Boys in Jos praying for you

From Erin:

Hello friends,
At the end of this month, our boys in Nigeria will be gathering to pray for you. They will spend time thanking the Lord for all of you.
They will also be interceding for you in specific ways. We need to know your prayer requests.
Please, even if you have not been in communication with me, email me a request so that I can send it on to Nigeria.
There will be over 140 boys, orphans and former street children, lifting up your requests to our Lord.
It will just take a moment for you to send on a request that God will hear from the lips of His children in Nigeria.
Please email your prayer requests before Sunday November 19th. Your response will help facilitate this time of intercession. The boys are learning how to pray and to be thankful for all the Lord has done for them.
It is all about Him.
Erin Rigsby

www.webmissions.net/erinrigsby

"I cannot change the world, but I can change the world for one person."
Mother Teresa

News from Jos

Pastor Steve at Lakepoint Baptist Church is on his way back from a quick visit to Jos, Nigeria to see the work that's been done by the "Crazy Texas team."
Here's a couple e-mails regarding his trip:

Pastor Steve and his team left today for USA. Their visit to us was rewarding and exciting. They were thrilled, excited, happy and helpful.
They visited all your projects in TH, Gidan Bege, Gyero, VVF plus our trip to the bush in Bauchi State. On our way back we stopped at Gumau where a Bauchi State Judge gave us land for a large Church in the small town. We prayed there holding hands and praising God. There Pastor Steve announced a $5000 donation for the project. Elder Ken gave $2500 for the one inside the village next to the you built.
At the dinner in my house yesterday, Pastor Steve further pledged $20000 towards our ministry. $5000 of this sum is to go for 2 village Churches, $3000 for grains for the street kids and the remaining $12000 for Gidan Bege compassion work.
At his meeting with Plateau Church elders, areas of cooperation in Church planting, youth minstry and leadership training were discussed and agreed upon. This is one visit that has achieved so much for us. We thank God for all of you and your prayers. You started it all and He will surely bless you abundantly.
Please share this information with Jerry White, Steve, Richard and the rest.
I do hope that Mama P has orderd my book from AMAZON on the internet.
Yours together in Christ
Dr Garba

This one's from Peter, the missionary we worked with:

Dear Bro;
Greetings from over here - I hope you are all super well!
I see Miriam said I am sick = I am fine!
It was awesome having them here! PTL Bro - it could not have gone any better! We had awesome times driving, talking about ministry, awesome times at all centers, awesome times over meals = it was sweet!!!!!!!!!!!
Also - pastor Steve was real encouraging. We don't have someone like that here - a pastor for the missionaries = we would love to get him back to do the SIM conference and also leadership training for Nigerian churches/leaders and he seems very open to do it. I will get to spend some time with him when we are home and I am looking forward to that.
In just few hours with the leaders of Plateau Church he had them thinking about new ideas and we were all pumped!
The others on the team were also great!
Also - they gave us some sweet cash for next year's ministry needs/projects! They gave us the following commitments:
$3,000 for formula for AIDS mothers & their infants = in cash.
$5,000 for church planting in Bauchi = in cash.
$5,000 for additional church planting or sponsoring indigenous missions or related anywhere = will be coming.
$12,000 for food/help for orphans & needy children = will be coming.
That is $25,000 big ones = PTL!!!!
He told us that will be all for 2007 directly from the church and that your
stuff is additional.
Also, Ken (one of your elders) gave us $500 for a church plant in cash and said he will send $2,000 more so we can build another church in Bauchi.
Pastor Steve told me to communicate with Rod on how all of this is spent and I will of course keep you in the loop.
Sweet baby! It is actually a miracle that Nigeria is being accepted as a partner. Additionally, Pastor Steve said they had put all new partnerships on hold this year, but he is breaking his own rules. He's allowed!
Tell everyone that God is answering our prayers big-time and that we are sooooooooooooooooooooooo grateful for everyone's hard work! With God's help, you all made this happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Him - your happy friend - Peter for all.

Authentic community

Thomas writes:

One of my fav teachers :: Erwin McManus :: is interviewed on relevantmagazine.com - check it out! Heres some quotes...

I have a huge sense of concern, because a lot of the postmodern conversation seems to be incredibly self-indulgent. It’s about: “how do I connect to God?”; “how do I create an authentic community for me and my Christian friends?” It seems that the questions are wrong. We keep asking, “How do we create postmodern churches?” rather than asking, “How do we serve and reach the postmodern world?”...//...I have so much confidence in the reality of Jesus that I feel no pressure to try to make people act or be a certain way. I’m banking everything on the fact that God actually changes people. For me, I don’t do what I do because I have to. As well, I don’t make my life choices because I worried about judgment or anything like that. For me, my whole motivation in life is love. And ironically, I know a lot of people think that to be irreligious means that they cuss a lot or drink a lot, and that’s where we are finding our freedom. But actually, what is happening is we’re finding safe ways to be risky. If you really want to be risky, do something that is genuinely valuable and risky at the same time. I don’t need to smoke a cigar to feel fully alive. I felt fully alive when I was in the middle of the Hezbollah.

Interesting thoughts. Comments? Questions? Problems with what McManus is saying? Do you feel the same about Christianity today?

Nigerian wrestler attacked

From the People's Daily Online:

Canadian Olympic wrestling champion Daniel Igali was attacked and robbed in his native Nigeria two weeks ago, Canadian press said in a report Wednesday.
Igali was confronted two weeks ago while watching television with his brother in his private residence in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, four days after arriving from Canada. Four armed men burst into the apartment, demanding valuables before striking Igali, the report cited Nigerian media as saying.
"I was stabbed at the back of my neck and beaten up with the butts of their guns," Igali told the "Daily Sunsport" of Lagos. "They collected everything from me -- phones, laptops and cash.''
"The Daily Champion", a Lagos-based newspaper, reported the stolen property was valued at 1.5 million naira (about 122,600 U.S.dollars).
Igali, who won gold in the 69-kilogram category at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, said he was traumatized by the robbery, and isn't sure he wants to remain in Nigeria.
"I thought I was doing a good thing, coming home and helping in community development," said Igali, who commissioned a modern sports academy in September his home town of Enewari. "I have spent so much time and resources trying to uplift the quality of life here.
"If this is how I want to be paid then I had better stay back in Canada," the Olympian was cited as saying.

Nigerian's minister of aviation sacked

After the plane accident at the Abuja airport last week, which killed 95 people, the Nigerian minister of aviation has been fired.
From the BBC:

Nigeria's aviation minister has been sacked following the plane crash on Sunday in which the spiritual leader of Nigeria's Muslims and 95 others died.
Babalola Borishade swaps jobs with Culture Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, according to the president's office.
The crash of an ADC Boeing 737 into a cornfield just 2km (1.2 miles) from Abuja's main airport was the third major airline disaster in a year.
Nigeria held three days of national mourning amid widespread anger.
Critics are sceptical that an aviation industry overhaul to improve safety announced by President Olusgeun Obasanjo several months ago will actually work.
An investigation into the cause of Sunday's crash is already under way and ADC's aircraft have been grounded.

First woman governor in Nigeria

Virginia Etiaba has been sworn in as Nigeria's first female governor after Anambra state legislature impeached Peter Obi for gross misconduct.
From the BBC:

She had been deputy governor in the south-eastern state and initially refused to take the position.
Mr Obi said he would not leave office and civil rights groups have criticised the whole process as unconstitutional.
A BBC correspondent says the battle could get more volatile if supporters of the two sides take to the streets.

