Africa – Continued prayers for the DRCongo, January 31, 2025

     On Sunday, we received a text from Augustine, the coordinator of Harvest Vision Ministries in the DRCongo, from Goma, the city where he lives with his family. Goma has a population of 2 million people and about 800,000 live in the main part of the city. The city is located on the north shore of Lake Kivu on the boundary of Rwanda. As the capital of North Kivu Province, Goma is the largest settlement to fall in a series of rebel advances that have overtaken key frontier towns. The rebels are allegedly the foreign backed M23 group which claims to defend the rights of ethnic Tutsis in the region. Eastern Congo’s vast mineral wealth has made it a battleground for control, with reports indicating that over 100 armed groups are operating in the region as conflict has displaced thousands, and killed many in their latest offensive.   

     This morning we received this update from Augustine.

“Hello to all the servants of God. Thank you for your prayers. Since Sunday the 26th when we left for the church the war had started, we did not have the chance to arrive at the destination, the Rwandan soldiers crossed the border between Rwanda and Congo officially to attack our army, detonation of heavy weapons in the city. We closed ourselves in our houses. The children are all traumatized. Mom Rachel fell ill because of the things she saw. The rebels took the city of Goma. There are more than 10,000 dead here. Today the 31st we have just left our houses and joined the others to go bury families and friends because the city is full of mourning. All the banks are closed no money out. The famine is great. They cut off our internet connection, even the power and water.”

     Please join with us in prayer for the people of the DRCongo that during this time of conflict that the gospel message will be spoken with confidence and that everyone affected from the rebels to those suffering from the violence will hear the message of hope found only in the gospel. Increase the faith of those that are truly born again that they will increase in peace, hope and love during this time of affliction as we trust, pray and lean not on our own understanding but that Your will be done. Instill in the hearts the faith that has been given to us through Your Promise – That nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

    “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution of famine or nakedness or danger of sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)