Last month, a mission team from North Langley Community Church partnered with DRIME and Global Aid Network (GAiN) on a mission trip to Benin. Here are some stories of what the team experienced while they were there.
Ministry in the City
We joined the DRIME Benin team at the Campus for Christ headquarters and practiced some of the DRIME dramas with them. After everyone was assigned the role they would play, we headed out to a location in a dusty, lesser developed part of the city, next to a church that DRIME is partnering with. Over the next two hours, members of the team performed about 6 dramas. Here in Benin, these dramas are narrated by a member of the DRIME team to help people understand what is going on.
In the meantime, others mingled among the gathered onlookers to initiate spiritual conversations. Some of our group stepped out of their comfort zone, joining Benin team members in these conversations and praying for them. At the end of the time, we learned that 22 different people were ready to receive Christ. Alexandre, the narrator, took some time to explain the gospel as clearly as possible to them, led them in a prayer of decision to accept God’s forgiveness and make Jesus Lord of their lives, and then encouraged them with the importance of follow-up, possibly even through this partner church. 22 decisions for Christ! Then Tim (the pastor from NLCC) was asked to pray for these new believers in their new life in Christ. It was truly an amazing afternoon!
Ministry in the Villages:
At both villages, we saw the well and the handwashing stations GAiN installed, and heard how villagers are making steps for sanitation and child and maternal health. Both villages have a shelter for a church to meet: the first village has a small shelter built beside a tree in the middle of their huts; the second has a larger shelter right beside the well.
In both places, we danced to music with the Benin DRIMERS before presenting several dramas together. What an inexplicable joy to see us interchange parts for dramas we learned across the globe from each other, and together – in spite of language barriers – share the gospel of Jesus Christ! Most villagers only speak Fon, so communication was either translated (sometimes twice – English – French – Fon) or with non-verbal actions. The frisbees we brought to play with the children were a hit!
The village we visited on Wednesday gave us an especially warm welcome; the mothers had dressed their children in their dress clothes and they were excitedly waiting for our arrival. After a rousing game of duck-duck-goose, the children readily climbed into laps, arms, or held our hands. They accompanied us on the tour of their village, where we learned how they grate casava (a common root vegetable), make palm wine, and use their clean water. In our debrief time, when we shared what was lifegiving during our day, interacting with the children was at the top of the list for several of us.
We’re so grateful that we had this opportunity to work with NLCC in Benin! We give all the glory to God for everything that he did during this ministry trip.
To get updates and to stay connected with our Benin teams, you can follow them on Facebook!
