Jos,  01/19/ 2012

Over the weekend the Nigerian Government reinstated half of the former gas subsidy, and as a result the national strike and protests have been called off. Things are almost back to normal. We thank God! We now have permission to travel and will do so in a few days, still finishing up on last minute details. Jos, situated on a 4800 foot elevated plateau, is a beautiful place. Yet, everyone was complaining because the temperature actually dropped down to 47 degrees F. a couple of days ago. That sounds good to you I’m sure but for those of us who have lived in Africa and are now living here will never again adjust to the temps you are experiencing now.  Andy and Linda Horlings, one of our long term missionaries,  have a wonderful garden and we want to share some of it with you. Like streams in the desert, in the midst of conflict God is faithful and refreshes us.

The Sermon on the Mount reminds us again and again that God is in control of our lives Matt. 6: 25-34. Further, we are commanded to be proactive as an alternative to worry verse 33 “But seek you first his kingdom and his righteousness”…. The kingdom for Matthew is the reign of God through Jesus in our hearts. The kingdom is in our hearts and God’s righteousness, Jesus,  is in our hearts. It’s the Gospel: repentance, turning away from sin and turning to the righteousness of God (a  Jesus like life) as we see it in the Sermon on the Mount. When we turn to God and away from the world all the things God knows we need are given to us (v.33b). “Therefore, (pointing back to verse 33) do not worry about tomorrow”.

Case and Gremar Van Wyk

cgvanwyk5@gmail.com

www.heavenhigh.org

June 2011

Plant Churches at home (USA) and around the world.

As we reflect on the four months we have just completed in Niger State with Classis Niger of the *CRCN we are aware of God’s amazing grace and blessings. We appreciate the Bible School staff and also the students, it was a blessing to be part of the Bible School community.  Sometimes we forget the amount of encouragement *CRWM’s involvement gives to the staff and the students at the School. The Lansers are very much appreciated at the school   This is also true for the pastors, and the evangelists. Jeremiah Jongo said to me that since we have offered *TLT courses to his evangelists they have been encouraged in their work in Niger State to the point that they have recommitted to the work there.

Just to be there, working, giving advice, teaching, providing transportation and becoming part of the community is an encouragement we underestimate.

On that note, how is it that *“Water Wins” is able to dig a well relatively quickly but cannot get an evangelist to that same village as was pointed out by one of the village elders. We must reconsider our priorities as a mission in Niger State!  We need to get back to planting churches and helping Classis Niger to do that. Providing a teacher for the Bible School is just the beginning, we also need a missionary church planter to encourage the evangelists and pastors.  Twenty years of working in Taraba State has taught us that the evangelists and pastors are completely dedicated to the spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we to be less dedicated? I think not! The Good News demands we go back to the basics of planting churches and move past the maintaining of our  comfortable fellowships that look like the  church but is not.

We cannot say enough good things about our missionaries in Jos! They did everything possible to make our stay easy and fruitful, we thank them. We would like to return in 2012 the Lord willing. We would like to return for four months to teach: “How to Prevent Violence in the Family” and “God’s Plan for Sustainable Development” to the pastors and evangelists and their wives as continuing education.   Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It is a blessing for us and for the people in Niger State. Praise God!

Submitted  by Rev. Case and Gremar Van Wyk

*The Christian Reformed Church

* Christian Reformed World Missions

* Timothy Leadership Training Institute

*Water Wins is a non-profit Organization drilling wells in Nigeria, Africa

Case and Gremar Van Wyk

cgvanwyk5@gmail.com

www.heavenhigh.org

The “Good News” and presenting the “Good News” is about relationships. “For you know that we dealt with you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live a life worthy of God who calls you into his kingdom and glory..” I Thess. 2:11,12

June 2011,

Dear Everyone,

As we reflect on our four month stay with the people of Niger State, Nigeria we thank God for you. We thank you for praying for us and supporting us; this trip would not have been possible without your love. We had the privilege of encouraging the 25 families attending the Warari Bible School, the teachers, the pastors, evangelists and their wives working in churches and preaching centers. We encouraged them with medical help and training, with the TLTI * “Stewardship” and “Biblical Preaching” courses and for the male students a Sermon Delivery class. This time the pastors, evangelists and their wives came to us at the Warari Bible School one day a week from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM for the continuing education courses.  The rest of the four days we spent teaching the students at the school.

It was an amazing four months filled with building relationships, much work, hot weather, treating sick children some with complications of measles who did not recover, treating adults, teaching, and basic medical training; it all adds up to four months of God’s amazing grace and blessings to them and to us. We trust you had the opportunity to experience this trip with us at heavenhigh.org.

Classis Niger is the only place where CRWM is participating along with the *CRCN in grass roots evangelism in Nigeria. There is great potential for a vibrant church; three tribes comprising of about 500,000 people are now beginning to turn to Christ and there are great challenges. Areas of need are spiritual and church development, theological training, stewardship and educational opportunities.

Thank you again, we are counting on you for next year (2012) when we hope to develop the primary school for the Bible School student’s children, and teach “Gods Plan for Sustainable Development” and “Preventing Violence in the Family” as continuing education for pastors, evangelists and their wives.

Continue to pray for the people of Niger State and the emerging church.  God is Good!

