Mission Trip to Sierra Leone and Liberia. Rev. Patrick R. Novak D/Min, P.H.D., Senior Pastor of Church of the Valley in Santa Clara, California discusses the church’s mission trip.

Pastor Patrick Novak introduces Marilyn Kibambe and Paige Takemoto, who offer testimony on the D.O.N.E. (“Discipling Our Nations Effectively”) mission trip to Africa.

From Church of the Valley in Santa Clara CA, Paige Takemoto shares the details of her church mission trip to Africa and how it has changed her life and outlook on the world, as well as her relationship with the Lord.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

On Wednesday January 21, 2009 Bishop Patrick Novak arrived in Freetown along with Marilyn,

Claudia and Paige to begin a two-day intensive seminar for leaders of the ministry using the First Principles Series. The following day the seminar got on the way with about 35 people in attendance. 25 came from the Leadership of  DONE and 10 came from the leadership of the Word of Faith Ministries. The Seminar began at 10am and ended by 4:30pm.
The Team Visit Word Of Faith Ministries

At about 5pm the team, accompany by five members of DONE Sierra Leone Leadership took off to visit Meshack, the Pastor and Overseer of the Word of Faith Ministries. Upon our arrival we were received by the Leadership of The Word of Faith Ministries Pastor Meshack and taken on a tour of the facilities. At the end of the tour an evening service was started with about 300 people in attendance.

We were welcome by the Pastor and General Overseer of the Ministry who spoke highly of looking forward to networking with DONE Ministries. Rev. Browne thanked the Pastor for the warm reception and stressed the need for churches to network in areas of common interest. Rev. Browne indicated that DONE Ministries was open and looks forward to work with the Word of Faith Ministries. Rev. Browne than introduced the member of the team including the local leadership that had accompanied him. During the Service Bishop Novak received word for a lady in the congregation who was suffering from severe pain in her abdomen. The lady showed up immediately. Bishop Novak prayed her for her and she was healed instantly.

The second day of the seminar did not hold as scheduled. Rev. Browne canceled it in consultation with Bishop Novak. There were too many activities to cover with less time. Since it was agreed that Rev. Browne would remain in Freetown for an additional month to continue the training he suggested that the team traveled to Kono and Bo waterside to see and get a first hand account of the work started by Pastor Michael Arona and Pastor George Cole. This was accepted but due to time the team could not visit Bo and Kono at the same time. Therefore it was agreed that the team visit Kono. When the team disembarked from their Monrovia flight, immediately they began their journey to Kono in a four wheel runner jeep. The journey took the team 16 hours to and fro Kono on a rocky and dusty road. In Kono the team spend the night at the Methodist Guest House. The next morning the team was led to the center where a service was held in honor of the team. Gifts produced by the center were presented to the team. Later the team was taken on a tour of the center by its Director who is  the assistant pastor to Michael Arona. The team departed Kona at 12noon, arrived at the airport at 9:30pm just on time to checked in and departed Freetown.

More tomorrow on the trip to Liberia with Bishop Dr. Novak…..

http://obispo.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/bishop-dr-pat-novak-visits-freetown-and-liberia.html

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

The group constructs a place of worship. The church building project will seat more than 400 persons when completed.  (See photo essay below)

PHOTO #1 Shows four members of the construction team cut sticks ( 305 ground poles and 82 for the roofing) to begin constructing the house of worship.

PHOTO #2 A group of women willingly carrying some of the poles on their head.

PHOTO #3 A group of men help cut ground pole to measuring height of the building. After carefully observing the seriousness of the building project an observer declares his willingness to form part of the Cell group as well as the working force. To God be the glory.

The men and women are 50 – 50 up to the task. The men leave early morning to go into the bushes to cut the poles and other materials, and later returned to the site to move on with construction. The women voluntarily assist in transporting the poles and materials on their heads to the construction site and provide meal and safe drinking water for the working men.
It is worth noting that these women walk for about 30 minutes in trying to get the poles to the construction site.  They enjoy being a part of the construction. They are excited about the construction and are always the first to arrive at the site.

