Momo

Yesterday we went with a car load of people from Mahula to Momo for an all classis church service. It was a great experience. Three different congregations comprising of three different areas with a total of twenty one preaching centers met at Momo. Not everyone could come but the 200 or more people comprised about one fifth of the total Christians in the area. The new pastor from Idaci (Likita Benjamin) preached, others did different parts of the service. I brought greetings from North America and gave the closing benediction.

The chairman wanted to reduce the classical fees that was owed to the CRCN church and he was not disappointed, right around 105,000 Naira was collected which is about $700.00, a significant amount for this area. What impressed us was the number of young people that were present; there is a lot of potential in the Niger RCC (Classis). The church building was too small to hold us so we worshiped at the Pastor’s house. This house was the first mission house built here in 1985 for William and Heni Barends. The house is on a low hill with massive trees (planted at the time) giving a lot of shade and there was a constant breeze; William had picked a good site. The new pastor for this congregation living at Kamfani did the congregational prayer. We picked him up on the way because he was on foot. Without some sort of transportation he will have a hard time visiting any of his preaching centers. I wondered why he would be placed here without a motorcycle. He is living in the former mission house at Kamfani previously occupied by Albert and Carolyn Strydhorst and later by Jim Trisenberg. Pastor James and his wife came back with us. I thought I might have to use four wheel drive through one of the mud holes which is a stream in the rainy season but we made it barely (da kyar) as they say in Hausa. We got back to Mahula at four in the afternoon.