Greetings in Jesus’ Name,
EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY,
OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL
FOR YOU ARE WITH ME, YOUR ROD AND YOUR
STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME.
Psalm 23 : 4
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO.
Rebels are again active in Luhongu Village, Gomo, where Hands at Work is caring for vulnerable children. These children live in constant fear and are extremely traumatized. Please pray for their protection and that feeding schemes can continue.That grannies and Care Workers will be able to comfort these children.
Thank you for your prayers.
Be blessed.
Oumie.
Pray for Luhonga, DR Congo
Greetings in Jesus’ Name.
Even though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death ,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me,
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Please pray for:
Luhongo in Eastern DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.
Hands at Work supports Muungano Community Based Organisation in Luhongo where many vulnerable children have again been affected by attacks from rebels.
The children we care for, ranging in age from 1 – 10 years, fled with grannies and Care Workers to Sake, a refugee camp, when the rebels also attacked Sake.
Many were wounded by gun shots and five people in the refugee camp were killed. We are not able to get much more information than this.
They live in constant fear. Many fled into dense forest areas and are lost.
As no food can reach them there is a fear that starvation will claim lives.
Pray for all the leaders to have wisdom to face the many challenges.
Pray that Care Workers will find these children even as the situation is desperate.
These children are so traumatized and we pray for God’s mercy. That they will experience His love.
Be blessed,
Oumie
Justice Rolling Like a River, Righteousness Like Waves
Greetings in Jesus’ Name,
Thank you God for your faithfulness,
may Your justice continue to roll on like a river, and righteousness like waves
for we can do everything through Christ who gives us strength.
Praise for God
Hands at Work has just turned ten years old!
It is amazing what, with God’s grace and guidance, has been accomplished in 10 years. From a small beginning Hands has developed into an organisation to reach and support thousands of vulnerable children.
We are grateful for prayers, support and encouragement from friends and family worldwide!
Prayer Requests
Please pray that churches and communities will mobilize and respond to the needs of vulnerable children.
Please pray for community programs that will enable children to grow their own crops to provide essential nutrition in their diets.
Pray that children, taken in by other families living in extremely difficult and crowded conditions will not be abused.
Pray that orphaned siblings will be able to live together or at least remain in contact with each other.
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
Urgent prayer is needed as rebels have entered Luhongo Village where Hands at Work has begun care for very vulnerable children.
Pray for grannies and children fleeing to the woods to be protected.
Pray that Care Givers will be able to find these children.
Pray that feeding schemes to be restarted as everything has been disrupted due to rebel activities.
Who ever welcomes one of these little children in my name
welcomes Me.
Mark 9:37
Be blessed,
Oumie Snyman
Children Living in Vulnerable Areas
This week please pray for:
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Many children have lost their entire families in war torn Congo in attacks by rebels over a long period and are left in an extremely vulnerable situation.
- Please pray that they will find a safe place to stay. For Christ’s body in the community to bring the love of Christ to heal the deep wounds of their hearts.
- Pray for the families of Buhimba community near Goma who do not have safe access to water. Children have to walk over a small mountain to fetch water from Lake Kivu and then carry it on their backs in containers that are tied to their heads.
OSHOEK, South Africa
A poor rural area on the border of South Africa and Swaziland where HANDSATWORK in Africa is currently doing foundational training .
- Pray for the training and travelling mercies for Hands Volunteers.
Thank you. Be blessed.
Oumie
Prayer for Peace during D.R.C. Elections
Hello friends,
We would like to ask you to join with us in prayer for Democratic Republic of Congo today, their election day.
Violence is expected and poorest most vulnerable always suffer the most.
Please pray for the communities we work in, especially the most at risk in the Goma area in Eastern DR Congo where rebels are ready at any spark of conflict.
Henri Ladyi, director of the Centre Resolution Conflits in DR Congo, was quoted by the The Observer in London as saying: ''The election motivates many people and many armed groups to go back to using guns as a way to try and gain power... Many ex-combatants are going back to the bush now: Violence is what they know.''
Read more about the elections in DR Congo here.
Thank you for lifting up the most vulnerable with us at this time. We pray for peace—the kind of peace that surpasses all understanding and brings about an outcome that could only be God.
Update on 2011-12-03 13:19 by Hands at Work
Hello friends,
Here is an email from Erick in the Democratic Republic of Congo to inform your prayers. Election results are said to be announced on December 6th, although many opposition leaders have called for a cancellation due to widespread rigging.
