March 2009 Update

Uvira, DRC. In February I was able to travel to the town of Uvira in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). You may remember it as Zaire or simply Congo. This nation has been at war with itself and others for a very long time, most of the troubles being rooted in the Eastern Congo just across the lake from Kigoma. It’s history - from the colonial days of King Leopold of Belgium, to the Belgian rule that followed, to it’s independence from the West, to today - is both complex and tragic. The country is one of the biggest in Africa comparing approximately in size to the entire Western United States. With so many problems, so many different people groups and languages (over 400), and a central government located at the far western edge of the country, even the best regions and districts are tumultuous, corrupt, and just barely getting by. Eastern DRC borders Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, and most of its residents speak a slightly altered version of Swahili (the national language of Tanzania). In addition, many Congolese escaped the war and death in their home country by entering Tanzania as refugees. Many Eastern Congolese have spent anywhere from five to twenty-five years in refugee camps in the Kigoma region. This common language, close proximity, and similar culture makes Eastern DRC a perfect addition to our scope of ministry, and one that God had told us about in advance even before we ever left the United States. From Kigoma its about a seven hour journey by boat or automobile to get to Uvira, which means that ministry is only a short day away. The needs are great and there are often difficult hurdles to overcome in order to accomplish anything there. The corruption of government officials, the depleted economy, the devastated infrastructure, and the unsettled nature of a country still recovering from civil war and chock full of rebel groups and rogue military elements, all make for a potentially strenuous environment to minister in. But all things are possible with God, and where He guides He always provides: the way, the means, the wisdom, the energy, the safety, the everything. He is the Great I AM!

In Uvira I met with Pastor Sepa Mamboleo, Pastor Tito, and other local and regional pastors and elders associated with them. The meeting went very well. The primary focus of the meeting was to discuss the training of pastors in the Eastern Congo. There are many pastors and church leaders in all of the regions of Eastern DRC - from Provence Orientele in the north (where the LRA has recently set up shop after leaving Uganda), to North and South Kivu (where various Hutu and Tutsi rebel groups still operate and terrorize the people for personal profit), down to Katanga in the far south. All of them have expressed a deep desire for solid Biblical instruction so that the pastors and leaders of the churches in these villages and towns might be firmly grounded in the Word of God and fully equipped for the ministry. We plan to accomplish this by establishing a Pastor Training School in Uvira, which is basically a middle ground between the north and the south. Here current and future pastors can come and be trained in the Word of God. Currently - as is the case in much of Tanzania and many other African nations - a pastor is typically named “pastor” because they are the oldest, or wisest, or most popular or “spiritual” and have expressed a desire to be a pastor. Sometimes the motives are good and other times the motives are based on a desire for recognition or status. Rarely, if ever, is it because they have met the Biblical standard of an elder, teacher, and/or pastor. By attending the Bible School they will not only learn what the Bible says about foundational doctrines, but what it says about being and elder, teacher, and/or pastor. The Word of God will then divide the called and those with godly motives from those who are “in it” for the wrong reasons. Those who remain and complete the training will learn how to study the Bible for themselves. They will learn through the Bible what it teaches in regards to the foundational truths of the Faith. They will learn how to serve the people with a pure heart, on behalf of the Lord, as a true mtumwishi (bondslave), and not for personal prestige or gain. They will learn the importance and centrality of being lead by the Holy Spirit, according to Scripture, in order to accomplish God’s will and purpose in their lives and lives of those they serve. This is what’s lacking and they know it and have asked us to help. How can we refuse?

Jon with the leaders of the church in Uvira, DRC

Kigoma, Tanzania. There were many challenges waiting for us when we arrived back home in Kigoma. With God’s grace and strength we made it through and are now settled in and back to business.

Kevan has begun helping with another local ministry that takes care of the destitute. For more information about it, please see the previous blog entry titled "a heart for the poor." Please pray for Kevan to continue to grow in Christ and be sensitive to His calling and leading in ministry.

