Hannah King describes her youth as that of a “missionary kid.” Growing up in Rwanda helped her form a perspective of being part of a global church — one she wanted to embrace when she first came to Blacknall in 2021.
“It’s so important to see our faith not bound to the U.S., but as a faith that lets us learn from brothers and sisters across the globe,” said Hannah, who lived in Rwanda from 2003 - 2016 while her parents served as medical missionaries. “I love being at a place where we learn from other people and invite them to teach us.”
That perspective guided her to join Kim Dunderdale on a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo in June 2023 to meet with ministry partners at Congo Initiative (CI), which educates and equips the country’s next generation of leaders to create systemic change. Over a week in Goma and Beni, Hannah visited a leprosy camp, prayed with families caring for loved ones with disabilities, met with local pastors, and more — seeing firsthand how CI lives out Christ’s teachings to care for local communities. The experience helped her feel connected to the global church she had sought since returning to live full-time in the U.S.
Blacknall will host a celebration dinner for Congo Initiative on Saturday, Nov. 8, to honor 20 years of work in the U.S. Learn more and join us!
“I really feel like I have a connection to [Congo Initiative] because of the length of our relationship and how much I love seeing people from Beni coming to Blacknall,” Hannah said. “The ways Congo Initiative cares for people shows how open they are to what God asks of them and how they can help.”
Since Congo Initiative became a Blacknall Deep Common Journey partner in 2013, our church has organized six trips to Congo, including supporting ministry partners who have worked there. Blacknall has also hosted CI students and leaders on 16 visits to Durham. This exchange of time and resources is at the heart of how the people of Blacknall and CI transform one another — a relationship that will be celebrated during Congo Initiative’s 20th anniversary gathering on Nov. 8. That spirit of mutual care is also what led John Shoenfelt to travel to Congo in 2017 to experience CI’s impact firsthand.
“It seemed like something God wanted me to do,” he said. “Being there allowed me to see evidence of Christ in the world. I was meeting people in really challenging circumstances — epidemics, military violence, and poverty — and their faith was stronger than ever.”
John said his time in Congo offered perspective on how not to take for granted the comforts of home in Durham. But spiritually, he learned how powerful a commitment to prayer had become for the Congolese he met—and how prayer could shape his support for them.
"Prayer was the number one thing they asked from us," he said. "The Kingdom of God isn't one corner in Durham, one state, or one country. It's across our world."
“We should take every opportunity to share in this journey with those brothers and sisters,” he added. “We can experience epic faithfulness that we can apply to our own lives.”