Update from Erin Rigsby

Erin Rigsby is a 2000 graduate of UMHB and has spent the last two years in Nigeria working with the boys at Guerro, TH and Gidan Bega. She's currently on furlough in the US and I plan to post her updates as I get them.
Please keep her and the boys and missionaries in your prayers.

“The kids have such joy in their faces.”
“How is John doing, the boy with depression?”
“What do I do to become a missionary?”

These are a few of the things I have heard during the past three months.
-- After seeing my DVD about Nigeria , numerous people have been touched by the joy in the eyes of the boys in Nigeria . These kids have every reason to be angry and bitter, yet they choose to be free and to trust in the Lord.
-- Prayer warriors have been interceding for John, who I told you all about 5 months ago. John is OK. From what I have heard, he still battles depression, yet has not been suicidal. I have been so blessed to know that people really pray for the boys by name. Check out the attached November prayer calendar! (If you have trouble viewing it, click 'view' and 'print layout')
-- How thrilled I am when someone shows an interest in serving God’s people overseas! One goal of being back in the States is to plant seeds of interest into people’s hearts.

September was an incredible, abundant, God-filled month! He just LOVES those kids in Nigeria ! He wants hundreds of people to hear about them and I get to be the spokesperson! I spent three weeks in Chicago and was able to share with a Chinese youth group, the Moody Church congregation, ten Sunday school’s, house groups, Moody Graduate School, individuals, kids in inner – city Chicago –- it was SO much fun!

PLEASE NOTE: At the end of November I will wrap up formal speaking engagements, with the exception of being available to speaking in Sunday School classes. I love sharing and being an advocate for the kids, but I am also getting tired and need some rest. :) If you were planning on asking me to speak in December, please understand. I have some open days in November and you are welcome to contact me.

I still plan on returning to Nigeria in January.

Check out the pics from the past 6 weeks: www.webmissions.net/erinrigsby/photos.html


Your partner in ministry,

Erin Rigsby
www.webmissions.net/erinrigsby
"I cannot change the world, but I can change the world for one person."
Mother Teresa

US Warns: Attacks planned across Nigeria

From the AP

LAGOS, Nigeria — Militants in Nigeria are planning a major new wave of attacks and kidnappings in the next few days that could include up to 20 simultaneous bombings across the country's oil-rich delta region, U.S. diplomats warned Friday.
The warning came in an e-mailed statement sent to American citizens from the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria's main city, Lagos, and a U.S. diplomat confirmed plans for fresh attacks were believed to be under way.
"The U.S. Government has learned that as of late October 2006, a militant Niger Delta group may have finalized its plans for a unified attack against oil facilities in the Niger Delta region," the statement said. "The attacks allegedly will be carried out sometime during the first week of November and will include 10 to 20 simultaneous bombings of land-based targets and a series of separate attacks on oil installations in which expatriate workers will be taken hostage."
The statement gave no details on what specific oil installations might be targeted.
A diplomat at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press about the issue, confirmed the threat was being taken seriously but had no other details.

Re: Plane accident in Abuja

The BBC has a great story about the nine people who survived the plane crash Sunday in Abuja. Three of the nine were sisters.

Nigeria gets new Islamic leader

The Muslims in Nigeria have quickly replaced Sultan Mohammadu Maccido who was killed in a plane crash Sunday morning.
From the BBC:

Nigeria gets new Islamic leader
The new Sultan served as a peacekeeper in Sierra Leone
A new Sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70m Muslims, has been announced.
Colonel Muhammadu Sada Abubakar, 53, is the brother of Sultan Mohammadu Maccido, who was killed in a plane crash on Sunday, along with 95 others.
Col Abubakar had been serving as Nigeria's military attache to Pakistan.
Like all sultans, Col Abubakar is descended from Uthman Dan Fodio, who led a 19th Century jihad to spread Islam across northern Nigeria.

I find the last statement very interesting. Pray for Nigeria. Pray for peace between the Christians and Muslims and pray that God's love will be shown to all.

US and UK oil workers seized in Nigeria

From the BBC:

UK oil worker seized off Nigeria
Attacks on foreign workers are common in the oil-producing region
A Briton has been kidnapped from an oil ship off the Nigerian coast, company sources said.
The Foreign Office is investigating claims militants seized two expatriate oil workers - from the US and Britain - during an armed raid.
A spokesman for Petroleum Geo-Services, based in Norway, has confirmed two of its workers have been taken.
Another unnamed official said they were taken from the southern coast by gunmen, who sped away in boats.

Turning swords into ploughshares

I love this.
From the BBC:

In biblical times they said "turn your swords into ploughshares", now in northern Ethiopia a tradesman is bringing the saying into the 21st Century.
In his workshop in Mekele, just 120 km from Ethiopia's border with Eritrea, Azmeraw Zeleke is turning burnt-out shells into cylinders used in coffee machines.
Most of the shells are left over from the 1998-2000 war between the two countries.

Re: Third world water filtration

Here's more from the Red Cross:

The most recent UNICEF data show that only 26 per cent of Cambodia’s rural population has access to adequate drinking water compared to 55 per cent of the rural population living in the world’s least developed countries. The situation is particularly bad in four remote and impoverished north-eastern provinces - Kratie, Mondulkiri, Rotanakiri and Stung Teng - where the main sources of drinking water are springs, rivers, streams and rainwater.
Slightly more than one-fifth of children under the age of five living in these provinces have diarrhoea in a given two-week period, according to the 2000 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey. The same survey says more than 50 per cent of under-fives in the north-east have moderately or severely stunted growth, an indication of chronic, incapacitating malnutrition.
“The health status of the Cambodian children is grim. Almost one in 10 Cambodian children dies before his or her first birthday,” says Charles Lerman, regional health coordinator of the American Red Cross, which is supporting the CRC’s Community Hygiene and Water Purification (CHWP) project, along with the International Development Enterprises and the Freeman Foundation.
The locally produced ceramic water filter is part of the CHWP project, a one-year scheme that concludes in December that aims to reduce childhood illness and death from diarrhoeal disease by providing safe water containers and disseminating health and hygiene messages to communities.
The CRC is distributing one ceramic water filter to some 6,000 households in 53 villages.
The ceramic filter is a clay pot that holds approximately 10 litres, allowing a family to produce up to 30 litres a day. “It is cheap, portable, effective and can be used and maintained even by the poorest families,” Lerman says.
The CWF is impregnated with colloidal silver, which neutralises any pathogens not already captured by a clay matrix through which the water passes.

Third world water filtration

A short term missionary to Cambodia told me about a process this afternoon to filter water using a clay pot and a special lining.
They're using it all over Cambodia apparently to remove pathogins in the water.
I found some info on the web about the process, or a similar one.

A handful of clay, yesterday’s coffee grounds and some cow manure are the simple ingredients that could bring clean drinking water to developing countries around the globe.
An innovative new technology, developed by ANU materials scientist Mr Tony Flynn, allows water filters to be made from commonly available materials and fired on the ground using manure, without the need for a kiln. The filters have been shown to remove common pathogens including E-coli. Unlike other water filtering devices, they are simple and inexpensive to make.
“They are very simple to explain and demonstrate and can be made by anyone, anywhere. They don’t require any western technology. All you need is terracotta clay, a compliant cow and a match,” said Mr Flynn.
“Everyone has a right to clean water, these filters have the potential to enable anyone in the world to drink water safely.”

Click here to read the DIY instructions.
"Where you live should not determine whether you live or die."

