Missionary Maud’s Congo experiences brought to book

A heroic Cookstown missionary who was shot in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2015 has released a biography detailing her decades of service in Africa.

Maud Kells’s book ‘An Open Door – A true story of courage in Congo’ which has been written in conjunction with author Jean Gibson, is available for purchase from today (Monday).

Maud almost died when a bandit pulled the trigger of the gun he was holding when she was returning home to her residence in Mulita in the northeast of the country.

At first, Maud thought it was a replica, and reached for it, but when he shot the gun at her, the bullet hit Maud in the shoulder. She narrowly escaped death and was flown to hospital where she remained in a stable condition.

“I thought I was dying,” said Maud at the time. “I thought; ‘I’m not ready to go Lord, I’m still in the middle of building this nursery.”

Maud who has since recovered from the ordeal, has made several trips back to the DRC, and she is always welcomed with open arms.

Maud is a humble lady with a strong Christian faith and is hugely popular in her hometown in Tyrone.

Maud, who serves with missionary organisation WEC international, has been working in the DRC since 1968. Working initially as a missionary nurse, Maud has been involved in the training of Congolese nurses in five hospitals and 30 health centres. She has seen a number of armed uprisings and on one occasion had to be airlifted out of the country for her own safety.

In 2004, returning to the DRC after evacuation, she helped rebuild battle-scarred buildings.

The Cookstown woman has also received an OBE for her services to the people of the Congo. She was presented with the award by the Duke of Cambridge, in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace shortly after the shooting.

Maud’s book is being launched at Molesworth Presbyterian Church and you can order her book here – https://www.10ofthose.com/uk/products/24773/an-open-door