Widows in the Democratic Republic of Congo

GEORGINE

When Georgine waved goodbye to her husband Dieudonne on 4 January 2020, she had no idea that she would never see him again. 

Dieudonne (30), a teacher at the EERA Pentecostal church school, went to their farm to harvest palm nuts; Georgine went to join him after she finished cooking for the children. “I arrived at the farm only to find his bicycle abandoned along the road,” she recalls. “I called his name, but no one responded…” Dieudonne’s body was found a few days later, killed by ADF militants. 

Please pray for Georgine and her children, who have been severely traumatised by the sudden loss of their father. Open Doors local partners went to visit the family to provide spiritual and emotional support. Though Georgine is heartbroken, it seems the team’s visit helped lift her spirits momentarily. “I want to thank Christians who think about me,” she says. “I am pleased to know that people are praying for me, for God to comfort me and my children.”

Could you write to Georgine and her children to let them know they are not alone and that their church family are standing with them?

FRANCOISE

On Wednesday 29 January 2020, Francoise (52) and her husband, Rev. Batsemire-Ngulongo Yese (67), were travelling with their grandson to their farm outside of Eringite, some 55km north of the city of Beni in the North Kivu Province. The couple and their grandson only registered the gunshots once they were too close. 

“We heard two gunshots, and this time it caught my husband’s attention,” Francoise remembers. “In that moment of panic, we thought it wise to hide in the bush in case the enemy was on the road, hoping they would pass us.” Rev. Yese had unknowingly hidden in an area the ADF (a Ugandan militant group) used as a shortcut. They shot him and finished him off with the very machete he was carrying to use at his farm. 

Please pray for Francoise – since these horrific events, she struggles with constant and severe stomach pain and gets regular headaches. She is receiving constant care from family members as she grieves.

Could you write a letter of encouragement to Francoise to comfort her during this time of grief?

WRITING GUIDELINES

The basics:

• Greeting cards, children’s artwork, and postcards are best.
• Write in simple English and keep your letter brief.
• Be encouraging and include one or two Bible verses.
• Please show sensitivity.

For security:

• Do not mention Open Doors in your letters.
• You can sign your name, but please don’t provide your full address.
• Don’t send money or make proposals to help.

Please put all your letters and cards in one envelope and send to Open Doors UK, PO Box 6, Witney, OX29 6WG.

Please note that this letter-writing campaign closes on 31 December 2020.