sin, did not see God’s grace because he had first admitted his weakness; rather, he realized that he had gone too far only after he had been chastised by God!) What has this to do with Paul, who (first) gladly boasted in his infirmities, (and then) had the power of Christ rest upon him!
 
It is easy to examine the meaning of this verse as there are many relevant examples in the Bible.

Did the power of God rest upon Adam because he was weak? Or was he instead driven out of the garden of Eden in the sweat of his face?

Did the power of God rest upon the Israelites because they became weak in the wilderness? Or did He instead swear in His wrath and punish a generation of men so that they perished in the wilderness?

Ten of the twelve spies showed greater weakness of faith than the others; were they greatly blessed with God’s grace as a result?

The nation of Israel showed continual weakness for 400 years; did the power of God rest upon it because of this? Or was it instead ultimately abandoned by God in His wrath?

Judas was the weakest of the twelve disciples; did the grace of God really rest upon him more than on anyone else?

Which of the letters written to the seven churches in the book of Revelation says: “Because you are weak, My grace towards you shall abound?” Is the warning rather not: “If you continue in your weakness and do not repent, I shall remove your lampstand!”?

The weakness of Paul was not a weakness that caused him to leave the Lord! On the contrary! It was because he wanted to draw closer to the Lord that the messenger of Satan kept attacking him, causing him to feel even more acutely the arduousness of his journey. This is why he pleaded with the Lord three times for this thorn—the enemy’s continual attacks—to be removed (2 Cor 10:10–11:15). However, lest Paul should be exalted above measure by the abundance of his revelations, God did not grant Paul’s wish. Instead, the Lord God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

This weakness causes one to realize that, even though, relying on the Lord, one has entered into the depths of the spirit, one is still so weak as to be completely useless and still needs God (to be victorious)! The “weakness” of the Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane is the best portrayal of this idea (at that moment in time, the Lord Jesus was not weak in the spirit because He had grown more distant from God; rather, wanting to draw even closer to God, He became deeply aware of His own lack of strength and His inability to surmount the mountain ranges before Him that separated them; this is why He pleaded for God’s help).

When a person is aware that he needs help and someone to rely on, it shows that he knows he is lacking in strength and is “weak”.

＊＊＊

As today was the last day of the seminar—tomorrow is the Sabbath—everyone spoke with great eagerness, asking all kinds of questions. Amid the questions and answers, the preachers and co-workers frequently rejoiced in their hearts, and being moved by the Holy Spirit, their bodies would shake and they would utter aloud a few words in tongues.

At first, I had thought that they were speaking in their local dialect, so I repeated what they had said loudly after them. This caused everyone to roar with laughter. It was only then that I realized that nobody had understood what had been said! (Even so, everyone knew in the Spirit that they were words of praise towards God!)

＊＊＊

In Benin and Congo, I discovered that there is no crying at funerals. The first time I came across a funeral held on the street, I even thought it was a wedding that was taking place. The only difference was that there was a somber silence in the air that was slightly unnatural.
 
The people here have been trained by the harsh environments they have grown up in not to shed any tears (if they don’t die in childbirth, their children don’t live beyond the age of two, or else they die for lack of money to see a doctor. In their normal lives, their work is hard and laborious, and they rarely have enough to eat). It is very uncommon to see the tears of adults here. And so it may be because people from Africa cry so rarely that it is hard for them to get immediate sympathy. People think they can manage, and even believe that they have naturally “got used” to their suffering, that there is no need to help them change anything.

Before I left, Preacher Safari of Muhanga church came with an interpreter, Felix, to see me. He said that he had four children and had further adopted two orphans (usually the orphans of their deceased brothers). He had been a preacher for several years and life was very hard (Congolese preachers do not draw salaries; in most cases their wives work to support their families). He asked if I could help him so that he could buy a secondhand motorcycle for US$800-850, which he would be able to hire out. Safari said he had already saved up US$300.

He did not shed a single tear as he spoke, nor did he wear the expression of one begging for pity. It was as if he were speaking on behalf of some other co-worker. Only his voice was a little softer than usual. I patted him on the shoulder and left without saying a word.

