By Evang. Don Ekanem
The mission to the Benin Republic was a divine orchestration by the Holy Spirit, and because He began it, He has sustained it.
It all started in June 2022 when I was in the company of Pastor Michael Zinzindohou, a citizen of the Benin Republic who pastored a church in Nigeria. I was with him in the Republic of Benin to hold a 7-day crusade and ministers conference which turned out a huge success to the glory of God.
While in the house where we were lodged, the Lord showed me a vision about the urgent need for Christian workers in the land. He laid it in my heart to make myself available to support the work.
When we returned to Nigeria, the vision kept coming to my mind. I consulted Pastor Zinzindohou and told him about it and my intention to return to the country. He did not hesitate. He accompanied me back to the country and introduced me to a young man called James who offered me his late mother’s abandoned store for my accommodation.
Pastor Zinzindohou took me around to some streets in the community and returned back to Nigeria after a few days. I was left to carry on the work from there.
Daily Prayer walk
I began with a daily prayer walk around the streets, observing and taking note of the few churches I saw on the way. After doing this for some time, I started visiting the churches and was so encouraged by the reception I got with some of them giving me the opportunity to preach with the aid of an interpreter.
My initial challenge was the language as I couldn’t speak French. But this did not dissuade me. I kept going out every day until I met some Nigerians, Ghanaians, and even indigenes who could speak and understand English.
About two months later, I met a Nigerian lady by the name, Kindness who indeed showed kindness. Her gifts, prayers, and encouragement came in handy. She introduced me to Living Faith Church, A.K.A Winners Chapel in Fidjrosse where the pastor accepted to provide me with interpreters anytime I had to go out and preach on the street or in churches. That was a great relief to the communication challenge at that time.
In the course of my preaching and interacting with the people in the communities, I was introduced to the biggest market in the country; Marche Dantokpa where I met with lots of English-speaking audience
I continued my daily preaching there in the market and the Lord confirmed His word with many converts and Christians who were inspired by our message.
This led to the setting up of our first discipleship fellowship in the market. Between then and now, the Lord has helped us as we run five discipleship fellowships in the market with two pastors and many volunteers to join us whenever we go on outreaches to the hinterlands.
Don Ekanem
Read also: My vision is to help churches build evangelism culture: http://My vision is to help churches build evangelism culture-Don Ekanem
Open doors
The Lord also opened the doors of many churches for us to mobilize and train leaders and members on soul-winning and discipleship.
This has eased our labor since these churches already have their structures on ground to reach out to the locals.
As part of our collaboration with the local churches, between the 26th and 28th of August, we shall be working with the Voice and Power of God ministry to conduct a crusade in the Paou community outside of Cotonou.
Also, in the first week of October, we shall be holding an international ministers conference here in Cotonou in conjunction with the New Day Ministerial Association, where participants will be drawn from different countries of Africa.
Considering the importance of Christian literature and evangelism materials in the advancement of the gospel, we conducted research on the availability of these materials. And it was shocking to know that there are very few Christian bookshops in the city and the gospel tracts that are available are being sold.
Based on this discovery, we are embarking on a mass translation and publication of our gospel tracts in French and the prominent local dialect of the people(Fongbe), which will be distributed free of charge to the churches for the effective spread of the gospel in the land.
Projection for the year ahead
Our projection for the year ahead is to set up ten more discipleship fellowships in different parts of the town.
We also plan to enroll four of our workers in a French appreciation class at the cost of 150,000 CFA each. This is to enable us to integrate with the people for the purpose of freely sharing the gospel without having to rely on interpreters who are not always available and are expensive to hire.
Benin Republic is a great harvest field for the gospel since it is an idol-worshipping nation with many unsaved and unchurched people.
We need more Christian workers and resources to enable us to spread the light of the gospel of Christ in this land.
We know it’s not going to be easy, but our minds are made up that with God’s help and your prayers and support, we will get there.
Our joy and fulfillment will be complete when we see the spirit of voodoo defeated and the gospel of our Lord Jesus enthroned in the Benin Republic.
This is possible!
Let’s do it together to the glory of our King and Savior Jesus Christ.
Evangelist Don Ekanem is the founder of GROWING SEED MISSIONS INT’L IN BENIN REPUBLIC. He could be reached on +22991383872
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