Happy New Year from Radio Kahuzi!

Thank you for joining with us in partnership through your prayers and your financial giving during 2010. It has made all the difference in D R Congo and around the world.

Richard and Kathy are working on “A Year in review” report, which we will be sharing with you later. In the meantime, we will tell you about one event that took us all by surprise, which Richard shares as follows:

“The Governor asked the Directors of all the radio stations and TVs to come to his mansion for dinner at 7 PM on December 27 to discuss his first 100 days in service. Before he came into the hall, I was sitting at the far end of a long banquet table. (There was a huge buffet along the side.) The Governor entered and called for his Director in charge to rearrange the seating. He asked me to take the first seat next to him. Then he asked me to say Grace before they began eating! Normally, each one would have already begun to eat. Praying at all is quite a change for these kinds of meetings. The Governor even included in his final remarks that "we even began in prayer before eating!" So we had a very enjoyable first encounter discussing his first 100 days of service. The Governor had a long presentation in which he referred to ”Radio Kahuzi” or “Richard” quite a few times, which gives me some hope he may try to help us make the changes we need in government regulation, as that was the gist of his plan, to meet in another 100 days to see how much change he and each one of us are able to achieve as we work forward.

After the banquet, I presented him with a black box containing his Christmas and New Year cards, along with a gift of seven Galcom radios, and a Swahili Scofield Bible. He asked me to show him how the radios work and was pleased he could connect his ear-plug cord into the radio, since he always has one in his left ear for his telephone, etc. He said he may buy a fifth telephone to monitor the call-ins from journalists and directors...All his telephones were ringing during our time with him.”

As you can see, God continues to use Richard and Kathy in a very strategic time and place to further the outreach of the Gospel. We know each one of us are to be a “peculiar” people –sanctified and set apart. I am sure Richard and Kathy feel peculiar in another way…for Richard he must wonder…how in the world did I get here from growing up in a little town of Grampian, PA! It is all so mysterious how God places his people where they are to accomplish His purpose in the vast world with billions of souls wandering about. You are where you are and no less important than Richard and Kathy.

We sincerely appreciate your participation in their ministry and God’s great plan for the ages. “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a PECULIAR PEOPLE, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14.

“In the hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;” Titus 1:2 3.

Yes, we need you to continue to partner with us in this New Year, 2011, which begins Radio Kahuzi’s 19th year on the air! There are thousands who have yet to hear the Blessed Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us all remain faithful together in 2011. Maybe this will be the year of “His Appearing” in the heavens for us, and all who have come to faith in Christ. Pray that many precious souls will hear God’s wonderful plan of Salvation over the airwaves of Radio Kahuzi in this new year…even the Governor.

Keep Looking Up!

P.S. By God’s Grace, Believer’s Express Service, Inc. celebrates its 25th
year of ministry, March 11, 2011!

Happy 38th Wedding Anniversary!

United in marriage Dec. 16, 1972

Growing up so far apart and in such different environments it could only be by Divine appointment that Rich and Kathy ever met!

All dressed up for the Prom
(spent one year in Florida)

While Richard was growing up in Central Pennsylvania, Kathy was growing up across the ocean in the middle of Africa in, Kayembe and Wamaza in Belgian Congo then called Zaire and now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kathy at home in Kayembe

But God....had a special ministry for these two and caused their lives to intersect in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And, of course, there is so much more to their story. Hopefully, one day it will all be written down.

For now, we all want to say a big Happy Anniversary! We wish we could be there with you to sit down with a good cup of coffee and reminisce, but there is so much to do, both there and here. So, we will wait until we all join hands and raise them together, crying out with the angels, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain before the foundations of the world.

With all our love and prayers,
Barb, Smitty and the BESI Board

Expanding Our Programming to 14 Dialects / Languages

A carton of CDs of Dr. Charles Stanley's "In Touch" messages in seven languages (Swahili, African French, Kikongo, Kinyarwandan, Luganda, Masaai, and Mandarin) arrived at our door yesterday. This brings our total dialects / languages to fourteen.

