March 07, 2007

Dear Friends - Partners with us in Christ,

We are preparing to return to Congo. Our Toyota van has seen us through 26 States and some 18,000 miles!!! We have been encouraged and refreshed during our visits to many of you. Thank you for your welcome and support! Thanksgiving found us with David's brother, John, and his wife Dagmar and their family in Chicago. Christmas was a special time with all our family together and plenty of snow in Denver. Amber was able to fly and be with us again in mid-February.

Some of you have asked us "Why are you going back and why do you do this?" We feel that it is a call from the Lord. David remembers during his freshman year of college, feeling the call of God to be in the Lord's service and a call to help bring and make people complete in Christ. He did not know what that meant or how it would work itself out. Lorene also felt a call as she nursed in California, while David was in Viet Nam. When David finished his first Seminary degree, we applied to the GBGBM to go to Congo but were refused. We went into the pastorate in Colorado. During that time the Lord worked in our hearts to be willing to go anywhere He lead. Then very early one morning, we
received a call, from someone speaking to us in Swahili. It was Bishop Ngoy Wakadillo, of Congo. He wanted to know why we were not in Congo and asked us to come back to Africa to be involved with the growing Church there. God had opened the door for that call some 14 years after we had received it and He is FAITHFUL!

Congo has gone through many changes since our parents first went in the 1930-40's.
Politically and economically it has been a roller-coaster!! In our close to 30 years at Mulungwishi we have seen the Church grow and struggle with the country around them. We have celebrated the increased Congolese leadership. We have gone through many different job responsibilities under the Congolese leadership. Our call remains the same, to present each person complete in Christ.

The other day, we saw the TV Special on Oprah Winfrey's Dream to build a school for girls in South Africa. We are glad that through her, Bono and others there is now more publicity and accent being put on the needs of African children and their future. We also applaud her generosity in making it happen in order to touch the lives of some very needy children. In no way do we want to negate her act of love and compassion but in this letter our purpose ... IS TO GIVE CREDIT AND APPLAUD SO MANY OF YOU!!

Similar DREAMS have been lived out through the United Methodist Church and through you, with very little fanfare, for over 70 years ALL OVER CONGO!! At Mulungwishi
GIFTS from YOU, over all these years have created schools from Kindergarten Elementary, High School, a Women's School and NOW A University! ALL of these areas touching the lives of hundreds of children and now these schools are directed by the Congolese. We think of Thelma (and the countless others) a widow in a church we served in Colorado, living on a fixed income, giving all she could give to missions. She never had the chance to hug the children she helped support. She will get that chance in eternity!! The Lord will also be there celebrating all the hugs! By the Lord's FAITHFULNESS YOU HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL! Please continue to support our dream through the scholarship program of the Seminary and the University.
We are humbled and thankful to be in partnership with YOU. Several of YOU have been a part of this relationship dating back to our parents. The reality is that YOU are making it possible for us to walk out the call that God has put on our lives and that of our Congolese colleagues. So that is the reason WHY we return to Congo! Thank you for being faithful and we can Praise the Lord together for who He is and His Faithfulness!!

Prayer Requests:

• The Church and the ministry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• The new President, Joseph Kabila and government; Specifically, the work at Mulungwishi
• Our family
• Our preparation and travel, as we continue through this New Year, we ask the Lord to make us all strong and faithful to follow His call.

In His Love,
Lori and David Persons

IMPORTANT!

We have changed our way of communicating through EMAILS. We will always answer
direct e-mails from you. Our satellite system at Mulungwishi has problems now but we hope to work that out. Until then, we will connect through Hoovers and Lubumbashi so there maybe a lapse in time. During the last five years of trying to send out a list of over 1300 emails, it became impossible to keep up with the changes!

Now, we ask that you connect to our BLOGSPOT:http://umccongo.blogspot.com - to keep up with us and the ministry in Congo. Through the blogspot and the web site you will find updates, information, pictures and news articles. You can also order Mulungwishi calendars and cards that contribute to the Seminary.