Robert & Esther Marsh
Congo Chronicle, May - June 2007

Dear family and friends,
 

Well I have officially added a few more hats to my collection of responsibilities. Dan & Christine Grings left for furlough the 3rd of June. Do pray that the Lord will give them a fruitful and "restful" time back in the USA.
 

On mothers day on our way out to eat, Esther and I were both amused and saddened by a game our children were playing in the car. It is a game most of us have played, of counting the different colors of cars, but in their game it was, who can count the most bullet holes in the sides of buildings as we past by. We we're so saddened by the outbreak of violence, but praise the Lord the whole city has been calm for the past months, and all that remains as evidence to what happen in march is the bullet holes in the buildings along the "30th of June" boulevard. Please continue to pray for Congo and the setting up of government and restoration of the country. Pray that the Lord will allow the gospel free course.
 

I had the privilege of presenting the gospel to a man out side our gate. He came asking for finical aid and that I would pray for him. After inquiring how I could pray for him he said that he had a personal sin (immorality). He wanted me to pray for deliverance from it. I said to him, that is was not my pray that was going to deliver him, but that first he needed to be born again, and that God will forgive him his sin and set him free from the bondage of sin. I presented the gospel to him and he made a profession of faith. I challenged him to come to church that Sunday, but he did not show. Pray that he was sincere, and that we will be able to make contacted with him again.

We have 8 students that are in their final year of Bible School. One of these students Davide Gode, is burdened to return to his village and evangelize and preach. This is a great answer to prayer. It is a hard thing to leave the city and go back into the interior of the and be a missionary to one's own people. Pray that the Lord will lead and guide Davide and his wife Tantin. Davide has just a few months of bible school left, and we would like to see him spend at least a few month with us before going back to the Bolongo. There is another man Pango and his wife who are willing and seeking the Lord's direction also considering ministering in the interior. Pango is in his first year of bible school and has 3 more year of study left. Pray that there will be more like them. Both of these men are key men in the church at Cartier Congo.

For some time now we have been praying about a radio station here in Kinshasa. Lately we have been making some inquires as to what is involved, and what are the formalities. We feel that this would be a great asset to our ministry, an evangelistic tool, but also a source of consistent biblical teaching which is so lacking in Kinshasa, Congo for that matter. Pray that we will be able to get in touch with the right people and may even start the application process soon.

Pastor Ndomvi (Pastor of Philadelphia Baptist Church of Masina) and I made a road trip by motorcycles to "Sud Kwango". We were planning to do evangelism and hold a seminar with some of our pastors and deacons who would be traveling in to meet with us. The trip was long and tiring, and if there is a 101 ways of sitting on a motorcycle seat, I believe we did them all! The total distance covered was over 900 km round trip and still we did not get to our destination as we were not able to find petrol (gasoline). So we ended staying a few days at a village call Mosamba. We had many opportunities to witness, and give out literature. Sunday we had a evangelistic service in the morning, with about 20 people, after the morning service we had a open air service in a village about 20 minutes away. So though we were disappointed to have not reached our destination (Kapata, which was near Mawanga) which was still another 150km away, we thank the Lord for the many opportunities to preach the gospel and we know that He had a reason for us being where we were. Two of the pastors trekked two more days (from Mawanga) to reach where we were and we were able to spend a day together talking and encouraging them in their ministries.
 

Prayer Requests

1. We thank the Lord for his protection on a daily basis.
2. The Man I lead to the Lord at that gate - that we will have contact with him again.
3. Continued peace in the country.
4. Opportunities to minister as the Lord wills
5. For those that heard the gospel on our Sud-Kwango trip
6. Pastor Batshingi at Mbanza Lemba.(University outreach)
7. Pastor Christoffe at Kimbwala.
8. Bible Institute - we have one and half months left.
9. Early morning prayer meetings(6 am)-We finished a study in the book of Romans. Monday to Saturday.
10. Early morning, Wednesdays at Kimbwala - We are studying doctrines related salvation.
11. Water situation - they are laying a new water pipe up our hill! Do pray for water!!
12. Visas for the Joshua and Jordan are still at immigrations, but the US embassy is assisting us. 
13. Baptism planned for the 29th July 2007
14. The added responsibilities of the church at Quartier Congo as Dan and Christine Grings leave for furlough.
15. The safe arrival and settling in of our new missionary school teacher Louise Morrison Aug 26. The Lord's direction in her life in other ministries that she can fit into.
16. Printing of Lingala Song Book - Layout is done, and we are working on proof reading. We are wanting to print 3000 copies.
17. The children are officially on School break. Miss Becky has left us to go on her furlough to the states. We are expecting Miss Louise Morrison from South Africa, Durban to arrive end of August.

In Christ,
Robert & Esther Marsh