AND FOR THEM, IT COULD HAVE BEEN
A LIFE-SAVING ONE.
NEWS 10'S PATSY KELLY EXPLAINS.
" ED AND BRENDA BUELL HAVE BEEN
IN THE DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO SINCE MAY. THE
MISSIONARY COUPLE'S SUPPORTING
CHURCH IS IN
TERRE HAUTE. AND THEY'RE BACK
HERE NOW
FOLLOWING WHAT COULD BE AN
OUTBREAK OF VIOLENCE.
THEY SAY EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE
LIVED THERE FOR SO LONG, IT'S
DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW THESE
PEOPLE SURVIVE. THE CONDITIONS
IN THE COUNTRY ARE VERY, VERY
BAD. THE ROAD SYSTEM, AFTER
WE'RE THERE FOR A FEW DAYS, WE
WISH WE HAD A CHIROPRACTOR
TO WORK ON US. IT'S HARD TO EVEN
EXPLAIN HOW THE PEOPLE
SURVIVE. WE LIVE THERE AMONG
THEM AND IT'S HARD FOR US TO
COMPREHEND. THEY PROBABLY
AVERAGE SOMEWHERE
AROUND 2 TO 3 DOLLARS A DAY PER
FAMILY.
THE BUELLS HELP THE PEOPLE THERE
BUILD SMALL
BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT THEIR
FAMILIES.
BRENDA WORKS WITH ABUSED WOMEN
AND RAPE SURVIVORS.
SHE SAYS THIS MANY TIMES HAPPENS
IN FRONT OF THEIR
OWN CHILDREN AND HUSBANDS. THE
KIDS HAVE BEEN HORRIBLY
TRAUMATIZED. THEIR WHOLE THING
IS TO DESTROY THE
FAMILY AND DESTROY THE TRIBE.
BUT 2 WEEKS AGO, ON
THANKSGIVING, THE BUELLS MADE
THE DECISION TO FLEE CONGO FOR
THEIR OWN SAFETY. TUESDAY
BEFORE THANKSGIVING, WE WERE
TOLD THE M23, THE
NAME OF THIS REBEL GROUP,WERE
COMING FROM
THE SOUTH TO TAKE THE CITY. AND
WE JUST FELT LIKE, YOU NEVER
KNOW HOW FAST THINGS ARE GOING
TO HAPPEN, HOW
QUICKLY YOU CAN BE IN A BAD
SITUATION, SO WE FELT IT WAS
PROBABLY BEST FOR US TO GET OUT.
IT WAS A BIT FRIGHTENING THE
LAST TWO NIGHT THAT WE WERE
THERE, AFTER THEY CLOSED THE
BORDER. YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T GET
OUT, AND YOU DON'T KNOW
IF THE REBELS ARE COMING OR NOT.
CIVIL WAR STARTED IN THAT REGION
16 YEARS AGO TO ESTABLISH A NEW
GOVERNMENT. REBEL GROUPS SPREAD
TO THE
EASTERN PORTION OF CONGO WHERE
THEY TERRORIZE THE SMALL
VILLAGES. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE FLED RECENT REBEL
ATTACKS. BUT THE BUELLS ARE MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE
FRIENDS THEY'VE LEFT BEHIND IN
THE WAR-TORN NATION. SO IT'S
VERY, VERY SAD. IT'S PRETTY
TRAUMATIC, THE ACTUAL LEAVING
IS FAIRLY TRAUMATIC. WHICH
MAKES THEM ANXIOUS TO
RETURN AND HELP THE SMALL TOWN
THAT'S BECOME THEIR HOME.
IN TERRE HAUTE, WITH
PHOTOJOURNALIST TONY
KASSISSIEH, PATSY KELLY, NEWS
10. "
THE BUELLS PLAN TO RETURN TO THE
CONGO IN FEBRUARY.
