I. Geographic Location

Goma is the provincial capital of Nord-Kivu which is in the eastern region of Congo. Close to a lake, Goma is situated at the border between Congo and Rwanda. In January of 2004, the eruption of a neighboring volcano destroyed parts of the city.

According to reports by the Agence France Presse (AFP) dated August 16th and 20th, “la région des Grands lacs” is one of the areas in the world with the most upheaval. Between 1998 and 2003, three million people died in the civil war in Congo. Another civil strife since 1993 in Burundi claimed more than 300,000 casualties. In 1994, the genocide in Rwanda claimed 800,000 lives. Since 1986, the civil war in the northern region of Uganda claimed more than 100,000 lives and forced 1.6 million people to migrate. Goma is situated in this “la région des Grands lacs,” with the neighboring Rwanda in the east, Uganda less than one hundred kilometers in the northeast, and Burundi about one hundred kilometers to the southeast.

Currently, the anti-governmental forces are active in the mountainous regions between Goma and Bukavu, which is the provincial capital of 南基武省about one hundred kilometers off Goma. Bukavu was occupied by the anti-governmental forces for about a week between the end of June and beginning of July.

II. An Introduction of the EJC

In 1992, Banyanga, a EJC minister, and another co-worker received revelations regarding the Sabbath, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, footwashing and the observance of the Ten Commandments. Since the ministry began in 1995, the EJC has 11 churches with resident ministers and 8 places of worship without resident ministers but with sacred workers. The EJC has about 1,800 members. (The EJC distinguishes a church from a place of worship not by membership, but by whether it has a resident minister.) We understand that, except for 4 churches reachable by highway, the remaining 15 locations are in the deep mountains or areas rampant with guerilla warfare and robbery.

During this missionary trip, no one came from the 8 places of worship in the “extremely dangerous zone” (a minister was killed not long before). But sacred workers from 10 of the 11 remaining churches came and accepted baptism. Resident ministers from 8 churches also attended and received baptism. One of the ministers had to go back because of the long journey home (he had to travel more than 180 kilometers of mountainous roads by car and foot, only to arrive for the first time at Goma after 2-3 days!) The other 7 resident ministers stayed for the seminar on August 11-13th and the second baptism on the 14th.

Pastor Banyanga, the Chair of EJC, and Evangelist Baraka, the National Overseer, are not considered resident ministers. On a regular basis, both of them travel to and pastor all districts every two to five months. Not long ago, when an EJC minister was killed by robbers, Banyanga was on the scene but had a narrow escape.

A. Faith

1. General faith: The Bible is the basis of all beliefs; it is the only solution to their faith. During discussions, they insisted that we show them the biblical basis for our beliefs, including the name of our church! Each worker thinks independently which resulted in constant arguments in classes.

2. Godhead, church: They believe in the One True God and One Church (EJC originally believed that she is the only church that saves). They oppose celebrating festivals that mingle the sacred with the worldly, such as Christmas.

3. Baptism: They baptize in the name of Jesus Christ in living water, with full immersion and face upward. They practice excommunication.

4. Footwashing: They believe that those whose feet have not been washed cannot be saved. But they practiced “mutual” footwashing among the disciples, not the “one-way” footwashing Jesus performed for His disciples.

5. Holy Communion: One unleavened bread, one jar of pure grape juice. To minimize burning while baking, some sacred workers add a little oil.

6. Sabbath: They believe in observing the Sabbath by grace but in stricter terms than us. Services begin at 9am and end at 4pm, with no breaks or lunch.

7. Holy Spirit: They believe that speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and one cannot begin speaking in tongues immediately in a prayer.

8. Ordination of sacred workers: Sacred workers are ordained after they demonstrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit in long periods of services, with prayers and under the observations of the congregation. Most ministers and evangelists either have properties or are employed. They do sacred work so that they will “not be unworthy of God-given gifts.” They do not demand to be provided for by the gospel. Regular church offerings are not enough to sustain the livelihood of the ministers.

9. Liturgy: Hymns and praise music play a large role during services. Baraka composed every hymn, drum music, or dance we heard during our stay there. Through interpretation, I found that the lyrics consist mostly of stories told in words and phrases that retell events from Genesis to Revelation and describe the standards of spiritual living. The reason for this is that education is not prevalent in the country and not everyone can read or afford a Bible. So he turned Bible stories and spiritual teachings into hymns for the congregation to recite and remember. “Hymns” become “sermons that can be sung.” We have instructed Baraka to familiarize himself thoroughly with our doctrines and turn them into hymns that can be taught to the congregation.

10. Marriage and dress code: One husband and one wife. Any member who has extramarital affair is excommunicated. (So far, the only excommunication performed in the EJC was a result of sexual immorality.) They believe contraception is not biblical. Consequently, families with more than five children are prevalent. Women should not wear pants, but scarves are allowed (not for the purpose of “covering their heads,” but because they have short hair.)

B. Organization:

The EJC is a religious organization officially registered with the government. There is no concept of a “founder.” Sacred workers are differentiated by their gifts: pastors, evangelists, deacons or deaconesses, apostles, prophets, and elders. Currently, we are aware that Banyanga, Baraka and Zaire are full-time workers whose living expenses come from meager tithes. “Special funds” are initiated to pay for special projects in church. Most sacred workers are volunteers and are equals as members of the Body before God:

• Pastor and evangelist: responsible for preaching the gospel and church administration

• Deacon: handle general administrative tasks

• Elder: liken to an “advisor”

• Prophet: refer to a member who has the gift of prophecy

• Apostle: based on the fact that the two brothers who were with Titus were called “apostles” (2 Cor 8:23). To the EJC, an apostle refers exclusively to “one who is sent.”

• Nine sacred workers form the Executive Committee, with Banyanga as chair.

The general feeling is that the EJC conforms to the teachings of the Bible and operates harmoniously. They are worthy of our consideration and emulation.

To discuss the truth with us, the EJC made full preparation despite shortage and cost (US dollar is their common currency). They printed service and visitation schedules, evangelical invitations, and other publications. Other sacred workers have name tags on them. They also registered this event with the provincial government and local agencies and applied for service permission. In addition, during the week of August 4-10, they had to arrange lodging for 200 people from 10 churches. (Separated by gender, the members slept in two tents that were put up in a chapel built on hard rocks that came from volcanic eruption). Meal preparation and lodging were no easy tasks. According to the co-workers who were in charge of food, they spent about US$25 per day which afforded them mostly rice, red bean, corn flour, etc.

• A newly established literary ministry team

To maintain the purity of the gospel and to avoid discrepancies in oral interpretation and the resulting misconceptions, we coordinated with local workers to form a “Translation Team” before we left Goma on August 15th. Thank God that after 10 days, which was August 25th, the team translated the French version of Our Basic Beliefs published by the IA into Swahili, one of the official languages of Congo. Along with the French version of the By-laws needed for church registration, the team sent these translations for us to review! The next day, I made slight changes in the layout and returned the documents to them. I requested that they proof-read the translation before publication and then register with the government.

