Two of the six new pastors ordained today in the Lutheran Church of the Congo: Pastor Joseph Mboungou and Pastor Gaston Ndomba

Wow!  What a joy-filled celebration today of God's faithfulness as He continues to build His Church in the Republic of the Congo!  It was a great joy to be here to encourage these dear brothers and sisters and rejoice with them!

Praise break between training sessions today!

Here are some of the vicars, pastors, other church leaders and their wives singing to our awesome God in between some of our training sessions today.  And sing we did with joy!! It was an honor to share God's Word and encourage the wives along with their husbands as they truly are partners in ministry.  Please join me in praying for a Jesus-exalting, Holy Spirit led worship service tomorrow as together we rejoice that God continues to build His Church around the world!

Fred Reinhardt, Jean-Baptiste Mouanga and his wife Honorine

This photo was taken today (Saturday) in between some of our training/prayer sessions with the vicars, pastors, catechists and evangelists.  Jean-Baptiste graduated from the Center for Lutheran Theological Studies in 2005 in Dapaong, Togo.  Our OSLC Togo Team met him and his family when we came to Togo that year.   Praise God that ten years later Jean-Baptiste serves as the lead pastor in Pointe Noire.  He has served as a mentor/supervisor to some of the vicars being ordained tomorrow.   He and Honorine are faith-filled followers of Jesus and have a precious family.  They are here to encourage and rejoice in God's faithfulness!  It has been a joy to encourage and pray with them.

Shining their shoes in preparation for their ordination; many wonderful conversations continue

Vicars Jean-Bosco Malanda and Joseph Mboungou are shining their shoes on Saturday in preparation for their ordination ceremony that will be held Sunday at 9:00 a.m.  The joy and anticipation that these man and their families have is contagious!  Some of them have served as vicars for over 5 years.  It has been a joy to pray with them, encourage them, and share God's Word with them.  They are servants of Jesus that He has called forth to serve His people!  Amen and amen!

A Church Plant realized that began in August 2011 when our OSLC team visited

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  This is Vicar (soon to be Pastor) Gaston Ndomba.  He will be ordained tomorrow.  Gaston will be serving in Mouyondzi, the town where our 2011 Congo Mission team stayed at a hotel during our travels in visiting churches.    The hotel owner said to us when were were visited in 2011 that 'we need a church here in our place.'  Well, four years later God is answering her prayers!  Gaston has been leading Bible studies in the Mouyondzi area to begin the church plant.  He will return to Mouyondzi to preach/teach after his ordination.  We have been praying for him on our OSLC prayer calendar for the past few years.  God has answered those prayers!  To Him be the glory as He continues to build His Church in the Republic of the Congo!

Singing the praises of our awesome Lord and Savior!

Encouragement and Prayers--God is answering your prayers!

  God is always good!  Thank you for your continued prayers.  God is answering your prayers for good health and safety.  He is also answering your prayers by giving me the great honor of listening to concerns and praying with President Mavoungou and missionary Fred Reinhardt.  We've had Holy-Spirit led conversations at meal times and in taxis about the joys and challenges of ministry.  God has truly raised up President Mavoungou to serve during these years as the President of the Lutheran Church of the Congo.  He is a wise, compassionate, joyful, and humble man who loves Jesus most in his life.  He is respected by all and bears much responsibility yet does it with joy.  He is truly a servant leader and it is my honor to encourage him and learn from him.  He has a heart for evangelism and missions that is contagious! Fred Reinhardt continues to work hard for the building up on the local churches in all of French speaking Africa.  Fred is the one who connected OSLC to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Congo in 2011 with the purpose of establishing a ministry partnership in the Gospel.  Four years later I continue to say thank you, Fred!