je m’en vais!
DR Congo · Missions

je m’en vais!

cornelia grace

“The angel told him, “Get dressed. Put on your sandals, bring your cloak, and follow me.””

‭‭— Acts‬ ‭12:8‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Friends! Family! Kingdom Partners!

I am on my way to DR Congo

After (nearly) two years of ministry (and waiting and praying and preparing in the throws of Lockdown) in my home country, I AM ON MY WAY to DR Congo!

I have eagerly been waiting for the opportunity to return as a sector missionary to DR Congo with Overland Missions, and it is finally here! I am leaving in SEVEN DAYS!

We often find ourselves in in-between seasons, and for me, the in-between was from October 2019, shortly after my return from Zambia when my father passed away, through Lockdown, until now. One of the toughest lessons I’ve had to learn is to actively wait while I’m in the in-between.

As Westerners, we’re conditioned to be time-conscious — not to waste time, but to save it and steward it.
What I’ve learnt is that ACTIVE waiting is very different from PASSIVE waiting.
The in-between is a time for growth.
A time for stewardship, for cultivating, for digging deeper wells.

— active waiting in the in-between

I have spent this in-between season doing just that — and now it’s time to put on sandals, grab my cloak (or at least 1 bag as per airline allowance) and GO!

As you may know, at the end of 2019, I received a new assignment to work with Overland Missions’ team in the Democratic Republic of Congo to pioneer the Gospel to unreached people in remote locations.

During the worldwide lockdown of 2020, our faithful team of Congolaise missionaries and ministry partners worked with zeal to expand the Kingdom and to share the Good News of the Gospel with their fellow Congolaise people. I have shared many of their testimonies— and the victories in which you share — over the past months. It’s a celebration of God at work in the Nations!

“The angel told him, “Get dressed. Put on your sandals, bring your cloak, and follow me.”” — Acts‬ ‭12:8‬ ‭TPT‬‬

it’s moving day

IT’S MOVING DAY! our team in DRC is expanding and growing, and we’re pioneering a new ministry area in Haut Katanga! 🇨🇩 Thank you for being a part of the team, for working and sowing into the Kingdom! We look forward to the many ministry opportunities this new base will hold! (If you missed the news — Sherrill and Saviour are expecting their baby in December 2021!)

ninety days

Over the next three months, I’ll be joining our Overland Missions team in our NEW HOME — Kolwezi, where we’ve got a full ministry schedule!

  • Teaching Bible studies in the villages
  • Hosting Leadership Meetings in Mpande, Kapalowe, Kolwezi, and Likasi
  • Doing First Aid training and Trauma Prayer Counselling with Julie in the clinics
  • A SECOND Expedition to follow-up on the first Expedition that our Zambian team hosted in August
  • Hosting Farming God’s Way Conferences
  • Preaching (this also counts toward the Bachelor of Theology that I am currently pursuing while working full-time)
  • Doing various recon missions around Kolwezi
  • And — one of the ministry highlights I am personally looking forward to meeting Emperor Mwant Yavwa on my birthday!

4 vehicles 6 motorbikes 32 people

At the end of July and into the beginning of August, the Expedition Division partnered with the DR Congo team to run our first ever DR Congo expedition.

It was an expedition that pioneered great things for the future!
Follow this link to check out awesome testimonies from the expedition!

Two of our expedition leaders took on the challenge of this trip into this unfamiliar and difficult nation. A huge part of the expedition was that instead of bringing westerners with them, they brought a group of our full-time time, Zambian staff! For many of our Zambian missionaries, it was their first time doing international ministry.