Swahili is the common language used in Congo and neighboring countries, including English-speaking countries in South Africa where we have churches. The translation was sent to me when I attended the UKGA Ministers’ Cultivation Seminar in London. I had the chance to coordinate and share reflections with co-workers responsible for the English-speaking African areas. Everyone was surprised by how quickly the Goma team completed the translation. Thanks to the Lord’s grace. In the beginning of September, these co-workers will bring a copy of the translation to Kenya.

The French version of Fundamentals of Salvation is a compilation of Eld John Yang’s Essential Biblical Doctrines and Eld SY Kuo’s Questions and Answers about the Truth. Fundamentals has detailed introductions to and clear explanations about our church beliefs. We initially hoped that the Goma team would translate the five basic doctrines and the topic on church, for a total of six chapters that span more than one hundred pages. On August 25th, the team wrote and told us that the publication is substantive, and they proactively decided to start translating all twelve chapters of the book (about 250 pages) into Swahili. On September 8th, they wrote again and said they were about to complete the translation and hoped we could decide on its publication! May the Lord show His grace and bless this literary ministry that can benefit many African countries. After Doctrines is translated, the truth will penetrate more deeply in these regions. We will not have to worry about ambiguities resulted from inaccurate translation of sermons.

• Finance:

According to EJC’s report on government regulations, tithes and general offerings should be used to pay for the ministers’ living allowance. We observed that their offering is insufficient to pay for the ministers’ living expenses. We figured there must be some members who help them out in secret. Other than Banyanga, Baraka and Zaire (who is the resident minister of Goma), other ministers have their own properties or occupation. A special offering would be established for any special church task. For instance, each church brought their special offering and food to attend this service.

During this trip, the only time we were asked for money was when we first arrived on August 5th. They asked if we could voluntarily help with some food expenses. (In retrospect, they probably wanted to buy meat for us but it was too expensive and unaffordable.) Whether in their letters in the past year or during our stay, the EJC never made any financial demands. With reference to US$1.50 per person per meal while we were transiting in Kigali, we offered US$50 for 18 meals for the two of us who would stay on August 5-14th. On our own volition, we added US$25 for meals during the seminar on August 11-13th and requested the members who worked in the kitchen to buy some meat for the participating sacred workers.

Before we went to Congo, we wrote and asked them, “Are you contacting us with financial expectations or purely for the truth?” They replied, “Purely for the truth!” After we met them for the first time, the first thing I asked them was, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I will give you!” (cf. Acts 3:6) On the first day, Banyanga told the congregation of 200 with a loud voice, “We do not want silver or gold. We only hope that our guests bring us the truth!” The congregation shouted, “Amen!”

After staying with them for more than 10 days, we witnessed that they are better than us in their simplicity and unswerving determination. I could almost feel what Abraham felt, “I thought the people here do not fear God.” Because of their complexion, I doubted their motives for contacting us. I thought they do not sincerely pursue the truth, do not fear God and only wish for financial assistance (cf. Gen 20:11)! I was really disappointed at and ashamed of myself for mistrusting them in a few instances!

• Service

After nearly two weeks of being together, I discovered that EJC workers possess the qualities of our early TJC workers: their great faith in God, their longing for the gospel, their ready acceptance of the truth, their ability to ask relevant questions and explain the truth more clearly, their demand on themselves, their frequent fasting prayer, their endurance of hardships, their initiative to offer first during the two services we had with them, ….

 

III. Summary of major events before and after the pioneering trip:

A. Before the trip

• Around 2002, the IA IMP forwarded emails from the EJC and we began communication with them.

• After more than a year of communication through email, we decided in May, 2004 to visit the EJC in Goma, Congo. With the help of EJC, we planned our work and itineraries. We repeatedly declared, “I have neither silver nor gold, but only the truth.”

• At the end of June, while working in Benin, Africa, we learned that Bukavu, the provincial capital of 南基武, which is over 100 kilometers from Goma, had been occupied by anti-governmental forces. The national boundary between Rwanda and Goma was closed for a week.

• On July 16, volcano Nyamulagira, which is 40 kilometers from Goma, erupted, causing panic among residents.

• On July 20, residents in Goma heard rumors of war and began to evacuate from the city.

• On July 21, the EJC wrote about the turmoil in the city of Goma, but hoped that the meeting plan would not change. We responded that if we could not enter Goma, the EJC could send representatives to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, to discuss the truth.

• On July 29 (Thursday), bro Gin-Jia Zhang and I departed from Paris, France to transit at Johannesburg, South Africa. We had services and visited members till August 3rd.

• By August 3rd, bro GJ had been seriously ill for several days and I myself was burdened with ailments as well. Miraculously, both of us were healed that night!

B. The beginning of the missionary trip
(for details, please refer to chapter six of this report, Missionary Diary)

• On August 4th (Wednesday) at 1330 hour, we arrived at Kigali. Banyanga, the Chair of the EJC, Baraka, the National Overseer, and elder Blaise came to receive us. Since they were late to arrive at the national boundary between the two countries by 1800 hour, they stayed overnight at Kigali. With the movement of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Lord Jesus Christ, we had a crucial discussion over dinner with these three ministers regarding baptism.

• On August 5th (Thursday), we rode on a 15-passenger vehicle and began our slow journey along mountain roads in Rwanda, a country known for its numerous mountains. After four hours and over 100 kilometers, we arrived at Goma, Congo. There were about 200 members from 9 churches who gathered at one place to welcome us and listened to the truth. The EJC has great warmth and love.

• On August 6th (Friday) morning, 18 EJC sacred workers came to our hotel to discuss the truth. The EJC co-workers had long thoughts about the issue of “bowing one’s head” during baptism. When we explained to the congregation that “infants must be baptized too,” the EJC workers were shocked.

• On August 7th (Sabbath) morning, the three ministers who went to Kigali to receive us came to the hotel and expressed their determination to receive baptism again. In our first prayer together, all three received the Holy Spirit. We decided to baptize them on the 10th.

• On August 8th (Sunday), 20 some people rode in one vehicle and visited Rubaya, which is 70 kilometers from Goma. At a grazing ground, we encouraged more than 200 members to be like David who fought against Goliath, to be out of their mind in the eyes of worldly people for the sake of Christ and to complete the impossible mission.

• On August 9th (Monday), we had our first prayer with the EJC workers. The Lord showed great visions and power. A great light shone and the fire of the Holy Spirit fell on each one’s head. Wearing white, the Lord stood next to the minister who was laying hands on the EJC workers to help and strengthen them. We also established a directory of members from each church who registered for baptism.

• On August 10th (Tuesday), 154 people from 9 churches were baptized in Goma. After baptism, we sent the congregation home and had sacred workers stay for a seminar the next day.

