God used water
A missionary in Gombe State, Nigeria, Rev Peter Okparaji has testified how God used a deep well of water to bring some tribal communities to Jesus.
Okparaji gave the testimony at the ongoing Global Mandate Conference which kicked off in Lagos on Thursday April 11.
The conference, which attracted missionaries from about 10 countries in Africa including Nigeria is being hosted by Agape Generation International Church, Mende Maryland, Lagos.
While giving his testimony on Thursday at the opening ceremony, Okparaji who first attended the conference in 2018 said the conference has been a great blessing to his missionary efforts.
He described his area of operation as the Cameroun Mountains among communities that have been cut away from civilization noting that since he went back to the field last year God has been moving in incredible ways among the people.
According to him, a church has since been established among the people while many of them are embracing Jesus in droves.
He said his ministry, Living Spring Impact Foundation has recorded great successes.
People started embracing Jesus when God used the ministry to construct a deep well for the communities.
Okparaji recounts, “The river, which was the only source of drinkable water for the communities suddenly dried up. Many of the inhabitants of the area had to travel several kilometers looking for water. Initially we wanted to construct a borehole to help them with water, but we met a brick wall for technical reasons. So we decided to do a deep well which cost the ministry about N350,000. As God would have it, we got water. That was how the people were relieved. They came fetching water from the deep well and gradually many of them began to surrender to Jesus.”
Just about five days ago Punch Newspapers had reported that people of Wurojuli in the Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State were also having problem getting portable water. Residents in the ancient town, comprising communities such as Nayinawa, Wuro Bodi, Yalwa Bello, Yalwa Abdullahi, Yalwa Usman and Wuro Taliyaji, were reported to be groaning under the weight of acute water scarcity.
Their problem according to the report did not start today. They have contended with unavailability of water in their communities for over a decade since the boreholes servicing the town packed up and their parts carted away by suspected hoodlums.
The problem of water seems to be a major one in many parts of the state. But Okparaji said God has used that same challenge to bring the inhabitants of the communities where he operates to bring them to Jesus.
He said further that many of the tribal communities have abandoned their occult practices and have declared for Jesus. “There is this pagan tradition of baptizing children with water and blood in the area. Last year about 150 children passed through that tradition. But this year many declined to take their children for the barbaric tradition owing to their new found faith.”
Another delegate, Pastor Johnson testified how God saved his marriage from collapse on the mission field expressing great appreciation to the organisers noting that the coming together of missionaries has been a great blessings.
Read also: The plight of Christians in the North of Nigeria- Mark Jacobs https://churchtimesnigeria.net/chrisitans-north/
Almost all the delegates had arrived for the event as at Thursday with the auditorium of the church packed full.
The convener, Pastor Toyin Kehinde thanked God for bringing the delegates safe to the venue noting that God would move in incredible ways in their lives during the four-day event.
Story by Gbenga Osinaike