  • This is from Jessi Schwertfeger, who serves as Director of International Operations along with her husband, Jake. Overland Missions is made up of normal people who love people, and the nations, and have a passion for the Gospel. We’d love for you to join us in taking the Kingdom to the unreached people and tribes. To sign up for the next Expedition season, head over to http://www.overlandmissions.com/expeditions
  • 4 vehicles. 6 motorbikes. 32 people. Here we go! It’s the first day of Expedition in DR Congo! 🇨🇩🙌🏼✨
  • Farming God’s Way transforms entire communities through sustainable agricultural development
  • Testimonies!Tapio from our Expedition team shares: Today a lady (the lower right corner) saw us passing by at a nearby neighbourhood of Likasi, DRC 🇨🇩 She had heard that prophets are in town and ran after us to ask for us to come to her house and share the Word of God. We went in and found a group of people who were discouraged by life and thus had slipped away from their relationship with God. We shared a powerful word and said we want to introduce you back to the loving Father. We prayed for all who were sick and they all were healed After them seeing and feeling God coming close to them it was time to step into that living relationship through Jesus. They were all saved… and that was because of the faith of the woman who ran after us in the beginning. Thank you, Jesus! In the other pictures, we see people who were healed and touched by God today. Hearing was restored, stomach problems gone and people were filled with the Spirit and joy! God is working mightily through the local and the Zambian team.
  • While doing house to house evangelism, we found an informal bar. After a brief hesitation, the guys decided to invite us in. They shared of some of the struggles that have driven them to be drinking at 2pm. We told them that God had directed our steps to their house – 3 nationalities (Zambian, Congolese and an American) had found this place in their village because God sees them and their pain. After hearing that Gods love and forgiveness was available even in their state of brokenness, they chose to receive the grace of Father God. — Fredrick Malambo, Ogla Kabamba
  • Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for women in many developing nations. Those who live in remote areas are at an even greater risk as it is exponentially more difficult to find rural clinics stocked with adequate medications and equipment- and staff rarely receive any continuing education after they graduate. But every time we take time to facilitate a class for these midwives and nurses they are hungry to learn, and immediately put into practice what we have taught. We encourage them to pray over impossible situations with faith, in the expectation that God’s power and the truth of his word is never hindered by geography or circumstances. He surely is the same yesterday today and forever! Every time we follow up, we hear their testimonies of God touching many lives through them. Four more clinics are now better equipped to respond to emergencies. Thank you for your continued partnership and prayers! — Julie Engeman
  • Exploring new areas and building relationships. Really thankful for our team who jumps on board with some of our crazy ideas. “If you are searching for comfort and purpose at the same time, you will always come up short. Who told you it was too difficult?!” — Jessi Schwertfiger
  • Sherrill shares: A glimpse of yesterday’s leadership meeting in Kapolowe with Pastor Humphrey preaching! Despite some chaos of cancelled plans, the testimonies over the last week are incredible! Healings, deliverances, salvations — the Lord is working even as we adjust to the changes and scramble to jump into different ministry opportunities. Today, we’re on our way to Mpande, everyone is full of expectation for all the week holds. The Lord will be faithful to fulfil His promises, and we are ready to see His Kingdom come everywhere our feet step.
  • After travelling several thousand kilometres by taxi/bus/bike from Livingstone Zambia, our Zambian expedition team arrived in Likasi yesterday afternoon. It’s not about the glamour of travel or the destination, but doing whatever it takes to get to those who have not yet heard the Gospel. We are expectant of miracles and the advancement of the Kingdom of God!
  • THEY ARE HERE! Overland Missions’ first ever Expedition team has arrived in DR Congo — we are expectant for Heaven to touch Earth! Please keep praying for our team!


What an amazing expedition filled with powerful testimonies, cross-cultural leadership, miracles, and expansion!

JulyAug2021.pdfDownload

you are a part of this team

Through your faithful partnership in finances, prayer, and support this ministry can grow, bear fruit, and share in the joy of the harvest!

I would like to invite you to partner with this ministry!

You can CLICK HERE to give every month, or a once-off gift, using 3282 as my staff code in the reference.

If you would like to give to our Kingdom work, please click here. You can use 3282 as my staff code in the reference.

As always, a grand THANK YOU to each of you! I’m so blessed by your encouragement and prayer as our team continues to believe in a great move of God here in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and my home country, South Africa!

Because of you, and your support in every way, we can participate in the mission — to see the sick healed, the oppressed set free, the dead raised, and the Good News proclaimed to those who are without hope.

Thank you for sowing into this team, and specifically into my life! Because of your commitment, remote communities are reached with the Gospel of the Kingdom — thank you for being a part of that!

Thank you to all of you who sow and continue sowing into my life and the lives of others who are growing in Christ, receiving Christ, and are sent out by Christ.

I love each one of you and am so excited for what the Lord is doing and going to do through your lives as well. Giving it all might require finances, time, and sacrifice, but it’s worth it. He is worth it. The greatest gift was given when Jesus laid His own life down for us. Everything else falls short. He deserves eternal glory!