Nigerians continue to fly

From the BBC:

Nigerians fly despite the risks
Nigeria's government plans to consolidate the airline industry
Years of neglect and lack of investment in basic infrastructure and weak regulatory control mean flying in Nigeria has long been risky.
Sunday's crash of an ADC Boeing 737 into a cornfield just 2km (1.2 miles) from Abuja's main airport was the third major airline disaster in a year.
The spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims, the sultan of Sokoto, two senators and the son of a former president were among the 96 who died.
Nigerians are grieving but angry too.
Just over a year ago, a passenger jet operated by Bellview went down near Lagos, killing 117 people.
Seven weeks later, a plane operated by the Nigerian airline Sosoliso crashed on landing in the southern city of Port Harcourt, killing 106 people, half of whom were children.

What would you do?

I know some of you have never been to Nigeria or Africa, some of you have been there multiple times and some of you may even live there now.
But for the sake of conversation, I pose this question to you: With unlimited resources, what would you do to fix the problems in Nigeria and the rest of Africa?
Post your comments below. And no idea is to ridiculous or unworthy. Think outside the box on this one.

China to rebuild Nigerian train system

While we were in Nigeria we came across a lot of abandoned railway. The Nigerians told us that the rails were built during British rule and they had been abandoned in the last 10 years or so. But now, according to the BBC, China will buid a new railway between Lagos and Kano. A second phase will connect Jos to the system.

China to build Nigerian railway
Nigeria's railways have fallen into disrepair
China is to build a railway line between Nigeria's two main commercial cities, Lagos and Kano.
An $8bn contract was signed by the deputy transport minister and the president of the Chinese firm (CCECC).
CCECC President Lin Rongxin said 50,000 Nigerians would work on the 1,315km line which he said was "a design, construct and maintain project".
Nigeria's leader said the five-year north-south line was the first phase in a 20-year modernisation programme.
President Olusegun Obasanjo, who watched the signing, said the second phase of the railway project would include a link between the southern oil city of Port Harcourt and the central city of Jos.
The existing railway along these routes has fallen into disrepair and new tracks are to be built under the deal with China.
China recently granted Nigeria a loan of $2.5bn and much of this is expected to be used in the railway project.
Earlier this year Nigeria repaid a multi-billion dollar debt it owed to the Paris Club, becoming the first African nation to settle with its official lenders.
Nigeria is one of the world's biggest oil exporters, but it is also one of the world's poorest countries, with the majority of the population living on less than $1 per day.

Nigerian airline licence suspended

After the airline accident of and ADC plane on Sunday in Abuja, the Nigerian goverment has suspended the airlines license.
From AND:

Nigeria suspends Airline’s Licence

By MARTIN KING

Nigeria (AND) Nigeria suspends the operational licence of the Aviation Development Company (ADC) airline whose plane crashed October 29.
Nigeria October 30 suspended the operational licence of the Aviation Development Company (ADC) airline whose plane crashed a day earlier killing almost all its passengers. In announcing the suspension in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Prof. Babalola Borishade said: “We cannot continue to do everything we are doing in the provision of infrastructure and the various regulations and some little persons on their own discretion continue to embarrass the country and send misery to the lives of people’s family.
It is unfortunate.” He said legislative backing was needed to enforce information from the control tower at airports to prevent pilots from disregarding vital information regarding taking off or landing as was the case in the 29 October crash. The ill-fated aircraft was on its way to Sokoto when the crash occurred. Ninety-nine people lost their lives in the crash.
They include Muhammadu Maccido, the Sultan of Sokoto and the President General of Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, his son, Badamasi Maccido (who is a Nigerian Senator), Sule Yari Gandi(another Nigerian Senator), the, Ahaji Garba Mohammed (Deputy Governor of Sokoto State,north-west Nigeria), among others. President Olusegun Obasanjo was expected to visit the crash site while the area has been cordoned off. Ten years ago, an ADC passenger plane also crashed into Majidun River near Ikorodu in Lagos, killing all the passengers on board.
A ban was similarly placed on the company after that mishap. Meanwhile, fresh facts indicate that the ADC Airline is the fourth registered user of the Boeing 737-200 jet that crashed October 29 in Abuja. The plane was first flown on 27 September, 1983. Manufactured with serial number 22891-LN: 988, the plane’s first owner was USAir. It flew it from 20 October, 1983. It was registered as N323 AU.
The plane wore the colours of the airline till 27 February, 1997, by which time its registration code had been changed to N279 AU. That year, ownership changed hands as US Airways acquired the plane. The latest owner used the plane till 1999 and sold it to Metrojet, another US Airline. ADC Airline bought the plane on 2 September, 2003 and registered the plane as BN-BFK. The plane ended its journey in the shrubs of Gwagwalada, a suburb of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city on 29 October, 2006.

Re: Villagers take oil

From the BBC (the real story):

Attack on Nigeria oil facilities
A group of protesters have invaded three Shell oil stations in the Niger Delta, forcing the facilities to be shut down, the company said.
The demonstrators are accusing the oil giant of failing to fulfil an agreement to provide them with aid.
Shell refused to say how much oil had been cut off following the attack.
Militant groups have stepped up attacks on oil facilities in the region in recent months, demanding more local control of oil wealth for residents.
Shell said members of the Kula community living near the company's Ekulama 1, Ekulama 2 and Belema oil pumping stations had invaded the facilities.
Chevron also shut down its platform in the same area as a precaution.
A Chevron spokesman in Nigeria, Femi Odumabo, said government officials in charge of the area were holding negotiations with the protesters to address their problems.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer but militants have been demanding a greater share of the oil wealth for locals in the Niger Delta.
On Saturday seven oil workers - including four Britons - were freed after being held hostage in Nigeria.
The men were captured on 3 October when gunmen raided a residential compound housing expatriate oil workers in the Niger Delta.

Re: Vote: The One Campaign

Re: Vote: The One Campaign

Behind-the-Scenes interviews with Don Cheadle, Pastor Rick Warren, Jack Oliver, Mike McCurry and Tom Brady - talking about poverty, AIDS and ONE.org.

Re: Vote - The One Campaign

Re: Vote - The One Campaign

Behind-the-Scenes interviews with George Clooney, Nick Clooney, Alfe Woodard and Toby Keith - talking about poverty, AIDS and ONE.org.

Re: Vote - The One Campaign

Re: Vote - The One Campaign

Behind-the-Scenes interviews with Matt Damon and Bishop Charles E. Blake - talking about poverty, AIDS and ONE.org.

Vote: The One Campaign

ONE.org's new TV Spot asks millions of American voters to help fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. Add your support at http://www.ONE.org

The PSA brings together Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, singer songwriter Toby Keith, Alfre Woodard, journalist Nick Clooney, faith leaders Pastor Rick Warren and Bishop Charles E. Blake, Democratic and Republican Strategists Mike McCurry and Jack Oliver and Shayne Moore, a stay-at-home Mom and ONE supporter from Wheaton, Illinois.

Villagers take over oil platforms

From Aaron/CNN:

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Angry villagers in Nigeria stormed and seized three Shell oil platforms Wednesday in the volatile Niger Delta, forcing oil production to be shut down at each one, a spokesman for the oil company said.
Royal Dutch Shell PLC officials declined to say how much oil had been cut off after the platforms were attacked but did say the attack was swift. “We totally underestimated them, they started using these wrestling moves on our employees. It all happened so fast.”
Villagers dancing in the streets were saying they recently learned these wrestling moves from an American outreach group that had recently visited them. “This goes out to my 7 foot friend Blundy!” Narjuah said as he did a piledriver on a Shell employee.
Shell said in statement that members of the Kula community living near Shell's Ekulama 1, Ekulama 2 and Belema oil pumping stations invaded the facilities Wednesday, accusing the oil giant of failing to meet the terms of an agreement to provide them aid.