C. Workers’ Seminar
(for details, please refer to chapter six of this report, Missionary Diary)

• On August 11th (Wednesday), the congregation went home. The first day of the Workers’ Seminar lasted from 900 to 1630. We discussed the qualifications of the workers of the true church, the Sabbath, the change of church name from EJC to VJC, church registration and translation of publications about the basic beliefs, etc.

• On August 12th (Thursday), which is the second day of the Workers’ Seminar, we discussed church organization, baptism, footwashing, Holy Communion, and One True Church. We asked the participants to repeatedly practice conducting the sacraments. However, we instructed them not to perform any sacrament and not to lay hands on anyone.
  We found out that many members had to walk 15-44 kilometers of mountainous roads to attend this service! After these members returned to their respective churches, they actively preached to other members. Since many members requested baptism, we decided to hold another baptism on August 14th.

On August 13th (Friday), which was the third day of the seminar, we reviewed the basic beliefs and discussed the Holy Spirit. We refused to subsidize the US$15 fare for 30 members who would be coming for baptism the following day. We hoped that the ministry would continue to grow in our absence. I couldn’t sleep the entire night, but was comforted by the thought that the Lord was walking before me in this ministry.

D. The second baptism
(for details, please refer to chapter six of this report, Missionary Diary)

• On August 14th (Sabbath), we baptized 106 at Sake Church. We baptized 260 in these two baptisms. Among them were 48 sacred workers from 10 churches (EJC has 11 churches and 8 places of worship): 10 preachers, 8 evangelists, 15 deacons, 11 deaconesses, 1 elder, 1 prophet and 2 apostles. Almost all the important workers of the EJC have converted to the truth and become a spirited army of God!

• On August 15th (Sunday), we reminded the co-workers at Goma to take care of church registration, translation, evangelism, praying for the Holy Spirit, etc. in our absence. We arrived at Kigali in the evening and stayed there overnight.
  Recounting God’s grace in more than ten days, we realized deeply that we were just unworthy and useless servants. May all glory be to the God in heaven, our Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

E. Swahili and our English and French ministries in Africa:

• On August 16th morning, we departed from Kigali and spent 6 hours to transit at Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. After we went through customs, we stayed with sis Emma, the secretary for the Kenya Evangelical Center in Nairobi. We discussed the task of translating church beliefs into Swahili. According to sis Emma, members in Kenya attempted the translation. But there were not many members fluent in Swahili, progress had been slow. We then arrived at the Johannesburg Church in South Africa and had a family service.

• On August 17th, the sicknesses that bro Gin-Jia and I were healed of before the trip recurred! Bro Gin-Jia was so sick that he could not eat. Thank God that during the trip, He gave us “sufficient” health. We left South Africa at midnight and arrived in France in the morning of the 18th. On August 22nd, I flew to London.

• On August 23rd, there was a meeting in London about the Russian ministry.

• On August 23-25th, I attended UKGA Ministers’ Cultivation Seminar. We shared our reflections and thoughts about the direction of the English and French ministries in Africa. We encouraged one another to pray for and help each other. We were joyful and bathed in the grace of the Lord.

F. Common Beliefs was translated and church by-laws established

• By August 25th, the workers at Goma, with amazing speed, emailed us both the church by-laws needed for government registration and the complete translation of the French Common Beliefs (Dogmes). Swahili is one of the five official languages used in Congo. It is also a language used in neighboring countries, including the English-speaking districts in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. We immediately laid out Common Beliefs into a small booklet. After reviewing the by-laws, we promptly sent it back, instructed them to use it immediately and register it with the government. Co-workers in UK were thankful and gave praises to God when they saw the translation of Common Beliefs. They will bring the translation to Kenya in their trip to Kenya in the beginning of September.

G. Goma was occupied by the anti-governmental forces. Please pray for them.

• On August 27th, I read an online report, dated 26th, by the French paper Le Monde. The anti-governmental forces had occupied Goma. There was deathly stillness; only the armies were coming and going on the streets. We wrote a letter to the members in Goma to comfort them. Please pray for them.

• August 27-30th. After reading the report on the 27th, dn Luke Chen and I flew to Dublin, Ireland to assist the ministry and visit members. Since I couldn’t get online, I didn’t have any news about Goma. I was very concerned. On several occasions, I told dn Chen that, whether during the night or early in the morning, I absent-mindedly thought I was still working in Africa. I could not forget the Lord’s grace in Goma and the faithfulness and diligence of the newly baptized co-workers in that difficult environment.

• August 28-30th. I worked in Dublin, Ireland. As far as I know, this is the only church in Europe (or perhaps the world) established independently by immigrant members from Fu-Jien. They are mostly youths in their 20s and are full of zeal and vitality. They are under the care of UKGA. On the Sabbath, more than 20 members attended service. Dublin takes care of the food and lodging for visiting workers; UKGA pays for renting the place of worship on Saturdays. During prayers, the Lord gave the Holy Spoirit to 4-6 people.

H. Printed Common Beliefs, completed church registration, in the final stages of translating Essential Doctrines

反對歸真者開始反撲。?????

• On August 31st, I returned from Dublin to dn. Luke’s house at Leicester. Banyanga wrote to report safety and that Common Beliefs has been printed and is being used. Banyanga and Baraka have also been preaching the truth to other EJC members who hope to be baptized the next time.

• On September 8th, we received registration documents from Banyanga, dated September 2nd, of the Congo church. Since the translation of Essential Doctrines was almost complete, we had to quickly find printing estimates to decide whether to print it in or outside of Congo. (Every chapter would be printed as a stand-alone volume for convenience and cost savings.) Thanks to the Lord’s grace!

In addition, Banyanga also requested intercessory prayers because opponents to return to the truth began to disturb the church. Nevertheless, our co-workers firmly believe that the truth will be triumphant. We pray that the Lord would add strength upon strength, and grace upon grace.

IV. Reflections

1. During this missionary journey, the work of the Holy Spirit was shown with unexpected power and speed. As I worked, I noted the four stages of work through daily prayers:

   1. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” During our preaching, we focused on discussing the truth so that everyone could understand the truth and return under the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

   2. “Your kingdom come.” The objectives of the ministry were to pray for the Holy Spirit, to baptize and to establish the church.

   3. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” By relying on the Lord in everything, we solidified the foundation of the truth, built upon previous successes, expanded the ministry, established structure and held seminars.

   4. “Give us this day our daily bread.” We prayed that the Lord’s grace would be with the newly baptized members so that they will have more than they need to give to others.

2. Goma is a city by the mountains. The uneven terrain posed a great challenge to me since I have difficulty breathing. Before this trip, I prayed to the Lord to give me a “workable” body and He granted me. Because of my difficulty in breathing while climbing hills, a co-worker in Goma suggested carrying me on his back. I refused, taking each step in God’s grace to finish the path I needed to take and the work I needed to do. However, outsiders will have difficulty accessing this place and other potential places of development because of chaos caused by war or the remoteness of the region. So this ministry and the execution of sacraments must be handed over to local, good and faithful co-workers as soon as possible.

