Wasolo Mission Hospital (Congo), September 18, 1964

Wasolo was a missionary hospital in the Congo, built to treat sickness, deliver babies, and train local staff in skilled, compassionate care. On September 18, 1964, Simba rebels stormed the compound during the turmoil of the Congo civil war. They ransacked medicines and supplies and turned a place designed for healing into a scene of terror. The attack showed how quickly public chaos can reach even the most quiet works of mercy—and how the calling to serve Christ does not depend on safety or stable conditions. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Constant Kokembe and Boniface Bomba (Congolese Nurses and Witnesses)

Constant Kokembe and Boniface Bomba were Congolese nurses who served their neighbors through steady, often unseen faithfulness. Their work was not dramatic; it was daily obedience—cleaning wounds, watching fevers, calming families, and staying at their posts when fear would have been understandable.

During the raid, both men were murdered. Their deaths stand as a sober testimony that love can be costly, and that Christian service is not merely an idea but a life poured out. Their example honors the truth that Christ’s followers may be called to suffer without losing dignity, mercy, or hope. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Dr. Paul Carlson (Missionary Physician and Hostage)

Dr. Paul Carlson, a missionary doctor serving at Wasolo, was seized in the attack and taken hostage into the conflict. His capture became part of the wider Simba uprising, in which foreigners and Congolese civilians alike were threatened, displaced, and used for political leverage.

Carlson’s ordeal—and the faithful endurance of those around him—highlights a Christian pattern seen across generations: courage without cruelty, conviction without hatred, and service rooted in the worth of every person made in God’s image. In times when violence tries to silence mercy, the gospel calls believers to steadfastness, prayer, and clear-eyed trust that the Lord is present even in loss. The story of Wasolo remains a record of tragedy, but also of a love that kept working until it was interrupted by force—and a faith that speaks even when voices are taken.