The week begun well. On Sunday I continued my sermon on the persecutor who became a preacher according to Acts 9. I realized that many  Christians have hatred against whose who persecute them and they want to do revenge.

 

In my preaching I said that God is testing our faith in this difficult time of tribulation. As Christians we must remember our mission to the world and toward our ennemies according to Romans 12:14. In order to have have peace we must avoid hatred and show our love. Please pray that Christians will seize the opportunity we have now to use God's kairos in the current kronos.

 

I was invited to participate to a meeting of partnership between Vision Trust International and a Baptist organization called ADHI. They partner for the ministry among orphans.

 

I will finish my leadership course at the university tomorrow. Pray that those in my class will develop character for good leaders during their lifetime according to what we learnt together.

 

Pray for the small groups of leadership among the students at the university. In the midst of this difficult time, some students are learning how to grow as godly leaders. They understand that the political crisis we are facing comes from the lack of good leadership.

 

Pray for my trip to Barcelone on Thursday till July 11, 2013. I will have a busy schedule during that training.

 

May God bless each of you.

 

 

God's grace is with us every day. We have spent good time with our guests Mike Taylor this week. Mike left today to go back to the USA after two weeks in the country. You can get fresh news from Mike and his view about the current situation in CAR. Mike has met the Minister Advisor of the President in Religious Affairs as well as the President during his visit. Mike's email address is: mtaylor@encompassworldpartners.org

 

Things have positively changed concerning my participation to the training in Spain. Although I did resigned from going to Barcelona for the DDR course, I was suprised to receive a note from the organizers of the Advanced course on reintegration of ex-combatants that they have covered all the 2500 Euros for my tuition. They sent a letter to the Ambassador of France in CAR to ask his favour to grant me with a Schengen visa. Finally I did submit my visa application yesterday and will get it next Tuesday. My plan is to depart on Thursday June 27 to Barcelona via Paris and be back home on July 11.

 

I appreciate your prayers for my country as well as my family.

 

Thanks

 

Every day is a struggle but with God is it a joy even in a midst of hard time. I praise God for his blessing upon my family and ministry this past week.

 

Today, my wife and I have the priviledge to participate to an ordination of 60 deacons at the Grace Brethren church of Ngoumboutou in the district of Boy Rabe here in Bangui. For those who remember, the district of Boy Rabe was the part of the city that a church was bombarded by the rebels guns in April 2013. Our guests from the USA, Mike Taylor and Tom Peters were at the church service this AM together with us. They had the opportunity to pray during the service. Her heard good sermon on 3 John 11-12 from Dr. François Ngoumape. The Minister of Public Security was represented at the ceremony by his Director of cabinet who encouraged the church to good work on his behalf.

 

Yesterday, my wife was involved in a wedding as the maiden of honor all the day. Her ministry of True Love waits/True love stays has widely opened a ministry in marriage for both of us. Last month I was the best man for another wedding. Unfortunately, my wife has lost her job with ICDI and can not do the TLW/TLS as it's was. Pray that God will give her a new job when it will be possible.

 

On Friday, I was able to participate to a students' party at the International Seminary of Baptist Theology (the 3rd new seminary in Bangui) where the Dean of the Seminary, Dr John Danneburg and his wife were honoured while there are leaving the country to go back to the USA to report about their ministry. The Danneburgs stayed in the country during all the rebellion and have continued to teach at the Seminary.

 

On Wednesday I spent two hours with the teachers of the university teaching my course on leadership. We had good discussion about the difference between leadership and management, a State man versus a Political man. We will cover the subject on the different styles of leadership and the paradox of change this coming Wednesday. It is a great opportunity to debate on the leadership crisis that our country is facing now and to promote a new generation of leaders of character who will lead not only by their head (knowledge) but also with their heart (conviction, compassion). I praise God that I can bring my students to the spiritual dimension of my training with no argument against it.

 

The highlight of the week was the audiences I had with the Minister Advisor of the President on Religious Affairs and also with the President of the country last Monday together with my guests Frank Puhl from Germany and Mike Taylor from the USA. Meeting those keys leaders together with various people in the city as well as church leaders really help our guests to have good picture of the situation of CAR since the political change inMarch 24.

 

The business meetings with Pastors and Mike's training of church leaders and lay leaders were great encouragement to all of us. We tried to question ourselves about why we are facing such crisis in the whole country that affect the lives of many people as well as their faith! We also strategied ways to help the church in CAR remain strong in faith in Christ and how to impact the country in the best way. Frank is safely back to Germany with his family last Thursday. Mike has three more days before his return home. 

