The violent and touching story of a young Congolese woman is being used to call Sydney Anglicans to action.
That young woman is Lumo, a 22-year-old left with a traumatic fistula and resulting incontinence after a brutal rape in her village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Her story has been told in a documentary-style film shot largely at HEAL Africa's Goma hospital, where Lumo received treatment and eventual healing from injuries that not only caused her physical suffering, but also made her a social pariah, even among her own family.
Lyn Lusi, of HEAL Africa, has been touring Australia in partnership with Christian National Evangelism Council (CNEC) Partners International, in an effort to raise awareness and advocacy for the troubled nation, in which gang rape has become a new form of terrorism.
Mrs Lusi has urged Christians in Sydney to question the Australian Government on its involvement in the peace process in the Congo, insisting that a solution has to come from outside the country.
As the film spans the two years and five operations it took for Lumo's injuries to heal, it gives a poignant insight into the painful effects of war on individual women.
The film also points to a climate of sexual violence which is still strong in the Congo, despite advances made in the law which have seen a rise in the age of consent to 18, and the classification of sexual violence as a crime against humanity.
The film illustrates Lumo's fears, her hope of healing, marriage, and motherhood; her frustration at the time it takes her body to heal, her perseverance, her sense of fun, and her banter with the other women patients.
Sydney churches hold out hands
Lumo was screened to a full house at Cremorne's Orpheum Theatre on Thursday night, while Sydney Anglican churches in Croydon, Manly and Penshurst invited British-born Lyn Lusi, from HEAL Africa to speak at services over the weekend.
"Our faith is the foundation of all we do at HEAL Africa," says Mrs Lusi of the hospital, at which all doctors are Christian.
"Two pastors and one evangelist visit all the patients in the hospital, providing counselling, prayer and Bibles."
Rector of St John’s Penshurst, the Rev Bart Vanden Hengel, whose wife Kim is the CEO of CNECPI, says the parish has developed a friendship with the Goma hospital after four of its members visited the hospital last year.
Mr Vanden Hengel says Mrs Lusi's visit gave the combined English and Mandarin congregations an opportunity to hear more individual stories of suffering and courage.
"Throughout the service, you get the oohs and aahs," he says.
"Because the service was translated into Mandarin, you heard this twice " you heard the English gasp, and then you heard the Mandarin speakers gasp."
Mr Vanden Hengel hopes to take a second team back to Goma in October. At present, the team includes medical professionals and at least one student.
"The stories are so horrible but also redemptive," he explains, adding that the women in his congregation had been particularly convicted to bring change to the situation.
"There's so much Jesus is doing there " there's hope in the despair of a broken world."
He added that while there were dangers involved, Christians need to risk going to places like Goma to be part of the solution.
"It's about trying to bring stability, not expecting stability when you get there, which is a big challenge for the comfortable West.”
Lyn Lusi will be speaking at Springwood Winmalee Anglican Church tonight at 7:30pm.
If your church missed out on seeing the film, contact the CNEC office on (02) 9745 2840 or visit the website: [url=http://www.cnecpi.com.au]http://www.cnecpi.com.au[/url]
