The Africa Vision Tract House (AVTHS) participated in the “Gambia 2008” Medical Outreach from 1–8 March 2008 as the evangelistic arm of the mission. The AVTH team comprised the NCGF National Secretary, Pastor Polycarp Mbah; the Lagos Office Administrative Officer, Mr. Adegbemi Adekanmbi; and the Missions Coordinator, Mr. Francis Anane. The outreach was organised by Pittsford Community Church (PCC), Rochester, New York, in collaboration with Pro Health International, Jos, Nigeria. The mission’s objectives were to demonstrate the love of God, provide medical and social services, and lead people to Christ.
In this partnership, PCC supplied medicines, school consumables, and construction materials; Pro Health International provided medical doctors; and AVTHS supplied multilingual gospel tracts in Hausa, Mandinka, Wolof, English, and French for counsellors and evangelists, most of whom were volunteers from churches and ministries in The Gambia. AVTHS also deployed evangelists, a pharmacist, and a French translator to support the work.
The mission programme covered multiple activities, including medical services, social works (such as construction and rehabilitation at the prison classroom, painting of fences and gates, and support to the Gambia Organization of the Visually Impaired), leadership training, prison outreaches, church visitations, tract distribution, school visits, distribution of educational materials, film shows, counselling, engagements with traffic police officers and drivers, a Mega Worship Night, and courtesy visits to embassies.
Medical services provided included vital signs assessment, dentistry, eye clinic services, general clinic consultations, and pharmacy services.
During the mission, AVTH dedicated the Gambian local-language tracts at the Dominion Faith Centre, Dipakunda, and established the AVTH–Gambia Office under the leadership of Pastor Felix Oladejo, who coordinated the Gambia Tract Translation Project.
For the mission and the establishment of the new office, AVTHS brought 252,000 gospel tracts, including 6 titles in Wolof, 6 titles in Mandinka, 6 titles in English, and 4 titles in French, alongside 1,000 newsletters and 1,000 brochures.
In collaboration with the Evangelism Unit of the Local Council of Churches, ministry was carried out among Muslims, Christians, and Animists from The Gambia and neighbouring countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Sudan (Darfur). High-level engagements were also held with local churches, the Secretary (Minister) of Health, and the Ambassadors of Nigeria and Taiwan to The Gambia.
The AVTH–Gambia Office now serves North-West African countries where Wolof and Mandinka are spoken, including The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Mauritania.
Overall, over 5,000 people benefited from the outreach, and many lives were impacted spiritually, to the glory of God.
