NEED OF ABUNDANT GOSPEL SOWING

During our reflection in the 9^th Annual Conference session of the United Methodist Church Cote D’Ivoire which was in YOPOUGON District at EXODE church, from 26 to 30 March 2014.  Bishop Benjamin Boni exhorted the church to support its mission program in Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Burkina and Niger. In these countries; evangelism is rare or absent. The delegates who came from Burkina Faso and Guinea Conakry were happy to be present at the annual conference. It was a good opportunity for me to hear more stories of hope to spread the gospel. There is need of abundant gospel sowing because the surrounding countries are dominated by Muslims.   

           In the middle is a church planter from Burkina Faso who came at annual Conference

Another story, this time about John Wesley;

John Wesley was an itinerant evangelist traveling widely in order to preach the Gospel. One day, someone challenged him that he should only speak to people about the Lord when he sensed God prompting him. He tried it for one week. During that time he spoke to virtually no one because he never sensed the Lords' prompting. At the end of the week he concluded this didn't work and went back to speaking to everyone he met. I speak to myself: we have lost the art of abundant Gospel sowing.   As Methodists, we have to sow abundantly because we will also reap abundantly.

 Delegates from Guinea Conakry from left Pastor Grah who is living in Conakry and on the middle brothers from Guinea Conakry. 

 EXPANDING THE KINGDOM 

We are planning to train church planters and deploy them to plant multiple churches. In the Gospels the establishment of the church is announced and prepared by Jesus’s teaching of the kingdom. Although the kingdom of God cannot be equated with the church, the church is God’s primary instrument in this age to advance his kingdom as a sign of and witness to the kingdom that will one day come in fullness. Every Church Planting in this region will be accompanied by abundant sowing of the gospel.

 The life-changing power of the gospel

Never underestimate the power of the gospel.   Let me say it again—never, never, never, ever, whatever your assignment, wherever you go, never underestimate the power of the gospel. Treasure it. Go deep in it. Explore its riches. Live it out in your ministries. Embody it in your leadership teams and congregations.  Guard it with your life, and entrust it to others.

The evangelization of the poor involves both material and spiritual assistance

The Good News of Jesus Christ is transforming the poor and the villages. To be in God’s mission in Cote d’Ivoire, God has allowed me to witness that the transformation power belong to Him. Our responsibility is to preach the Gospel.  After visiting many villages and other places out of Abidjan, I saw poverty and sufferings. Many people are waiting for a better day but there is no a spirit of initiatives that can bring change. Climate change is also affecting the livelihoods of West African smallholder farmers who rely on rain-fed agricultural techniques, and it is expected to make food shortages more acute as the region’s population continues to grow. 

To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world is a spiritual solution to a country like Cote D’ivoire. Many young people are victims of economical and sociopolitical crisis of the last 10 years.   People are living their villages to go to town to look for better life. Many plantations are lack of workers because those who were working decided to go to town. There is need to change a mindset of the population. That why to evangelize a place like this, it is necessary to preach the Gospel into practice. 

I believe to evangelize means to put the Gospel into practice, that is, to believe in Jesus Christ, to live in Jesus Christ, to follow Jesus Christ. In order to believe and live what we preach, it is necessary to act, to serve, to go forth to meet the neighbor in his or her needs.

We are in God’s Mission to evangelize poor people and assist them to alleviate their sufferings, to take care of their spiritual needs.

 

Matthew 25:34-35  (NIV) ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in..

                                                    Children in NIGUI ASOKO village

As missionary, these words are for me to continue to imitate and continue the mission of Jesus Christ who evangelized, announced the Gospel, proclaimed the Good News of salvation. To do this is to evangelize with the Word and with works; it is the most perfect; and it is what our Lord practiced and what all those who represent him on earth are held to practice.

St Vincent also has experienced to preach to the poor. I have learned from him that in evangelizing the poor we have to see, to judge, to be compassionate and we have to act.

SEE

Be a good observer by seeing how society treats the poor and paying attention to the conditions of their lives.

Christ in the poor.

JUDGE

Think how these conditions might change, asking ourselves why and what possible projects are.

Christ for the poor

.

BE COMPASSIONATE.

Have compassion for our brothers and sisters, uniting ourselves with them where they are.

Christ with the poor.

ACT

Put our hands to work, being Good Samaritans and healing the wounds of the people.

Christ loves the poor.

   Madame Kouassi and Francine Masuka are giving food and clothes to Mr. Alasan who was a muslin now he is a Christian.

Why I like to work in the village? 

I like to work as missionary in the village. It is a great experience to work with villagers. In the village everyone knows everyone else, they visit each other, they help each other, and they feel they belong together and they celebrate their faith with vitality, rhythm and contagious joy. They are all one family. In this situation, the parish is the community of communities. The evangelization of the poor happens through the incarnation and adaptation of the missionary to the reality and surroundings of the mission. This is the only way to touch the lives of many and convert some.

