Dear Friends,
Greetings and warm Christian love from within Africa's sleeping giant in the precious Name of our Lord and Savior.
According to Paul Culley, "We are not responsible for CONVERSION, but we are responsible for CONTACT. We cannot compel any man to decide for Christ, but we may compel every man to decide one way or the other. That is, we may so bring to every human being the Gospel message that the responsibility is transferred from us to him and that we are delivered from blood-guiltiness" (1954).
It is with this understanding that we have now teamed up with others in the assembly to take the Word of God to every part of Nigeria, Africa's sleeping giant. Recently it has pleased God to open the door to the country of Ghana.
In Ghana Cyprian gave the devotionals and worked with Jim Gillett for the day seminars. We were given favor in the sight of the Church, and the best of the country's Christian leadership welcomed us and described our visit as God-sent. In Accra the Challenge Enterprises, a literature ministry started by SIM mission, now serves to coordinate the demand for courses temporarily, until our students have completed their 12 courses which qualifies them as correctors. Then the best correctors become the coordinators of a number of other correctors.
Among these students are: Rev. Alfred Addison, Pastor of the University of Accra Chapel; Benjamin Boateng, Managing Director of Challenge Enterprises; Walt Mawuenyegah, Dean of Shalom Bible Training Institute; Joyce Weceko-Brobby, a former high government official who now hosts a Christian radio program in Accra.
In Kumasi, about three-and-a-half hours drive from Accra, we had another fruitful series of meetings. In attendance here were Mike and Elaine Bourer, a young Canadian couple in the employ of a mining company. They and Cyprian have agreed on a plan to start an assembly. They will be hosting Cyprian's July and October visits to the Central and Volta regions of Ghana. We were also blessed with an hour-long interview over a radio station on the purpose and goal of the Emmaus courses.
Starting from February 5th Cyprian undertook a tour of the country (Nigeria) to assess the progress and need of the work in the hands of local correctors.
When Jim Gillett arrived it became a continuation of that tour, only this time we focused on harvesting and training. Between March 20 and April 16 we covered over 29 thousand kilometers of rough road network. Hundreds of correctors are now added to the array of correctors spread around the country fishing for souls.
On the 16th of April we left for Ghana, and Cyprian returned on the 21st and has commenced another round of visits from the 22nd to date. During these visits he is conducting workshops to train correctors on proper methods of using the courses for evangelism and discipleship. He also teaches record-keeping and self-accounting techniques.
In Kano the coordinator and an elder in the assembly, Patrick Ochigbo, testified of several Muslims acknowledging Christ as Savior after studying the courses. One of the new correctors in this Muslim city is an officer in the Army who views the Army barracks as his mission field. Already his student numbers are growing. Cyprian will hold a series of meetings among the soldiers with his help. Pray that all will be done in His honor and fear.
The use of the film unit is another tool that has been of immense blessing. An assembly was planted through it in Agila among the Ezzi (Ibo speaking people) who live in Idoma Land. They have given land to build a worship place. A day after we left, a community conflict led to the loss of several lives. Here your prayers for our safety were not in vain.
The CMML assemblies have fully embraced the Emmaus courses. They are popular among the youth. They have centers in Ayangba, Abocho, Dekina, and Iyale. Due to the great demand we have opened a major supply depot at CMML Mission Compound. This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.
When Mordecai issued a decree in the king's name, it took less than nine months to get the message to all the 27 provinces, from India to Ethiopia. This in spite of the fact that there were no modern facilities to aid them such as telephones, computers, radio, television, faxes, and air travel. Today we have all these aids, and yet the Church has not taken the message to all ethnic groups as commanded by no less a person than the King of kings in 1,997 years. It is about time, for He is coming soon.
Yours, Seeking the Lost in Immanuel's Name,
Joy and Cyprian
