Greetings unto each of you, who read this report of March 20, 2010. I pray that you may understand the workings of God and His Holy Spirit during the time since last we reported unto you. We truly thank you for your prayers, your support and your love.
God who is the author of all good things has blessed us on this journey and protected us in ways that would be difficult to explain, suffice it to say that everywhere we have traveled for the Lord, He has provided peace and His Blessings, His Grace and His Love as we journey among the children of God in Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda. It would be impossible to tell of all the people who have blessed us upon this part of our journey for the Lord. The kindness, love, and sharing of all they have for us is humbling and touches our souls very deeply. Without the blessing and goodness of our Brothers and Sisters in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda; life would have been extremely more difficult.
We are blessed to stay in homes and far too often, they give all of what little they may have to try to comfort our stay and insure we are safe, often at risk unto themselves. We also must give credit unto those who pray, labor, and tithe in America to make all of this possible. It is all these who deserve honor and credit for the missionary effort we are upon. We are simply vessels which God may use to glorify His Holy name and edify the Body of Christ: His Church.
We departed Kenya for Rwanda, accompanied by Disciple John Githinji, Disciple Fred Mikangi, Disciple Robert Beck, and Apostle Larry Gosier Williams. It was two days of straight travel via Matatu and Bus; we traveled roads not always so smooth and a bit dusty at times. The Lord provided us with safe journey to Kigali, Rwanda; a place I had been in 1992 and the city had changed so very, very much.
We were greeted there by Sister Drocel and some pastors from other churches and a good brother and Pastor Miana James. Pastor James would be a blessing in so many ways and is truly a man who loves the Lord and is firm in the Work of God. His kindness and humble ways will remain forever in my mind and heart.
For the first few days we visited our membership in Kigali and labored with the Pastors from other churches which sister Drocel had brought for us to labor with. We presented unto them the Unity of the Gospel of Christ, and shared with them the love and word of God. Many of them seemed touched by the Spirit of God and witnessed unto us that they had been preaching the doctrines of man and the traditions of men. These were good men with a love for the Lord, but for the most part, they lacked grounding and understanding of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. (This may seem odd to some reading this report—however should I go into detail you would be a bit surprised at some of the doctrines that these men carried and some of the basic teachings of Christ which fell far short of the Doctrines of Christ. And the second book of john in the back of your bible in verse 9 we are told –if you have not the doctrine of Christ—you have not God) It is no fault of men if they have not full understanding of the Gospel. Where in lies the problem; is when men come to understanding and fail to correct themselves and their mistakes. These good men were willing and we have scheduled the Disciples to return unto them for more teaching and help with the Doctrines of Christ that they might stand on firmer ground. The honesty and love of the flocks we visited was very heartwarming and a true blessing to all of us. These fine people of Christ were so willing of themselves to seek the Lord and to be obedient unto the Word and Will of God. Although they were poor in material goods; they were rich in the Spirit of God and in His Love and in His Mercy.
We then transferred from sister Drocel’s home to the home of Pastor James to continue to reach out to those in need of the Word of God in Kigali. Pastor James ever so graciously had us preach and teach in two of the Churches which he was connected unto. Brother Larry, and Brother Githinji, and Brother Beck; traveled to one church and myself and Brother Fred traveled to the Church with Pastor James. There we were blessed to be allowed to preach and teach and share in the Word of God with all who were present.
Returning to the home of Pastor James, we were blessed to share in the Gospel with several of the Pastors in James home. Those present seemed sincere in their interest and in the fellowship we all shared. Pastor Alexander Fire offered to translate the Message in its entire form as a book. It will enable to allow the Message to reach over 10 million people in Rwanda and Congo. I also received an invitation to travel to Congo and preach and teach to several hundred churches and share the Gospel and Message for today unto “a much needed people with the desire to hear the true word of God” Some of this came through prophecy before our departure from Kenya in the Kitale Local church. We rejoiced at the working of God and His Holy Spirit. Following the Genocide which happened in Rwanda in 1994; there has become a true hunger for the healing of Christ through the Word of God. People are hungering and thirsting for the Word of the Lord. It bring so much joy to my heart to know and feel the Spirit of the Lord working among these whom the Lord loves and desires to heal. It tells us in revelation 22 that the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations and we can plainly witness a healing taking place.
