Our dear brother Didier and our Blessed Father God

It is so great to be back with my brother Didier in so many ways. I was very glad to see my bag safe and sound at the airport after my arrival but I was many times more happy to see my brother Didier at the other side. I missed him very much when I was in America last month and Kinshasa last week and am glad that I will see him again. Didier's smiling face and warm embrace through the ariport window did my heart much good. Many of you if you live in California or Idaho will be able to experience it in person soon. He is going to be speaking at Gold Country Baptist Church in November (details TBA) and I will be in the front row with Matteus who will know what to say when Didier is preaching and says "Alleluia, ah?" At least one short Congolese guy will probably shout out "Amen, ah!" (us American Christians can learn to be more expressive and responsive in church, amen, ah? :)


Didier grew up in Kinshasa until 2005 and has, recently, spent 2 longer trips to the city with children being adopted, and so he knows as well as anyone on earth what I've been through. And there is no person I would rather be with helping me be a better parent to Mattues than him. He has been a huge help to me already in the last 24 hours. He has helped me discern more cultural / communication problems as opposed to flat out sin (and one can lead to the other easily). He has helped me to know what Matteus wants, foods and patterns that work best, and he encouraged me in so many practical ways, and said my son is doing very well considering it's been only a few weeks since he left his home and began to have a male figure in his life (first Didier, now me). Yesterday Didier asked my son "who am I, and who is the man whose lap you're sitting on?" Matteus replied, "you are Papa Didier, this man is my Papa Wangu." Didier explained "Papa Wangu" is the way you say "my father/daddy" in Swahili (the first time he had said those words about anyone). I find it hard not to weep as I write this.


My son is still a sinner with a long way to go and I'm still a sinful father with a long way to go in learning how to be a better dad - but my Papa Wangu in heaven will help this one on earth and already has. I felt so helpless and fearful and inadequate 6 days ago when I was on my own for one of the hardest nights of my life, but my heavenly Father was with me and taught me much about Himself and myself. And I am so grateful now for Papa Didier's help in so many ways that are much like the Father who adopted us both. Didier is my brother just as much as Adam is the brother of Matteus, and in fact our relationship is even deeper at this point than my 2 son's relationship will be for years. Some people think biology is most important and say "blood is thicker than water" but the blood of Christ runs deepest and His family ties are the most intimate and blessed of all.


Didier is planning to fly to America on the 25th, arriving in DC on the 26th, and I am praying God will enable me to be on those same flights with my brother and son. Today I pray the medical clearance for Matteus will be sent to the embassy and that I will get the other important papers by weekend that I need to leave DRC. Please join with me in prayers that I could be back with the rest of my family a week from today!


Our miracle-working God has done so much already. Today Didier received his papers for the land and compound that he had been trying to get for 15 months. Many times while I was here in August and September he stopped by that office checking on his file, to no avail. I have to admit I didn't have faith that when we stopped today he would get it -- O me of little faith! Didier said this is a big miracle. Another official remembered me and said he will help me get my papers - another miracle that I won't believe till I hold the document in my hand. But we praised the Lord I again wept at all God has done just in the last 24 hours. What a merciful and faithful God we serve!


I want to take a moment to introduce my blessed brother to you further as a tribute and testimony of God's mercy and faithfulness he has experienced for many years. This is from Bob Wheatley's blog in August:


We might think that someone who is carrying such a ministry as Pastor Didier is was raised in a second or third generation Christian home where he was nurtured on the Bible. No, his father was a devil worshipper who loved power and riches. His father was so desirous of what this world had to offer that he promised Satan a blood offering from his family. Of five children he offered three of his sons to Satan as a sacrifice.

Starting at age eight his mother sent Didier (pronounced DDA) to a different province (state) for eleven months of each year. He was very lonely and pleaded with her to be allowed to remain with the family. By being sent away he not only received protection but also an education. He graduated from high school at the age of nineteen.

While still a youth his mother died, his father remarried and all the attention was turned to a new wife and four new children which he sired. The situation became so intolerable that Didier fled into Zambia where he met a Christian Missionary. She taught him English and led him to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Eventually she returned to the States, but she challenged her replacement, a man, to continue with the process of training Didier.

The next steps in Didier’s educational process was being sent to a trade school where he learned to cook. As he returned from the school as a cook, he met his wife to be Annyta and they were married six months later. He worked as a cook for two years and then he and his wife moved to Kinshasa where he furthered his education at the Mennonite Seminary for the next three years.

By the time he graduated he had two sons. His second son became very ill and Didier took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The hospital personnel were preparing to send his body to the morgue. Didier ... prayed being willing to accept the death if it were from God, but if the death was not from God then he believed that God would restore his son’s life. As he was praying the child gasped and began breathing again. The boy was lame for a while, but now is almost completely well.

[Phil's note: I cannot discern any lasting physical problems with Immanuel (whose name appropriately means "God with us.") I certainly have felt "God with us" here in greater ways than anywhere else and have grown in faith with my brother greatly, coming to understand our Father better, and His miracle-working Providence and mercy.