Our desire has always been to bear fruit according to John 15:1-8 and Matthew 13:1-23. We also recognize the value of being led by the Holy Spirit like Paul in Acts 16:6. Doing so has led to both fruitfulness and multiplication when those two were combined. On my first trip to Kenya, the Holy Spirit led me to be with a couple in Nairobi. I saw many accept Christ my first full day there, and I also saw food last longer than it should have (I kept serving food out of a pot and it continued until the last child.). On a trip to Asia, God led us to a specific place and confirmed the contacts. There, I gave all of my cash to buy Bibles (Keep in mind I had a pastor from Kenya traveling with me and we still had a week to go.) I asked God for more Bibles and the Bible Society gave us at least a third more Bibles!
A year ago I was led to pray live on Facebook for the Democratic Republic of Congo. At least one person commented they had been sensing the same thing as I prayed. Needless to say, DRC had been in the back of my mind this past year, and two pastors that are Facebook friends had been inviting me to a city called Goma. Goma is a city on the border with Rwanda, and it is the capital of North Kivu Province. In May of this year, a local volcano erupted, forcing thousands out of their homes due to the lava flow. The United States State Department lists a DO NOT TRAVEL advisory for DRC, especially North Kivu Province due to fighting.
Whenever I go to a new area, especially a new country, my priority is to observe what is happening in that area, that country, and those ministries? In my eyes, the local ministers are the heroes of our ministry, and they did not disappoint on this trip. My host, Bienfait, appeared to be around age 30, and he had planted seven churches. He runs a microloan service to help women start small businesses, they minister to women with HIV or who have been raped, they do evangelism, and he runs a coffee plantation (selling fair-trade coffee). Through our connection, he began to work together with Esaie, a pastor who has taken in several orphans and has a sewing program.
I had not traveled internationally for 18 months due to a leg injury that required surgery, and also due to COVID concerns. I was originally planning to go in June but kept pushing the date back due to a family wedding, lack of funds, and because my wife had doubts as to whether I was healthy enough to travel; however, I began to be afraid that I was missing out on what God wanted, so we planned the trip for September.
I discovered from another missionary to DRC that I needed to have a registered invitation letter to be able to travel to DRC, so we paid $100 for a local pastor to be able to put the invitation in a letter and take it to a government official for registration. Once I received the invitation, I contacted the DRC Embassy in Washington, D.C for the forms to request a visa, and I sent the completed forms, the invitation letter, my passport (with a recent photo), a stamped return envelope, and money order. I received my passport with the visa and booked my airline tickets.
When I fly internationally, I try to book one of the itineraries with the shortest length while allowing at least two hours per layover. Trips to East Africa typically require three flights. Each airport may differ based on the security checkpoints and the time needed to clear them. You have to allow time to clear customs into a country, and returning to the United States is no exception.
I had to carefully plan for the THREE required COVID tests. The first was within three days of my departure, the second was when I arrived in Goma, and the third test was within three days of departure. I also needed to have my malaria prevention meds as well as my yellow card showing I had the yellow fever vaccination.
Finally, there is the issue of how much cash to bring. Some countries will accept credit cards, but the hotels where I stayed in DRC only accepted cash. People would accept U.S currency, HOWEVER, they would hold up each bill and carefully examine the edges for the smallest tears and would not accept the bill if the edges were not perfectly clean. I would be given Congolese francs (2000 francs equals one dollar) in change that looked so worn that I could barely read the numbers, and they were sometimes more tattered than the flag over Fort McHenry. I had two $20 bills that did not pass inspection, so I could not count on using them.
Sept. 17, 2021
I departed CMH via United Airlines to Washington, D.C. At Dulles Airport I switched to Ethiopian Airlines, heading to Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia). Because I was using airline miles, I was in economy seating, making it somewhat difficult to get comfortable enough to sleep. The second flight was over 13 hours long, but they did feed us food that was consistently decent.