It was difficult to leave Rwanda and the joy and fellowship we had shared in Kigali, however we needed to be in Uganda and to help the work there; so we departed and once again traveled by bus and Matatu for Mbale, Uganda and the Lord’s Work that awaited us there.
We would be welcomed there by Disciple Robert Gizamba and his lovely wife Rose. This wonderful minister welcomed us into his home and would take care of us and allow us to use his home as a base of operations for our missionary effort in the Ugandan area. What a blessing this fine couple would be for us and the Work of the Lord. Both Robert and His wife did everything possible to make our time in Uganda pleasant and enabling us to accomplish the needful things in our travels and ministering in that part of Uganda.
Disciple Githinji departed for Kenya and Disciple Tom Matekwa joined us to help with the work in Uganda. Without these good men, our efforts in Uganda would be much more complicated and surely less effective. We traveled onto the slopes of Mt. Elgon and to the local church of Kapchora, where two other churches had traveled to join us in the teachings and preaching. We would spend two days and a night in this area and would enjoy a respite from the heat, with some rain. The down side of the rain is it also caused mudslides which unfortunately covered some homes and caused the deaths of over 100 people and made travel a bit more complicated. The water falls upon Mt. Elgon are truly a beautiful sight and the area is lush with tropical growth and banana plants and mango and avocado trees, which offered us with fresh fruit every day. We taught the gospel and helped in training the pastors who had gathered there; God enabled many things which had been problems for them to be cleared up and also enlightened the flocks to a clearer understanding of the Word of the Lord.
Some of the Pastors requested and were invited to a pastor’s seminar we would be teaching in Kitale, Kenya in about two more weeks. There is great interest in the Gospel and an honest desire among those in the ministry to all preach and teach only the words of the Lord and to abide in His Teachings. It tells us in Romans 10 “Faith comes by hearing, but hearing the Word of God”, and how can they hear, without a preacher, and how can they preach, except they be sent. There are many ideas and doctrines of men in the world today, yet do we not clearly understand it is only the Gospel of Jesus Christ which brings forth knowledge and repentance? It is Christ who said that He was the bread of Life in John chapter 6 and if we eat of the bread of life; we would have eternal life. So truly we rejoice when we find men of honest report and filled with the Spirit of God whom honestly seeks the Word of the Lord.
Sunday the 7th of March found us in the Mbale local Church preaching and teaching and baptizing souls whom have made a decision for the Lord. The rain stopped long enough for baptisms and following the baptisms, we journeyed onward to Baboa/Kasuleta area and once again taught the leaders more concerning the Gospel. Disciple Beck from Germany, suffered with malaria, yet he continued on with us and was a wonderful help in preaching and teaching from the Word of the Lord. This strong Disciple has been such a blessing unto us in our travels in carrying the Gospel to so many precious souls. His gentle manner and loving Spirit is an inspiration to all that meet him.
Traveling unto another church west of Mbale, we encountered some souls whom had been involved in witchcraft and demon possession. We found several souls who had demons and with prayer and lying on of hands; God was able to remove the demons and it was there for the entire church to witness. We then counseled them on how to avoid such things in the future. Demons are real and people far too often, open themselves unto them, by the way they conduct their lives and the things they do. Demons have no power over Christ and Christ promised to indwell us.
We then traveled to the home of Disciple George Madembe and were able to preach and teach to the Church gathered there, before returning late in the day to Mbale Uganda. The Church gathered at Disciple’s Madembe home area was such a blessing and his wife made us feel so welcome and we met there a man who would later follow us to Kitale Kenya and be baptized at the Pastors Seminar we were holding in Kitale. He was a good man and seeking with an open heart the Lord and desired so much to walk in the Word and live by the word of God.
At Mbale we baptized 9 precious souls who had waited us, before departing for the Church at Bubwaga where preached and taught to the four churches gathered there to greet us, along with several pastors from different Churches.
We taught and preached all day and then taught the pastors at night, expounding unto them a deeper understanding of the Gospel than they had known before. We stayed up most of the night clearing up questions they had asked concerning the teachings of men and traditions they had been participating in which were simply the traditions of men and certainly were not an edification unto the flock.
