The title of this post is our metaphor for traveling to Nigeria it has been a long six months of obstacles and set backs. Our trip also signifies God’s grace and call to work in Niger State, Nigeria. As you know this is our fourth trip to the Warari area, the Bible School and to Mahula. We are so thankful we are this far because for a while security issues in Nigeria made it doubtful that we would be able to return, but here we are. The last few days in Newaygo were hectic, last minute packing, preaching the day before we left and the commissioning service that Sunday.
Last minute items to pack
We were able to pack everything we needed, we are allowed four 50 pound boxes plus carry on but they made us check our carry on in Frankfort. Everything arrived in Abuja, praise the Lord.
We are thankful to all our supporting churches but New Community is our commissioning church. We had a meaningful service and a great send off.
The flights were uneventful this trip and we had beautiful weather. We were worried that our carry on would not arrive with the rest of our stuff but it all came.
Our flight took us over France, the Alps, the Mediterranean as well as the Sahara Desert.
The place is pure sand and rock, from 39000 ft it looks very desolate.
We left Grand Rapids Monday at 1:20 PM traveled on three different planes and through as many airports. We arrived Abuja at 4:30 PM the next day. We were ready to get to the guest house quickly but we were in gridlock traffic for three hours before we arrived at the Paniel Guest House. This place has all the amenities and we had a wonderful night. The next day on to Jos and Mission headquarters, a four hour trip. Right now we are at the Mountain View guest house. Here we have spent much time in the past visiting our children here when they boarded at the Mountain View Hostel.
Jos is a busy place.The 10 foot media is taken up with little shops. If you are in a hurry avoid this round about. These little buggies have replaced the motorcycle taxis now banned in Jos
Gremar and I spent a little time shopping today
Gremar buying the medicine she will need for the schoolMy favorite shop, everything you need and don't need.Gremar's favorite shop, well stocked I'd say.
We are thankful to God for bringing us this far. We hope to travel to Niger State this week. We thank you for your prayers and support. We attended the Hillcrest School Chapel on Sunday and we were challenged to keep Jesus in the center of our lives, and we were reminded again what a privilege it is to serve Him. Let us all Praise the Lord!
Pray for the Warari Bible School beginning a new class in Sept., one class for Hausa speakers and one in English. Pray for Jolly the Principal.
Pray that the political unrest is resolved. Pray for Christians and Muslims.
Pray for the Church, for her members and for the people of Nigeria.
The Bible School.
At the beginning of Nov. we will be leaving for Nigeria. We are scheduled for a six month stay to teach, encourage, provide continuing education and help people to acquire good medical treatment skills for their own families and for those in remote places. The school is starting a new four year Hausa class and is starting a class in English as well. We have been involved in continuing education for pastors, evangelists and for church leaders currently working in the field. Timothy Leadership Training materials are being used effectively to that end.
The students at the Bible School come from three different tribes, together they make up about five hundred thousand people. They come from many different backgrounds and different levels of education.
This is the first Prayer Letter we are sending out this year. We ask that you pray for us and for the people of Niger State. We ask that you take the opportunity to encourage us and as the Spirit moves and God gives the ability to support us financially. We will be serving for six months at a time for the next couple of years and longer as God opens doors. Along with teaching, preaching and medical work we will be helping the church to adjust to less mission and missionary involvement. We need you to partner with us, we are not able to do this without your help and prayers. Praise God!
We thank God for this opportunity to work in Niger State, Nigeria, We thank God for you! For your prayers! For your encouragement! For your financial support! As well prepared as we are we cannot accomplish this assignment without you! Thank you!
Missionaries have worked in Niger State, Nigeria for close to twenty five years. When the last missionaries, Matthew and Laura Lanser assigned to work in Classis CRCN Niger State were led to leave the field, Gremar and I proposed a two or three year transitionary period as CRWM phases out physical and financial support. We are motivated to help this struggling emerging church to continue meaningful development and ministry with reduced outside resources. We are privileged to be appointed as associate missionaries to that end.
