Faith, Hope and Love Global Ministries www.fhlglobal.org

Seeing Africa: Please Don't Look Away! March 2010

In this report, we want to share with you some of what we just saw in Africa, especially in Congo, where over 5.4 million people have died due to "the war" over the past 15 years.

We pray that you will begin to see what we are just beginning to truly see. We pray that you, with us, will be increasingly transformed both by the tragic suffering in such places and by the wonderful opportunities that exist to come alongside our traumatized, yet courageous and determined, brothers and sisters in Christ in Africa.

Thank you for looking with us at these realities, and not looking away.

In Christ's service with you, Tim and Jill

What We Saw

Students SLL Goma ULPGL Congo

5 highly motivated pastors, chaplains, administrators, and theological students in Goma and Butembo who participated in the two "The Spirit-Led Leader" courses. Some walked over five miles every day back and forth to class for a week.

study guides SLL Goma Congo

Deep, heartfelt appreciation for the teaching and labyrinth prayer. At the end of one of the courses, when the participants were invited to share blessings from the week, one student nearly jumped out of his seat. Holding his blue-covered Student Guide up in the air, he bubbled over with joy, "Thank you so much for creating this book for us and letting us take it home!"

Pastors Walk Labyrinth Butembo Congo

Congolese haunted by memories of horror or weighted down by seemingly impossible challenges. Many still remember hiding under their beds at night for fear of invasion of Goma only a year ago. These pastors of Butembo walk and pray asking God to show them the way forward.

Older Woman Butembo D R Congo

Lingering fear in the midst of relative calm. In the villages and cities in the northeast, still today, many cannot sleep at night worried sick that soldiers, assigned to bring security to the region, might break into their homes to rob, beat, rape, or kill them.As one pastor explained, "When you see a soldier on the road up ahead with a gun, you ask yourself, 'Is this how I'm going to die?'"

Girl Walk Labyrinth Butembo Congo

Widespread poverty and its effects. Displaced people are especially vulnerable since their homes and fields have often been burned, and they are too afraid to return to their villages to start over again. They fled with almost nothing, and now place overwhelming burdens on relatives or fellow Christians who take them in.

Director ULPGL Tim Butembo Congo

Courage, hope, determination, and a plea for more leadership training and practical tools for shepherding the church. Over and over again we heard, "We need this kind of teaching and these methods here in Congo. Thank you so much. Please come back. Please teach these things to all the pastors and students in our city. Please take this teaching to all the cities in North and South Kivu. Please train young leaders to work with you to take The Spirit-Led Leader material into the interior. Please help us reconstruct our country."

Please consider making a gift now!

Tim Preach Kimemi Congo

In 3 ½ weeks, we taught and met with nearly 100 pastors, theological students, leaders of ministries, faculty, administrators, and missionaries in three different African countries-Kenya, Rwanda, and D. R. Congo. We built three labyrinths and introduced meditative, walking prayer through the two intensive courses we taught in Congo. We created a 75 page Student Guide and translated it into French so that every participant could have a book to take back to his or her home, church, and village. We also preached four times, coached, counseled, encouraged, and shared rich times of fellowship and prayer with many different people.

That's what we did.

Yet, it's what we saw that is having such a profound affect on us. It's what we heard that is changing the way we think and how we feel. It's the magnitude of the suffering and the depth of the need that is so compelling. It's the the working of God and the wide open doors that is calling us to step our level of commitment to bring more teaching, training, and support to our brothers and sisters in Christ. The churches in developing countries need our help and they are urgently asking for it.

If you're seeing what we're seeing, and if God is leading you to be part of the solution, please join us in this ministry to pastors, leaders and seminary students around the world. Some of you are already giving generously. Thank you! We now need many others to participate as well.

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things" (Mark 6:34).

Click here to learn how you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Faith, Hope and Love Global Ministries.

Quotes from Congo:

"Thank you very much for accepting to be used by God to be a source of blessing, edification, encouragement, and consolation for many leaders in the world. I truly do not know how to express my gratitude for the sacrifice you have made this week. My prayer for you is that the Lord will grant all which you need to accomplish this grand and fruitful ministry. Do not stop your path before you have attained your goal. May God bless you!" (Muhonya Kyaniko Pascal)

Greets Kimemi Conog

"During the week, the course was for me a response to a crisis within me: I was afraid of ministry, I felt incapable, but in brief, I praise the Lord because he healed me already. I [now] have the strength [I need]." (ML, ULPGL theological student, Goma)

"I saw the hand of God acting in my life and I feel a spiritual transformation... I saw God renew my vision and my goals for ministry." (Pastor JVK)

Tim Children Walk Labyrinth Butembo, D. R. Congo

"This course has been for me a way...(of) holistic spiritual healing." (Butembo University Director, Kambale Kandiki Valère)

Contemplative Pilgrimage: Spiritual Retreat at Chartres Cathedral October 3-10, 2010

South Facade, Chartres Cathedral

The Chartres Contemplative Pilgrimage offers an rare opportunity for personal reflection and spiritual renewal in one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring cathedrals in all of Europe. If you feel God prompting you to step out of the ordinary into the extraordinary for one memorable, life-changing week, we hope you will join us. For more information, please visit our website.