Sept. 18, 2021
From Addis Ababa I flew to Goma. During that flight, I noticed the young man seated to my left was reading a Bible. We struck up a conversation and I discovered he worked with Andrew Wommack’s ministry. He spoke French and worked with that ministry to translated materials into French to be able to reach the French-speaking parts of the world. He was traveling to DRC for a pastors’ conference, along with several others with that ministry, including the director of that ministry for Africa. We exchanged information so that they might be able to work with many of our ministry partners in Africa.
When we landed in Goma, we had to go to an area to be cleared through health screening, including my second COVID test. I had paid online and printed the receipt, but they kept asking for a QR scan, which I did not have. They mostly spoke French, something I had not spoken in over 40 years. They moved me around three or four places, then finally had me sit in a room. I was told to go into a room for a test, and they wanted a small piece of paper they claimed they gave me (which I NEVER remembered receiving). After several minutes they agreed to give me s test by sticking a long swab up my nose so that it hurt.
I was cleared to leave the room and went to a window where they examined my passport and visa. They kept asking for my invitation letter and the address where I would be staying. I did not have either of those, but Esaie, one of the pastors, was able to go retrieve Bienfait, my host. He had copies of the invitation letter and showed the officials.
We were finally cleared to leave the area. We retrieved my suitcase, got into a vehicle, and drove to a hotel where I met with some church leaders. I paid $2 for a soda by giving them a $20 bill. Later, I received change in the form of a $10 bill with 16000 Congolese francs. My room was $50 a night, including breakfast. I noticed one man paid for his room with a $100 bill.
Sept. 19, 2021
After bathing, I put on a suit and we took a taxi to church. I paid $150 for sodas and snacks for the leaders’ meeting after church. During the service I had a child minister healing to the sick people. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to come fill people. We waited and prayed. There were a few instances of healing and strong manifestations.
Sept. 20, 2021
We took a taxi to the port on Lake Kivu for a trip to Idgwi Island. We were originally going to take the faster ferry boat for $100 each way, but the seats were booked, so we took the slower boat for $20 apiece. Around four hours later we arrived at the island. We dropped our bags at a decent hotel and took a boda up the mountain to a church. There seemed to be three different types of soils on the trip up. The bottom part of the island had dark soil similar to that in Goma. The soil became lighter brown/grey partway up the mountain, turning into a white, crystalline powder near the top. In the church, there was very lively, joyous worship, of which I took a video. Unfortunately, I started to feel nauseous and faint. Not understanding the nature of the symptoms, I took a boda back to the hotel. Bienfait and I paid $80 for the fast ferry boat, arriving in Goma over an hour later. We went to a hospital and they did some blood work. My blood sugar was normal, and there was no H. Pylori. I was given a prescription for something similar to Pepto Bismol and Alka Seltzer. We moved to a different hotel ($60/night) which was much quieter because it was not next to a main road. The shower was nice and hot, and there was a good breakfast. I had a good, solid rest that night.
Sept. 21, 2021
We decided I should move to Bienfait’s home to save money since I was going to need to pay cash for everything. (The cost of hotels, taxi, and ministry were quickly adding up, and we needed to be able to do ministry.) I met his wife, Charlotte, and their three children. The youngest was about one week old and seldom cried. I rested this day and tried to get my stomach back to normal.
Sept. 22, 2021
Goma is a large city with several slums. Parts of the city reminded me of Nairobi, while other parts reminded me of Kampala. We took a taxi to an area called Turunga, traveling on the roughest road I have ever seen. Much of the soil was black like charcoal due to the volcanic rock. Even the local cement blocks were dark, as if they were formed using the volcanic rock.
We arrived at an area where we got out of the taxi and walked. I noticed an older gentleman standing near the doorway of his simple home. I felt drawn to him and approached with my host, offering to pray with him. He had an issue with his left index finger, which seemed stiff. We prayed and it loosened, allowing much freedom of movement. If I remember, he said he was already a Christian.
We stopped at another home with a woman and two or three children, sitting and eating food. She said she had a headache and her legs were bothering her. We prayed and she was able to stand up.
We continued moving about another 20 yards to a large, grassy area, next to an unfinished two-story house. There were about 500 people waiting for us, most of them children. About 30 to 40 ran to meet me and gave me a large group hug. (Bienfait told me I was the first white person to visit that area.) Children sang, I was introduced, and I spoke a few words. We paid $250 for children to have a meal of rice and beans.