God has uniquely prepared us for this important role and we continue to look to Him for guidance. We have retired and have volunteered in Niger State for four months for the last three years. We have planted a church (New Community Church Newaygo) with CRC Home Missions (5 yrs.). We have worked in the traditional CRC Church. in North America (6 yrs). We have worked in Nigeria for CRWM in a variety of positions from 1973 to 1997 (20 yrs.) with a four year break for Calvin Seminary. Gremar worked in Nigeria as a nurse / midwife until we were married in 1977 and still volunteers her medical skills. The Hausa language, used by the church in Niger State we know well and have worked with for many years. This part of Niger State is a remote and a difficult place to live but we have lived in remote places of Nigeria in the past. We look forward to developing more friendships and learning more about the culture. We have connected with the people of Niger State, and along with Paul we say: “we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” I Thess. 2:8
We came home to Newaygo from Nigeria at the beginning of May. How sweet it is to sit on our deck at Heaven High. How difficult it is, the people we miss in Niger State! We came home on time, we did not know but I was told I had experienced a heart attack, I felt something was wrong. The cardiologist said “you are here on time and you are going to the hospital now!” The main artery to my left ventricle was 99% blocked. They repaired the blockage with two stints. Nothing short of a miracle: not only the repair but that I survived with that much blockage. It gives new meaning to the statement that life is short and we need to use the life God gives us for his honor and glory. That is what we do but now with much more thanksgiving! Did we feel welcome coming home? Yes! New Community Church was praying for us and thankful along with us, the medical care was excellent from Dr. Olivera to the doctors at the Grand Rapids Heart Center and at Spectrum Hospital. When we left the hospital the next day after the procedure our nurse prayed with us.
It felt like home when NCCN asked me to stand in for a guest pastor who became ill on the morning of Father’s Day. I picked “The Parable of the Lost Son” Luke 14: 11-31. Jesus tells this parable along with two others “The Parable of the lost Sheep” and “The Parable of the Lost Coin” in response to verses 1 and 2 of Chapter 15 in the gospel of Luke. 1.” Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.” 2. “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.
” The painting “The return of the Prodigal Son” 1669 by Rembrandt, he had sketched and painted this theme since 1636, ( See Wikipedia) is the culmination of his life’s work, he died two years later.
The painting tells the story of coming home
Look at the painting closely. The book: The Return of the Prodigal Son. A Story of Homecoming. by Henri Nouwen is his response after days of sitting in front of and studying this painting. His first response when seeing it: “It’s beautiful, more than beautiful . . . it makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time . . . I can’t tell you what I feel as I look at it. But it touches me deeply.” p. 4 prologue.
Lets look at the Father. His stance, one of humility and compassion and vulnerability. His masculine hand is on the son’s shoulder, a fathers touch, the famine hand on his back gentle, and affirming, a mother’s touch. The father is not alone. There is a woman standing behind him, most people think it is the mother and is supporting the father. The son is humble, submissive, on his knees but before the son can say a word the father excepts him, is hugging him and ordering his reinstatement. The son is raged, shoes worn out, his head looks wet like a new born child. It is a new birth for him yet he has held unto something of his former position he still has his sword. The other two figures are much different then those described so far. One is a servant, the man sitting. The other appears to be the older brother. Both have there hands tucked away obviously not willing to reach out. The Son stance is rigid, condemning and disapproving of the whole scene in front of him. Given the situation who should we identify with? Of course we identify with the son on his knees receiving forgiveness and acceptance from the Father even after his bad choices and subsequent sin. That is all of us, “for allhavesinned and fall short of the glory of God, ” Romans 3:22-24.
Once we are forgiven by the Father and accepted we are not only free but are to be like the Father. Is not the church the body of Jesus in the right here and now of our lives? Yes! Like the prodigal son forgiven, our transgressions remembered no more. We are called to be as the Father to forgive and accept each other and those like us, sinners, forgiven sinners. The older son is much like religion today hands tucked away obviously not willing to reach out. The Son stance is rigid, condemning and disapproving of the whole scene in front of him. He did not squander God’s blessings, he did not leave the church. he works hard and continues to do so, like so many church members, leaders and pastors but we are missing out on the celebration of new life! We want salvation our way but the Father is the example. Jesus tells this parable for the church today. God says to us 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Praise be to God!
For the last two Saturday nights we have showed the video Samson and Delilah. It has been a challenge to preach on it at Mahula. The overriding theme of Judges is: Israel’s unfaithfulness, God’s punishment, Israel’s repentance and God’s subsequent Salvation through chosen and God empowered leaders (judges).