3. Other than some previous ambiguities about the truth of baptism (now that they have accepted the truth, they are just like us!), the co-workers at Goma are almost alter egos of our early church workers: full of faith, love the truth, disciplined, repose in poverty and delight in wisdom, willing to sacrifice and offer, and diligent! I thought to myself, if one day these co-workers were to come to “our” place and see the church in spiritual lethargy amidst God’s abundant material blessings, would they cry out aloud?

4. Ananias received the truth before Paul did and baptized him in the name of the Lord Jesus. But Paul turned out to be a more precious vessel who had a deeper understanding of the truth than he did. If we pray and hope that the church will become perfect over time, we must recognize and accept that our successors will be better than us. Only then can the promise of “the glory of the latter shall be great than the former” be realized continually in everyday of our work. We should also learn from the teachings and discipline of our successors and not grow accustomed to being teachers. If we always think that only other people need to be “trained,” then we lose the opportunity to examine and improve ourselves.

5. During this trip, the EJC spent much of her savings sponsoring such a big event. They did not make any material requests before and after baptism. After baptism, they immediately threw themselves into the ministry of the “true church” (translating publications and evangelizing in former EJC places of worship). We turned a blind eye to their poverty and did not make any promise to provide material support and subsidy. I did not even give one of the hundred some M&Ms I had with me. I was tortured by such “cruelty.”

6. After personally experiencing the relentless power of the Holy Spirit, I was filled with astonishment, excitement and thanksgiving. But what followed was the unforgettable feeling of unworthiness.

7. On the last day, I walked through the customs which was closed one month earlier because of the war. After having my passport stamped by the authorities in Congo and Rwanda, I felt as if I had a dream. I did not believe that within 10 days, there was a complete change. Looking back at Goma amidst the dust kicked up by the car, I was filled with thanksgiving and longing. Oh! Goma, may the Lord guide your coming and going. We will return quickly (we plan to make another trip to Goma in January 2005 when bro GJ is having his winter vacation)!

V. Suggestions

1. Ordination: In the past six years, bro GJ and his wife flew from Taiwan to France at their own expense. They volunteered almost one month each year in the ministry in Africa to make up for manpower shortage of the French team. I hope that the IA and Taiwan GA can discuss the possibility of ordaining such a good and faithful servant so that he can take up more responsibilities in sacred work.

2. Assistance: Under the grace and guidance of the Lord, the ministry in the French regions of Africa is expanding. With the participation of suitable full-time workers, we will have more flexibility in dispatching. I hope that the IA and Taiwan GA can consider inviting Pr. H.J. Hsieh, who is experienced and fluent in French, to this ministry. Since August of this year, Pr. Hsieh, like other team members, has been receiving communications and sacred work reports about the French ministry in Africa to familiarize him with its successes and difficulties.

VI. Missionary diary (August 4 to 15)

The Pioneering Period

• August 4th (Wednesday). We flew from Johannesburg in the morning and arrived at Kigali at 1:30pm. Banyanga (47 years old), the Chair of EJC, Baraka (35), the National Overseer, and Elder Blaise (in his thirties, one of the founders and Board of Directors of one elementary and one junior high school) came to receive us. Since they arrived too late at the border before it closed at 1800, they stayed overnight at Kigali. With the movement of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Lord Jesus Christ, we had a pivotal discussion about the truth with the three ministers over dinner:
  To test whether the EJC, which also baptizes in the name of the Lord Jesus, had the concept of being baptized again, I intentionally claimed that we baptize in “bathtub” “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Banyanga immediately wanted me to be baptized again. I told him that my baptism was performed in the name of the Lord Jesus and not only would I not be baptized again, I came to preach about baptizing in “bathtub.” When Banyanga heard it, his face fell, and immediately told me, “If this is the case, please go back!” I joyfully held his hands and laughed. Thank God! By saying “Please go back!” EJC proved that they did not contact us for money, but was pursuing the truth in the spirit of “correcting whatever is contrary to the Bible.”
  I therefore asked him, “Do you have any biblical support for baptizing with face upward?” He replied, “I concede that we don’t!” I referred him to the passage about “face bowed.” I asked him to pay attention to Rom 6:5 where “future” resurrection is different from “past” resurrection (Col 2:12)! The latter refers to the revival of the spiritual life at baptism and the former refers to the revival and change of the body in the future. Baptism fulfills the two mysteries of completing the “spiritual life” and the “body.” If “outside of the body” is to be raised in the future in the likeness of the spiritual body of Christ when He resurrected, then one of the conditions of baptism must be that “outside of the body” must be in the likeness of the Lord’s death! After Banyanga heard about it and repeatedly read the passage, he was expressedly astounded. After the three ministers discussed among themselves, Banyanga fearfully asked, “What should we do? What should we do?” Before I could answer him, Baraka and Blaise could not help but gravely replied, “We have to be baptized again!” So the three of them looked at each other, forced a smile and sighed.
  This brief discussion later became Banyanga’s testimony of how he accepted “rebaptism.” He testified about this incident to other EJC workers who insisted that “we have already received baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus, we will not be baptized again.” If EJC demanded that those who were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus in a bathtub must be baptized again, then they themselves must be baptized again when they knew that they were not following the Bible!

• August 5th (Thursday). Banyanga told us early in the morning that he and Baraka could not sleep the entire night. They were thinking about the issue of baptizing with head bowed. He said, “You have brought us a great shock!”

• At 8 o’clock in the morning, we rode in a privately operated 15-passenger bus. After a four-hour journey across uneven mountainous terrain, we passed the Rwandan border and arrived at Goma, Congo. About 200 members from 9 churches gathered in a shabby chapel, which was a shed put up above volcanic rocks. They welcomed our visit and listened to our preaching.
  Starting from the next day, we discussed the truth with sacred workers from 800 to 1300. Between 1430 and 1730, we had services with the congregation in the chapel. After 1830, it was pitch black and without electricity, we had difficulty finding our way.
  At about 8pm, someone knocked on the door. Banyanga led eight to nine people to bring us food. They walked more than one kilometer in the dark to bring us dinner that we could enjoy by ourselves. I opened the lid of the basket and found two fish, noodle and French fries. We were utterly surprised and did not dare to receive such great love. We briefly touched the basket, asked them to bring it back, and reminded them, “We will take care of our own dinner; please don’t bring food again.”
  (Remark: Our hotel was converted from a residence. With only 3 rooms, the hotel also prohibited two men staying in the same room. After some negotiation, we shared a room for US$20 per day. It was very expensive (we didn’t at that time how expensive things were there). We asked for breakfast and had fried eggs and break. Little did we know that that became our main meal during the trip. We had lunch with EJC, but because there was little food, we purposely ate very little so they’d have more. At dinner time, the hotel did not have any water supply and electricity was negligible. (I could not even turn the light on, so I had to write my diary under candle light.) I could not make the oatmeal I brought, so I bought some bananas to fill my empty stomach. After a week, we realized that the water heater bro GJ brought with him could boil water after plugging it in for an hour (not the three minutes it usually takes). From then on, we had a cup of oatmeal every night!

