A Robe of Righteousness

In evangelizing, I approached with a statement: challenging his abilities as a dress-maker, a man named Justin. I told him that there’s an item of clothing that he’s incapable of putting together.

Somewhat provoked, and in front of his apprentices who were discreetly yet keenly following the conversation, he retorted that he could make any garment. I held his curiosity in suspense in replying that there’s a robe that he has never made and that he never will make for the simple reason that he’s just not able to do it. Finally he asked me what was this robe that he could neither tailor nor sew. So I said to him with a satisfied smile, that I was talking about the robe of righteousness which only God can give us. Being Catholic, Justin consented to what I’d told him and so we began on the storefront of a tailor shop somewhere in Africa, a more serious conversation about the salvation that is free and about the justification by pure, divine grace that’s for him who desires to put his trust in Jesus.

In leaving, I threw him this phrase, “Justin can make robes that cover the bodies of others, only God can make a robe of righteousness [“justice” here in French] to clothe the soul of Justin.” There are many Justins in the world. On every continent we can meet Justin. May God give us the wisdom and the love to speak to them of the amazing salvation that God is ready to give to whosoever wants it.

At the close of this year which slowly draws to an end, exhausted by the horror of blows received, and at the dawn of the new year which, like a much desired messiah heard to be arriving, carries with it promises which – in this case – certainly are very fragile for those who have only an illusion of hope; I with you all, dear friends, dear brothers and sisters, would like to thank our God for the life that he has given us.

All of the team is very happy to be serving the Lord here in Benin. We’re not happy because we have all, but because we have Jesus. We’re not secure because all things are going well, but because he is with us. We don’t have hope because the world economy is going better (maybe), but because we have the most precious promises that God could’ve made.

The years pass, the hopes of men crumble, their fear grows, but we, we’ll go forward, because our God is the same yesterday, today and for eternity.

Thank you for your friendship and your prayers which make up, we’re persuaded, 99% of the missionary work in which we are engaged.

In the name of all who have heard the message of the gospel, of the Finished Work here in Benin and of all who will hear it tomorrow, “thank you, thank you, thank you”.

For only the glory of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

The whole team wishes you a new year in the Lord Jesus Christ full of blessings and knowledge of the one who has redeemed your lives.

Pastor Luigi, Isabelle, Christine, Paul and Daniel

Dear friends,

In reading 2Samuel 7 this morning, my eyes fell on verse 11 where at the end of the verse, God specifically said to David (who had wanted to build a house for Him), that instead it was Him, God, who would build a house for David.
This is what God does in us, because we have become a spiritual house, a temple for our God according to 1Corinthians 6:19.
Who is this God who cares more for what he wants to make of us than what we can do for him? What grace we have to know and to walk with such a God.
Here in Benin this is what we see, and we feel so privileged to live the life of God in us and through us.

Dear friends, thanks again for your prayers. To show you that they are not in vain: here’s some news of the work in Benin. Since several weeks we have begun a Bible study in our home each Saturday. About ten people come regularly: people of all kinds and of different spiritual backgrounds and even of different nationalities: from Benin, Togo, and Central Africa.
We can already observe several things: the lack of knowledge of the Word of God, yet also the thirst of many for the Word. Our next step therefore is to begin the Bible School.
I believe that God will amaze us with the response to this project of Bible school. A great number of Christians are seeking a way of being formed in the Word but don’t have the means, and since we desire to offer free training, people are surprised that this could be possible. To our knowledge, this kind of opportunity doesn’t exist in Benin.
We continue to evangelize daily, morning and evening, in the streets and houses, and it’s a real pleasure. If you’re discouraged with street evangelism or if you wish to taste the joy of speaking about Jesus with a stranger, then plan to come spend a few weeks with us: you won’t be disappointed. A permanent smile will be fixed on your face.

Last Sunday, the 29th November, was a day that we have marked with a red exclamation mark. We had our first public church service. 15 adults and some children came together with us for a time in the Word and praise. photos
We were looking for a place to begin our meetings and Friday past a contact led us to a pastor who owns a church meeting hall which he no longer uses. After a brief meeting with the pastor, we decided to rent this room for 2 days a week: Sundays for the service and another day in the week for a Bible study.
At the beginning of the service I thought to find myself 20 years back when we began the missionary work in Togo. Isabelle played the guitar while I accompanied her in singing, just like…the good old days! For the whole team it was a special day that we had been keenly waiting for like a mother to bring a child into the world. Praise God!

