Friday, December 19, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
God working in Burundi
I have had the opportunity over
the last couple of months to spend time on two separate occasions with our
newest church plant, the Independent Bible Baptist Church of Bujumbura,
Burundi. The church continues to do
well. The joy of the Lord is evident in
the lives of the people and the desire of the church to grow and mature is
evident.
Recently we were accompanied to
Burundi with Pastor Scott Hall from the Fellowship Baptist Church of Idamay, West
Virginia. He had the opportunity to
preach at the church and to see first-hand what God is doing in Burundi. We are thankful for Pastor Hall and his
church and their burden to see the Burundian people come to the Lord.
 |
| Pastor Hall gives the church a gift from some children in the U.S. who have promised to pray for them. |
We first visited Burundi in 2008
and saw vividly the great need in that county. We immediately began praying
that God would send someone to reach them.
We at the time were not thinking that it would be us. But over time God
made it quite clear that we should stop waiting for others and do something ourselves.
When we actively began working in Burundi we were not aware of any other Independent
Baptist churches doing anything in the entire country. Our pray was and continues to be for God to
send labourers. Unbeknownst to us God
began to answer that prayer and we recently were informed of several churches
that have begun reaching or are burdened to reach Burundi with the gospel.
- Pastor Mario Monette and the South Metropolitan Baptist Church of St-Hubert, Quebec have been working with a Congolese man that has started a church in Burundi. I know Pastor Monette personally and have preached in his church. Pastor Monette is a man of strong biblical conviction and his church is an example of what a true New Testament Baptist Church should be. We were excited to recently be informed of this new church and believe that it will be a strong shining light in Burundi.
- Missionary John Shrader of Zambia has begun working with and training a Burundian man by the name of Arcade. Arcade has moved to Zambia to be trained and desires to go back to Burundi and reach his people with the gospel.
- Pastor John Wrightson is the pastor of Coastline Baptist Church of Jacksonville NC. He met a Burundian army officer named Innocence who was in the U.S. receiving some additional military training. Innocence got saved started attending church and began to get grounded in the Word. When Innocence returned to Burundi his desire was to attend a Baptist Church. Unfortunately he could not find one. I was able to meet with and have a very good talk with brother Innocence during my last trip to Burundi. He desires to help in whatever way possible to see Baptist Churches established throughout Burundi. He has been transferred to a government position and meets with the President of Burundi on a weekly basis. He will be a great help in getting our churches registered in Burundi!
 |
| Brother Innocence |
These are some examples that we
have recently become aware of…… we are quite sure God is going to continue
moving in the hearts of his people to reach Burundi.
Thank you for your prayers for
the Grace Bible Baptist Church as we continue to endeavor to reach into the
Regions Beyond.
Monday, August 18, 2014
THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD
Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world. Amen.
These verses commonly known as
the great commission were given to the only kind of church there is, a local
church. As a boy growing up in the
Cleveland Baptist Church I often heard these verses preached along with the
admonition that it is the responsibility of churches to start churches. These responsibilities and commands are as
valid today as they were when Jesus first spoke them to the church at
Jerusalem.
When we arrived in Kenya in 1998,
we had the burning desire to see churches planted. Along with that desire was the understanding
that the churches in Kenya must learn that the mandate of the great commission
also belongs to them. Just as a church
in the United States sent someone from their midst to see a church in Kenya
started, they in turn must also learn to do the same.
When we first began working with
this group of people that we organized into the Grace Bible Baptist Church, we
set a theme from Geneses 18:14 where God asked Abraham, “is there anything too
hard for the Lord”? Since that time the
Grace Bible Baptist Church of Nakuru, Kenya, has tried to operate according to
the principle that there indeed is NOTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD.
The commission that God gave to
His church is as real in poverty stricken Africa as it is in the rich United
States of America. Through the years as
we expressed our vision for the church we have had more than our share of
problems, naysayers, and doubters but the call and command of God remained the
same… GO YE! We settled a long time ago that God’s Word is ALWAYS true and
indeed there is NOTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD.
Since the organizing of the
church, the missions program of the Grace Bible Baptist Church has grown both
in faith and financially. Several years
ago God began to show in a real way that it was time to put feet to faith and
start reaching into the Regions Beyond Kenya.
One of the areas that God began
to direct was the great need in the country of Burundi. For the past several years many trips were
taken to Burundi, people were saved, baptized, and taught the Word of God. All of this work culminated a few weeks ago
with the birth of a new Bible believing Baptist Church.
 |
| Children's service |
 |
| Preaching service |
The Grace Bible Baptist Church
sent the money to rent the land and put up a structure for the new church to
meet. A group of men from the Bible
Baptist Church of Uvira, DRC, joined together with a group of men from the
Grace Bible Baptist Church of Nakuru, Kenya, to help in the starting of this
new church. In preparation for the new
church, a week of evangelism, visiting converts, and preparation took place. During this week many good contacts were made
and nearly thirty people made a profession of salvation.
 |
| Church building |
 |
| Burundi team from Kenya and Congo |
On the 27th of July,
we had our first service with the joint effort of men from Kenya, Congo, and
Burundi. The Bible Baptist Church of
Bujumbura, Burundi, had an attendance of 169 for its first service. Twelve people responded to the invitation for
salvation and thirty nine people requested membership in the new church. Most of those requesting membership have
already been baptized by us and have been receiving teaching.
 |
| George Mbugua dealing with two ladies |
 |
| Julius Kimani leading a man to the Lord |
The excitement surrounding the
starting of this church was unlike any that we have ever experienced. There was joy on the faces of many people who
were present because of the realization that there was now going to be a Bible
believing, gospel preaching church in their community. The singing was heartfelt and the attention
to the preaching was true. Our men from
Kenya had smiles on their faces from ear to ear as they realized how much God
was using them and their church to reach into the Regions Beyond.
 |
| Preaching |
 |
| Those requesting membership |
Please continue to pray for this
new church. The pastors and men of the
Grace Bible Baptist Church will continue taking the leadership of this work
until the time of “organization.” One of
our members who lives in Burundi, Pastor Kambi, will be overseeing the day to
day operation. On most Sundays, one of
our pastors or men will be in Burundi assisting in the church.
