{"id":102872,"date":"2019-02-12T15:12:02","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T20:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samaritanspurse.org\/?p=102872"},"modified":"2019-03-05T11:09:43","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T16:09:43","slug":"special-report-article-tgj-togo-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/our-ministry\/special-report-article-tgj-togo-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"OCC Special Report – Feature Article – TGJ – Togo – UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Operation Christmas Child<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t
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REPORTE ESPECIAL<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t
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Starting and Strengthening Churches<\/h1>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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New Church Rises from The Greatest Journey<\/h1>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t
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B<\/span>y late morning in Kopegan, Togo, people arrive at Eglise Baptiste de la Resurrection for Sunday services in an open-air sanctuary. Most have travelled by foot in their best clothes, walking several miles of dirt paths through rows of sorghum and maize crops. A few latecomers show up on the backs of motorcycle taxis as the music begins to blast through large speakers.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

A little more than a year ago, the church started in a small, shaded space between two mango trees. It\u2019s all because Operation Christmas Child shoebox recipients invited their friends and family to hear the Gospel at The Greatest Journey discipleship classes.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

The evangelistic outreach to this remote village began with area Pastor Ransome Kwami Tomety, a small team of church leaders, a collection of Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, and a lot of prayer and faith that God would do something miraculous.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

A group of 15 children responded to the church\u2019s invitation to a special Operation Christmas Child event. There, they heard the Gospel, received shoebox gifts, and were invited to learn more about Jesus through The Greatest Journey.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

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Togo<\/h4>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t
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Bernard was among the first students to graduate from The Greatest Journey 12-lesson discipleship class in Kopegan, Togo. A little over a year ago, those classes grew into a new church in that village.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t

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Immediate Impact<\/h1>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t
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Bernard, one of the shoebox recipients, didn\u2019t hesitate in his desire to know more about Jesus. \u201cThe following Sunday I went to church,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

That Sunday, between two mango trees, Bernard began participating in The Greatest Journey.<\/p> \r\n\t\t\t

Through the lessons, he learned that Jesus died for his sins. Because of this, Bernard decided to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. \u201cI started worshipping God that day,\u201d said Bernard.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

All 15 of the shoebox recipients participated in the 12-lesson discipleship course. With each lesson, the number of children in the class grew as the shoebox recipients invited friends and family to hear about Jesus.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

\u201cSoon we were the size of a small church, so we decided we should start a regular congregation,\u201d said Pastor Ransome. The 15 shoebox recipients graduated from The Greatest Journey and are part of the core church group, which currently totals almost 50 children and adults.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

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\u201cI started worshipping God that day.\u201d
\u2014Bernard<\/span><\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\t

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