We give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for the grace and mercies that were given to us to undertake this mission to the land of Congo consisting of the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC (also known as Belgian Congo or Congo Kinshasa) and the Republic of Congo (also known as Congo Brazzaville or French Congo being that it was part of the former French Colonial enclave in Central Africa known as French Equatorial Central Africa, which included the present day nationalities of Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Cameroon and Chad).
The initial team that made the first part of this mission (21-31 July) were brothers Chijioke Nwauche and Yaguo Ide along with two of his daughters – Beulah and Hephzibah. We all arrived in Kinshasa, DRC on Sunday 21 July evening flying direct from Lagos via Douala, Cameroons on the newly-introduced route of the Nigerian Arik Air flight to the DRC. Passage through customs was smooth and more organised and professional. Driving through the streets of Kinshasa, one was stunned and pleasantly surprised at the remarkable transformation, upgrade and development of the city that has taken place in the past three to four years that we last visited. We were very warmly received by our hosts – Sister Geraldine McEwen and the Johnsons.
We next proceeded to Brazzaville in the morning of the next day, Monday 22, from where we connected a local flight to the oil city of Pointe Noire (which is also served by both Air France and Lufthansa Airlines), and then by road for a six-hour drive through the mountains to arrive at our final destination of Nkayi at about 1 AM the early hours of Wednesday July 23, 2013.
Nkayi, the fourth largest city in Congo Brazzaville is dusty at this time of the year and is famed for its sugar cane plantations and factory. It has an airport under reconstruction and is an important railway station of the also famed Ocean-Congo Railways of the then Colonial Equatorial French Central Africa.
Our host, Brother Alphonse Bonda had arranged with some of the local pastors and ministers for the meetings to take place in a nearby Pentecostal Church. The meetings, which were well attended, were held in the evenings of Tuesday 23-Thursday 25 July, 2013. The response to the word of the kingdom was very good especially from the pastors and church leaders present. They testified that they were receiving this word for the first time and were evidently blessed by the various ministries that went forth, especially the trumpet that is calling the church at this time to make the switch from the Old Testament type outward-based worship to the New Testament soul-based worship and priesthood. A remarkable feature of the ministry here is the emergence of a group of very zealous and hungry young people, some of whom meet with Brother Alphonse for fellowship.
Our drive back to Pointe Noire on Friday morning was smooth and we got to Brazzaville but not on time to catch the last boat across the Congo River back to Kinshasa. Having to spend the night in Brazza, we crossed the River on Saturday morning but could only meet the afternoon session of the camp meeting of the group in Kinshasa due some immigration hassles. The camp meeting had started the previous night and was taking place in an Anglican Church-owned guest house which was very conducive for this retreat type set of meetings that ended on Sunday evening, 28 July, 2013. It was very well attended by about 60 people, majority of who were youngsters. The ministry here centered on the fundamentals of the gospel and was a platform to strengthen and encourage the brethren especially in the area of bride price and traditional marriage. Brother Ide gave his powerful testimony of how the Lord strengthened him to overcome this yoke when he got married.
A notable testimony of the ministry here is that of a brother named Jeremiah who being on the verge of being married to a sister from the Bakongo tribe of the DRC (who are very traditional and where once ruled by the powerful Kalongo, the head potentate and chief over the whole Bakongo tribe; the payment of bride price is held very strongly among these people) and having heard the word about the correct scriptural pattern of marriage of Christian couples as set forth in Genesis 24, decided not to proceed any further with his plans of paying bride price. We counselled with him and his fiancée on how to glorify and honour God in their marriage and not to give their home over to the devil.
One of the major take home for us from the trip is the clear word from the Lord that He would have us to pay more attention to the Missions to the Central African nations of DRC, Republic of Congo, Gabon and the Central Africa Republic.
