2001 Missions Trip

Sharing in the Fields
More Sharing and Pictures

Update on The Gambia Missions

New Life Fellowship is still growing. A group of seven people representing New Life Fellowship as well Awe Star Ministry (24 youths) went to The Gambia to minister in the summer of 2001. The Lord moved in wonderful ways. There were many people whose lives will never be the same because the love of Jesus impacted their lives.

Pastor Martins has a group he sends out daily from 8:00am to 4:00pm to share the Gospel. That is their full-time job. These people are very dedicated in their service to the Lord. The weather is extremely hot, yet this group presses from house to house and compound to compound preaching salvation through Jesus Christ. Though they experience rejection and ridicule, they know their position in Christ. So they continue in Him and in His power.

The church building in Serrekunda/Bakoteh is still not finished. Pastor Martins is using the current funds to help meet the needs of people in his church (which seems overwhelming). There are unfinished rooms in the church, including office space, toilets and electrical wiring. At this point they are using a generator for power.

Pastor Martins houses people whose families have disowned them because of their conversion. He also lectures at Banjul Bible Training Center in Fajara.

It is the pastor’s desire to give out food from the church. This will be a wonderful way of evangelism. He also holds a school of ministry on certain days of the week as well as a Wolof service (one of the local dialects). He is praying that God will make a way that he could get the Jesus Film in a form that will accommodate a large audience. This is a very expensive project. But God can do it!

This summer Pastor Martins ordained nine pastors to work in The Gambia and Guinea Bissau. At the service, other ministers came to show their support of the work there. Those who came to the Lord were baptised in the Atlantic Ocean.

Transportation continues to be a problem for them. In a country where Islam reigns, there are times when Muslims are invited to come to church. And they do come. (If they give their word, they follow through). But the cost of transportation prevents many from coming. We don’t expect them to go the extra mile as the believer would. But while we were in The Gambia, we found that, when the fare wasn’t a concern, people were more likely to visit the church. We are hoping to get a bus to help with the evangelism efforts.

In Bulock

The situation in Bulock is dry. The people there are poor in spirit. The Akalo (chief) wants the pastor to build a church/school there. Bulock is the village where the former marabout (witchdoctor) lived. When we visited there, the marabout had gone to be with the Lord. Now in this village there will be no one to take his place. There are, however, neighboring villages where people can get amulets they believe will save them from physical harm or cause their desires to become reality. In Bulock there are refugees from Southern Senegal who have set up makeshift homes. This is a traditional village where rites of passage ceremonies are practiced for both males and female. This village is three hours away from Serrekunda (which is the nearest metropolitan city).

Guinea-Bissau

The ministry in Guinea-Bissau has been registered with the government. The school, in which they were having services, has raised their rent enormously. Now Pastor Martins is praying about the possibility of purchasing the land to build a church. Things are more expensive in Bissau (because it is the capital city). Guinea-Bissau is still a very difficult place to get to. The road is in very rough condition. It is blocked by Southern Senegal (Casamance), which is known for its rebel attacks on civilians. To the west is the Atlantic, but to the east is the nation of Guinea, which has been experiencing civil unrest for years. Even up to the border of The Gambia, the situation is very unstable. Pastor Martins goes there, and he sends ministers there, to oversee the body of believers. It is a very dangerous road to travel. Please pray that the Lord will continue to grant them protection and allow them to accomplish His incredible work in Bissau.

Current National Status

The Gambia has just come though a fairly peaceful election. There were opposition parties that were allowed to campaign and run against the incumbent president. After counting the votes, the president was re-elected. The Gambia remains a very peaceful country. Thought it is very poor, the people are friendly and hospitable to foreigners. Religious tolerance is practiced among Muslims and Traditionalist alike.

Many Refugees from Sierra Leone have found safe haven in The Gambia, an already impoverished and unemployable nation. This has caused added stress on the daily living of Gambians. The West is now coming to the aid of many of the Sierra Leone refugees by granting them asylum.

In the wake of the September 11th attacks in the United States, the president of The Gambia set aside three days of morning for the US citizens that needlessly died that day. Traveling to The Gambia is safe but more limited. There are very few airlines that fly into the country.

Pastor Martins’ Visit to the USA

Pastor Martins was the keynote speaker at our African American Missions Conference this year. Those who attended were very blessed by the event. They were especially blessed to be able to talk with him and ask about the work there. This was Pastor Martins first trip to the United States. He was amazed at the enormous amount of blessings upon the US. I had heard him say, "I never dreamed that there was ever such a place on this earth."

During his two-week stay in Oklahoma he ministered in churches, in prisons, at charity organizations, at the YMCA, to the sick, to the homeless, and to the elderly.

I asked the pastor how he felt. Besides the unpredictable weather in Oklahoma (especially the chilly days of 40 degrees in October), I was concerned about the fact that we have so much here while there was so much need in The Gambia. I recall him going into a food pantry, and he couldn’t believe all of this food was just sitting there. He felt the same sense of wonder about the clothes and shoes. He wished he could take it all back to where it was needed. And now he could understand the frustration and the challenges of sending resources to where they are needed. It is not so much the gathering of the food and clothing, but the cost of sending it to Africa that can be a challange. Often the cost of shipping far exceeds the cost of the items to be sent.