Journey to DR Congo (DeWayne)

It has been one week since my journey to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and I have tried to take some time to process all I saw and experienced. My heart is broken for the people of this region.

A land of beautiful mountains and even more beautiful people but devastated by acts of war and hate. Have you heard of the Hutu Militias (Interahamwe) that systematically murdered the Tutsis in Rwanda? They are not gone, they have just moved to the forests of Eastern Congo. What about the Lord's Resistance Army of Uganda? A group listed as terrorist by the US Government and yes, they are in the Forest of North Eastern Congo. What about the Janjaweed from Sudan, you remember them, the ones who killed the innocent Sudanese farmers and there story is Chronicled in the life of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan. They are also in this Region, but why? The answer is simple, money...money that comes from the worlds largest reserve of natural resources. And yes, we are all guilty with our cell phones and laptops.

In a country where over 90% of the people are unemployed, 20% of the country is accessible by roads, and the per capita annual income is around $189 (Source: US Dept. of State); why do we not do more to help? Last year alone in Eastern Congo, there were over 15,000 "reported" incidents of rape...but we do not hear of this in our insulated world.

Traveling into the "Bush" in this war torn country has a way of touching you and changing you. I have been in over 40 different countries, but this one was different. The people are vulnerable, especially the children and women. You and I in Western Countries cannot fathom not being able to go and get food or supplies at a store, but for many of these people, they have never seen a store. For them, they worry more about their next meal and safety, and for us, we worry about who will be voted off American Idol next week.

I will never truly understand why people are forced to live like this but I have a good idea. What I know is that it is not the question so many ask, "Why did God let this happen?"....the real question is "Why did you and I let this happen?". God has given us so much and there is no reason anyone on Earth should live in this type of environment. In the words of the great Christian leader Augustine, "In All things you do preach the Gospel, if necessary, use words".

I urge each of us to pray and learn what we can do to help this area. Pray for our children that soon they will leave this place and be with us....but someday, together, we will continue to work to make DR Congo a safe place for the next generation of young people. There are no accidents in God's world...my life is a testimony to this fact.