Like we said - you never know what kind of impact you might have on someone. :-)

Hope you all enjoyed.

Scottish workers held in Nigeria freed

From the BBC:

Scottish oil workers held hostage for nearly three weeks in Nigeria have said they feared being "sacrificed".
Graeme Buchan, Paul Smith, George McLean and Sandy Cruden had been seized by armed militants.
Mr Buchan said he was even forced at gunpoint to tell his employers Mr Smith was dead.
Mr Buchan, speaking at Aberdeen Airport, said: "The gun at my head may have uncovered a talent for acting I did not know I had."
Mr Buchan, alongside Mr Cruden and Mr Smith, who work for Sparrows Offshore in Aberdeen, touched down in Aberdeen Airport on Monday morning.

Small premature baby (with pen)

Small premature baby (with pen)
Originally uploaded by MikeBlyth.

A photo I found on Flickr from ECWA Evangel Hospital in Jos, Nigeria. Look how small the baby is in comparison to the pen.

Nigerian desert growing

The BBC reports that do to drought in the sub-Saharan Africa, about 2,000 sq km in Nigeria is becoming desert each year. We didn't see a lot of drought while we were there. It was the end of the rainy season and we might have welcomed drought, especially while we were stuck in the mud so many times.

Over $380 billion missing in Nigeria

From the BBC:

More than $380bn has either been stolen or wasted by Nigerian governments since independence in 1960, the chief corruption fighter has said.
Nuhu Ribadu told the BBC that Nigeria has "nothing much" to show for the missing money.
He said the worst period for corruption was the 1980s and '90s, but currently two-thirds of governors are being investigated by Mr Ribadu's agency.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil exporter but most people are poor.
The country is regularly ranked as one of the most corrupt by graft watchdog transparency International.
President Olusegun Obasanjo declared a state of emergency in Ekiti State on Thursday after the governor was found guilty of siphoning state funds into personal bank accounts and receiving kickbacks.

Life in Africa

The BBC posed a question to those living in Africa, asking them to describe what they could not live without.

The results are fun.

Timothy in Jos, Nigeria

Timothy in Jos, Nigeria

Here's some footage I shot with Timothy from the Transition House in Jos

State of emergency declared in Nigeria

From the BBC:

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared a state of emergency in Ekiti State, following the impeachment of the local governor for corruption.
Mr Obasanjo said he was taking action because the governor's sacking had been unconstitutional, and to prevent Ekiti descending into chaos.
Both the chief justice and the attorney-general have said Ayo Fayose's sacking was illegal.
Political tension is rising in Nigeria, ahead of elections next year.
Mr Fayose has denied reports that he had fled the country, saying he was in hiding because he feared for his life but remained governor.

Soldiers deployed in Jos

From Allafrica:

Plateau State Security Council has approved deployment of soldiers and armed policemen to maintain peace and order in Jos metropolis and environs.
Commissioner of Information, Mr Yakubu Dati, told newsmen in Jos, that the deployment was to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
Dati said the state government was responsible and would not fold its arms and watch law abiding citizens suffer.
He said "the political situation in the state was tense due to some individuals bent on destabilising the state."

Tensions high in Plateau State

From Allafrica.com:

The speedy happening of unsavoury events in Plateau State calls for circumspection in view of its implication on constitutionalism, democracy and national stability. Plateau State is one of the volatile hot beds in the northern region that is susceptible to eruptions at the slightest provocations and this forms a salient reason why government must thread softly.
Attempts by six members of the State House of Assembly last week to convene in an attempt to forcefully impeach Governor Joshua Dariye was repelled by those averse to such move.Two persons were shot dead while the Deputy Senate-President Ibrahim Mantu's home was razed along with some cars. Anti riot policemen and soldiers from the 3rd Armoured Division of Nigerian Army, Rukuba, Jos have been on patrol to maintain the fragile peace in the state capital.
Peace has eluded the state as the parties involved are not ready for cease-fire.This is worsened by the reported withdrawal of security details to the state governor. EFCC have for sometime been after Governor Joshua Dariye because of allegations of graft levelled against him.The 14 lawmakers loyal to him have been EFCC's stumbling block in getting him impeached so that he can be prosecuted.

Nigerian governor in hiding

From the BBC:

The impeached governor of Nigeria's Ekiti state, Ayo Fayose, has spoken from hiding for the first time, saying he is still in power and has not fled.
Mr Fayose, who has not been seen since Saturday, was impeached for corruption along with his deputy on Monday. She is now challenging the move in court.
The governor told Nigerian TV by telephone that his sacking was a coup attempt and he feared for his life.
Several high-ranking Nigerian officials have condemned the impeachments...

...If the Ekiti State matter is not resolved, it could turn into a major crisis for the whole country, our correspondent says...

...Early last week, Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye was served with an impeachment notice in controversial circumstances that sparked riots in the central state.
Political tension is high in Nigeria ahead of elections due next April.

While we we were in Jos we were told that many of the electrical problems were due to the government trying to flush out someone - it may have been Dariye. According to a friend who's spent time in Nigeria there were riots the day after we left Jos and 40 people were killed. I still haven't seen a report on it yet.

News from other Nigerian team

I found a news article today on another group from Maryland who visited Jos recently. They worked with almost the exact same ministries we did.

JOS, Nigeria — “Bob, you are back. You said you’d come back. And here you are,” one of the Africans told him joyfully.
Recalling his experience, Robert Phelps couldn’t help but wipe the tears from his eyes.
The 60-year-old electronics engineer didn’t know what to expect on his third trip to Jos, Nigeria—each trip has been so different, he’d tell you—but he did know that seeing God at work “was amazing.”

I've been asked to write a magazine article for our paper's magazine and I'm having trouble putting everything into words, but I pray God will be glorified through it and the Nigerian story will be told.

Questions about sacked governor

From the BBC:

Several high-ranking Nigerian officials have condemned the impeachment of a state governor for corruption.
Nigeria's most senior judge Modibbo Belgore described the procedure adopted in removing Ayo Fayose as illegal.
Justice Minister Bayo Ojo says the government viewed the move as unconstitutional, however, he failed to say what the government intends to do.
Critics of President Olusegun Obasanjo say his anti-corruption drive is a cover for a political witch-hunt.

Thank you

Isaiah
Originally uploaded by Jdblundell.

To everyone who prayed and supported our trip to Jos, Nigeria -- Thank you! This is a picture of Isaiah, one of the boys I had a privileged to pray with to accept Christ after showing him the EvangeCube.
Thank you!

Caption this

Timothy glasses
Originally uploaded by Jdblundell.

From Jos, Nigeria. Caption this...

Overview of Nigeria's political corruption

From the BBC (a month old):

Nigeria is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Daily, low-level corruption is visible on the street; policeman extorting money from motorists to supplement their meagre wages.
But it is in the world of politics and government, where corruption has been most damaging.

Nigerian prisons

From the BBC:

The 'notorious' jails of Nigeria
Prisons in Nigeria are notorious, with many of the country's 40,000 inmates crammed into massively overcrowded, dilapidated cells in old prisons.
Many inmates have never been convicted of a crime
The most shocking statistic is that some two thirds of all the prisoners in Nigeria have not been convicted.
Many have to wait for years for the case to come to court.
Inside prisons, conditions are squalid and disease is rife; tuberculosis is common.
Human rights groups say inmates often fall ill, some die from a lack of adequate medical treatment.

