Happy Anniversary Rich and Kathy

Dear Rich and Kathy,

Happy 37th Wedding Anniversary from all your family and friends in the U.S.A. and around the world!

You have provided us with a beautiful example of true love and devotion to each other and a living lesson on how to share the love of Christ to a lost and dying world.

There are not many marriages that could have survived all the stress and strain of years in a battlefield, but with the strength of the LORD you have SURVIVED and in some cases THRIVED.

"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side." Psalm 3: 5-6.

O MOST LOVING FATHER, you who will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of yourself, and to cast all our care on you, who care for us, preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

William Bright

Prayer reaches out in love to a dying world and says, "I care."
Dick Eastman

You are a joy to behold.

With much love and prayer,
Barb and Smitty
& the BESI / Radio Kahuzi Team

BESI / Radio Kahuzi Awarded 2010 NRB Media Award for International Impact

Richard and Kathy McDonald preparing to return to Bukavu with the first FM "transmitter in a suitcase" in 1991.

The National Religious Broadcasters have awarded BESI / Radio Kahuzi and Richard and Kathy McDonald the 2010 NRB Media Award for International Impact for the cause of Christ through electronic media!

Presentation of the award will take place at NRB's 67th Annual Convention in Nashville, TN on Monday, March 1, 2010.

We are very proud of their accomplishment for furthering the Gospel!! Thanks for your hard work, Rich and Kathy! The rewards are eternal!

Rich and Kathy speaking to the staff of HCJB Global at their

headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO in 2007

Pastor Mutangi Enoci Paul home with the Lord

This morning, September 9, the Lord Graciously called our Pastor Mutangi Enoci Paul to his Reward, after more than 50 years of faithful pastoral service; he was 79 years old.

There was no way to preserve the body, so we had a Triumphant funeral service this afternoon.

This has to be a big mile stone for Radio Kahuzi, as Pastor Mutangi faithfully and humbly served our Lord with wonderful Bible teaching and spiritual guidance to his family, to his church, Radio Kahuzi, and to the population. We are all recovering from a long day; he is greatly appreciated and sincerely missed by all.

DR Congo Journalist Stabbed to Death

Greetings from Bukavu!

Kathy and I are very thankful for your prayer and your generous gifts to keep Radio Kahuzi going.

Pray for protection for our journalists and their families: Feza, Gregoir and Danny.

We are sure the appointments of the Lord are ordained. He is doing His Sovereign Work consistently every day. We are thankful He has been Faithful to keep Radio Kahuzi on the air, and to even strengthen us, to augment our outreach by adding weekday broadcasts from 6:30 to 10:10 PM that reach out even farther into Central Africa, despite the continued dangers after dark in the DRC as the following news report shows.

DR Congo journalist stabbed to death in (Bukavu)
Bruno Koko Chirambiza, a journalist working with private radio station, Star, was stabbed to death on Saturday 22 August in the town of Bukavu, eastern DR Congo, Radio France Internationale reported on 24 August.

According to the owner of the radio station, Pierre Pay Pay, quoted by RFI, it was a premeditated assassination since nothing was taken from the journalist.

Tshivis Tshivuadi, the secretary-general of DR Congo press freedom body, Journalist in Danger (JED), called on provincial authorities to "immediately investigate the exact circumstances of the murder and find those behind it so they can be brought to justice," UN-sponsored Radio Okapi website.

(ED Note: Sadly, he was buried immediately, without an autopsy or forensics.)

Bruno Koko Chirambiza is the third journalist murdered in the town of Bukavu in two years. (Source: Radio France Internationale, Paris.)

Today at 1:30 PM we had a text message from Dr. Christine BUSHIRI praising the Lord for our programs, and greeting his family in distant villages in another province. The doctor said he was listening to Radio Kahuzi in Kinshasa on the West coast of the DR Congo, (well over 1,000 miles) with a 4 over 5, good signal.

We praise the Lord for His help and protection over our equipment as just now I went to the studio to see why our signal decreased in quality; the sound was fuzzy. The output power had dropped off to zero! So, with a prayer for wisdom, I shut off the shortwave transmitter, decreased the output power, and started up again.

Thankfully, the Lord protected the system, and the transmitter kicked in and powered up, OK. We increased the output broadcast power to 1,000 watts, and the signal was crystal clear and clean again, not fuzzy! Praise the Lord!

The electricity has surged several times today, and has been off several days this week. We were forced to use our generator several days when President Kabila was here and when Secretary of State, Clinton, was here to launch a new initiative. Much has begun.

