IS SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE WAITING FOR YOU?

Lying on my desk is a paper weight that was a gift from the Bible Baptist Church of Fairbanks, Alaska.  Written on the paper weight is the question, “Is somebody somewhere waiting for you?”  There are times when the burden of the ministry weighs heavily upon me, discouragement and doubt come; moments when I am missing my friends, family and children.  There are times when I ask myself the question, “Does all of this effort, really make a difference?” During those times my gaze will often fall upon that paper weight, and I am reminded and encouraged to remember that there is a reason God has called us here.

As a believer there are moments in life where you realize, without a doubt, that this is a “God” moment.  Things happen that you know are happening not because of you, but because of God.  On my recently concluded trip to DR Congo, I had one of those moments that will be with me until the day I die.

Pastor Oloo, Pastor Kambi, Pastor Musonga, and I got on a boat at the port in Uvira on Wednesday morning to begin our journey to the village of Kazimia.  I had prepared myself for a hard trip but, if I would have known in advance how difficult the trip would be I WOULD NOT HAVE GONE.  

The boat before it got crowded!

  

There were nearly 300 people packed on a boat that, under normal circumstances would hold only 50 people.  For two days and two nights we traveled on a boat that had NO TOILET, no food, no covering, and no room to sit.  There was barely room to rest in a squatting position, when your legs cramped you could stand. (Then your room to squat disappeared among the mass of people and you had to fight to get it back.)  I have never been in such discomfort and pain in my life.

The boat after it got crowded

When we finally arrived in Kazimia on Friday morning my only thoughts were, “NEVER AGAIN”!  I could not imagine anything worth going through that torture again.   We were met at the port by the pastor and a group of men.  We had a walk of nearly one hour to the pastor’s house.  I did not want to walk, I did not want to do anything but lie down, sleep, and try to recover from that torturous trip.  Shortly after we began the walk, we were overtaken by government officials demanding that we go to their office.  They wanted to see our documents to ensure everything was legal.  Of course what they really wanted was a bribe.  At that moment we were not in much of a “friendly” mood and kind of rejected the “offer” to visit their office.  They confiscated our passports so that we would visit them before we left, because they knew we would not leave without our passports.

About an hour, later we reached the pastor’s house.  We fell into our seats at the table, having finally reached our destination. My thoughts were, “Get me out of this place, I want to go home, never again, and nothing can be worth this.”  I was sitting there miserable, having a pity party because I had gone to a level of physical discomfort that I never again wanted to reach.

At that moment, the pastor walked in the house followed by a group of fifteen men.  They squeezed around the table, looked at us without saying a word, and began singing in Swahili that famous mission’s song, “Send the Light.”  In all of my days, I have never heard such a beautiful rendition of that song; it was as if a choir of angels began to sing.  As I listened to the words of that song, I heard them in a way that I had never before.  The words took on a meaning of reality that I had never before experienced.  While they were singing, the Holy Spirit took out a chisel and began to work on my hard heart.  By the time they reached the last verse and began singing the words, “Let us not grow weary in the work of love,” I had all that I could take, my heart began to weep and tears began to flow.  How could I have been so callous to the needs of these people?  How could I trade my comfort for the work of the Great Commission?  I glanced over at pastor Oloo and saw that he was also wiping the tears from his eyes.  I had not known but he also had been having the same thoughts that I had.  God used the song to set our thinking right.

The men who sang to us along with Pastor Oloo, Kambi and Musonga

Later, we were told their story - and what a story of faith it was!  The story of Congo over the last 50 years is of war, genocide, and tragedy beyond imagine.  In the midst of this, the work of the Gospel has gone forward.  At times, missionaries would try to enter the country and on a few occasions they were able to stay for a few years, before the violence would force them to leave.  During such an occasion, in 1970 the Bob Williams family was living in the Eastern Congo town of Kalemie.  There he met a young man named Nguo Moja and led him to the Lord.  Brother Nguo Moja immediately began showing a zeal for the Word and was called to preach.  He began to receive some training, but unfortunately trouble came and his training was cut short.

The missionaries were now gone, again, and brother Nguo Moja went to his home village to live and start a church.  He did not know as much as he should, but he knew he was saved, he was a Baptist and he believed the Bible.  Besides his Bible, he had a few doctrinal books to guide him.  He served the Lord the best he knew.  One thing he knew was that he must “Send the Light”.  He started other churches in surrounding villages, taught what he had learned, and served God to the best of his ability. 

Brother Nguo Moja died two years ago.  As I stood next to his grave, I had the privilege of meeting his widow and sons.  As I spoke with her, I was moved by her love for the Lord and the Lord’s work.  She told me about her husband and the desire of his heart to see the Gospel proclaimed.  As I fellowshipped with his family, and heard his story, I realized that Nguo Moja was a hero of the faith.   What a man of God who did so much with so little!

Grave of Pastor Nguo Moja

Wife and children of Pastor Nguo Moja

 

Brother Nguo Moja’s assistant pastor is now the pastor of the church.  Pastor Shabani shared with us shortly after the church began in 1972, they began to pray individually and also as a church that God would send someone to properly teach and train them.  They realized they were lacking some knowledge and desperately wanted to know the Bible.  Since 1972, they had never stopped praying for God to send someone.  Wars came and went, and with it the accompanying tragedies, but they remained faithful in their service and prayers.  

