Great is my joy, my dear brethren, sisters, visitors, and friends: The Lord has made it possible for us to be here together today; He has assembled His people on His holy day to worship Him in spirit and truth. As much as we have assembled from far and near from around the world, I would like to convey the greetings from the brethren in Africa.

As of now the work has entered into almost all the countries in the sub-Saharan region minus northern Africa (which are predominantly Muslim countries) and a few countries in West Africa. Currently we have members in Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo in the west; Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in the east; Burundi, Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia in Central Africa; Angola, Namibia, and South Africa in the Southwest; and Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in the southern part, and Mozambique in the southeastern part.

Angola has now developed into three financially sound and viable Fields. A new missionary school is being started there.

New interest has been created in Benin and a new harvest of first fruits is anticipated shortly.

In Botswana, the brethren recently acquired a piece of land by themselves and have erected a monument for the Lord.

Many properties have also been acquired and structures roofed by the grace of God in Burundi.

Recently there was a harvest of 23 souls in Cameroon, and more are currently awaiting baptism.

There are several missions now in place in Congo.

A Bible worker has recently been sent to Cote d’Ivoire.

The health clinic in Ghana is being run successfully and that country saw a harvest of 26 souls not long ago. The brethren there have been instrumental in opening up the work in neighboring Togo.

The mission in Kenya has moved forward steadily and did some remarkable work in the past four years. The brethren there have been instrumental in opening up the Lord’s work in neighboring nations. God bless them to continue to play a vital role in carrying the torch of truth to unreached places. Recently they penetrated the far eastern city of Mombasa where we had not a single member in the past.

Several visits have been made to Malawi by the brethren from the Zambia Mission. There are interested people in that country.

A Bible worker from Angola has recently been transferred to Mozambique to boost the existing work in that country.

There is also a group in Namibia - refugees from the time of war in Angola.

There are two Missions in Nigeria where the brethren are currently building a monument for the Lord and are entering new places with the present truth. Ten souls were baptized recently. The believers in that country need our prayers since violence and armed robbery have become a daily routine there.

The work in Rwanda is progressing quite well; many souls are being baptized and houses of worship are being roofed, made possible by our brethren from California.

Seychelles and Zambia are both stable, and South Africa is experiencing considerable growth. Many new approaches have been evolved to do missionary work and the fruit is beginning to be seen.

The work is expanding in Tanzania and Uganda. Despite the colossal economic crisis in Zimbabwe, thankfully the work there is progressing as well.

We read that “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:35-38).

Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost, and He also went about doing good. He was moved with compassion and our Lord is still compassionate toward souls. So great is the love of God that He sent His only begotten Son to die in our stead, that we might be redeemed.

In Christ’s work we specifically notice two aspects:

1. He went to every village and every city, to teach the people.

2. When He looked upon the vast congregation, He was moved with compassion.

He understood the condition of the people when they were tired and weary. On one such occasion, when Jesus was teaching, we read: “Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14). This was an occasion when He fed the great multitude.

What about us today? Do we have that burden for souls? We call ourselves the disciples of Christ; we call ourselves followers of our Saviour. Are we are moved with compassion when we look at the perishing world? Millions are born into this world and millions die every day. And unfortunately, the message has not reached the uttermost part of the world. The command is that message must go forward to every part of the world, to every kindred, every nation, every tongue, and every people, in other words, to every nook and cranny of the world.

I always ruminate upon my past life. I think of my good old days and think of sitting in my comfortable home in my old country, remaining with my own people in that country so beautiful and diverse. But then I ask myself, “Is it really God’s will that I remain in my own country, in my homeland? Is my country the whole world?”

Praise God that He has chosen me to be His mouthpiece in the continent of Africa and I blissfully served 12 years in that continent. I trust in the Lord that He used me mightily there, but I take no glory to myself, but I render all honor and glory to my Lord and Saviour who died for me.

And the Lord commands everyone to go into all parts of the world. Let us not think that the United States and Canada are all the world - these are just a little corner on the earth. China being the most populous country is not the whole world. India with its diversity is not the whole world, but they are part of the world. Have you ever seen a farmer having a vast field working only a patch here and there? No, he will till the whole ground to obtain a great harvest. We have as the Lord’s vineyard the whole earth.

Inquire of yourself. Examine yourself. What is your part in all this? Tilling, sowing, planting, watering, reaping? What is our part. Let us examine ourselves. Brethren, we have to go to every part of the world and you should be - we should be - God’s instruments in His vineyard. The Bible says there are few laborers. So each one of us should to commit to go or to send. This is what God wants from us. When God is commanding us to go, many of us are idling staying. Many of us are remaining in our comfort zones. Many of us are so confined in our local churches that we do not penetrate the uttermost part of the world.

Evangelism has two parts: Inward edification and outward promulgation. When we speak on inward edification, we are confined to the local church and we try to maintain that local church - trying to keep it in tact. But we do have another work: Outward promulgation to bring souls from the world. They are to be brought to the fold of Christ. We have a great work to do to accomplish this task. Many times we neglect to go out.

Satan, on the other hand, has a different strategy. What is his strategy? All the evil things, for example, tobacco, television programs, or other things detrimental to our health, our eyes, or our flesh - these go to every part of the world. Those who promote them employ active managers and highly paid representatives and they advance the sale of their products. Do you know why they are successful? I believe that homes throughout the world have more televisions, more tobacco than Holy Bibles. Evil activities that Satan has sold have reached around the world.

Evangelism is not saying we have reached 120 countries. Evangelism must be worldwide. Beginning at home, reach the neighbor. The neighbor will tell the neighbor, and so forth. When you establish the work in one country, that one is to take the message the next. We must have more laborers - one hundred where now there is one.

Finally, I would like to draw your mind back to the sea where Jesus was feeding 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes. Imagine the scene when Jesus asked the people to be seated on the grass and they were seated properly, row by row. The disciples took the baskets and distributed the loaves. Now, can you imagine if the disciples had only gone to the front rows and had never ventured to the back rows, but rather left them with nothing? They would complain. Yet that is what we are almost doing.

We establish a church. We feed them, but we do not go out. The people then begin to complain, because they are overfed. They have spiritual indigestion and they make you feed them more and more, even though they have spiritual indigestion. They make you feed them all the time - you are controlled by them with all their complaining and murmuring.

Brethren, we have to cover the entire globe. Let us pray, brethren, that Christ may give us power - let us pray, brethren, that He may give us power through His Holy Spirit that He may use us more and more. Time is limited, much time has been lost and I wish that God may use each one of us mightily as instruments.