September 2006

Dear partners in the mission

To be a missionary in Africa is to be confronted on a daily basis with the tremendous need for Christian literature, documentation or any kind of help for evangelization purposes.  Like a fire spreading over a dry field, the Gospel fires through Africa; many zealous preachers or evangelists are eager to receive the kind of training which will allow them to reach out to their communities, but they are so limited in resources...  The following e-mails were received while I was reporting about the progress of the radio-ministry of Reformed Faith and Life to the North American churches who support it, and to the Reformed Radio Administration Committee. Read them and you will be able to appreciate by yourselves the extent of this zeal and of the very serious needs:

Good morning dear brothers and sisters in Christ!  With this letter I want to ask you to help me with documents that will help me to evangelize Catholic and Muslim brothers (something about the techniques to approach them).  I am one of your faithful listeners and I would like to receive from you some documents for evangelization as I am an evangelist. May God bless you.
T.M. Church of the Evangelical Cooperation in Chad

Good morning  Pastor! We are responsible for the youth of the Evangelical Church of the Assemblies of God of Lokossa ( Benin ) and kindly request you to send us documentation in order to help the youth to cultivate and strengthen its faith.  We hope that our plea for collaboration will receive your favorable attention.  Receive our brotherly greetings  and may the Grace of our Lord Jesus rest upon you and your ministry.

Beloved in Christ,  with this message I come to tell you that the glory of God is manifested in the Central African Republic through many conversions thanks to your publications.  Your publications are for us working tools but at the moment we experience difficulties to get them due to a lack of publishing companies and also lack of financial means.  That is why I deemed it necessary to write to you in order to ask some help with regard to Christian publications which will be a source of blessings in our midst; Second hand books are welcome too (books, cassettes, CDs, videos and brochures).  May God bless you in Christ. Evangelist M. S. Bangui, Republic of Central Africa

The letters and e-mails which I receive on a daily basis provide me with a unique opportunity to explore the geography of Africa on my big atlas of the world, as these messages come from a great variety of countries and cities.  Do yourself a favor and  go and check the location of these countries on a world map… After Chad , Benin and the Central African Republic , the following e-mail comes from a correspondent living in the north of Cameroon

  : Pastor Eric and brother in Christ, I  got your address from a friend. I am a pastor of the Fraternal Lutheran Church of Cameroun in Ngaoundere.  For a long time I used to work with the Common Ministry in West Africa among the Peul tribe. I encouraged the starting of a radio station in Chad , more precisely in Pala.  I would like to connect the managers of this station with some partners, would you be available to help me for this?  It concerns the training of presenters, the finding of equipment etc.  Your brother in Christ.
Pastor L.S.

While the need for solidly Biblical literature is clear, the kind of queries and concerns expressed by my African correspondents also shows the nature of the spiritual warfare waged on this continent, as you will derive from the following message from Benin that was e-mailed to me during my absence:

Good morning pastor, may the Peace of the Lord be upon you and your ministry.
I would like to know, dear Pastor, if somebody who is demon possessed can be baptized by the Holy Spirit? Also I would like to know whether the sign of deliverance of a possessed person consists in falling into a transe, to roll himself on the ground while struggling, screaming or vomiting?  I humbly request you to supply me with some documentation about these theological concerns in order to help me gain peace in the faith.  Thank you for the documentation which you already sent me and which you will send me.  Please think also of me regarding documentation about the life of a young Christian, about marriage, life at home (I am still a bachelor).
O.H. Lokossa , Benin .

In its own way, whether through radio programmes, through the sending of Reformed literature, through its growing website (www.foi-vie.org.za), or through direct contact with my listeners, Reformed Faith and Life is a powerful instrument for Christian distance education. We fulfill a mission in the French speaking world which is unique, in partnership with international Christian broadcasters like TransWorldRadio of FEBA Radio.  As a church, a family or an individual believer, you too are a unique partner in this ministry.  After His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ promised His disciples that while He sent them to the extremities of the earth to proclaim the Good News of His universal Kingdom, He would be with them to the end of this age.  You too may enjoy the fruit of this promise and blessing; please do not let your enthusiasm and your vision fade out, keep this ministry alive through your prayers and your concrete support! 

In His name

Rev. Eric Kayayan