In the tropical heat of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Adolphine Kabatusuila Tshilumba nourished a dream.
As head deaconess at Dipumba Plaine Mennonite Church in Mbuji Mayi, Tshilumba organized assistance for families in crisis. Although there were plenty of needs within the congregation, Tshilumba longed to minister to people beyond the church’s circle of care by taking meals to prisoners and hospital patients, who depend on family members for daily nourishment. (Most Congolese institutions do not have central kitchens or cafeterias.)
Benjamin Mubenga, senior pastor at Dipumba Plaine, affirmed Tshilumba’s dream when she shared it with him. “It was a good idea,” Mubenga says. “Upon reflection, I realized that it was a biblical idea.”
However, as Mubenga and Tshilumba inventoried the needs and began gathering funds, they saw that the scope of the dream far surpassed the resources of the 200 people in their congregation. For two years, they prayed that a door would open.
On the other side of the world, in Goshen, Ind., winter winds piled snow against Bethany Christian School’s gym. Two men in the bleachers shouted encouragement to their sons playing basketball. One was Henry De Leeuw, head surgeon at South Bend (Ind.) Orthopaedics. The other was Rod Hollinger-Janzen, executive coordinator of Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission, which partners closely with Mennonite Mission Network.
At halftime, De Leeuw, who grew up in the Dutch Christian Reformed Church and has become a Mennonite, approached Hollinger-Janzen about accompanying him on his next trip to Africa.
De Leeuw was interested in learning about how Mennonites do mission. As a member of The Gideons International, he also wanted to distribute New Testaments.
In May 2010, De Leeuw and Hollinger-Janzen arrived in Mbuji Mayi with 100 French New Testaments. One of the members of the welcome committee, Salomon Lukusa Muya, a university professor and a Gideon, was able to procure 500 more French New Testaments so that each of the 600 individuals in the Mbuji Mayi Central Prison could have a copy of God’s Word. Richard Muteba, a member of Dipumba Plaine’s pastoral team, was put in charge of making arrangements with prison officials.
On May 22, 2010, Tshliumba’s dream was realized when a parade of Dipumba Plaine Mennonites arrived at the prison after walking for nearly an hour with boxes of New Testaments—the first of many visits to be made by the ministere d’évangelisation en prisons et hôpitaux (ministry of evangelism in prisons and hospitals). De Leeuw and Muteba preached about the path to freedom that is found when a person turns away from sin and gives one’s life to Jesus. Then New Testaments were placed in the hands of each prisoner.
Mubenga likened the North Americans’ visit to a catalyst, a drop from outside the community that activated Dipumba Plaine’s two years of dreaming and preparation for mission.
“We praise God,” Mubenga says. “The idea just dragged along until God sent Henry.”
Nine other Congolese Mennonite congregations have joined Dipumba Plaine in their ministry to patients and prisoners. Muteba and Tshilumba head up an administrative team of three men and three women to assure smooth functioning.
Though a prayer meeting is held in the prison weekly, and a meal is served each month, Muteba visits Mbuji Mayi Central Prison almost daily to encourage the inmates. In addition to providing nourishment for bodies and spirits, church members also help put together legal documents for many innocent people behind bars awaiting trial.
Most of the freed prisoners come to Dipumba Plaine to thank the congregation for caring about them while they were cut off from society. Four of the former inmates have become active church members. Daniel Kasongo is one of them. A high school English teacher and church-planter, Kasongo was incarcerated on false allegations.
When his case was brought before a judge after a year of imprisonment, those who originally accused him spoke in his favor. Now Kasongo is a member of the Dipumba Plaine pastoral team, working alongside Mubenga and Muteba.