We visited the Jos prison and didn't see the actual living conditions other than outside. The men we met with didn't seem to mind or complain about their living conditions although many said they were simply condemned and that usually meant they'd spend the rest of their life in prison. Another worker told us that the prisoners could be executed at anytime without any warning, usually by a firing squad or hanging.

Gov of Ekiti impeached

From the BBC:

Missing Nigeria governor sacked
Mr Fayose says President Obasanjo is behind his impeachment
The governor of Ekiti State in Nigeria, has been impeached after MPs found him and his deputy guilty of corruption.
Ayo Fayose's sacking has heightened tensions in the south-western state with riot police deployed in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti.
Mr Fayose is the third governor to be impeached since Nigeria returned to multiparty democracy in 1999.
He denies graft and is believed to have fled to another West African country to avoid possible arrest and trial.

Abuja to host independence celebration

From allafrica.com:

Tourism all over the world remains a very important tool in promoting and showcasing the best of culture, places, creativity and economy of a given city, town or country. A celebration of Nigeria's 46th Independence Anniversary and the 30th Anniversary of Abuja will take place in the FCT. Trust Entertainment has the scoop for you.
The event is set to uniquely place Abuja rightfully as a world class centre of tourist attraction. Expected to grace the events and to 'rock', live in Abuja, are President John Kuffor of Ghana as the Special Guest of Honour, who is expected to deliver a key note address on the "Place of Africa in Global Economy". Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, President Olusegun Obasanjo, two other African Presidents and other international dignitaries are also expected to attend.

EMS group shot

EMS group shot
Originally uploaded by Jdblundell.

Loads of more photos are going up at Flickr. Click the picture to see more.

Census results in Nigeria delayed

From andnetwork.com:

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is due to release the results of a census conducted in March 2006, but will probably postpone any announcements until after the 2007 general election.
Censuses are controversial in Nigeria because rival ethnic and religious groups have tried to use them to assert their numerical superiority and claim a larger share of oil revenues and political representation. Splits between Nigerian Muslims and Christians and among the country's 250-300 ethnic groups are so incendiary that census officials decided to not ask citizens this year about their religious affiliation or ethnicity.
It however, does ask people where they live, which can serve as a crude index of ethnic or religious affiliation because these groups are often highly geographically concentrated, with Muslim groups such as the Hausa and Fulani in the north, and Christian and animist groups such as the Yoruba in the southwest and Ibo/Igbo in the east.
According to the Population Reference Bureau, the March census was met with protests, boycotts, charges of fraud, and at least 15 deaths. Thousands of enumerators walked off the job because they hadn't been paid, and many people in large swaths of the country say they still haven't been counted.
The country hasn't conducted a census since 1991. Most estimates put the population anywhere between 120-million and 150-million.

Now with bottle cap included

A boy from Transition House in Jos, Nigeria opens two 7-Up bottles Nigerian style.

Owwww!

Rob and Blundell in Nigeria

Rob and Blundell in Nigeria
Originally uploaded by Jdblundell.

Starting to get some photos posted from Nigeria.
Here's one of Rob and I in our native shirts in front of Plateau Church in Jos, Nigeria.

Playing catchup

Well for the record, I'm back home in Texas.

It's so weird to think that less than 48 hours ago I was in Jos, Nigeria.

We arrived in Dallas yesterday at 2:30 p.m. and while jet lag doesn't seem to have kicked in to bad (yet) the world lag has.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the things I need to remember to do in the next couple days to get caught back up.

Today when I came to work I found out that only moments before a friend and co-worker was injured on our press here at the paper.

Pray for him. His hair was caught in the press and as I understand it, some of his hair and scalped were ripped off. Apparently the injuries were not life threatening but he was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Dallas.

I remember thinking moments before I left home this morning that it was odd to hear ambulances and firetrucks again, little did I know they were rushing to our office.

So it's back to the daily grind and trying to find meaning in it all.

It was funny that on the plane back I watched The Devil Wears Prada and Click. In both movies people are searching for meaning in the daily grind. Is success all that it's cracked up to be?

I think Solomon tells us otherwise, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

 

Remember your Creator 
in the days of your youth, 
before the days of trouble come 
and the years approach when you will say, 
"I find no pleasure in them"-

before the sun and the light 
and the moon and the stars grow dark, 
and the clouds return after the rain;

when the keepers of the house tremble, 
and the strong men stoop, 
when the grinders cease because they are few, 
and those looking through the windows grow dim;

when the doors to the street are closed 
and the sound of grinding fades; 
when men rise up at the sound of birds, 
but all their songs grow faint;

when men are afraid of heights 
and of dangers in the streets; 
when the almond tree blossoms 
and the grasshopper drags himself along 
and desire no longer is stirred. 
Then man goes to his eternal home 
and mourners go about the streets.

Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, 
or the golden bowl is broken; 
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, 
or the wheel broken at the well,

and the dust returns to the ground it came from, 
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher.

"Everything is meaningless!"

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

 

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter: 
Fear God and keep his commandments, 
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, 
including every hidden thing, 
whether it is good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13&14

 

Pray for peace and God's will in Nigeria. Pray that Christians will continue to be bold and affect those around us.

And pray for our group. Pray that we will continue to be bold about our faith in Texas as we were in Nigeria.

God bless and thank you again for all your support.

Just an FYI: I plan to post pictures as soon as I can sit down and sort through them and I plan to keep this blog active with information regarding our trip next year as well.

Winding down

We're on our last full day here in Jos, Nigeria.
We did a lot of shopping this morning (some more than others). The rest of us did a lot of window shopping as the shop keepers did there best to sell the Paturies (sp?) their wares.
We're eating our last meal at the Click Net and we'll have a time to say our good byes to the boys at TH and Gidan Bega this afternoon. The two boys I prayed with last week to receive Christ have been begging me for an EvangeCube that I showed them the Gospel message with.
I told them they had to promise me to show it to at least 10 people if I give it to them. So I'll bring them to Luke and Isaiah today before we head back home.
Yesterday we did shopping in the morning and then went to a church at the Motorpark.
The Motorpark is basically a large field where people bring their cars and wait for riders to take trips across the country.
You can probably find a ride to any part of the country if you're willing to wait for enough other riders to make it profitable for the car owner and driver.
The church at the Motorpark meets in a large building with wooden benches and dirt floors. Their numbers are few, but they've doubled in size since last year.
The church was a large size years ago before fighting broke out between the Muslims and Christians. The church dispersed after that but everyday a group of women would continue to meet in the afternoon and pray for God to work.
Now their numbers have at least trippled and they are excited and on fire for God.

As for Blind Town...
The chief is blind himself and he welcomed us to the area but our Nigerian friends were worried for our safety after seeing some anti-American resentment by some.
Very few whites have visited the area and we were looking forward to seeing it - some of us for the first time.
Members of the group have been there before and some did medical mission work there while I was at Bad Boys last week.
So our stay there was very short, but in both Blind Town and the Motorpark we couldn't keep enough tracts with us.
People see you handing out anything and they want a piece of it.
Pray that God will speak to their hearts and their eyes will be opened by a simple tract.
Pray that the church in the Motorpark will continue to flurish.
Pray that the Muslims in Blind Town will see that Allah can not heal them and give them peace like our God can.
Pray for the Muslim men that our team continues to meet and pray with.
Pray that they will no longer be blinded or live in fear of their Muslim friends. May they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and be bold about their faith.
We fly back to America in less than 48 hours and I look forward to seeing many of you once we are back.
Pray for our safety as we travel.
God bless you all!