Samson is such a person delivering Israel from 40 years of oppression by the Philistines. He judged Israel for twenty years and is one of the heroes of the faith (Heb. 11:32). The Judges delivered God’s people from their enemies but it was by the power of the Holy Spirit; again and again we have the statement in Judges, “The Holy Spirit came upon him”. Samson however was a loner who seems to be more interested in women than rescuing his people. His parents were not aware that this interest in women came from the Lord. Further, the movie depicts him as a reluctant leader and savior, more interested in love than war. I think that was the case, he retaliated only when attacked and when he was wronged and treat unjustly. God used him however to put an end to Philistine domination of Israel.
What are the lessons for us today? First, God is in control! He chooses and prepares some very unlikely and flawed persons. Secondly, the Holy Spirit comes upon God’s chosen people in a special way. The work of the Spirit is mysterious and unpredictable, given at times when God deems it important. Third, Gods empowering is directly related to our faith.
The work of missions in Nigeria and every other country hangs in the balance. Commitment to missions in our churches (CRCNA) is faltering given the lack of support for the denominational mission effort. Now is not a time to doubt!
The questions are here before us. Are we in the U.S. as Israel was at this time (Philistines) being influenced and sometimes dominated by a secular, materialistic, and Godless culture? Are we more interested, as Samson was in selfish ambition and self-gratification? It God still able to use the church as he did Samson to free us from slavery? Yes! Yes! and Yes! God will use us, I have no doubt!
“God help us to discern what is needed to proclaim your Word and Salvation, and empower us with a powerful faith and with your Holy Spirit. So that we are set free to help others taste freedom in Christ! In His Name we pray! Amen”.
One of the more important things that we are doing with our time here is teaching some of the Evangelist’s wives and also three men the proper use of medicine. We have taught this before as a way for Evangelists and their wives to be off help to people in the remote villages where they worked. The course is designed to not only use the medications properly but that it becomes one more way to influence people for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We insist that every patient is prayed over and ask God for healing. People are healed! It is a powerful witness because God honors those prayers. The medication we use are the same others use; medicine manufactured and bought in Nigeria. The main problem as we see it is that medications are not used properly. A lot of it sold to make money with little regard to dosage. If people want to buy three ampicillin capsules they sell people what they want, whether it is an injection or a drip even when that is not needed. Our goal is to help people in the name of Jesus but also to train people in the use of medications with the right diagnosis and the proper dosage. It is a first response measure using basic medications for common tropical diseases but they have the means to take blood pressures look into kids ears and check for upper repertory infections. Anything beyond that people need to go to the hospital. So far the people trained are doing good work. We thank God!
Alie helped Gremar with the course when they were here.
It was hot and muggy at the beginning of April and it stayed that way through Easter Sunday. Normally, we have some rain at this time of the year, we had prayed for a little rain and relief of the heat that goes with it. It threatened rain for a couple of days but when the rain came it also brought the wind, typical this time of the year. However, this time there was a lot of wind; we could hear the pan (corrugated steel sheets) starting to come loose and saw pieces of it flying by the windows. Thankfully, there were only a couple of strong gusts but still half of the porch roof was gone. Twenty pieces of pan, facer board, five pearling, all gone in a second or two; we found two pieces of pan two hundred yards away. In all our years in Africa this is the first time part of the roof came off the house we stayed in. The experience showed us how helpless we are and it does not take much to completely unnerve you, I had visions of the whole thing coming off. That is what happened to four of the church houses in our classis, all or parts of roofs came off that same day. Thankfully no one was hurt.
We had a lot of rain that day and a little bit since. We hope and pray it is the beginning of a good farming year.
It has been threatening for a couple of daysThe down pour is always amazingThe storm left a good sized holePieces scattered over a large areaPutting it all back togetherWe salvaged about half of the materialDust everywhere!
