Have you ever been overwhelmed by God’s goodness? Perhaps at Christmastime, you are dwelling on all that Jesus Christ sacrificed and endured to redeem us. Perhaps you received good news from a family member or friend after years of praying over a certain request. Today, we are truly overcome because our Congo Leprosy Kimia Center is being deeply saturated by the Lord’s goodness! Our hearts leap in praise to our God because He has answered a large prayer request! MissionGO has just secured more property, connected to our Center, to expand our current outreach nestled in the jungles of the Republic of Congo! God is our great Provider —and He is blessing our ministry by enlarging our evangelistic and medical footprint for the sake of His Name!

Our Kimia Center has numerous ministries. Our missionaries treat various Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs—primarily leprosy and related wound care), along with Yaws, malaria, worms, ulcers, chiggers, infections, measles, and other illnesses. The most serious form of leprosy requires an entire year of daily treatment. Every time we bring people to our Kimia Center, we become responsible for their basic needs of food, clothing, clean water, medical treatment, and possibly surgery. Most often, they come just with the clothes they are wearing, which are often in tatters.

We also have our Food and Nutrition Program battling severe malnutrition. In fact, one of the uses for the new land will be for planting fruit trees and a large garden to aid in creating more sustainable food sources. Locals have already volunteered to help! We train villagers in agriculture regarding topics such as crop rotation and composting, teaching what seeds are best for the climate, and how to cook the vegetables. We hold church services and Bible studies each week—and have morning prayer and daily Bible readings. We see so much fruit for our labor! This year, we have seen over 20 people come to know Jesus as their personal Saviour at the Kimia Center and follow in baptism. We have the privilege of observing how God is changing and purifying lives for His glory! Most patients and their families put their faith in Jesus as they hear and experience the love of Christ over the period of their treatment.

Medical Camps are another imperative medical and evangelistic outreach of the Kimia Center facilitated by off-road and river trips into the tropical rainforest. Traveling at times for 600 miles, our missionary team visits remote villages by vehicle or canoe (in the long rainy season) for a minimum of a week—seeing up to 4 villages a day.

The primary goal is to display Christ’s love by going deep into the jungle to hold Medical Camps, deliver medication for various illnesses, and bring people suffering from leprosy who are in serious need of medical treatment back to our Leprosy Center. The Aka Pygmy population, who are predisposed to this disease, usually live deep in the jungle where they are hard to find. After years of working in this region, word has spread. Our patients, after traveling home, tell others about the center that helped them, fed them, and healed their wounds. Now, we have people walking for days, showing up at our doorstep asking for help!

On a recent trip along the Motaba River, 32 out of 52 people were positive for Yaws (in one village alone!)—which is a chronic bacterial infection. Yaws disease causes large crusty sores all over one’s body from head to foot. Incredibly, after administering a single dose of a pill or injection, the disease is treated, and within weeks the quality of life dramatically improves!

Our missionaries smile as the children love the lollipops which they receive after treatment. Last month, our team came across a little boy with severe dysentery, for which they did not have medicine in their patient distribution supply. Our missionary nurse told the others that the child was going to die without treatment, so they decided to go into their personal team medical kit and sacrifice their own emergency treatment to save him.

During the Medical Camps, our missionaries also focus on the spiritual wellbeing of the remote villagers. Upon arrival they pray and share a Scripture message; listeners are attentive because they want to know why strangers want to help them! After the Medical Camp is complete, short video clips about leprosy are shown, along with a Christian film, using a projector and a big hung bedsheet. They finish with teachings of Jesus Christ and how to live for Him—forsaking witchcraft and leaving potions behind. Literally hundreds upon hundreds hear Jesus’ name for the first time! Known pastors in the area visiting these isolated villages on a normal basis are updated on serious medical cases to keep their eye on and asked to follow up on the new Christians who need to be discipled!

One patient in particular had an amulet (charm) that he claimed was giving him power from Satan, which he used to beat his wife. Our missionary was compelled to go into his living quarters and pray for 2 hours. After praying, the man came up to him, handed over his charm, and said, “I cannot stand this anymore; take this amulet!” so they burned it. Prayer is powerful!

Due to another humanitarian organization that has left the region, work now heightens for our missionaries as they assume the responsibility of taking more trips to meet the demand of suffering people. The goal is to do a minimum of 10 trips per year. The costs factor in the distance, the cost of motor fuel, food, the duration of the trip, the health workers’ training, paying a driver (who doubles as the mechanic), the size of the mobile team, medicine, and supplies.

• Five off-road trips at $4,575 per trip

• Five river trips at $6,100 per trip

In addition, the canoe our missionaries rent is permanently damaged; a revolving team member in the boat must bail out water every 15 minutes. We have a dire need to have our own canoe (40 foot) with an outboard motor and parts. This length would allow our team to bring 15+ villagers back to the Kimia Center instead of 10. Our vehicle consistently gets stuck in the mud, taking up valuable time and hindering their work. Our missionaries need proper off-road tires that have better traction and are higher off the ground. To purchase the long canoe, the four off-road tires, and tents (to replace broken and non-waterproof ones), the total comes to $6,100. This is a critical time-sensitive need.

The jungle we are called to minister in is vast, filled with thousands of little hidden villages-overflowing with precious remote villagers who have yet to hear the name of Jesus and His love for them. They have diseases that need immediate attention, and we have the medicine! We need your help to reach them! Will you aid us in this work for the Kingdom with a one-time or recurring gift today? Please partner with us this Christmas season to bring the Gospel and medical aid in Jesus’ name.

Sincerely in His Matchless Name,

Dr. Brian M. Albrecht
President, MissionGO