• August 6th (Friday). In the morning, 18 EJC sacred workers came to the hotel to discuss the truth. Banyanga wanted us to personally explain “head bowed” in baptism with them. So I began with “heavenly fire, earthly fire” (please refer to my previous article published many years ago in the Holy Spirit Monthly and Manna) and explained “baptizing with head bowed.” They were astonished at the clear records of the Bible. After we discussed the truth with them, EJC co-workers discussed and argued among themselves whether they should be “baptized again.”
  On our way to the chapel, we learned that EJC rejected the notion of baptizing children under 12 based on the fact that one must ““believe” and be baptized to be saved.” After we arrived at the chapel, I began with “the name of the Lord” (please refer to my previous article published many years ago in the Holy Spirit Monthly and Manna) to discuss the issue of baptizing children to wash away their sins. Praising and cheering, the congregation responded affirmatively to these questions: “Will children die?” “Do children have sins?” “Do they need forgiveness from the salvation grace of the Lord Jesus?” The EJC co-workers were astonished and did not know what to do. After service, Banyanga told me, “Yang, you have brought us great distress!”
  EJC conducted their services in the same manner as described in Ps 150: “Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet…”. Playing drums, trumpets, guitar and other musical instruments, they sang and danced to praise God. The churches had a combined choir presentation during which they sang beautifully and danced (similar to the sing-along in Kindergarten classes). However, when the congregation sang and danced together for a prolonged period of time, occasionally one or two people would not be able to control themselves (they would either sing or dance nonstop, but there was no symptom of the work of the evil spirit). We were worried.
  (Remark: Since there was an incident where we laid hands on a member to stop singing and dancing, we especially instructed the newly baptized sacred workers to limit the congregation’s singing and dancing to no more than 10 minutes. (It usually went on for more than 30 minutes.)

• August 7th (Sunday). The three ministers who went to Kigali to received on the early morning of the 4th came to the hotel and expressed their determination to be baptized again. After discussion, we decided to hold the baptism on the 10th, which was a Tuesday. It so happened that the owner of the hotel was not there and there were no other guests. We took the opportunity to invite them, for the first time, to pray with us for the Holy Spirit. The Lord graciously gave the Holy Spirit to all three in the hotel room.
  EJC places much emphasis on the Sabbath. They keep the Sabbath under grace but in stricter terms than us. Services begin from 900 to 1630 without any break, rest, or lunch. And no one leaves! The first time we taught the congregation to pray for the Holy Spirit, we stood up and laid hands to help them. Facing so many members who were praying for the Holy Spirit for the first time, I sighed about not being able to step up to the occasion. We could also focus on the members by the walkway and the sacred workers at the front of the chapel. Many received the Holy Spirit.
  After service, we went to the house of Elder Blaise’ twin brother who is an evangelist and one of the nine executive members. Because of his occupation, he does not live in Goma. 15 other evangelists and sacred workers followed. We took the opportunity to discuss the truth with them. Point by point, we asked them if they understood the truth of infant baptism. Thank God, all the co-workers expressed their determination to be baptize on Tuesday.
  In these few days, we clearly witnessed the work of God. During our prayers, bro BJ and I continually thought about the ways to follow up:

  • To avoid division within EJC, we kept their working organizational structure.

  • Sent Banyanga and Baraka to all the EJC churches and places of worship to proclaim the truth until all or the majority return to the truth.

  • Immediately register the “True Jesus Church” with the government.

  • Translate into their language, Swahili, Common Beliefs and six chapters from Essential Doctrines, including the five basic doctrines and church.

  • Since outsiders have little access to these mountainous and war-prone regions, in the future, where necessary, the sacraments must be entrusted to and performed by newly baptized, reverent workers in the same manner as in the missionary history of the early Apostolic Church and the True Jesus Church worldwide. (In comparison, in Cotonou, Benin, we have established a church for many years, but until now we are still looking for and training suitable workers for God’s use.)
    In the night, we heard several gun shots from the city center. The younger brother of the hotel owner held up his ears in anxiety, but immediately said, “I don’t believe there will be a fight.”

• August 8th (Sunday). Getting up in the morning, I joyfully shared this Bible verse to comfort bro GJ who, over the past few days, had concerns and expectations for this ministry: “He commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (Act 10:48) ??????? The members at Joppa did not believe in the Lord for long, but Peter instructed them to perform baptism. ??????? Paul appointed elders in newly established churches and commended them to the Lord (Act 14:23)! With the Lord’s grace, after the IA co-workers have received this missionary report and the True Jesus Church in Congo has been officially registered, it would be time to, in the name of the Lord Jesus, “instruct” these reverent co-workers who have understood the truth and are more worthy than I, to go into the mountainous and war-prone regions to baptize members.
  We rented a 15-passenger bus for US$70. With more than 20 people riding in it, we visited Rubaya, which is the last church reachable by highway in this mountainous region. (If everyone were to pay their own fare, it would have cost US$4-5 round-trip per person.) Even though it was really crammed in the bus, they continually sang hymns on their way back. We admired their stamina and zeal!
  Because we were close to a war zone, there were many passes set up by the military police. Banyanga showed a governor’s “evangelical service” permit with bro GJ’s and my names on it. We spent two and a half hours to go through these passes and arrived at Rubaya, which is a large village about 70 kilometers from Goma. The church spent US$230 to purchase a 1,000 square-foot piece of land and is soliciting funds to build a simple chapel for US$500. Currently, about 160 members have service in the open.
  The bus went around the village to broadcast invitations to the evangelical service. Finally, it arrived at a pastureland one kilometer from the village. About 200 people came, with their oxen. Originally EJC only planned to introduce us briefly, but the congregation refuse to disperse and shouted, “Since you are here, how can you leave without preaching the word of God?” So Banyanga invited bro GJ and I to preach. We introduced the beliefs of the True Jesus Church and how, under the gracious guidance of God, the true church rose from the impoverished China and gradually spread the gospel in all directions. In the same way as “David killed Goliath,” this ministry would never have succeeded by worldly standards. But by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, this ministry would be and has been fulfilled!

We encouraged the congregation to learn from David to serve the Lord and not look down upon themselves. They must not to be scared by dangerous circumstances and their sense of inferiority. Instead they should rely on the name of the Lord to be out of their mind in the eyes of worldly people (cf. 2 Cor 5:13; Act 16:24) and to fulfill the God-given commission to “preach the gospel to the world”! To spread the gospel through all of Africa, they, who are in poverty, must take up this burden. Such aspiration may be insanity in eyes of worldly people, but with the Holy Spirit at work, one day those who ridicule will not laugh again before the power of God! After hearing the message, the congregation cheered and gave glory to the true God in heaven. Even the senior officer of the village was present.

