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Locations we have worked |
The mission of Jesus; “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9 NIV), is also our mission.
Our mission is that every village of Liberia will have a healthy church. Most of the towns and villages of Liberia have no church. We have worked in over 400 villages in 12 counties. This month we made 93 mission trips, visiting 99 villages and other locations and we made many other local mission trips. Some of the towns we were in multiple times. We went into 17 new communities. Our longest mission trip was 7 days the shortest a few hours. 36 were baptized and 52 completed our extensive Bible study program. 27 completed our 2 week Bible Institute. We printed and distributed approximately 41,000 pages of training material. Several factors affect how many mission trips we can go on each month; illness, injuries, and availability of money are some.
Liberian martyrs:
Drogdroken is a gold mining camp. It has its god (demon) that controls the camp. It also has its priests. The priests are powerful and bring great fear and respect. In the recent past, two pastors went into the camp to preach. As they were walking out they were ambushed and cut to pieces with machetes. Christians are not welcome!
One of our new young disciples named Messiah was in the camp trying to hustle money for his school fees. He gives testimony of what he experienced while in the camp: One of the priests of the god entered the camp. He filled the camp with fear. They believe that when the priest shouts their gold will disappear and when he curses someone will die. That night the priest slept with the camp leader. The next morning the camp leader was dead, blood had run out of his nose and ears and his gold missing. Two Christians emerged. They went in and prayed for the camp leader for several hours while the priest was yelling and shouting curses on them. That evening the camp leader started to shake, sat up and soon had fully recovered. The priest ran. The camp residents had watched the whole event. Later they gathered, discussed and decided to kill the Christians. They loved their gold and were afraid their god was angry and that all their gold would disappear. The Christians were warned and escaped unharmed.
WSL has yet to enter this region. Messiah wants to return one day but now is still full of fear.
Poison:
Samuel, one of those we are united with and assist, is doing a great job going from village to village in Grand Bassa County. He evangelizes, disciples and starts churches in churchless towns and villages. He was teaching a 3 day workshop that we sponsored. His food was dished up and put to the side as he was teaching. After teaching he went to his food and saw black powder had been sprinkled on it. Immediately he knew what it was. Taking it to others brought unrefuted confirmation: Poison! It was a very powerful poison that brings quick death. Fortunately, he observed it and is alive today. Satan is alive and fighting mad.
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Food cooking over open fire |
Maryland County Branch Advances:
Our field leaders in Maryland just entered and started working in two new regions and tribes. One is the Barrobo tribe of 32 known towns. They have impacted 9 of the towns and baptized 15. The other tribe is the Dorrobo tribe and has 9 known towns. They have ministered in 2 of them.
Maryland County Branch Robbed:
Albert our director was home alone laying on his bed typing his end of month report and unexpectedly fell asleep. He had not yet locked up our base properly. When he awoke early in the morning the laptop he was working on in front of him was gone! So was $200 dollars he had saved for his wedding, another laptop, camera, external hard drive and other items. The thieves had walked all around him, his room and the house taking what they could. Praise God it was not worse they did not take the motor bike, copier, generator, nor his life.
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Albert at the Harper Base |
Wordsower Bible Institute:
We completed another level 1 class. There were 27 students. Our first level teaches about discipleship, the second level is on the church. We have sent these disciples out. Our goal is to see an explosion of free independent churches that will reproduce in other churchless communities.
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The Bible Institute |
Beginning of a new church:
Gayeazon, a little village, is located on a hill deep in the jungle of our Grand Gedeh County. The village is old, maybe 250 years or more. For generations it has been a spiritual center of paganism and divination. It is an unreached churchless region. The people preform rituals, sacrifices and consult the dead! They have a demon they consult for healing of the sick. They will go into the jungle and the face of a baby will appear and tell them how to treat the sick. The sick for many generations have traveled long distances to this village for treatment.
The village was isolated until 1980 when the government became unstable. Opportunities and war caused many to leave the region. Years later, many who had left returned as Christians. But, were not welcome to practice their faith and had to leave the region to attend a church.
Our first visit to the town was in March. Surprisingly the team was allowed to preach and teach. About 40 attend when our teams arrive. We have taught them about Christ, salvation, repentance, Idol worship, witchcraft and baptism. Several have started our Bible marking lessons and others say they are willing to be baptized. We expect some to come to the Bible institute. The walls of another stronghold, centuries old, are crumbling! Surely we are seeing the birth of another church!
Prayer requests:
Pray for Liberia. Join us in a unity of prayer. Pray for a great revival to sweep through this country. Pray for a healthy church in every village in our generation, that every Liberian can walk small and find a healthy church. Please make this prayer part of your daily prayers. Pray for the safety of our leaders as they enter the strongholds of Satan!
June, 2014 Ministry Expense Report
Mission expenses:
$1,568 – Pens, folders, Bibles, mission trips feeding, etc.
$1,485– Motor bike gas and repair, we have 10 bikes. We buy gas in bulk at about $5.00 a gallon.
Wordsower Bible Institute:
$1,022 - Print Shop: This includes all expenses for printing Bible training material.
$1,061 - Bible Institute classes: 27 students completed a two week class. This includes housing, feeding, transportation. It also included some additional development of the facility.
Assistance to the poor:
$835 – Humanitarian assistance: This includes food (average cost is $1.50 a day for food) rent, home repair, etc. Most of this fund assists our sacrificial leaders that live in extreme poverty. We also assist orphans, widows and the handicap.
$187– Medical expenses (average treatment cost per person is $1.00 - $10.00).
$45 – School fee assistance
Team food and house supplies:
$1,380 – Food and house supplies (close estimate). Our core team consists of 13 adults and 17 children. That averages out to $1.53 a day per person to cover, clothes, food, batteries, soap etc. Really, our team uses less than that per day because we feed visitors every day from the interior, refugees, and locals from our house funds.
Donations may be mailed to:
P.O. Box 1648
Piqua, OH 45356
All Donations are tax deductible. A receipt will be sent at year's end. 100% of donations go to the mission for the Liberians and Ivorian refugees. None is used by me or administration. If there are any donation questions, call Doug Billenstein at 937-459-6412.
$7,583- Total for the month.