Teaching Trades, Sharing Truth: Our Christian Mission Outreach to Nikki
In January, we went on our first mission trip of the year to Nikki, a town in the northern part of Benin Republic. It was a long four-hour drive from our base in Parakou, and we were there for the whole weekend.
The journey was a bit stressful, so our first outreach upon arrival was to keep our bodies in shape. You know, as 1 Timothy 4:8 reminds us, “Bodily exercise profits a little…”
Work began the next day. In partnership with other churches in the town, we conducted a Christian mission outreach centered on:
- Soul winning, emphasizing the urgency of personal evangelism
- Free skill acquisition training as a tool for empowerment and community engagement
- Equipping pastors and church workers through a Ministers’ Conference
- Strengthening unity and collaboration within the Body of Christ in Nikki and its environs
But, before I get into everything that happened, here’s a bit of background on the town.
A bit of background on Nikki
Nikki is in the Northeastern part of Benin and is a major cultural and historical center for the Bariba people (who are predominantly Muslims).
Compared to the rush of big cities, Nikki is a slow-paced town filled with cattle traders and trucks moving in and out of Parakou and the Niger Border.
Some of its main attractions are the old colonial buildings, culture, a sprawling market, and Fete de Gaani, a spectacle of horsemanship.
Considering the main religion practiced is Islam, our mission outreach had to take a different direction. Instead of starting with the usual pastors’ training and soul-winning, we began with skills training.
Sustainable mission work
The women in the town, who are often overlooked and have no source of livelihood, were invited to learn how to make Chinchin (a popular West African snack), Pâte (a local snack in Benin), and liquid soap as part of our vocational training program.
This session was anchored by my beautiful and versatile wife, Pastor Mrs. Yemisi Olarinde, who provided clear, practical, and hands-on instruction.
The participants were actively engaged, asking questions freely, and expressed appreciation for the clarity and usefulness of the training.
Our partners and hosts were really delighted about this, saying the training is one of the best they have attended, and they are committed to using their influence to train other women in the community.
Soul-winning in a Muslim community
The outreach included a minister’s training for pastors and church workers, teaching them how to evangelize and reach their community. However, there wasn’t a huge turnout from our brothers in the faith.
While it seemed there wasn’t much unity within the Christian community, that didn’t stop us. We went on with the soul-winning training and put those lessons into practice. Going from house to house to evangelize, about twelve people, including two kids, gave their lives to Christ.
That’s great news for a Muslim-dominated community.
Testimonies
We had a Muslim woman who attended the training give her life to Christ. She didn’t wait for a special call before she stepped out to indicate her interest. It was such an amazing moment of life transformation through our faith-based mission.
How you can help
We have plans to keep going, as there are several needs we noticed in the area. Most of the children aren’t educated, and a lot of them drop out after a while. There’s also no water in the community, with residents needing to travel far to fetch water.
Friends, God has begun a great work in this community, and He’s faithful to complete it.
Please, join us to pray for:
- Building the community a borehole
- Oneness in the body of Christ
- Missionary teachers to educate the wonderful children in this community
- Financial support to help missionaries and hold more training
Contact us to learn how you can support the mission.