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”.

THE STORM

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.

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!

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; 1^st and 2^nd 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!

Along with Pastor Jolly and Elizabeth, Gremar and I were asked to participate in a Christian Marriage Seminar for the students and their wives at the Warari Bible School.  Many of these couple were married by a traditional religious ceremony. Under that system marriages are not as permanent as what we understand as Christian marriages.  Traditionally extended families have much to say about a couple’s relationship. The wife leaves her husband if told to do so. A husband may send his wife away for several reasons, particularly if there are no children or if only daughters are born. In many ways traditional marriage is much like marriage in the  Old Testament including multiple wives. When couples turn to Christianity there is a radical change in relationships with family and with each other. The image of God in mankind dictates that men and women are of equal value because God created man in his image, male and female he created them (Gen. 1:27).

Secondly, God ordains marriage as an exclusive monogamous  relationship. Extended family is excluded and man cleaves to his wife as she cleaves to her husband. They become one flesh: in body, in mind, in action, and in each other’s existence. (Gen 2: 23). Paul quotes this very text  in Ephesians 5: 21-33. Our TLT classes struggled with this very passage coming to grips with how to be good husbands and good wives as a way to prevent violence in the family. To be submissive to each other is to be submissive to Jesus. We keep our wives and husbands pure and our families pure by keeping ourselves pure.  This  is a profound mystery as Paul says in ( v. 32) the commitment that Christ the groom has for his bride the church is the example and the basis for the commitment a man and a woman have for each other in every aspect of their relationship.

Thirdly, we can’t talk about marriage without including ( I Cor. 7:1-7) this passage raised a lot of questions. The answer is that each couple need to sort out their intimate relationship. Men need to be gentle and patience with their wives, always telling them how much he loves her and tell her that she is beautiful.  One more important item to know is that sex starts in the kitchen or wherever the husband is willing to help his wife domestically.

Jolly spent a lot of time on comparing traditional African marriages with Christian marriages.

Gremar  spoke on the importance of leading the children by example and caring for them as Christ cares for us in as far as families are able.  Give the kids adequate food (which is not always the case even if food is available) and provide adequate medical care (often girl children are given less care) and adequate education for both boys and girls.

Over all it was a great day for all of us highlighted by the Christian wedding ceremonies the next day, Sunday. The whole thing was an amazing experience.

There is constant treat over our heads Christians in Nigeria are subject to attack any time and any place. I am sure you have seen the news. Several churches have been car bombed.  Attacks random and unpredictable.  We pray for the Christians in Jos, indeed for all people in that city, where the latest bombings have taken place. One thing is sure our God reigns, his reign is just, predicable, righteous, and merciful. We look to Him for our protection and for guidance. The church has from her beginning been persecuted and in Nigeria persecution continues. We are caught in the middle. Yet, missionaries are Christian as well so certainly persecution will come our way.  It is a time to trust God, and it is time to continue our work as long as we are able, our God reigns! Praise be to God!

We have had our share of computer problems so we have not been able to get much published on the web page.  Thanks to Mat Lancer we now have an adequate computer. We are teaching three different TLT coarses this year.  For the first time Gremar is teaching the Warari  Bible School student’s  wives the same courses I am teaching the Men’s class.  We have two 45 minute periods for Work and Worship and one period for Preventing Violence in the Family. These three periods, daily chapel, and a half hour break take up most of our Wednesday. It has been a challenge to teach in Hausa and the extra challenge  for Gremar is that wives do not read or write as well as their husbands.  This is the last year of four years for this group and they all have come a long way. This week ten Bible School couples, some married in traditional religion ceremony had church marriages. It was a great experience; couples married for twenty years, renewed their vows, gave each other rings and dedicated themselves to Christian marriages. Wow! It was amazing!  Next year the school will have an English track and a Hausa track for the next four years. The importance of this school in terms of developing indigenous leader can’t be over stated.  The church is growing faster than evangelist can be trained with the result that most evangelists now working  cover several areas. We praise God for their work and for the work of the pastors sent by the Christian Reformed Church in Taraba State.

We are also doing continuing education using TLT material for pastors, evangelist and their wives. This year those elders leading churches are also included. Attendance varies depending on the availability of transportation but up to 27 men and 17 wives come to Mahula once a week. We are teaching preventing Violence in the Family and How to Teach the Christian Faith. This activity takes up most of our Thursdays. The response is very positive; they are encouraged and rededicated but no value can be placed on the fellowship and interaction over the length of this day. We are blessed and thankful for the results, we praise God.

We are nicely settled into the Mahula house. We did have a lot of work getting it ready because four people came from the States to work with Water Wins, the non profit organization digging wells. They are World Partners people who work for Inotec and support the water project and help with paying wages for four of the evangelists I work with as well. They are rebuilding the old digging rig and will be here for two weeks. Bill and Alie Hart plus three also have arrived. Bill is supervising the Classroom/Chapel building project and Alie is also a nurse/midwife. We are happy to have them around. Their children, Brenton, Aaron, and Tye will be returning to the States next Sunday. Bill and Alie will be here for most of Feb. To get the house ready we had to remove the eight owls who took up residence in the attic and blocked their way back in. We repaired four screens and the screen door to keep the mice and lizards from free access. I added some panels to the solar system to assure adequate power for this busy time and we cleaned the house water tanks. In March more people will be here for Water Wins. It is busy but it is good to have people from different backgrounds around, we are enjoying their company.

We started teaching at the Bible School, both Gremar and I have three 45 min. periods on Wednesdays. On Thursdays we hold the TLT Continuing Education course for the pastors and evangelists and their wives. We had a good turn out for the first session, twelve men and nine wives. We plan to hold the course on Teaching the Christian Faith and the course How to Prevent Violence in the Family for the next 12 weeks. Continue to pray for us we are off to a good start and are thankful to God. We include some pictures of our activities. The one thing we miss is information from home. If you have the opportunity e-mail us if you can. Thank for your support and prayers.