News update of Inverness team in Congo

Text messages have been circulating that Jim Rettie and the team from Christian Fellowship of Healing (Highland) have been in a hazardous situation in the Congo. However, and in spite of an alarmist newspaper headline, the team are safe and back at base.

PRAYER requests and text messages have been circulating carrying news of the teams activities following an incident earlier this week during a mission trip to DR Congo by an Inverness team led by Rev. Jim Rettie of Christian Felllowship of Healing (Highland).

On Wednesday the team were held up in a traffic tail-back due to a lorry which had jack-knifed. Whilst the traffic was at a standstill a group of 'rebels' boarded vehicles further ahead in the queue with a view to robbing local traders returning from a market.

As a precaution, the Congolese leaders advised the members of the team to leave their vehicle and hide in the surrounding woodland.

Following the incident the team returned to base without further incident and they are now carrying on with the rest of their tour. Whilst there was a road incident which did not directly involve the team it illustrated the hazards of moving around in the area.

David Martin, whose wife is part of the team said today: "I'm quite relaxed: we are praying, and others are praying. The great thing about the Christian life is that prayer is what you can do in circumstances like this".

The group members include Linda Ramsay, Les and Diane Turner, Ruth Martin and Hazel Gill have been based in Bukavu and staying in Swedish and Swiss mission accommodation. They are presently carrying on with the rest of their trip as normal. Needless to say Jim Rettie and the group value prayers for them while they are in the Congo. They are due to return on Saturday, 12 June.

For the background and further details about the trip read the article published prior to the team's departure.

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Jim's news message (24/04/10) prior to leaving for the Congo

Dear Members & Friends of the Fellowship,

"Go into all the world; preach the Kingdom of God, cast out demons and heal the sick".

We continue to be challenged to go to the wider world, with the latest invitation coming from Romania. And we are finding that it is indeed a great challenge as we prepare to go to DR Congo , in Eastern Africa. I thank God for all who have expressed interest and offered support as they hear of our mission. Some are asking for our itinerary for travel and meetings so that they can pray for us, and I now have that to hand.

The team will consist of six ; Hazel - Ruth – Linda – Les & Diana, and myself as leader. On 27th May, we are due to travel to Edinburgh by bus, or train, and fly from Edinburgh to Amseterdam, to Niarobi , and on to Kigali in Rwanda, arriving 10.30am on Frid. 28th. We then drive 500km to Bukavu in the Congo DR where we are to stay part of the time in the Swiss Mission Hostel.

This is a real MISSIONARY trip; going out into the ‘sticks’ as they say. (very poor roads).
Our host, The Oasis Fellowship of Churches have little or no resources to offer, which means we are having to meet the cost of local accommodation and travel .

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The team's itinerary and programme involves preaching, teaching and outreach work, including meetings with Pygmee tribes. The places visited will within a 250km range of Bukavu and the team is scheduled to visit a number of towns including Kamituga, Uvira and Kiliba. Temperatures will range from cold to very hot. The team members are due to visit a Primary school of children who are orphans due to war or AIDS before leave from Kingali airport on Thursday, 10 June.

Christians Together, 04/06/2010