Please
Pray
- Pray for peace to be secured in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Pray for the newly elected government to be established and
provide security to a very unstable country.
- Pray for the rebuilding of the nation because of devastation
from years of war and corruption.
- Pray for the safety and health of our family while ministering
in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Pray for Todd's safety on flights into interior provinces where
we have been organizing conferences to strengthen and encourage
pastors and church leaders who are working there.
- Pray for the Bible School Extensions that we are establishing
in remote provinces in order to bring training to leaders who
have previously had nothing available to them.
- Pray for new pastors and leaders to be effectively trained and
released in ministry.
- Pray for the churches that continue to suffer in interior, war-ridden
areas.
Poverty
The leading cause
of disease in the world is poverty. The DRC is one of Africa's poorest
nations with an average income of $80 per year (less than 25 cents
a day).
Malaria
Africa is the world leader in malaria with more than 90
percent of the world’s cases. Most of the more than 1 million
malaria deaths worldwide each year are African children. Each year
750,000 African children die from malaria.
Since the reduction of use of DDT through the 1960s there has been
no impact in reducing malaria in tropical Africa. In some parts of
Sub-Saharan Africa, one in 10 infant deaths and one in four deaths
of children under four years are attributed to malaria.
Lack
of Sanitation
Unsanitary living conditions, lack of clean water, extreme
poverty, inaccessible medicine and other conditions create circumstances
that jeopardize the lives of more than 230 million children in Africa.
Hunger
Over 100 million children in Africa are severly malnourished
(UNICEF). Poverty, disease, famine and warfare greatly increase the
problem of hunger in Africa.
Parentless
Children
Estimates of the growing parentless children problem run
as high as 40 million within the next few years. Many of these children
will lose their parents to the raging AIDS pandemic. Others will be
alone through the tragedies of war and disease. Whatever the cause,
parentless children pose one of Africa's greatest challenges for the
foreseeable future.
Humanitarian Crisis
The continuing conflict, fueled by the exploitation of
coltan and other minerals has pushed the DRC, particularly the eastern
region, into worsening humanitarian crisis. Rwandan and Ugandan backed
rebels are guilty of torturing, attacking, and killing innocent civilians
in order to establish their own rule of law. Many children are subjected
to forced recruitment for mining, fighting, and sex work (AI). Violence
against women and prostitution has increased significantly, but exact
figures are not available. The UN observer mission in the DRC estimates
that over two million Congolese are affected with HIV/AIDS. Health
care services are severely lacking and 37% of the population lacks
access to adequate medical facilities as much infrastructure has been
damaged due to conflict. 47% of population lacks access to safe drinking
water and more than half of the DRC's 55 million people eat less than
two-thirds of the calories needed per day. GDP per capita in 1999
was $78. Travel on roads is difficult and dangerous and trade patterns
have been interrupted. This combined with disturbed planting seasons
and lack of access to humanitarian assistance for almost five years,
has left the northeastern province of Katanga very insecure (USAID).
Millions remain vulnerable, particularly widows, the wounded, child
soldiers, and the handicapped. (ReliefWeb).
