Key points:
- When Susie Keefer traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010, little did she know it would be the first of many mission journeys.
- The former teacher, youth leader and Special Olympics area coordinator especially loved feeding and playing with the children at the Mpasa Nutrition Center.
- “God is moving us to reignite the vision of self-sustainability and to work diligently to that end,” Keefer said.
As Miriam Keefer snuggles with a child at the United Methodist-supported Mpasa Nutrition Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she looks like any typical teenager who adores babies and wants to serve her church.
The young woman, who turned 16 last month, also enjoys cooking — creating her own recipes, singing in the youth choir and deepening her faith.
“She is an accomplished equestrian, competing in many shows each year,” her adoptive mom Susie Keefer said proudly.
But that’s the middle of Miriam’s story. Here’s the beginning.
When Susie and Ed Keefer moved to western Pennsylvania in 2008, they joined Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach. Eventually, they chaired the mission committee. Susie told her new friends that she someday hoped to travel to Africa on a mission journey.
“At that time,” Susie recalls, “I had not heard of the Congo Partnership.”
The Peter D. Weaver Congo Partnership, launched in 2001, comprises the Central Congo Episcopal Area, Peninsula-Delaware Conference, Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and Western North Carolina Conference.
In early 2010, Keefer was invited to join a team going to the Democratic Republic of Congo. That first visit led to many more for the former teacher, youth leader and Special Olympics area coordinator. Susie formed a friendship with Dr. Adolpe Yamba Yamba Lukavu, the mission coordinator for the Central Congo Episcopal Area and a surgeon specializing in mother and child health.
Photo courtesy of Susie Keefer.
A highlight of every visit for Susie was spending time in the nutrition center, where she fed and played with the children who came for a daily meal. One of the many children she encountered was tiny Miriam, whose mother had abandoned her. Miriam lived with her father and older brother. Over the years, the little girl and Susie developed an especially close bond. Whenever Susie returned to Congo, the two were drawn to one another.
When Miriam’s father died in the spring of 2012, Ed suggested that he and Susie adopt Miriam.
“I wanted to very much, but I was hesitant, wondering if it was the right thing to do,” Susie said. “When I traveled to Congo in the summer of 2012, we went directly to the nutrition center. As we rounded the final bend, we passed Miriam’s home. She was sitting outside with her family. When I called her name, she started to cry. Her brother carried her to me. She immediately stopped crying and nestled into my chest and arms. But I was still not sure.
“When I told Adolphe about our thoughts about adopting Miriam, he told me it was possible through a United Methodist pastor who was working with an attorney in the United States. We decided to start the process. Adolphe said I would need to meet with male relatives of Miriam’s father as they would make the final decision about her.
“The next day, three of her uncles came to see me. We met in a small room with Adolphe interpreting. After some short introductions and conversation, one of the uncles said to me, ‘We have been waiting for you.’ I looked puzzled. Adolphe asked him why. He said that before Miriam’s father died, he told them that he hoped I would come because he wanted me to have her.
“When I traveled in September 2013 to bring our sweet Miriam home,” Susie remembers, “we were supposed to be in Congo eight to 10 days for the final steps for her visa to be completed. I ended up being in the country for 37 days.”
When they finally received Miriam’s visa, Susie immediately made flight plans to leave the next day.
As Susie returned that evening to the home of Dr. Rebecca Yohadi, with whom she was staying, she learned that some mothers had walked three miles to see Susie.
“They knew I was feeding the children,” Susie said, “Their children were starving, and could I feed their children, too? I went home with that in my heart.
More on Miriam’s Table
Susie Keefer talks about meeting her future daughter, how Miriam’s life has come full circle and the founding of Miriam’s Table.
“Once I shared this with Ed, he wanted to figure out a way to make it happen. He wanted it to be a place where we could honor Miriam. We asked our friends to help us think of a name. One of our friends thought of ‘Miriam’s Table’ because we were inviting children to come and eat.
“We opened the doors on October 13, 2014, feeding 65 children.” A decade later, Miriam’s Table serves 350 children and is one of the Congo Partnership’s ministries.
Now when teenager Miriam accompanies Susie to Congo, she always has a child in her arms or on her lap feeding them.
“Her life has gone full circle,” Susie said, “from one who was fed to one who feeds.
“Our hope is to build a wellness center,” Susie said. “We have a nutrition program, a fresh-water well for the community, medicines that fight parasitic diseases and access to mosquito nets for mothers and small children to fight malaria.
“With all of this, some children are still dying from lack of accessible medical care. Mothers are still dying in childbirth. Others are dying from lack of surgical access. We want to provide for these needs. We know that people would come because we are trusted and respected by the community. We are in the beginning stages of the capital campaign now.”
Without Ed, Susie insists, many of these successes wouldn’t have occurred.
“Ed has been supportive in all my endeavors,” she said, “working behind the scenes, keeping it going. He is a quiet man with a deep faith, has the patience of Job and probably has more compassion for people than anyone I have ever known.”
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The Keefers are also the parents of Jaclyn and Jim, now adults. Jaclyn has been a part of the Miriam’s Table board for 10 years. She has traveled to Congo twice. She and Miriam like to call each other “sister” instead of by name. Jim and his family live in western Pennsylvania. He and the companies with which he works give generously to the ministry.
Susie made her 18th trip to Congo in November 2024. “I travel each year, with a few years making two trips,” she said. She plans to travel to the Congo in August 2025.
“For me,” Susie said, “being a missionary has always meant to serve the Congolese people in ways that show my deep love for them.”
When support dwindled during the COVID pandemic and the annual conference was restructured, the partnership had to reexamine its vision.
“Now,” Susie said, “God is moving us to reignite the vision of self-sustainability and to work diligently to that end.”
Dunlap-Berg is a freelance writer in Carbondale, Illinois.
News contact: Julie Dwyer at [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