We began broadcasting the program in African French at 11:00 a.m. alternating days with Kikongo. We will begin broadcasting Swahili in the afternoon at 3:30 p.m., alternating with Kinyarwanda each day of the week.

We need to study how and when to introduce Luganda (possibly at 7:30 p.m.), which is spoken in the North on the border with Uganda; and Masaai of Kenya and Mandarin (used by the Chinese working in DRC), which are not languages of the DRC. We will present CDs and tracts in Mandarin to the UN Medical team here, which are Chinese.

We do thank "In Touch" and REJOICE that we did not have to pay the $200 customs requested in Kinshasa, and that the programs will now be effectively used in our outreach to most of the Eastern D R Congo in FM and SW broadcasts.

Thank you for all your love and prayers for us!! Praise the Lord we can still give out the Word through Radio Kahuzi, churches, and personal testimonies!

May we continue to be FAITHFUL! And, our LORD is FAITHFUL and keeps us going. It is HIS FAITHFULNESS that keeps us!

Keep Looking Up! In His Love,
Richard & Kathy McDonald

Another Thousand Radios!

Galcom continues to be a wonderful partner in ministry and recently offered us another 1,000 radios without charge, except for the shipping.

400 SW worth $8,000;
600 FMs worth $12,000, total value $20,000.

Can you imagine! This will bring our total to 16,500 with a total value of $330,000 through the generosity of Galcom International!

A New Way to Listen to Radio Kahuzi
One of my friends told me that her grandson just loves to listen to Radio Kahuzi. She came by one day to ask me if I could give her another radio as her grandson needed two radios.

I had already given him one of the Galcom FMs and now he wanted a little red short wave radio. I asked her why he needed two radios.

She told me that when he rides his bike he has the little radio hooked onto his handlebars, but now he needed two, so that he could have stereo quality while he rides his bike!

Just another way to listen to Radio Kahuzi! He has grown into a fine young man and still loves to listen to Radio Kahuzi.

Aunt Kathy's Grace Notes

People are so hungry to hear the Word of God. it's as though a whole generation of people have been skipped over in time, since the wars in Congo.

Bible Schools and some means of Christian teaching fell off during the wars as the population was scattered about. Now, there's so much need for folks to hear the Word, to uplift their thoughts and Spirits, and to think on "things above," instead of just the terrible things that go on, over and over again!

A house is being built next door to us; and as they started the construction, of
course, I gave a couple Galcom radios to the "serious" men, the ones in charge. And then, as some of the bricklayers and cement mixers showed that they were serious about hearing the Word, we gave them a radio!

Now, during the day, the sermons and Christian music can be heard around the neighborhood as the men work on the houses being constructed!

The Word of God is being given out from the rooftops!

Reaching Hutu Rebels with Help

from Swedish UN Commander

Greetings from Bukavu!

Kathy and I are so thankful to be able to keep on keeping on, here in the D R Congo. Thank YOU to each one for continuing to help make this ministry possible.

We ask you to join us in prayer for an urgent need to purchase a building and property for the future stability of Radio Kahuzi.

Our Board of Directors agreed in our last board meeting to come before the Lord to ask Him for a sum "above and beyond all that we could ever ask or think.": $250,000. That sum could be raised with 250 partners sharing $1,000.

The board feels that it is imperative that we seek another property where we can grow into the future. Pray with us, please.

Otherwise, life here in Bukavu and the radio ministry continues to hum along "normally," for Africa.

However, outside of our gates life continues to be much harder for some villages in the mountains and the bush that are still having attacks by armed bandits and the Hutu rebels from Rwanda. When they need supplies, they go into the Congolese villages and loot and burn houses, and harm the women.

