I- CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES
As part of its commitment to supporting, strengthening, and encouraging missionary work throughout Benin, the Baptist Student Ministries (M2E-Baptiste) conducted a two-week national tour through several cities and towns across the country. This mission had two complementary objectives: first, to visit the World Hope Ministry International training centers scattered throughout the country in order to interact with leaders and participants, share the Institute’s vision, gather feedback on the training, and identify challenges and needs; second, to visit the Bible study groups and churches established by M2E-Baptist missionaries and volunteers, particularly in the northern part of the country, in order to encourage, strengthen, and confirm them in their faith and commitment.
Team composition
The tour was initially led by a team of three people:
- Missionary Koba Richard — CEO of M2E-B and tour leader
- Doukan Pélagie — CFO of M2E-B
- Amour Salem ZANKOUKOU — Communications Director, M2E-B
During the tour, the team was joined by two additional members: Brother Joël TCHOKPONHOUE, General Treasurer of the M2E-Baptist Administrative Council, who joined the team in Kandi and accompanied the mission to Parakou; and then by the Chairman of the Administrative Council, Brother Modeste Wabi, who joined the team in Bohicon for the final stages of the journey south.
Dates and destinations
The tour took place from Friday, May 22, until the return to Abomey-Calavi, covering the following destinations: Bonou, Dassa, Savè, Kandi, Djougou, Ouassa-Péhunco, Parakou, Glazoué, Bohicon, Lalo, and Lokossa.
II. DIFFERENTS STAGES
Stage 1: Bonou, Dassa, Savè | Friday, May 22
The tour kicked off in Abomey-Calavi on Friday, May 22. The first stop was Bonou, in the Ouémé department, where the team met with the local World Hope center. The team then traveled to Dassa and on to Savè, where they stopped for the night. At each of these centers, the team spoke with leaders and participants about how the courses were going, the impact of the training on their lives and ministries, and their challenges and needs, in order to identify the best ways to support them.
Stage 2 : Savè – Kandi | Saturday, May 23
The next morning, after a meeting at the World Hope center in Savè, the team set off for Kandi, in the northern part of the country. From this point on, the mission expanded to include visits to Bible study groups and churches established by M2E-Baptist missionaries and volunteers in the region. From Saturday through Monday, day and night, rain or shine, the team traveled throughout these communities to encourage them, share Bible stories with them, and strengthen them in their faith.
Stage 3 : Djougou | Tuesday, May 26
On Monday, the Treasurer General of the M2E-Baptist Administrative Council joined the team, thereby strengthening the delegation for the remainder of the tour. The next day, the team headed to Djougou, where they met with the local World Hope center. Discussions focused on the Institute’s vision, the training program, and the center’s needs.
Stage 4: Ouassa–Péhunco | Wednesday, May 27–Friday, May 29
From Djougou, the team continued on to Ouassa-Péhunco. Despite their accumulated fatigue, they got right back to work as soon as they arrived. From Gountia to Senin Yanbakariu, they visited each of the newly formed Bible study groups one by one, encouraging and strengthening them. The residents gave them a warm welcome and expressed how much they felt valued by this visit. The team also participated in the Bible study at the local Baptist church, led by the resident missionary. The evening concluded with a visit to the couple who had hosted the mission during its very first days in Ouassa-Péhunco a few years earlier—a moment filled with memories and gratitude.
Stage 5 : Parakou | Friday, May 29 - Monday, June 1st
On Friday morning, the team left Ouassa-Péhunco and headed for Parakou. After dropping off the General Treasurer at his home, the team stayed at the Northern Regional Office of Campus for Christ Benin. This visit to Parakou was filled with moments of fellowship: the team attended the wedding blessing of Jacques, a brother and disciple, and then the Sunday service at the Banikanni University Baptist Church. In-depth discussions also took place with the missionary couple Rose and Raoul Ogoudedji regarding the realities and challenges of ministry in Parakou. On Fri
Stage 6 : Glazoué | Monday, June 1st - Wednesday, June 3
First thing Monday morning, driven by renewed enthusiasm despite their fatigue, the team set off again for Glazoué. As soon as they arrived, they visited the pastor of the local Baptist church to discuss the life and needs of the ministry. A meeting with the leaders of the World Hope Center in Kèrè followed, providing an opportunity to share the Institute’s vision and gather testimonies from the participants. The discussions were fruitful: the training is bearing fruit in the lives and ministries of the beneficiaries.