Email from Erick:
Hi friends, I felt to update you on the current situation in the DRC during this time since I know you are earnestly praying for us daily.
A week before the elections the dollar rate dropped down from 900fc/$ to 750fc/$ making the situation in the country so complicated. No one knows the reason why and everyone has to wait till the announcement of the elections to see how far things will move.
We had our elections on the 28th of November but tensions were recorded everywhere in the country. And a rumour of fraud is making things worse and already a cold war is starting in the hearts of local people in Katanga region. This is reminding me of how the civil war broke in 1992 in this region again and lots of people were killed. The situation is not too well after all the things which happened during election day.
A couple of days before the elections a vehicle was stopped on Kasumbalesa road,the way to the Zambian boarder. People with guns coming out from the big bush along the road were asking the passengers who they will have to vote. Those who said they would vote for Kabila were stripped, beaten to death and some killed. There are alots of scenarios happening here this time as you can get some news on Internet and radio broadcasting. No one feels secure to travel long distances or to walk in the night freely. The situation is not promising because people were firstly stressed because of the drop of dollars and now the tension of violence is bringing more stress. Soldiers are spread everywhere for security but people dread them the most because everyone is looking for a way to plunder his neighbour!
The election results will be announced on 6th. Who will win between Kabila and Tshisekedi? How will be the DRC situation after the proclamation of results? Already there are differents views of violence no matter who will win. This may bring a bloodshed chaos between people because of each one's conviction. We dread the worse but we trust God to see us through in this kind of situation because our people have suffered alot and blood was shed many times in such periods! Please continue to pray for us and the children in DRC so that peace and justice may prevail no matter the outcome results of the elections.
Thanks and regards,
Erick
Rom 13:1-7 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
- Ask God in His wisdom to reveal and appoint the leaders He approves of and who will best serve God’s purposes for Democratic Republic of Congo.
Deu 1:15 “So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.”
- Pray that leaders of wisdom and understanding will be raised up to lead Democratic Republic of Congo as a nation in righteousness and justice.
Fighting a Cholera Outbreak
War-torn, rebel-ridden, poor and down-trodden Goma: It's hard to believe that things can get worse for the vulnerable communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). After refugee camps closed across the DRC and in neighboring countries on the eve of the country's 50th independence anniversary, groups of stunned and, again, displaced people congregated to form makeshift communities.
Here is an extract from the account of Hands at Work founder, George Snyman's, first visit to the area a little more than a year ago: "The eight-year, bloody war has been over for seven years, but the fighting continues. Despite this, the government which is celebrating its 50th year of independence, has closed most of the refugee camps scattered across the eastern provinces of the DRC leaving millions of people homeless. Left with little choice, refugees are returning to their burned-down, vandalized towns often without family members. Stunned, groups of people - unrelated other than sharing the same adversity - congregate to from huddles of make-do communities." (Read a second letter about Goma here.)
One such community is called Luhonga. It is remote, poor and extremely vulnerable. George and Hands at Work DRC representative, Erick Rukang, made a follow-up trip to this community a few months ago and started work in the area. Erick is presently back in Luhonga and found the village awash with a cholera outbreak. Known for his compassion towards suffering children, he wrote a letter to the Hands at Work Hub yesterday:
We found the village of Luhonga in a big crisis. The entire village is in profound distress, but they were strengthened when they saw us. One care worker lost her child in this incident.
The Luhonga people were very grateful for George's last visit. They said that if he did not come at that particular time, teaching about emergency medication to fight diarrhoea, all the children could have died at this time; perhaps even the entire village! So far only one child has died though the clinic is full of patients laying everywhere, even on the floor. Almost everyone--from the leaders to the children--has been affected. Tomorrow [Monday, 31 October] we will look for a way to purify the water.
We are so grateful for your prayer support. Your prayers are effective: It is amazing to see children surviving in such critical conditions, a situation of desperation. All the people are frightened because of death on their doorstep, especially in light of the other challenges they are facing.
We invite you to intercede with us for all those residing in Lahonga: the widows, orphans, leaders, clinic staff and Hands at Work representatives. Let's pray for no more deaths, for a quick and effective intervention, for wisdom and strength for Erick and his team, and that God will use this seemingly hopeless situation to transform and strengthen the community.