A few days ago I went by the MONUSCO HQ, just up the street from our broadcast studio. An old friend from Finland who had trained the Congolese police ten years ago had returned after five years absence. he now heads up a group of Peace Keepers north of Bukavu. He introduced me to the Swedish Commander of a five-man Peace Keeper team in the mountains of Kilembwe. He asked me to follow up with him on installing our FM repeaters at Kilembwe and other sites. he is frustrated with the fact that their efforts to communicate with the Hutu leave them still unreached with the message to help them find, choose and receive their peaceful return to their homeland.

A few weeks ago, he had just found a group of young Hutu military who would have been four years old when they came across the border in 1994; and when asked why they were not opting for their return, they said they were uninformed of any options or program that would allow, let alone, guarantee their safe return to Rwanda. They have now been repatriated peacefully!

So, he sees our SW and FM broadcasts would be a wonderful help, since the Hutu and other warring groups do listen to Radio Kahuzi. Praise the LORD! Pray for our follow through with both messages of reconciliation!

Pray that this pillaging and violence to women and children will somehow end and that they will receive Reconciliation, will go back to Rwanda where they can start over living "normally" once again. Now, they live in the mountain jungle and forests--not much hope for them except with the Lord's intervention into their lives--and possibly by the LORD's Wisdom and Grace, through Radio Kahuzi.

Many have gone back to Rwanda and have gotten their lives back together again. These are the same folks that left Rwanda in 1994 during the genocide. They fled over here to Congo Refugee camps where they were ministered to through Radio Kahuzi until the War of 1996, when they were chased into the jungle by the invading forces from Rwanda--so it's been a while!

Thank you for all your love and prayers for us!! These aren't easy days in the Congo, but seems like the whole world is going down fast. Praise the Lord we can still give out the Word through Radio Kahuzi!

A Day of Mourning

The Radio Kahuzi Staff and the BESI Board of Directors join the Congolese people in a Day of Mourning for the victims of the tanker explosion.

Richard reported, "Yes, we saw the burned truck and body bags on French TV news; and the helicopters have been flying over our station this afternoon, helping some victims get to hospitals here. There will be need to medically evacuate many to better hospitals specializing on burns.

"It is a real tragedy for many families and that whole area--as people would have been there from many villages for the out-door market.

"Remember the families who lost loved ones and those who will have years of medical follow-up for those who recover!

"May the Lord Minister in Grace and Mercy to those touched; May He come soon!

"Love, Richard & Kathy

"P.S Sange is close to where I had my retinas torn in 1983."

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday, America and BESI / Radio Kahuzi!

Nineteen years ago on July 4, 1991 the permit for our radio ministry was signed into law after many long hours, days and months of work on the technical papers required for the very first non-government radio station in Zaire, (previously known as the Belgian Congo) now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The permit was signed by both the Minister of State for Information and Press and the Minister of State for Agriculture. Their letters agreed to the technical papers proposing several of each: FM, medium wave, and shortwave broadcasting transmitters for Christian programming, as well as for agricultural and other rural-development broadcasting, including health, hygiene, and nutrition. They classified it as a Program of Priority Public Investments, allowing customs exemptions for importations of equipment.

Congratulations, Rich and Kathy for your vision and perseverance in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

God Bless America and God bless Central Africa.

DR Congo Tanker fire kills 200 Near Bukavu

http://news.malaysia.msn.com/top-stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4195945

Home again with lots of challenges and opportunities

Dear Friends of Radio Kahuzi,

We're safe and sound back home in Bukavu. It was raining cats and dogs when we got to the border, but Renee, a friend, was there to pick us up, which was so wonderful!

There's a place in Rwanda in the forest, when we get near Bukavu, where we can get out on the cell phone, so we stopped there to let Renee know that we were near to arriving at the border.

We arrived home almost at dark, and guess what, no lights! I always hate that when it's so dark in the house, and one never knows, after a long absence, what's crawled in under the doors! The kitchen is always depressing, but thankfully we had some bottled water and a can of cheese and spam, so we were OK.

