Why is it that it is so hard to find an unambiguous indicator of "progress" in the march toward God's kingdom?Just at the moment when one feels a gentle whisper of victory, up pops a humbling reminder of our own un-Godlike nature or another indicator of the deep roots evil has sunk into our world.Just to be fair, despairing fears that the world is going to hell in a hand-basket run into the same frustration.The small signs of God's grace and redemption appear in the midst of, in the face of, even the greatest darknesses.In the one case one has to admit the impressive power of evil in spite of the fact that God's Kingdom has come.In the other case one realizes that darkness can never fully conquer the light and true despair has no rightful place.

We live in an ambiguous world.I think we need to be humble enough to realize that Jesus' victory over sin and death is not yet humankind's victory, not even fully my victory – sin and death are news everyday.At the same time we have to be bold enough, audacious enough to recognize grace, confidently defy evil, and aspire to love and goodness in imitation of Christ.In the midst of the ambiguity our prayer remains the same:"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."

One can never tell where the Spirit might lead people.But the past two weeks have seen two very interesting developments at Lusekele.Ten days ago Timothée Kabila, the coordinator of the work here, returned from Kikwit with news.The European Union (EU) apparently has resumed its cooperative development programs following successful elections at the end of October, and is moving fast to implement an oil palm program in Bandundu province.

Last September the program technical director met Timothée in Kikwit.When he found out that Lusekele had a well-developed palm project in the central Kwilu region he was enthusiastic. He invited Timothée to talk further the next time he was in Kinshasa.But by early October the EU, anxious about the instability surrounding elections had closed up shop and no further contact was possible.

Now, through the grapevine we hear that the doors have opened again and the development players are wondering where is ACDI Lusekele?The answer is that the team here is focused on working with farmers rather than hob-knobbing with development financiers in the capital.But this may be just the opportunity we have been preparing for during the last five years.Over the past week, working around a full-week of seminars and farmers' meetings, the staff put together a 5-year proposal to establish nearly 7500 acres of palm plantations on either old plantation land or secondary forest used regularly for shifting agriculture.

While ambitious, it builds naturally on experience accumulated over the last five years and on the widely shared preferences of farmers reflecting on their own futures.

Timothée went in to Kinshasa yesterday to meet with the EU project people and see if there is a way for us to work together.This is really the place where vision and practical realities meet.While Lusekele has the heart and experience to keep slugging away at poverty on a small demonstration level, let's face it: governments have the money to finance big changes.Unfortunately the money very often goes to outside consultants, irrelevant studies and big office budgets that make very little difference to poor farmers or the rural economy.

By contrast Lusekele's project launches 2500 farm families on the road toward adequate, sustainable livelihoods.In a few years it could be generating $1.5 million a year for the participants.It would leave 95% of the project value either in the hands of farmers and growers or circulating in the regional economy.Because about half of the project value would go to producers as loans for seeds and other inputs, it lays the groundwork for further investments as the loans are paid back.And to the extent that we are good stewards, it could demonstrate that Christians can be trusted to use investment capital wisely and effectively.

I can't say whether the EU will make this change possible, even on a reduced scale.I am praying that the EU will give farm families a real chance for a better future.And I am praying that Christians can be at the center of it, showing what Christ-transformed lives can do for a region, a country, a people.

The second heartening development concerns oil palm growers as well.This past week ACDI held a training workshop on nursery and plantation management and used an additional day to raise questions on building a sustainable future for palm oil production.In the course of the day-two discussions, we touched on two issues: recovering loans for palm seeds and nursery bags distributed since 2002 and the future of an oil palm growers' association in the central Kwilu.

I believe God wants us to build a sustainable future.If farmers are Christians, their allegiance to Christ should motivate them to farm in a way that returns as much to the land as they take out.In the same way, if God provides an investment fund to get me started with a plantation, I have a debt to replenish that fund so that another person will have the same opportunity. That's why palm seeds and nursery bags were given to farmers as credit.But I still wasn't sure that farmers would be willing to pay the loans back.Then the farmers' meeting came along.

When we handed out the invoices reminding associations what they had received on credit over the last five years, there was no surprise, nor indignation, nor whining argument for reducing the debt.Open discussion on how to deal with associations who failed to repay their loan was categorical: hold them to their agreement, resorting to legal action if necessary.Be tough.That sounds like a maturing group's answer.More than I realized, many farmers in the program are building toward a sustainable future, do realize their moral obligation to others.Maybe there is cause for hope that revolving agricultural loan funds can unlock opportunities for farmers in this area.

The second issue has been percolating for over two years: should we form a growers' cooperative?In 2004, I drew up a description of how the association might be organized and even developed a working draft of a constitution. Farmers discussed the idea in a day-long seminar, expressed lots of enthusiasm, and promptly left it to simmer on the back burner.This past week I floated the idea again, suggesting that if growers want an association that they start the process of legal incorporation and set target dates.To my surprise, the Lusekele staff suggested that farmers select a working committee (which they did), growers set a target date for completing the draft constitution, and then moved to reconvene once the preliminary work was ready to discuss and approve.

One of the essential questions in Lusekele's work with palm growers is how does one encourage them to create a dynamic movement that serves their interests effectively and carries on even if Lusekele ceases to exist?Planting the seeds of a vision is not easy, especially when germination takes so much time.It's too early to tell whether this seed will be viable, but even the preliminary swelling is exciting.Who moves up in leadership over the next few months will be a critical determinant of success or failure.

Seminars and workshops, statutes and by-laws, investment capital and accounting:the essence of the Kingdom of God isn't found here.They are instruments of change and effective living.But it is the king, God himself who consecrates the instruments and determines if they serve a good and holy purpose.The instruments become signs of the Kingdom only when they embody or reflect God's perfection, compassion, creativity, beauty, humility, respect, patience, tolerance, faithfulness.It is at that point that the ordinary, mundane trappings shine with the divine.

• Pray with us that the concerted actions of Christians here will shine in this way in these coming months, blessing Christian and non-Christian alike, all the while giving glory to God.

Ed