From the 13th – 15th November, the church in Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso had prepared its annual conference to which we had been invited photos. All the team were excited at the thought of traveling across Benin and maybe even catching a glimpse of an elephant or another ferocious African beast. This being said we launched ourselves into an adventurous voyage of 24 hours from the south to north of Benin, then entering into Burkina Faso all the way to Ouaga.
After 4 hours of waiting at the station we left Cotonou around 6 o’clock pm. On entering the bus, after someone called our names from the ticket list, we ventured towards the back of the bus to reserve the back seats, 5 seats as we wanted. I did notice that nobody was fighting for these places, but outright I thought to myself that God who loves us, reserved for us these seats. After one hours journeying the night fell and invaded everything. The scenery became black, the sky was black, the bus was black, and our joy had begun to blacken too. With the night, also came the cold. I don’t know where it came from exactly, but it came. At the beginning, the fresh air which rushed into the bus through the windows – forced open because of cords that came in: used to hold the luggage on the roof – was nice. Little by little it became biting, but we are “Yovos” (whites) and we – in theory – appreciate fresh air. Rapidly Christine and Isabelle – to name only the weak creatures, began to be very cold. The wonderful seats reserved by God Himself for His super servants now resembled more a trap than a blessing. Every bit of cold air that entered into the bus, came and took its place and stayed, right where we were. We were chilled to the bone. Isabelle and Christine began to take out all that they could to cover and protect themselves with a little. Soon, we the men followed. But we couldn’t get to our clothes because our luggage was out of reach in the hold. “Pan-yey” (piece of African cloth), tee-shirt, shirts that were in our journey bags, all became defenses against the invasion. Paul, already not so well, had begun to shiver despite the extra layers of clothing. I then invited him to rest on my knees and I covered him with a “pan-yey” that Isabelle had taken with her. Christine had already since adopted this position on the knees of Isabelle. It was a unique spectacle. The people around us were watching with curiosity. Daniel finally found refuge on the floor in the centre-aisle of the bus, where he profited from the heat coming up from the motor.
It’s the kind of situation where everything becomes tasteless. And in these conditions, don’t talk to me about witnessing, everyone is so concerned with himself that it’s out of the question, even if during some calmer moments we managed to witness to a few.
Needless to say it was a sleepless night for most.
The only note of pleasure would be the vision of the starry sky, traversed by some shooting stars that we had the opportunity of admiring during a stop in the middle of nowhere – for some kind of control/checkpoint.
Around 6:30am as we approached the border of Burkina, the first rays of sunlight had begun to light up and color the countryside. We could finally believe in a better world. Who spoke of a better world? The cold had finally departed from us, as a vampire flees at the arrival of the sunlight, but to leave place for his brother Vampire Hot. The good weather lasted only two little hours. Soon the light was transformed into compassionless heat. The otherwise cursed open windows had now became a blessing. As we rode we could enjoy the countryside that hadn’t existed during the night. But woe was us when we stopped. Like a lion that was stalking its prey, the heat leapt on us to bite us. We tried everything, cold drinks, juicy watermelon, handheld fans, spraying water, everything, but to no avail. So, our only refuge was to firmly assure ourselves that the next time we take the trip, we’ll do it in a nice air-conditioned car: we allowed such thoughts to liberate us from the roasting reality of the present heat. I won’t mention the border-crossings, customs stops, bathroom-stops, the customs and again-customs, the police stops and again-police stops which seriously reduced the our average cruising speed, while increasing the temperature of the moods of the travelers.
It was around 5 o’clock pm when we entered into the city of Ouagadougou, a long, flat city, many times marked by floods. At our arrival, Pastor Ruffin, bearing his eternal smile came to get us and to drive us our place of stay. Isabelle and I were to be lodged in a clean, fresh and relaxing guest house: We were well content to have arrived.
The conference began the next day, and during 3 days was a cascade of fresh portion after fresh portion. Pastors from Togo, Niger, Ivory Coast, Ghana and of course, from Burkina Faso where there in unity of Spirit. Saturday evening we had the pleasure of seeing about 10 students from the Bible school receiving their diploma. Each day some 700 people gathered together for the sessions, and Sunday evening we concluded the conference with a time of prayer for the sick and for the needs of people. Since the next day came back testimonies as to what God had done. We have been really blessed by the receptivity of the people of Burkina to the message of the finished work and Jesus on the Cross. Pastor Bamouni and his church are doing a good work in Ouaga.
We stayed two days extra because the only return bus left on Wednesday morning at 5 o’clock. These days made became the “encore” of the conference. Each night, about a hundred people gathered in Pastor Bamouni’s yard which serves as the church’s chapel. What awesome moments!
The trip back was different from the trip up. We mainly traveled by day and in an air-conditioned bus. If it wasn’t for the crazy music and stupid videos shown for entertainment all the way long, the trip would have maybe been nice.
But if I make the effort to rapport to you these diverse happenings, it’s just to help you experience a little of our life, because all of this is no more, in our memories, than something we laugh about from time to time. There are much more important things.

