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American Baptist News Service_____________________
Office of Communication / American Baptist Churches USA
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320 
Richard W. Schramm, Director (E-mail:
RICH_SCHRAMM.PARTI@ECUNET.ORG)

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UPDATE: MAY 7, 1997
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NEWS FEATURE
AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY IN VANGA, ZAIRE, REPORTS
PERSONNEL, HOSPITAL
SAFE AS FLEEING GOVERNMENT TROOPS ARE DISSUADED FROM
VANDALISM
     Three American Baptist missionary doctors in Vanga,
Zaire, remain safe as fleeing Zairian government
troops, encountered by strong local resistance, have been
dissuaded from vandalizing the hospital there and have
moved on.
     Rebel troops, which have been challenged
ineffectually by the government forces loyal to President
Mobutu Sese Seko, continue their push across the country
to the capital of Kinshasa.
     Drs. Bill Clemmer, George Win and Mark Thompson
remain at the Vanga Hospital.  In an e-mail
message received yesterday by International Ministries,
Thompson described the invasion by government troops
into Vanga and the peaceful encounter that ensued:
     "Our main concern here at Vanga has been that when
there was a battle in a nearby town we would
have a wave of undisciplined, destructive and desperate
government soldiers fleeing through Vanga and possibly
destroying much of what is here....   Another worry has
been that during the chaos some of the young people in
the village of Vanga might take advantage and try to
finish off the pillage after the soldiers had taken their
share.
We did have some major conflicts with these young people
just two months ago, and we were forced to transfer
two of our Zairian doctors because of the problems that
ensued.
     "It was definitely [by] the hand of God that we were
spared.  Many other missions similar to ours were
not so fortunate, and we can only say thank you to the
Lord that for reasons unknown to us Vanga was spared.
Six days after the rebels took Kikwit, things were
settling down.  There were rumors of small groups of
soldiers
here or there, but they never visited Vanga.  We were
getting the feeling that our danger was over.
     "I started to unpack some of the items that we had
hidden in order to keep them safe [when] our     
helper, Elisabeth, came to tell me that there were
soldiers in the hospital....  All the hospital workers
had
abandoned the hospital, but by doing this they were
creating a situation that would invite the soldiers to
loot the
hospital and missionary homes.  Another of our workers
[said] he and his friends had decided to protect the
hospital and the town and not let the soldiers loot the
property.
     "The soldiers were at the home of our medical
director, Dr. Kateli, demanding that we give them
vehicles so they could go to a neighboring town.  They
had come by boat.  Soon the house was surrounded by a
large group of young people all holding clubs and rocks
and machetes, stating that if the soldiers dared loot or
create any trouble, there would be a very large price to
pay.  It was amazing!  The very same young people who
just two months previously had forced out one of our
doctors, burned his outhouse and threatened to loot the
hospital, were now protecting the hospital, even though
the soldiers were heavily armed.  The soldiers quickly
realized that their chances for any success were not good
and...they left on the boat by which they had come.
     "It was exciting to hear the reaction of the Vanga
village people when they realized they did have the 
power to control what happened in their village and
hospital if they all worked together.  We believe this
incident has brought about healing from the situation we
experienced two months ago.  If the young people
hadn't risen up and said "No!" to the soldiers, a very
terrible situation might have occurred, and the town of
Vanga would have suffered heavy losses.
     "The Lord can make a negative situation into a very
positive one.  Again, we don t know what will 
happen in the future.  We are still praying fervently
concerning Kinshasa and the rebel advance there.  We are
praying that there will be little if any bloodshed.  We
know the Lord does control our future, and while God
doesn't promise to always spare Christians, the safest
place to be is in the center of His will.
     "Please pray for Zaire and for the church and the
many who love the Lord dearly.  There is still much
to do, and there will be even more to do when this crisis
has subsided.  Please pray that American Baptist
missionaries will be a positive influence as Zaire again
tries to rebuild itself and that the rebuilding will be
based
on faith in Jesus and His word. 
     "Meanwhile, the rebel troops are within 50 miles of
Kinshasa.   [American Baptist missionary] Miriam
Noyes describes the situation: 'The city of Kinshasa
feels like a pregnant woman waiting for the child to be
born. 
The child picks the time to come, and when it gets here,
we ll see what it is.'
     "Things are relatively calm, but the rebel invasion
is imminent.  The Noyes family still feels safe and
choose to remain in Kinshasa.
     "Thank you for your continued prayers for our
missionaries and the Zairian people as they seek to be
God s witnesses in the midst of turmoil."

                          o

o  Dr. Harold D. Schock, a retired American Baptist
International Ministries missionary who served in Hong
Kong and Burma, died May 3 following a long illness. 
Schock and his wife, Estelle, served for 20 years in
Hong Kong, where they held responsibilities at the Chuk
Yuen Christian Center.  He founded a drug
rehabilitation program there that continues to provide a
significant community ministry.  The Schocks also led
the Center's wideranging outreach in evangelistic,
educational and social work, and were active in the
ministries
of the Swatow Baptist churches.  Prior to their work in
Hong Kong, the Schocks served from 1955-1966 in
Burma.  Harold Schock directed the Okkalapa Christian
Center near Rangoon, and was an advisor to Rangoon's
Chinese Baptist churches.  The Schocks previously had
been missionaries at the Colony Christian Center in
Reno, Nev.  Condolences may be sent to Estelle Schock at
5 N. 37th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902-2706.

97U57
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