It is raining season in Liberia. Most path ways in the villages have become dangerous and almost inaccessible as a result the heavy down pour of rain. This has limited and placed a temporary restricted on our movements between villages.

Second in a series of updates from a 2008 Liberia trip by Rev. Browne. All names and towns are changed or abbreviated because of security concerns in this region.

The community visited is 85 percent Muslim with a few thousand inhabitants.

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During my 2008 visit to Liberia, I received several calls from MA extending an invitation to visit Freetown and see for myself what God was doing through him and the ministry. I did not honor the invitation at the time due to insufficient funds. The church started by MA is an independent DONE church. If funds are availability, I will be glad to visit MA in 2009.

Fifth in a series of updates from a 2008 Liberia trip by Rev. Browne. All names and towns are changed or abbreviated because of security concerns in this region.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

The community visited is 85 percent Muslim with a few thousand inhabitants.

I came in contact with B a former Christian whose bride price was paid by a Muslim and the Muslim village chief compelled her to convert. B informed me that her step daughter was missing for two weeks. During the period of search and comfort I observed that B was not interested in the effort made by her husband and family consulting a spiritualist to locate the girl.

As a result she was always contrary and not comfortable with suggestion given by the spiritual leaders. After consulting the oracle on one occasion, a group of spiritualist told the missing girl’s parents that a group of men had raped and killed the girl.

B refused to accept the result. On one occasion, she angrily told the rest of the family and the others who had gathered at their home, that she did not believe anything the spiritualists were saying, but rather the true God will deliver the girl in due time. She was severely slapped in the face by her husband.

After much tension I seize the opportunity like everyone else to comfort her. In the process I offered to pray with her for the first time. She accepted. I quietly and quickly prayed. We prayed quietly and with our eyes wide open to avoid being noticed by people who were standing around.

The next day while an Elder and I were in prayer meeting, B ushered in a woman and a gentleman who happen to the be uncle and mother of the missing girl. They requested for prayers concerning the missing child. We prayed. This continue for three days. On the beginning of the 4th day, B called my phone saying that God has done it. With a cry of joy she told me that the girl was found tied up in the home of a chief in a nearby town.

From that day B has been allowed to worship her God. With the assistance of her husband she has been provided a place at her parent’s home were a group of 17 people meet every Thursday to fellowship and study the Word of God. Praise the Name of God.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at our web site doneinc.org

All names and towns are changed or abbreviated because of security concerns in this region.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

The church in Liberia continues to grow with 17 new families (average 5 family members) in the past three months. Pastor Sawyer reports of working signs and miracles including deliverance and reconciliation of families. In my family, we continually trust God as our source of strength; who apart from there is nothing we can do.

On the 25th of June, Jacqueline, my wife and I baptized nineteen converts as the family of the first four men of peace. The training of the first four men of peace and their families continues (learn about the man of peace here) and they’re being actively discipled in leadership positions.

The average attendance of Sunday service is sixty-one adults while children forty-nine. We used for the month of DONE the Theme “Believer’s Covenant”. This theme had made significance impact in the lives of the congregation as each one of them made a covenant with the Lord and broke every illegal Blood covenant with the devil.
The church continues to under take its self initiative local materials building. We moved there and had the fist DIVINE worship service there on the 11th of June. The floor is 95% completed and the external plastering   is nearly at completion. The children, women, music and prayer departments are vibrant.
The campaign for soul winning continues as we adopt the STRATEGY 101, method is most efficient as the church received visitors every Sunday.”

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

According to Pastor Solomon Sawyer the national Coordinator of Liberia who is based in Monrovia, God is working marvelously in his ministry and he found a man of peace. Praise the Lord! This person of peace is a 47-year old woman who has now come to know the Lord.

After meeting her he began to cautiously work with her. The Holy Spirit led the way and began to immediately transform her life. By the Grace of God Pastor Sawyer has started a study at her home with her entire household. According to him they commenced on the 14 of February. Because of the way the Holy Spirit is working in this particular home six of the family members (ages 12 to 54) have accepted Christ and are willing to promote the Gospel in every way they can.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org