Doing missions in an idolatrous nation where you don’t even understand the language of the people is an adventure. It’s a journey in faith, and faith has never failed.
It all began in July 2022 when the Lord instructed me to return to Benin republic after a successful evangelical crusade and ministers conference we had in the country at the beginning of that month.
I did not know anyone in the country or anyplace except the room we slept and the venue we used during the program. But in obedience to the instruction, I left my last mission station in Lafenwa Itele, Ogun state, Nigeria on the 18th of July that year to begin a new life away from my family in my new place of calling.
I was determined to sleep anywhere and eat whatever was available as I left Nigeria that fateful day but as I got to Cotonou, I met a young man by the name James who offered me space in an abandoned store to sleep after I explained my mission to him.
That was the begining of God’s faithfulness in the land which has continued till now.
The beginning
I lived in that store for six months before God miraculously provided another place, and then where we now use as our mission house in Abomey Calavi.
In order for you to deeply understand God’s faithfulness in this mission, I think it is important to mention that I was not sent or sponsored by any church or mission organization when I left Nigeria, except for the instruction I got from the Lord. I did not leave with any money apart from my transport fare and a little cash that was left when I got here.
The major challenge I had was the language which I needed to adapt to. But I did not let it stop me instead I went among the Nigerians and Ghanaians who were in their good numbers in the market and an area called Akpakpa to preach.
In our first one year in the land, we were able to set up five discipleship centres in the market where we had a lot of the English speaking people. With the help of interpreters that were given to us by a branch of Winners Chapel in Fridjrosse, we also preached among the indigenes on the streets and in their homes.
Our concentration was mostly on the Nigerians and the fellowships were doing very well. But sometime about the mid of our second year, the Lord queried us about the fact that we were sent to the people of Benin republic not Nigerians. He told me specifically that if He wanted me to continue ministering to Nigerians, He would have left me there.
From that point, I moved out of the market and left the fellowship with some mature christians among them and went to concentrate on the indigenes. I still visit the market once every week to preach.
It wasn’t easy because some of these Nigerians were supporting me financially but I had to obey the Master. I have known in my experience as a missionary that the secret to success in missions is to listen to the Master and obey Him because He will always guide.
The first thing I did after series of prayers was to join an indigenous church where french or fongbe the local language is used to preach.
Strategic meeting
While there, I met a PhD student of the Abomey Calavi university by the name Roland who speaks English very well and he decided to join the mission team and introduced five other of his colleagues to join us.
From there, a fellowship was formed in my house. When distance became a problem for some of them, I decided to move the mission house to the university community in Abomey Calavi where we now operate from.
With this intellectuals in the team, language wasn’t a barrier any more as they were always available to interpret whenever we went out to evangelize as a team or hold a program.
I also trained them on evangelism and disciple making and they are pretty well preaching the gospel on their own and winning souls to the kingdom. One of them travelled on a research assignment to the northern part of the country and returned with testimonies of souls he won and healing miracles.
The fellowship has also given birth to another fellowship and an online discipleship platform led by Roland who is presently in Switzerland for a three months training in line with his PHD program. Hope to have him back in October to continue in his good works.
It may interest you to know that our major mission in this country was to mobilize the church to evangelize and make disciples through our training programs which we began in Nigeria.
But we couldn’t do it because of our inadequacy in the language. With the presence of these young and vibrant men whom the Lord gave us, we have conducted many evangelism trainings and seminars, all in indigenous churches and are still being sought after regularly.
Free literature
Our free French Bibles and Gospel tracts ministry is another major project the Lord has helped us with. We started in 2023 with our own production of Gospel tracts written in french language and purchase of as many French Bibles as our limited finances could afford for free distribution to churches and missionaries.
It received a very loud welcome since there are not enough Gospel tracts in the country and the few available are sold in the bookshops. Our free French Bibles are strictly given to new believers because they are expensive and we don’t have them in good quantity. We are trusting God to have enough to give to every christian that needs one.
In June this year, I met with the country representative of Every Home For Christ in a conference and we had a meeting a week later in his office to formalize a partnership that will enable us to have free supply of Gospel tracts from their mother ministry Revival Movement Association in Ireland and for me to serve as a faculty member in their training programs.
As I write this report, we have received a consignment of tracts and booklets that are already being distributed to churches.
All of these are from just being obedience!
OUR PROJECTION:
Our legacy as christian missionaries in this land is to establish a one of its kind International School of Evangelism and Disciple making where degrees and certificates are not awarded but your Christlike lifestyle, the souls you bring to the kingdom and your stake in the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth will serve as your credentials.
In the light of this, plans are in place and consultations are ongoing to start an international interdenominational school of evangelism and disciple making in the first quarter of 2026 to support the soul winning efforts of the church and to fulfill the Great Commission mandate in Benin Republic
We very much appreciate your continuous prayers and support.
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!
Sincerely yours,
Evang Don Ekanem
Lead missionary
Growing Seed Christian Nurturing Missions
1 comment
Churchtimes has been consistent in giving us updates on the Church and christianity, courageously telling the truth as it is and bringing positive changes in the lives and ministries of many. It is my prayers that the good Lord will strengthen this sacred endeavor to do more in the decades ahead if Christ tarries.
Keep up the good work beloveds?