SOWERS INTERNATIONAL DR Congo
DR Congo
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Emmanuel writes, "I have a word of encouragement for my partners who work with us through prayer and their contributions, both moral and financial: God continues to act in our lives despite the circumstances. He is Master of time and circumstances. Souls are miraculously won over to the Lord and new churches are planted through our common ministry. As examples, two Christian communities in Katanga Province / DR Congo that collaborate with SOWERS in the framework of evangelization (EVAM and CHURCH OF THE DEAF) have developed appropriate strategies to be on the ground every week and the results are very positive. The news coming to me from Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo is also encouraging and God is truly at work everywhere in these countries where we are supervisors of God's work. A testimony that rejoiced my heart and for which I praised the Lord was the report received from EVAM Lubumbashi, Ankoro, Kabalo, Kongolo and Kananga. A total of 24 new churches have been established in the last 6 months (March to September 2021) through the SOWERS' ministry."
Emmanuel writes: "A man in his forties, married about 16 years ago, testified that he was saved thanks to the Gospel presented to him by the SOWERS team, and that he and his wife found harmony and peace in their home that was about to burst."
The evangelist Damascus and his family moved from the city centre to a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Lubumbashi. After three months of prayers and evangelization, a new Christian Assembly of EVAM has been established and it now has more than a hundred members. Emmanuel
Pastor Timothy who participated in our Level 1 training sessions came back to the office to thank by saying that he had never encountered such a simple method of presenting the Gospel as SOWERS. After a month of outings for evangelism, 18 souls came to the Lord and the church that had never experienced this before rejoiced. Emmanuel
The testimony that catches our attention comes from Togo. The fetishist woman won to the Lord said: ‘’She had been relieved of the burden on her. No preacher had convinced her before, but the presentation of the images in the counselling booklet touched her in her heart.’’
Another Muslim woman who followed the message of the open-air meeting (outdoors) decided to give her life to the Lord. Today, she is being persecuted by her family and we pray for her.
Emmanuel (Based in DR Congo, Regional Advisor for Central and West Africa)
Emmanuel writes...
1. A nurse who cared for the sick in a central location close to an open air found his life saved by his decision to come to hear the Word of God explained simply through a SOWERS counselling brochure. Glory to God that this man who did not know he was spiritually sick found healing by accepting Jesus Christ.
2. District IV of Ruashi is famous for the consumption of alcoholic beverages of all kinds. During counseling sessions after the open air, two women who were in a pub came to accept Jesus Christ into their lives, and one of them even admitted that she knew God was looking for her to serve Him.
3. A Muslim who was in constant contact with a Sower has decided to convert to Christianity. He knows the persecution he is on for, but he says he has the joy of Jesus in his life.
4. Finally, a man who attended an open-air presentation and made the decision to follow Jesus did not give up looking for the evangelist who spoke to him of Jesus even though he lived a long way from him.
I am working with three men who desire to work full time with SOWERS. They still need some more training but I am very encouraged with what I am seeing. They will require financial assistance in the future so we have started a "Peanut" income generating project. Yes, we are trialling peanuts and if they give a good return we will plant more and maybe look at other possibilities so we are doing what we can with the little that we have.
How about you, how is your Sowing going? Yes, the harvest in the West is different that the one in DRC but as Paul wrote in Romans 10:14 "...
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" That part remains the same whether in DRC or anywhere...we simply have to go to people with God's message of NEW life. May you be blessed and encouraged as you do so.
Thank you again for your love, support and partnership in the Gospel as we seek to make him known to all. Please keep us in mind as you consider your Mission Budget for 2014.
Emmanuel
During the course of this year 118 new Sowers were trained at L.1 and L.2 in seven seminars.
We held a total of 15 Open Air Meetings and did "Door to Door" evangelism on five occasions.
Through these methods 1140 people were contacted with the Gospel and 640 responded positively. They were followed up and integrated into local churches. A total of nine new churches were planted. While this is encouraging, there is so much more that we can do. I haven't even mentioned the work among the deaf or prisoners in this report nor the translation and printing that needs to be done.
In Luke 8 we read of the parable of the Sower. "Out went the Sower (farmer) to sow his seed." Through your partnership with us and by God's grace, we have had a fruitful year with a "reasonable" harvest but we aren't content with that. We are trusting God for even bigger things next year."
Emmanuel
Another highlight was giving to local evangelists and churches gifts from New Zealand which included Bibles. Do you remember this photo of the old worn out Bible I spoke of as I visited churches in New Zealand—it's pages were worn and torn and it had several books missing? Can you imagine what it would be like to prepare a message from a Bible like that or worse, not having a Bible at all? If you can, then you can imagine the joy that people had as they received their "own" copy. Pastors and Elders receiving their first ever Bible! Now they can read their own and don't have to share one with several other Pastors, in some cases walking long distances just to be able to read one.
However, your giving was not restricted to Bibles. By God's grace we were also able to purchase bicycles, new clothes, eye glasses and even a motorcycle. Some expressed their joy with tears while others lacked the words to say what they felt in their hearts. Yes, God is good and faithful !
Emmanuel
The Pygmy churches were not forgotten in our programme. It was my joy to be invited, during my visit to Kongolo, to attend the dedication of the church built with the efforts and contribution of many Christians, including Pygmies. This is really something extraordinary for the churches of DR Congo who still have their hands stretched outward looking to the West to "supply all of their needs". Other churches we visited were much more basic, a simple gathering of God's people under tarpaulins or a tree—anywhere there was shade or shelter.
Emmanuel