I asked Stephano to take me back to my hotel. His faithfulness and hard work are evident to all; he is honest, upright and would never tell a lie. I wanted him to take me back, because I wanted to treat him to a dinner a little more substantial than the one provided at church. I gave him a flat, tiny can of duck liver. To my great surprise, he opened it and began eating it right away. I quickly passed him some of the toasted bread I had brought with me from France as well.

As we were waiting for our dinner (the usual waiting time is an hour; we had each ordered a fish), I asked Stephano, who knows only some simple words in French, “Does Safari live well?” “He has a very hard life,” he answered. “Many preachers lead a very hard life,” he added.

I asked, “What about you? How do you make a living?” “My wife does the same as Baraka’s wife; they sell fish to get by. Thank the Lord, I’ve recently managed to buy a piece of land 5x10 meters in size. But I don’t have the money to build a house yet.”

I did not ask any further questions. I simply gazed at his face...a face that when singing hymns looked so much like that of an angel.

 

2013/7/27  Saturday, Goma

It is very difficult to say that God hasn’t been secretly protecting us.

Tonight is my last night in Goma. 

Eric told me that before I came, the two things they were most worried about were:
1. The text message threatening my life that I received in June. 
2. The attacks of the M23 rebels on Goma (these began on the 15th and I arrived on the 18th).

In the end, the one who sent me the death threat was miraculously caught red-handed before I came. The government troops, rarely victorious, this time were nevertheless able to stop the M23 rebels from entering an area within 3 km of Goma airport during the time of my stay. (The airport is less than two kilometers from the city center!) Yesterday, the government forces, having received a tip-off, carried out air raids on 8,000 M23 troops who were gathered 50 km from Goma in preparation for an attack on the city! 

I had arranged to go to Sake church for today’s Sabbath service. This morning, when Baraka came to pick me up, he also said that we were going to Sake. The interpreter, Felix, and Gasana had already gone ahead of us. But then I said no. I still had things I wanted to say to the preachers and co-workers; we would not go to Sake but to Goma for service.

After the Sabbath had ended, Gasana came back and reported that Sake church had been surrounded three times by the police today. The third time, they came armed with guns. Moreover, the police had with them a list containing the names of the three workers who had gone to Sake: Gasana, Felix and Gille! Nzabanita had originally wanted to go too, but didn’t, only because I had bumped into him at the entrance of Goma church and asked him to stay back because I wasn’t going to Sake any more.

Eric asked me if I had told anyone what time I was leaving Goma tomorrow. I told him that only he and Baraka knew this. Salomon, a friend of Eric whom Eric had asked to come over to help at the last minute because of the events in Sake, was next to us, and added that in the Great Lakes area, people had already got into the habit of not divulging their exact whereabouts for fear of being kidnapped or killed on the way. He told me to be extra careful.

Eric also added that even his wife never knew when he was returning home! Baraka also said that when he went out to do pastoral work, for safety reasons, he usually would not inform the people he was visiting in advance! … Haha. God has guided the work on this trip and by God’s grace, everything has gone very smoothly. Tonight being the last night, everyone’s tongues were loosened and nothing was left unsaid; I received a great deal of information as a result! Little wonder then that at this last service today with the preachers and co-workers in Goma, Eric gave thanks again and again to the true God for His guidance and protection throughout.

The day before, on Thursday afternoon, Baraka rode in the Red Cross vehicle with Eric and some others to the rebel base of the S rebel army, which is led by his cousin. There, they negotiated the release of the Red Cross worker who had been kept prisoner for 16 days. They returned home only last night, Friday night, at around 18h00. Eric said that when they arrived at the rebel base, the leader of the rebel army made them wait three hours before coming with more than forty armed soldiers to meet them. However, the rebel leader was very happy the moment he saw Baraka as he had not seen him for six years.

The release of the prisoner went very smoothly, thank the Lord. Eric told me that the M23 rebel army is the common enemy of the S rebels and the government forces. S has its own central and local administrative bodies, as well as a police force. It is a relatively large-scale operation. One of the generals from the government forces even personally telephoned Eric during dinner to ask if all the personnel had returned safely. Eric further said that there was no way the mission to release the hostage could have been accomplished if Baraka had not gone with them.

Eric said that Goma was in fact a very dangerous place, because it was constantly being infiltrated by rebel armies from various quarters.

