I immigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2002, during a terrible war, attackers from a rival tribe attacked my village. I was separated from my family as other men and I tried to lure the attackers away from the women and children. When I returned, I was told my family was dead. I frantically searched for my wife and three kids in Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, but was unable to find them.
In 2008 I had the opportunity to immigrate to the United States and arrived in St. Louis in January. But even in the United States, I never gave up searching for my family. In February of 2008, I learned my family had been found safe in Kenya, so I started the process to get them to the U.S. as refugees. We were finally reunited in 2013 and now live together in Columbia, Missouri. I help lead, preach, and sing songs in several native African languages during third service.
