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CONGO

This past fall, the Free Church of Congo, known as CECU (Evangelical Community of Christ in the Ubangi) celebrated 100 years of ministry. Along with Kevin Kompelin, the President of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), and other national leaders, a small team from Constance including Pastor Randy Discher traveled there for the celebration. Constance has been privileged to be a part of that ministry since 2007, when our church sent a team on a vision trip to support ReachGlobal’s ministries there, like Tandala Hospital and a new ministry called Globalfingerprints, EFCA’s child sponsorship program. Over the past 15 years, we have been blessed to walk alongside them and see those ministries thrive. We look forward to continuing our partnership with many of the EFCA’s ReachGlobal ministries there and have a few project goals we’d like to focus on during our 2023 Global emphasis as a church.

Constance Celebrates CECU Anniversary

Elikya Center

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country filled with beautiful people who have suffered greatly. The ravages of AIDS and Malaria, coupled with the effects of a long civil war and other conflicts have resulted in an unfathomable number of orphans, widows, and people with disabilities carrying great and urgent needs. These needs include the lack of food, shelter, medical care, and a way to provide for themselves. Women of the CECU had a vision of practically addressing these needs while also sharing the deep love and hope of Christ. This vision led to the beginning of The Elikya Training Center for older orphans and widows in 2007. Constance was honored to be a part of measuring the land for the Elikya on that first vision trip in 2007.

Participants at Elikya are sponsored through GlobalFingerprints, spending anywhere from ten months to two years receiving vocational training, like sewing, masonry, agriculture, carpentry, haircare, and soap making. They also participate in Biblical studies, and literacy training. Students live in housing provided at the Center where they experience the love and grace of Christ lived out in the lives of their teachers and fellow students.

With your generosity through our Global Fund over the years, the Elikya Center has expanded. Projects have been funded for new fishponds, banana fields, sweet potato gardens, and cocoa fields. These will not only help in feeding the students as they learn agriculture, but will bring in self-sustaining income to the Center. Goat & chicken enclosures have been constructed and are being utilized. Last year’s efforts also provided a new sewing room and some bikes for the students to travel distances in the rural landscape. Our partner goal for Global 2023 will be to fund needed tools for each Elikya graduate this year.

WELL DRILLING

Inaccessibility to clean water is a major issue in underdeveloped areas, and the Democratic Republic of Congo is no exception. In 2009, Constance funded the purchase of a well-drilling rig, and since then, over 80 wells have been installed throughout the Ubangi region. This represents enough potable water to service over 48,000 families! But this drill is becoming less effective with age and maintenance. As part of our 2023 Global fund, our goal is to fund a replacement drill, which should provide more than a decade of service and countless more wells throughout Ubangi at churches, health centers, and schools to eliminate the single greatest cause of death for children under 5: unclean water.

TABITHA & FOLLOW ME

The Tabitha Center traces back to Claudine Selenga, a woman who saw the cycle of poverty and unemployment in Kinshasa pushing parents toward abortion and infanticide, while also forcing many young women into prostitution. At first, Claudine started Bible studies in her home which grew into teaching many women useful skills, like sewing, cosmetology, and cooking. In 2013, the ministry officially became the Tabitha Center with Claudine as Director and her husband, Pastor Selenga as Advisor. What started with 12 girls has since multiplied into many centers that equip thousands, providing both skills and jobs to lift women out of poverty.  Watch this video to learn more about how EFCA's Globalfingerprints ministry got involved to help support the Tabitha Centers and how sponsorship makes a difference in these women's lives. For a decade, Constance has helped support the Tabitha Centers. This year, we hope to provide machines and tools for each graduate of Tabitha.

With the success of Tabitha Centers, Claudine's husband, Pastor Selenga, started an option for teen boys called FollowMe. Thanks to your generosity last year, an additional FollowMe Center was added in the City of Kinshasa, bringing their current total up to 30. This year, we hope to provide tools for the graduates of the FollowMe Centers.

Now, a disability ministry has also been developed between ReachGlobal, Pastor Selenga, and Center Koli – a Christian school in the city of Kinshasa made up of students with educational and physical disabilities. Center Koli hopes to equip local churches to better serve people with disabilities as they live out Matthew 28:19 as an inclusive command to make disciples of all nations. Along with another disability ministry known as the Promise House & School, Constance has a goal of supporting these growing disability ministries by sending support teams as well as funding needed equipment for participants such as wheelchairs.

2023 partner goals - $67,000

  • Tools for graduates at The Elikya Center as well as Tabitha and FollowMe Centers - $42,000

  • New well-drilling equipment to provide over a decade of service, drilling countless new wells for clean water - $25,000

This is where we come in, Constance. Are you ready to empower our global teams to reach these communities by meeting tangible needs and sharing the life-changing hope of Jesus? Consider a financial gift to the Global 2023 Fund, participate in one of our upcoming missions trips, or sponsor a child today.

DONATE TODAY

All donations given to the Global 2023 Fund are distributed based on goals we set with our global partners, which are subject to change. When we exceed our goal amounts or goals are only partially funded, we use donation dollars where they are needed most.

Learn More About All Our 2023 Global Partnership Goals:

RETURN TO GLOBAL OVERVIEW