At Mahula we have started to show a video on Saturday night and then preach on a relevant subject on Sunday. Last week and this week we showed Ben Hur taking a break from the regular biblical video. Near the end is a depiction of Jesus condemned, his march to the cross as well as the crucifixion. It fit well into Easter morning. As you can imagine we have many of the local kids come to the video who normally do not come to church but lately we invite them to Sunday school. This morning around 70 kids showed up. Gremar and Maryamu usually have a Bible story for all the kids then the little ones get to color and the older kids learn their ABC’s. We hope that at least they will be able read and write their own names. There used to be a primary school at Mahula but only a few parents allowed their kids to come to it. Not only are the kids needed to herd their cattle most people do not want to pay for education. That attitude is a real tragedy given the interest we have experienced in kids that show up. But for now, many will not be literate. We hope we stimulate the appetite of the children for not only education but for Christianity. After Sunday School we had the church service now only a shadow of what it used to be when we had a full time evangelist. Over all we have about 20 attendees none the less we decided to have a special collection for a local widow left with 7 kids under 12 and people gave a significant amount. We also decided that the people of the church would help her prepare her farm this year. The message was from Mathew 28: 1-10, 16-28 It is all about the women, The disciples are nowhere to be found. The women did not run away frightened with the earthquake, nor from the angel, the soldiers were like dead men, no, their faith kept them looking for Jesus and He found them! Jesus appears to them first and He sends them to tell His disciples. When the disciples do show up in Galilee “some doubted.” Here Jesus addresses men, women, and all of us. Because all power and authority in heaven and on earth is given to him he sends us. The implication is that no power can stop his Word from going out, no power is able to stop the church of Christ, history bears that out. Further, His power goes with us; we are equipped to carry out his command if only we are willing. Jesus, His power, and His love is with us “always, to the very end of the age”. Praise Jesus!
The kids at work in Sunday schoolThe local kids in the church at MahulaThe Bible story, Sunday School Mahula
Pastor Benjamin Likita had a Thursday night Communion service and an early morning Good Friday service. He asked me to preach at the Good Friday service. “Early, he said by 6 PM”. I really doubted the time but if we did not show up on time and they were ready at six, that would be bad. I should have known, I did know, but there was no way around it, we arrived on time but the service started at eight. As it turned out there was dancing till about 2AM the night before and no one was about to get up early including Pastor Ben. Dancing makes sense like Good Friday makes sense. There was nothing good about that Friday it was violent, unfair, unjust, repressive, and yet it was good for us who deserved the very things that happened to Jesus but are now free. That is what makes that Friday good and that is why we dance: We are free because we are forgiven! I spoke on seven different passages, each one a word from Jesus while on the cross. These words are humbling and convicting exposing our weaknesses, our inability to forgive like Jesus, our inability to think only of others, our inability to give assurance, and our inability to trust God completely. “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory”, yet those who believe “ are justified freely by His (God’s ) grace through the redemption that comes by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3: 23,24). Praise be to God our Savior!
We arrived at Mazeme about 9;30; it is about an hour and a half drive through mostly bush. We saw a few farms but not many people. The road is rough; 1st and 2nd gear mostly but it is preferred over the main road which is mostly broken up black top. We meet Pastor Ben Likita on the way pushing his motorcycle. He had left the meeting early that morning to bring a sick child for treatment at Gulbin Boka but had a flat on the way back. We loaded up the bike in the pickup and he joined us on our way. The service was in full swing when we arrived but I still had time to video some of the KYK groups (Youth for Christ) and the special numbers. The church building here is small, adequate for regular Sundays services but this day there were more people outside than in the building. Fortunately, there are several shade trees near the church because the sun is brutal this time of the year. However this year is the coolest we have experienced so far, it still climbs up to over a hundred degrees F. during the day but it cools off at night to good sleeping temperature; about 80 F, cool is relevant here. The service continued with the pastoral prayer which I was asked to do. Given the situation in the country I started by reading Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians chapter 1: 17-18. Nigeria needs God’s strength and protection; We need to know Him and to know the hope to which he has called the church. The pastor, Pastor Markus, a recent graduate from Venstra Seminary, read his passage; Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 and that he coupled with Acts 13:47. “Remember your creator in all that you do and remember you are the light to those around you.” The last thing before the closing blessing was the collection. They are always a lot of fun with music and dancing. In comparison our services in the CRCNA are subdued. We could learn from our Nigerian sisters and brothers. We praise God for His church the world over. Bill and Alie Hart spent 9 years here. The result of God’s work through them and the other missionaries here at the time is a vibrant church and a primary school in Mazeme built by Christian Schools International. Our trip home was uneventful except we did take Ayuba (Job) and his bicycle (a flat tire) and several other students and their children back to the Bible School. I got back in time to skype with our kids, all in all, it was a blessed Sunday. Praise be to God!
Evangelist Obadiah led the Service and seminarian Markus preached.
Heavenhigh 