SAMPLE OF A FIELD REPORT

SAMPLE OF A FIELD REPORT

I thank God for His mercy and immeasurable grace given to me (Austine Ozuruonye Iroeche, Set 51, 2019/2020 session) to undergo this 4 months field practical under Lagos Province 13.

I served as a parish pastor at Eredo Nla Village, Ijebu – Ogun State, Nigeria. Eredo Nla is a typical Yoruba village, off Lagos Ibadan expressway, near Ago village.

The village is comprised of not more than 15 – 20 houses (all unplastered mud houses). The village is mainly occupied by strangers and very few indigenes who are mainly elderly people. The Indigenes and strangers are truly friendly and accommodating but very occultic and very deep into idol worship.

They have shrines, such as Ogun shrine etc where they perform devilish sacrifices. Both the indigenes and strangers are not very good church goers. Where they attend at all, they are rarely committed.

All indigenes and strangers living there are mainly peasant farmers. They worship their farms and can sacrifice fellowship and Sunday service for farming.

There is no regard for Sunday worship, those who even care to attend Sunday service will do that after returning from their farm even on Sunday morning. They are typical of stories and tales I have heard about Ijebu people, they are very deep into occultism and evil worship and also very tight fisted. People who can hardly part with any good thing of theirs. This crude life style has rubbed off on all the strangers alike. I am grateful to God that I was not infested.

There is a Redeemed Christian Church of God Parish (Ogun Province) in a nearby village called Eredo Kekere, there is also an Anglican Church in Eredo Nla where I reside and fellowship.

RCCG, had started there few years ago and closed down due to lack of manpower. I really did not meet a standing parish there.

God was so much on my side that he helped me through my landlady to locate one or two people who were members of the abandoned parish. We took off earnestly in a nearby primary school there and God started adding to our number weekly due to strategic outreach and evangelism and God who has always been with me in the Ministry. The Parish grew to 18, 20 and above before I rounded up my practical service there.

Our Bible class/ fellowship holds every Saturday 5:00pm – 6:00pm.

Our Sunday service holds every Sunday 9:00am – 11:00am respective.

The village is a very remote and far end village having a farm settlement far away from the village.

By God’s grace, I met with the farm manager and supervisor and sought their consent to commence a bible fellowship with the farm settlers and they both gave me their consent and the fellowship paid off as many members were coming from there despite the distance.

They really do not like being kept for too long during church services and I tried to cooperate with them.

The practical service has some challenges and problems that I faced. Accommodation was one of the major problems I faced. The house where I lived was a dilapidated, bent and about to collapse, mud house. The house has no lock at the back, uncemented floor, no ceiling and It was really a challenge, anytime it rains due to leakage from the roof. Even with the use of mosquito ne, insect bite was common especially at night because I was left to sleep on the sandy floor.

The villagers generally do not build toilets. They throw and dump their waste indiscriminately and the stench (odour) kept me always indoors since I was given an abandoned Ogun Priest’s house near where they dump the whole waste. Thank God for the immunity.

There is no clean water. The little brown colored stream (river) has become a collection centre of all the human waste generated by the village anytime it rains.

I could not cook, bath or drink the water. This made me to spend so much on pure water which is sold #200 per pack. Most times I stay over a week without taking my bath. You cannot see anything good, such as daily needs to buy in that village except you wait and go to their 3 days market.

Movement in and out of the village was a very big problem coupled with my inability to speak Yoruba language, Thank God I overcame.

I would not have learnt and accomplished more if I had stay in Lagos where I was posted. God really helped my prayer life, study and spiritual upliftment in that village. What I gained in that ancient village spiritually will ever remain unforgettable. The villagers testified that they have never had it so good since six years the church (RCCG) came to the village.

I want to thank God that due to the little achievement recorded, the province have commenced the building of permanent structure with a pastonage in that village to the Glory of God. That will be an edge over other RCCG parish and churches around there and the villagers will be glad to identify with that Parish when fully completed.

The welfare package should be improved on. Province 13, by my assessment is a big and blessed province. They should improve on their welfare package (make it regular). The only thing that is constant in life is change. Please improve and change as the economy changes.

The Province should please try to complete the parish and pastonage as quick as possible to encourage the next missionary or parish pastor. Vibrancy and ability to speak Yoruba language should be given adequate consideration when sending a resident pastor there.

I believe the village; even with their limited number has future spiritually if pray fully followed.

God Bless You.

YOUR NAME

Practical Missionary

Student