It is with much joy in my heart
that I write this update. I rejoice
whenever a church is started but there is a lot of extra joy for this
missionary family to be able to partner with a Kenyan church to reach into the
Regions Beyond. There are some who may
think Africa is too poverty stricken to do the work of missions, but that
thinking is quickly put away when one comes to grasp with the truth that “there
is nothing too hard for the Lord.”
VIDEO OF CONGREGATION SINGING
BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH- BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
A HEART BEATING FOR BURUNDI
Burundi is a landlocked country in
Central Africa whose history, since gaining independence from Belgium in 1962,
has been wrought with heartache upon heartache.
Each year when the ranking of the
world’s poorest and most poverty stricken countries are released Burundi’s name
never leaves the bottom five.
In 1972, they experienced a period
of Genocide when the Hutu people wantonly killed the Tutsi people; over the
next decade the animosity between the people simmered below the surface until
1994, when the Tutsi took their revenge in yet another Genocide and slaughtered
the Hutu people. The country was plunged
into war, and between the Genocides and wars, over ten percent of the
population was killed.
Today, Burundi’s population of
twelve million people is desperate to climb out of poverty, war, and
destruction. They desire better days and are striving for them, but they do not
realize that anything better in this world is only temporary. What they need beyond anything else is to
know the God who will bring a BETTER day.
Some time ago the Grace Bible
Baptist Church began to be burdened to reach into the REGIONS BEYOND of
Burundi. The church began laying the
groundwork of reproducing itself in Burundi.
This coming Sunday the 27th of July, it will hold its first
official service in its newest church plant, the Bible Baptist Church of
Bujumbura, Burundi.
 |
| Grace Bible Baptist Church- Nakuru, Kenya |
A group of men from Grace Bible
Baptist Church are on the ground in Burundi; witnessing, teaching, holding Bible
studies, and preparing for the first service.
They have been joined by a second group of men from the Bible Baptist
Church of Uvira, DRC, who are helping in planting this new church.
Over the last several years the
church has sent men into Burundi nearly fifty times, and I have accompanied
them on at least thirty of those occasions.
Last November a group of twenty people from the church, both men and
women, took a missions trip to Burundi.
When they returned to Kenya, they returned with a burning desire and
burden for a Gospel preaching church to be planted in Burundi. During these trips, people have been saved,
training has taken place, and the ground has been prepared for the planting of
a church.
 |
| Bujumbura- Burundi |
A few weeks ago after speaking
about the upcoming church plant in Burundi, one of our Sunday School children
came up to me after the service and said, “Pastor our church’s heart is beating
for Burundi.” As I thought about that
statement I realized it is true only because God’s heart was first beating for
Burundi.
We do not know of any other church
planting going on in the entire country of Burundi amongst BAPTISTS. Won’t you join us in allowing your heart to
beat for Burundi? Let it beat by praying for Burundi. Let it beat by giving so the Gospel can go
forth in Burundi.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
JUNE-JULY 2014 PRAYER LETTER
Dear Praying Friends,
BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH– BUJUMBURA BURUNDI
On the 27th of July the Grace Bible Baptist Church will hold its first official service in its new church plant in Bujumbura, Burundi. There has been much prayer, planning and work gone into starting this new church and it is without a doubt one of the most exciting church plants we have been involved with. A group of men from Grace Bible Baptist Church will be traveling to Bujumbura to help with and be part of the first service. There will also be a group of men from the Bible Baptist Church of Uvira, DRC traveling to Burundi to help. We have been able to sign a five year lease on a piece of property and have begun putting up a temporary structure to meet in. We praise the Lord that there are now three Kenyan churches that have begun giving a monthly missions offering to help with this new church plant.
THE KAZIMIA STORY
Our trip last month to Kazimia, DRC was everything that we desired it to be. We were blessed and God moved our hearts but it has been difficult for me to put into words my exact feelings. I don’t think my words can ever accurately express what my heart felt. If you would like to read about our trip you can find it at our blog mickeystokenya.blogspot.com. I also made a small video presentation of the Kazimia Story that can be found on youtube.com. A link to the video can by found on our blog update.
BOREHOLE
God recently touched the heart of someone to give a substantial offering that has allowed us to finish our borehole project. Nakuru is notorious for water problems which has greatly hindered us in our church ministries. The new well will allow us to have a proper water supply for the church, school, Bible College and other ministries. Thank you for allowing God to use you.
FURLOUGH
As mentioned in our last prayer letter, we will be on furlough February 2015 through May 2015. God has been working in Kenya and in the Regions Beyond and we look forward to reporting on God’s blessings of the last few years to as many of our supporting churches as possible. If you would like our family to make a report to your church during this furlough we ask that you please send us an email at rawtokenya@gmail.com. Additionally, we can be contacted by phone at 254.733.600798. Remember, we are 7 hours ahead of EST. We will only be in the States for a few months and will try to accommodate those who contact us early. Trying to put together a furlough schedule is oftentimes like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle. Most often the pieces fit together, but the earlier we begin working on it the better. We would love to visit you during this furlough, and if that is your desire also then please let us know. If you have already expressed interest in us coming to your church we will be contacting you soon with some possible dates.
His for Kenya,
And the Regions Beyond,
Robert Mickey Jr.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)