Tim and Connie Kratzer served in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) during the 1980s. Tim was medical director of Nundu Deaconess Hospital, and Connie homeschooled their sons and served as the mission treasurer and provider of support services. After 1996, they were unable to return due to war in the DRC. In 2012, they visited Nundu and found the hospital continuing its work under the leadership of the national church.
The Kratzers are now engaged as U.S-based partners through Free Methodist World Missions and Champions for Congo, a fiscally sponsored project of Butterfield Foundation. They collaborate with Nundu Hospital and FM health-care ministries throughout the eastern region of the DRC. When in the U.S., they encourage and connect international partners with the Free Methodist Church in the DRC to foster mutual collaboration in God’s kingdom work.
Pray For
- wisdom in providing material assistance in an under resourced economy
- healthy relationships as the Kratzer’s engage in leadership development
adjustments to culture and lifestyle - their work with hospital leadership to establish programs and ministries which are sustainable
- ongoing language acquisition
Born for a Miracle: A Surgical Story from the Heart of Africa
On August 1, twin babies were delivered via cesarean section at Nundu Deaconess Hospital (NDH). The baby boy suffered respiratory distress due to birth asphyxia, while his sister faced a life-threatening condition – gastroschisis, a congenital defect where the...
Vision and Hope for the Future
Escaping the ravages of war, Dr. Lwabanya Marx and his family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), traveling across Lake Tanganyika in a dugout canoe. He completed his high school studies while in a refugee camp in Burundi. During his time in the refugee camp,...
Obedient to the Call
When forced to leave their home in the Congo, many Free Methodists landed in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania.The Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania has a population of more than 300,000. In the camp, there are more than 50 FM churches. When communities were forced to...