Winding down

It's Sunday night here and getting near kick off time for those of you in Cowboy land.
We only have three more full days here.
Tomorrow some of us will go to Guerro to say final goodbyes while others will do some shopping and tourism in Jos.
We'll go to Blind Town tomorrow afternoon and see the blind and lepers that live there.
We were told today that lepracy is no longer contagious after a week or so of getting the disease.
It's also currable and the only way to spread it is to sneeze in someone's face directly.
It's amazing to think that it's so rare to get and is curable yet an entire village of lepers live here in Jos.
Tuesday we'll do more shopping and sight seeing and say our last goodbyes to the boys at TH and Gidan Bega.
That will be tough. In just the few times we've seen them I've become close to several of them.
Pray that God will continue to teach and strengthen the boys.
There are many needs but praise God many are being met as well.
Enjoy the Cowboys v Philadelphia game today.
Pray for safety and boldness as we finish our final days here in Jos. Pray for safety as we fly home later this week as well.
God bless.

An adventure in the mud

We returned from the bush this afternoon around 3 p.m.
Well, three of us did.
The other three returned an hour and a half earlier.
Six of us left yesterday morning to head to the bush, while the rest stayed behind and rested and then did a special fair day for missionary families today in another surrounding community.
We left for the bush around 9 a.m. Friday morning and it was a ride.
The recent raining season and added rain in the last day or so added for some sure fire fun in the mud as we had to Toyota vans/buses following an Isuzu Trooper.
Each vehicle was stuck at least once in the mud as we plowed on to Golo in Gombe state.
I made the mistake of helping get the Isuzu Trooper unstuck only to turn around and start to walk off and then get covered from head to toe with mud as the Trooper sprayed mud everywhere on my back.
Luckily I had a spare shirt with me, but too bad I changed right after that, because less than an hour later, my second shirt was sprayed with mud.
We arrived at Golo and visited a church plant where less than a year ago there was no church and now 60-70 people meet there every week.
We dropped off a group of boys from TH who were there to do outreach while the rest of us continued on to Bilery in Bauchi State.
On the way out of the Golo area, our van was stuck again in the mud and someone (won't mention names) had the idea to push the van out with the 4 wheel drive Trooper.
Not a bad idea if the 4 wheel drive had worked right. Instead we ended up with both vehicles stuck less than 10 feet from each other.
It was amazing to think that we were in the middle of nowhere and suddenly 10 to 15 natives came from somewhere and helped us push the vehicles to dryer land.
We litterally picked the van up and placed straw and wood under one of the tires to get traction.
Finally we were on our way again to Bilery.
The first vehicle, with three of our team members sped on, but our van had other ideas.
Halfway there we were forced to stop and change the fuel filter.
Less than a mile down the road that wasn't working and we changed it again.
Finally a short treck later, we stopped again and put the original fuel filter on and were able to get on down the road.
We arrived to Bilery shortly after dark and enjoyed dinner with the natives and another team of guys from TH.
The van bringing the equipment to show the Jesus Film broke down somwhere along the way and we were unable to show the movie, but it gave us time to fellowship and play with the children in the village.
They were all easily entertained, as many Nigerian children are, with our hoots hollars and "snaps" or cameras.
I made "the mistake" of hooting at them at one point and they were my captive audience for the next hour.
We finally headed to bed in a local house and some of us crashed in the van.
We awoke at 6 a.m. so we could hit the road by 7 a.m.
One thing about Nigeria is there is no real concept of time.
An hour can mean three hours and 7 a.m. can mean 8 a.m. as it did this morning.
We finally left our sleeping place and stopped by another church/school plant where Nigerian doctors were giving medical help to the natives and boys from TH were doing counseling.
It was great to see ministry in a very practical way.
We finally headed on our way and after replacing a flat tire, we were on the road again.
As on the trip to Bilery, the Trooper plowed on ahead as we had to stop again for fuel filter problems.
Finally our driver decided to bypass the fuel filter and rigged an empty pen in place of the fuel filter.
That got us to about 6 km outside Jos, where a large hill finished us off.
We were stuck and no vehicles were available to pick us up.
While we waited for a mechanic, our driver litterly sucked the fuel and filth out of the carborator and got us running again.
We arrived back at our hostel a short time later.
Since then it's been a restful evening.
Church is early tomorrow and starts at 8 a.m. I'm scheduled to give my testimony before Rob speaks.
Pray that God will give me the words the people of Nigeria need to hear.
Pray that God will speak through Rob, Willey and I as we share God's love and word.
Thank Him for His healing power and grace and mercy.
Pray for continued boldness with the people of Nigeria as we wrap up our final days here.
We fly out of Abuja on Wednesday night and will arrive in Dallas on Thursday afternoon. Pray for safety and that God will build a wall of fire around us to keep us from harm.
God bless you all. May His word continue to go forth to all the nations.
Love you all and can't wait to see you all in person.
Thanks for your emails and encouragements!

Amazing few days

It's been an amazing few days and it's been very rushed with little time to stop and think about it all.
I can't even remember the last post I posted... let me check... Ok. wow Tuesday. I hope I have time to write about everything.
Wednesday was a great day in heaven.
We visited Gidan Bega, where the street children first get involved in City Ministries. They go there first to see to learn about Jesus and His salvation He gives to all. They also spend time there to learn some discipline and training before they move on to the other boys homes at Transition House and Guerro.
While we were there Wednesday morning I felt led to ask one of the boys if he knew for certain he was going to heaven. He said he wasn't.
Using the Evangecube, I was privaledged to pray with Isaiah and Luke to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
After visiting Gidan Bega, we went to the "Click Net" for lunch and then visited the marketplace.
Oh the market place was something. Little shops and stands crammed in alleyways and streets for as far as the eye could see.
Fabric stores, shoes, electronics and more lined the walkways.
We even made it deep enough into the market place to see some of the meat market.
That was an experience. Fish, beef, chicken, goat and more just sitting out in the open air collecting flies as butchers chopped meat for customers. The digestive systems of the native people here is unreal when you look at the at the food they eat and the conditions in which they are prepared in.
I met two Muslim men in the market and stopped to ask them about Jesus. As most Muslim men will tell you, they believe Jesus was a good man and a prophet. They believe they are going to heaven, but only by their good works.
Oh how their eyes are blind.
I explained the Gospel and how God could not be a just God if He judged us only by our works.
They told me they believed me, but they couldn't believe me.
There is such fear in the hearts of the Muslims. So much peer pressure and denial of who Christ really is.
A Muslim man on the street told me he wouldn't accept my tract unless I paid him 10,000 naira. Other people are so hungry for the truth they will grab any tract or Bible you give them.
Many people we have met lead us to believe they are closet Christians. They pray and accept Jesus as their Savior, but the fear of their friends and the Muslim men leads them to say and do otherwise in the public.
Pray for the men and boys of Nigeria. Pray that they will accept Jesus as their Savior and not just a prophet. Pray that they will be bold and share their faith even when they face death from those around them.
At Gidan Bega there are several other ministries including one for widos women, which teaches them a trade of sewing so they can care for themselves and their children. Many of them will be killed if they return to their villages after they accept Jesus as their Savior.
After the market place we visited Bad Boys where it was as everyone described it as but you still have to see it to believe it.
People were selling and eating dog meat, people were drinking an alcoholic beverage they called "hootch" out of large jugs and common pots that were brewed over fires. The drink looked a lot like soapy water with flies gathering around it.
They share their cups and bowls that they drink the drink from.
We went into the "bars" and shared the Gospel. I went with a native boy named Enoch who translated for me.
Four men along the street accepted Jesus as their Savior.
Then we entered a bar and I preached a short message before praying for those there. The entire bar sat and listened as I explained that Jesus was the Way the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father but by Him.
Many in the bar told me they knew Jesus and accepted His salvation, but wanted to live their own lives.
They asked me to pray for them and then one woman asked if they should put down their beer and cigarettes before I prayed.
I laughed and said if you feel convicted to do so, do so, but I am no one to judge and God continues to love you as you are.
The Holy Spirit will convict their hearts.
In another bar a man told me he knew he was doing wrong, but wanted counseling and didn't trust going to his pastor because he was afraid of bing judged and used as a sermon illustration.
Later I was surrounded by men who begged me for Bibles. There is a hunger for Bibles here. Some will likely sell them for food, but God willing, more will hold and treasure the Bibles as God's Word.
Today Rob and I met with Peter and discussed our desire to bring the CWF to Nigeria. He believes he can get the majority of our ring built here in Nigeria and we can bring things like the canvas and ropes.
We believe we can hold a show at the Jos stadium (which we toured later and holds nearly 20,000), the Jos Prison, a church and Hillcrest School (a private school for missionary kids).
There may be other venues that present itself between now and then as well.
Lord willing we will bring our show to Nigeria next September.
Rob and I feel March may be too fast of a turn around to get logistics handled and the ring built.
After touring the stadium Rob and I joined several others at the prison where we handed out Bibles to those who accepted Jesus during our Monday meeting. I was afraid a fight or riot might break out when more gathered than had given their names on Monday.
We passed out between 80 and 100 Bibles and there were easily 40 or 50 more men gathered that wanted a Bible and claimed their name was on the list.
Pray that God will deliver Bibles to His people. Pray that people around the world will see the need and donate funds and Bibles to the people of Nigeria.
After lunch we took the senior boys from TH swimming and had a blast. Not something they get to do very often.
Well, time is running out. Time to head out.
Pray for health. Many people on the team have gotten sick today, including myself.
We are supposed to go to the bush tomorrow but if half our team is sick that may change everything.
I feel like God is either using the illness to keep us here for a greater work or Satan is using it to keep us from doing God's work in the bush.
EIther way, the Lord will remain victorious.
What Satan plans for evil God will use of His glory!
Praise God. Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Pray for Nigeria and pray for the salvation of Africa.

