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