Come visit us sometime. We could organize a little trip for you!

Thank you dear friends for your prayers, your support and your friendship.

May God bless you to the full.

Pastor Luigi and the team.


Prayer subjects:
A car or a minibus
A house
The finances of each team member
Each one’s health
A video projector
Some long-term visas
Time on the radio

In the beginning...

As the apostle says in 1Corinthians 16:9, there is a great door opened and many enemies.

This will always be the case, and that this is so is even of God.
The flesh has desires contrary to those of the Spirit, so that we do not do the things that we would, says Galatians 5:17.
There is a principle of opposition which is always functioning in order to keep us in a spirit of dependence on God, and of humility before him.
But what we must understand, is that the open door is greater (Megas: great in intensity, dimension and rank) than the many enemies (Polus: plentiful, of long duration, and with urgency).
John the Apostle also reminds us that he who is in us is greater than he that is in the world (1John 4:4), and that if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart (1John 3:20).
AMEN.

Dear friends, this is what we're living now that we've been in Benin already one week: great opportunities and diverse oppositions.
After 6 days in a temporary guest-house, we've found a furnished apartment that we moved into Tuesday past (house photos or house video).
It's still provisional for 2 or 3 months, the time to see where God wants us more permanently, since the city of Cotonou is quite extensive.
Each morning we spend several hours evangelizing, and we are much blessed (evangelism photos).
We continue to praise God for the amazing contacts that we have with people in the street and around us: some people pray to receive the Lord and the prospect of a free Bible-school brings joy to many people. Recently a young man of 29 years, of Muslim origin and steeped in Voodoo, received the Lord. He has a small mobile telephone (cellular phone) shop. In the month of January this past year he was held up and shot at. He should have died. During this difficulty where he practically lost everything, he turned inward and realized that all the fetishes and talismans (objects believed to bring good fortune and protection) that he'd accumulated for himself in his house and in his shop, served him for nothing other than to spend a lot of money and to be constantly living in fear. Today he wants to learn the word of God and to put all his trust in Jesus. His name is Loukman. Pray for him.
Many are the testimonies that we could give you of people like Loukman who are tired of Voodoo and of religiosity. We began our first bible study Saturday evening.

Thank for your friendship and your prayers.

God bless you.

Pastor Luigi on behalf of the whole team.

A Piece of Cake (2)

In Psalm 131, David says something that strikes me.

He says in verse 2, “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
It’s an extraordinary image of a Christian in this world. 
Before giving ourselves to Jesus, we were attached to a system of nourishment which is not sourced in God, but in culture, secular education, philosophy, religious systems void of truth and substance… etc. We were finding among this system of nourishment the direction for our life, it’s value, meaning, as well as the development of our mental reflexes for responding to the everyday situations of life. This system of nourishment taught us to live in anxiety as a solution for our problems, to satisfy our life by the fulfillment of our soul’s lusts… etc.
When we gave ourselves to the Lord, he severed us from such a system. Yet, in looking around us and considering Christianity, there is a question that comes to my mind and that question is this: 
Why, if we have been severed from this system of nourishment, many times we don’t have a calm and quiet soul like this child of which David speaks?
This child is next to his mother yet he doesn’t feel needy. He is calm and quiet. Normally a weaned child still wants to return to the nourishment of his mother, so how come this quietness and this calmness?
The answer is simple. God hasn’t weaned us without giving us another system of nourishment. He has given us his word, which he supplies to us with abundance. He has supplied of his Spirit with abundance. He has given us a life to live and it is abundant.
The problem is therefore simple. The Christian who deprives himself of the new system and supply of nourishment will always be tempted to return to the old system. He cannot have a quiet and calm soul next to the old system.
Jesus said that we are in the world but not of the world.
We are right in the midst of our old system of nourishment like that child next to his mother, but we can have a calm and quiet soul because we know how to be nourished, not depriving ourselves of our new system and supply of nourishment which God has given.
Friends, let us not rob ourselves of God’s nourishment for our lives, and let us live with a calm and quiet soul even in the midst of our greatest of difficulties.

