KARAWA, CONGO (November 26, 2004) - By far the largest crowd to greet the 11-member delegation of the Evangelical Covenant Church visiting Congo came as family members of Dr. Paul Carlson worshipped together and then quietly paid their respects at his gravesite in Karawa on Wednesday, the anniversary of his death 40 years ago at the hands of rebel soldiers.

More than 4,300 attended a worship service held under a palm branch shelter in the middle of the large central square at Karawa with the local FM radio station of the political party broadcasting the service.

The top photograph shows members of the Carlson family at the gravesite of Dr. Paul Carlson. The lower photograph shows a group of Karawa girls, called majorettes, who danced during the service of celebration Their shirts read, "Dr. Paul Carlson, lays down his life for his friends." To view additional photos of the gravesite visit, please see Remembering Paul.

The delegation is co-led by Lois Carlson Bridges, who with Paul served the Covenant mission stations at Wasolo and Karawa in 1964. In addition to Lois, members of the delegation include the Carlson's son, Wayne, and his wife, Rebecca, and their son, Paul; Carlson's brother, Dwight; Rick Carlson (unrelated) who was the producer of the new documentary Monganga unveiled at this year's Covenant Annual Meeting in Minneapolis; Bob and Jan Thornbloom, well-known Covenant missionaries to Congo for many years who continue to work with various Covenant ministries; Curt Peterson, executive minister of the Department of World Mission; Jim Sundholm, director of Covenant World Relief and the Paul Carlson Partnership; and Pete Ekstrand, regional coordinator for Africa who also is serving on this trip as a special correspondent for Covenant News Service.

Traveling with the American delegation are CEUM President Mossai Sanguma and Vice President Mawe Sema, as well as Keith and Florence Gustafson, Congo coordinators for Covenant World Mission, and Covenant missionary Nancy Jo Hoover.

Several choirs sang original songs composed for the commemoration - one of them recited the history of Paul Carlson with the refrain calling the congregation to "go preach the Good News as Carlson did, Go Preach."

"Paul never could have imagined this," Lois told those gathered. "You have given me such a warm welcome. I am overwhelmed and deeply touched. God has strengthened me and given me a good life. We hang on to our strength in God. I want to thank all the missionaries from the beginning when Dr. Wally Thornbloom came to Karawa. Other missionaries have also died here, including some children, and they are buried in the cemetery with Paul. I thank God for all of you carrying on the work.

"Paul was only here a short time," she continued. "For those circumstances then, his name became known around the world. We do not understand that, but God knows and He is doing His work."

Others of the delegation shared as well, including Rick Carlson who told his now-familiar story of how, as an eight-year-old child, he would cut and save newspaper clippings about Paul and pray for him. He recalled how he cried and cried when he learned that Paul Carlson had died. "My church continues to pray for you and I ask that you pray for us and be faithful witnesses as Paul was."

"We gather here not to celebrate a death, but a life and the gift that life is to us," said Sundholm. "Forty years ago the palm branches bent over with tears and grief, but since then and today, the trees wave with a celebration of life. The songs of the faith story were so spiritually mature. They told the story that led to a life of commitment and service and called the congregation to come together and love each other and preach the Gospel."

In reflecting on the worship service, Peterson described it as an opportunity to honor Paul Carlson, "a celebration of God's work and His call to mission and service; a celebration of the faithfulness to that call as demonstrated in the lives and sacrifice of Congolese and missionaries." Peterson's sermon was a call to mission. "The Congolese have had missionaries come to them; it is time for them to go as missionaries," he concluded.

In a moving moment, former Congo Covenant Church (CEUM) President Duale Lengena Sabuli addressed Lois, the family members and other delegation members, asking them, "Forgive us that some of our fellow citizens, called Simbas, killed Paul, someone you sent to us. Forgive us. Fellow Congolese, we have a debt. The Scriptures tell us we . . . have only debts of loving each other. Lois and family, the missionaries and the Covenant have forgiven us. We, too, have to share this message of forgiveness with others. Who will be our missionary doctor to go out as Dr. Wally did, as Dr. Paul did?"

Later in the afternoon, all of the CEUM leaders, family members and others in the delegation went to the Karawa cemetery for a brief graveside service. "This was very respectful and honoring of Paul and all those buried there," observed Ekstrand. "Dwight shared such moving remarks, both in remembrance of Paul and also as an encouragement to the people. Lois and other family members likewise paid their respects not only to Paul, but also to all who are buried there." An estimated 800 people circled the small cemetery.

Thursday the group headed for Kisangani (formerly known as Stanleyville) where Paul Carlson and others were imprisoned and where Carlson eventually was killed as he and others attempted to escape as Belgian paratroopers stormed the city in a rescue attempt. A separate story will be published later as information from that visit is transmitted via satellite telephone to Chicago. Today (Friday) the group was scheduled to travel to Kinshasa in preparation for their return to the United States tomorrow.

To read earlier accounts of this visit and see additional photos, please visit the following stories:

• Covenant Delegation Warmly Welcomed in Karawa.
• Carlson Family Visits Former Home in Wasolo.
• Forty Years Later: 'Who Could Have Imagined?'.
• Capacity Crowd Greets Delegation at Loko.