For the ninth year in a row, a mission team from National Community Church (NCC) in Washington DC has visited our friends at Congo for Christ (CCC) in Uvira. Over the years many team members have returned year after year. New members also go each year and we usually hear the same enthusiastic response from them, “I want to go again!”
This year's team focused on two specific areas. One group worked with Pastor Jeremiah and Daniel to address the business strategy and focus on helping CCC develop plans to raise much needed funding. The other group worked with Mango Tree School leadership to continue to improve the quality of education offered.
Global Outreach Sponsorship Coordinator, Diane Helke, had the opportunity to spend time with the “Mama’s” who not only care for the CCC children but also do all the cooking. This includes cooking for the 1,200 children who attend the weekly feeding program. Diane shared the need to repair the kitchen and also provide some badly needed supplies such as knives and pots and pans. The repairs will cost $1,790 and the equipment will be $1,232. In addition, we learned they need at least 1,000 more plates. At the weekly community meal, the children have to take turns using the plates. Diane said they had to wait until the first group of children is finished eating so the plates can be washed and reused for the next group. Each plate costs $1.00.