Jon is now teaching a weekly discipleship / Bible training class to the leaders of the local church that we work with. This takes place every Tuesday from 3 to 5 pm (local time is currently 11 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Time). Please pray for these meetings to be fruitful and for the church to become healthy and grow accordingly.

Carrie will begin teaching the ladies group from the local church once per month. Please pray for her to have the time and strength for study and preparation, and for the Lord to give her peace to overcome any nervousness.

Jon will soon begin teaching at the Bible College on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Please pray for his time of study and preparation. Also please pray for the students hearts and minds to be prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive from the Lord.

Carrie is working hard as 5th grade teacher to Kevan, 2nd grade teacher to Keenan, 1st grade teacher to Caleb, Preschool teacher to Jada, and nursing mother to Jasmine. Please pray for her physical, mental, and emotional strength in homeschooling. It is a very difficult and tiring endeavor, though very rewarding.

Jon is working with a close friend to help find a way to provide for several orphans to continue their education. These are young boys and girls with no parents who are being cared for by friends or neighbors. They have passed their primary school exams and been accepted to secondary school, and so have the opportunity to move on but cannot afford the school fees, school supplies, school uniforms, and shoes. Those who receive support will attend a weekly Bible Study in order to remain in the program. Please pray that the Lord would provide the support needed for each of these children (only $19 per month). Currently there are about 40 children who have been screened and identified for assistance.

Jasmine Grace. For those of you interested in Jasmine’s growth and pictures, please visit the following internet sites for information and pictures: www.thelangleyclan.org and http://thelangleyclan.blogspot.com

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Current Needs. As you have read in this update, there is a lot going on and a lot to do. We would really appreciate your prayers and your helping us get the word out so that we can move forward on the projects that the Lord has put before us. Prayer and financial support are two common ways to partner with us, and many who read this newsletter already do both. You can also help by telling others and getting your church involved as a whole.
--- The pastor training school in Congo will require $77 per month per student to run (or a total of $1855 per student for the full 48 week program). We need sponsors for these brothers to be trained. Once they’ve been trained they’ll minister in their home villages and towns, some will become missionaries, and others can teach in the school themselves. Please pray for the Lord to provide for these students.
--- We need Holy Spirit-gifted and qualified teachers to come and teach at the Pastor Training School for two-week sessions. We will be scheduling two teachers at a time, one to teach the morning session and one the afternoon session. We need to be able to schedule a total of eight teachers for each session of eight weeks. Please pray that the Lord would guide us to the right brothers for this task and provide for their needs to come and share in the work for a short season.
--- The orphan education program will require $19 per month per child. This is a small price to see these kids get the chance to continue their education while being discipled weekly in the things of the Lord. With this combination of Biblical discipleship and basic education they can not only grow in their knowledge and relationship with the Lord, but also use that foundation to make an impact for Christ in their country, which is slowly moving more and more towards Islam and away from Christ. Please pray that this need will be met quickly so the students don’t miss this opportunity.
--- The ministry both here in Kigoma as well as in Congo is being expanded by the Lord. This expansion further emphasizes the need for one or two godly Tanzanian co-laborers to help with administration, translation, teaching, and government relations. Those who wish to serve the Lord in this way don’t have the benefit of having family & friends who can financially support them. In order to bring a couple of servants on board with us, we’d like to provide them with a fair wage so that they can meet the needs of their families. Currently we can do this for $250 per month per person. Please pray that the Lord would provide for this according to His perfect timing and wisdom.

Praise Him! Thank you so much for your prayer. We are feeling much better, are settled back into our home and somewhat of a routine. Our electricity has been good compared to most others, so we thank God for that constantly. God has also blessed us with a couple of partners in the ministry who have contributed towards our health insurance for the year. Thank you Lord!

Please Pray. Getting water to the house is still a problem. Please pray that God would provide for the extra expense of having to hire men to bring in buckets on their bikes. We were only paying a few dollars a month for water before and now it costs us about $20 each week (I know it sounds small but our budget is VERY tight). We continue to pray that God would provide the remainder of our medical insurance premium for the year. We know He will take care of us. Please pray for Carrie’s wrists. She has been having a lot of pain in both of them for some time now.