A Summary of God’s Grace

We want to thank the staff of CRWM and we thank God for all our supporting churches!  What a blessing it is to have people praying for our safety and for God’s power in the work given us to do in and around the Bible School. Since our return the question is often asked: “Are you safe?” Well we feel safe in our place of service. We did not feel threatened at any time at the Bible School or in the surrounding area, or on our two trips to Jos and Abuja. Yet, violence is indiscriminate, and one could be at the wrong place at the wrong time. For us at the school there is no place to hide, there are no walls, no razor wire and no guards. A friend in the area wanted to get me a weapon for protection. I said no! I told him I don’t need a weapon, I am trusting in Jesus, there is no other place for us to go but to Jesus. I have spent one year in Vietnam, 25 years in Nigeria, and 70 years in life, we think God wants us to continue working but Satan wants to stop us with fear. 2 Timothy 1: 7 “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” and “love drives out fear” We continue to trust God but we must listen to the people we work with. The school has had two days of fasting and prayer to address the situation in another state and for the deteriorating security situation in the country. So far we do feel safe but we do not travel very much.

God has blessed our work, I taught from 8:00 am to 1:00 or 2:00 pm on the days I taught computer four days a week and one day was set aside for a TLT course for continuing education for Pastors, Evangelists and Gremar taught their wives. We also did a lot of work around the school. I installed two solar systems for the two staff houses and we planted around thirty trees at the school. The following was my schedule this year:

Term 2: Evangelism Methods, in Hausa and English

Old Test. Exegesis in Hausa and English

Pastoral Care in English,

Computer, Hausa and English classes together.

Term 3: The Heidelberg Cat. in Hausa and English

Christian Worship in Hausa and English

Bible Translation in English

Computer, Hausa and English classes together.

Gremar continued training the schools 3 health care workers, treating student families and neighboring families for malaria, dysentery, various infections and parasites, these being the main problems except this year many children suffered from whooping cough.  She encouraged prenatal care for the women in the area since many deliver at home alone. She also was called for one difficult delivery at a neighboring compound, but all turned out well, we thank God.

Gremar taught prenatal care and home delivery to the student wives for the two semesters, which the women found very helpful. She also expanded her work to include 3 Christian health care workers at three different locations with one still in training, to reach out to women’s health including prenatal care and deliveries, but also to emphasize our Christian witness. The response has been great.

This year we had 12 converts in compounds around the Bible School. They have been attending the chapel services at the school but no one asked them if they wanted to take the next step of baptism, 12 are now in the course to prepare for baptism. Converts face opposition: one typical story is about a friend of one of our students. We have been praying for him since his wife has taken their two children back to her father’s house, her father is a Muslim. She has little choice in the matter! The only way to get his wife and his children back, he must become Muslim. In the end that is what he did, but he says it is only temporary and is waiting for an opportunity to bring his wife back to Christianity. We continue to pray for him. Please continue to pray for the Bible School, for the staff and the students, classes begin next month. Pray for the church, for new converts, for the many Christians living in danger. Pray for peace in the country. Pray the ebola outbreak will be controlled and pray for our national missionaries stuck in Serra Leone due to the outbreak there. Thank you for shining God’s light, for joining with us by the power of His Spirit to light up many dark places.