Heart of Darkness

July 2010

E. M. Foster’s novel about a pioneer’s venture into the Congo revealed a whole new dimension to travelogues: the real darkness was in his own heart, not in the jungle. As a young student at the University of Cape Town, I read that book and wondered when I would ever go to the Congo.

And now I’ve come and gone – and it was not what I had expected at all.

Perhaps Lumbumbashi, in the cold, high south, is not typically Congo at all. Perhaps I need to visit Kinshasa and Brazzaville before I express my opinion, but at least I can say that I ministered to some people in the Congo.

How it came about was not the way anyone could ever have planned it. Pastor Joseph Okeleke from Nigeria asked me if I would go and speak at a conference in the Congo. I agreed and the pastor Timothee invited me. Because French is the lingo, we must have had some miscommunication on two occasions because after I booked my flights and got my visa he emailed that I was only supposed to come at the end of July, not the beginning!

So there I was, high and dry, suitcase in hand and nowhere to go, when Hentie, one of our ‘Band of Brothers’ in Harvester brought pastor Jean-Pierre from the Congo to see me. He immediately phoned his pastor Laurent in Lumbumbashi who invited me to come that weekend. So off I went.

From the air there are very few tarred roads in Lumbumbashi. There are mostly dirt roads. There is a new housing development close to the airport.

They call ‘pap’ bukhari or ‘chemise’. Here are another few delicacies; Shikwange – made from bananas; Farin de Maise – maise pate; Thompson is a kind of fish that you can either have cooked, smoked or grilled; Boulettes – are mince meat balls; Tangawizi is a traditional ‘boisson de revitalizante’.

Leaving the Congo is almost more difficult than arriving! You have to be at the small airport at 9 am (which no one ever tells you) in order to get your ticket print out. Then you have to get into another queue to pay your airport tax ($50). By the time I had undergone the whole treatment they were closing the plane door and taking away the steps! I had to run and get the air hostess to wait another minute for me. I just made it before the plane took off.

When I arrived in Lumbumbashi there were several ‘elders’ to help me: each one grabbed a bag. I had a little bag with a surprise for Nola in my hand. They even took that away from me. We boarded two vehicles and after two days I realised my little package was still missing. I had placed the money that I exchanged into Congolese francs into that packet as well. The vehicle was loaned to people for a wedding and the packet was gone. The cash was missing but they at least took the little present I bought for Nola out of the packet.

It was much colder in the Congo than I thought. I got a cold because I didn’t have warm clothing or a hat with me. I spent most of my days in bed; only when it was time to preach did I get up and go out.

The first message I brought was about the veil. By throwing a shawl over my interpreters head I demonstrated how people serve God: with a veil of ignorance and a veil of the Old Covenant still over their understanding. As I explained the reality of righteousness by faith, young people were silently weeping.

The Pastor’s wife confirmed that my message was prophetic because they had been discussing the veil over the Congolese Christians who had no desire to serve God any more.

Through prophetic acting I illustrated my sermons so that people could clearly understand what I was trying to convey. ‘Thank you for the powerful messages you brought to us. You etch your message onto our hearts through your acting!’ They explained.

From the first meeting I asked them to turn the sound system down. It was ear-piercingly loud! But the next meeting it would be as loud as before. So I would demand to have it softer.

‘You don’t like the way Africans worship?’ they asked.

‘On the contrary,’ I replied, ‘I love the way they worship without sound systems! God gave Africans beautiful loud voices to sing and preach. They do not need sound systems to amplify their voices. I think they have become addicted to noise and they have equated volume with anointing! It’s an adrenaline rush they are after!’ I said.

But the sound in one meeting was louder than the previous one. I kept on arguing with them and trying to explain how bad it was for their hearing.

‘Half of you are probably deaf by now! You are harming your ear drums!’

On the final night, as I finished preaching, the wires of the sound system caught fire and the flames ran up the wall. The people fled out of the building. We had to finish the meeting in the dark with candles…in the heart of darkness, I thought!

‘This is a sign! God is confirming what I have been trying to tell you: the sound is too loud. But because you didn’t want to listen to me, the Lord allowed the wires to catch fire and burn out!’ They looked at me as if I took away their lollipop!

Pastor Laurent had to start all over again several times with the church. Due to the war and the atrocities of war people fled to other countries. He had a lot of soldiers in his church but when they moved HQ he lost all those soldiers. They had to find a new venue every time. Now they have started building a church but it is far from finished. The beam right above the pulpit had an enormous crack in it and I refused to stand there and preach. I moved away and went to preach closer to the people!

I prophesied to the church: ‘God has prepared a feast of choice things for you. He will take away the veil that is over the Congolese people that prevents them from seeing what God has prepared for them. He will wipe away every tear from all faces. He will establish peace in the Congo. The nation will increase and god will be glorified. God is calling believers into their secret chambers of prayer for a while to take hold of God’s strength.

The new move of God’s spirit will take root in the old move but the old move will no longer bear fruit. The new move shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit.

The Lord will keep you like a vineyard of red wine. He will keep it and water it every moment so that no one can hurt it. He will keep it might and day.

They shall worship the Lord in spirit and truth from now on’.

‘Today you took away the veil from the people’s eyes and showed them how they can serve God and how they can work in the church. God sent you to unveil the Congolese,’ they said.

I asked believers to testify to how God has used them for divine healing. Several members had seen the dead raised, the cripples walk, the blind see and the incurables cured! It was a revelation to them. They did not know that about each other.

Sunday lunch included Bukhari and Chenille (caterpillars or Mopani worms) and egg plants.

‘The next time you come we will arrange a giant open air meeting and a pastor’s seminar with hundreds of pastors attending,’ pastor Laurent promised.

Prophet David prophesied to me: ‘Your coming created a storm in the heavenlies and high levels of demons were released to try to stop you from coming to the Congo. But God says I will be with you in the work that you are doing. Ministries will come over to you to help you do this great work. You have the ability to plant many churches all over the world. Why do you hesitate?

‘You came to wake people up and to support and build believers. I see pastor Laurent will be with you one day in your home and you and your wife and he will pray together. The devils attacked your wife with sickness but the sickness is broken. Sickness will not get into your house.

‘Because of the important work you are doing and because of what you represent before God, you will die after 100 years old. You will still keep the fear of God and God will give you everything you need for your life and for your work.’