Our DRC Border Ordeal

Wednesday, September 8^th in the DRC, 11:27 PM.  We arrived this afternoon after spending our first evening in Kigali, Rwanda hosted by the leaders of the African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry (ALARM).   Our hosts had housed us and fed us; Rwandan hospitality could not have been kinder or more gracious.  By 9:30 AM we began a 3 ½ hour drive through the city of Goma and into the lush forest and mountain topography to the DRC border. 

At the border crossing we were detained by immigration, our four teammates from London (Annie, Katie, Karen and Sue) had their visas called into question.  So, the remaining members of the team watched and we prayed; each of us realizing that the anticipated battle wasted no time coming to us and the time to engage had begun.  The enemy had wasted no time – our London friends were the designated target (as if the heartburn of several grueling visits by Annie Kirke at the DRC Embassy in London wasn’t enough already).   After 45 minutes of warfare intercession the four apprehended passports were released back to their owners and we were finally given release to enter the Congo.

A short time ago I asked Annie to reflect on how she had experienced the whole ordeal at the border earlier today.  She quickly recalled the portion of the movie Lord of the Rings where Gandalf had already defeated the dragon in battle but still had enough life to flick his tail sending the wizard headlong to the ground.  Indeed an appropriate metaphor I might say.

Tomorrow morning the conference and prayer appointments for 80 leaders (or as many as we can possibly do) will begin.  The task before us is truly immense no matter how one looks at it from a human perspective; our Lord is greater in us as we move in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We are privileged to be here to serve our family members in the DRC.  So as you consider the team here will you pray as the Spirit leads you for us?

Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.  Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth… The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:3-9)

Affectionately,

Ed