I will finish this reflection with John Wesley’s quote:

"You bind your own hands. You, make it impossible for you to do that good which otherwise you might. So that you injure the poor in the same proportion as you poison your own soul. You might have clothed the naked; but what was due to them, was thrown away on your own costly apparel. You might have fed the hungry… but the superfluities of your own table swallowed up that whereby they should have been profited. And so this wasting of thy Lord's goods is an instance of complicated wickedness; since hereby thy poor brother perisheth, for whom Christ died."

(The Works of John Wesley, vol. 8, "A Farther Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion")

If you are interested in my ministry, please pray for my family and I to continue sharing the 

Good News of Jesus Christ. E-mail: jmaleka@umcmission.org    THANK YOU FOR READING.

 

February, 2014 Newsletter in Cote d'Ivoire

Dear beloved in Jesus Christ. I thank God for your support and commitment to God’s mission. Thank you so much for all donations. Receive our warm greetings from the Cote D’Ivoire Annual Conference and my family. February 2014 was a wonderful month in our ministries. God of mission has used us to preach the God News to a Muslim in our house and gave him an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ. Here is Alasan’s story.

ALASAN’s story who converted to Christianity

Alasan is about 45 of age; he was a Muslim living in a slum called Washington here in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The Cote d’Ivoire Government has destroyed this particular slum; Alasan was now squatting to his friend’s house. Because of poverty and lack of resources, his wife runs away and left Alasan with one daughter who is about 1year and half. Alasan started looking good life to Marabou (witchcrafts), his friend a Muslim IMAN proposed him to sacrifice his daughter for him to be rich but Alasan was hesitating for a period. The day he decided to bring his daughter to his friend he collapsed down into the road.  The place he felt down was at our gate of the house. My wife Francine Masuka, saw a man down with his baby on his chest, many people were passing him.

 Francine decided to go near him; she finds Alasan was too breathless to speak; he was agitated by a severe asthma attack. The head of Alasan was swollen. Francine took courage to invite him to our house; she bathed the baby and gave clothes and food to them. Alasan revealed to me that he was going to sacrifice his baby, he don’t know how he is in the pastor’s house. After a message of salvation to him, Alasan cried for repentance and he decided to receive Jesus Christ in his life. He testified that he was about to die without sacrificing his daughter but Jesus Christ is a living God, who gave him life. After prayer; we gave him 20,000 Francs CFA( about $40 USD)  for his rent deposit, we gave  food, clothes and a bible for him to start  a new life. Alasan cried to see another life in Jesus Christ’s family; we accepted to stay with his daughter  until he will be fine. Alasan is now friend in Jesus Christ.  You are invited to pray for him.  

                                                         Francine was bathing NORA

                                                                  NORA

Alasan has experienced the power of God’s word and he has touched the bible for the first time in his life.

                                                                    Alasan with his baby Nora   

                                

If you are interested to support our ministries your are welcome. 

                                      Women empowerment program in Bingerville:  

Pastor Pierrette Beugré has shared with us a vision to empower widows in bingerville village where she is ministering. Women have learned how to make soap for self-sufficient, how to share the Good news of Jesus Christ using the wordless book.

Empowering women and young ladies is one of our goals in Cote d’Ivoire to alleviate human suffering and fight poverty.  Evangelism is to share the Good News to people. 

                                                   Marie and Francine were planning to teach women the trade of doing the fabric called the loom.

                                       Children Good News Club in Yopougon,  Abidjan. 

                                                                                             I  was teaching teens a prayer lesson 

 

                                                
                                                  

                                              
                                                                                               Marie Fattoh was teaching biblical lesson.  

       

                                                                                                             Children were praying 

                               

                                                                                            Francine Masuka was giving advices to children

Following is a partial list of needs for which you might intercede as guided by the Spirit.  Pray for many churches to enter in covenant relationship with us. Pray for a mission vehicle project which will enable us to reach the rural areas to plant UMC congregations and do evangelization.

Remember, you are part of this mission. I am not working independently in this foreign land.  I have been sent by you brothers and sisters called Methodists so that we share together the burden, the work, and the rewards.

I invite you to extend your support by entering into a Covenant Relationship through supporting my Missionary Advance #3021390. Consider also volunteering and sharing the story of my ministry with your church.

Thank you so much for your support.

My contacts are: 

Jean Claude MASUKA MALEKA

Address 01 BP 1282 Abidjan 01

CONTACTS: +22556282278

EMAIL: malekamasuka@yahoo.com or jmaleka@umcmission.org

My blog: http://hope2africa.blogspot.com

Skype is: Claude Masuka

Facebook: Masuka Maleka