News From the Mission Field

Twenty youth walked from Kanaga town up to Tshinanga in one day by foot. The distance is about 65 km....The purpose of this journey was to evangelize and open a new group there.

Dear Brethren,

We, of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement of Kananga (DR Congo, West Mission Kasaï Central) from the local church “Living God,” greet you in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

We are very glad to send you this report to inform you about the progress of God’s work in our Mission, as done by the Youth Department.

On April 3rd, twenty youth whose ages vary from 12–24 years old walked from Kananga town up to Tshinanga in one day by foot. The purpose of this journey was to evangelize and open a new group there.

The distance is about sixty-five (65) km. It was our first time travelling this way. We crossed two big streams—one of which had a fantastic bridge made of wood tied with indigenous African supports drawn from the plants. Arriving at this bridge, all of us were surprised; the youngest brothers and sisters were afraid, and at first they were not willing to cross it. But we encouraged them and finally everyone crossed, as there was no other possibility.

Arriving where we would dwell, everybody was tired and realized that we had gone quite a long distance by foot. This had been tiring indeed, for the journey started at six o’clock in the morning and finished at half past six in the evening.

On Wednesday morning our intensive preaching work started from door to door, from one part of the village to another, as the village has many parts separated by forests, each distinct from the other. To succeed in this, we made six groups of two to three persons. The main verse on which we focused was Jeremiah 6:16, speaking of a call of God to His people to come back to their former ways that God made for them in Eden. Among those ways we selected for emphasis were the Sabbath, the original diet, and marriage.

As mentioned, these ways were preached from door to door—whether to men, women, old, or young. The main job of the people there is agriculture, so during those four days we would wait until they would come home at the end of the day. Some people would accept the teachings easily and others would not. By prayer and songs each evening, many were convinced by the message brought by the young men.

Some difficulties were encountered through members of religions such as the so-called Jehovah Witnesses and some Animist members, but with strong reasoning and Scripture texts, a good number were nonetheless convinced.

The result was that we prayed with 82 persons at the end of worship on the Sabbath day and gave a pamphlet to each of these new believers. They still needed Bibles and hymn books, but the next Sabbath one of our brethren had gone there and told us that they prayed with forty (40) persons during that Sabbath day on April 14th. This has encouraged us, and for the next Sabbath we decided to pay the transportation for two brothers to bring a Tshiluba Bible for them and preach to them. Then on Sabbath, April 21st, two brothers were there and worshipped with 49 persons.

May the Lord bless this work more in our area. We need your prayers.

Yours in Christ,

Bro. Gaston NGANDU, Youth Secretary