The IBC Women’s Congo Team of 2016 recently returned teaching two concurrent conferences in Goma, DR Congo during the week of May 2-6. Here are the stories of some of our adventures!
Since one of the topics I was teaching in the Women’s Leadership Training Institute (WLTI) was on the names of God, I will be sprinkling some of those names throughout this report so all of that study can continue to be used AND I can highlight where a particular aspect of God showed up for us!
This is the team picture that we were finally able to take as we were leaving on our final day in Goma. This was taken at the guest house where we stayed, with Lake Kivu in the background.

(Back Row: Wayne Cagle (Bent Tree Bible), Mike Scott, Kevin Dial; Front Row: Marsha Romanowski, Katherine Holloway, Lauren Gilland, Kara Murrin, Lindsey Sobolik)
Our adventure began on Thursday morning, April 28 when I received a text message from the airline informing me that our first flight would arrive 20 minutes after our connecting flight to Amsterdam! After alerting the team, I got on the phone with the airline. I learned later that the ALARM-US staff and a small group of IBC Staff gathered to pray that we would be able to keep to our original arrival date.
After 2 hours on the phone, Yahweh Jireh (Lord who Provides) gave us the ability to split up onto 5 different flights and meet our original arrival date. Unfortunately, the flight through Minneapolis was also delayed, so the 2 teammates (Kara & Kevin) that were on that flight ended up being 24 hours behind us. We were sad to be separated from them, but glad that at least the 2 of us that were scheduled to preach in 2 churches in Goma were able to be there for that. We learned after arriving that several churches had combined services to be able to hear the visitors preach.
We arrived in Kigali, Rwanda Friday evening and it felt so good to lie down on a bed and stretch out after spending more than 24 hours sitting in airline seats. When I awoke on Saturday morning, I went outside to watch the sunrise. I was startled to see a security guard wrapped up in blankets outside of our doors with his big club to protect us as we slept. It was as if I heard the Lord saying, sometimes this is what Yahweh Ra’ah (Lord our Shepherd) looks like.

(Picture of team about to leave for Goma, Congo from Kigali, Rwanda)
After a hearty breakfast, we had an uneventful drive to Goma. We crossed the border and arrived at the Catholic Guest House where we would stay for the next week. It was a beautiful 10+ acre property covered in lawns and gardens filled with tropical flowers on the shores of Lake Kivu. It was a wonderful place to come at the end of each day to reflect and recharge after a day of teaching at the conferences. Here we saw Elohim (Creator God). Here’s a few pictures of some of our views:
On Sunday we attended 2 different churches. I preached at Theophile’s Assemblies of God church on “The Names of God”. We were entertained by 8 different choirs.
Here’s a picture of me enjoying one of them.

Marsha preached on “Grace” at Marie Jeanne’s Nazarene Church. Here’s a picture of her preparing in the pastor’s room before the service.

Women’s Leadership Training Institute (WLTI)
About 48 ladies attended the WLTI Conference. They will attend 12 sessions of leadership training to equip them for service through the ministries they are leading in their churches. At the end of 12 sessions they will receive a certificate. Our team taught on “Bible Doctrines”, which is the 4th in the series of 12 sessions. This covered Who is God, Who is Man, Who is Jesus, Who is the Holy Spirit, Role of Angels & Demons, Who is the Church, Hope in Christ, and Second Coming. Basically, all the major doctrines of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in 5 days! This was a VERY full week of meaty topics. The women were learning many things they didn’t know before. Examples of new ideas for them:
- Jesus existed in eternity before he was born to Mary
- The Holy Spirit existed in eternity just like the Father and Son
- Jesus is still in heaven in his physical body
- The Holy Spirit lives in us but also has times of outpouring for the purpose of mission
- Many had not heard the term Trinitarianism or thought much about the 3 members of the Trinity working together in one united being.
- They hadn’t made the connection between the blood required during OT sacrifices and the blood of Jesus fulfilling the requirements of the OT law – a one time and final completion.
- That the Holy Spirit is equal in deity and relation to the Father and the Son.
We were a bit surprised at the level of legalism in their churches, and the focus on “God as Punisher” instead of “God as Grace” that came through as we discussed our lessons, so we made sure to be teaching in each of our sessions about the Freedom we have in Christ.
When talking about the ordnance of Communion, there were MANY questions. If a woman’s dowry isn’t paid, can she take communion? If a couple is separated but not divorced can they take communion? Is it OK to wash feet before communion? And too many other questions to enumerate.