meet the DR Congo team

If you missed out on the DRC team introduction, you can find it here (on any Podcast platform), or where my newsletters are published: http://www.corneliainafrica.com

testimonies from our international Overland Missions team

an update from our Congolese teammate, Fidele: Moi et mon équipe du Congo, de la Zambie, de Finlande, d’Amérique, Afrique du Sud nous accomplissons les messages que Jésus Christ nous as laisser d’aller partout dans le monde et donner l’evagile. Merci a Dieu pour cette grâce qu’il m’accorder. >> myself and my team from Congo, Zambia, Finland, America, South Africa are fulfilling the messages that Jesus Christ has left us to go all over the world and give the Gospel. Thank God for this grace.
Today I’m remembering that time I walked 25km across Lusaka (yes, I had blisters. I walked because my wallet got stolen, but somehow I still had my passport) to the US Embassy to get my visa application submitted. 😂 Two years later, here I am — sitting in a small room in the back of a pharmacy, getting vaccinated for yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis, tetanus, etc so that I can get to DRC soon! *Let me tell you — travelling for the sake of the Gospel is not always glamorous, * but every long hike, and every 26-hour bus ride, and every flight, and every change-of-plans-on-the-go is WORTH IT over and over again, because HE IS WORTHY! Whatever it takes.
From the Middle East: “Being a missionary in the Middle East is hard, especially when you were born there. But, I’m always being reminded of how Jesus walked and started revival here… how He was Middle Eastern! Walking this journey and doing life for Jesus has made me realize how amazing God’s love for us is. I’m with people that I’m supposed to hate, but still share the Gospel because I love them and care so much about them! It makes me think how Jesus looked at people. He had no reason to love them, but loved because He is Love itself. Being here is hard unless you know how to love and be love as He is Love,” — a missionary from, and to, the Middle East.
testimony from Zambia: “Two of our local Zambian missionaries led the charge to repair this well that had been broken for years! With the hard work of villagers, we were able to do a complete restoration of this broken water source. As we pulled up one broken, dirty, rusty piece of metal after another and replaced each part with a new and spotless pipe, I was reminded of the words in Hebrews 10 that our hearts have been sprinkled clean and our bodies washed with pure water. And this washing goes deep – it’s a cleansing that recreates our very spirits and gives us an entirely new self. But it doesn’t just stop there. Like the new well, we’ve been made new in order to pour out. The water that washed us clean now springs forth from our spirits to bring life to the world around us,” Lynsey H, missionary in Zambia.
from Angola: “Our first time back out ministering in Angola, I was so nervous. I had six months of Portuguese classes, and a year to forget them, but I so wanted to clearly communicate the precious Word of God. It was hard for me to learn a language when I couldn’t see the people face-to-face who I was learning it for. But arriving in the first village last week, I was reminded of what I saw the first time we were in Angola. People are hungry for Truth, God is faithful, and every second is worth it. Every inconvenience; every embarrassment of getting the language wrong; every week, day, and month of waiting on some government is worth it to communicate the love of God face-to-face with someone who doesn’t know it,” — Lauren B, missionary in Angola.
From Tanzania: When was the moment we have decided that faith is about “Jesus make my life easy”? Jesus said, “unless you lose your life, you will never find it.” When was the moment we have forgotten that we owe Him everything and not the other way around? Especially now in the light of what is happening in Afghanistan and other places in the world (that may not be displayed on the news) where our brothers and sisters are being killed for trusting in Jesus, we should understand, it is either “I” or Jesus. And when we choose Jesus it may get difficult, we may sacrifice what is of value to us, or face persecution. But life was never meant to be found in anything rather than Jesus. I am at a place right now where family is everything to people and when they choose Jesus, they may lose their family. They don’t choose Jesus because He makes their life easy. They choose Him because He is LIFE.
encouragement from Jake, Overland Missions’ Director of International Operations: God takes small things and makes them great in His hands. David was the youngest and smallest of all the brothers, yet God chose him to be King of Israel. David wasn’t chosen because of his earthly qualifications, he was chosen because God knew what was in his heart.
From Chipepo chiefdom, Zambia: Chipepo is one of our many outlying bases in Zambia. The team has many powerful, Zambian ministers! Three are Cresia, Lydia, and Judith. Chelsea has a Bible study with them regularly and desires their confidence in ministry grow to the point where they fully understand how much power their message carries. Chelsea B shares, “My hope and prayer for them is that they all will be able to read the Bible on their own one day very soon, and preach with confidence, sharing their life stories as testimonies of God’s faithfulness and love!”
From Brazil: “So often children’s ministries are watered-down or glorified playtimes. In the same way, sometimes children are seen as extra work or even burdens on the mission field, when, in fact, the same Holy Spirit that lives in me lives in them! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in them, and the greatest gift I can give my children is the opportunity to be obedient to the Holy Spirit, and minister the Gospel,” — Chelsea P, missionary in Brazil.
“After a day of house-to-house ministry, I went to fill up the team’s water cans. Arriving at the borehole, I met Franco. We immediately struck up conversation and Holy Spirit led me to ask if he knew Jesus. Franco said he knew Jesus from going to church growing up but didn’t know God desires an ongoing relationship with him. After many questions and praying together, Franco received Jesus and made him Lord and Savior of his life,” — Parker S AMT graduate, 2021
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