 

The time my family is spending at the Mission's station gives us opportunity to minister to the workers. We pray and share the word of God, and testimonies every day. Pray for my wife who is taking care of the finance of the mission. Pray that everything will go well at the station (electricity, water, leading the workers, security of the compound, etc.) as well as our home.

 

Our little Jeff spent the weekend with us and left this afternoon to stay in our home for his schooling. He is growing and maturing by the grace of God. Please pray for his protection while he is away from us. Our home is at the north entrance of the city where the rebels come. There are many of them around almost everywhere in the city and in the provinces.  The country has a new government with some new members this week. This government of union and transition has now 13 to 15 months to organize elections. There are many things to arrange before the elections can take place. Please continue to pray that the country will be secured soon so that we can enjoy peace and have people go back to their works. I have planting peanut in my garden  that is 60 km from Bangui, but can't go every time because my vehicle is still parking in a garage. It is not secured yet to have the vehicle with me.

 

There is a great project ahead of me. Many of you have contributed to build a Center of Ethics/chapel at the university of Bangui. God knows why the building did not start till now. We are waiting for security to begin the construction in order to have CIDEL extend its ministry at the university of Bangui. Your prayer is greatly appreciated in that need.

 

May these news encourage all of you who are praying for my family, my ministry and the country of CAR. God is still at work and our prayers requests will be answered according to his will.

 

Together in Christ

In my email today, I asked many of you to pray for the opportunity to meet with the President with the missionnaries Mike (USA) and Frank (Germany). This morning we had a good audience with the Minister of Religious Affairs. He introduced us to the Head of the State this evening.

 

Frank, Mike, Pastor Banga Boniface and myself were received by the President in his cabinet this evening (6:15 - 6:45 PM). It's was a wonderful time to inform the President about what our mission and churches have done in C.A.R since the arrival of the first missionaries. The President gave a good testimony about our churches and is encouraged by the Bible message he heard the first time in one of our churches here in Bangui.

 

Frank and Mike have assured the President about the many prayers of Christians around the world. The President asked for prayers on his behalf and for peace in the country. Concerning the letter sent to Saudi Arabia that said it is the President who want to change the country into an Islamic country, he denied it and said that someone with an evil intention did it to destroy his testimony. 

 

Please pray for the Minister of Religious Affairs for wisdom.Pray for the President as he seek ways to restore the country in this chaotic situation.

 

Pray for our guests who have some couple days with us before they go back.

 

Pray for C.AR.

 

Together

 

Our guests, Mike and Frank who came last Thursday from the USA and Germany are doing well in our midst. They have good meeting with the Pastors of the two districts last Saturday. We were all encouraged by their visit and words in seizing the opportunity God has given us in CAR through this time of crisis. 

 

On Sunday, Mike has the opportunity to minister to Christians at the Kassai Grace Brethren Church where Pastor Banga Boniface is pastoring. Kassai is a military camp where there are troops of ex-rebels staying. Mike bodly encouraged Christians to seek God in this hard time. Frank went to another church, the Ngoumboutou GBC at Boy Rabe where Pastor Simon Pierre is the Pastor. Boy Rabe is the district where a church was bombed in April 2013. I was invited to a Baptist church where I continue the same message I preached in two other churches on Acts 9 with the theme: A Persecutor who become a Preacher. We all encourage Christians to show God's love to their enemies and be Ambassadors of reconciliation.

 

Today, we just finished an audience with the Minister, Advisor of the President in Religious Affairs. It's was a very good encounter of our guests with the Minister who is a Pastor. The Minister was pleased to welcome us and said that the Union of Eglises Evangeliques des Frères  in partnership with Encompass World Partners is a great denomination of Evangelicals in CAR that has a great respect before the Government. He counts on our prayer for the peace in the country. He said that he will meet with the President and ask him to welcome our guests before they return home. Continue to pray for all the meetings scheduled during the stay of Mike and Frank in CAR. Beside individual meetings, there will be two great meetings with the leaders of the Union of Brethren churches (Pastors, Deacons, leaders of church organizations) to learn from Mike Taylor about Post traumatic Growth Development (PTGD). Pray that those time of learning and sharing in the two districts will inspire the church leaders overcome their own trauma and be helpful to other people.

 

Pray for Frank who will depart home on Thursday. He will fly together with the Minister we met this morning. 

 

Pray for my wife who still not feeling good. She went to the National laboratory today and will do some tests tomorrow to find out her real sickness. She is since Saturday taking medication for malaria.

