This week I want to review some of the events from the summer. We hosted three volunteer teams and a theology course for pastors between May 23 and July 27. We want to tell you some of their stories.

First up, the Mount Vernon team. They arrived on our anniversary May 23 and stayed for ten days. No worries, they offered to pay for Sonya and I to go out for a meal by ourselves.

Since 2005, Benin has hosted a team of university students from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. In fact, they were the first team of Nazarene volunteers to Benin. They were also the first Nazarene volunteers to Togo in 2006. This year they were the first Nazarene volunteer team to minister in and around Parakou.

Every Journey Begins with the First Step

The van we traveled in had an uncanny way of doing what it wanted regardless of what we had planned. We waited for a few hours one morning while the driver—Ignace—tried to repair whatever was wrong with the van. We left the guesthouse, and 50 meters down the road, it broke down again. Here’s how it broke down in the first place:

We were just north of Savé when we had to pass through a toll booth. We were the only vehicle headed north. We had 15 passengers and tons of luggage strapped to the top. So, Ignace drove slowly through two “dos d’anes” or donkey’s backs, otherwise known in English as speed bumps. The guy in the toll booth said we were in the wrong lane. We needed to be in the one to the left. Ignace tried to explain that we were the only ones there, so we should just pass through. No, replied the toll booth worker adamantly, we needed to go through the left lane. The right lane was for cars, the left lane was for trucks.

So, Ignace slowly backed up the van. On the second dos d’ane, the front tires rolled too quickly over the bump and-BAM!-the front bumper hit the bump hard. Ignace grimaced and then flashed his “no worries” smile. We headed into the left lane, paid our toll and continued on. We were back to full speed ahead for about ten minutes, when there was a loud CLANK, CLANK as we slowly rolled to a stop on the shoulder. We poured out of the van, pulled clumps of weeds from the side of the road to act as “caution flags” to oncoming traffic. We spent a little quality time on the side of the road, waving to locals speeding by on bicycles or women carrying head pans with babies tied to their backs. After 30 minutes, Ignace had us back on the road, but van problems plagued the rest of the trip.

Lakapararu Update

The Mount Vernon team had an amazing experience in a village just outside of Parakou. Many of you have already read the story about the village church in Lakpararu. It appeared in PFU back in June and in Holiness Today magazine (July/August 2007). It was during the team’s visit that the village chief offered a large piece of land to the fledging church there.

The chief was Muslim and on the verge of choosing to follow Christ. I was told that if he became a Christian so would the rest of the village—around 3,000 people. Yesterday Pastor Habib, the Parakou zone coordinator, told me that the village chief and his large family became Christians a few weeks ago. They attend the small Nazarene church there that we visited. Now there are at least 100 adults in the congregation and many, many, many more children.

Not all of the 3,000 have become Christians all at the same time. As it goes in many parts of the world, each family needs to decide for itself. The village chief still has tremendous influence in the community to draw others to a personal and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Pray for the new converts, those still deciding to follow Christ, and the young pastor working with the new congregation.

Roadside Church Plant

A couple of days later we were invited to visit a new radio tower being built by Trans World Radio. Pastor Moise, the D.S., thought we should try to plant a church in one of the villages on the way. It was one called Sirarou that Pasteur Habib had originally targeted, but had not yet reached. I tell you, Moise and Habib sometimes look more like a couple of guys headed to ball game than pastors, but they always remind me so much of Paul and Silas in the book of Acts.

The van pulled off the two-lane highway and we piled out. Moise walked toward four guys sitting under a shade tree on a shiny polished bench improvised from a fallen tree trunk. Moise told us to greet the village “notables.”

As a few taxis zoomed past, one with a couple of goats strapped to the top, we all shook hands with the notables and smiled with as much meaning and as we could muster. They waved us over to take their place on the tree truck. As we sat tons of kids, women, and men, especially the young men, gathered around us in a circle. There were around 80-100 there within minutes of our stopping the van. We asked if we could sing a song.

We had just learned an African chorus in French, “Il est vivant.” So, we sang and did the motions. Almost everyone knew the words, even if they were not Christians, since these songs are sung in every church in Benin, including the large Catholic church/school on the other side of the road from where we were standing. If they didn’t know the words, they knew the dance steps and motions. I did the spin and handclap with a dusty little 3-year old boy standing on the log behind me. Then, the kids sang a song for us. I think it was the Benin national anthem.

After the singing and dancing, Moise began to explain why we were there, while Habib, a little shorter, stood beside him translating into the local language. Some of the older men shouted questions. Moise responded that this team came from far away in the name of Christ. Even though we were strangers, we become friends as we gather together in Christ. Moise said, soon, this team will leave, but Christ will always be here, and He wants everyone in this village to join the biggest team of all—the Church—that always celebrates Christ together. Moise asked the village notables if he could pray for them and the village. Then, someone from the team was asked to say a word of blessing and a prayer.

