NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — For nearly two years, evangelical preacher Francis Mbombo traveled from house to house and through displacement camps in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, praying with families uprooted by conflict and comforting those grieving loved ones lost to years of civil war.
Then Ebola struck.
When authorities imposed restrictions on gatherings to curb the spread of the deadly virus, Mbombo was forced to suspend much of his ministry. He worried about the people he had built spiritual connections with and wondered how they would cope without prayer, counseling and the physical presence of their church community.
“When I heard about the Ebola outbreak, I was shocked,” Mbombo told RNS. “I felt like my mission had come to an end.”
The highly contagious and often fatal virus has compounded the suffering of communities still trying to recover from years of armed conflict. Families that lost relatives during the violence now fear losing loved ones to disease, while restrictions aimed at containing Ebola have made it difficult for churches to comfort the sick and accompany grieving families.
Instead of visiting congregants, Mbombo now relies on phone calls and text messages to encourage them. Last week, he prayed over the phone with a church member whose child was gravely ill. The family was still mourning another child who had died during the conflict in Goma a year earlier.
“I have to make sure they hear the word of God and know they are not alone,” he said. “But making calls every day is expensive, especially for people who cannot read messages.”
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