 

Praise God for God's blessing upon Marie Helene while she spoke before the President last Saturday. She was the first lady to give her speech. The Minister we met today said to me: "I have seen in your wife a great aspect of leadership. She spoke very highly and has touched the heart of the President."  May God use her speech to inspire the President in his governance of the country in this period of transition.

 

Continue to pray for our youngest son Jeff who has spent a good week end with us and has to go back to our home in order to attend his school. We trust God for his protection away from us.

 

The city is calm today and we were able to go out with taxi but came home with the vehicle of the Minister. That a sign of God blessing upon our guests visit to CAR.

 

Thanks for your prayer on behalf of the CAR. Continue until we see the end of the rebellion.

 

Yours in the front.

 

Dear prayer supporters,

 

Marie Helene's speech went very well yesterday before the President of the State, his Government and more than 500 ladies. She was the first one to address her speech. She focuses on Dan. 4:25 and asked the President to do his leadership in partnership with God by seeking Justice that can bring peace among people. She also asked the President to seek way to transform the army with its guns to become an army of development that will be disarmed and given tools for agriculture development. She expressed the joy of the ladies about the freedom of religion that the President has mentionned in his speech before the church leaders some weeks ago.

 

All the speeches were collected and will be put together for the President so that he will use them. The ladies who spoke on behalf of their organizations, were invited to prepare a common declaration of their wishes in order to present to some Embassies such as the Embassy of France, Chad and Congo. The President said that he is counting on the prayers of Christians for the peace in the country.

 

- Please pray that God will use him to bring justice among people and lead with the fear of God during his mandate. 

 

- Pray for the African troops who are coming to help restore peace by disarming the rebels

- Pray for my family who is still staying at the Mission's property,

- Pray for our youngest boy Jeff who has to go back to our home (11 km from the Mission's property) in order to attend his school. He lives there with my cousin and come back during the weekend. Jeff is 8 years old and don't want to miss his school. Pray that he will be protected by God while he is there every week for about two months.

- Pray for Mike and Frank who are visiting the churches here in Bangui. Yesterday they have meetings with Pastors and a medical committee. They are a great encouragement to all of us. They are going to preach in different churches today. 

 

I will be going to preach in a Baptist church this morning.

 

Together in Christ

We are pleased to welcome Mike Taylor and Frank Puhl who arrrived today from the USA and Germany to encourage the churches and see us in this difficult time. Mike will stay two weeks to help with medical aids. Frank will minister to Pastors for one week.

 

On Saturday June 8th, the President of CAR is going to meet with the Christian women of all the denominations. Six leaders of the women organizations are going to address the President. My wife Marie Helene is one of the six. Her speech will be on Daniel 4:25 and the necessity of governing in partnership with God. She will also congratulate the President for taking in account the laity and freedom of religion in his speech to the church leaders. Finally she will encourage the President to seek peace for the country. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will lead her during that meeting to speak with courage.

 

Together

 

Rev. Dr. Augustin HIBAILE

We highly appreciate your continuous prayer support for our country in this difficult time that we are facing. It many decades that we are suffering because of the lack of godly leadership. My prayer is that the church in CAR will show a good way of leading human so that the political leaders can learn from us.  Things are improving slowly and need more prayers.

 

Today is my 12th time I am part of marriages as the best man. Can you believe that in the time of crisis like the CAR is facing with the presence of rebels (Seleka), people are having marriage.

  

A young boy and girl from our Grace Brethren churches in Bangui (Pastor Nadjilao's nephew) just married today at the Mayor's office and later at the church. There were many people who attended the wedding to encourage those young people.

  

Attached is a picture of today's marriage. The lady with the flag is the Major of Bangui.

  

Pray for the two services I will attend tomorrow to preach. Thanks for your continuous prayer support.

  

Together

 

I learnt that the word crisis in a chinese's proverb is formed of two words: Danger and opportunity. So, in the midst of this difficult time that we are facing in the CAR, God is at work through those who belong to Him.

 

The following story is a testimony of God's answer to our prayer. We can rejoice and praise God for that.

Pastor Abakar (a former M..S..L..M and student at the Brethren Bible Institute) who has ministered among the Fulani "samaritan" and now pastoring a church near the town of Boali (90 km from Bangui) shared his testimony of God's grace in his life yesterday.