One week down

It's Tuesday night at 8:22 p.m. Nigeria time.

It's been a full week since we left Dallas and tomorrow we will have been in Nigeria for a full week.

It's been a great time so far.

This morning we visited the Evangel Hospital and minister to some of the men and women who are being treated there. There are many women there who were taken in as very young women as wives of Nigerian men and then thrown out after a short time.

Many have had or are preparing to have surgeries to heal damage done by their husbands.

Before the women leave the hospital they have a graduation ceremony that teaches them various aspects in preparation for their new lives.

We also visited Gyero this afternoon and held a birthday party for the boys there.

They had a blast just like the boys at TH did.

And of course we were all blessed and touched by the boys while we were there.

Somehow or another a group of them decided to gang up on Rob and I and we "fought back" as they cornered us by one of the buildings.

I will definitely miss the kids when it's time to go. The boys like Sampson and Timothy all stole my heart.

Tomorrow we are planning to go to Blind Town and/or "Bad Boys" tomorrow. I haven't decided which outreach I will go on. Blind Town is an area full of lepers and blind men and women and bad boys is an area they've described as full of drunks and drug abusers.

I really want to see both and minister in both, but I'll have to decide between one or the other.

The weather here remains hot being so close to the equator, but it's nothing compared to a Texas summer. In the shade you often feel a cool breeze that makes the heat disappear.

We have found three or four locations we hope to use for CWF shows some time next year.

Everyone here loves wrestling and Rob has gotten challenges from everyone who say they want to wrestle him. They all expect to have a shot when we bring our ring and show over here.

I'm looking forward to another full week before we head back to Texas, but I miss all my friends and family and look forward to seeing each of you soon.I'm looking forward to another full week before we head back to Texas, but I miss all my friends and family and look forward to seeing each of you soon.

God bless and may the peace of God be with you.

Monday afternoon

It's 2:22 p.m. on Monday afternoon. We just finished lunch at the "Click Net" and we'll be leaving soon to TH again to have a birthday party for all the boys. Since most of them have grown up on the street, most of them have no idea when their birthday is. So we're holding a birthday party for them all.

We visited the prison this morning and joined in a church service.

Let me tell you, they had church.

Drums, music, dancing and testimonies.

Many people in the prison are there for multiple years with no chance for parole, but they are much more behaved then prisoners I've met in America.

I would estimate that 50-60 people came forward to accept Christ after Jerry Minx preached.

Those who were already believers appeared strong in their faith and all enjoyed discussing it with us after the service.

We attended two church services yesterday.

Both at the Plateau Church, a church Lakepoint Church in Rockwall is partnering with.

I was looking forward to an exciting service with music and dancing like we had seen at the orphanages, but it was very traditional with an organ, hymns and very non-charasmatic.

But God still works and six or seven people came to know Christ yesterday.

Well, we're about to head out again.

Thank you all for your emails and prayers.

Pray that I can shake this annoying "annual cough of death" that I think I've taken on.

My girlfriend Laurie is also dealing with a sinus infection back in Texas. Please pray for her healing as well.

Thanks for everything.

Praise God! Hallelujah!

Phone service

Also, many have asked about the phone service here.

It's not going as I had planned.

Most places don't have land lines and cell phones tend to be the common way to use phones.

You can buy cell phone cards on almost any street corner, but the cards only work with Nigerian cell phone networks and their SIM cards don't like my phone.

So I'm trusting Cingular won't charge me out the wazoo for the several calls I have been able to make.

So the blog and e-mail will probably remain my only real source of communciation with everyone.

Sorry if you were expecting a return phone call.

BTW

BTW, Rob wanted to let everyone know, he hasn't had any more Charlie Horses since the first night in Abuja.

Saturday in Nigeria

It's Saturday afternoon in Jos, Nigeria. It's around 2:52 Nigeria time and we're eating lunch at the "ClickNet" which offers some great Lebanese food. It's funny that since we've arrived on Wednesday we've had Lebanese and Mexican food. So far the food has been pretty good. We've only eaten at the missionaries home or our Baptist hostel, which has offered typical American cassarole, eggs, etc.

I hear the hostel is much better than the places the team has stayed in the past.

It's been loads of fun so far.

Today we visited the EMS school for children of native missionaries.

It's basically a boarding school for children whose parents are serving as missionaries in the bush and have no access to schools for their children.

We played soccer (er uh sorry - football) with the boys for an hour and you could tell who the "patooa" (sp?) were. They were running circles around the Americans.

The children here are so loving and accepting and love any attention.

They sing with all their heart. I have some great video clips of them singing that I hope to upload as soon as we're back to the states.

I think all the Internet cafe's here are only on dial-up, so uploading pictures or video is pretty much out of the question, especially with the limited time we have at each stop.

Yesterday we visited the children at Gyero, another orphanage for children who lived on the street.

It was further away from the city and the country side was beautiful. I wish we could have spent a day rock climbing, hiking and just exploring God's handiwork.

The children again were so wonderful.

Sampson, a young boy living in the compound, said shortly after we arrived that he wanted to be my friend. Later he said he wanted me to be his best friend.

We'll be headed back to TH this afternoon when we leave here and we'll enjoy a few hours with the children their again.

Speaking of Gyerro and TH, it's amazing how much of the American culture these children know, living 1000 miles away.

Mention wrestling to anyone and they all want to know about Triple H, Undertaker and others.

