Wayne serves with IMA World Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He serves as the in-country finance officer for several health projects and manages the DEVRU project, which helps Congolese fight starvation with disease resistant and high protein food crops, and works with Congolese farmers to generate income for many decades with a new variety of palm tree that produces abundant oil. Katherine serves with Congolese Christian health professionals and grassroots community leaders. Their goals are to reduce Congo’s maternal and child mortality rates by developing solutions to common health problems using cooperation, local resources and the Word of God. Katherine also coordinates White Cross efforts and support for the network of Baptist hospitals and health centers in the Congo.

They write – This is Independence Day in Congo, and again this year it’s a muted celebration because of many sobering realities around us.  Please pray with us for this country: for peace, an end to Ebola, for so many who continue to suffer so much at the hands of violent people.  Pray for the leadership, for the church, for CBCO, and that God will raise up leaders after God’s heart, who will care about the suffering of people.

We say goodbye this week to missionary colleagues, Ed and Miriam Noyes, who start the retirement chapter of life.  We thank God for their ministry, their friendship, the collaboration we’ve enjoyed.  With their departure, there are now ten IM missionaries left in Congo. Most of us have served in Congo many years, even generations.  God holds the future.  As we slide into that future day by day, pray we have wisdom to know the priorities and to shape our ministries.