The next day we walked about five miles to the river and baptized eleven souls and confirmed them members of the Church; and then walked another four miles to the Church at Bubwaga and ordained two men. The Spirit of God was in abundance and the blessings of God were upon all that were present. Some of these precious souls had walked over 15miles in rugged mountains with lush jungle growth to arrive and receive the teachings and would travel back through a
Sky filled with the rain which had accompanied us throughout Uganda. To myself the rain is a blessed relief from the heat (even though it remains hot even in the rain), but it makes travel a bit difficult on these mud soaked trails on steep mountain slopes.
The next day we returned to Mbale, in preparation for a journey to Tororo and the home of Disciple Opolot, who was laboring in Kampala. We spent the night fellowshipping with his wife and sharing in the love of God and His Word. She graciously fed us, and allowed us to spend the night. We spoke deep into the night of the things of God and calling her husband on the phone and praying for him and his family.
We arose early the next morning and began the journey back to Kitale, Kenya.
We arrived via Matatu after a four and half hour journey. Dusty, somewhat weary from our travels, but ever grateful for the safe journey our Lord had given unto us. Peace accompanied us the entire way, and although many difficult things which I have not written about were part of our journey, we full well understand that it is God whom provided our protection and all the precious souls who came through the waters of baptism, the understanding of the pastors, and men who became part of Christ’s ministry during our journey, and the healings that have accompanied us throughout our journey in Africa. We feel that God has better equipped the ministry to function in a land where it is so necessary to bold in the word of God, but also to have the wisdom of God not to offend while being zealous for the Word of God, and to look to the needs of the people and ground them in the Word of the Lord. We spent much of our time teaching the foundation of the Lord’s Church and His Doctrine, as 2nd John (small book in back of your bible) verse 9; tells us “if you have not the doctrine of Christ, you have not God”. Much of our teaching comes from Ephesians, and all of the teaching comes only from the Word of God. All things are proven by the Word of God and in much of Africa; there is a real need to move away from the traditions of men. Many of the pastors would travel the following week to Kenya for the Pastor’s Seminar we would hold there for five days and nights. We will be holding it for 13 hours per day; and the men attending are very serious about the word of God.
Arriving back in Kitale, Kenya; we walked to the Church Headquarters for East
Africa, and observed the progress on the construction of the building. All of the Church members in Kitale were at work. The women cooking on the construction site. They were cooking on open fires Ugali, rice, and Chicken, and tea—all the while tending to their children, as the men worked on the building. Each day began with prayer, then men would labor (all by hand) digging the foundation over eight feet deep, hand cutting the steel for the pillars, breaking the rocks by hand, mixing cement from bags by hand. All the work is done without machinery and all is done manual labor. Donkeys bring the timbers, steel, and other heavy things. Members bring what little they have (chickens, rice, maze, tea, cement bags, money for materials, and labor for 12 to 16 hours each day) they sleep in the temporary church building on the floor on mats and sing praises unto God.
I cannot express how deeply the construction of the east Africa headquarters building touches me; to witness how deeply these members love the Lord and labor for the Building of the headquarters building and how very much it means to them: there are simply not enough words to express how great of a matter this really is to the people here. When I read about the building of the temple of the Lord I find it very, very similar. The body (church) of Christ, laboring with one accord and praising the Lord and singing praises unto the Lord. All God’s people laboring together in love and Unity. What a Joy and Blessing! In my next report I will tell of the Pastor’s seminar and our journey into Tanzania.
I hope and pray that all who read this report will forgive any spelling errors and truly be blessed with understanding how the Lord’s work is progressing here in Africa. God has poured out His Spirit in Great measure and we have known His protection in our travels. We have known His Love and His Grace in our ministry unto the people of the Lord. We truly have been blessed ourselves and the healings which have been and continue to be part of this journey we are forever grateful unto God. Rejoice my Brothers and Sisters, for indeed the Lord is Faithful and True. God Bless and Keep all who have shared in this report and thank you for your prayers (always needed) and your support and your love.
Your Brother in Christ,
Apostle Norman D. Lyles