Having said that, for someone like me who has only been traveling back and forth between my hotel and the church every day and who has been protected by God all the while, the actual impact of the war on daily life has not been great. I only know from the news that “there is a war going on”. There was only one particular occasion when I was talking with Eric in the hotel one morning. Eric suddenly cocked his ear and told me to be careful because there was a gunfight taking place outside. I had no idea what was going on and didn’t know what he was saying. As a result of this, Baraka came 40 minutes late, saying that the situation outside was chaotic—roads were blocked and there was the sound of gunshots. As I was about to go to church, I saw several vehicles full of heavily armed soldiers with guns at the ready. There was a great commotion among the people on the street.

＊＊＊

The message I shared with the brothers and sisters in Goma on the Sabbath day:

When Jesus breathed His last on the cross, it was recorded by eyewitnesses that “there was darkness over all the earth” and that “the sun was darkened”.

That was a time without color, because the Lord was dead!

All color had faded away with Him! Things went back to how they were at the beginning of creation: the earth was “without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep”.

The Lord was dead! What earthly pen can portray this misery, this despair, this injustice? God describes it in a vision of the earth shrouded in darkness, devoid of all color. Hence, the Lord of a person whose life is full of darkness and gloom has died!

The Lord Jesus bore all the sins of mankind in His own body; as a result, His body, originally incorruptible, became corruptible and mortal in that instant. This corruptible and mortal body entered Hades, and afterwards was raised from the dead through the power of God (Rom 8:11).

In the same way, Adam (man) originally possessed an incorruptible body; however, because sin entered, it caused this incorruptible body to become a corruptible and mortal body. The Lord Jesus Christ overcame the power of death, resurrected and became the firstfruits; in time, God will, through His Spirit, cause this incorruptible body of ours (man) to be raised from the dead (Rom 8:11).

In addition, the Lord Jesus, through His death, entered into a place of great darkness; that place is not hell, because hell is an everlasting fire God prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41).

The devil in the everlasting fire has already been destroyed by God! He no longer has any power and there is no need for the Lord Jesus to destroy him again! Another way of putting it is this: Before the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead and destroyed him who had the power of death, the devil, there was no devil in hell as he had not been cast into hell yet (Rev 20:10).

Through His death, the Lord Jesus entered into the place of death, that kingdom of utter darkness and the domain of the one who holds the power of death, Satan. In that place, the Lord Jesus, through death, destroyed him who had the power of death, the devil (Heb 2:14)! Since then, He has opened a new and living way through the valley of the shadow of death—a new and living way that is full of the glory of God and of the colors of the rainbow (Eze 1:28). This is also why, though all who walk in the way of the Lord may be assailed by darkness, they will never be enveloped by it. 

Through death, the Lord Jesus entered into the kingdom of darkness, but through God’s great power, He has now arisen and destroyed the power of death. Resurrection is the light and power that comes forth from darkness. Therefore the power of resurrection can also be said to be a kind of power that calls light out of darkness!

A resurrected person who is truly no longer bound by sin must have the power to be victorious over darkness!

＊＊＊

Faced with the darkness that was on the face of the deep, God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light! This light that shone out of the darkness did not come from the stars, because the stars hadn’t yet been created at the time. This light came from God Himself, because God is light (1 Jn 1:5). This light is also the true light which is able to destroy the works of Satan and be victorious over the power of death (Jn 1:1–10; 1 Jn 3:8; 1:5–7)!

Today, this true light also rests upon every one of God’s sons! Therefore, as long as the Lord lives, do not ever say that there is “darkness over all the earth”. There is darkness over the whole land, not because there is no light, but because you have been frightened and oppressed into not being able to utter the words, “Let there be light”! Consequently, layer upon layer of darkness gradually descends, envelops and overwhelms you.

What is the ultimate goal of our lives? To meet face to face with God! To personally see Him as He is! To see this Light with our own eyes (1 Jn 3:2)!

The prophet Ezekiel says that the glorious color of that Light was as the color of a rainbow. That rainbow is the covenant that God made with mankind and with all things after the flood. It is a spectacle full of radiance and splendor, clearly and instantly visible as long as you are willing to lift up your head to see it!

When you encounter darkness, you must have great faith, great hope, and by love, say in the face of the darkness, “Let there be light!” This is a sentence so simple it could not be any simpler, but these are words of great power which are nevertheless often forgotten.

