Dear Partners in Mission,
My name is Jean Claude Masuka
Maleka and I am from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am a Global Ministries missionary serving
in Côte
d'Ivoire as a Church Developer, Planter and trainer. I have
been reassigned in Abidjan to respond to the needs of the church. I am grateful
for your support of missions which enabled my response to full-time missionary
service.
My family and I have
been introduced at Nazareth church, 80
km from Abidjan
You are welcome to join us in Côte
d'Ivoire, a linguistic tapestry of at least 60 languages and an ethnic
composition which includes many indigenous groups as well as large populations
of expatriate Lebanese and French. Although 40% of Ivoirians are Muslim, the
nation boasts two of the largest Catholic cathedrals in the world. Evangelicals
are now estimated at about 9.2% of the total population. The United Methodist
Church is among the Evangelical Churches. Many people, especially the youth,
are nonetheless open to the Gospel. Among 60 languages spoken, Jula (Maninke),
the trade language, is spoken by most of the Muslims in Côte d'Ivoire,
currently estimated at about 40% of the population. Among the 60 ethnic groups
of Côte d'Ivoire, 26 are still unreached with the Gospel. Less than 20% of the
population has any affiliation with a Christian church. There is no official
state church in Côte d'Ivoire. The
government is very open to mission activity.
offering in Bakanu village A
According
to UNICEF 2013, the national HIV prevalence rate is 3.9 per cent; Côte d’Ivoire
is the most affected country in Western Africa. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is the
first cause of death for adults. 420,000 Ivorian children are orphaned and
vulnerable due to HIV/AIDS. 52,000 children live with HIV, and over 16,000 are
infected each year. Only 4,000 children are followed-up for HIV/AIDS and 2,800
benefit from Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. With two women infected for one man
(6.4 for women against 2.9 for men) the feminization of the infection is evident. Among young pregnant women (15-24) living in
Abidjan, HIV prevalence is 5.2 per
cent. HIV/AIDS is a crosscutting
component and interventions mainly consist of preventing HIV/AIDs and providing
assistance to women and children affected by the pandemic.
Children at Nazareth Church after church service in BAKANU A Village
Are you feeling God's leading
to serve in Côte d'Ivoire? We have many opportunities God can use you in his
mission. Blessing the Children is pleased to offer you a variety of ways you
can come to Côte d'Ivoire in person and give of yourself in ministry.
Some people are called to send, and others are called to go. If you’re
considering going, let us help you make your gift of service memorable for you
and effective for those you are going to minister to.
We
need your support, we can enter in covenant relationship with your church, we have a wide range of ministry
opportunities that will provide rewarding experiences for you as you minister
to those less fortunate. You are welcome if you are an individual interested in
serving on a mission trip.
My Call to Mission in Cote D’Ivoire
We
are grateful to those who support our work. We believe that every prayer
said on our behalf, every gift made, and every friend who has made sacrifices
to keep our mission alive, God will reward them. The Cote D’Ivoire annual conference of the
United Methodist Church has 17 districts and 7 of them are missionary
districts. My role is to work alongside with those local missionaries who are
planting churches; to provide leadership training and building capacities to
impact the new areas with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and establish the United
Methodist Church.
Most of the missionary districts
are situated in remote areas and many people are poor. The population has
limited access to basic services like schools, water and medical health centers.
Women and children are the most
vulnerable people in these areas.
Most women did not have access to school due to cultural barriers where men
dominate in the decision making.
Evangelization
in these new areas is the most important mission of the Church. The northern
part of Cote D’Ivoire is more influenced by Muslims and others African religions.
As a church, we should act now. Lives are at stake. While we have windows of
opportunity in places where many have not heard the name of Jesus, the church
is called to “go into the entire world to preach the good news”. As Missionary, my role is to proclaim the
love of God in word and deed; many will find true hope for this life and
eternity.
We
are called to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and reach out to the
outcasts. We work in many cultures, languages and religious traditions.
Our call to serve the Lord takes us to many places around the country. By
working side-by-side with the most needy, we actively proclaim the kingdom of
God on earth. Mission
is not all about money. Mission is also about volunteering time and
skill. Volunteers embody Christian love in action as we bring our diverse
talents to mission programs.
What
we share is a desire to live our love of Christ and to spread God’s love to
vulnerable population. Remember together with you, our Partner in Mission, it
is a powerful force for love, charity and justice in the world. You are
welcome if you want to put your faith into action by serving as a volunteer
in Cote d’Ivoire mission.
Share the
gifts God has given you. Connect with the mission of The United Methodist
Church and make a difference in the world.
"God’s not looking for capable hands, He’s looking for available
ones."
Many service opportunities exist for those who would like to volunteer in different areas like; construction, painting, sewing, farming, teaching, church ministry, water project, community outreach, medical services, etc. Remember, we are offering ourselves as an act to worship God. We can worship by giving. We can give God our whole selves, our time, our money, our talents, our bodies, our minds, our hearts. You and I give time to God by doing kind things for others. We give Him money by putting it in the offering at church to help people in need and support missionaries.
Many service opportunities exist for those who would like to volunteer in different areas like; construction, painting, sewing, farming, teaching, church ministry, water project, community outreach, medical services, etc. Remember, we are offering ourselves as an act to worship God. We can worship by giving. We can give God our whole selves, our time, our money, our talents, our bodies, our minds, our hearts. You and I give time to God by doing kind things for others. We give Him money by putting it in the offering at church to help people in need and support missionaries.
I invite you to prayerfully consider supporting me
to raise funds to respond to our priorities:
·A mission Car to help us to visit churches in
rural areas where our presence
is needed more.
is needed more.
·Funds for our program which will enable us to
organize workshops, seminars and
trainings with church leaders, church planters and support compassion ministries.
trainings with church leaders, church planters and support compassion ministries.
For financial contributions, you may:
1. Use Global Ministries' website: www.umcmission.org to
send a donation for my salary support. At the bottom of the page, click
on "Missionaries". Scroll to my name on the missionaries’ page
and my profile will appear. At the bottom of my profile is a link to make
an online donation.
2. Through mailing a check from your local
church to your conference office. On the memo line, write for Jean Claude Masuka Maleka, advance #
3021390”
Thank you so much for your support. You’re a huge part of helping us to spread the Good news around the world.
Thank you so much for your support. You’re a huge part of helping us to spread the Good news around the world.
My contacts are:
Jean Claude MASUKA MALEKA
CONTACTS: +225 56282278
EMAIL: malekamasuka@yahoo.com
or jmaleka@umcmission.org
My blog: http://hope2africa.blogspot.com
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2014.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2014.
