In the DR Congo being a student is a gift. I came here to serve the CI- UCBC; Congo Initiative - Christian Bilingual University of the Congo to learn and to help others learn. My family reminds me all the time that I am a storyteller, hearing and experiencing events in life and sometimes retelling, sometimes broadcasting them with pictures. Many times a storyteller embellishes to make the point stronger or seem more powerful, clever, even more gripping. The stories that I relay here are the most powerful ones I have ever seen and they are the real stories of these Congolese people. They are not written with embellishments, they are not told to exploit these private people. These people have so little yet hold so much hope. It is clear to me for this season that I must be a part of telling some of their stories.
This country has been robbed of many of its natural resources, its direction, purpose and in many cases it does look hopeless. There has been no clear path out of the day-to-day survival, and certainly no clear road to any form of higher education. This is where CI-UCBC comes in. A dream sprouted to educate people, to help them live better and at the same time add spiritual truths and Christian values. The prayer is that they might see and learn that hope is alive again in the heart of Africa. There are true stories of death, famine, civil wars, broken families, and children that are being used, and abused. In the Town of Beni in the North Kivu province there is a new force at work. Students at CI-UCBC are telling their stories. These stories are being used and cultivated to be the mouthpiece for God, for transformation.
His name is Munguanenzo Madjeo it means; God has given Peace. He is in the communication department here at the university. He says that the peace God gave him is not only for his name, for his family but also for his country. He knows his name means what he must do. We are the same age, 23. Yet he has experienced a type of life I cannot even imagine. His father left him and his family, when he was very young. He does not know how many brothers or sisters he has. He thinks there may have been be 8 or 9 children. Madjeo grew up in Nyankunde in Ituri, Northeast DRC, here he started primary school and eventually started secondary school (equivalent to High school) but was only able to complete one year due to outbreak of wars and then civil wars. He lost many family members in the war as well as everything he and his family owned. He became a painful victim of this war torn country. I can see the pain in his face as he retells this story, and then he reminds me of this name; God has given Peace. He smiles. At age 16 Madjeo and his family were running for their lives through the bush. He didn’t know if they would live, would have food, would have any place to survive. He told me “God was with us.” He smiled as he told me “God really protected us” He provided food for them to eat, he provided cover for them to hide in and keep them safe, he was amazed at how God watched over them. They spent a total of two months on foot travel and hiding in the bush. The rebels were in pursuit of anyone that didn’t join them. These groups still exist today in the Congo. The APC, IPC, UPC, and one call themselves the Effacer, which means to clean or cleanse. These rebel groups were fighting against the Congolese army and the UN. Madjeo and his family for those two months ran, hid and traveled more than 80 kilometers to a town called Mambasa. They stayed there for three years. Madjoe was able to start school again. Then he moved to Oicha, a small town located in the North Kivu. In Oicha he had two more years of secondary school and finally received his state diploma. He did not think about studying more nor did he know he would have the opportunity.
Oicha is only 16 Kilometers from Beni. Madjeo had family he was going to visit in Beni. His Aunt told him there was a school there. Madjeo believing God had protected him from the rebels helped him land in different cities to continue his schooling now finds himself in the town of a new University. He believes all this time God was preparing him for UCBC. Madjeo has been in UCBC for two years. His life has begun to change. He began learning something at UCBC he never experienced in other schooling. He found his prayer life increasing and asking God if the University was something that he was supposed to follow. He told me that there is no doubt in his mind that it is and was Gods will that he be at UCBC.
Now that he is in University he looks back at primary and secondary school and says that it was a time of darkness. He was studying for himself during this time and not for God. He didn’t know what God was doing, he didn’t think he had anything left to offer his country, he didn’t see the light. He says his eyes were open because of UCBC. He noticed his spiritual life increasing everyday, and he says still is. He told me three times how thankful he was for Dr. David Kasali, director of UCBC and his course called Congo Realities. This course made Madjeo mad about what was going on with his country. This gave him passion to do something about it and make a decision for public interest. He was tired of sitting and doing nothing. Now he is studying communication and believes that communication is power. Every relationship, every friendship and every thing he is going to be involved in is affected by communication. It is the building block of every relationship. He said with emphasis “ Without communication you have no power”. I believe him. The main reason he is studying now is because ultimately he wants to be able to communicate effectively the ideas he has for his country.
Madjeo has had a difficult time at UCBC, things don’t always go smoothly here but we do get the joy of reminding ourselves that it is God who is in charge. Madjeo mentioned to me that one of the biggest challenges is the fact that the condition of life in the Congo makes it difficult to be able to study efficiently. He loves and wants to study so badly, he sees and understands the vision but the school fees are difficult for him to pay. He doesn’t always know where the money is going to come from but he has faith and knows that God wants him at UCBC.
God has been teaching him to love people and to serve others. He believes that for him to be a great person and a great leader he needs to be able to serve well, and work well. At UCBC the students are involved in a work program that instills a work ethic with a background of Christian values. He said that his work boss always works with them he doesn’t just tell them what to do but he does it along side of the team. He also mentioned how he wants to be known as a person who works hard. He knows that this work ethic is something that is growing.
His heart and mind are changing “God is preparing something great for Munguanenzo Madjeo.” God wants him to dream big and to do big things for the Congo. He dreams and hopes that people will see and know of his transformation, when they see how he serves. UCBC is a blessing to Madjeo and he is now able to learn and serve with God’s power. He tells me about his passion. When he is done at UCBC he wants to travel around the DRC and his community and go to churches and into society and spread the truth, a truth about being able to change.
I asked Madjeo if he could tell people who have no idea about Africa and his troubles today what he would say. “Our Country is going through some really tough and difficult challenges but yet we have hope, we have hope because of a source that is a blessing, UCBC. God is using this school to transform people and this place. We are being transformed to transform. That is why we have hope and you have hope with us as we believe that God can use us to change the country of the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
My hope is that you can hear the heart of this young Congolese and see that he has made a choice and is choosing to think positively. He wants to do what God wants him to do. He is the future of Congo and is going to change this country. I believe that. Pray for him. Pray that God will raise up funds and help to make many more stories like this come true in this land.
I hope you pray for all the students that i am interacting with daily, they all have stories like this and are changing their world.
Things you can be praying for me:
- my buddy brandon, that God speaks to his heart and lets him know what he needs to do and when he needs to come.
- for our home here in the Congo.
- The leadership of this country and for our University.
- Safety as we travel to Budapest Hungary for the Conference. and the return trip.
- For Justin and Bethany and Chelsie who are still in the states and are preparing to return soon.
Hope and pray that everyone is well, Be blessed and be encouraged about your personal story. It is a gift from God. Thanks for the amazing support. SDG
IN HIM
P E A C E from the M O O S E
