Congo

"Few missionaries understand the idea of working in a region and not just in the town where they live. When wars and looting disturbs the more traditional single village focuses, however these people get educated quickly," says Paul of United World Mission.

The countries we are currently involved in as part of this regional focus are: Congo, Central African Republic (CAR), Cameroon, Gabon, Chad and Equatorial Guinea. Our work surrounds helping to establish a church planting movement among the Aka Pygmy and Bantu peoples of the region. This region is undeveloped and remote travel is required.

United World Mission is a part of a multi-agency regional team known as the Central African Regional Facilitative team. We are actively working to field additional personal into this region as a part of the established team.

Paul & Diane

Kids: Josie & Hap

Personal Website

We returned to Central African in July 2002 to live in Yaloke, Central African Republic (CAR). From this location we expected to expand our sphere of influence to the entire Aka population. Since 1990 we have worked with Aka Pygmy Christian leaders to facilitate church planting efforts across the entire portion of the Congo Basin rainforest inhabited by the Aka. Recent logging activities have opened up areas where the Gospel has not yet penetrated. We are investigating how we can contribute to the progress of the Gospel among the other 10 Pygmy groups in Central Africa. We have planned a venture to expose the Aka Pygmies of Congo and CAR to a cross- cultural ministry with the Baka Pygmies of Cameroon and the Twa Pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In November 2002 we were forced to evacuate to Cameroon from CAR because of a civil war. As a result of the fighting our house was looted including the doors, windows and ceiling. While waiting for political stability we worked with Aka leaders in Congo and continued the mission mobilization ministry within national churches. This work is in cooperation with CEMICA (Missions Center in the Heart of Africa cemica@yahoo.fr).

When we stayed in Ngaoundere, Cameroon for 4 months, we received our introduction to Fulani church planting efforts. Diane started learning their language, Fufulde. Much needed stability came to us in January 2004 when we moved to Bayanga, CAR to continue the facilitative church planting work among the Aka Pygmies. Bayanga is a more strategic location for this work than where we used to live.