Say these words, fellow workers! Speak loudly these words in the face of the darkness! Henceforth, darkness will no longer overshadow you, and God shall surely grant you a vibrant and colorful life. I am waiting to hear testimonies of your vibrant and colorful work! Peace be to you all! Farewell!

＊＊＊

After the meeting, I once again talked with the preachers and co-workers about how to act fairly and prudently in the selection of the pupils for the “Help school an African child” scheme when they return to their local churches (there will be five places available in every location, with a maximum of one per family).

Some sisters, helpers in the kitchen who were present, made a heart-warming suggestion: “The preachers are not paid a salary, and many families live in poverty for the sake of the Lord. The children of preachers may not be able to do better in the selection test than other children. So we would like to suggest that, at each location, a place be left for one of the local preacher’s children.”

I asked whether, if this was done, the brothers and sisters would have something to say about it? The mothers present said that, as the hardship of the Congolese preachers was obvious to everyone, they were certain that the brothers and sisters would not object. I replied that if this suggestion was feasible, then when they went back to their local churches, they would have to make it clear in advance that only four places were available, and that one of the local preacher’s children would not have to go through the selection test.

 

2013/7/28 Sunday, Goma – Kigali

I leave Goma, Congo for Kigali, Rwanda, and board the 20h20 flight back to France. The KLM flight attendant hands me a warm paper towel, which I cover my face with. It is so comfortable that the tears roll down involuntarily from the corners of my eyes. I could not bear to leave you; yet despite my unwillingness, I have abandoned you once again in the midst of the flames of war, amid the wind and the sand and the rocks.

I do not know why, but every time the moment of parting comes, I get a slight feeling of having betrayed you all by being the first to slip away despite my grand speeches.

We Africans don’t cry or shed tears, do we?

It is early in the morning. You bring a list containing a breakdown of expenditures to my accommodation. I pretend to be very strict, as usual, and question you about every item on the list. In your limited French, you painstakingly give an account of each item of expenditure. Gazing at you, I think of the innumerable hardships you have undergone over the past nine years for the sake of the churches in North Kivu, and I barely hear a single word you are saying. Because after all these years, I know that there will be no errors in the accounts. I only want to pretend to have concerns. The words “I am dark, but lovely … Do not look upon me, because I am dark” repeat themselves over and over again in my mind, cutting me to the heart.

I want to cry, but don’t. I am afraid the tears will gush from my eyes, but it is just as well I suffer from dry eyes—only the corners of my eyes are moistened.

I do not ask any further questions, and simply put away the three closely written pages of accounts that you have brought. “Here! Here is some toasted bread I brought over from France; I haven’t managed to finish it—you take it!” You take a bite of it and say it is good. Then you put the rest of it in a bag and wrap it up as if it were the choicest of delicacies.

You take me to the border on your motorcycle. Amid the wind and the sand, I ask you, “Are you happy?” You answer saying you are very, very, very happy. You say that the youths, preachers and co-workers were all very happy, that this was a meeting full of grace. Everyone had even said that they were going to put in place in their local churches all the things they had learned and shared. I ask you to go around and take note of whether the local churches are helping to support the livelihoods of the preachers and co-workers. You say you will, but that it will be a little difficult. Because of past incidents involving some of the brethren before they came into contact with VJE, it is difficult for the churches in North Kivu to openly teach about making offerings. As a result, there are some preachers who live particularly hard lives.

I leave the Congolese checkpoint and pass through the Rwandan one. In the no-man’s-land between the two checkpoints, I see dimly a vision of us walking in the opposite direction, crossing over and entering into Congo. Our doubles even turn around to wave and smile at us. We had no idea then what the future would hold for us. As in former times, I sang as I went, “E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me, still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee! Darkness be over me, my rest a stone, yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee!” I have forgotten the events of the past. One day I just suddenly realized that God seemed to have taken away my capacity for fear; since then, I have simply followed closely behind my Lord, who is always walking ahead of me (cf. attachment).

The car is here. The door opens and they wait for me to get in. I shake your hand and lightly bump your head three times. I hug you for a long time. Then, without saying a word, I turn away and get in the car. The door shuts. I look at you. “Peace be to you! Farewell! My Lord’s faithful servants! My dear co-workers! I love you all! Goodbye! Peace be to you all! May God bless you!” The words echo in my mind to the accompanying roar of the engine as the car drives away.

