Looking around there are so many new faces. A tense silence fills the air.
A man recalls how he and his family were sound asleep when the rebels came. Amidst the yelling and gunshots, they barely managed to escape with their lives. Now here at Kighali Church in Beni Territory, DR Congo, they are left with nothing.
The story is one of many Rev. Makeo hears on a regular basis. In this part of the country, rebel violence is common, forcing families to flee their homes. Every Sunday brings many new faces, seeking refuge and help from the church.
But, because of donors like you, they are able to respond. Last year the church was enrolled in Tearfund’s Church-based Community Transformation program; teaching and empowering them to meet the immense physical, emotional, and spiritual needs around them using their own resources.
One of their main activities is trauma counselling, listening to men, women, and children affected by the carnage. Over the last few months, they have also started providing food to the widows and the sick in their community, developed a seed bank to give quality seeds to farmers, and planted hedges on the hillside to fight against erosion. The church organizes weekly prayer meetings, believing that ultimately God is their protector.
Rev. Makeo wants to thank all those who helped make this program possible. Because of donors like you, churches all over Africa and India are being equipped to go beyond their walls and be catalysts for change.