Name: Nate Wilkerson
Mission Field: Bénin West Africa
What is your website address and/or facebook page?
https://westafrica4christ.com
How long have you been on the mission field?
3 years in Burkina Faso and almost 2 years in Bénin
In a paragraph, how did you become Born Again?
I believed the Gospel at 5 years old and Jesus saved me. Christ has been growing me and my love for Him and His Word and has given me an overwhelming desire to share the Gospel with everyone!
In a paragraph, can you describe the mission or vision of your ministry?
To make disciples of all nations, to baptise those who believe and to start churches so that we can effectively teach the Belivers all things that Jesus taught. To train national leadership to take over the churches and start more. To start a church planting movement here in Benin that will spread all over the world!
What is the biggest challenge(s) or difficulty that you face as a missionary?
Currently, learning Fongbe the local tribal language. And balancing personal ministry, family ministry and African ministry.
Do you have any prayer requests that we can pray for you?
Ministry update!
The Lord has been working in exciting ways in Benin ! Please pray that the Holy Spirit will touch hearts to give so that the church meeting in downtown Cotonou will be able to purchase a piece of property to meet on!
Pray for the Lord to help the new church plants and Bible study groups all over Benin. The church meeting in Agassa Godomey is doing very well as people are being added to the church nearly weekly!
Pray for Abel, Jean, Julien, Leger and other leaders who are following up with the members in discipleship.
The church meeting in Tori Bossito is also growing with around a dozen professions of faith lately! Pray that they follow the Lord in baptism soon!
Pray for Abraham, Gregoire, Olivier, Arnaud, Yaou and other leaders as they faithfully evangelise and help Belivers grow in their faith!
The church meeting in the house of Olivier in the village of Ze is also growing with 4 Belivers following the Lord in Belivers baptism a couple weeks ago! Pray the Lord will add to their number! Pray for them as they are being discipled and the Lord is adding to their number!
There was a Gospel campaign in the village of Zougbodomey recently and over 50 professed Christ as Lord and Savior! Presently there is a team of 6 men following up with those who made professions of faith! 4 couples who professed faith in Christ in Zogbodomey donated their land for the meeting place of the church so pray that the Lord will provide for us to be able to build a simple meeting place for them! There is currently a team of 6 men who are following up with the professed Belivers! Pray that will set in order the things that are wanting!
The church meeting in the home of Jean Houeto in Porto Novo is also growing with around a dozen souls preparing for baptism soon! Pray for this new church plant as the Lord continues to add to their number! Pray for brother Houeto, Patern, and Marion among others who are following up with those who are making professions of faith!
The Lord used brother Cesar and Filber among others to save souls and start a church that is now meeting faithfully in the village of Wawata! God has been adding weekly to their number and I am asking ever you pray this week continue to happen! This church has recently started another church in a nearby village so pray for these works!
There has recently been a Bible study group that started meeting in the village of Pahou and they have started renting a small room to meet in near Arnaud’s house. They are being lead by Carlos, Evarice and Brice among others. Pray that the Lord will add to their number and they would faithfully fulfil the great commission! The Lord has been strengthening and greatly adding to the number of the Belivers meeting faithfully each week in the village on the water called Ganvie! God is using Didier, Carlos, James, Enoch among others to reach many with the Gospel!
Pray for these Belivers as they are baptised and grow in their faith! Before a baptism the Lord saved what we would call a “witch or spell caster” as he experienced what he confessed to the Belivers as the power of God. He admitted he went to the baptism to torment the woman getting baptised but when all the believers prayed for her, he reached his hand into his bag to send her a spell and his hand was burned! He has since given his voodoo trinkets to the believers and has encouraged his gang members to leave behind their magic arts and give them to the disciples who will burn them soon. Pray for the entire gang along with their families to forsake satans power and experience the love of God through the good news of the Gospel!
This week there is an evangelism campaign happening in the village Kanta lead by Appolinaire and Jeremie where the Lord has saved 2 households! Pray for an evangelism campaign that is happening tomorrow and Saturday this week! Pray for the Lord to help the Belivers to begin meeting together each week to learn about what it means to grow in their new relationship with Christ!
Ouidah is a very dark and wicked city and has been feared by many for a long time due to it’s extreme voodoo and demonic presence but the Lord has saved several souls and is using Didier and Patern to bring the light of Christ to those sitting in darkness! Pray that there will be an assembly of born again Belivers meeting together each week and that the Holy Spirit would continue working in hearts so that souls would continue being saved!
Thank you for all of you who faithfully pray, encourage, give and keep in contact with us! We love y’all dearly and are very thankful for you holding the rope!
Any additional comments you would like to share with us.
We love y’all and are very thankful for yall holding the rope!