NEEMA BAPTIST CHURCH- MASIMBA

We are about to embark on a 5 hour trip with 30 members of the Grace Bible Baptist Church to the town of Masimba.  Over the next couple of days we will be saturating the community with the gospel in preparation for the beginning of a new church that will hold its first service on Sunday.  Along with witnessing door to door we will also be doing some outdoor preaching and showing an evangelistic film.

As has always been our practice, we endeavor to follow the biblical example of churches starting churches.  This new church will be pastored by one of our Bible College graduates and members of our church, brother Matthew Mogire.  Brother Matthew is from this area and has a great burden to see this region reached with the gospel.

The predominate church in this area is the Seventh Day Adventist Cult. We know that there will be much opposition to the gospel and to this new church but we are assured from the Bible that we are going with Jesus authority.

It is exciting and a privilege to be serving here in Kenya with a group of people who desire to see churches start and the gospel go forward both here in Kenya and in the Regions Beyond. 

Brother Matthew (right) standing in front of the building we have rented for the church.

Sunday School Child Passes On

It does not matter where you are in the world, children are children.  It is always a joy to work with children and see them come to the Lord at an early age.  Watching children grow up without the scars of sin brings a pleasure like no other.

We have always made children a large part of our ministry efforts.  We have a christian school with nearly 300 children.  We have seven bible clubs that meet on Saturdays with a combined attendance of over 1000.  Every Sunday we have over 200 children who attend our church service.  We truly endeavor to reach the children.

Today it was with sadness that today we had the funeral service of one of our Sunday School children.  Joy Wangui was barely four years old when God took her home.  Joy's mother received Christ in our church a couple years ago and it was with great happiness that I was able to assure her that she would see her lovely daughter again.

Joy's mother is the brother of one of our most faithful men, brother Peterson Kimani.  When Peterson got saved God truly changed him.  A drunkard who was living for himself was changed to a man who now lives for God and his family.  Many of Peterson's family have come to the Lord and his children are some of the best in the church  Peterson's wife is saved but has been holding out on joining the church.  Please pray for her.

Peterson owns a public transportation business and has completely dedicated his business to the Lord. He is not ashamed of his beliefs and willingly shows it. (see picture)  It is not often we see people as dedicated in their business practices as brother Peterson has shown.  Through his testimony his sister has been reached and she has the knowledge that heaven will bring a reunion with her daughter!

Joy's grave

Peterson's Vehicle- Known around town as the "King James"!

MARCH - APRIL PRAYER LETTER

TWO BIBLE STUDIES STARTED

Very recently two new bible study/preaching points have been started with the goal to soon see them begin meeting as churches.  One of these preaching points is in the town of Masimba and is led by Matthew Mogire, a graduate of our Bible College and a member of the Grace Bible Baptist Church. The other is in the city of Bukavu in the country of DR Congo. The Bukavu region has a population of over 500,000 and is the capital of the South Kivu province where we have been working.  This preaching point is being led by January, a Congolese national who has moved back to Congo from Rwanda where he had been living.  He was a member of an Independent Baptist Church for eight years and already had a good foundation.  God allowed our paths to cross and after building a relationship with him for nearly two years, he has partnered with us to see the work of God go forward in Congo. Please pray for these two new bible study/preaching points as we endeavor to soon to see them become churches.

HAVE WE BEEN FORGOTTEN?

Recently while surveying some new areas in DR Congo I was asked some troubling questions by a few national believers.  I had never been asked these type of questions in such a pointed way before. As troubling as they were when I heard them, they have continued to ring in my ears since that time.  Why have your churches stopped sending us missionaries?  Have we been forgotten?  Do churches not care about us anymore?  We REMEMBER people used to come, why don’t they come anymore?  When asked these questions, I was quick to respond to assure them of the love and sacrifice of many. I gave what I believed at the time were good excuses that would surely help them understand.  When I finished, their response in essence was, your words sound good but we still have no missionaries.  My excuses I gave to them were:

·   There is still a war going on in this place, and it is to dangerous to live here.

·   It is a difficult place for someone to bring their family.

·   People do not understand that it is possible to come here as a missionary.

·   People here need to pray more so the Lord will send missionaries.

·   Some in America are just not answering the call of God anymore.

I have realized that my words were indeed just excuses, and they ring hollow to the ears of those who need the love of Christ brought to them. My heart is moved at the spiritual need in Eastern Congo and the surrounding areas.  They have not known peace in a generation.  Satan has used the lack of stability to sow the seeds of false and weak doctrine throughout the land.  There is a great need for the Word of God to go forth to both bring salvation to the lost and strength and stability to the saved.   I am thankful that God is allowing us to do just a little bit in meeting this need.