Always quite an adjustment after living the "hi-life" of the States! But, it's always good to be home, and to be welcomed by everyone, including the kitties and doggies and Kasuku, our African gray parrot, who really speaks!

A couple days ago, I was heading out to the backyard and just before walking my path, I noticed the mama kitty sitting in the sunshine, looking so contented and peaceful. All of a sudden, she jumped up, fur all puffed out, and just behind her, a black snake rose up and sat there, swaying back and forth with the mama cat on guard right in front if it.

I ran and called Lambert to come and kill it, but by the time he got there, the thing was slithering off into the little woods.

Another Cobra hanging out in the backyard!

So, it's out there somewhere! Yucky. This is the land of "being on guard." We appreciate your prayers!

(Editor's note: This is the seventh encounter for Kathy in the past couple years. Please pray for safety--even in their home--as one was curled up behind the kitchen door. They cannot be outrun and it is almost instant death. There is no antivenin available in Bukavu.)

A Visit from the Mai Mai!
Please pray for the Lord's leading as we follow up on an offer from General Dunia's assistant for us to "drop in for a visit" at his new home in Bukavu, next door to the Governor's mansion!

We praise the Lord for the assistant's contact, as he came for more Galcom SW radios and "Mopila" journals to take to the Fizi territory for the troops about 175 miles to the south. He responded to my questions as to how Radio Kahuzi was instrumental in helping them make the transition from Mai Mai "Enemy #1" to integrated leaders in the government army.
Photo: Mai Mai troops receive red short wave radio for General Dunia from Gregoire, our journalist when he visited the Fizi territory in April 2005.

He shared that they did not know what to think when they received the little red radio from us with General Dunia's name written on the back. They thought it could be a bomb, and put it through careful testing and secure investigation before giving it the OK, all clear signal and turned it on!

The radio became a fantastic favorite to all concerned when they began hearing the Gospel with a clear signal in their language, and General Dunia received it as his very own. No wonder his assistant was so happy to later take several loads of radios back with him after bringing us General Dunia's "Thank You" letter.

The Fizi territory is one of the areas we would like to install one of ten Cornerstone FM transmitters / repeaters for better coverage.

FM travels by line-of-sight with mountains interfering with the signal traveling down the other side of the mountain. To reach down in the valley between mountains we must install a transmitter/repeater.

Short wave travels up an down the mountains with no impediment, but more people own FMs than shortwave radios.

For each unit we must purchase a solar panel, a 45-watt booster, antenna, coax, mic and truck battery, plus cover shipping from Canada for a total of approximately $3,333 each. By faith we have ordered three units to begin installation in three new areas.

We already installed #1 at Walungu, 15 miles from Bukavu, which is functioning well.
As God provides, we will expand to include key mountain points: #2 at Wamaza in Maniema Province (250 miles); #3 at Shabunda (150); #4 at Fizi (175), or Kabambare (350). Others: Kalima (215); Kampene (325); Kipaka (275); Kamituga (100); Mwenga (60); and Baraka (160).
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Matt. 14:23

While visiting the Fizi Territory, Gregoire distributed radios to the mama's in the fields. All are eager to hear the Gospel in their own "heart" language.

A Note from BESI / Radio Kahuzi President

Help us celebrate Richard's birthday, May 2, with a special gift of encouragement!

Won't you please, prayerfully, consider a gift, large or small, toward our goal of $10,000 to purchase three FM Cornerstone units.

Consider Becoming a monthly partner to help us keep Rich and Kathy on the field and to expand our ability to reach those who have ears to hear with His message of Grace and forgiveness.

Please earmark your special gift: "Cornerstone Project,"
and / or "McDonald's Monthly Support." Both are so greatly needed!

"How shall they believe on Him of whom they have not heard..." You can help make a way for them to hear Jesus' words, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Thank you for sharing our vision!
Keep Looking Up!
Harold Smith
BESI / Radio Kahuzi