Pray with Us

Praise Goma Congo

For God's gracious, encouraging, and healing presence as we taught, preached and ministered in Africa.

For the tremendous help of Rev. Kambere Bolingo as he served alongside us as the FHLGM ministry coordinator in Congo.

For productive exploratory meetings related to future ministry and teaching in Kenya, Rwanda and Congo.

The successful translation of the 75 page student guide into French. We are especially grateful for the help of Judith Doré and Nicholas Burton-Page who volunteered their time and expertise. The students were so grateful for such an extensive resource that they can use to teach others.

Boy Pray Center Lab Butembo Congo

Prayer Needs:

Help for the pastors we worked with to put into practice what they learned. The most common prayer request we heard from theological students in Congo was for money to pay their school fees ($250 a year).

Successful development of ASDI, a newly created ministry in Congo which addresses a wide variety of social needs (assistance for rape victims, widows, displaced people, job training, etc.).

Selection of the right Congolese seminary student to receive a scholarship created by FHLGM.

Peace in the North Kivu region of D. R. Congo so that displaced people can return to their villages, rebuild their homes which were burnt down during the war, and replant their gardens so that they can have adequate food. Individual and communal healing from the severe traumatization caused by the genocide in Rwanda and the war in Eastern Congo.

Follow-up work being done under the leadership of Rev. Callixte with 45 pastors in Rwanda to further develop the action plans they created during "The Spirit-Led Leader" training in November.

Wisdom and strength for Esther, a FHLGM grant recipient who is developing a holistic ministry that involves helping impoverished secondary school students.

Sufficient financial provision to underwrite FHLGM's ministries in Africa, Hungary and France this winter and spring.

Discernment and a clear sense of God's leading as we continue discussions with current and future ministry partners around the globe (Myanmar, Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, USA, France, Hungary).

Additional help with ongoing fundraising demands, such as research and writing proposals to churches and foundations. God's leading of the right pilgrims to the Contemplative Pilgrimage in Chartres, France from Oct. 3-10, 2010.

Help with creating a logo for FHLGM.

For Your Inspiration and Reflection

Schoolboy Butembo D R Congo

Prayerfully gaze at this image of a schoolboy in Congo.

What do you notice?

How do you feel?

What is God communicating to you?

Click here to learn how you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Faith, Hope and Love Global Ministries.

If you would like to sign up for monthly newsletters,
click here and sign up on the bottom of the page.



