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
Monrovia is the capital city of Liberia, a country mainly populated by descendants of resettled slaves mainly from the United States of America. It is located along the West African coastline between the countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
Our visit was made possible by a Liberian brother who was a participant at the September, 2011 Lakka-Freetown Conference in Sierra Leone.
He is the pastor of a church in Monrovia and he hosted the meetings together with other pastors in the city. Thus, we had meetings on arrival on Tuesday night in a church that was located in the suburbs of the city.
On Wednesday 14th March, 2012 we had a Radio broadcast in a community Radio Station in the city and thereafter, we had meetings successively in three different churches. This day was a public holiday called Decoration day in honour of all the dead people in Liberia, in which they annually decorated the graves and tombs of the dead. It consisted of feastings, communal and family meetings and revelries in honour of the dead and death. We discerned that the Lord had planned our visit to be at this time that we might address and rebuke this stronghold of darkness in the land and even in the church as we noticed that several church members and pastors were actively involved in this abomination and idolatry. We also noticed that majority of our audience were women, probably due to the effect of the 14-year civil war.
The ministry on Thursday 15th March, 2012 was also in three churches and included a workshop for the leaders of one of the big churches in Monrovia. It was characterized by a very warm and hearty reception of the word of the kingdom by hungry hearts, even among the leadership of the churches.
The final day of ministry before our departure on Saturday 17th March, 2012; was concentrated in Bro. Alphonso’s church was not only showed a deeper level of hunger, understanding and maturity in the things of God, but also have a huge potential of prospering in this word of the kingdom.
In all, this mission was groundbreaking, foundational and quite explosive and firmly opens the door for future missions to this war ravaged people.
NEEDS: One of the glaring needs here amongst the brethren was that majority do not own a Bible which costs about $3.00 as most can read and write English.
Our prayer is that the fruits of this mission will not only remain, but will blossom unto the full knowledge and manifestation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Amen.