We broadcast the opening ceremonies for a workshop with the Provincial government to show the new leaders how to write legislation, check the books of the Governor, look out for the women and children, etc.

Keep Looking Up!
Love in Christ,
Richard and Kathy McDonald

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATHY!

You have been a role model of love and dedication to our Heavenly Father. It has been exciting to see God's hand upon your life as you continue to play such an important role in the success of Radio Kahuzi.

You are a rare and exceptional lady. You have much love to give and you have shared it with all those who have had the privilege of knowing you.

~~~~~~

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

...She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

...Strength and honor are her clothing: and she shall rejoice in time to come.

...She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

...She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

...Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."

Proverbs 31: 10 - 31.

With Much Love and Admiration from the BESI Board, Family and Friends

~~~~~~~~~~~

Some 35,000 flee renewed clashes in DRCongo: UNHCR

Fri Jul 24, 7:23 am ET

GENEVA (AFP) - At least 35,000 people have been forced to flee recent fighting between government forces and Rwanda Hutu rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN refugee agency said Friday.

"These people have reportedly fled in the wake of the latest government military campaign code-named Kimia II, which began on 12 July in the Uvira territory of South Kivu," said Ron Redmond, spokesman for the UNHCH.

The government launched the campaign in a bid to force the Domcratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and their local militia allies to disarm.

Some of the displaced are hiding in forests and villages, others have sought shelter in schools, churches and other public buildings.

Redmond also highlighted the violence faced by the displaced.

"There are widespread reports of IDPs of atrocities including accusations of murder, rape, and torture, on the part of FDLR rebels," he said.

"Fleeing populations also report arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, extortion and forced taxation by FDLR and various armed groups backing the Rwandan Hutu rebels."

The latest displacement brings the total number of civilians displaced in South Kivu since January to 536,000, added Redmond.

In the whole of eastern DR Congo, the number of displaced has reached over 1.8 million, said the UNHCR.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Meeting With The Honorable Ngoma

The Honorable NGOMA represents Fizi Territory in our Provincial General Assembley.

He and I met at the Mt. Kahuzi Hotel / Resturaunt because he wanted to encourage our project of installing 2 to 4 FM relays in Fizi Province.

The Dir. of a local FM at Kamituga came through the fighting at Mwenga to escape the problems of Kimya II last week. He and I visited several offices to get answers about the Kimya II program. He gets his daily news for broadcasting in his area in the jungle directly from Radio Kahuzi's many news broadcasts.

Technology Penetrates the Jungle

We received a text message from one of the Hutu refugees in the jungle with the FDLR, asking us to thank the young lady who reads a chapter from the Bible each day in Kinyarwandan for them. We thanked them for their message of gratitude but did not have the heart to tell them it was a Mega Voice reader not a live voice! We Praise the Lord for the opportunity to share God's Word each day!

Pastor Gregoir, reminded Kathy and me that we also have many Rwandan listeners who write in from Cyangugu and the University further East in Rwanda, who also enjoy hearing the Word in their own “heart language.”

Several Kahuzi Radio Clubs wrote in to thank us. They also call VOA in Washington, DC, to participate in live programs like “Washington Forum”, “America and You”, “Dialogue on Religion,” etc.

With our new satellite decoder we are able to stream live programming directly into our transmitter from VOA instead of spending hours each evening recording for the next day's broadcast. There are pros and cons in all programming but we are able to select those which are relevant to our African listening audience and in their languages, mostly French, Swahili.

As you can see technology has even penetrated the heart of Africa in many new ways!

Reaching Deep Into the Jungle

Luke 14:23 "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

We had an interview today with one of the men who works with the Amani (Peace) Program. They work directly with Rwandans, giving them a Bible in Kinyarwandan and sometimes a Mega Voice Bible player in Swahili, and helping them to see their way clear to return to Rwanda.

Some of these workers have even established churches with the Rwandans in the jungle. He estimated that 70 % of them listen to Radio Kahuzi. We are the only radio station bringing them the local RTNC news and world (VOA) news along with a clear presentation of God's love and redemption. He also said that many times Radio Kahuzi is the only radio penetrating the jungle to where these groups are living.

Most groups have received our Galcom solar-charging, short wave radios, which are fix-tuned to 6210 KHz.
Several groups help us distribute the radios deep into the jungle. One group is called Life and Peace. They also confirmed that the signal is strong and clear, 5 over 5, according to most reports.
Your partnership in this vital outreach is so necessary and so greatly appreciated! Please, prayerfully, consider what part you might have in keeping us moving ahead to reach those so desperately in need of hearing the Good News!