“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6:20-21
It was 1961, and the tides of history were rapidly reshaping Africa. Britain, France, Portugal, Belgium, and other European countries were being forced to relinquish control of many African countries. We lived in Tanganyika, where Britain handed power over to the people that same year.
In 1960, the Congo entered a long period of intense upheaval that cost countless innocent lives. This is where my story begins.
The J. W. Tucker family, Assemblies of God missionaries, were assigned to Polis, Congo. The Congo Crisis (1960–1965) was triggered by a rapid military mutiny and foreign intervention almost immediately after the Republic of the Congo gained independence from Belgium.
Uncle Jay (Uncle & Aunt were used by MK’s to refer to the parents of all the MK’s) and my dad, Paul Bruton, were boyhood friends who grew up together in Arkansas. Both knew very young that they were called to be missionaries to Africa.
In 1961, all Americans were evacuated by the United States Embassy from the Congo to escape the murderous threat by the rebels against their lives. The three Tucker kids were flown out of the Congo separately from their parents, who were hours away at their mission station in Polis. Uncle Jay and Aunt Evangeline did not know for weeks that their children were safe and in Kenya. These were tumultuous times, and tension was high.
My parents, Paul and Helen Bruton, were stationed in Tanganyika, now Tanzania. Dad invited the Tucker family to stay with us at our home in Arusha. I was sixteen at the time, and I still remember the joy of those days. Dad and Uncle Jay were two peas in a pod—energetic, determined, and deeply devoted to the people of Africa. My brother Mike and I, along with Carol Lynne, who was in fourth grade, and her brothers, Johnny and Cricket, quickly became like family. In time, those happy days came to an end. The Tuckers returned to Congo, and shortly afterward, my family returned to the United States.
Thanksgiving Day, 24 November 1964 our family sat stunned as we listened to the news that J.W. Tucker had been killed in the Congo. A militant faction of Congolese rebels known as the Simbas had captured Tucker, his wife Angeline, and their children, placing them under house arrest before taking Tucker into separate custody at a Catholic mission.
A few weeks ago, sixty-five years after the Tucker family stayed in the Bruton home in Arusha, Tanganyika, Carol Lynne Tucker walked into our home in Bedford, Texas to spend a few days with us. We burned the midnight oil as we had so much to talk about.
Was the death of J. W. Tucker in vain? The Assemblies of God reported, “As a result of J.W. Tucker’s martyrdom, a great revival swept through the region. Thousands decided to follow Christ, and hundreds experienced divine healing. It was even reported that some were raised from the dead. The Assemblies of God reported there were 4,710 adult members and other believers in 1964 in Congo. By 2023, this tally had risen to 1,168,367 believers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At least part of this incredible growth was due to the sacrifice of J.W. Tucker, who gave his life for the people of the Congo. (Read the entire article, “Congo: One Year After,” in the Nov. 21, 1965, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.)
As I think about the great price the Tucker family paid, I recall the words my dad said to me as a teenager. Sally, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6:20-21
The lives of the Tucker family and my family have profoundly influenced my life. I watched how the love of God changed the lives of the people of Africa, growing up from age 4 until now in my adult years. I’ve lived a life of purpose all because of the truth that one’s life was not lost if lived for God.
July 9 Joel leaves for Arusha. Our focus on this trip is to bless the Special Needs kids in Arusha’s public schools and the beautiful children of “Safe Home”. Thank you for the generous response to raise money to buy a much-needed van for the special-needs kids. To date you, our African Moons partners, have generously given almost $14,000. JUST $11,000 MORE TO REACH THE GOAL OF $25,000! We are well on our way to the joy of presenting a van to Yuster and Simon Njau when we go to Arusha in NOVEMBER.
In addition, the budget for the July trip is: $5206.67. If you can, please help us with the trip expenses. Joel will be in Arusha for 9 days. Though the main focus will be “Safe Home”, he will be meeting with our contractor regarding plans for the Bible College Teacher Apartments.
We continue to pray for the needs of our partners and we rejoice with you when we hear your
praise reports.
Truly, you are investing in treasure that will meet you when you get to heaven. What a day that
will be!
Tanzania for Jesus!
Joel & Sally