A computer business center may not sound like it has much to do with missions, but Elmire’s business center is an important part of our outreach among the Dendi people of Kandi, Benin, opening doors for evangelism in ways we never imagined.

In July 2009, Elmire and I decided to help Rodrigue, a 23-year-old man who had recently obtained his high school diploma, start a small business to help with his university tuition. Rodrigue’s family is from the south of Benin, but he was born and raised in Kandi. In 2008, he was the only person who was able to assist us in our work without creating tension in the community. Other local helpers were forbidden by their religious leaders to support us in any way, even in language learning.

After discussing business ideas with Rodrigue, we bought two used desktop computers and business center. The variety of activities—educational software for students, typing documents, scanning, printing, Internet browsing, etc.—quickly made the small business a success. When Rodrigue left for university in October 2009, it was obvious to us that the business had become strategically valuable for community outreach. After prayer and some consultation with our AFM field director and donors, we decided that Elmire would continue to run the computer center. In the nine months since then, the center has become one of the top three most popular computer centers in town. Now with eight desktop computers, two printers and a copy machine, Elmire’s computer center offers some unique services available nowhere else. For example, it offers religious software to learn Arabic and to research in the Quran and in the Bible. Educational software and two digital encyclopedias cover all possible subjects for students. The center’s customer base is growing daily, and people are excited about its services. They constitute a community with growing connections to us.

Because the center is closed for religious observance every week from 5 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Sunday, some of Elmire’s business neighbors and many of her Christian clients have indicated an interest in praying with her on her Sabbath day. To our surprise, even some imams who know Elmire is a Christian come for their word-processing and copying work. Because God has blessed us with a generator that can support most of our machines, Elmire’s computer center is often the only one operating in town when the power is off for days at a time.

As Elmire works to offer the best service possible, her computer center is gaining an excellent reputation. More importantly, she is making numerous contacts with students, children and young adults from all social classes. Even some of the most extreme Muslim religious leaders in town have softened their prejudice against us because of the assistance their children receive at our computer center. Some parents accompany their children, and many comment that they prefer that their children spend time there than elsewhere. We never imagined that the computer center would help us build such strong relationships or create such opportunities for ministry. Elmire now meets about 100 people a day there, and a considerable number of those are very good prospects for friendship evangelism and Bible studies.

We thank God for His providence in our computer center, and we thank you for your prayers and support in this experience. May we catch the contagion of our Lord’s passion to save souls by all means possible.

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