Mission News from Mulungwishi

July 8, 2005

Dear Special People,

No, we have not dropped off the edge it just feels like it!!! We hope that you are still praying for us and the work here. We have heard from a couple of you and you are wondering what is happening???

First , we do have internet in Mulungwishi!! Yea! Yea!! But it is not always functioning right and so things are still slow. However we do still use Hoovers when we are in Lubumbashi and that is where we are right now. We contracted with a company in Kinshasa and it takes awhile to get all the kinks out of the system. Keep PRAYING!!!

Next we are two days before Annual Conference (July 10-14) to be held in Mulungwishi and it is a combination of two of our Southern conferences in the South and our Bishop Katembo's 25 Anniversary as Bishop!! So the opening services are going to be a big deal and all the "big guys" are invited!! I am praying that the President Kabila is just too busy!! Ha!! Our great "road" will probably stop some people!!! When these people come to anything it involves 3x the number you thought you should prepare for!! There will be over 600 delegates and we will be using three kitchen areas to help feed people. For some reason Mama Kat and I are in charge of organizing all this and buying all the food ... it never ceases to amaze me that for someone who hates to cook!! I seem to be in the thick of it!! People from our district have been bringing in goats and pigs on bicycles along with maize and beans etc. so we can prepare them for some of the meals. Nothing like your meal coming to you!!! smile! We have commandeered all the freezers on the station!! and are freezing pigs in one place and goats another and fish etc in others!!!..but there might come a time when we realize we have just defrosted one part cow, one part pig and one part chicken!! Help We will let you know how it goes!!! We have been down in Lubum[bashi] to buy the food and supplies and we are constantly praying that it will be enough. The conference will start Saturday and go until next Wednesday...Anyway bring on the charcoal and away we go!!! ...PLEASE PRAY for all the work, the Bishop, the fellowship, the discussions and decisions.

The week that just past (June 26-July4), found us hosting a work VIM team, combination from WA and OK who came out to see the work and help in building repairs. They were able to repaint the Assembly Hall and work on some of the teacher's homes. They arrived on our Seminary Graduation day and that was a neat experience for them! Going back the two weeks before, found us "Running", finishing exams, dissertations, grades and preparations for the closing of the Seminary and the Women's School!! Graduation took place on the 26th of June. As always we feel we experienced a MIRACLE that we were able to finish another year and graduate students. This year there were 6 in the masters program and 11 in the undergrad. Two days after graduation we also participated in a retreat for our graduates. Now they are preparing for their designations. The master's thesis' this year were outstanding and were about some ground breaking work in cross culture contextualization for the Church. Never knowing what this country will do? with the war and the death toll continuing? the economic chaos? elections being held off with major protests? and the our finance problems? graduation is a MIRACLE!!. PRAISE THE LORD! Many of YOU are part of that because you have been with us in prayer and support. THANK YOU AND KEEP PRAYING!

Going back two more weeks (May 29-June10) we hosted another VIM Team (medical) from mostly WA Conference with Ca and Co thrown in. There were 12 of them who were with us for two weeks and set up as four teams per day. They saw hundreds of patients. They were in surrounding villages and at our own dispensary. Such a blessing to have them here and and they have left funds to treat (operations, further testing etc.) the more complicated cases who would not have been able to get further treatment. With all these VIM teams, we have been involved in organizing the kitchen, organizing the work and translating. Some of these volunteers have been here now several times and it is nice to have them as good friends. Mulungwishi seems to tug on the heart strings of many who visit and they want to come back!! Praise the Lord!!!

Back again another couple of weeks ------ David held the service for marriage of one of our "kids" in Lubumbashi. Ngoi and Joli were married in the Jerusalem Church the 26th of May. We have 4 others of our "kids" graduating from college this year.

After Conference, we are expecting a very close friend, Linda Tanquist Boulos, and her daughter, Christianne, for a few days. Linda was a missionary here in Congo for 13 years. The first two weeks of August we will be hosting another work team from the North West Texas Annual Conference and the New Mexico Conference.

Another subject of prayer for us, is the ups and downs of getting the funds from the advance special. The [General] Board of Global Ministries have had to cut way back on staff because of the financial crunch and therefore there is not really enough to keep the accounting always up to date. Also the giving for the tsunami was overwhelming and they were inundated. This retards the regular funding coming through the pipeline and has made it very difficult to get the funds. It seems that also with the downturn in American finances Apportionments and giving is down again. Knowing the hearts and people in our Methodist Churches across the States we know if they knew more about all this we think there would be help and funds come in. Please pray for the Board as it makes more decisions on cutting back again and how we can all be working to reverse the trend. Major parts of the world still need help and to hear the Kingdom message.

We are excited that the "big eight" meeting includes discussion and plans for the continent of Africa. As always, there is not enough written about how some of the major world finance players are helping in the fighting and unrest through out Africa, because they are financing arms and black marketing minerals for their benefit???? Just in our Congo alone there are more then 1000 people dying everyday!!!! SO MANY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND DYING FOR THE POWER AND GREED OF SO FEW???

As we write this letter, we are hearing about the bombs in London....we pray for those who have innocently been harmed and killed in this ongoing war for power and our hearts go out to them.

We think of you and pray for you often. Please keep praying.

David and 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 elementary; messages sometimes take a week or so to get driven up to us from where they are received in Lubumbashi. So be patient with us.

This page was last updated 07/16/2005