While the children ate their meal, we went to the home of a local leader and ate a meal of pork and some small, whole fish. I managed to eat one of the fish, but I could eat no more from the thought of the fish head going down my throat. The food and the fellowship was good. The local chief and church leader greeted me. Bienfait told me there was no church in that area, but I told him there was a church there: about 500 people gathered, and there were already church leaders there; they just had no building.
I noticed some children had no shoes, and the rocks were a jagged, volcanic material. I gave someone $10 to buy about five pairs of plastic shoes for children to make certain at least a few would have shoes. As we left the home, we encountered the man for whom we prayed. His finger was fine, but he was standing barefoot and also wanted shoes. I later gave the local church leader $10 for a pair of shoes for the man.
I learned of one critical need there: There is no source for water. People have to travel with water jugs for hours by bicycle to get to the port for water. We decided that a water tank could hold enough water to serve over 3000 people, making a huge difference in their daily lives! We could build a stand to hold a 2000 litre tank, attach plumbing so that a water truck could pump the water into the tank, and the community could use as needed.
Sept. 23, 2021
This was my 67th birthday. I joyfully spent $100 to feed children. I wanted a DRC soccer shirt, but had difficulty finding one. We found one at a store, but it was too small. I was going to spend $10 on a black hat with the DRC flag on it, but when the man in the store returned with change, he was holding a nice shirt closer to my size. It was still a little small, but I bought it.
We traveled to Ndosho to visit Pastor Easie’s church. This area was heavily affected by the lava flow. There were about 50 people worshipping outside his home, and there were signs that said, “Welcome, Pastor John.” I greeted the people briefly, encouraging them. We fed many children and went into the house. In one room there was a large bunk bed for several boys. There was another room that served as a kitchen and had two large bunk beds for girls. One bed had no mattress, and a bed on the other side only had crumbled pieces of foam that did not cover the whole bed. $80 would purchase two mattresses.
We sat down to eat and a group of children there brought in signs wishing me Happy Birthday and singing to me. Later, Bienfait and his family gave me a DRC polo shirt with letters congratulating me on my 67th birthday.
Sept. 24, 2021
We traveled again to Ndosho to minister to some widows. On the way there, I stopped the taxi to pray for a lady on crutches and another older woman with a walking stick. We continued on to the widows, and a young man interpreted for me. He did a very good job. I gave $40 to feed the widows, something no one has ever done for them.
In the evening we had a service at Bienfait’s church. I preached on John 5 where Jesus said that one witness of Himself was the miracles He did that testified of Himself. I prayed for people who wanted to walk in power so they would have that witness for Jesus as well. As I prayed, I began to prophesy over many, and Bienfait stopped me at one point to let me know how accurate the words of knowledge were (We thank God. The night before I was praying and was willing for God to have His way. I had not planned on ministering in that manner, but I was willing for Holy Spirit to have His way.)
Sept. 25, 2021
We went to Bienfait’s church at 8:00 AM to minister to women who had been raped and/or had AIDS. I tried to give them hope and share with them how much they were valued.
After 10:00 AM we went to a place where I could have my final COVID test ($40). I had to return Monday before my flight for the results.
Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021
God blessed me with the opportunity to share in two services (10 AM, 2 PM) with these wonderful people. 20 people total accepted Christ. I promised Bibles for the new believers (after they accepted Christ). Each Bible in large print Congolese Swahili costs $12.
Monday, Sept. 27, 2021
Esaie and Otis came to Bienfait’s home for tea in the morning. Otis brought me a polo shirt with a picture on the front, showing me visiting with the children in Turunga. There was a message on the back of the shirt, thanking me for visiting.
We took a taxi to the testing place for my COVID test results (negative). From there, we drove to a scenic spot on Lake Kivu. There was a children’s playground with nice equipment, a swimming pool, three wave-runners, and a top deck where you could sit and look out over the lake.
I decided to walk up the road to take a picture of a table where a woman was selling one-liter plastic bottles of fuel. This is quite common in Goma. Gas stations are available, but these little roadside fuel stands are much more plentiful.