  

Some weeks ago, he went to a pastor's meeting in Boali. While on his way back to his church to teach hermeneutic to his deacons in the afternoon, he was stopped by a group of Selekas (ex-rebels) who blocked the road with their Toyota Pick up in about 3 km of his home. They stopped him on his motorcycle and brought him out of the road to their Colonel who asked him several questions. When they knew his names and his title as a Pastor, they were very angry with him. The colonel said that a M..S..L..M who resigned from his faith must be put in death. He said to him three time: "Do you know that there is no question, you must be put in death because you have denied your faith?" Abakar stayed quiet but internally called the Father to intervene. Than the Colonel continues, "Now tell me, as a Pastor do you also pray in arabic?" Yes, Abakar replied. Ok said the Colonel, I will come to your church on Sunday to hear you preaching in arabic. Than he released him with his motorcycle. But one of the Seleka said to Abakar, because you are so big, I will take off the air in the tires of your motorcycle so that you will reduce your weight when you push it far to your home. He did it and have the Pastor hardly pushed his moto for about 2 km home. His members who heard the news came before him and helped him home.

  

On Sunday only 55 members among the 800 came to the church (many hide themselves in the bush). They started the church and five minutes later, 21 Selaka with the Colonel arrived with their truck full of guns and stopped in the church compound . Pastor Abakar came before them and welcomed them to the church. The Colonel said that he will stay outside of the church and listen to him preaching in Arabic. One of the Selaka asked if he can go inside the church and see how the church is functionning. The Pastor invited him inside but asked him to leave his gun outside with the others and take off his clothe on his head. He than entered the church and stayed near the Pastor during the church service.

  

In the light of the situation, the Pastor decided to change his sermon and preach on John 3:16 about the love of God. In his sermon he said the Seleka are God's creation. Jesus loves them and wants them to be part of his kingdom if they turn to him. Christians must show God's love to the Seleka instead of blaming them or rejecting them. The message was delievered in Sango and in Arabic. After his sermon, the Colonel came to him and asked if he can say some words. He was pleased with the theme of love developed by the Pastor. He said that most Christians don't show the love of God to non Christians. He said that he has heard good testimonies about Pastor Abakar from Fulani in the villages of Lambi, Boali and where he is ministering now. Abakar has helped the Fulani people with a foot pump drilled by a Christian NGO - ICDI and defended them several time when they were mistreated by Gendarms and militaries and the government authorities. 

  

The Colonel than took the basket of the offering and counted the money given during the offering. He found that the total of the offering was $ 8.44 US. Than he turned to the congregation and said: "Is it the way you take care of your Pastor? How can your Pastor support his family and meet his need with this amount of money you have given as your offering to God? It is a shame to see Christians treat their Pastors in such a way." Than he took $ 22.22 US from his pocket and put it in the pocket of the Pastor saying "this is for you personally". He ended his speech by saying to the church to stop treating their Pastor as they are doing, because in Islam they don't treat their Imam in such way.

  

After the church service, the deacons and the Pastor gave to the Seleka some cup of tea and food before they left the church and went back to their camp. Many people in the village from a distance watched with great fear the event that took place in the church compound. People in the village were amazed because of God's protection of the Pastor and the miracle he has done by bringing the troop to the church service with no incident.

 

The story did not end there. 

  

The following Sunday, when the Pastor was staying before his house after the church service, a Fulani ("Samaritan") came to him and said, "I am part of the hireling member of the Seleka. I have heard good things about you. Even there are people and chiefs in this village, visitors always asked about you and come to get help from you. I know you are very special and I want to become like you. I feel sorry for becoming a Seleka and want you to help me believe in Jesus." 

  

Pastor Abakar said to him. If you want to follow Jesus, get rid of all the amulettes, fetichism and other evils things. Ask for your forgiveness for all the evils you have done and trust Jesus to be your Saviour. He took off his amulettes before the Pastor and gave it to him to burn it as a sign of his engagement to accept Christ. Pastor Abakar later brought him to an ordained Pastor who baptized him. This new believer brought back his guns to his commander of the Seleka and resigned from Selaka. He said to the Pastor that when the situation will calm down, he will come back to stay with him to learn under his feet.

  

Please pray that Christians in the midst of this difficult time, will show God's love to their enemies in order to have the opportunity to share the Gospel with them.Pray for Pastor Abakar and his family as they are seeking more opportunities to minister to their relatives who are many in the Seleka. Pray that God will give me his words to speak boldly to the Chruch next Sunday during two church service. I will preach on the history of Saul conversion at the Damascus road. The goal is to encourage Christians to sow God's love to their enemies. Pray that the CAR will experience real peace from God and that His church will shine with good testimony.

  

Let's rejoice in God whose ways are not ours. 

Together