Democratic Republic of Congo
Updated January 14, 2008
Central African Countries DR of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda are all under the leadership of
Pastor Joseph Mushengezi. His home location is in Bukavu, DR Congo on the central eastern border of Rwanda.
Perhaps the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo have suffered more than any other people
on earth down through the centuries. The two countries are the size of the US east of the Mississippi or Western
Europe. The Congo River is second only to the Amazon River in length, deeper in many locations and is 10 miles
across at some locations.
At last count and growing, we had 85 churches in the five countries under Pastor Joseph's leadership. He has a
huge responsibility. Please pray for him and his family. They need a lot of help in a very large area of Africa
which is relatively unknown to the outside world.
Democratic Republic of Congo: 48 churches; 18 primary and 7 secondary schools 2334 primary students and 1023 secondary students, each school maintains 7 classes. 2008 boys and 1349 girls total 3,357 students
Joseph Zirimigabi Mushengezi, Pastoral Leader,
Bukavu, DRCongo DRCongo cellphone: 243-99-767-0787
Kenya cellphone: 254-72-457-8565 P.O. Box 9536-00300
Nairobi, KenyaEmail: Pastor Joseph Mushengezi
Two pictures of Pastor Joseph, his wife Josephine, and their lovely family in Bukavu.
Pastor Joseph teaches and ministers to the Holy Given Missions School in Pemba, Mozambique, June, 2007
Pastor Joseph and wife Josephine minister at the Iris Staff Conference in Beline,
Mozambique, June, 2007.
August 28, 2007: As we were preparing to return home, the ladies of the church presented each of the team with outfits made by them. The Congo team from left to right are Heather, Norberto, Rolland, Dr. Eric, Rich, Marvin, Georgian, Darrel and Candace.
January 14, 2008 from Pastor Mushengezi
Praise the lord! Greetings in the name of the lord Jesus Christ and our saviour. Thanks too much to God for we are now in year 2008.
Last year has gone and considering what we achieved, we must thank God for it .
Without IRIS MINISTRIES coming our way through Rolland & Heidi bringing to us Jesus the only way , only solution and the only one, I don’t believe we would have reached this year.
Thanks again for standing with us. Every time we sent needs to you, you were ready to be touched by God and find ways to respond to them. Through Iris we were able to build 10 schools and that has touched many people and brought them to Jesus. (students, local authorities and parents) Although most schools are still under trees ,we are still looking upon Him for His move.
This year, we continue with the harvest work, that is, there is much harvest but workers are
few. There is much to do and we still need your contribution of prayers and missionary visits. We need help to assist orphans and rejected women who have been raped that need a lot of care. These are needy and we and our churches have done our best to gather a little food and clothes for them during Christmas season.
As our churches grow bigger, pastors live in hardship. Food and housing is a serious problem. Because of this, some flee their mission and return to the bush with their families for a better life.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is still facing many problems. Fighting is going on in North Kivu Province. People have died and lost their houses and belongings in that part of the country. We now have many refugees. Besides the peace conference is going on at Goma to find solution between the rebels and the government. Even our roads need some aid. (Editor's note: In a country the size of Western Europe, the DR Congo only has 400 miles of paved roads.)
Kenya continues to have many problems that also increase ours to get much needed supplies. On 21 December 2007, presidential elections were held, as well as legislative elections. The results have generated disaster in the country. The opposition claimed that elections were rigged. There is a lack of fellowship of churches since we planned to have a pastor’s conference in Nairobi with all our pastors and those who wanted to join IRIS MINISTRIES and plan this year’s work running are blocked. Even my two children attend school in Kenya. Your prayers are needed for Kenya which was an African peaceful country for a long time.
Because of the fight in Kenya, the prices of goods have risen in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the DR Congo, especially diesel, petrol, paraffin (oil). It is also causing hunger and transport price increases as Kenya is the only products supplier to the above mentioned countries. We then need your prayers and any urgent assistance for the people of God.
I do also need your prayers for works of God and harvest journey. I am planning to travel to Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and the Congo cities of Lumbumbashi and Kinshasa, our national capital in the West.
Before ending this report, I would like to thank all those who pray for us, visit us or join us and have divine burden for us. May God bless you so much and meet the desire of your hearts in this year of the Lord.
THERE IS MUCH HARVEST BUT WORKERS ARE FEW!
WELCOME TO ALL.
GOD BLESSES YOU.
Yours in Him,
JOSEPH
Rolland Baker at our old office location in Bukavu, DR of Congo. Pastor Joseph Mushengezi is front
center with the blue hat. We were kicked out of this location. Jesus had a better idea. We recently
purchased a much larger property nearby for development.
Congo meetings are filled with joy in the midst of poverty and extreme political
instability.
Church in Kalonge. The building is very simple but packed with worshippers.
The Congolese can worship for hours with abandonment
The scars of life in the Congo don't stop the intensity of worship for this young man.
Kitchen and hospitality center of the Kalonge church
The children are always the most resilient with smiles in the midst of poverty and starvation
Children are always beautiful even in the midst of extreme poverty
The children of one of our schools present themselves to vistitors Rolland Baker, Norberto Sango and
others. We recently sent more of your contributions for the purchase of rice and beans. We were
losing some of our teachers and children were collapsing in school from lack of food. Instead of
three meals a day, many get only three meals a week.
Pictured is one of our school buildings built by the local workers in Kalonge, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
One of the school rooms
Grace is great in the Congo. His people are responding with a hunger for Jesus unmatched any place else in the world.
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