Congo Shadows

Nick Warren, an ex-MK, returns to his Congo homeland during the 1964 Simba rebellion on a quest to find his long missing father. The search exposes him and three friends to the horrors and moral dilemmas of war, challenging their resilience and basic beliefs. Their journey ends in Stanleyville, in captivity along with 1,600 expatriates. Danger, surprises and new spiritual insights await them.

John Franz spent four years living and working in Congo/Zaire as a young adult. He taught American dependents, managed a dorm for missionary children, learned to speak Lingala and absorbed many stories of Congo's early days. These experiences inform his writing, as do insights from graduate degrees he holds in social work and psychology. Dr. Franz is retired from a career as a university professor and counselor. His two memoirs (Congo Dawn & The Mango Bloom, Outskirts Press) describe his Congo adventures. He resides in Clovis, California with his wife, BJ, a former MK from Congo. They have two grown daughters. He enjoys cycling, travel, nature photography and his four grandchildren.

keywords: DRC Congo, Congo civil war, Stanleyville, hostage rescue, reconciliation, forgiveness, pacifism, Third Culture Kids, mercenaries, missionaries