spreading the fame

Sarah and I traveled to the Congo this summer where we were involved in running youth training seminars and connecting with church and youth leaders to try and get them thinking about youth issues, Christian camping and developing youth ministry training. This is my first visit to the Congo (my wife grew up there) and […]

pray for Leonard and his family While in the Congo I met a pastor, Leonard. He has been in Bukavu for 6 months waiting for work and a means to get back to his wife and children who where many kilometers away. He made a special visit to see Sarah and me. In the conversation, […]

I am stunned by the number of NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations) based in the Congo. Many people around the world have compassion on this country. Yet I am concerned. Could all this compassion be causing long-term harm? Could they be creating a spoiled baby who cries for milk, nurture, clothing, and more, but cannot help itself? […]

August 16 lost in translation. Sarah and I traveled to two churches this morning. At the first church we just observed and sang. Can I say it again? The singing here is amazing. At the second church I preached. The gentleman that translated for me was a rookie. I suppose we had something in common!? […]

August 14-15 A Congo Camp. For two days we are holding a half-day retreat for youth. We have about 20 youth and 20 adult leaders that are attending. This gives the leaders attending our seminars a practical application to what they are learning. Each of the adult leaders has a responsibility: teaching, leading worship, prayer, […]

August 11-13 The seminars begin. And we are off… So we had about 49 people the first day. Many more than we expected. We had a wonderful discussion about the biblical basis of youth ministry and the ground level instructions on how to structure a camp/retreat for youth. It was so wonderful to see such […]

August 10 Dust. There is dust everywhere here in Bukavu. Since it is dry season the the vehicles and people walking about stirs up clouds of red clay dust. Sarah and I walked through the city markets and streets of Bukavu. We are full of dust. People were selling anything from bait fish to sandals, […]

August 9 Going to Church. This morning we woke up to the sounds of Bukavu: roosters crowing, car horns honking, men whistling, children playing, UN soldiers marching, and motor scooters racing. I took a bath with a bucket of cold water. It was surprisingly refreshing after such long travels. We are staying with Renee, a […]

August 6-8 Getting to the Congo is no easy feat. Our journey the past few days has taken us through Chicago, Detroit, Amsterdam (Netherlands), Nairobi (Kenya), and Kigali (Rwanda). Once we landed in Kigali we ventured a 6 hour bus trip through the curly roads of the agriculturally patterned hills and jungles of southern Rwanda. […]

The time has arrived. Tomorrow Sarah and I leave for the Congo. We start out from Chicago and find our way to Africa sometime on Saturday afternoon. It will be a long trek, but a I will be with my wife! We have spent the better part of the last two weeks apart because of […]

Ned Anzers: It doesn’t seem fair that a loving God would allow bad things to happen. Why does God allow so much suffering? This is an honest question. I have often wondered the answer to this question myself. Years ago as a young boy, I would visit the nursing home to see my great grandmother […]