After having lunch with rice, red bean and sweet potato, we took the same way back to Goma. When we returned to the hotel, we looked at each other and laughed, for all the passengers in the bus were covered with dust from the trip.

• August 9th (Monday). The hotel owner informed us two days earlier that if we needed to use his facility for discussion, he would charge us an additional US$10. After discussing with Banyanga, we decided to find another place. In the morning, more than ten sacred workers came to the hotel to go together to a new place to study the truth. Since the owner was not there, I seized the opportunity to explain to EJC co-workers how to determine if one has received the Holy Spirit. This was also the first time we invited just the EJC co-workers to kneel down and pray for the Holy Spirit. We sought the manager’s permission to pray for the Holy Spirit along the walkway of the hotel. The Lord has mercy on this missionary work! In less than ten minutes (the manager anxiously demanded that we stop the prayer when he heard how loud we were praying), the Holy Spirit filled the place of prayer and many received the Holy Spirit, saw visions and witnessed a glorious light. Several people witnessed a glorious light shone brightly before their eyes; the Holy Spirit appeared like flames that fell upon each person’s head. One person saw the Lord in white garment, standing next to the minister who was laying hand on him. All co-workers gave praises and glory to the merciful and loving God in heaven, the Savior Jesus Christ!

After prayer, we went to a classroom at Blaise’s school to discuss the truth of footwashing. After class, we requested that the local ministers furnish a list of members from their own church who requested baptism the next day. In the afternoon service, Banyanga and Baraka apologized to the congregation of 200 members. For so many years, their teaching about baptism was not complete because of their limited understanding. “Today, we have found the truth. My entire family has decided to get baptized tomorrow! I hope God will lead you to understand!” After hearing his statement, I was visibly moved on the spot.

Before it grew dark, we requested the local ministers to establish a list of member from their own church who were going to be baptized. At the same time, bro GJ and preacher Joel went into the city to buy flour, grape juice and other things necessary for the three sacraments. During the concluding prayer, many received the Holy Spirit.

Since the afternoon, dark clouds covered the sky and there was thundering and lighting. A storm raged in the night. We were worried that there was little we could do if the storm continued till the next day when more than one hundred members were going to be baptized and had their feet washed by the lake, in the open. In the night, bro GJ and I prayed incessantly. We tossed and turned and could not fall asleep. I wrote a short message with my mobile phone to my family and some South Africa members whom we only met days before and were very concerned with the missionary work: “Everything happened under the unexpected grace of God; please pray especially for August 10th.” I got up several times during the night. Looking at the dark clouds that filled the sky, I worried in my sleep and prayed when I was awake. Bro GJ who slept next to me might had an even harder time falling asleep since he was responsible for baptismal site preparation.

During my prayer and petition, an article I wrote previously appeared in my mind: Tomorrow, My Lord is Already Ahead of Me (published in the April, 2004 issue of the Holy Spirit Times). I sensed that, tomorrow, the ark would be three days ahead of us already and has prepared a resting place to which it will come back to lead us. Even though I was worried, the Lord had already made the wonderful preparation. I needed only to follow the ark closely through thick and thin. It will be the most wonderful path! I thought about how Paul entrusted everything to the Lord but could not help worrying for the church and prayed in tears. Looking toward the sky, I was greatly comforted, thinking about myself in “heavy downpour.”

• August 10th (Tuesday). 154 members from 9 churches were baptized in Goma.

The weather this morning did not clear up because of my petitions through the night. There was a dark mass of clouds and the air was damp and cold. Heavy rain could have poured at anytime. I could hardly imagine the difficult position the more than one hundred members would be in getting baptized and their feet washed next to the lake in heavy downpour. At 600, looking at the sky, I knelt down and prayed that the Lord would give us eight hours without rain. At 630, while bro GJ and I prayed, the rain poured as if a dam has collapsed. At about 7:00, the rain stopped completely. We arrived at the baptismal site at nine and began baptism after ten. The sun seemed to show its face occasionally from the dense clouds to greet us, “Hi! I’m here.”

Besides bro. GJ, Banyanga and Baraka were the first ones to step into the lake and they remained there, right next to me, to learn and help with baptism and footwashing. The sacraments were not completed entirely until around two in the afternoon. Even with dense clouds, there was not a drop of rain! In an orderly fashion, we left the lake and returned to the church. Bro. GJ made the unleavened bread and I changed. At almost three o’clock, the rain came again. Looking at my watch, I noticed it was eight hours after the rain stopped in the morning! It was difficult to describe how moved I was to experience God’s immense grace.

To baptize 154 people and wash their feet, I had to repeat over three hundred times, “In the name of the Lord Jesus….” I stood in the water on sharp rocks for two hours to conduct baptism. Then I knelt by the lake on stones to conduct footwashing for over one hour. I am not very strong to begin with and my stamina was not holding up. But I was very joyful and thankful in my heart. Still, I had lingering worries about the future that could not be wiped away.

We suggested that after Holy Communion, the congregation of two hundred should be sent home. Sacred workers, especially the evangelists, should stay for the three-day seminar from 11th to 13th. The former EJC co-workers happily agreed and said they had the same idea of staying and had wanted to discuss with us.

Workers’ Seminar

• August 11th (Wednesday). The congregation went home. Between 900 and 1630, we held a Workers’ Seminar at elder Blaise’s school. (During the three days, 19 sacred workers from 8 churches attended the seminar and 17 received the Holy Spirit). We walked by a magnificent chapel from the hotel to the school. I asked evangelist Joel, “Who built it?” “Missionaries from Europe built it for them.” After entering the classroom, I told the co-workers, “You all know that bro GJ and I came here and brought only the truth, and neither silver nor gold. When I passed by the magnificent chapel today, I thought to myself, ‘I wonder if you are disappointed that we have come here without silver or gold?’” After I spoke, the workers shook their heads forcefully. Banyanga stood up and said, “We want the truth!” The workers were all smiles and concurred, “Amen!”

I then described the early history of the True Jesus Church. Especially in China and Taiwan, the ministry matured into adulthood without any outside help, but with the personal guidance of the Lord. Today, the ministry is not only blessed, but also has enough surpluses to help those in need. I encouraged them who are starting out in poverty to pray to the Lord so that they will be equally blessed spiritually and materially and have surpluses to graciously help the needy!

During classes, we discussed changing the church name, the four basic qualifications of True Jesus Church workers (i.e. good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit, full of wisdom and faith), and the Sabbath. During the concluding prayer, several workers received the Holy Spirit with the manifestation of glorious light and vision. Several workers saw glorious light shone like bright light, the Holy Spirit descended upon the workers as fire, the beaming cross, and the Lord appeared in white garment. One of them saw the Lord in white garment. Holding a Bible in His hand, the Lord told the workers of Rubaya that when they returned, they “must not be afraid, but courageously witness for the Lord.”

