Prayersfor the Democratic Republic of Congo and the KAIROS Ecumenical Delegation to the DRC, June 2013 and Fall 2013

KAIROS delegation to the Democratic Republic of Congo, June 2013

Please pray with us as the ecumenical delegation organised by KAIROS travels to the DR Congo June 16-29, and then begins public witness and advocacy throughout the fall.

Pray for the delegates; for the church partners in the DR Congo and across the region; for their nation and communities; and for Canada, that our nation will contribute to a just peace for the DR Congo and all her diverse peoples.

All resources here are cleared for public use.

The delegatesFrom Canada:

• Danielle Dubuc: Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)

• Mary-Ellen Francoeur, Sisters of Service : Canadian Religious Conference

• Peter Lamont: Presbyterian Church in Canada

• Mungul Made (Marie-Claude) Manga: United Church of Canada

• Amelia Torrie: United Church of Canada

The delegatesFrom partners in the region:

• Chantal Bilulu: Héritiers de la Justice

• Monica W. Njoroge: Fellowship of Christian Council and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA)

• Perpétue Kankindi: Burundian Council of Churches

KAIROS staff:

• Jim Davis and Ian Thomson

More about the delegation

See the companion Powerpoint on the delegation, the country and Congolese partners on the KAIROS site. It’s downloadable via our Slide Share account.

Learn more about your own tradition’s partnerships in the Great Lakes region of Africa

See our special website section:

www.kairoscanada.org/dignity-rights/women-of-courage/women-of-courage-dr-congo/

Notes for prayer leaders, from the Week of Prayer for Peace in the DR Congo, 2012 (adapted by KAIROS)http://www.congochurchassn.org.uk/prayerweek.pdf

Blessed are the peacemakers Pray for political will and determination from the DRC government and other actors, both international – Rwanda and Uganda – and national, to engage and persevere in dialogue to find resolutions to the hugely complex issues of this conflict in order to bring about lasting peace in DR Congo.

Pray for church leaders and workers, leaders of civil society, health and aid workers, and MONUSCO (UN peace-keeping/stabilisation force) as they work in hugely challenging and often dangerous circumstances. Pray for wisdom and strength as they minister and respond to needs.

Pray for provision of international aid resources to tackle the needs for food, shelter, sanitation, healthcare and education for those affected by conflict and displacement.

Pray for an end to impunity, and justice for those who perpetrate violence, rape, kill and maim, abduct, steal and destroy. Give thanks to God for all those who have opened their homes to displaced people, for their sacrificial giving and sharing of slender resources, and pray for provision of their needs.

Pray for God’s protection on the minds and lives of young people, for healing and psychological treatment for those who have seen and experienced things no child should be exposed to, and for access to education.

Pray for God’s protection for all those who risk being targetted for speaking out against silence and impunity.

Give thanks to God for all those who have opened their homes to displaced people, for their sacrificial giving and sharing of slender resources, and pray for provision of their needs.

Give thanks for the work of Héritiers de la Justice, Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, and other church groups working amongst rape survivors. Pray for God’s blessing on their multi-faceted work tackling medical, legal, psychological and spiritual needs.

Pray that God will heal and bring comfort and care to all those who have been raped and tortured. Pray for an end to sexual violence and restraint of this evil behaviour.

Give thanks for the extraordinary resilience and firm Christian faith of many Congolese; pray that many would turn to the Lord and know God as their refuge and strength.

Praise God and pray for health, education, peace and reconciliation, and development work undertaken in Christ’s name in DRC.

Pray for the returning KAIROS ecumenical delegates, that they will speak truth to power, be given the space to tell their stories, and be heard by our churches and government.

A Prayer for the Democratic Republic of Congo

O God, loving parent of all,

comfort your children displaced, wounded or orphaned by conflict in Congo;

and give the people of that country courage to seek enduring peace with justice and freedom,

that their children might grow up without fear; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Adapted by Canon Ian Tarrant from a prayer in the 1998 Congo Swahili Prayer Book, written after the 1996-97 war.

From the World Council of Churches’ Week to End Violence :

God bringing light and banishing fear,

We light this candle as a sign of our willingness to be your light in the world.

We remember before you the peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo, their abundant land, their painful and

war torn history.

We bring before you the people whose story we have witnessed.

Give voice to those whose grief and pain is unspeakable; give compassion and strength to those who would hear in

order to heal.

Empower those who dare to speak the truth to power. Inspire those who challenge prejudice and envision new ways of relating. Nurture health and hope and peace in a

land torn by violence and war.

We ask it the name of Jesus, our brother and our friend. Amen

http://www.overcomingviolence.org/en/resources/campaigns/women-against-violence/week-2/prayers.html

A prayer for the DR Congo

God whose love is like a mother’s warmth,God whose love is like a mother’s strength,

watch over the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

May they know your presence as they face the challenges of their lives —

war, rape, lack of education, patriarchy, and more.Grant them courage,strengthen their faith,

renew their hope,this day and every day. We pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen. Written by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program - PC(USA)

A prayer for the Democratic Republic of CongoWritten by the Rev. Pierre Mpia Mopendo, International

Peacemaker Presbyterian Church of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

ONE: If the merciful God had not been on our sidewe could have been crushed,

when most of the World powers came together to decide about the future of our country.

Oh Merciful Lord,We thank you for making us kind people,

We thank you Lord for giving us a country rich in natural resources.

ALL:We beg you to convert people of bad heart and bad mind

on the behalf of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We beg you to teach us all how to live friendly with other people.

We beg you to help the Congolese people recover their humanity and take over their responsibility

on the Land you gave them.

We beg you to help us be a mirror and a source of blessings for our neighbors.

Let us become a pattern of peace and cooperation for the human being.

Let us be respectful of human rights and creation.

Help us benefit from the seeds within our Eden Garden and learn to share these carefully with other needy people.

Our heavenly Father, make us peacemakers.Amen.

For more information about the KAIROS ecumenical delegation and our Congolese and

African partners, please see the KAIROS website: www.kairoscanada.org

Or contact us at info@kairoscanada.org

Your prayers, actions and financial support have made a difference to partners like Héritiers de la Justice, who struggle faithfully and at great risk to

bring a measure of just peace to their nation.

Thank you. May God bless our journey to justice.