by Pete Bitner, SIM Togo
3 February 2009

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." 2 Cor. 8:9

The people in the new Lokpa church plant in Pokoté had heard from another pastor that I wanted to come and visit their church. They were very surprised at the news, hardly believing that the “rich”, white man would come that far out into the bush to be with them. The pastor assured them that I would, saying, “Sure he’ll come, he’s a missionary after all.” His endorsement made me feel good ... though a little apprehensive as to what I was getting into and even more determined to visit these new believers in their remote location.

So Off I Went ...

I left the house at 6am on my motorcycle. For almost 65 miles, I drove south on a paved road through a morning fog so thick I had to keep wiping my motorcycle visor with my handkerchief and eventually with my hand every 2 minutes to be able to see. At a pre-arranged point, I met up with this other pastor—the assistant pastor of the “mother church” of this church plant—who was going with me to show me the way and be my translator. He got on and we headed off onto a dirt road. For 10 miles we dodged rocks and ruts and water-filled potholes until we turned off onto an even more remote, overgrown dirt road that showed no signs of having had any vehicle pass in recent history.

Getting closer to our destination, we turned off on a foot path, wondering whether we would be able to make it to the church on the motorcycle or whether we would have to ditch it at some point and walk the rest of the way. As we got closer, though, we noticed the elephant grass had been cut down on both sides of the trail at some points. The village pastor told me later that he was sure it was the people from the church who had done this to make our passage easier.

After crossing a bamboo rail bridge over one little stream and fording another—with the pastor getting off each time—we finally popped out into a clearing and there before us was a house. A little ways behind it we could see the little mud-brick church. The singing we heard coming from inside told us we were just in time for the church service! Whew! Trembling from exertion, as well as the wet and cold, we stretched our legs and ducked into the low structure to join in with the praise to God … how beautiful it sounded to hear these people, only a few years removed from animistic spirit-worship, praising the Lord Jesus Christ in song!

This new little church of about 25 people, with its young pastor and family fresh out of Bible school, was crammed into a little 30' by 15' thatch-roofed structure. During the 2 hour church service, I had the privilege of preaching and then answering questions for about 45 minutes. The people seemed so hungry to continue that those with more questions were invited to stay and ask their questions while lunch was being prepared.

	A Lokpa village church congregation.

Teaching and Affirming

What an intense yet practical ‘question and answer’ time! Many stayed for 2 ½ hours! We took them back to the Scriptures showing them what God had to say about the various challenges they were facing. Most of these concerned what to do when faced with their families’ demands that they continue to participate in traditional (demonic) ceremonies relating to their former way of life in an African traditional religion. One had to do with whether a new believer should stay with an unbelieving wife. I felt like I was the Apostle Paul answering questions from the first century, but their desire to know and do God’s will was so refreshing … they genuinely did not yet know what God had said about a variety of these situations. I was pleased to not only answer their questions but to also refer them to their pastor for continued care in these matters and to be able to affirm him in his role as pastor.

After being served a delicious meal of African “pounded yam” we sat for an hour with this young pastor and his wife to encourage them in their faith and in their ministry in a very difficult and remote situation.

At about 3pm, after begging the people to let us go so we could get home before dark, the assistant pastor and I got back on the motorcycle for the almost 3- hour trip home. Driving to beat the clock, I arrived home just before dark, very sore and tired but feeling very grateful to the Lord and deeply satisfied in my spirit.

I am so glad for the desire God put in my heart to visit these Lokpa churches. It has been a true blessing to get to know the individual churches and their leaders better and to be used of the Lord to encourage them in any way that I can. When I think about all the riches that Jesus left in heaven to come to our "bush” earth, I’m thankful that he was willing to become “poor” so that we, through his "poverty", could become "rich!"

Pray

Please pray for wisdom, encouragement and stamina for these bush pastors as they lead and teach the Gospel to those God has entrusted to them.