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Brass For AfricaIsesomo writes (30 January 2008):
For the moment we are going well and next month (February) I will go to Bunia to run a seminar for students at the Institut Theologique and another for pastors in the diocese of Boga. Then I will do a week of training with 150 participants. Please pray for me because we need it so that the training will produce lasting fruit. Please pray also for my wife who has been sick for a week.
Pastor Isesomo
Pastor Muhindo Isesomo is a link missionary of Springwood Winmalee Anglican Churches.
A peace and reconciliation Seminar was held in December 2007 to reconcile former armed militia and villagers in Malemba Nkulu in northern Katanga province.
Revd Bertin Subi Mwale, Integrated Community Development & Peace Coordinator & Peace Maker in the Diocese of Katanga reports:
During the war, local community militia formed to defend their territory against other armed militias. These groups are called Mayi-Mayi or Mai-Mai. Some Mayi-Mayi also formed to exploit the war for their own advantage by looting, cattle rustling and banditry. Groups were led by warlords, traditional tribal elders or village chiefs.
Their guerrilla tactics included burning churches, houses and killing people. Now they can no longer live in or return to their villages.
The seminar aims to establish peace in villages and to reconcile former Mayi-Mayi with people in the same village they once terrorised.
The peace and reconciliation seminar in December 2007 was the first one held since cessation of the war in the north of Katanga province. Katanga lies to the west of Lake Tanganyika. Its economic and administrative centre is Lubumbashi. Three facilitators took 3 weeks to find transport and travel the 900 km north from Lubumbashi to MalembaNkulu to conduct the seminar.
After the seminar:
- 3 men of Mayi-Mayi renounced their former activities.
- 36 people elected for the peace and reconciliation sensitisation program.
- 10 people have received Christ in their lives.
110 Bibles (including 64 in Swahili, 36 in local Luba and 10 in French) were distributed to newly established churches.
- 6 books of prayers distributed.
Testimonies from attendees showed that lives have been changed, emotional burdens and fears have been lifted through forgiving and being forgiven. People have understood, maybe for the first time, about how to live with people involved in the past with armed militias, as well as living with people from other ethnic groups and clans.
This film is the story of 22 year old Lumo Sinai who comes to HEAL Africa for fistula repair after being brutally raped.
At Springwood on Tuesday 4 March 2008.
Timon Grodya writes on 26 Jan 2008:
An update of the situation in Kenya is that on thursday under the mediation by the former UN Secretary Kofi Anan and President Museveni of Uganda the 2 belligerents met for the first time. It brought hope to every one as a good sign of progress in search of peace. Surprisingly on Friday the killing resumed, the worse was in the town of Kisumu, encreasing the flow of refugees to the neighbouring country of Uganda where not much has been done yet for the thousands who previously came. this means we still to proceed with prayers support.
In Christ's ministry
Timon
See also: 2007 Kenya Elections Aftermath Pictorial