There were long discussions about changing the church name. A minority of co-workers could not understand why EJC (The Church of Jesus Christ) must forsake its name which is “based on the Bible.” They demanded that we explain clearly the biblical basis for VJE (True Jesus Church). After much explanation, Banyanga continue to explain the rationale for naming EJC. Everyone then joyfully accepted the change and decided to register the name change with the government as soon as possible. It would take a long time to register as a new religious organization. The cost would be high (about US$300-$500) and approval is not assured. But if only a name change is involved, a lawyer’s notarization would suffice. Additional benefits include lower cost (about US$100), shorter registration time, greater likelihood of success. Furthermore, I would think that by “changing name,” EJC would be history and disappear. Otherwise, if we established a new religious organization, EJC and VJE would legally coexist. It would be possible for EJC members who have not been converted to VJE to oppose us. The final decision was to have a “name change” and amend the “Beliefs” section in the by-laws. We encouraged specially-assigned workers to translate the French Common Beliefs and six chapters (five basic doctrines and church) from Essential Bible Doctrines, a total of more than 100 pages, into Swahili, the official language of Congo. Bro GJ would take care of printing and cost issues.

I could sense that these EJC workers had been serving the Lord for many years and they possess different gifts. Now that they suddenly became newborn children, they were not used to “not being able to lay hands and conduct sacraments.” “Gifts are given by God. Why can I not use them to edify the church?” “If someone is dying and wants to believe in the Lord, can we not baptize him?” I explained repeatedly that it is not that they cannot, but just not now. I wanted them to think of themselves as newborn children who should start everything anew. Finally they joyfully accepted the arrangement.

Deep in thought, Banyanga told me: It was an unexpected miracle to him that the EJC co-workers were so united in returning to the truth!

In the night, there was gunplay in the city and one robber was killed by the military.

• August 12th (Thursday). The second day of Workers’ Seminar.

Early in the morning, Banyanga and Baraka came to our hotel and asked us how to take care of the administrative structure of the church. I replied, “I do not know the co-workers here well and I should not exceed my authority.” But they replied, “We have come back to the truth and need the guidance of someone who is spiritually wiser.” Thank God, after discussing with the group, we decided to maintain the current EJC system. We will reorganize after the gospel is spread to all the EJC places of worship and when the congregation had decided whether to return to the truth. In this period of transition, we encouraged them to gently treat the “undecided” co-workers and not cause any opposition. The most important tasks were to send in our application of church registration to the government and translate our doctrines into Swahili so that all members could have deeper understanding of our beliefs!

During classes, we repeated explain baptism, footwashing and Holy Communion. They were asked to go on the pulpit, in turn, to explain and “practice” the three sacraments. Thank God, since there were few differences to start out with, they handled it well.

• Baptism. “Head bowed” was easily understood. We encouraged them to use Bible verses and be quick-witted in explaining “infant baptism” to the congregation. (Suddenly Banyanga interjected, “Promesse, the infant that everyone met on the 9th, was very ill. Her mother asked, 'Should the child be baptized on the 10th?' I encouraged her to, and the infant was healed after baptism.” All the co-workers praised God, as if out of a sudden they understood everything.)

EJC originally had the practice to immediately baptize any truth-seeking friend who expressed desire for baptism. They asked me, “If infants need the forgiveness of sin, should they be baptized on the same day they were borned?”

• Holy Communion: EJC uses one unleavened bread and one jar of pure grape juice. But they insisted that it must be held at 3pm, after the time of Jesus' death. We quoted the Bible and let them understand that they could hold it anytime.

• Footwashing: EJC's original belief was that footwashing has “a direct relationship to salvation.” But EJC performed mutual footwashing. I explained in detail that “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me” refers to “one-way” footwashing that the Lord Jesus performed for the disciples. Even if someone is unwilling to perform mutual footwashing, that in itself will not result in “not having a part with Jesus”! The footwashing that relates to salvation is performed only once and “in one direction” in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to newly baptized members. We taught them to remember John 13:8 repeatedly until each one of them could recite it.

• “One True Church”: EJC originally thought she was the only church that saves. So it was not difficult for them to accept “One True Church.”

Some co-workers hoped to understand more why they were forbidden from laying hands and baptizing members yesterday. What is the biblical basis? I said, “'Those who are newly baptized' should not immediately take up heavy responsibilities. They need a period of time to quiet themselves and repeatedly ponder over the truth they have accepted. Now that the Lord has washed your sins away, your gifts and power will be more manifest than before. So we “forbid” you to “protect” you from pride that can easily result. We hope everyone can have a child-like heart to learn quietly. Baraka, the national overseer, continued to say in Swahili, “We have just been baptized. We must learn and be humble, and wait for God to use us!” Everyone concurred in one accord.

Deep in my heart, I knew that someone as useless as I have been sent by the Lord to perform sacraments. Other than the fact that these co-workers knew about the truth of baptism and footwashing later than I did (after they understood, they have deeper reflections on them), they were my example in every regard. If we talk about being “unworthy,” it is I and not them! I often told them, Ananias was sent to baptize Paul and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Priscilla and Aquila explained the gospel in greater detail to Apollos. As a result, God used the “latter” significantly! In the future, in this huge continent of Africa, God will manifest greater power in them than in bro GJ and I! That's why we need to prepare ourselves at any moment for God's use!

From Banyanga, I learned that the congregation who were dismissed yesterday had to walk 15 to 44 kilometers of mountainous roads to go home! I was agonized. Since I was little, I heard about the early TJC members who craved the truth and the early workers who went through great lengths to obtain the truth! Who knew that we witnessed that today! It further proved that other than knowing the truth a few years earlier than they did, we lagged behind them in every other aspect.

The members who returned yesterday preached the gospel to people around them. After hearing it, many people wanted to come down from the mountains to receive the truth and requested that we perform another baptism before we left. After discussing with the co-workers, we decided to have another baptism on the 14th (Sabbath) at Sake church.

I repeatedly told bro GJ in the past few days that I was afraid of making a mistake. In my prayers in the past few days, I knew fully that at least in the next three to five years, we would not be able to enter the deep mountains and regions occupied by robbers. Even they would not be able to access those regions without perils and difficulties. In the situation where “sooner or later, they would have to perform the sacraments,” we should have immediately instructed them to go into the mountains to proclaim the truth and perform the sacraments on those who obey the truth. We should seize this opportunity when the work of the Holy Spirit is so prominent to turn the EJC over in one full swing, not leaving any breathing room for opponents. Otherwise, after the opposing forces organized themselves, there might be a battle. I knew that I was extinguishing the movement of the Holy Spirit. Of course, without my “instructions,” I would avoid any “benevolent misunderstanding” during meetings in the future. But who could appease the self-blame and shame towards the Lord in my heart?

