1997 Harvey Holiday

HIGHLIGHTS

Fourth of July

GLAD TO BE AMERICAN!

The Fourth of July carries no special significance in the Republic of Congo. But this year there sure has been a lot of deadly fireworks anyway! Fierce fighting and indiscriminate shelling has continued for over a month in the capital city of Brazzaville, as President Lissouba and former President Sassou struggle for control of the country. Due to wall to wall combat and rampant pillaging, approximately 6,000 foreigners have been evacuated.

What do you do when inebriated men with AK-47 assault rifles enter your courtyard, ask for the car keys and start looking for a way into the house? We prayed. Soon after we said "Amen," the phone rang. As God would have it, the US Embassy was calling to check on us. Talk about good timing!

All day we had witnessed the senseless destruction of property as unrestrained greed spread like an epidemic through our neighborhood. How relieved we were when the US Ambassador's bullet-proof Chevrolet with American flags flying, pulled up outside our home. In the few steps between our house and the car, we had to "hit the deck" due to the gunfire on our own street. Later that night our home was devoured by a swarm of gun-toting looters. As we were driven to the airport for evacuation, it was hard to recognize our adopted hometown, with all the barricades and debris that now littered the roads.

It is good to be back in the USA. But our hearts are bleeding for Brazzaville, and the many friends we left behind. Tears flow as reports filter through. An estimated 10,000 people have died in the fighting. Red Cross workers have been unable to collect the corpses for burial due to the intensity of the battle. We have no way of knowing if our employee friends Achille & Armand are safe. Yet in the midst of our sorrow, we are joyously thankful for the prayers of God's people that led us to safety. It is no coincidence that out of the 6,000 evacuated, we were among the first 44! We were the most prayed for!

A BABY FOR FATHER'S DAY

The last thing we wanted to do was leave our patients stranded. Especially Nancy. Nancy's baby was overdue when the fighting began. Separated by the schism that split the city in two, we might as well have been a world away. No sign of labor was reported as we debated whether or not to board the plane for Kinshasa. We thought that Nancy and her family would be among the next group to join us there. Nobody knew then that it would be four days before the military escort could get through...one day after Jaclyn Grace's birthday! Thank God, another peace child was born safely, in the midst of war. When we did finally get to see them, both mom and baby were doing well, in spite of all they had been through.

MANY PLANS

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). This Summer we were planning to begin work with the Mobile Clinic Program in the Likouala Region. We were planning to host a team of 13 young people for a 6 week medical/dental outreach. We were planning to help open two new church clinics. We were planning to continue organizing the Congo Christian Health Association. We were planning to work on plans for the first ever Christian Mission Hospital in Congo. We were planning to fix up & move into the pink house in Dongou . We had a lot of plans. But God has a purpose.

CHEER UP!

Now that looters have lightened our load, it'll be easier for us to move on to whatever God has in store for us. People often say they want a chance to start over. Now we've got one! So what are we going to do? We don't know. We will keep you informed. We would like to return to the Congo, but God only knows when that'll be. While in the US, we are planning to visit where invited, and give reports as we're able. We'd like to share with you more of what we've seen God do these last 18 months, if your interested. If you'd like to have us speak at your church or group, just let us know.

CONNECTIONS

The best way to contact us is by e-mail at <EndsOfTheEarth@compuserve.com>. Sorry, but presently our only permanent home is a page: <http://www.ncinter.net/~rewilson/Harvey/index.html>. Nevertheless, we invite you to drop in for a visit. We can also be reached through our mission.

This regular newsletter, the Harvey Holiday Highlights, is sent by bulk mail 4 times a year. If you'd like to hear from us more often, we also send out the Harvey PrayerNet about once a month.

In His Service,

Joe & Becky, Olivia, Claire & Isabelle

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