View source for Bololo Mennonite Brethren Mission (Kasai Region, Democratic Republic of Congo)

Bololo Mennonite Brethren Mission in Africa derived its name from the village in the Kasai District of the Belgian Congo (now [[Congo, Democratic Republic of|Democratic Republic of Congo]]) near which the first station was built. In 1933 [[Bartsch, Henry G. (1896-1966) &amp; Anna (1897-1989)|Henry G. Bartsch]], who had been assisting at the Kafumba station of the [[Kwango Mennonite Brethren Mission (Democratic Republic of Congo)|Kwango District mission]], set out in search of a location for a mission to the Dengese tribe. The field is roughly 50 miles (80 km) north and south and 100 miles (162 km) east and west, bounded on the north by the Lukenie and on the south by the Sankuru rivers. Dekese was the capital of the area. Between 1933 and 1942 other workers labored on this field at short intervals as follows: Eva Jantz, 1933-1934; Lydia Jantz, 1933-1935; Kathryn Harder, 1933-1939; William Jantz, 3 months in 1933; Margaret Siemens, 1936-1939; [[Lenzmann, Herman (1909-2005)|Herman and Tina Lenzmann]], 1937-1939, and [[Kramer, Karl K. (1906-2002)|Karl and Maria Kramer]], 1938-1942.

In 1943 the [[Mennonite Brethren Church|Mennonite Brethren ]] Conference officially accepted full responsibility for the Bololo Mission. When in 1946 the [[Baerg, William George "Willie" (1911-1984)|William G. Baergs]] were sent out by the Mennonite Brethren [[Board of Foreign Missions (Mennonite Brethren Church of North America)|Board of Foreign Missions]], the center of activity was shifted to Djongo Sanga, where a new station was built a half mile (one km) south of the village. Djongo Sanga, the only main station, had an elementary school, a church with regular worship services, a dispensary and several huts for hospital wards, three residences for missionaries, a boys' dormitory, and some small storage sheds. Besides the worship services, school, and medical work maintained on the station, the missionaries went out to the villages for itinerant preaching and to organize and supervise village schools. Other staff members in the early 1950s were John C. and Edna Ratzlaff, [[Derksen, Henry D. (1916-1997)|Henry and Helen Derksen]], [[Dyck, Susie Brucks (1909-1983)|Susie Brucks]], and Elsie Guenther. The total church membership at that time was 35. No ordination of national workers had yet taken place, although several nationals served as evangelists.

See also [[Communauté des Églises de Frères Mennonites au Congo|Communauté des Églises de Frères Mennonites au Congo]]
= Bibliography =
Lenzmann, Edwin. "GAMEO corrections." Personal email (22 December 2013).
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