Pastor Gregory’s Sept 2016 Missionary Journey

Pastor Gregoire on Safari in 2014

Pastor Gregorie, our Radio Kahuzi journalist, and Richard Lugano who is part of our team and owns the local Internet Coffee Cafe, just  returned from a trip to areas of Congo where Kathy grew up at Mwanga, Kayembe, Wamaza, and Kasongo.

Richard Lugano did the driving

In some areas they had to cut their way through.

Kathy in the cotton patch at Wamaza with her special friend.

Kathy on left in first row; father, Fred Bahler 2nd in back row

Lenny & Hope Anderson, Eldora Kinkead, Betty Frier, 

Baba & Mama Vi, 

Vern & Bonnie Terpstra with all the children

Fred and Millie Bahler, Kathy's parents began their missionary
service shortly after graduating from Moody Bible Institute.
Fred flew his small plane over the jungle for 35 years.

Near the end of the trip they reached the homes Kathy's father, Fred Bahler, and other pioneering missionaries Jerry Henshaw, Pearl Pickett, Lee Green, Wayne Schoonover, Delmar Anderson, Lenny Anderson, and other Grace Missionaries built in the 1940’s. 

Among those early pioneers, faithful servants of the Lord,
Wayne and Phyllis Schoonover are home in Glory.

Later they built the Guest House where Norma Jean Wood and  Betty Frier lived, with "round" windows that Fred Bahler installed. Amazingly, the glass is still in tact! The large Grace Church there is still maintaining and reserving these houses "Ready for Missionary use!" May the Lord in His timing and providence grant their desire…”Who will go for us?” Thankfully, Radio Kahuzi can reach areas were missionaries can no longer go.

The road leading up the hill to the houses and church is still lined on both sides by huge productive Mango and Guava trees, that provide a good economy for their regular harvest and sale in distant markets.

Hearing of God's love for the first time

Traveling saleswoman
Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for
I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt. 11: 28, 29, 30.

Pastor Gregoire 2nd from right sharing how to be
reconciled to each other and to God.

Gregoire and Lugano interviewed pastors and others all along the journey coming and going during the week long safari from Bukavu to Avira near Bujumbura, up to Baraka, and through the Territory of FIZI and into the Province of Manama--well over 800 kilometers (497 + miles). All Radio Kahuzi listeners reported enjoying our Shortwave programming and a signal quality of "5 over 5"...EXCELLENT!

The villages look much the same as in Kathy's days growing up.

At one point Gregoire was arrested by security officers for taking  pictures, but when they saw his Radio Kahuzi ID, they thanked him for sharing the Gospel with them and keeping them well informed with the local and National news several times each day; some shared that Radio Kahuzi was their only source of radio programming, others said it was their favorite.

Pastor Mutangi (Enoki Paul) the happy warrior for the Lord...
now in Glory but his fruit remains.

One highlight was to arrive at the place where Pastor Mutangi founded his first Grace Bible Institute. Gregoire interviewed pastors and Christians near there at Kalongosola where the Muslim Chief Kalongosola of that territory attended meetings at the Bible Institute and received Jesus Christ as his Savior. 

Later, when some did not believe he had converted, he prepared some bacon and ate it to end their debating the issue. He had a long life of fruitful administration there and helped build the very large Grace Church that continues to be very productive after some 60 years or more.

With new friends from the village
Richard Lugano rings the old church bell.

The ultimate victory and motive to service: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." I Cor. 15: 58.  

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55: 11.