Ignace and Habib took down names and cell phone numbers of anyone who did not already attend church, which numbered 30 to 50 people. Those interested were asked to gather in front of the van parked along the roadside so we could pray for specific prayer requests for healing, family trouble, or whatever needed prayed for. This small gathering would be the nucleus of the future church. There were twenty people mostly 18-30 years old gathered around the front of the van. Moise asked again for prayer requests, and most were for upcoming exams. Moise prayed.

Moise and Habib encouraged all of the younger people to bring their families, especially moms and dads, to the first church meeting. They decided on a time and place—10 days later in the courtyard of the school on a Saturday at 3:30 p.m. That would be the first service. As we got into the van, an hour after we arrived, Moise turned to the team and said, “A church was just born.”

Habib told me this week that the church is going strong with about thirty adults and many, many, many more children. There is a pastor from Parakou that is working with the church and trying to identify a local leader for the group. Pray that God will raise up a pastor from among the group, and that God will continue transforming lives in that village along the roadside.

Trans World Tower

We arrived by noon at Trans World Tower and had lunch with Garth Kennedy, the South African project coordinator, working in conjunction with SIM, to get the tower built. It was the fourth building project he has worked on in Africa. The radio tower will eventually broadcast Christian radio from Senegal to Chad, including all of West Africa and parts of the Sahel that have little or no Christian presence. We relaxed in the quiet and tranquil woods were the tower office-in-process is located. The lunch was smoked fish. A student and I challenged each other to eat a fish head. Not bad, but never again, I decided. After a while, we left a soccer ball for the workers, and headed back to Parakou.

Prayer

We had the chance to pray for Pastor Habib’s wife Carole. She was bedridden with tremendous abdominal pain. Just after we left, Habib took her to a hospital where the doctor said she needed surgery. They went to Tanguieta, a town about 250 km (175 miles) away, that has a better hospital. Habib said, Carole groaned in pain as she lay in the back seat. She had apparently miscarried but there were complications. She still bled profusely. She had surgery in Tanguieta and followed by a three-week hospital stay. Next week she will return to Tanguieta with Habib.

Please continue to pray for Habib, Carole, and the other pastors and new converts living and working in Parakou.

Pray for the students from this year’s team as they begin new jobs or prepare for the upcoming school year.

Pray for next year’s team.

Next time, we talk about the adventures of this summer’s Youth in Mission team to Benin and Togo.

Blessings from Benin,

Matt

August 27, 2007 - Youth in Mission Update

As I promised here is the update about the Youth in Mission from this summer.

We hosted the Youth in Missoin team with four Nazarene university students from the United States:

Brittany Henck and Marilyn Grimaud from Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma, Sondra Lynn from Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois, and Andy McGee from Trevecca Nazarene University in Tennessee. YIM participants are not limited to Nazarene students, but most volunteers come from these Nazarene schools.

Fast Facts

Brittany’s grandpa was a missionary to Cape Verde for 30(?) years. She is also a major activist for the cause of social justice and is a partaker of good coffee as a faithful employee of that little-known café called Starbucks.

Marilyn was the team translator and midnight security guard. She also serves on student government back home.

Sondra is a fellow Hoosier (along with Sonya) and her name was the only name really understood by French speakers. She also notated some popular Beninese worship songs for us by sounding them out on the piano.

Andy from the great state of Alabama was with us for a second time after serving with YIM to Benin in 2007. He is now a children’s pastor in the Kansas City area.

Sonya was the team coordinator by planning activities and dealing with all of the logistics with local leaders.

The Challenge of Language

The language barrier is a constant difficulty for volunteers coming from the U.S. to Benin. People learn quickly that Spanish does not work well here. “C’est l’Afrique” or “T.I.A—This is Africa.” It’s French that’s spoken here plus dozens of other local languages. It is a frustration to be in the center of enthusiastic people in exotic places and not understand a word that is being said. It can also be very funny.

The team accompanied Rev. Moise Toumoudagou, the Benin district superintendent, on a tour of an area with several new churches. We wanted him to travel alone with the team so he could practice listening to English and trying to speak and practice a few phrases he has been learning.

One evening in Azové, the team was in a pastors’ meeting led by Rev. Moise. There were about twenty pastors in a circle. Moise had been talking for about 45 minutes when things became somber and serious. Moise asked a question to the pastors. One at a time, the pastors began raising their hands. Moise would say, “Bon, bon.” The team knew that meant, “Good” or “Okay.”

