Girl goalie and bamboo goal posts

Future champions: While the winter Olympics was taking place in Sochi, our kids in Kikimi have been seriously practicing their soccer skills. Although setting up a soccer field is one of our goals, they have been using bamboo poles as goal posts for now. They often have the boys play against the girls, and guess who usually wins?—the girls of course!  Please pray the Lord supplies the funds for a proper soccer field as well as a basket ball court, to add to the already existing volleyball court.

boys playing against girls

Kikimi soccer team

boys team

Girls team

A life saved: We are so thankful the Lord supplied the emergency vehicle last month, as it already served to save a life. One of the kids at school came down with a high fever, but in spite of the instant care and medication Florence gave him, it lingered. Thanks to the jeep, he was able to be driven to the hospital in town where he could receive more thorough medical care.

Florence gets this sick boy’s file ready to transfer him to the hospital

Florence helps sick boy into emergency vehicle

 We also purchased a newborn scale, a maternity stethoscope, a regular stethoscope and a blood pressure apparatus for the medical center and are preparing a grant request for the set up and furnishing of the maternity. Please pray this request will be granted.

Newborn scale, stethoscope and blood pressure apparatus

Fish galore and bunnies: In order for the project to eventually become autonomous, it is imperative that the parents whose kids attend our school in Kikimi contribute the minimal school fees, in order to generate income for the running expenses. Offering poor parents a free plot of land to grow vegetables has not been as successful as we were hoping. So when someone donated some cute rabbits recently, Theo had the brilliant idea to breed them, and donate a male and a female to poor parents so that they could start their own breeding business, and generate income to support their families and contribute towards the running of the school.

Bunnies–hope of the future

Another endeavor which brings in some revenues for the school is fish breeding, which the French association SEL helped him restart after his first attempt had failed. About twice a year, one of the fish ponds is emptied and the fish are collected. One part is sold and the rest is fed to the orphaned kids.

Fish ready for sale

Fish galore

 Development and Maintenance: The construction of the outside storage room is now completed, which will free space inside the main school building to set up a library for the children. Please pray we’re able to complete this during the next few months.

Outside storage being built

Maintenance is a key word for the future of Congo. Lack of maintenance over a period of years has plunged the country into dilapidation and ruin. It is so sad to see around us the decrepitude of so many buildings which were once the pride of the nation. Assuming good maintenance is another step towards autonomy and we are so encouraged when we see Theo and Florence taking initiative in this area, like having someone regularly service the sewing machines.

Maintenance of sewing machines

Following in Espoir Congo’s footsteps: You may remember Alain, one of our early Bible class graduates. Inspired by what he’s seen the Lord accomplish in Kikimi, he started his own environmental association to help develop a project in his wife’s native province, Bas Congo. Here he is in front of the banner he created to promote his association.

Alain Botoko in front of his association’s banner

Youth Ministry: The highlight of our month was definitely making the trip to UNIKIN University to fellowship with Olivier’s Bible class one Saturday. As we mentioned last month, Olivier has made a schedule of activities 4 times a week with his students. The day we went, Maxi had planned a discussion on the Activated magazine article “Turning our thoughts into prayers”. Everyone took turns reading a paragraph, and participated by asking questions or sharing examples of how it applied to their daily lives. Some of the regular Bible students were there, and some newcomers also joined in. We were so impressed by these very potential young people (who are studying to become doctors, lawyers and engineers) and it was heart-warming to see them getting so turned on by this Activated article, word that had been a revelation to us decades ago when we first read it and which had transformed our lives. Witnessing their enthusiasm was very contagious and rekindled our appreciation for these magazines, those who produced them, and those who translated them into French.

They closed their meeting by sharing testimonies. Joshua thanked everyone who had prayed for his father who was scheduled to have a throat operation. When he went in to the hospital, the doctors sent him home with medication saying a miracle had happened, as there was no more need to operate! He gives the Lord all the glory and praises Him for His healing power and the power of prayer.

Maxi (engineering student) leading discussion

Gerse (medical student) sharing an application to the Word

Study group

 Olivier shares: “Maxi’s father, who’s an engineer, wanted to meet me as he noticed a major change in his son Maxi since he started attending the Bible classes. Maxi openly witnesses to his family, encourages his parents and brothers with the light of God’s Word, distributes posters and magazines to his relatives and invites them to pray together, to have faith in God and to follow Him. Now Maxi’s parents are also studying the Bible course and they want to thank you for its mission work which has brought so many blessings to their family.”

Olivier

Forget thyself; console the sadness near thee;
Thine own shall then depart,
And songs of joy, like heavenly vials, shall cheer thee
And dwell within thy heart.

George Thomas Coster