Kinshasa, DR Congo
Dream of Integrity Shapes Ministry
Since 1998, an estimated 3.5 million people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to war, disease and famine. The wars in DR Congo are battled between militia, rebel and tribal groups that always seem to be at unrest. AIDS is invading at a rapid rate, leaving the median age of the country at a young 15 years old. The famine is due to the lack of economy in a potentially rich country. Foreign business shies away from the country because of its unrest, lack of infrastructure and the difficult working environment.
Dr. Tudiabioko Bilombi took his wife and four children and fled the country to nearby Zambia, where he got involved in medical work. While working in Zambia, Dr. Bilombi had a dream. The idea of the dream was that man had dignity that came from God, and that he should be involved in a ministry to treat people with that dignity.
Meanwhile, Luke Society Executive Director, Dr. Wrede Vogel, was meeting a physician in another part of Zambia. The interview with the doctor was interesting, but by the end, Dr. Vogel was convinced the Lord wasn’t leading the Luke Society to partner with him. “But I have experienced enough now to know that God always has a plan,” Dr. Vogel said. Even the doctor being interviewed realized it wasn’t a partnership he was looking for. As the doctor listened to Dr. Vogel’s last comments, a look came over his face. “He started telling me about a doctor from Congo that was in Zambia as a refugee that wanted to go back to Congo,” Dr. Vogel says. “The doctor thought he was crazy, asking why he’d want to return to Congo.” The doctor he was talking about was Dr. Bilombi.
The interview had lasted into the evening, and the next day, Dr. Vogel was leaving to continue his trip to other Luke Society ministries. But the doctor made arrangements with Dr. Bilombi to meet with them before Dr. Vogel left.
“The interview I had with Dr. Bilombi made it clear to me that he had deep faith, spiritual maturity and a desire to help the poor and spread the Gospel,” Dr. Vogel remembers. “He had a willingness to go back to Congo and leave this safer and more secure area.” However, as they left the interview, Dr. Vogel told Dr. Bilombi that the Luke Society would be interested in a partnership, but made no promises. “We don’t want our partners to be dependent on the Luke Society for their call, but to follow God’s call.”
After the interview, Dr. Bilombi returned to Kinshasa, DR Congo, to research the possibilities of a ministry. He remembered the dream God gave him. When Dr. Vogel visited DR Congo again in February 2003, Dr. Bilombi had serious plans laid out for his medical clinic, and the partnership began. It was only recently that Dr. Bilombi admitted that he came to the second meeting trying to convince Dr. Vogel to just give him money. Then he told Dr. Vogel that he realized that the money wasn’t the most valuable thing that came out of that visit. He realized it was the relationship with brothers and sisters in Christ who have the same concerns as he does. What the Luke Society did in partnering with him was more than providing funds, it was about him following his call.
Three years later, Dr. Bilombi’s clinic has become a busy place. Besides being busy treating illness, his maternity ward is always full. It is normal for two women and their newborns to share the same bed. “It is impressive how busy the clinic is,” Dr. Vogel says. “Dr. Bilombi provides services at a lesser charge, but I heard from the staff and him that they are busy because they provide care with compassion. When people come to the Luke Society clinic, the care is provided by those that care.”
Laura Eisenga