Democratic Republic of the Congo: Forward Through the Fire

An Opportunity for New Growth Amid Ongoing Threats
Beneath the lush green canopy of rainforest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) lie abandoned homes and entire villages being reclaimed by the jungle. Their former occupants, millions of Congolese, have been forced to flee attacks from the more than 100 armed militant groups that have terrorised the region for several decades. While the DRC is predominantly Christian, Islam is a growing influence, and some of the militant groups hold to Islamist beliefs. One such group is the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is active in northeastern DRC. The ADF has openly stated its intent to eradicate Christians and establish Islamic law throughout the region. But Christian leaders say the country’s youthful population, with a median age of about 16, provides fertile soil for the advancement of the gospel.

The Cross is Everything
In early 2023, ADF militants attacked a Pygmy village in eastern DRC where Moses and Marie Bayaga lived. Five of the couple’s adult sons were killed in the attack. “They were shooting guns here and there,” Moses said, “finding the children and the men and killing them with knives and machetes.” Survivors of the attack fled their forest homes and took refuge in a camp for internally displaced people. But even in these camps, Pygmies often face discrimination because of their relatively small stature. When some Christians near Moses and Marie’s camp met the couple, they began providing them with food and supplies, and they also shared the gospel with them. While Pygmies generally hold traditional, animistic beliefs, Moses and Marie welcomed the Christians’ Good News. “Through all these struggles, we came to understand that the cross is everything,” Moses said. “God is the One who can provide and give help.”

Giving the Pain to Christ
Luce Ibara’s village was raided by ADF militants in August 2022. The attackers killed some villagers and abducted others, including her 12- and 18-year-old daughters. Luce hasn’t heard from her daughters since their abduction and fears they have been killed. During the attack, she and her husband, a church leader, ran for their lives, leaving everything they owned behind. Luce is grateful for a replacement Bible she received during her first visit to an aid distribution sponsored by VOM and a local church. “My faith in Christ is very strong, and that is what carried me through the bitterness, pain and wounds,” she said. “I have just given that pain and bitterness to Christ, and He is the One who has sustained me.”

I Can Smile
Kimboti, her eight children and a pregnant neighbour were marched deep into the forest after ADF militants abducted them from their village in 2022. Kimboti thought they would all be killed, but after two days a guard suddenly set them free and told them to run. They ran for hours, with older children carrying younger siblings, frequently passing the bodies of people killed by the ADF. Kimboti now lives in a camp with many other displaced people who regularly receive aid from the global body of Christ. “Now I am happy, and I can smile,” one aid recipient said. “I have food to feed my children, and that makes my heart filled with peace.”

Miracle After the Fire
When survivors found an eight-year-old girl in the ashes of a burned church, they named her ‘Divine Grace’, because it was a miracle she had survived. The girl’s parents died in the fire, which was started by militants during an August 2022 attack on their Christian village. Most medical personnel expected the eight-year-old to die too; burns covered 48% of her body. But the Christians who pulled her from the ashes prayed for her and looked for a doctor willing to help her. The doctor who agreed to treat her, Justin Mandaboy, said he believes God intervened to help her survive six major surgeries. “It is pretty easy to treat her because she is courageous,” he said, “and she has a lot of strength. I have a lot of faith for her in the future.”

Hope for Living
Militants in the DRC frequently abduct and abuse both women and men. Front-line workers estimate that 40% of Congolese women and 24% of men have been victims of sexual violence. Margurette was taken into the jungle by ADF fighters and forced to watch as they killed her two brothers with machetes. Although she eventually escaped, the trauma left her unable to speak. But six months of spiritual care and encouragement from other Christians who had suffered for their faith have helped her recover. “God has given me hope for living,” she said.

God’s Word Heals Wounds of War
The Congolese mountain village of Tchabi has suffered unimaginable violence. When ADF militants launched a series of attacks starting in May 2019, they set fire to dozens of homes and buildings; destroyed a school, a church and a hospital; and ultimately murdered 182 people. Years later, villagers who had fled the area began to return and rebuild their lives. They also restored the village’s church building, where front-line workers distributed Bibles while ministering to the villagers’ emotional and spiritual wounds. “It touched my heart knowing how to forgive our enemies,” said the town’s chief, whose wife was killed in the attack.

Sending Forth a New Generation
A small aeroplane landed on the village’s remote runway, a notable event because it was the first to do so in years. As the plane’s precious cargo was unloaded and distributed, villagers broke into a spontaneous, joyous parade. With help from the global body of Christ, our Congolese brothers and sisters move forward in hope — through the fire — as they bear witness to Christ at any cost.