We are excited to bring you a new short video series from some of our global Christian partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, River Ministries. These videos were sent to us via WhatsApp from a young Congolese missionary Bedy. As we collected the low resolution files this series was designed to keep the editing and commentary to a minimum so you get a sense of following along in the journey in more of a real-time fashion. We hope this provided opportunity for real-time prayer for the team as they ministered in villages sharing the hope of Jesus Christ in body, mind and spirit.
A large team set out around the 5th of July and met with multiple villages over the course of a month. Many are from the Yaka tribe in the Kwango region. The Kwango region is located in the southwest part of the country and shares a border with Angola to the south.
The Joshua Project indicates that most Yaka identify as Catholic Christian. But “traditional religious practices remain influential. Their spiritual worldview includes reverence for ancestors and the use of masks and sculptures in ceremonies. These artifacts are believed to channel divine energy and are used in initiation rites, healing rituals, and social ceremonies. The Yaka also honor a creator god (ndzambyaphuungu), though worship is typically directed toward ancestors and spiritual forces.”
The team’s own account of the trip names the same spiritual realities the Joshua Project describes. They saw three burdens weighing on these villages: fear of witchcraft, conflict that divides communities, and deep poverty. About 40 missionaries traveled in four vehicles, aiming to reach roughly 30 villages beyond the town of Kenge. Before setting out, they paid a courtesy visit to provincial authorities and spent two nights sleeping in a local church. In each village, they first went to greet the traditional chief, showing respect for local leadership before any preaching began.
The ministry was hands-on. In Kimwanga, team members knelt in the dirt with needles and oil to remove jiggers from children’s feet, a painful parasite that had left some unable to walk. In Masamba, they handed out food, clothing, and Christian literature. In Panzi, they visited the hospital and distributed prescription eyeglasses. Along the way, they held open-air evangelism meetings, gave out Bibles, and went house to house for personal conversations. In Mayimangonde, new believers were baptized and took communion together for the first time.
None of it came easy. Roads were often little more than sand and rutted mud, and vehicle breakdowns left the team stranded for hours in the heat. What you’ll see in these videos is that journey as it happened, unpolished and in real time.
Medical Ambassadors International partners with national believers in the developing world. Much of the funding we raise is passed along to our trusted regional coordinators who regularly check in with us in a partnership agreement.
Click here if you’d like to contribute towards this ministry.
Check out all ten short videos by following & subscribing at YouTube, Instagram or Facebook.
