All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... Matt. 28:18-20 We thank God, that over the years he has given us many opportunities to put the great commission into action in Niger. The greatest challenge has been and still is discipleship. As Christians, we all are disciples and learners. It is a must to have a solid connection to the Lord for ourselves in order to disciple others. Discipleship is more than a program. Only through constant obedience to His Word and the reliance on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit can we fulfill the Great Commission. sisters. Baptism It is always a joy when people make a decision to follow Jesus. This is the overall goal in all that we are doing. The Niamey church had 5 candidates for baptism and the Kollo church 7. We thank the Lord for these new brothers and Women s Ministry Women in the Hosanna Church in Niamey gathered to learn from the Word of God. Anne-Lise Djuve, a long-term missionary from Norway, spoke on focusing on Jesus as our Savior and Lord. In Jesus we are all the same as we were all bought with the same price: His blood. In Christ we are all equal. We, however, are unique, and God loves us the way we are. God sees our hearts and we are challenged to guard our hearts and to fill our hearts with the word of God because his word is life. From this relationship with God, we should serve our families and community. Practical skills such as making liquid soap were also taug ht.
This group of students happily received their certificate of completion for the first year of discipleship training.
Welcoming new team members: Discipleship Training Center The discipleship activities at Hosanna church in Niamey are growing. By the month of April, the first one-year discipleship course, taught by Jonas Vetter, finished. More people have already signed up for the next class which has already started. As the vision of Hosanna is to disciple people into God s Word and to equip them with practical skills, we are very excited about the progress that is happening towards establishing a discipleship training school - having agriculture activities (training and community development projects). - Building plans are being drawn up - From the Hosanna ministry we have staff members and discipleship class students that will be involved in the school through teaching, participating and overseeing activities as the new school is being developed - Internationally, our discipleship team is also growing. On the 20 th of March Div and Eleanor du Plessis from South-Africa joined Hosanna as fulltime missionaries to be part of the process of training local believers to meet the extreme need for harvesters in God s Kingdom. Div and Eleanor du Plessis: We have been missionaries since 2000. Originally from South Africa, we have two children who grew up in the mission field while we were serving in Zambia and Malawi. Today they are both married. Riaan and Lyndsay (left), serve as missionaries in Malawi. Mariska and Christo (right), work at a game lodge in South-Africa where they are living out their love for people through their skills in working with food and animals. God has called us to serve Him amongst people who haven t been reached by the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our desire that more people will see and understand what Christ has done for them and that they will be set free from the lies that keep them in bondage. Our passion is to help people discover their God-given potential (gifts and skills) and pursue their destiny in obedience and submission to the Lord as He works in and through their lives. We will be involved with the Discipleship Training School in the village of Sarando where local believers will be trained and equipped in order to reach their own people. There Can Be No Discipleship Without Relationship
Progress at the Training Center in Sarando An empty container has been moved to the building site on the property by the river. It will be used as store-room for building materials. Later it will be turned into an office and storage. A water tower has also been erected close to the well that will supply the training center and the garden with water. Further planned buildings will be: a men s and women s dormitory, accommodation for couples, bathrooms, a classroom and a kitchen. Strategic Plan and Timeline Discipleship Training o A one-year Discipleship Training Program is already in its second year. Students gather once a week to study the bible. o A two-year Discipleship Training Program will start after completion of the training facilities on a plot of land 23 km outside of Niamey (capital city of Niger). Here students will live together on campus and undergo daily training where they will experience practical and spiritual life together. Construction of Campus, June to December 2018 Curriculum Development o Discipleship Training o Agriculture Training o Leadership Development o Self-sustainability for individuals and ministries o Workshops and Seminars (Children s and Women ministry, Audio bible training, Marriage and Family) Agriculture Farm Development Goals: To have a good understanding of the Scriptures and of who Christ is. To have a living relationship with God and walk in the Spirit To be transformed by the renewing of the mind, through faith in Christ and through the truth of God s Word. To know how to make disciples of others. Equip individuals in self-sustainability, through farming, business and other skills. To release Christ-like leaders.
Testimony 37 students took the practical sewing exam. They were noted on their skills in designing, cutting and sewing of a woman s outfit. This same group were also tested in producing cosmetic products like soap and lotions. Harouna the oldest of 4 orphan siblings, were really struggling to make ends meet. At Hosanna in Niamey, he was encouraged to learn the skill to engrave scriptures and pictures on wood, leather and other local materials. Later people liked his work, he even received orders and realized that this is a great help. He had the initiative to pass on this knowledge to others through a training. Currently there are ten participants from different ethnic groups. The training was encouraged by a German pastor who donated the needed tools and Helping Hands, Germany financed the needed materials. Maradi- Center of Hope supported by DRW The Governor of Maradi came for the official opening of the exams of the Center of Hope. The inspector from the Ministry of population was also present to oversee the exams. These deaf women were tested on their skill and ability to communicate in sign language. This literacy class was tested on their reading and writing skills. Ramatou, the pastor s wife, also offered after-school help for their children to be better prepared for the exams.
Health Kollo Clinic Vaccination in Niamey Thanks to private donors in Norway we could vaccinate children in the church in Niamey against meningitis. Dr. Idi assisted by Renate helped vaccinate 119 children. While waiting for their kids to receive vaccines, mothers listen to teaching from a midwife. After one of the sessions a mother was asked what she had heard, and she replied: Protect the child from hot water, hot oil and fire. And if the child is burned, bring him or her immediately to the nearest Health Center for care. This is a big issue here due to the popular use of outdoor kitchens and fireplaces. We are receiving more and more mothers who are interested in the practical and useful teaching provided by the midwives at the clinic in Kollo. A 17-year old mother gave birth to these triplets. She had no milk and the babies suffered. They are living more than 40 km from the rural center in Dantchandou, but the Grandmother decided to bring the children to the Kollo Clinic. The mother was encouraged, and now the babies receive a supply of milk every week. The mother is taking CSB+ to help her produce breast milk and strength to feed the babies. Well Drilling Teachers and students at Kollo Seberi school are happy to have a well on the compound providing clean water. They send their greetings and thank you to those who make this possible.
Praise We thank the Lord that in spite of many challenges and difficult circumstances we are still seeing how He touches and saves people s lives. We are very encouraged to see how the Word is effective to save and deliver people out of darkness. We thank the Lord for answered prayers by sending more workers in the very ripe harvest field to Niger. We are grateful for the new teammates and their commitment to the work. For good attendance in the weekly prayer meetings and for testimonies of what the Lord is doing in different people s lives. We thank Samaritan s Purse for the beautiful gifts for the children of the disabled people in Maradi. They felt very privileged and thankful to receive them. With a donation from a faithful supporter we are able to finish the constructi on of a storage for tools and equipment on the property of the office. Prayer For the new believers while they face the challenge of carrying their own cross. Very often they are persecuted by the family. Pray for the church to take on the responsibility of discipleship through the ethnic centers. For the discipleship training school under construction. The church in Niamey is today in a rental place and in urgent need for funds to purchase a property for construction of a multi-cultural center. For the security situation in the country. Protection for all those travelling over the summer. Thank you for your prayers and for your practical support to help fulfill the great commission in Niger! May the Lord continue to bless you! The Hosanna Team in Niger Thanks to Humedica we distributed mosquito nets to lactating women in the region of Maradi, as part of our prevention program during rainy season.