(Picture of the WLTI participants)
On the last day of the conference, we had planned to do communion, so Theophile decided to add a foot washing before the communion. It turned out to be just the right thing on several levels. The wounds of colonialism are still deep. And the women couldn’t believe that white women would wash the feet of black women. It was a time of great joy and laughter and love. And we saw Yahweh Shalom (The Lord is Peace) as those from different tribes, denominations & social status come together to serve one another.)

When we (the facilitators) finished washing all their feet, we went back inside to take communion together. It was a holy moment where we experienced the presence of Yahweh Shammah (The Lord is There) and reflected on how our actions (foot washing & communion) were illustrating what we had been teaching all week about the Global Church. Just as the Father, Son and Spirit are One, we are also One because of Him.

Men’s Trauma Healing Conference
When our team was in Goma last year teaching a women’s trauma healing conference, we identified a need to teach a similar conference for men. This week was the fruition of that idea, and it was amazing!
Eighty plus men gathered for training in topics that would help them deal with their own trauma, and help them lead others in their spheres of influence deal with trauma. The men were from many different backgrounds: Pastors (majority), army chaplains, police officers, army officers, doctors, and nurses. Though all had experienced trauma themselves, they are also essentially first responders to those who they serve in their communities.
Toward the end of the week, the men began to see their need to forgive those that were responsible for actions against them and their families. They began to share their stories, and a pivotal moment happened when they took their burdens (represented by a rock they carried that week) to the foot of the cross and gave then to Jesus. We saw Yahweh Rapha (The Lord Who Heals) at work on the hearts of these men.

This conference ended with a foot washing and communion, and it was another holy moment shared together by the global Church.

Some of the comments we heard after this were:
- “I felt joy and the Holy Spirit, to the point where I felt like I was in another world.”
- “I was surprised by my actions. I never would have participated in that kind of event but found myself participating. I realized, ‘a servant is to be a slave to others.’ Blessed is this teaching because it has taught us the importance of serving people.”
- “This activity brought joy to my heart. What we have done is a work of the Holy Spirit. Young, kneeling before old; old kneeling before young. God says go and serve – not to be a chief ruler and be served but to serve others. This is what I learned.”
- “What has been done is an answer to my prayers. So many pastors argue and divide. There is no loyalty or harmonizing. But God has called us to love and serve others.”
- “I washed the feet of one of the men in uniform but I was very intimidated and thought to myself that I should not let him wash my feet. But he was so kind and full of joy that it gave me the confidence to let him wash my feet because he wanted to do so. I have never experienced anything like that before. We are truly brothers in Christ.”
- “As a man, I was taught that women should serve men. But when I became a Christian I learned differently and learned that men and women are equal. Even still that is something we say and do not always do. I’ve never seen a man washing a woman’s feet, white people washing the feet of black people or those in authority washing the feet of others. Our culture has a very strong understanding from colonization of the role of a master and a slave – authority and under authority. This teaching has shown me an example of what it means to be humble and a servant leader.”
One of the pastors could not gather the courage to share his story during the conference. After the conference, he spent the night with Theophile (ALARM-Congo Servant Leadership Coordinator) and shared this story.
“During the war in 1996, we spent 2 months in the forest. We ate fruit some days, and many days we had nothing to eat. There was no water and it was like a feast when it was raining, but it was also sad because we had no shelter to cover ourselves. One day the soldiers came to chase us. I hid myself in a corner and my father in another corner. My father warned me if we hid in the same place, we will be killed at the same time. Unfortunately, when they came, they took my father and I saw how they were killing him with knives. By God’s grace they didn’t see me. I continue to relive this situation every day. It is the reason why you cannot see me laughing with other people, though I am a pastor. I didn’t even have the courage to tell the story to anyone else. Even in the conference, I was thinking how to start telling my story. Finally, I decided to come to you and share it with you.”
Theophile says, brothers and sisters, let me tell you that we went to sleep at 1:00 am and all this time I was listening to this pastor tell his story through tears. You cannot imagine the impact and the healing you brought to our brothers in the Trauma Healing Conference.
CLOSING THANK YOU
I want to thank each of you for your prayer and/or financial support. You were all there in Spirit and you made a huge difference. We felt your prayers and saw answers to many of those prayers. Please continue to pray for life change and that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. May the Lord bless you for your faithfulness and partnership!