Greetings in this Season of Hope
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo! As we embrace this season of hope, our hearts overflow with gratitude for you. This past year, our first full year as TransformDRC, has been extraordinary. Despite the profound challenges of ongoing insecurity, heartbreaking loss, and widespread suffering, we’ve witnessed God’s incredible hand at work in ways beyond imagination.
Your unwavering support and generosity have been a lifeline, and we are thrilled to share that your contributions have fully covered our 2024 expenses—an overwhelming blessing for which we are deeply thankful.
As we look to 2025, the needs continue to grow, and we face a significant funding gap for the first quarter. Would you prayerfully consider making a generous year-end gift and perhaps committing to a monthly contribution? We’re also excited to announce that in October 2024, TransformDRC was approved as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, making all donations tax-deductible.
A Nation in Crisis:
The DRC is enduring one of its darkest moments. As of July 2024, over 8.5 million people have been displaced, including over 5 million who fled to Goma, where our office is located. Armed groups like M23 continue to terrorize communities, forcibly recruit children, and displace families on an unimaginable scale (Source: UN Human Rights Office).
Hope Amid Hardship:
Despite those challenges, we cling to hope. We are reminded of God’s faithfulness and the light we carry as followers of Christ. As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4:6-12, though we are fragile, we are not forsaken: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair.”
This gospel brings restoration, healing, and transformation to lives broken by conflict and loss.
Frederick Buechner spoke this regarding the hope of the gospel:
“This is a world where goodness is pitted against evil, love against hate, order against chaos, in a great struggle where often it is hard to be sure who belongs to which side because appearances are endlessly deceptive. Yet for all its confusion and wildness, it is a world where the battle goes ultimately to the good, who live happily ever after, and where in the long run everybody, good and evil alike, becomes known by his true name.”
May God bless you and your family this Christmas season. Thank you for your prayers, your generosity, and your steadfast partnership. Together, we are bringing hope and healing to the people of Congo.
With love and gratitude,
Marie Jeanne & Theo & the TDRC Team
Kevin Dial, Meredith Wheeler, Norman Headlam, Amy Goddard (US Board Members)
P.S. Donating appreciated stocks, bonds, or real estate maximizes your impact while offering significant tax benefits. Contact us at info@transformdrc.org for details.
The TDRC Team
Our mission is to restore God’s creation design in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
We believe:
GOSPEL: Jesus brings forgiveness, grace, and justice.
PEOPLE: Every woman, man, and child are image bearers of God and have dignity and eternal value.
CREATION DESIGN: God desires spiritual, emotional, physical, relational, and economic wholeness.
CHURCH: The church is God’s community for hope, healing, and transformation.
Our programs offer trauma healing training, women’s empowerment, leadership development, human rights advocacy, and critical relief support.