Les Aventures de Jesus Christ en Afrique par Don Fairley

The True Story of Bongolo Through this mini-documentary filmed in the mid-1930s and early 1940s by Reverend Donald Fairley, and based on my research using Dictator Tompson's book "Beyond the Mists" and the work of Koumba Manonga (pen name of Koumba Jean-Bernard, Pedagogical Inspector, Ministry of National Education), I have attempted to reconstruct the true story of the establishment of the Christian and Missionary Alliance of Gabon on the left bank of the Louetsi River. A few weeks before Don Fairley's arrival, an elder from the village of Makombo met with the other village elders at the guardhouse one morning, saying he had dreamt that white men would come down the river with a motor. A few weeks later, this dream came true one day in March 1933. February 15, 1933: Arrival of the American Missionaries from Boma in Lower Congo, where they already had a presence. First exploratory trip to Bongolo, in southern Gabon, by two American missionaries, Reverend Pastors Joseph Nicholson and Donald Fairley, of the Missionary and Christian Alliance, invited by the Gabonese Evangelical Missionary Society. These missionaries were accompanied by a young man from the south, Faustin Maramba Begundobe, who would become Paul Ndoba, recommended by the Ngomo mission, led by Reverends Keller and Henri Ndjavé. April 1933: Return to Lower Congo to report on the mission in southern Gabon, which had not been reached by the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, whose mission ended in Lambaréné. 1934: Return to Gabon and a second trip south, this time accompanied by Paul Ndoba and two other young southerners, Marc Divingou and Jean Mbadinga. The American mission was established on the right bank of the Louetsi River, at Chief Boudiongo's home, before settling permanently on the left bank on the Bongolo promontory, with founders Donald Fairley and Harold Pierson. A Journey of Faith: Evangelizing Southern Gabon In the mid-1930s, an American evangelist named Reverend Donald Fairley arrived on the shores of Gabon with a profound conviction: to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people living in the forests and isolated villages of the south. His journey began along the majestic Ogooué River, the main artery that crossed the territory, passing through the Ngounie region and finally reaching the Louetsi. Wooden canoes were often his only means of transport. For days, he traveled upriver accompanied by a few African catechists who served as interpreters and guides. When they reached Makombo, they were welcomed by Chief Boudiongo, and the villagers gathered with curiosity. Many had never met white men. The missionary did not begin preaching immediately. He first spent time with the village elders, sharing local food, learning a few words of the language, and listening to their stories. Then one evening, he told the story of Jesus around a fire, surrounded by the villagers: his humble birth, his miracles, his love for the poor and the sick, and above all, his death and resurrection. To make the message understandable, he used simple images: he compared Jesus to a good guide in the forest, one who knows the way even when all seems lost. Over the months, some villagers began to take a greater interest in the message. A small group formed to pray and learn the teachings of the Bible. But the work was not easy. The evangelist had to contend with: tropical diseases, long equatorial rains, the fatigue of traveling by dugout canoe, and sometimes the mistrust of certain villages. Despite everything, he often wrote in his journal: “The roads are difficult, but every smile from a child discovering the story of Jesus reminds me why I came all this way.” After several years, his work was measured not only in conversions, but also in makeshift schools, translations of biblical passages, and prayer communities that continued to meet even when he moved on to another village. Thus, in the heart of the forests of southern Gabon in the 1930s, the Christian faith gradually began to spread, carried by simple encounters, courageous journeys and a deep conviction: to share the message of Jesus Christ with everyone.