Off Topic Thursday: A Mission to Congo
Today’s post is from a friend and former co-worker at Provision Ministry Group. God has taken Randy Clairmont’s giftings with technology and his heart for missions and combined them into this exciting new adventure he and his family have begun, and which I have the privilege of sharing with you today.
I have always wanted a daddy’s girl. A girl to protect and hold. A girl who will dress up in princess costumes and twirl, showing off her radiance. A girl who is as beautiful as her mother. Six weeks ago, my dream came true when Abigail “Abby” Martha Clairmont entered this world and my life. I may lose some “man-credit” by saying this, but I love when my wife dresses her in pink and puts flowers in her hair and when she looks up at me with those deep sea-blue eyes, my heart melts like a chocolate ice cream cone on a hot summer day.
As a new father of my baby girl, I often think of the plans for her future and the woman that God will mold her to be. I think of her wedding day and giving her away to a man who loves Christ with all of his heart. I think of all the times I will get to be her protector and comforter, defending her like a knight in shining armor, galloping in to rescue his betrothed from an evil dragon.
For many dads around the world, protecting their daughters from harm is an overwhelming task, wrought with many unspeakable atrocities, but in Congo, this task is nearly impossible. The Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC, is one the worst place on the planet to be a woman. Last year, the American Journal of Public Health published a study that showed there were 400,000 rapes in just one year. That’s 1,252 women raped every day, or 48 raped every hour.
Combined with the more than 4 million people killed due to civil war in the past two decades, millions of orphaned or abandoned children, virtually no roads or infrastructure and the lowest income per capita in the world and you can see why most of the world has given up on Congo as a lost cause. However, to God, there are no lost causes.
My wife, Vanessa, and I are missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to Congo, and we are here because of the hopelessness and vulnerability of people who are deeply loved by God. MAF overcomes physical barriers with aviation and technology to meet the physical and spiritual needs of isolated people, and in DRC, there is no shortage of either.
By using the airplane and satellite internet, we enable The Gospel to reach the most remote places of the world. We would love to invite you to be a part of our journey by visiting www.theclairmontfamily.com. There you can also sign up for our prayer letter list and obtain instructions for giving to our ministry.
I love my daughter and would lay down my life for her. However, God loves the people of DRC far more than I could ever conceive, and He has already laid down His life for each them. We praise the Lord for the work that He has done and will do to bring glory unto himself in Congo.
email \\ rclairmont@maf.org
web \\ www.maf.org/clairmont
blog \\ www.theclairmontfamily.com
Randy Crane is passionate about helping Christians, especially those with a Disney affinity, to discover and connect to their GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE AND VALUE, to build their lives to achieve TRUE SUCCESS AND MEANING, and to POSITIVELY IMPACT their world. For more than two decades, Randy has been leading individuals and teams into a greater joy and child-like appreciation of the world around them, equipping them to reach beyond what they have previously experienced and build a God-given identity and purpose. Ready to experience that for yourself? Tell us where to send SIX free videos all created to help answer the 3 questions you need to experience PEACE, FREEDOM, and PURPOSE!