Heartbroken, over Africa

Many of you who read this blog know that Tracy and I have a deep love for Africa. We are particularly attached to West Africa, after living there, but appreciate the whole of the continent. This evening we watched a documentary on PBS that highlighted, once again, the struggles that are occurring on the continent of Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been embroiled, like so many African countries, in guerrilla warfare for years. The conflict is not nearly as intense as it has been in the past, but it is still real. A horrible by product of these civil wars in Africa tends to be the mistreatment of civilians by military personnel. When you factor in the fact that most of the countries in Africa view women as disposable property, the damage done to the female population is often horrific, and at times almost unspeakable. The documentary we watched tonight tells the story of a young woman name Lumo who was raped viciously, and permanently damaged, by soldiers. She is taken to a medical facility which uses 2 surgeries as an effort to repair her body. I would encourage you to try and see it if it is going to be shown on your local PBS affiliate. If you would like to view the trailer for the piece, you can do so here.

The only hope for the peoples embroiled in these maddening conflicts is Jesus Christ. As you think about these things today, please pray that Christ would permeate the peoples of the continent of Africa.

To check your local listings, click here.