A letter from John and Gwenda Fletcher in Congo
October 2010
Dear Friends,
From its earliest days, Presbyterian mission work in Congo has emphasized evangelism, health and education in its approach to helping the people of Congo realize Jesus’ promise of abundant life. We’d like to tell you a little bit about a young man whose life has been touched by all three. This young man, Mbuyi Munanukidi, recently came to our home covered in flour. We were overjoyed because, you see, in the local culture that is the way to celebrate successful completion of national exams at the end of high school.; There is, however, more to the story.
Mbuyi and his twin sister are the seventh and eighth of their parents’ nine children. Though the family is ethnically from the Kasai province, Mbuyi and his siblings were born in the southern province of Katanga, where their father worked as a lay pastor. When Mbuyi was in the fourth grade his right arm became inexplicably swollen.; Before the family was able to save enough money to seek medical treatment for him, a wave of ethnic violence swept through Katanga forcing them, and all other ethnic Kasaïans, to flee for their lives. As the family made its way north on a refugee train Mbuyi’s arm continued to swell. They had heard about the Good Shepherd Hospital in Tshikaji and had made that their destination in hopes that Mbuyi might receive treatment there. When they arrived at the hospital after the weeklong train ride, Mbuyi was immediately admitted. In order to save his life the doctors had to perform a radical shoulder-level amputation of his gangrenous arm. He remained hospitalized for another year and a half fighting the infection that had started to spread throughout his weakened body, enduring repeated operations for abscesses and the skin grafts later employed to cover the gaping wounds they left behind. As refugees who had left all they had on a moment’s notice, Mbuyi’s parents were entirely unable to pay his hospital costs, but thanks to generous churches and individuals in the United States who support IMCK through undesignated contributions or through gifts designated for charity care, Mbuyi’s expenses were covered.; During Mbuyi’s long hospitalization his father, Kasakala, became a fixture on the wards as he prayed with and comforted any and all patients in need of a gentle word, prayer and encouragement.
Once released from the hospital and at last strong enough to attend school, Mbuyi picked up where he left off. He was two years behind his age peers and had to learn to write with his left hand, but he persevered. He loves to sing and he became a stalwart member of the chorus at the IMCK Presbyterian Church. When he finished elementary school and enrolled in secondary school in Kananga (12 miles from Tshikaji) he lived with friends near his school. The first thing he did when he moved was to find the local Presbyterian church and join the chorus.
With his own hard work, support from his family and help with school fees, Mbuyi completed high school — the first person in his family ever to do so. So you can see why we were thrilled beyond words when he came to visit us covered in flour — clearly announcing to the world that he had passed his exams and had entered the ranks of high school graduates.
And now he is about to become the first member of his family to attend university! Because of his obvious intelligence, calm nature, instinctive leadership skills and strong faith, Mbuyi’s pastor recommended him for a scholarship to the Presbyterian University of Congo (UPRECO). The scholarship program is part of the ministry and partnership between Sheppards and Lapsley Presbytery in Alabama and their sister presbyteries in Congo — Nganza and Tshibashi. Thanks to Sheppards and Lapsley’s generous support, Nganza Presbytery was able to award Mbuyi a scholarship to study law.
Evangelism, health and education — the three legs of the stool on which Presbyterian witness and outreach rest. Thank you for your part in supporting and encouraging these ministries and for helping Mbuyi and others like him learn firsthand about the abundant life Jesus came to provide each one of us.
John and Gwenda Fletcher
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 55