Pastor Luigi Palmieri

Visit to Benin, our Canaan

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The team is ready to go to Benin, but there is just one small detail to resolve: the housing. 
We therefore decided to send two of us – as spies into our Canaan, Benin. 
It was decided that I would go with Daniel. The others remained in Lome to keep us in prayer. 
God has prepared angels to help us in our search. 
First, while we did not know where to stay, God had prepared a room with a Christian family where we would stay and eat for free. 
Then Pastor Boucari, who is pastor of a Baptist church, and Raymond, a member of his church, would transport and accompany us throughout our stay. The pastor is a friend of Pastor Bamouni who has been trained in our Bible school in Lome. 
We visited several houses and apartments, but we left having found nothing suitable. 
Nevertheless, as we told the rest of the team, Paul, Christine and Isabelle, where there is a giant in the land (housing), yet it is a land flowing with milk and honey. Indeed, we have had wonderful contacts. People prayed with us to receive Christ, and many times we were able to be a comfort and encouragement to several brothers and sisters. If you do not know, Benin is the cradle of voodoo. The country is steeped in this religion that makes people slaves of millions of small gods called fetishes; But today we can say that many Beninese desire to meet the true God who made heaven and earth.
We have been witnesses of that, and because of this we are assured that He who called us into this mission to Benin will take care of that little detail called housing.

Thank you for your prayers and for your support. 
May God bless you. 

P. Luigi, for the whole team 

Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Visit at Be-kpota Church (Togo)

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Visit to Kagome Church (Togo)

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A Piece of Cake

In going on the mission field wherever it be, we should understand that we will be confronted with new situations that will challenge our emotions, our thoughts and our frame of reference.
The ability that we have developed to handle day to day situations, is no guarantee that we will easily adjust ourselves in face of the pressure of new situations. Furthermore, when placed in a new context, our learned experience sometimes can bring more confusion than clarity.
God has shown us how important it is to deposit in our thinking, what we call premises. That is to say, a frame of reference of thinking for any given situation. Of course nobody can predict the unforeseeable, but we all know that difficult situations, opposition, needs, and other general things will suddenly arise before us and challenge us. So, if we can’t predict the unforeseeable, we can at least prepare ourselves with the truth and with God’s thinking.
One mistake is to seek a solution or to lay a foundation after we have been confronted and injured by a situation. This is what most of the world governments do also. They vote on laws and take measures after catastrophes to try to prevent the next one or to be able to deal with it efficiently.
We have available to us, by the grace of God, the Bible which teaches us God’s thinking. Its teaching transcends all thinking, experience and culture. It is the only source of thinking that can cause us to stand in situations.
Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Are we ready in our thinking to face the situations which will come against us? Have we laid up the thoughts of God in our frame of reference?
Here are some important premises:
If God is for us who can be against us? Romans 8:31
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack. Psalm 23:1
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1Corinthians 10:13

So my friends, this is one of the important things that we have decided to practically apply in order to not be carried away by the first difficulty that comes in our missionary work.

Visit to Amengran Church (Togo)

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Visit to Kpalime Church (Togo)

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Visit to Tabligbo Church (Togo)

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Visit to Tchekpo Church (Togo)

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Visit to Atakpame with P Atchou (Togo)

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Visit To Tsevie Church (Togo)

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Message from Paul Lipsett

From Baltimore togo to Benin & beyond… month #1

Carried by Grace (Is. 46/3-4)

After leaving Baltimore the 13^th, I landed in Lome: Togo in the night – the 28^th July. In the journey through Ireland, N. Ireland, Wales, England and France I had the witness and sense of God carrying me & also preparing me. It was a full and precious time & we were there for the first service in the new church building w/ P.Jean Cartier & those dear folks in Nimes.

Some first impressions from Lome: Daniel and I are residing with a sweet married couple & their family (from the church) – who live above the Christian school for the little ones. I didn’t initially like the idea of sharing a room w/ anyone; but I’ve come to realize that staying with Daniel (his portion, his keen Spiritual fellowship and his joyous jokerishness) is an awesome blessing from God! Enjoying this family, and also the African cuisine (The wife/mother, “Carol” is more than eight months pregnant w/ their second child.)

