How to pray for and follow the Congo mission trip

UPDATE: Sept 19, 2025  

Thank you for your prayers as we have landed in Africa and have one more connection to our final destination (just 8 hours left of our 34 hour trip, 26 hours of flights). As I write this from Ethiopia, it was good to remind myself of how much scripture says about God’s heart and plan for Ethiopians and Africans. As you pray for God’s continued work, may these passages stir our hearts for the nations, and also for those from other nations that come to our own land.

As the wings of our plane rose from the East Coast to cross the Atlantic, I was reminded of the words of a song by the Getty’s I’m adapting for our team and time: “Jesus draw us ever nearer … May this journey bring a blessing, may we rise on wings of faith.” The song speaks of going “through the storm” and I’m reminded that my first ever flight to Africa was storm delayed. The song says we follow though we’re worn, and the 13+ hour flight from DC to Ethiopia has made us already worn before our last leg to DR Congo, but the journey has already brought a blessing (actually multiple blessings):- getting upgraded seats to an exit row, a travel mercy to be sure for my physical long legs on this journey’s long legs in our itinerary 

- I am also thankful for the blessing of having Tyler on this trip for the fellowship, which has already made a much more enjoyable journey than past trips when I traveled alone

- Another blessing and answer to prayer is that there was no problem with the 11 checked bags/boxes with gifts for the orphans and pastors training. 

Please continue to pray for no problems as we arrive in DRC (Friday early afternoon, about 3 AM California time). Tyler and I will both be teaching Sunday morning, then our all-day conferences begin Monday. Please keep Tyler’s wife Savannah especially in prayer as she holds down the fort with 2 little kids missing their daddy for the next 12 days. Please pray for Jaime also as next week she’ll be out of a kitchen into October with a significant remodel project and a number of things on her plate to coordinate in my absence.

Above all, pray that Jesus would draw us ever nearer, to Him, to each other, and to our brothers and sisters in Congo. They are going through many trials, but as the song says, Christ has treasures in the trials that we pray form in us as we treasure Christ more and leave them at His throne. We pray especially to be able to bring a blessing to these Congolese believers as they see friends come all the round the world to teach them and bring gifts (2018 was the last training like this).

“May this journey bring a blessing, may we rise on wings of faith …”

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Dear church family,

I am so thankful for many of you who have asked about and are already praying for my upcoming trip to Congo with Tyler Fine (picture of him and his wife Savannah with me and my wife Jaime)

We fly out from Sacramento on Wednesday September 17 and arrive back in town on Tuesday September 30.

Please pray for:
- All the preparation we need to make spiritually for teaching and logistically before I go and using our time well with busy days before we go
- For Tyler's wife Savannah and their 2 little boys who will miss they daddy, and for my wife Jaime and our 2 big boys with a very busy season of life at our house (Jaime teaching and we're in the middle of remodeling our kitchen for a few weeks and our girls are both away at school :)
- Pray for travel mercies, including no delays with all the connecting flights (34 hours total travel time from Sacramento) and good health would be a blessing we haven't always enjoyed and would appreciate prayers for
- Pray for the men and their wives (30-60) who we will be teaching on the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ and His word for preaching and counseling and going verse by verse through Colossians the week of 9/22-26. Also pray for Tyler and I who still need to put many hours into our notes for that before that time

Here is a blog that recaps the last time I went and has some contexts and pictures and Lord-willing I will be sharing more blogs soon here.