Stage 7 : Bohicon, Lalo, Lokossa | Wednesday, June 3 - Thursday, June 4
After Glazoué, the team began its gradual descent southward. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Brother Modeste Wabi, joined the team in Bohicon for the final stages. Two World Hope centers were visited in succession—in Bohicon and then in Lalo—with the same consistent goal: to share the Institute’s vision, gather participants’ feedback on the training, listen to their challenges, and encourage them in their journey.
The team then continued on to Lokossa, where they conducted a site visit to the IUT to identify strategic locations for the establishment of a future university assembly—with an eye toward the future and the development of M2E-Baptist ministries in the southern part of the country.
Stage 8: Return to Abomey-Calavi, then departure for Paouignan | Thursday, June 4
On Thursday, June 4, the team visited the World Hope Center in Lokossa, where they carried out the same work: sharing the Institute’s vision, gathering participants’ feedback on the training, listening to their challenges, and encouraging them in their journey.
After two weeks of intensive ministry, the team returned to Abomey-Calavi on Thursday. But their rest was short-lived. On Saturday, June 6, an M2E-Baptist delegation—comprising the CEO, the CFO, the Communications Officer, the CCA, trainee missionary Ismaël, and the Koba couple’s children—set out for Paouignan, in the Collines department, to take part in the wedding blessing of missionary Henri, stationed in Kandi, and his wife Élodie—a beautiful moment of fraternal celebration to bring this tour to a close.
III. OVERVIEW AND ACHIEVEMENTS
This national tour yielded concrete and encouraging results in several areas:
World Hope centers visited: The centers in Bonou, Dassa, Savè, Djougou, Kèrè, Bohicon, Lalo, and Lokossa were visited. At each location, the Institute’s vision was shared, needs were identified, and participants were encouraged in their training.
Testimonials of Transformation: Many participants have shared how the World Hope training has made a tangible difference in their personal lives and ministries, confirming the relevance and effectiveness of this training tool.
Bible study groups strengthened: The groups visited in the North—in Kandi, Ouassa-Péhunco, and the surrounding areas (Gountia, Senin Yanbakariu)—were encouraged and strengthened. The members expressed how deeply this visit had touched them and strengthened their faith.
Fellowship: Participating in the wedding blessing of Brother Jacques in Parakou and our missionary Henri in Paouignan, attending the service at the Banikanni University Baptist Church, and interacting with the missionary couple Rose and Raoul Ogoudedji strengthened the bonds of fellowship and mutual support within the M2E-Baptist network.
Exploratory Visit to Lokossa: The reconnaissance visit to the Lokossa University Institute of Technology (IUT) identified concrete avenues for establishing a future university campus in the city, opening up new opportunities for M2E-Baptist ministries in the South.
A smooth trip: The entire journey went off without a hitch, covering several hundred kilometers across Benin.
IV. THANKSGIVING
At the conclusion of this tour, the team gives thanks to God for:
- His faithful protection over the entire team throughout these two weeks on the road, day and night, rain or shine, without any incident hindering the mission.
- The visible fruits on the ground: the testimonies of transformation in the training centers, the vibrant faith of the northern cell groups, and the warm welcome from the communities visited.
- The mobilization of leaders: the availability of the General Treasurer and the Chair of the Board of Directors, who traveled to join the team on the ground, testifies to the collective commitment of M2E-Baptist to this work.
- The doors opened at every stage, the providential encounters, and the moments of grace experienced throughout the tour.
- Health and strength renewed day after day, enabling the team to persevere until the end of the mission despite fatigue.
V. PRAYERS
M2E-B presents the following requests to God and asks for the intercession of the entire M2E-Baptist family:
- For the communities visited: May every seed planted during this tour sprout and bear fruit in due season. May God continue to strengthen the Bible story cell groups in the North, establish them in faith, and help them grow in number and spiritual maturity. May the members of these communities feel supported and upheld by the prayers of the entire M2E-Baptist family.
- For the World Hope training centers: May the training continue to bear fruit in the lives and ministries of the participants. May God provide for the needs identified in the various centers and raise up resources to meet them. May each center continue to grow and train faithful and effective servants of God.
- For missionaries and volunteers in the field: May God continue to sustain, protect, and encourage those serving far from home, often under difficult conditions. May their faith remain fervent and their vision clear. May their families be kept safe and their ministry bear visible fruit.
- For M2E-Baptist: May God continue to guide and inspire the organization in its decisions and vision. May the opportunities opened up during this tour, particularly in Lokossa, come to fruition in His time and according to His will.