I think God is easing us in: the weather has been mild, breezy and even cool at times!

From the beginning there’s been plenty of adventure and new experiences also:
army check point in the night; big bats; little lizards, evading mosquitoes (somewhat), speeding to radio after evening church service, Street soccer experience: “Baptized into the African soil” – 3mins / 2goals / 3(small) injuries (African leaf mix to stop bleeding); flagging down “motos” to get rides through crazy streets / crazy roads (anybody can be a taxi); singing like sardines in the back of a “Cargo” van; bartering in the market place; poor homeless boys that live (and summersault) on the beech; feeding baby-banana to pet monkey; eating spicey & soupy “foo-foo” w/ our bare hands; meeting many; getting visa; guys that “guard” your car; “fresh” shower; bucket shower!; sea swimming; coals stove; damp pages; joyful songs; much jokes& laughter; great messages; personal words; and to mention last: YOVO AMIGAN = my African nickname = “Big-white-guy”.

The Togo-Conference and Summer Classes w/ pastor Scibelli and many others has been a beautiful time and testimony of the work and fruit of God in peoples lives. There is great joy here in the church – and many men of God have been raised up to pastor the churches in Lome and beyond. The word of God is with power!

A quote of the month - Pastor Paul (Lome): “Even if I am not conscious of God, God is conscious of me” (w/ Isa 41:10)

Message from Pastor Luigi Palmieri

Each year back in Togo, our feelings were mixed, happy to arrive and sad to leave. But this time God gave us the grace to come and not leave.
We are in Togo last month and we already have a heart full of gratitude for all that we have experienced and seen.
Over two hundred students attended the summer courses and their thirst for the things of God bless us all. Pastor Paul from Lomé, pastor Bamouni from Burkina, myself and other pastors have taught for two weeks, morning and evening.
What a privilege to be able to share the word of God with all these brothers from Togo, but also from Burkina Faso, Gabon and elsewhere.
At the end of the two weeks of courses, Pastor Scibelli arrived with a strong delegation of Ghanaian pastors who come each year to participate at the national conference of our churches in Togo.

Three days of great fellowship around the word preached with conviction and freshness.
On Saturday evening as usual, students receive their diploma or certificate. In all 50 recipients came on stage under the cheers of family and friends. A message was given to them the responsibility vis-à-vis the knowledge they have gained and which has value only if it is put into practice and discharged into the lives of others. Several pastors were ordained and again the responsibility attached to their appeal has been recalled.
But any celebration to an end and so after two weeks of classes and a nice weekend conference, everyone has returned to its respective city, village or country. But the appointment is already made for next year.

Since our arrival we were received, Isabelle and I, among Gisele, sister of the church. We have our room, a shower and that is good enough. Some friends lent us a vehicle for a month, which allows us to travel and visit churches in the villages.
Paul from Northern Ireland and Daniel from Romania, arrived a few days after us and will come with us in Benin. Both are so blessed by what they live here. Christine, the third missionary, just arrived to strengthen our team.
For two weeks we will evangelize every afternoon and every time God has allowed that we have good contacts.
Pastor Stevens said that the pain does not change but leads us to adopt the right attitude so that God can change us. This is what we see here.
Togo is still trying to overcome the crisis. People, especially the little people suffer and do not see any purpose in a difficult situation which has lasted for years. According to someone, life is a river, the river here is still refusing to throw in the sea But the pain in many men and women are positioned so that the voice of God for their lives.
There is not a day when we return from our soul winning time in the street without a testimony of conversion or blessed contact.
We realize that when we evangelize, we do two things. One, it’s to reach those who have never received Jesus as their savior, and two, to strengthen the Christians who do not know their identity in Christ and therefore do not enjoy the freedom and joy which are still their, and those Christians are legion in Lomé.
About our stay here in Togo, we have to visit all our churches and then we proceed to Cotonou in Benin to begin the work that God has prepared beforehand for us. So every weekend and this week we travel to spend a day or two with a different church. We have twelve such churches in Togo, so we have a good program to visit us.

Thank you to pray for us so that we find in Benin for the home team. Cotonou is a city scale, so it is important that we establish a strategic location for our mission.

We believe that God has prepared and that despite the opposition that will not fail, we expect great things and that is why we want to undertake great things for God.


Thank you dear friends for your prayers and your friendship.
We love you and see you soon.

Until God be glorified in all our lives and that his speech act powerfully in our hearts.

The Benin Team