REPORT FROM LENNART ENGLUND’S VISIT TO NIGER JUNE 2001
AN ANSWER TO OUR PRAYERS:
Since our missionary Helen Salinas returned from Mali, we have been praying for an open door in West Africa. From the mission strategic point of view, we do believe on the importance of the West African countries, not only because they are part of the10/40 window, but also because they are located in a “buffer area” between the North African’s countries, governed by strong Muslim regimes and the southern countries with a high percentage of Christians. In several of those countries, the government welcomes Christian missionaries to realize projects for social aids and development. We don’t know for how long time the doors will be open.
A few months ago, I received information from IBRA Radio in Sweden about their broadcasting in several West Africans countries, among them was Niger. In their News Letter we read about Pastor Kisose, who had come to Niger from Congo as a missionary, together with his family, and now had the responsibility for IBRA’s work in that country. I sent a mail to brother Sune Elofsson at IBRA in Stockholm and asked him about a contact in Niger. He gave me brother Kisose’s E-mail so I could communicate with him, and he accepted to coordinate my visit to Niger.
FACTS ABOUT NIGER:
Niger is situated between Mali and Chad, south of Algeria and Libya, north of Burkina Faso, Benin and Nigeria. Most of the country is located in the Sahara desert. The population is about 10 million and in Niamey, the capital, lives about 1 million people. 90% are Muslims and 9% have traditional religions. Only 0.1% are Christians. There are at least 27 different ethnic groups, most of them unreached with the gospel, and many of them with no mission work. According to an investigation made by a Christian brother I met, there are 173 small “kingdoms”, each one ruled by a “king” whose counselor is a Marabout, a Muslim spiritual leader. The man who gave me the information, grow up in one of those “royal families”.
There are great needs in many areas. 25% of the children dies before they become 5 years old. Only 13% of the population can read and write. 50% don’t have clean water, and 70% don’t have access to medical help. According to the pastors I met, beside the preaching of the Gospel, there are great needs for water projects, tree planting projects, medical aid, alphabetizing, work among leper and blind children. Also among the “talibes” boys, who spend their mornings in learning the Koran and the afternoons for begging.. There is a high rate of prostitution among young girls, and many of them are in the risk zone.
THE ARRIVAL TO NIAMEY:
From Paris to Niamey I had a five hours direct flight with Air France. At the check-in desk at Charles de Gaulle airport, the company personnel assured me that they couldn’t let me board the plane without a visa to Niger. I tried to explain that I was coming from a country where I couldn’t get visa and they had promised me a visa when I would arrive at Niamey airport. After some discussion they believed me and gave me permission to get on the plane. At Niamey airport, I was welcomed by a 40 - 50 degrees centigrade temperature. Without doubt this must be Africa, I thought when I descended from the plane. In the queue for the passport control, I locked around and discovered a little man in an adjacent room, holding up a paper with my name on it. I understood it was brother Kisose. We saw each other and greeted with our hands. It lifted my courage several grades. Later on, when we met at the other side of the passport control, and we could give each other a hug, we felt the “communion in the spirit”. I went through the custom without opening my bags, and got my visa without any problems.
Brother Kisose had a room prepared for me at SIM Mission’s guest house. He had taken the task to organize my visit very seriously. From morning to evening, almost every day, we had appointments with missionaries, pastors and churches. We visited villages, schools and people. Only one day I had time enough for a “siestita” (nap). I had a car with a driver to my disposal. As the official language in Niger is French, and as I don’t speak it, I had no other option than use my English. Brother Samuel, a Baptist from one of the churches in Niamey, was my “official” interpreter who helped me to communicate with the people. Pastor Kisose’s wife Lumila, is a very good cook. Every day, when nobody else had invited us, I had lunch together with brother Kisose and his wife in their home. The food was delicious. I am not sure if the dishes were typical from Congo or from Niger. Maybe from both?
Two Brazilian missionaries, Iara and Waltrude, both single girls, are serving the Lord with Horizon Mission in Niger. They invited us one day to have lunch in their home. They work together with a pastor from Burkina Faso, and are doing an excellent job among women and children. After a delicious “almuerzo” (lunch) they told us about their work and they also gave me a set of beautiful overhead pictures, which have been very useful for me in the meetings in Sweden and Argentina.
I also had opportunity to visit some tuareg families. One man with two wives and several children, prepared a very strong tea and invited us to drink. We also met a tuareg pastor, who had a small congregation. Together with him, I knew a young man, Daniel who told us about his conversion to Christ. He is crippled and was rejected by his family when he accepted Jesus as his Savior. Now he helps brother Kisose with the radio, and produces Christian programs in his native language, tamashek. He has been able to visit his family and he knows that they have been listening to the programs. One evening we visited a church where I was invited to preached the gospel. The pastor came from a Muslim background, but became a Christian during his time in USA, where he had a diplomatic commission. When he finished, he went back to Niger and started a church.
One day we went to a village and visited a school for leprosy children. What a joy when I recorded their song with my video camera and after they could see themselves on the little screen. I also met several SIM missionaries, some of them had been in Niger for many years. We also saw some pastors from Nigeria and Burkina Faso, who had started churches in Niamey.
Brother Kisose has a church in his home. On Friday night they had a “night prayer meeting” and on the Sunday morning service I was invited to share the Word for about one hundred visitors. Many of them non Christians. The owner of the house is a Muslim, and he doesn’t like those meetings, so they must find another place for the church. They need our prayers for that. One evening I met with a group of about 12 pastors with whom I shared about the mission and our vision for the unreached peoples. I had very interesting conversations with a brother in Christ who had grown up in a “kings house”. He gave me very good information about the situation in Niger. Pastor Kisose had a lot to tell me about their time in Congo, he and his wife’s conversion to Christ, their flight from the civil war and their plans and projects for Niger. His wife Lumila, teaches a group of blind children to read and write, in here home on Saturdays. The evangelical churches in Niamey have formed an Church Alliance (AMEEN) which leaders I had opportunity to talk with.
RESUME:
Niger is an open country for missionaries, and the government welcomes those who comes with aid and developing projects. The church has liberty to preach the gospel, but for other projects it is necessary to have a Foundation with authorization from the government. Both the Church Alliance and a Foundation, whose members I met, are ready to support us if we decide to start a mission in Niger. I said to them we should take a time of prayer and ask God for his guidance. I let them know our vision to work in partnership with some church or mission that already was established in the country. I am not sure they understood the idea. One thing I am sure about is that God has given us an open door and that he will show us how to enter.
OUR PRAYER:
We are asking God for missionaries with a strong vocation for the mission work, ready to accept an intense cross culture training program and language study (English, French and hausa). We believe the person needs a secular profession that will be useful for a mission project. One who enjoy to work in team with persons from different denominations, who can support the heat of 40-50 centigrade in the Sahara desert within a Muslim context. With promise of prayer support from a sending home church and with financial support of at least 800 dollars a month.
Your brother in Christ:
Lennart Englund
Esquel- Argentina