After a couple of hours, we traveled to the airport. The airport in Goma is an international airport, but there are not a lot of signs, and most people give directions in French. The guards wanted to see my ticket, so I showed them my confirmation. An agent was assigned to me to walk me through what seemed like a complicated process. I put my bags through a scanner and stepped into a booth where I was sprayed with some sort of disinfectant. I took my suitcase to a station where I paid $5 to have it wrapped in plastic. There were no electronic displays as in other airports, but there were wooden booths. I stood in line for an Ethiopian Airlines agent who printed my boarding pass. One person weighed my suitcase in kilograms and I was sent to another counter to complete a couple of forms (in French. My agent helped me.) and returned to the ticket counter. When my suitcase was sent to be loaded onto the plane, my agent and I went to another window where I had to pay $55 cash for a departure fee for using Ethiopian Airlines. The agent then asked for $20 for her services, and she took me to a guard who looked at my papers and passed us on to another room.
There, we went to a window where a woman asked me questions in French and stamped my papers (with the encouragement of my agent). Then the woman started saying, “Soda!” The agent told me to give her a dollar (which I did). Then we moved down the hall where a big man wanted to examine my bags. He seemed friendly enough, and he looked through my carry-on and found two kilos of ground coffee Bienfait had given to me. He said that was not allowed on the airplane (not true), but he was willing to allow it if I gave him some soda money. The agent told me to just give him a dollar, but he wanted $5. I suppose I could have argued, but I wanted to get on the plane, so I gave it to him. He sent me into another room where a man spoke to me in French. He saw my shirt with the children in Turunga, so I suspect he let me through without soda money for that reason.
I went out to another room and stood at another booth where they looked at my passport and ticket. The agent asked said she would leave me there and asked for more money, so I gave her $1. I arrived at the door to the gate. Someone went through my bags and again, told me I could not take the coffee on the plane (not true); however, He allowed it and hoped I would remember how nice he was to me (I gave him a dollar without him asking, which surprised him).
I barely arrived at the gate before they started to board. I had to walk outside through a gauntlet of airport workers. One asked for a piece which I had to find. Finally, I walked across the tarmac to the plane and up the steps.
There was a 2 ½ hour flight from Goma to Addis Ababa. The airline fed us and showed a movie which finished shortly before we landed in Ethiopia. I was happy to be out of the Goma airport because I was mostly out of cash.
By contrast, the Airport at Addis Ababa was much more modern. As I was going through the flight transfer security area, I met another man from the USA. He was a retired pastor and has his own non-profit. He was so committed to helping others he paints houses 11 hours a day, four days a week to help pay for people to be able to eat. We prayed together and went our separate ways.
At the gate for my flight to Washington D.C., I met Marcus, a man from USA. He was originally from Ethiopia, and he knew an Ethiopian doctor with whom I used to work. We talked quite a bit and I discovered he lived about 20 minutes away from me. He strongly suggested I allow two or three days to relax and visit Addis Ababa sometime.
Tuesday, Sept 28
I arrived in Washington D.C. after a 17-hour flight, quite thankful for a longer layover to allow me to get through customs. I also had to find my suitcase and drop it off for a domestic flight transfer, even though it was tagged to go all the way to Columbus. I had to walk through a few areas to find how to go through security and get to my final gate. The security people pulled my carry-on bag and pulled out the bag of coffee, waving their chemical smell wand over it to be certain I was not bringing in explosives or drugs. The guard was very nice and professional and seemed surprised I was bringing coffee from DRC.
Finally, I made it back home in time to mow the lawn and take care of other chores.
Final thoughts
I achieved one of the things I set out to do: I wanted to observe the ministries in Goma and see how we could partner together for the kingdom of God. I was pleased to see how much they were able to accomplish, and how fervent their worship and their love for God are. I see this as a good investment for the kingdom.
Helping bring water to the Turunga community will have a huge impact (initial estimate: $2000). The local chief and the people welcomed us, and a thriving church could easily be established there.
We need $240 for Bibles for the new believers. I would also like $80 for two mattresses for the orphans, as well as $120 for another sewing machine.