Rev. Case and Gremar Van Wyk

*www.timothyleadershiptraining.org

*Christian Reformed Church in Nigeria

Sometimes we want to go back and start over but it seems that is not possible. We are not the same people at the end of something than we were at the beginning. Certainly the people of Niger State; their response to our sojourn among them, their acceptance and love, their optimism and their faith in difficult times have taught us that and so much more. No! spend time here and you are changed. Now it is time to say goodbye and start again at Heaven High, Newaygo MI. Much was started. The rains started, many of my Lacuern tree seeds started and were planted. We were able to start and finish two TLT Manuals; Stewardship, and Biblical Preaching in the Hausa language. I received my first sting from a scorpion. After her training Pauline started a first response clinic at the Water Wins staff compound. Gremar was able to start and finish her medical training sessions with the three pastor’s wives and the school’s first response team. I was able to start and finish up one of my classes at Warari Bible School and hand over two more. As missionaries we start again and again and it never gets easier. It was particularly hard this time because we had to let go of Daniel, the ten year old son of Ayuba, one of the Bible School students. Our only consolation is that he succumbed to his illness while praying to Jesus. He has started his new life. God wanted to confirm that for his parents and for all of us, praise the Lord! Starting again can be painful. We leave much behind and start again with the knowledge that Jesus goes with us and as the Spirit prepares the way we go forward in confidence!

The storms are violent at the beginning of the rainy season.

The Pastors and Evangelists

The whole TLT group, we are thankful to God, they came faithfully for four months.

Paulina opening up the first response station.

Everyone is happy.

Hard at work the first day.

The whole compound was there for the dedication prayer.

You do not want to get stung by one of these guys. The pain got steadily more intense and when it reached under my arms I decided to take shock treatment. How?  Start up the car, pull off a spark plug wire and start shocking at the spot of the bite (little finger) and go up the arm. At the time I thought to myself the treatment may be worse than the sting! An hour later I knew the shocking worked because it started to subside and gone completely in the morning, normally people are affected for three days.

The school hosted a send off party, we all had an opportunity to thank God for his blessings.

God is good, we have been blessed and are privileged to be able to contribute a little to the development of the CRCN Niger State. Thank you for supporting us, praying for us, and send us back next year.

Matt. 28: 1-10; 16-20. It was early Sunday morning, the women were on their way to the tomb. The men, Jesus’ disciples were hiding they had run off, only John hung around, prominent as his family was he was able to take in Jesus’ mother. “Who will role away the stone?” the women asked one another as they hurried along. They must have felt the earth-quake, judging from the account it seems to have happened as they arrived at the tomb. At the sight of the angel the soldiers posted to guard Jesus’ tomb fell down as if they were dead men, the women had nothing to fear from them.  The women trembled at the sight the angel, yet they went into the tomb at his suggestion, pretty gutty ladies. They came to the place of the dead and to their surprise they found life. Jesus has risen and appears to them as he does to us!  Often we look for Jesus in the wrong places, looking everywhere but where he is found, in God’s Word, and in our hearts, because we have shut him out of our everyday lives.  Are we willing to turn to the Word again and again, are we willing to see him in others, those who worship with us?  The Disciples should have known that the tomb could not hold their Lord and Savior as we should know that now He is always with us.

Matthew, writing to the Jews and concentrating on the prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament leaves out all the other appearances of Jesus to his disciples except for this one to the women and moves directly to the Great Commission. Mathew begins with Abraham in his genealogy of Christ, the appearing of the star, and the visit of the Magi. All the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham, Gen. 12:3. “Abraham believed the Lord and He  credited to him as righteousness” Gen. 15:5-6.   Saved by faith we are John 3:16-18. Matthew’s beginning with Abraham comes full circle at the end of the book  in the Great Commission.   God’s plan, from the call of Abraham to the risen Christ was to redeem the world through Jesus, the Son of Abraham.  Matthew moves quickly to the Great Commission at the end  because  that was Abraham’s call as it is our call today, to be a light to the nations. Isa 51:3-5; 60:1-3. The light begins with you! The light begins at home! Turn the light on!

Opening song of the Easter Service.

The drummers only accompany some of the songs.

Today we had special music in English.

And a song in the Tiv language.

I was asked to preach.

Pastor Ben closed the service.

CHRIST IS RISEN! PRAISE BE TO GOD!

The Sunday before Easter we visited Mazheme where Pastor James and his wife Tabitha have recently moved. They were at Kamfani but the church wanted them to move to what is more the center of the congregation made up of six different preaching centers.  Mazheme does not have good phone reception so we could not call ahead  and as a result we missed Pastor James who was doing a Communion Service at one of the preaching centers.  Bill and Ali Hart, one of our former missionary families lived and worked  at Mazheme . We found a vibrant church and we joined them for worship.

They gave me the opportunity to bring greetings from the Bible School and from North America. They were exited to hear a little about Bill and Ali.

Offering time.

The church has many youth, that is significant since many Christian young men are denied spouses by the traditional community.

The outside of the church building, take note of the solar system, still running the sound equipment after 15 years.

The only thing left of the mission residence is this garage and the foundations of the grass roofed round houses. What was left behind spiritually is much more significant and much more important. Praise the Lord!

God’s purposes were served, it is time for the church to move on.

The church has built the pastor an adequate house.

As with all houses in this area the pastors house is also given privacy by this corn stalk fence.

Some of the local kids.

These kids benefit from the church and the school.

The primary school is the other major contribution the mission and the missionaries have given this community. We thank you, they thank you, and together we thank God!