Mission News from Mulungwishi

 Sharing our joy with you

September 30, 2004

Dear friends,

[Webmaster's note: Many personal names below have been omitted to protect privacy on the Internet. Each such occurrence is shown with square brackets around the replacement or omitted text.]

Our lives have been touched by so many different moments and emotions these past months. It is hard to express our feelings and describe everything. Again and again we have been aware of the Lord's keeping, His grace and His strength. We thank you also for keeping us in your prayers and thoughts.

Forgive us for being slow in our letter writing. Let us try and bring you up to date.

Our April-May was very busy preparing for the end of the school year. We gave our exams early, finishing graduate's thesis and defenses and sewing projects. We would miss being present at graduation because of big happenings on the U.S. side of the water. We left Mulungwishi at the end of May.

The joy of two university graduates

JOY OF HARD WORK AND STUDIES COMPLETED

JOY OF CLOSE FRIENDS

GOOD SCHOOL MEMORIES]

[Our son] graduated the last of May from the University of Colorado - Denver in film. He and some friends have started their own production company and he has directed the pilot for a sitcom they have written. Their hopes are that one of the networks will pick it up. To put bread on the table, [Our son] continues to work part time as the office manager of a plastics company and filming local sporting events. He is also considering going to Australia to see if he can break into the film industry there.

[One of our daughters] graduated from Seattle Pacific University on the 12th of June in Psychology. Dad Persons and our whole family were in attendance. She has made so many friends and influenced so many from her time as one of the resident assistants in the dorms. [She] is settled in Seattle. She is volunteering and would like to go back and work at the Children's Hospital in the psych ward where she did her internship.

The joy of two weddings!!

WITH THE BLESSINGS PROMISES OF GOD

JOY TO SEE [THE COUPLE] START THEIR LIVES

Our other daughter, [], and her husband, Jeff [], had TWO weddings!!! Why you ask?? As a child, [she] had always wanted to have her wedding at her home in Mulungwishi. There was also the reality of friends and family on both sides who live in the U.S. So as she and Jeff planned the wedding in Denver and we and our friends in Mulungwishi put our heads together for another wedding in Congo. Denver's joy was on the 20 of June. Jeff’s family, the [], our family and many friends from all over came to celebrate their vows at Hudson Gardens. After much prayer, the rain held back so the wedding could be held outdoors amongst the beautiful roses and fountains. David happily brought our daughter down the aisle and gave the message to the couple. Jeff s Dad, Mike, and our friend Linda [] read scripture. Dad Persons, who was unable to attend because of being hospitalized the day before, wrote a precious blessing that John, David's brother, read to the couple. Rev. [], Jeff’s best friend, presided led them in their vows.

JOY TO MEET AND BE A PART OF THE [GROOM’S] FAMILY

JOY IN THE BEAUTY OF HUDSON GARDENS

Wedding number 2 meant two days of flying and 3 days of driving to reach Mulungwishi. For [our daughter], it was coming home. For Jeff, it was a new place, new people and a new adventure. He is really brave. There were over 30 people waving branches and flowers, singing and dancing, waiting to welcome them as we drove on to the station. Because we were in the States, a committee of people had set everything up in order to have a big celebration. Around 400 invitations had been sent out!!! The ladies had been backing cup cakes for three days on wood ovens!!! Saturday, they started slow cooking the beans, greens, cabbage, cleaning 10 kilos of rice, making tomato sauces, cleaning and frying 30 chickens, cooking 3 goats and a cow!!!! They formed teams and stayed up all night so that things would be ready for the meat after the Sunday service.

JOY OF SINGING AND DANCING

JOY OF CHOIRS WITH SPECIAL MUSIC FOR THE WEDDING

JOY OF CELEBRATING TOGETHER WITH OUR CONGOLESE FAMILY

Sunday brought a combination church service and wedding. We were honored to have many friends come who knew Michelle from her childhood. In the Congolese tradition, they have a married couple stand with the bride and groom. Kalasa, a young man who had worked for us and cared for our children while in high school and is now the administrator for World Vision, and his wife Fannie did the honors. The Mayor of Likasi (the city nearby), the paramount chief, and 4 local chiefs were also present. Choirs and 8 girls dancing led in [the bride and groom] separately. The message and the marriage service were led by Dr. Kajoba and Dr. Munene. Two high school choirs, the seminary choir and the women's choir participated. Most of the messages in music, were directed to the couple, using their names and giving them council about marriage. Jeff courageously read his vows in Swahili as did [our daughter]. The crowd was thrilled by his effort. You can imagine the colors, the music and the cries of joy as only an African celebration can entail. Some 500 people feasted together after the service.