The YIM team members looked at each other, thinking maybe he is asking the whole group if they want to be serious followers of Jesus or even to confirm their relationship with Jesus Christ. Not wanting to be left out, the Yimmers raised their hands, too. That’s when the pastors began cracking up and laughing hard. The team thought, ‘what did we just do?’

A week later after returning to Cotonou, the team asked us what happened. Moise had been describing the district’s commitment to planting churches. The goal for 2007 is 200 new churches. He asked each of these new young pastors, who among you will plant a church that will plant a church in that particular zone by the end of the year? Each of the pastors raised their hand, sensing the kind of commitment they were making in such a public setting. They couldn’t help but laugh when even the American volunteers raised their hands, too.

Voodoo Priestess Tells Her Story

Later on that same trip, the team traveling with Moise and another pastor arrived in a small section of a village called Klouékamé. They were going to meet with some village elders while the team played with kids and tried to chat with the women of the village. Moise hoped to plant a church in this area.

There is a group of villages in this area without a Christian presence. If there are “church” groups, they usually have syncretistic beliefs—a mixture of a few traditional voodoo beliefs and practices as well as a few borrowed from Christianity.

Moise was talking to the people and asked for prayer requests. One older woman stepped forward. Visibly the people crowded around took a step backward. Moise glanced over at the pastor traveling with him who looked a little concerned.

The women described herself as a voodoo priestess as everyone there knew well. She began describing her commitment to one of the local deities, her connection to fellow priests and priestesses, and very accurate details about their practices. This is what scared the people the most. Priests and priestesses never share their “secrets” outside of their group.

She described how she sacrificed animals like chickens and goats. She described how they used the blood of these animals in their ceremonies. She said, sometimes she used her own blood. Her arms were covered with scars where she inflicted wounds to use her blood in voodoo worship.

She also described herself as a “flesh-eater.” That’s when Moise’s eyes widened with the rest of the group standing there. A “flesh eater” is a euphemism for those who sacrifice not only animals but humans in their ceremonies. This meant not only did they sacrifice the blood but maybe even the lives of the participants.

She talked for a while longer. Then, she began screaming and shouting about why this happened to her and how she knew that Jesus is greater and wanted to follow Him. She asked Moise and the pastor and the others standing there to pray for her. As they prayed she received more than she thought she might—the forgiveness found in the One who made the ultimate sacrifice, who spilled His own blood so we don’t have to, to bring all of those believe and turn from their sin to become a part of His family.

“In bringing many sons [and daughters] to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation [Jesus Christ] perfect through suffering [through his spilt blood and sacrifice upon the Cross]. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.” (Hebrews 2:10-11).

There’s a new little church in that village. Pray that God will continue to bring women like this priestess to the Cross where they no longer need to spill their blood or that of animals, but that they might come to Jesus who “tasted death for everyone.” Is it any wonder, according to a recent book by Philip Jenkins, why the New Testament Book of Hebrews appeals so strongly to the people of Africa?

Time in Togo

Cyrille Ebam hosted the YIM team for two weeks in Togo. Cyrille is the district superintendent/ministry coordinator/church planter/pastor-teacher in Togo. In the last two years, they have had tremendous growth as churches are multiplying in southern and central Togo. Cyrille is one of the most capable African leaders I know. He and Moise are not only good friends, but they make a good team together.

Cyrille who speaks French and English fluently united the team with local youth leaders as they coordinated football (soccer) tournaments. The tournaments drew large audiences and made it possible to promote the new churches in the area as well as promote later JESUS Film showings.

The YIM team not only visited villages, but they spent almost a week living in a village, sleeping in mudbrick huts, washing clothes by hand, and living side-by-side those to whom they ministered. This was a great experience for the team but also for Cyrille as he hopes more volunteers might consider coming to West Africa.

It was a good thing to host a YIM team this summer. We will be on home assignment next summer, but we hope to see more YIM teams and similar groups coming to West Africa in the next few years. Many times these teams include future missionaries.

Our greatest need for volunteers is in the area of Work and Witness construction teams to help us build district centers across the field. If you or your church is interested in sending a W&W team to West Africa, write Tim Eby at teby@awfcon.org.

If you know a university student interested in Youth in Mission, contact Jillian at JFothergill@nazarene.org for more information.

Blessings from Benin,

Matt

August 31, 2007 - Last Summer Update

This is the last official update from this summer.

I wanted to share with you some of activities from the first Work and Witness team to come to Benin.

The Team Got to Work

It was great to have a team of folks who knew us from our visit to their church in 2006. It was an exciting church to be at for our first deputation service during that home assignment. The Spring 2007 issue of GROW magazine had a cover story on Yuba City (CA) Church of the Nazarene now that it is the fastest growing Nazarene church in North America. We were glad to think that a local church with this much going on found the time and energy to include Benin in its outreach this summer during the last two weeks of July.

