NIGERIA. Gabriel Barau risked life and health to bring Christ to the naked and very primitive Koma people (photo right). Twenty-five years later, Ezekiel and Esther, two Koma converts, are SOM-trained missionaries to the unreached Kamberi tribe who have no churches among them. I took this picture (above) April 2008 when I saw first hand how they are loved and appreciated by Kamberi villagers. Ezekiel and Esther are pictured in the center.
BENIN. Singing and dancing is ordinarily a sure way to attract a large African crowd to hear the gospel. For years, foreign ministries sent African teams with their lively music to the Berba and the Caabe, two tribes with no churches among them. But extremely complicated systems are often hidden within village culture, which appears to be very simple. Year after year these teams returned home confused, discouraged, and exhausted after a week of vigorous activity—not one person ventured to even greet them.
Christ’s Power Ministries (CPM) sent Aubin, a SOM-trained missionary to a Berba village. After living quietly and observantly with them for some time, he discovered that there is only one spot for a stranger to introduce any ideas he wants to communicate: a designated space inside the chief’s compound was the ONLY place to be heard. The Berba believe that if you have anything important to say, that is where it must be said, and there, and only there, will they listen. After some months, they were comfortable with their new friend and invited him to share. Five years later, there are 15 churches among the Berba and the number is growing.
In 2003 CPM sent Matthew to the Caabe, another profoundly complicated and closed culture. He discovered that they communicate important information only by tom-tom. No one took any spoken word seriously until it had first been beaten out in the language of the drum. Without this knowledge, many had labored unsuccessfully for decades to plant churches in this ethnic group. But Matthew was SOM-trained on how to enter and survey a new tribe. He learned the language of the drum, and the gospel message resounded through the forest. Today, there are 25+ churches among the Caabe people.