(Remark: During the cultivation seminar on August 23-25th, I shared my struggle with co-workers in UK. I asked them how we should deal with it. Everyone agreed that in this situation, we should leave it to them to perform the sacraments! On September 7th, I learned from Banyanga over the phone that “opponents” have begun to cause disturbance. But he firmly believed that the truth will triumph. He wrote on September 8th to ask for intercession.)

• August 13th (Friday). The third day of Workers' Seminar.

After reviewing the basic beliefs, we asked them to repeat them so that they could become conversant them. We also discussed:

• Holy Spirit: We instructed the co-workers to return their respective regions and teach their congregation to pray for the Holy Spirit.

“Praying for the Holy Spirit” was that part of the pioneering ministry we did not have much opportunity to do. The congregation was too big and it was difficult to kneel for long because there were sharp stones from volcanic eruptions in the chapel. So we didn't have many prayers to “pray for the Holy Spirit.” There was no way we could tabulate the number of members who received the Holy Spirit. We focused on “sacred workers” who prayed for the Holy Spirit. Thank God, among the 19 pastors and sacred workers who came from 9 churches, 17 received the Holy Spirit. Some saw glorious light, big fire, and visions of the Lord's appearance, affirming their faith. Unfortunately, in terms of “female” deacons, even though there were some sisters who received the Holy Spirit, we did not know who they were and if any of the deaconesses received the Holy Spirit. No female members attended the seminar. We did not know if this was custom there.

EJC originally thought that “speaking in tongue” is only one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It was said that among them was one who had such gift. But he could not pray in tongues immediately in his prayer. So the standard of “receiving the Holy Spirit” this time was “whether or not you spoke in tongues before, now you must speak in a different tongue than before and you will speak it when the prayer begins.” Banyanga and Baraka had the new experience of “singing spiritual songs.

The pastor of Mugunga said more than thirty people would come the next day to be baptized. He hoped that we would help each person US$0.50 for bus fare. Consequently, he was scolded by the congregation, reprimanding him that he should not have asked for subsidy! During class, I told the pastor of Mugunga and other co-workers in tears, “No! If they want to get baptized, let them walk!” “But the young and the old, the women and the weak would have to talk 17 kilometers!” “No! I'll not give it to you!... Everyone should realize that it is agony not to give it to you. I'd rather give to be happier. But I can't.” The pastor of Mugunga looked at me and nodded his head. Could he really understand my pain? It was said that Pastor Rubaya did not have the bus fare to come and so did not attend the seminar. One co-worker asked if we could subsidize US$4.00 (roundtrip) so he would have the opportunity to attend the seminar. He might understand and be baptized, alleviating our worries for the Rubaya church. After discussing the issue with bro GJ, we decided against it because many co-workers who were present also walked long distances to come!

I could not sleep the entire night. I thought about the fine qualities of the co-workers, the congregation who were eagerly awaiting the baptism of salvation, the innocence with which they opened their eyes wide to learn the truth, the unknowns in the future ministry. I thought about how I could explain during meetings so that our churches could understand God's work here. They needed to realize that not everyone with dark complexion had a bad heart… Getting up in the middle of the night, I knelt at one end of the bed, thinking, couldn't help hiding in my blanket and cried aloud. In my tears, “Tomorrow, My Lord Is Already Ahead of Me” lingered like a song and wiped my tears away. “Oh Lord! I pray that your Holy Spirit lead your church, so that we can closely follow your Ark!”

That night, over 100 people from the tribe of Tutsis in Congo who escaped to Burundi were allegedly killed by the tribe of Hutus who came from Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. There was unease in the region.

Second Baptism:

• August 14th (Sabbath). We preached at Sake church and baptized 106. Many among them were pastors who, during the first baptism, had hesitations about “infant baptism.” After the seminar, they rushed back home to bring their wife and children to be baptized. Many who have been baptized and those who went back to spread the gospel, walked in the mountains for three, four hours in the morning to attend this service. Three youths from a church rushed to the service and intentionally opposed and prevented members from their church to be baptized. But after they heard the truth of baptism, the three of them understood and accepted baptism! Until yesterday, members from 9 of the 11 EJC churches came. But today, members from the 10th church came, including three sacred workers. They initially came to “see and hear,” but they were all moved, accepted the truth and received baptism!

Before baptism, I kept worrying about the members from Mugunaga against whom I refused their pastor to subsidize US$0.50 each for their bus fare. So I asked Banyanga, “Have the members from Mugunaga come?” “They are on their way and should be here soon!” I secretly wiped my tears. I waited and waited. 17 members came. Until today, whenever I thought about this matter, I'd ask myself, “Are they all here?”

The weather today should have been the same as the last few days, gloomy and rainy. But the Lord was gracious with us. The Sake church chapel was so small that it could not accommodate 300 and we had to have the service in the open. Throughout the day, it was so sunny that the church even put up a “sun-shading umbrella” for bro GJ and I!

During the first baptism, we noticed that only Banyanga and Baraka brought their households to be baptized. During the second baptism, we witnessed some pastors who went home just to bring their children to be baptized. So there were more children baptized in the second baptism compared to the first. One pastor who came by himself to attend service took a day off after the end of the second day of service, went into the mountains to bring his wife and children to be baptized! How could we not be moved!

The baptismal site at Sake was a spring in the mountains with fine pebbles at the bottom. Even after we baptized over one hundred members, the water was still clear. Footwashing was held in another nearby spring, next to a pasture. It was held under sunny weather, with innumerable grace of God.

We baptized 206 in these two baptisms. Among them were 48 sacred workers from 10 churches (EJC has 11 churches and 8 places of worship): 10 pastors, 8 evangelists, 15 deacons, 11 deaconesses, 1 elder, 1 prophet and 2 apostles.

EJC has a nine-member executive committee. Other than two who were absent because of their work, the remaining 7 attended this pioneering service. Six of them were baptized and one of them requested: “please pray for me and hope that I'll understand the truth about infant baptism the next time and be ready for baptism.” Great is the Lord's grace! May all the glory and praises be unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

• August 15th (Sunday). In the morning, the co-workers came in batches to send us off. We initially booked the bus for 900, but we changed it to 1100 so we have the opportunity to discuss these co-workers the tasks after we left—church registration, translation of Common Beliefs and Essential Doctrines, returning and evangelizing to their own regions, encouraging the congregation to pray for the Holy Spirit, etc.

Rubaya church told us that they have over one hundred members who wanted to be baptized. They wanted us to stay for two extra days and go up to the mountains to baptize them. But since we have already booked a series of flight transfers, we could only decline the request but agreed to see them again in January, 2005. May the Lord guide them.

After going through customs, we entered Rwanda. In retrospect, time flew by quickly and the twelve days that were filled with grace were almost like Jacob waking from his dream in astonishment, “God is really here!” Outside the window, the volcano, afar, enveloped in smoke and cloud throughout the day, cast a magnificent shadow that hid unparalleled explosive power, waiting for the day when the fruit ripens and falls to the ground.