Surrounded by refugees and internally displaced people groups, eight-year-old Janvier and his friends loved playing soccer. One evening, the ball was kicked out of the play area. A young man kicked it back and briefly joined the game. A couple of days later, he appeared again, this time with a new soccer ball, and began kicking it around with the boys. Eventually, he asked to meet the families of the players. Janvier took him home, and the young man introduced himself as Dr. Byamungu (Dr. B). Dr. B is the surgeon at Nundu Deaconess Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Nundu Hospital is a 110-bed Christian hospital that serves a population of over 300,000 people.
Dr. B. soon received permission to take Janvier to church, and, over time, he and his family became Christians. Dr. B took the time to mentor and disciple Janvier, who is now a solid Christian and witness to those around him in university.
Janvier is just one of the many boys who has been impacted by a doctor who lived out his faith in Jesus Christ in a practical way. Dr. B once said, “If they turn to God when they are young, God can use them for their whole life.” Often, we focus on a person’s vocation, such as being a doctor or meeting physical needs at a hospital. Dr. B not only impacts lives as a surgeon but also in his passion to bring young people to the Lord.
In October, SonSet Solutions engineer Earl Hartwig went to Nundu Hospital with I-TEC (itec.org), another like-minded ministry, to help install both an expansion to their solar power system and new medical equipment.
Better service will open a door for the gospel, to both the patients and their families. Hopefully, this will also allow more time for Dr. B to join soccer games and continue reaching the youth in his community.
By Earl Hartwig, December 2023