The joy of a life spent for Christ

JOY OF HERITAGE SO RICH IN FAITH

JOY OF THANKSGIVING FOR DAD’S LIFE AND MINISTRY

JOY OF FAMILY TOGETHER IN HAPPY TIMES AND HARD TIMES

An hour before we put [the bride and groom] on the plane to return to return to the States, we received a phone call from John telling us that Dad had passed away. We were able to get a flight back to the States 5 days later. We are so grateful to the Lord for having the privilege of sharing in the warmth of God's love through Dad. Not only in terms of the quality but also in terms of quantity. Dad was 92 went he went to be with the Lord and lived independently until some 10 days before he died. He had come to Denver and had to be hospitalized during [our daughter] and Jeff’s wedding. He recovered and returned to his apartment in Phoenix, and [], Jan's wife, stayed with him to help. He was hospitalized again and it was found that his heart was no longer functioning properly and he had cancer in his neck. After a few days in the hospital, Dad was moved to hospice where he passed away peacefully on July 23rd. John and [Jan’s wife] were able to be with him throughout and [Our son] and [One of our daughters] visited him in his final days. David, Lori, [and the new couple] were able to talk from Africa on several occasions during that last week. Ho! The miracle of cell phones!!!! The memorial service was held August 14th at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Phoenix, where Dad had been the pastor for visitation. In the afternoon, the family went to Sedona where we buried Mom and Dad's ashes in the family cemetery plot. It has been so hard to lose both Mom and Dad Persons and Aunt Grace in the same year. In the midst of the hurt and sorrow, we also have the joy of having been a part of parents so rich in God's love.

The joy of lives given in ministry

We have shared many times about our students and as new graduates go out into the ministry, we want you to lift them up in prayer. The education program at Mulungwishi helps not only the person in the Seminary but also his or her family. The wife of the seminary student is automatically admitted to the women's school. For three years, she is able to study Bible, health, caring for children, nutrition, and other courses. Some of the wives have not had the opportunity to study at all. It is neat to see them learn and bloom. Other wives have studied through high school. They feel the call on their lives and seriously want to study and prepare for their future ministry. Here are some of their stories.

JOY OF FAITH

Ilunga [] and her husband Katadi have just graduated. She came from a family of 12 and her father died when she was 10. Ilunga expresses thankfulness on how her mother and her faith in the Lord steadfastly worked so that the children could continue in school. Then in 1990 the finances stopped and she could no longer go to school. At this time she married. She and her husband were very active in their church. Apart from being a teacher, he was also the lay leader. Ilunga [] has been very sharp in her classes at the Women's School and wants to continue in more studies in sewing and tailoring. She is excited about going out into the ministry and shared that she and her husband are willing to go anywhere the Lord sends them.

JOY OF FAITHFULNESS

Masengo [] is one of the wives in 2nd year Women's School. She came to know the Lord through her early years in the Catholic church in her town. She completed her years towards a teaching degree and married a teacher named Makobo []. They have a family of seven children. He had always excelled m his studies and finished a university degree in history and social studies. They started attending a Methodist Church and became very involved in choirs, youth group, the UMW and men' s fellowship and went on to serve over the years on the district level in finances and as delegates to conference. More and more it became evident to those around them that this couple were called in to the ministry.

Our two Methodist Conference areas are so large that to enter the Seminary, candidates have to take the entrance exams several times to have a turn at being accepted. The Seminary does not have enough places and scholarships to accept all the applicants each year. Makobo tried three times and was finally accepted in 2002. What has impressed the Seminary community is their maturity, determination, and faithfulness to walk out their call in God's Kingdom.

JOY OF A MIRACLE

Umba [] is married to Kalau. They have an 11-month-old boy, Daniel. She grew up in a home where her father took two wives. She had a hard time completing school because her family moved so much. She became a Christian through the youth group in the UMC. As an active member, she became engaged to the young teacher, who was the president of the group. He honored her wish to finish high school before they married three years later. Kalau and Umba have just completed the Seminary and the Women's program. She talks about being able to work with her husband and see the church grow. If possible, Umba would like to go on to study nursing. Last year, Kalau almost died of cerebral malaria. They are very thankful to the Lord for his recovery and feel they have been given a second chance to walk out their call.

Please continue to pray for the Church in Congo and the, ministry in Mulungwishi. Be praying for the peace process. There is still much unrest as different factions are positioning for power. Pray for us as we return and begin a new academic year. There are never enough ways to say THANK YOU for your faithfulness and sharing in our lives through the years. As our Congo family would say, "Thank you so much for everything and do not stop doing good works". It has been a JOY to serve the Lord with you.

In Christ's love
David & Lori Persons

Congo mailing address:
P.O. Box 22037
Kitwe, Zambia
Africa

Persons_mulungwishi @ hotmail.com  [without the spaces]
(Please remember that our email system is very primitive and sometimes messages take a week or so to get to us. So be patient with us.)

This page was last updated 12/18/2004