On Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20, I had the privilege of accompanying the American Baptist delegation on a whirlwind tour from Kinshasa to the mission stations of Vanga and Kikongo. There was hardly enough time in the schedule to see even the surface of almost one hundred years of partnership between International Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA and the Congo Baptist Community (CBCO) yet, along the way, the warmth of the welcome received was second to none. God's people in Vanga and Kikongo lavished on the delegation sincere expressions of gratitude for years of partnership with them.

Following are a few foot prints of our trip. There are missing foot prints since it was also my privilege to do some of the translation as we went along (smile).

Blessings,

-- Katherine and Wayne Niles

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Photo captions:

1) IM delegation in the Missionary Aviation Fellowship plane on the way to Vanga: starting with Eleazar Ziherambere and working around the plane: Eleazar Ziherambere, Katherine Niles (IM missionary) in Kinshasa, Reid Trulson, Sumner Grant, Dan Carlson (MAF pilot), Virginia Holmstrom (co-pilot), Aidsand Wright-Riggins, Roy Medley, Tom Lacey, Rev. Kembo Dindonga (legal representative for CBCO)

2) The reception at the airport at the Vanga mission station by school children, and representatives of churches and institutions throughout the district.

3) Rev. Mozart Mulama, the Pastor at the Vanga Church, welcoming the delegation

4) Inside Pastor Mozart's home, where his wife and women of the church served refreshments to the delegation before they began their tour. Clockwise around the table, starting with Pastor Mozart Mulama (at the head), Brother Gustav (one of the community of five German brothers who have been instrumental in sustaining the Vanga Hospital ministry since early 1970), Tom Lacey, Aidsand Wright-Riggins, Rev. Kembo Dindonga, Eleazar Ziherambere, Reid Trulson, Virginia Holmstrom, and Sumner Grant.

5) Though there are no longer any IM missionaries at Vanga, the work at the hospital continues in the hands of Congolese physicians, the German Brothers, and a French missionary orthopedic surgeon and his wife. The tour of the 450-bed hospital began in the pediatrics ward where the poverty of patients' families presents a challenging obstacle to providing and paying for care. Supplies sent through the White Cross ministry of American Baptist Churches are vital "cups of cold water" offered in the name of Christ to infants, like this one, who come to the hospital sick, and often naked.

Our tour continued through the hospital to the health zone offices where the IM delegation learned that the Vanga Hospital not only cares for 17,000 patients annually, but through the health zone infrastructure, the hospital supervises some 50 rural health centers, providing the only link to medicines, vaccines, and other basic health resources to the vast population in the whole region.

6) Lustily and with rhythm, all the students of the Vanga nursing school welcomed the delegation in song. The nursing school, still one of the best rural training centers for nurses in the DRC, was founded in 1961, and has graduated almost 700 nurses who serve in rural health centers not only in the Vanga health zone, but throughout the DRC.

7) From Vanga, we went over land (about four miles) to the agricultural center of Lusekele, where IM missionaries Ed and Miriam Noyes serve. Here the delegation is welcomed by director Timothy Kabila (here greeting Virginia Holmstrom) and several members of the agricultural extension staff at Lusekele.

8) Mr. Kabila welcomed the delegation, (and many others!), into his home for a meal. In the few minutes allowed, the delegation glanced at the agricultural activities at Lusekele. There missionaries Ed and Miriam Noyes (who are currently on a deputation assignment in the US) and the staff are working with village groups who are cultivating and further distributing disease resistant manioc, a new variety of protein rich cow pea, and high yielding oil palm trees; strategies to alleviate significant hunger and poverty in the area.

9) Late in the afternoon, after a short MAF plane ride, the group landed at the mission station of Kikongo, home to IM missionaries Glen and Rita Chapman (their house in the background), to be warmly welcomed again by the pastors and leaders of the churches and institutions at Kikongo.

10) As the delegation de-planed, they were welcomed by missionary Glen Chapman (front right, red shirt), Rev. Kuka, the Kikongo District pastor, Rev. Menga, and others. Students from the Pastoral Training Center and the Kikongo Hospital Nursing school (in white uniforms provided through White Cross Ministry) stand in the back ground.

The delegation spent the night at Kikongo, sharing the evening meal with couples on the staff of the bible school, the church, and the hospital. Each family brought a dish to share. Choices included rice and "luku" (the traditional heavy dough made of manioc flour) along with sauces of pumpkin seeds and mushrooms, greens and caterpillars, tender fern shoots, pumpkin seeds and caterpillars, dried salted fish, manioc leaves and caterpillars (did I say caterpillars? :-) ... ample opportunity to sample the typical flavors of Congolese cuisine.

11) On Saturday morning, the IM delegation was introduced and warmly welcomed during the morning chapel service. Rev. Roy Medley brought the message while missionary Glen Chapman translated into Kituba, the local language. Several choirs blessed the delegation with their music.

12) Missionaries Glen and Rita Chapman show the IM delegation around the Pastoral Training Institute of Kikongo. In the background are the row of houses where pastoral students live with their families. At the side are gardens on which each family depends for food during the 3 years they study at Kikongo. While the men attend classes in theology, missiology, agriculture, health, and development, their wives attend the women's school where they learn to be partners in the pastoral ministry with their husbands. Often this means learning to read and write, learning better agricultural skills, cultivating vegetables and raising small animals for better family nutrition, sewing, first aid, and leadership skills. The children attend local primary and secondary schools.

13) Regimes of palm nuts on the floor in the background are the first fruits from the high yielding oil palm trees which are also distributed from the pastors' school. Rev. Eleazar learns from Rev. Mbu (director of the Kikongo Pastoral Training Institute) and Professor Kingungukila about the importance of an integrated ministry where needs of body, soul, and spirit, are addressed.

14) In the White Cross storage room at the Kikongo hospital, the medical director Dr. Pierre, the hospital administrator Kalati and the administrative assistant Mrs. Therese, all express their appreciation for the valuable support the hospital receives through White Cross supplies.

The IM delegation said farewell to the folks in Kikongo early Saturday afternoon to return to Kinshasa.