Ric and Kathy helped put together a team of ten adults to begin the construction of the Benin District Center in a suburb of Cotonou called Abomey-Calavi. We want thank the team leaders and the others for their hard work, including George, Terry, Sheila, Chris, Debbie, Adriana, Patrick, and Stacia. We know that some of them took time away from their jobs and made large sacrifices to be here. What a surprise for them when they traveled with Air Maroc. They got off the plane and discovered that they were able to not only spend a day sightseeing in Casablanca, but also rest in airline-provided hotel rooms with meals included. They arrived around 6:00 a.m., but several of the team members still visited the site to get things ready for the next day’s work.

The goal was to get as much of the foundation wall completed as possible. Even though half the team was experienced in construction, it was the first time they mixed cement with shovels and/or used a bucket brigade to move so much cement. We didn’t quite get the walls finished off, but the team was able to get almost all of the iron supports built by cutting and bending and twisting it into shape. We shocked several locals while we worked. Many times a car would drive by and then back up to gawk in disbelief at all the “yovos” working away, throwing buckets or mixing cement.

Working Side-by-Side

Rev. Moise and I established a unique requirement as we planned on the team’s project for the district center. We would not have volunteer teams from American churches leaving their jobs in the U.S. to spend vacation time working here without volunteers from the Benin church. We are fortunate enough in the Benin Church of the Nazarene to have several qualified and experienced construction workers.

We want to thank the ironworkers like Pasteur Firmin and masons like Luc and Pasteur Bruno for taking time away from their jobs to work on the district center. Pasteur Theophile, one of the newly ordained pastors in the north, is also a building engineer. He arrived two weeks before the team and just this week returned to get the foundation completed. The Beninese church also supplied several laypeople from among the youth, district advisory board, and local pastors from Cotonou. We received a visit from a pastor and three women from their urban congregation. He said, we can’t do much of the manual labor, but we can bring food to feed the workers, which they have been doing over the last few weeks. Ric, the team leader, said, “This is one of the first construction projects where we worked side-by-side local church people in putting up their building.”

It was also a highlight for the local workers as well. Pasteur Firmin slept in a storage room on top of the cement bags. He was stayed there with another pastor and  two laypeople guarding the supplies before, during, and after the team’s visit. He and Pasteur Theophile were thrilled to get some bug spray from Chris, a team member, to help keep the mosquitoes at bay. Chris also spent a lot of time practicing her French skills and teaching the pastors some English. We hope she can return in the near future to teach English to more of the French-speaking pastors.

Pasteur Firmin, an ironworker or “ferrier,” stayed for more three weeks after the team left to help finish up the walls, even though his wife and child were very ill. Here he is with two of the lay workers on the site last week. To the left is Pasteur Firmin, top right, with two other laypeople working at the district center site.

Pasteur Firmin contacted me by E-mail just after returning home after a month in Cotonou. He wrote:

« Ce mot tout simplement pour vous informer que je suis bien rentré et que l'état de santé de ma famille va mieux pour mon enfant mais ma femme est encor souffrante. Néanmoins nous nous réjouissons des compliments que nous avons reçu, Théophile et moi , de l'équipe des volontaires de l'église de Yuba City. Nous vous remercions dans le nom de CHRIST. »

His note says in English, “This is just to let you know that I returned without a problem and my child’s health is doing better but my wife is still pretty sick. Nevertheless, we rejoice in all the compliments that Theophile and I received from the volunteer team from the church in Yuba City. We thank you in the name of Christ.”

It really was an amazing experience for the team as they learned to pace themselves, get adjusted to the climate, and get acquainted with the culture. We took time out to visit the local Nazarene church in Ganvie and to do a prayer-walk around the serpent temple in Ouidah. The team also learned about the simple joys of hearing the Tampico guy’s horn on sweltering afternoon.

Prayer Requests

Pray for the team as they get back into the routine of their lives in the U.S. My hope is that this trip changed their perspective on West Africa for the rest of their lives. It’s my same hope for the local pastors here who interacted with the team who will now see Americans in a new light.

Pray for the construction project. It has quite a ways to go with no other teams lined up. Let us know if you’re interested in sending a team or project funds by contacting Tim (teby@awfcon.org) or myself (mprice@awfcon.org).

Pray for Pasteur Firmin’s wife as she continues to get better.

Pray for Moise’s wife, Rosaline. We found out she is pregnant again while the team was here. But, there are complications. Remember her and the unborn child.

Pray for the workers who are continuing on the foundation and get the site ready for the next step.

Pray for the district as the work continues to expand into new yet to be reached areas.

Pray for Moise who returns home tomorrow after two and a half weeks in Cape Verde and Dakar, Senegal.

As always . . .

Blessings from Benin,

Matt