Open Letter to the People of the DRC

I realize that most people in the DRC cannot receive this post - If ANYONE can get this message to someone there, please do so.  Please let them know that WE care! Read it to them, print it and give it to them, whatever - Just spread the message.


Dear People of the DRC:

I admit that I have no right to address your suffering.  I am living a comfortable life in the USA, and you are suffering at the hands of Militias.  I have never been to your nation.  I have never had to experience an invading Militia.  I have never had to face the horrors you face.  I have never had to worry about starvation.  I have never had to worry about clean drinking water.  I have never had to worry about where I will sleep.  Please, if you can, despite all of this, let me speak a few words to you.

It must seem as if the world has forgotten you.  The world stands aside while your nation is invaded and your people suffer and die.  This barely makes the news coverage in many parts of the world.  We only can find out about your sufferings if we look for news reports.

I'm sad to say it, but the world governments may have forgotten you.  Maybe they never noticed you.  Maybe they never cared.  But, the people of the world have not forgotten you.  There are thousands, if not millions of us who are pressuring our governments to do something to help you! We are writing letters, making phone calls, protesting, and doing whatever we can to call our governments into action.

We can't promise you that our governments will act.  Our actions are limited by what our nations allow us to do.  We donate money and advocate for you.  In order to actually travel to you, we are severely limited by our governments.  Many of us would do so if we could!

You are our brothers and sisters.  The same God who created you created me.  The same God who breathed life into you breathed life into me.  We are connected.  I don't know your name, but I care deeply about your situation! You are part of my family!

While we work to pressure our governments to act, please do not give up! Please stand up for yourselves if our governments won't.  That is tough to do.  Standing up for yourself is costly - it may even cost some of you your lives.  It's time to say "NO MORE!" to M23. It's time to say "NO MORE!" to Paul Kagame.  It's time to say "NO MORE!" to the United States, Britain, and other nations who have supported those who have raped and pillaged your land.  It's time to say "NO MORE!" to the violence.  It's time to say "NO MORE! to the killing.  It's time to say NO MORE! to the rape.  It's time to say "NO MORE! to the fear.

You are a strong and beautiful group of people.  You are made in the image of God Almighty!  If no one else recognizes that, please recognize it yourselves!  Those of us who are working to help you recognize it!

Oppression can be overcome by ordinary people like yourselves!  In the 1960's, the oppression of Black People in America began to be defeated by an ordinary minister - Martin Luther King and those who followed him.  Mahatma Gandhi and his followers liberated India without any violence at all.  A group of women in Liberia engaged in a prayer vigil to "Pray the Devil Back to Hell."  They stopped a bloody civil war.  You can do this too. This does not come without cost.  People will hate you. People may hurt you. People may kill you.  But this is the truth, and I do not want to lie to you.

Again, please know that there are MANY of us working to help you! We are facing a lot of opposition. We will not give up! Please don't give up either!

Your Brother in Christ,
TH