As I travel back to Nigeria today, Wednesday July 31, I will arrive back in Port Harcourt in the early hours of Thursday 1 August, 2013. It will be just in time to receive the visiting team of Brother Burt Asbill and others from the United States. I shall be replaced by Brother Urias Irechukwu from the MIS Port Harcourt group who will be arriving in Kinshasa today on the same aircraft that would convey me back to Lagos. Sister Lucy Yaguo-Ide, would be joining her husband, children and brother Urias hopefully over this weekend until they all return back to Port Harcourt on 14 July, 2013 right into the Port Harcourt Youth Camp that commences from 14 to 20 July. They will be attending the conference along with Baraka, one of the young people from the Kinshasa fellowship.
As I round up this report, we bless God for the opportunity He has given unto us to serve as unprofitable servants in His vineyard. Blessed be His Holy Name, Amen.
Your Brother,
Chijioke Nwauche
It is with a heart filled with praise and gratitude that we make this report of a very successful mission trip to Uganda and Kenya. There were many instances of God’s interventions and lessons learned, not to mention the mighty provisions of the Lord in several fronts, respects and dimensions.
UGANDA: The trip started on the morning of Friday 8th March, 2013 and ended in the early morning hours of Thursday 14 march, 2013. The ministry here consisted of visits to two villages situated in the mountains outside Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The first Village we visited on Saturday 15 March, was Ruakukulua , about 4-hour drive on a two lane driveway that led us into a dirt road which finally gave way to bushy and rocky goat/local pig pathway. The meeting took place in a mud-hut church building that was packed full of men, women, children, etc. They were delighted to see us after several hours of waiting. One could tell from the expression on their faces that they were satisfied at the end of the two sessions by Brothers Burt and Chijioke.
The ministry on the following day were three sessions-morning and afternoon session with a closing session of questions. It took place in bro. Wilson’s church and the ministry of the word was well received by the brethren. An interesting aspect of the meetings for today was that we had had a meeting with a group of young people who are very hungry for the word desire to move on with the Lord. This meeting marked a turning point in our mission efforts in this land. Let us pray that the Lord would visit them and cause that the vision of this Gospel of the kingdom would be revealed very clearly to them.
We also visited another rural community about three-hour drive outside Kampala. It was similar to the other village we had visited on Saturday. It is noteworthy that on our way to this village, we made a short visit to a home of orphan children as a result of the civil war/rebel activity in the northern part of Uganda and the HIV/AIDS scourge.
Our final ministry here was a second meeting with the group of young people in sister Biri’s home. It was quite a blessing sharing fellowship with these hungry and zealous brethren.
An important aspect of this mission was that we were hosted by sister Biri and we also had in our company, Sisters Geraldine and Felicia, both from the fellowship in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their presence was really a tonic that quickened and energized our fellowship here.
Malawi: When we left Kampala on the morning of 14 March, our destination was Lilongwe International Airport, Malawi. However, this was not to be as we sensed the Lord was redirecting our mission through the visa/immigration challenges we encountered on checking-in at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. We eventually got checked–in to Nairobi, Kenya. On getting here, it was clear to us that the Lord would have us to cancel our trip to Malawi and commence our Mission to Kenya a week earlier than scheduled.
Kenya: So it was that Bro. Alfred our host had to urgently work out an impromptu meeting schedule even as we looked to the Lord to direct our mission here, being that we were well aware that God had intervened to reroute our plans being that the previously planned meetings and hotel accommodations, etc., had to be cancelled. We had to adjust to a new set of meetings, accommodation and logistic plans, etc.
The first change was the cancellation of the ministers’ conference in the Nakuru/Njoro area due the high and volatile post-election tension in the country generally and especially here where one of the presidential candidates hails from. The second change was that we made a new contact here in Nairobi that provided a new platform that has opened a door of ministry to the youths of Kenya.
Our first meeting was with a secondary school youth group on Friday 15th March while the meetings on Saturday and Sunday were with a group of church Leaders from around the greater Nairobi area.
In all, the meetings here have been very rewarding and fruitful during our time here from 14-19 March, 2013, even as many new fronts and contacts were opened unto us that we believe the Lord would strengthen and enable us to respond to in due course.
Bro. Chijioke