The church in Kazimia

Preaching to the church in Kazimia

Sometime last year, one of their members was visiting Uvira and saw the Bible Baptist Church of Uvira.  Enquiries were made and word went back to Kazimia that there were some Baptists from Kenya, in Uvira, teaching the Bible.  Pastor Shabani made the long trip to Uvira and invited us to come and visit.  We told him we would pray about it.  He came once again and invited us, and we again said we would continue to pray.  When he came a third time, he asked if we were praying and we told him we had and would go. 

Pastor Shabani

Before leaving to travel back to Uvira, Pastor Shabani looked at us and said, “We have waited for you since 1972. Since 1972, we have never had someone come to teach us, you are the first.  We have prayed and God answered our prayers.  Thank you for finally coming!”

As I sit here in my office writing this report, my eyes again stray to that paper weight and its words, “Is somebody somewhere waiting for you?” 

TRIP TO KAZIMIA- DRC

I will be leaving early on Saturday the 15th for an extended trip into Congo.  We have been in communication with a group of believers and churches in an area that is a couple days travel from Uvira. They heard that some “Kenyans” were in Congo who had started a church and where training people.  They came and found us in Uvira and told us their story.  They are amongst a group of Independent Baptist Churches that were started in the early 1970’s with the help of a Congolese national.  Because of the wars, difficulties in reaching them, and the lack of missionaries they have NEVER had anyone who has been able to come into their area and teach and train them.  At times some of the pastors have traveled to other places to receive a little training but nothing extensive.  Last month we sent Pastor Musonga on a “survey trip” to Kazimia to make the arrangements for our trip this month.  There are no roads from Uvira to Kazimia, to get there from the nearest road would entail a walk of three days through the rebel controlled forest.  Something that I have been advised NOT TO DO!  The only other choice of travel is to take a two day boat trip on Lake Tanganyika from Uvira to nearest point and then inland to where they are located. I’m not too excited about getting on one of those “boats” but the need is great.  These churches have remained through the wars and much difficulty with no help.  God has given us a great opportunity to participate in the great commission by TEACHING ALL THINGS.

We do not always know what will happen when we go on one of these trips into a new area but we do know that God has everything planned out and we are to follow His leading.  It is always humbling to travel to these neglected areas and take to them God’s word.  We have been given a great privilege.

Please pray for our families who remain behind.  We will be in areas where communication with them will not be possible.

His for Kenya,

And the Regions Beyond,

Robert Mickey Jr.

SOUTH SUDAN SURVEY TRIP REPORT

Our survey trip to South Sudan was successful.  We were able to get many questions answered and make contact with some people who will be beneficial in getting us legally into the country.  Above all, it was successful because it has increased our burden and desire to take the gospel to the Republic of South Sudan.  We are planning another trip later this year as we try to decide where God would have us begin.  Please pray with us for three specific areas: Juba, Nimule, and Torit.  Juba is the capital city and it would be great to get started there, but it is extremely expensive.  Nyamule is a border town with Uganda that has a good size population. Torit is a large town that attracts people from many parts of South Sudan.  Each of these areas will have their unique difficulties and strengths.

It was very clear and evident that South Sudan has a great need for gospel preaching churches.  Because of the decades of war and turmoil much of the work done in the past has crumbled.  Gospel preaching churches that were in existence for the most part are no more.  Pastors and church members have been scattered, literally all over the world, and many have been killed in the war and the resulting diseases and hunger that war brings.

A cannon left over from the war

A bombed out school building

 

Much of what we have seen in South Sudan is what we have seen in DR Congo accept that in Congo it seems that churches have come out of the wars in much better condition.  Yes they are mostly weak and need a lot of help rebuilding the foundation but we have seen a desire and longing from them for that to happen.  In South Sudan we did see much fruit from the past.  Why that is, I am not sure.  It just might be that there was not nearly as much work done in past in South Sudan as there was in Congo. 

The Kosgei family is excited and will begin raising their support the beginning of this next year.  The Grace Bible Baptist Church is excited about sending them and partnering with others to take the gospel to another area of the REGIONS BEYOND. 

 

A visitor in my room

Pastor Oloo and Peter Kosgei on the shore of the Nile River

   

SURVEY TRIP TO SOUTH SUDAN

In a few moments I will be boarding a bus along with Pastor Justus Oloo and Brother Peter Kosgei.  The bus will take us west through Kenya where we will cross the border into Uganda.  We will continue west until we reach Kampala, then head north up through Uganda until reaching the border of the Republic of South Sudan.  Once we are in Southern Sudan we will continue north until reaching the capital city of Juba.

The purpose of this trip is to make a survey with brother Peter Kosgei of South Sudan.  God has called the Kosgei family to missionaries to this needy, war torn and almost forgotten land.  Lord willing, sometime next year, the Kosgei family will be moving to this country to fulfill the great commission.  Brother Kosgei has been serving as a missionary intern for the last 18 months at the Grace Bible Baptist Church as a continual preparation for this move.

Peter Kosgei family

It was a few years ago that God began to burden the church concerning the great need in reaching our northern neighbors with the gospel.  We did not know when or how, but believed God wanted us to be part of taking the gospel to that country.  As we prayed, God began to send us Sudanese students in our Christian school.  The burden continued to grow and God continued to allow us to minister to the Sudanese refugees in our community.  Today we have nearly fifty Sudanese students in our school, we have seen a number of them saved at least five Sudanese have joined the church, and some are teaching Sunday School and singing in the choir. God then called the Peter Kosgei family to South Sudan!

This is the third country of the Regions Beyond that God has allowed us to be a part of reaching through our mission’s team here in Kenya.  The other two are Burundi and DR Congo.

Please pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit on this trip, safety while traveling and while we are in South Sudan, and for our families who remain behind.