＊＊＊

“May I take away your wet paper towel?” “No! Thank you! I’ll keep it!”

＊＊＊

 
Attachment:

My Lord Walks Before Me
YM Yang

In the dead of the night, the sea is as dark as an abyss. Pulling up his collar, braving the cold wind, he clings to the walls of the ancient castle and looks out at the sea. At the foot of the wall is what was once a battlefield in centuries past. The howling wind still carries with it the battle cries of days gone by. Buried in the darkness of the night, the traveler stares beyond the farthest reaches of the sea, raises his head and sighs at the prospect of futures unknown, his mind filled with a multitude of thoughts.

The waves, like an army lying in ambush, make a sudden charge on the castle walls, but are instantly broken up with a mighty crash as they break on the walls. They carry with them the pathos of the doomed cry of a warrior making his final charge with a broken sword: It’s been several centuries, why can’t we bring these high stone walls down? The spray from the waves, aided by the cold wind, stings and cracks the skin of his face, and brings with it tiny grains carrying a brackish tang...are they made up of the blood of warriors past, or of the briny tears of the sea? Apart from the distant stars, glistening in the heavens with teardrops of their own, who can hear the warriors’ cries amid the crashing waves?

In his younger days, he had heard about the seven sages of the bamboo grove from the Jin dynasty, who despite seeing the dire state of the country were unable to do anything about it, and so took to spending their days riding wildly everywhere on their horses and weeping loudly whenever they came to a dead end. Tonight, do the great waves, obstructed by the city walls, also truly feel that they want to accomplish what cannot be accomplished? If they do not, why do they, knowing that the foundations of the ancient city cannot be easily shaken, continue to launch their unrelenting assaults on the city, wave after wave, from dawn till dusk? This dogged persistence moves the traveler, and the long-buried thought comes rushing to the surface in a sudden surge of sorrow. Helplessly, he asks the heavens, “Oh Lord! What will become of Jacob?”

He cannot shake off the pleading cries of the prophet Jeremiah in the holy city: “O the Hope of Israel, Savior in time of trouble! Why should You be like a stranger in the land, and like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night? Please, I pray, do not leave us!” His mournful, piercing voice rouses the wind and tosses the waves, overwhelms and bears down on the traveler, who cannot but cry out, “Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small! Do not leave us, I pray!”...

Tired from his weeping, the traveler drifts off in his dreams. Tossed about by the waves, he lands between two peaks, 1,500 years in the past:

At the foot of Mount Sinai, he hears the blast of a trumpet sounding louder and louder. In the midst of this, Moses lifts up his face and cries out to the heavens: “Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered!” And so the ark of the covenant begins its passage, going before them for three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.

Nearing Jericho, he hears the Lord earnestly urging Joshua: “No man has walked on this path before, but the Commander of the army of Israel has gone before you! Be strong and of good courage! Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed! Just follow the ark of the covenant!”

On the dark and dismal road to the garden of Gethsemane, he hears the Lord comforting the panic-stricken disciples: “I will not leave you orphans. I go first to prepare a place for you. In My Father’s house are many mansions. When I have prepared a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself.”

Strains of “I have gone before you! I have gone before you!” accompany the singing of the prophet as he ceases his tears at the first glimmer of dawn: “The Lord’s mercies and compassions are new every morning ... it is good that one should hope and wait quietly for them” (Lam 3). The rising sun sends forth its warmth, its gentle rays rousing the traveler, his shirt wet with tears, from his dreams. He sees, to his surprise, amidst the waves, a blood-stained path, perfectly straight and leading through the valley of the shadow of death, a path reaching beyond tomorrow that was not visible in the night.

Tomorrow? The Lord who suffers with His people has already gone before you and searched out a resting place for you—and He is turning back now to receive you!

YM   Chatou, 14. 02. 2004

YM   Sent at 08h30 while on transit in Amsterdam, Holland

 
This is a major long-term project which we will in future regret not doing if it is not done today. We pray that the Lord will increase the fruits of righteousness of those participating in this project, that they may be enriched in everything, giving liberally to the poor so that their service may abound through many thanksgivings to God (2 Cor 9:6–12).

YM  2013/7/27  23:54