Monthly Archive for December, 2010

Into the Unknown-Trusting Jesus

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keithmosier
on December 23, 2010
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One of 75 baptisms

I smiled broadly as I watched my friend Tchomba eagerly accepting his diploma on graduation day. Our ten week evangelism training session had ended and now 36 graduates would return home to implement their new skills in soul winning. This was an exciting session as eleven of our students were new converts from our church planter work. Tchomba was one of the eleven. What a joy to watch these “first fruits” being trained to win even more souls for the Kingdom.
The two evangelistic campaigns–used as their practical training at the end of the school–were blessed and we baptized 75 new members into two new church plants in Kisangani.
Even more exciting is that twenty-one of these graduates accepted calls to work for us as church planters in unentered areas. Now, they are returning home to collect their families and move to remote areas to start new congregations.
“Batone, how long will it take you to reach home in Nebasa?” I asked in Swahili as I prepared money for him to use for moving his family.
“Seventeen days,” he replied.
“Wow!” I thought. Over two weeks just to reach home. Then, after resting a few weeks, the family will begin the journey by bicycle to their new station near Buta (far to the north of us). In two months they will finally arrive in Buta. What a journey!

Eleven new converts from our church planter work. Now training for evangelism.

DRC is a huge country and the roads
are still in terrible condition–usually with no public transportation available. I admired their dedication as I watched them leave. They are going deep into unentered territory, where there is little medical care. Just last week, Frederick-one of our existing church planters had come to collect his monthly stipend. While here, he received word that his 22 year old son had died back at his work station. We wept with him over this tragedy.
How will these new families feel moving deep into the bush, far from home? Into the unknown–trusting only in Jesus. The Bible says, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bearing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:6). Oh, what joy there will be when Jesus returns soon to collect His own!
Thanks for your prayers and support for our church planters. Our goal during this school year is to launch 30 new church planters (including these 21 new ones) at $600 each. So far we have funds to launch sixteen, but we still need to raise the launching cost for fourteen more ($8,400). Will you consider launching one of these brave new church planters to open a new congregation in a dark area?
Graduation day for our 36 students
Graduation day for our 36 students

First Impressions

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keithmosier
on December 23, 2010
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By Valerie Ricks
Here we are!  We have arrived at

Frank Valerie Ricks holding a baby

our destination - Kisangani, DRC.  As our plane approached Kisangani, there was forest in all directions, as far as the eye could see.  Then we saw the great Congo River winding its way through it all. What a sight to behold, and to think, this is now our home!
Frank will be setting up a new FM radio station with the help of Adventist World Radio. He is also a laboratory technician.   I, as a nurse, will be helping to start the medical work here.
 
       The weather is tropical but not as oppressive as I had feared. Right now in our apartment, there is no running water or electricity hooked up yet, but we do have a roof over our heads. Currently, I am typing in the dark with battery power and candle light while Frank is pouring cold water over himself from a bucket in the bathroom. All this is accompanied by lots of gasping, oohing, and aahing! We have mosquito netting over the bed, brick walls and a tin roof.
 
The streets in town are busy with motorcycles and bicycles and a few vehicles.  Lots of little businesses line the paved roads radiating from the center of town.  Vehicles have the right of way – not the pedestrians.
Everyone is going somewhere carrying something. People are selling everything. It’s like a huge flea market. A person can even buy a drink of water tied up in a little baggie from some enterprising woman who is carrying them on her head in a basin.
As we leave the city heading for Congo Frontline Mission’s rural outpost, we see many people carrying heavy loads of firewood, charcoal, or bananas. Then the road deteriorates into ruts and holes as we pass a Catholic mission and a pasture.
My first trip to the market the next day was preceded by a heavy rain, making the market a muddy mess. Marybeth didn’t want me to go in for fear I would give up on missionary life right away. However, I was soon traipsing through the mud, garbage, and filth to get through the pathways between the stands. But at the end of the experience, Marybeth commended me since I was still smiling!
Friday we had a baptism at the Tschopo River. It was a touching scene. The students had studied with the candidates and helped by preaching at the meetings. As we followed the truck carrying the baptismal candidates, we thrilled to hear them singing for joy along the way. As people received their new Swahili Bibles, they handled them like a blessed treasure.  We sang as each one came up out of the water.
What vast unreached areas are here! Wonderful, precious people live throughout these towns and villages. Even in the most developed places the wilderness still dominates. And for these people, God has a plan – a plan to save as many as will consent to His loving call. We are here to cooperate with God as the Holy Spirit opens the eyes and hearts of these, His children. We are aware that the old foe will not give up without a fight, so please continue to pray because prayer does change things!

News in Brief

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keithmosier
on December 23, 2010
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  • Nathan Rittenour has returned from his trip to America. However, he did not come back alone… he brought his cousin Craigon Rittenour to help with construction and maintenance. We are so glad to have you both with us!
  • We received another container of 37 One Day Churches from Maranatha and ASI. Praise God! We will soon be assembling them for our church planters.
  • Our next evangelism training session begins on January 5, 2011. The LIGHT (Lay Institute for Global Health Training) group from Wildwood will come to conduct much of the training. Welcome, LIGHT!
  • In one of our letters we mentioned Mr. Mubue, who had gone blind while doing church planter work. We thank God that, after surgery, his vision is completely restored. Praise be to God for answered prayers!
  • Although the final decision in our land dispute is still not made, we have many positive comments from the court indicating that things are heavily in our favor. Thanks for your ongoing prayers!
  • Our construction is moving steadily ahead. Our office building is nearly complete. The cafeteria is almost ready to be used and the classroom is being painted. Work still needs to be done on the men’s dorm and lady’s courtyard.

Calls for Lay Evangelism Training

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keithmosier
on December 23, 2010
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Map of Democratic Republic of Congo“Mbandaka?” I asked in surprise. “But that’s 600 miles down the Congo River?”
“I know. But the call is urgent and you know that area is even more spiritually dark than Kisangani! We’d better go to our knees again,” Keith responded.
This latest call included the use of existing buildings, ready for us to use. Our church has virtually no presence in the Mbandaka area. Surely these people need to hear the truth for these last days also.
This was the third significant call in less than two months. The first came from the northeast of Democratic Republic of Congo. The church is forming a new field in this troubled area. They asked us to assist in lay evangelism training, construction of 20 churches, Bibles for new members, and help with two large evangelistic efforts. After much prayer, we agreed to help.

Pygmy family and their home

Then a second request came. The North Kivu Field requested us to take over the Pygmy camps that had been started in their area. Through private funding, the church had started the gospel work among 27 small Pygmy camps. Seven hundred had been baptized, but now the funding had ended. Could we take over this work as the church was not able to do so? We couldn’t allow the work among these beautiful little people to die, so again, after prayer, we agreed.
Previous calls have come to
do lay evangelism training in Lubumbashi (southeast DRC), Matadi (southwest DRC), and even as far as the country of Chad to the north. Even locally, we receive calls to send trained gospel workers to unentered areas, but we do not have enough trained workers.
And now…..Mbandaka? The Lord knows all these things and we trust Him to provide workers and means if it is His will. Surely, the harvest is great, but where are
the laborers? Which call to answer? The Lord will show us the way as we move forward in faith trusting in Him. Thanks for your prayers and support as we continue training laymen to finish the work in DRC.

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