Sultan of Agadez…in Niger Republic hosts three-day Christian outreach
February 19, 2019.
In the core North of Africa i.e. Sahara Desert, Elites are the gate to the common men. The common men and women are in their hands.
The mass evangelism method in the North is; ensuring the conversion of the elite class or at least getting them to identify with what we were doing publicly.
Those in this class are the Religious leaders, Traditional rulers and the Political leaders. So, our evangelism was primarily targeted at them and this made our work easier for the local ministers and the residing missionaries.
Introduction
The outreach was done with 40 Participants made up of medical personnel, Intercessors and Mission workers.
We took off from Abuja on the 3rd of May and came back to Abuja on the 22nd of May 2018.
We did outreach in Agadez, In-Gall and Tanout.
“Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth;
shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the Desert”. Isaiah 43:19.
Agadez
Several things happened in this outreach that has never happen since people began to settle in Sahara Desert.
God used the Islam Chief Imam of Agadez and the Sultan of Agadez Region to host the mission outreach right inside Palace of the Sultan for 3 days.
In the North, Traditional Rulers especially the sultans are the custodians of Islamic religion: releasing their palace for Christians outreach is viewed by Moslems as an act of betrayal of trust.
More so, Agadez indigenes do boast of traditional worship and cultures. Their Kings’ palace is viewed as the spiritual altars for the entire desert land not to be contested for by minority Christian religion.
With this backgrounds one may appreciate the body and verbal languages of the Sultan de L’Air of Agadez declaring before a crowd of his subjects that “He – the Sultan – is a product of Missionaries, and he shall support every Christians’ mission efforts in Sahara Desert.
This year 2018 shall be exactly 100 years the Agadez Palace was built. And exactly 900 years the famous and historical Agadez mosque was constructed.
In all these years, this outreach was the first Christian ever conducted within the palace which was built in the compound of the mosque.
Truly God pledged to do a new thing… in the Desert.
Many without much preaching openly confessed and surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ.
Three of these new converts were baptized by us while the rest were handed over to the local ministers for baptism and discipleship.
Among the three that were baptized is a Traditional leader of a Fulani community who publicly confesses and begs Christ and Christians to please forgive him for persecuting and hindering many members of his community who were willing to become Christians.
He was already 80 years old and pleaded us earnestly to please baptize him as he has surrendered his life to Christ.
As he announced this, one of her daughter 50 years old and his wife also publicly surrendered their lives to Christ.
These were the three we baptized because of the demand they placed on us, while other were to be baptized by the Church body in Agadez .
Prison
The outreach was done in Agadez Prison for two days with a demonstration of Jesus love through free medical consultation, free medicine and free food.
The Prison Chief Warder also confessed that since the foundation of the Prison, no one has ever brought medical and food assistance to the Agadez Prison Inmates.
In-Gall
In-Gall was founded 1,600 years ago before Agadez was founded. The region of In- Gall land mass is about 52,000kmsq with 38,000 population (ref. last election).
In- Gall is the spiritual altars of the desert. Late Ghadafi was said her mother was from there. God used the Government of In-Gall district to host our outreach in In-Gall.
He pleaded with all earnestness that we should come to his land and bless his people. He ordered military escort throughout the journey.
The local Chiefs more than 20 in number lined up at the border of In-Gall to welcome us waiting there until 8pm that we arrived. They made lodging and feeding arrangements very richly to impress us to come again.
Up till now, there is no single Church in the entire 52, 000kmsq of In-Gall.
District Governor pledged to give us as much land as we might need to build Church and all other projects we might want to do In-Gall.
Tanout
On our way back home, we stopped to visit our friend the District Governor of Tanout.
We also donated medicine to the children ward of the General Hospital in Tanout and did medical outreach among the Government functionaries.
The Governor and the people pleaded for a mission primary & Secondary Schools and even mission medical facilities in their Land.
Conclusion
We experienced the conversion of Fulani natives in this mission trip. Many of them were eager to become Christians. The conversion of these people was unprecedented.
We appreciate every one that participated through prayers, going and even giving. May God of harvest bless and reward you all in Jesus name.
Report by Rev. Olu Sunday of ROYAL MISSIONARY OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL