Monday, May 6, 2019

Sent to Togo...

I think this is my fifth visit to Togo, but this visit is different from all of the other times I've been here. Past trips, like most of my trips, have included a heavy load of teaching. The last time I was here, I spent ten days teaching two different groups of men. This time I am here for a different purpose. I am here to introduce Peter Evensen, our new missionary, to the men he will be working with and training. I will only be here for a couple of weeks as meet the men, visit a couple of congregations, look for a place for Missionary Evensen to live, and take care of immigration, banking, communication, and transportation issues so he can get busy with the work he has been sent here to do. 


Missionary Evensen and Pastor Kossi
upon arrival at the airport in Lome'
A couple of months ago a "Notes from the Field" article I wrote for the Lutheran Spokesman appeared in the March issue. This article was intended to introduce the folks of the CLC back in the U.S. to the man we have been working with here in Togo. At the time I wrote this article (December, 2018), none of us knew what the Lord had in mind. Missionary Evensen was scheduled to return to India to resume his work there. Little did we know that his Indian visa would be canceled and he would need to return to the U.S. one day after his arrival. The Board of Missions considered several options for Missionary Evensen to continue his service to the Lord. It was decided that Peter's abilities in the French language would be put to good use in Togo. So here we are, sent to Togo. 

What follows is the article that appeared in March issue of the Lutheran Spokesman:

Pastor Kossi Blewu of the MELC-Togo

Written by  | March, 2019
Post Tags
Post Categories Missions,Notes from the field
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
In this series, thoseinvolved with CLC foreign missions profile one aspect of our overseas endeavors.
Pastor Kossi Blewu is forty-eight years old. He is married, has seven children, and—along with his wife—cares for four orphans. He serves as a pastor, Bible Institute teacher, and chairman of the Mission Evangelique Lutherienne de Confession du Togo (MELCT). Togo is a former French colony on the south-west coast of Africa. The name of this church body translates to “The Confessional Lutheran Evangelical Mission of Togo.”
Pastor Kossi is a former high school teacher, school headmaster, and prison evangelist. Before he affiliated with the CLC, he had been working with a Togolese Lutheran pastor in a prison ministry. This Togolese pastor had graduated from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1999 this Lutheran pastor had met a CLC member who was visiting Togo and had expressed interest in working with the CLC. At his invitation, Missionary Koenig made a trip from Nigeria to meet with him. But when it was determined that we did not share a common confession of faith with this man, the CLC Board of Missions did not pursue further contact. At that point it seemed as if our involvement in Togo would be short lived. But the Lord had other plans, better plans! Through this initial contact, Missionary Koenig was introduced to Kossi Blewu. He was described as someone who was sincere in his desire to proclaim God’s Word, but who also needed more theological training. Over the next several years Kossi studied with Missionary Koenig both in person and by correspondence. He also attended the seminary in Nigeria for a short period of time. The CLC declared fellowship with Pastor Kossi and the MELCT. Pastor Kossi was ordained by Missionary Ude and the MELCT was officially registered with the Togo government in 2008.
Over the past ten years the Lord has blessed the work of Pastor Kossi and the MELCT. Four men have gone through seven years of part-time theological training with Pastor Kossi, assisted by CLC missionaries. In March of 2017 these four men were ordained and appointed to serve as pastors of MELCT congregations and preaching stations. In April of 2017 the Mt. Horeb Lutheran Bible Institute was established, and seven men began their studies in preparation to serve as faithful preachers, teachers, and evangelists. The Lord has also provided opportunities for the MELCT to care for seven orphan children. Forty other needy children gather at the church in Lomé each week for Bible study and nutrition. The care that these children receive is supported through offerings to the CLC Project Kinship.
What has unfolded over the past eighteen years is just a part of the story of our gracious Lord working in and through the life of Pastor Kossi Blewu. As a child he grew up as the oldest of ten children. He grew up in a rural village a couple of hours north of the southern coastline of Togo. He was the oldest of ten children; he had four sisters and five brothers. His father was a hardworking and successful farmer, carpenter, and businessman. He was shrewd in his financial dealings and the Blewu family was envied by many in the area. Kossi attended a private Presbyterian school as a child but does not remember ever attending worship services or believing in Jesus in his youth. Neither he nor any of his family were Christian. They followed the old superstitious religions of their ancestors.
When Kossi was only seventeen years old, his father died rather suddenly. Several men in the area, who were envious of his father’s success, saw this as an opportunity to change their fortunes in life. These men drove Kossi away from his home and family with threats of violence if he continued his father’s businesses. This led Kossi into a deep depression for several months as he stopped attending school and refused to eat or go outside. He feared for his life and the welfare of his family. His mother called in a local Juju doctor to try to help him. But of course, this didn’t help. The visit from the Juju man only frightened him more, so he decided to run away. He left home and went to the big city of Lomé. He remembers that he did not care if he lived or died, but he was not going back to the Juju doctor, and he wanted to get away from the men who hated him and his father. As the oldest son and heir to the family businesses, he thought this was the best way to protect his family.
When he arrived in Lomé, he noticed that there were a lot of churches and many people were coming and going on Sunday mornings. He decided to find out what Christianity was all about. That was where Kossi first learned of God’s grace and mercy. What the Holy Spirit revealed to Kossi through His Word led to a saving faith and a life of service to the Lord and His kingdom. While living in Lomé, he attended college and studied to become a school teacher. He graduated, but before he completed his government teacher exams, he took a job teaching French at a high school in Ghana. After a few years he returned to Lomé, where he passed the government teaching exams and began teaching secondary school. He eventually became a headmaster (equivalent to our position of principal). During all of this time he continued to attend church services and Bible studies. As his faith grew, so did his desire to serve the Lord and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Around the age of thirty he became involved with a non-denominational prison ministry, organized by the Lutheran pastor mentioned earlier. As a result, Kossi began to hear and learn the truths of Scripture in a new and systematic way. He was introduced to Lutheran doctrine and was shown how it was derived from Scripture alone. The CLC’s plan had been to work with the Lutheran pastor who was mentoring Kossi, but that never materialized. Instead, the Lord used that man to introduce Pastor Kossi to Missionary Koenig and the CLC. This teaches us again not to think so highly of our plans that we miss the privilege of following the Lord as He directs us down a much better path of His choosing.

Friday, May 3, 2019

Mission Opportunities Prayer List...03 MAY 2019


CLC Mission Opportunities Prayer List
May 2019

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you...
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (NKJV)

1.    Myanmar – Pastor Thang has been discharged from the hospital. He will need several more weeks of rest at home before he begins rehab to regain his strength. Thank the Lord for blessing Thang with successful surgery and healing. Continue to pray that the Lord will continue to bless his recovery and to provide for all his and his family’s needs.

2.    Nepal – Recently three Nepali Christian pastors along with one American and one Australian missionary were arrested for proselytizing in a district where the HCLCN has also been working. The Nepali pastors have been imprisoned and the foreign missionaries were arrested and then deported. Pray that Satan’s efforts to stop the spread of the Gospel in this area of Nepal will be thwarted and that many more may hear the Gospel, repent of their sins, and join us in rejoicing in the forgiveness and eternal life we have through faith in Jesus.

3.    New Missionary to begin work in Togo and West Africa – Missionary Peter Evensen is flying to Togo on May 3rd. Missionary Ohlmann will accompany him to introduce him to the leaders, pastors, and work in Togo. Missionary Evensen take up residence in Lomé, Togo where he will be working with Pastor Kossi Blewu and the Mission Evangelique Lutherienne Church of Togo (MELC). Since Missionary Evensen is conversant in French, this will be a great blessing in working with the seven men who are currently studying to be evangelists and ordained pastors at the MELC Mt. Horeb Lutheran Bible Institute. He will also have opportunities to preach and teach at the French speaking congregations and preaching stations of the MELC in Togo and Benin. Offer prayers of thanks to the Lord for the language gifts that He has given to our missionary and pray for all that is necessary for such a transition. Pray also for the Lord’s blessings on all the opportunities Missionary Evensen will have to proclaim the truth of God’s saving word.

4.    CLC Mission Visit to Kenya – Pastor Michael Gurath, who serves as our CLC part-time visiting missionary to Kenya and Uganda, is in Kenya for the first two weeks of May to visit to the two schools that are being supported through Project Kinship. He will also be on hand for a pastoral conference for pastors and contacts from Kenya and Uganda. Pray for Pastor Gurath, his wife and family, and for those he goes to work with, train, and encourage.

5.    India – National Elections are taking place in India over the next several weeks. For the past four years the Hindu nationalist political party (BJP) has held the majority in their government and has appointed a BJP Prime Minister. This has led to an increase in persecution of Christians in India. Continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ of the CLC-India and the BELC as they carry on with the great privilege of making disciples of all nations as they baptize and teach all that God has commanded in His Word. Pray that the Lord will keep them strong in the faith and filled with confidence in His love and the privilege of suffering for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.