Murray and Faith Nickel have been serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1999, with a focus on health and development. They are currently in Abbotsford, B.C., but they return on a regular basis to the Congo. Murray and Faith attended the MBMS International Conference for Country Representatives, in April, 2006. These are Murray’s responses.

1. What’s the strangest food you’ve eaten in your country of ministry?
Caterpillars. Smoked, cooked into a sauce with mushrooms.

2. Who is the most influential living person in your life?
My father, for his objective approach to life.

3. If you could take one characteristic from the life of Jesus and excel at it, what would that be?
Christ’s Servanthood. When we serve each other we better our own lives.

4. Favourite passage? Why?
Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
It doesn’t say to be merciful when justice is served. It says love mercy, not love justice. 

5. Tell me about a memorable time where you took a risk in your ministry?
Transitioning to the position where we were raising our own funds. Also going to the Congo when the politics were tense.

6. Why did you choose this part of the world to serve in?
God was directing us there. We were following his lead. We were familiar with the culture, we knew French.

7. What the most challenging aspect of your ministry?
We are trying to connect the church in North America with the church in the Congo; The most challenging aspect is our own fear that people might be thinking this is our own voice we are representing and not that of the Congolese people.

8. What motivates you when you don’t see fruit in your ministry?
What keeps us going is the people who were doing incredible things despite all the obstacles. We are so moved by their determination.

9. What do you love most about the country where you are serving right now?
The people are very receptive to us. You don’t sense resentment or hostility. They are very welcoming.

10. Finish this sentence in the context of your ministry…
“Five years from now, I hope…”
We are trying to connect the church here and the church there. In five years from now, we hope that a genuine relationship would be established that there would be no need us. Also, for the leadership to rise in the Congo and be independent.

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