Prayer meeting After Thanksgiving

Missions Report

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

CHURCH PLANTING ALONG THE MONTAIN CHAIN OF ATACORA:

THE HILLS OF WITCHES:

When we were planning to plant 5 churches in Atacora this year in the part named the Hills of witches, it was by faith since for many years, missions and evangelists have tried to bring the light of the Gospel in this region but always face opposition of witch doctors. Atacora is a part of Benin with a long chain of mountain where there is no Islam predominance, there is no apparent spiritual opposition but it is a real spiritual war arena.

from the first church planted to the third now our team faced demoniac attack by accident, sickness and physical intimidation. The village where we face a biggest spiritual challenge is called Toucountouna. when we plan to go there we receive the answer that if we tried to bring the Gospel in the village, we will die and if the demoniac power doesn't affect us they plan to physically attack us and kill us.

We feel scared and postpone the program. A month after that, we felt that the holy spirit wants us to go and visit the village and see by ourselves how it looks like and which kind of danger evidence we can find in the village. We went on a market day to be mixed with the crowd. We saw that all the village is under the devil domination. Idols are everywhere. Even the catholic church in the village was closed about 4 years ago.

When we decide to stop under a tree to rest before going back there is a house facing the tree under which we were. From the house come out an old man walking with a cane because he had a foot pain and moved with difficulty. He came and join us under the tree and ask us what we are doing in the village because he noticed that we are not from the village. We explained him that we come to the market but also taking time to visit the village. We also mentioned that we have noticed that there is no church in the village and we would like to know why? The old man told us that God have left the village and now they are suffering in the hands of witch doctors. He has also explained us that he carried the foot pain since 2 years, he went to many hospital and traditional doctor but it still hurt. We took that opportunity to share the Gospel with him and told him that if he believes in Jesus he can heal his foot. He gave his life to Jesus and we pray with him and for his foot. We leave our phone number with him and promise to come back to visit him.

Two days later the pastor received a phone call from the old man. On the call the old man can't say any other thing than: "He heals me....He heals me. Jesus heals me, now I can walk without pain, please come back, we need you in this village. Our village need Jesus"

The pastor calls his prayer warriors and fast and pray for 3 days before going back to the village. We run a 3 days’ outreach program in the village and start the church with 9 believers in the old man house.

1 month later we buy the land and build a worship place there. One day during the Sunday service, during the worship time a women start crying and shouting confessing that she was sent in the church acting as a believer but she is a witch and her mission is to destroy the church and kill the pastor. She was delivered and the pastor is working with her now Bible study and prayer sessions.

The church is establishing and growing slowly.

Please pray for the pastor and his team.

Pray for the new believers and all kind of persecution they can face in the village.

I read this a few days ago and then this morning I read the Ephesians verse and have been reading a Wayne Cordeiro book where I had to share this because all this together stirred me heart.

Read Testimony from TB Sanitorium Page 58-60

At the end of the day it all boils down to needing Jesus Pure and Simple. As a Church we meet to storm Heaven on behalf of needs that press on our hearts. Peple look to us to pray and we look to God for help. We know He is able. But in the mean time we get to show how He has made a difference to us, sometimes it is a simple prayer, or an action of love to help someone use the bathroom. How will you show Jesus to those you encounter?