HOME MINISTRIES RESOURCES AFRICA ASIA EUROPE USA ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PRAY CONTRIBUTE CONTACT US LINKS	Seeing Africa: Please Don't Look Away! March 2010 In this report, we want to share with you some of what we just saw in Africa, especially in Congo, where over 5.4 million people have died due to "the war" over the past 15 years. We pray that you will begin to see what we are just beginning to truly see. We pray that you, with us, will be increasingly transformed both by the tragic suffering in such places and by the wonderful opportunities that exist to come alongside our traumatized, yet courageous and determined, brothers and sisters in Christ in Africa. Thank you for looking with us at these realities, and not looking away. In Christ's service with you, Tim and Jill What We Saw 5 highly motivated pastors, chaplains, administrators, and theological students in Goma and Butembo who participated in the two "The Spirit-Led Leader" courses. Some walked over five miles every day back and forth to class for a week. Deep, heartfelt appreciation for the teaching and labyrinth prayer. At the end of one of the courses, when the participants were invited to share blessings from the week, one student nearly jumped out of his seat. Holding his blue-covered Student Guide up in the air, he bubbled over with joy, "Thank you so much for creating this book for us and letting us take it home!" Congolese haunted by memories of horror or weighted down by seemingly impossible challenges. Many still remember hiding under their beds at night for fear of invasion of Goma only a year ago. These pastors of Butembo walk and pray asking God to show them the way forward. Lingering fear in the midst of relative calm. In the villages and cities in the northeast, still today, many cannot sleep at night worried sick that soldiers, assigned to bring security to the region, might break into their homes to rob, beat, rape, or kill them.As one pastor explained, "When you see a soldier on the road up ahead with a gun, you ask yourself, 'Is this how I'm going to die?'" Widespread poverty and its effects. Displaced people are especially vulnerable since their homes and fields have often been burned, and they are too afraid to return to their villages to start over again. They fled with almost nothing, and now place overwhelming burdens on relatives or fellow Christians who take them in. Courage, hope, determination, and a plea for more leadership training and practical tools for shepherding the church. Over and over again we heard, "We need this kind of teaching and these methods here in Congo. Thank you so much. Please come back. Please teach these things to all the pastors and students in our city. Please take this teaching to all the cities in North and South Kivu. Please train young leaders to work with you to take The Spirit-Led Leader material into the interior. Please help us reconstruct our country." Please consider making a gift now! In 3 ½ weeks, we taught and met with nearly 100 pastors, theological students, leaders of ministries, faculty, administrators, and missionaries in three different African countries-Kenya, Rwanda, and D. R. Congo. We built three labyrinths and introduced meditative, walking prayer through the two intensive courses we taught in Congo. We created a 75 page Student Guide and translated it into French so that every participant could have a book to take back to his or her home, church, and village. We also preached four times, coached, counseled, encouraged, and shared rich times of fellowship and prayer with many different people. That's what we did. Yet, it's what we saw that is having such a profound affect on us. It's what we heard that is changing the way we think and how we feel. It's the magnitude of the suffering and the depth of the need that is so compelling. It's the the working of God and the wide open doors that is calling us to step our level of commitment to bring more teaching, training, and support to our brothers and sisters in Christ. The churches in developing countries need our help and they are urgently asking for it. If you're seeing what we're seeing, and if God is leading you to be part of the solution, please join us in this ministry to pastors, leaders and seminary students around the world. Some of you are already giving generously. Thank you! We now need many others to participate as well. "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things" (Mark 6:34). Click here to learn how you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Faith, Hope and Love Global Ministries. Quotes from Congo: "Thank you very much for accepting to be used by God to be a source of blessing, edification, encouragement, and consolation for many leaders in the world. I truly do not know how to express my gratitude for the sacrifice you have made this week. My prayer for you is that the Lord will grant all which you need to accomplish this grand and fruitful ministry. Do not stop your path before you have attained your goal. May God bless you!" (Muhonya Kyaniko Pascal) "During the week, the course was for me a response to a crisis within me: I was afraid of ministry, I felt incapable, but in brief, I praise the Lord because he healed me already. I [now] have the strength [I need]." (ML, ULPGL theological student, Goma) "I saw the hand of God acting in my life and I feel a spiritual transformation... I saw God renew my vision and my goals for ministry." (Pastor JVK) "This course has been for me a way...(of) holistic spiritual healing." (Butembo University Director, Kambale Kandiki Valère) Contemplative Pilgrimage: Spiritual Retreat at Chartres Cathedral October 3-10, 2010 South Facade, Chartres Cathedral The Chartres Contemplative Pilgrimage offers an rare opportunity for personal reflection and spiritual renewal in one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring cathedrals in all of Europe. If you feel God prompting you to step out of the ordinary into the extraordinary for one memorable, life-changing week, we hope you will join us. For more information, please visit our website. Pray with Us For God's gracious, encouraging, and healing presence as we taught, preached and ministered in Africa. For the tremendous help of Rev. Kambere Bolingo as he served alongside us as the FHLGM ministry coordinator in Congo. For productive exploratory meetings related to future ministry and teaching in Kenya, Rwanda and Congo. The successful translation of the 75 page student guide into French. We are especially grateful for the help of Judith Doré and Nicholas Burton-Page who volunteered their time and expertise. The students were so grateful for such an extensive resource that they can use to teach others. Prayer Needs: Help for the pastors we worked with to put into practice what they learned. The most common prayer request we heard from theological students in Congo was for money to pay their school fees ($250 a year). Successful development of ASDI, a newly created ministry in Congo which addresses a wide variety of social needs (assistance for rape victims, widows, displaced people, job training, etc.). Selection of the right Congolese seminary student to receive a scholarship created by FHLGM. Peace in the North Kivu region of D. R. Congo so that displaced people can return to their villages, rebuild their homes which were burnt down during the war, and replant their gardens so that they can have adequate food. Individual and communal healing from the severe traumatization caused by the genocide in Rwanda and the war in Eastern Congo. Follow-up work being done under the leadership of Rev. Callixte with 45 pastors in Rwanda to further develop the action plans they created during "The Spirit-Led Leader" training in November. Wisdom and strength for Esther, a FHLGM grant recipient who is developing a holistic ministry that involves helping impoverished secondary school students. Sufficient financial provision to underwrite FHLGM's ministries in Africa, Hungary and France this winter and spring. Discernment and a clear sense of God's leading as we continue discussions with current and future ministry partners around the globe (Myanmar, Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, USA, France, Hungary). Additional help with ongoing fundraising demands, such as research and writing proposals to churches and foundations. God's leading of the right pilgrims to the Contemplative Pilgrimage in Chartres, France from Oct. 3-10, 2010. Help with creating a logo for FHLGM. For Your Inspiration and Reflection Prayerfully gaze at this image of a schoolboy in Congo. What do you notice? How do you feel? What is God communicating to you? Click here to learn how you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Faith, Hope and Love Global Ministries. If you would like to sign up for monthly newsletters, click here and sign up on the bottom of the page.	The Mission Faith, Hope and Love Global Ministries exists to teach, inspire, and encourage ministers and leaders, equipping them to serve Christ more effectively. The Vision Better equipped, spiritually vitalized leaders serving Christ in strategic positions of influence throughout the world.