Rob was even nicknamed the Undertaker by some and Roger was nicknamed Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Also, most interesting food seen on the trip thus far - fried fish. We're not talking Captain D's or Long John Silvers. We're talking a whole fish, with it's tail stuck in its mouth and fried up. Not boned, scaled or anything. They sell it on the street, three fish for 300 nara. Apparently the people like it. Willey bought a dish of it for one of the many children we've seen crippled with Polio on the streets. They just scoot themselves along begging for food and money.

 

Miracles:

- We continue to have traveling mercies between the hostel, missionary homes and orphanages. We're amazed at how drivers in the city just duck in and out of traffic and continue on their way.

- Health. We've only had two people feel any real sickness on the trip. Leslie had to stay home this morning with a bit of an upset stomach, but after medicine and a nap she was able to join us back at the "ClickNet." But through her getting sick, several of us stayed behind in the city while she was taken back to the hostel and Jerry and Bob were able to lead several people on the street to Christ. It's amazing that God can use a stomach bug to bring people into the Kingdom.

 

Thank you all for your e-mails and comments. I'm sorry I don't have time to respond to them all. Please keep sending them to jdblundell (at) gmail (dot) com, they are greatly appreciated.

 

Before I end, here's a quick fact about Nigeria: Over half of the population of Nigeria live in cities. In a society that has long survived on farming as a way of life, these urban masses are presented with problems that have never existed before. If you facter in the fact that it is estimated that by 2008 there will be as many as 12.5 million orphans due to the AIDS pandemic you have problems that can devestate any city.

 

God bless you all and thank you for your prayers and thoughts.

First full day in Nigeria

It's Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:28 p.m. (Nigeria Time).
We're visiting an Internet cafe near the hostel we're staying at for the next two weeks in Jos, Nigeria.
It's been an amazing 24 hours since we touched down around 8 p.m. in Abuja.
I will say, our hostel here in Jos is much nicer than the one in Abuja. Rob and I were missing a toilet seat in our luxuary suite and the power went out for several minutes about an hour before we went to bed. But I understand that's sometimes the norm across the country.
The missionaries here in Jos said they just went eight days without any electricity. I'm sure my dad would love to see the wiring they do around here. Wires are criss-crossed like crazy and many of the electrical poles still use glass insulators on them.
My first impression of Nigeria was how friendly everyone has been. When I think of customs agents and army officers I don't typically expect them to be as friendly as they are here.
Numerous folks went to work when we showed up in Abuja with three of our checked boxes missing.
And I was amazed at how many people asked us for Bibles. They seemingly knew right away what we were here for and we gave three Bibles away just in the airport. Numerous others asked for them, but we had no more to give. A customs agent named Rachel wanted me to promise that I would bring one for her on our return.
After enjoying our luxuary suite in Abuja, including the 4 a.m. prayers by the Muslims over their public address system and Rob's late night charlie horse, we took off on the three hour drive to Jos this morning around 8 a.m.
The traffic was unbelievable. The standard mode of transportation for taxi drivers is a motorcycle and they owned the road with hundreds zipping up and down the roads.
We made one or two stops along the road and children just flooded the sides of our bus as they saw Americans who might buy their fruits, nuts, eggs and other goods.
They all loved having their picture taken, as long as we could show it to them afterwards.
We arrived in Jos at the missionary's compound and ate lunch before heading to the hostel to unpack.
We quickly head to the TH were we met 70 plus boys that the missionaries are working with. Most of them lived on the street before coming to the transitional home.
I was immediately grabbed by Arnold, a young boy who wouldn't let go of my hand the entire time we were there.
He led me around every inch of the compound.
My times up I'll try and write more later.
God bless.

First full day in Nigeria

It's Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:28 p.m. (Nigeria Time).
We're visiting an Internet cafe near the hostel we're staying at for the next two weeks in Jos, Nigeria.
It's been an amazing 24 hours since we touched down around 8 p.m. in Abuja.
I will say, our hostel here in Jos is much nicer than the one in Abuja. Rob and I were missing a toilet seat in our luxuary suite and the power went out for several minutes about an hour before we went to bed. But I understand that's sometimes the norm across the country.
The missionaries here in Jos said they just went eight days without any electricity. I'm sure my dad would love to see the wiring they do around here. Wires are criss-crossed like crazy and many of the electrical poles still use glass insulators on them.
My first impression of Nigeria was how friendly everyone has been. When I think of customs agents and army officers I don't typically expect them to be as friendly as they are here.
Numerous folks went to work when we showed up in Abuja with three of our checked boxes missing.
And I was amazed at how many people asked us for Bibles. They seemingly knew right away what we were here for and we gave three Bibles away just in the airport. Numerous others asked for them, but we had no more to give. A customs agent named Rachel wanted me to promise that I would bring one for her on our return.
After enjoying our luxuary suite in Abuja, including the 4 a.m. prayers by the Muslims over their public address system and Rob's late night charlie horse, we took off on the three hour drive to Jos this morning around 8 a.m.
The traffic was unbelievable. The standard mode of transportation for taxi drivers is a motorcycle and they owned the road with hundreds zipping up and down the roads.
We made one or two stops along the road and children just flooded the sides of our bus as they saw Americans who might buy their fruits, nuts, eggs and other goods.
They all loved having their picture taken, as long as we could show it to them afterwards.
We arrived in Jos at the missionary's compound and ate lunch before heading to the hostel to unpack.
We quickly head to the TH were we met 70 plus boys that the missionaries are working with. Most of them lived on the street before coming to the transitional home.
I was immediately grabbed by Arnold, a young boy who wouldn't let go of my hand the entire time we were there.
He led me around every inch of the compound.
My times up I'll try and write more later.
God bless.

First full day in Nigeria

It's Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:28 p.m. (Nigeria Time).
We're visiting an Internet cafe near the hostel we're staying at for the next two weeks in Jos, Nigeria.
It's been an amazing 24 hours since we touched down around 8 p.m. in Abuja.
I will say, our hostel here in Jos is much nicer than the one in Abuja. Rob and I were missing a toilet seat in our luxuary suite and the power went out for several minutes about an hour before we went to bed. But I understand that's sometimes the norm across the country.
The missionaries here in Jos said they just went eight days without any electricity. I'm sure my dad would love to see the wiring they do around here. Wires are criss-crossed like crazy and many of the electrical poles still use glass insulators on them.
My first impression of Nigeria was how friendly everyone has been. When I think of customs agents and army officers I don't typically expect them to be as friendly as they are here.
Numerous folks went to work when we showed up in Abuja with three of our checked boxes missing.
And I was amazed at how many people asked us for Bibles. They seemingly knew right away what we were here for and we gave three Bibles away just in the airport. Numerous others asked for them, but we had no more to give. A customs agent named Rachel wanted me to promise that I would bring one for her on our return.
After enjoying our luxuary suite in Abuja, including the 4 a.m. prayers by the Muslims over their public address system and Rob's late night charlie horse, we took off on the three hour drive to Jos this morning around 8 a.m.
The traffic was unbelievable. The standard mode of transportation for taxi drivers is a motorcycle and they owned the road with hundreds zipping up and down the roads.
We made one or two stops along the road and children just flooded the sides of our bus as they saw Americans who might buy their fruits, nuts, eggs and other goods.
They all loved having their picture taken, as long as we could show it to them afterwards.
We arrived in Jos at the missionary's compound and ate lunch before heading to the hostel to unpack.
We quickly head to the TH were we met 70 plus boys that the missionaries are working with. Most of them lived on the street before coming to the transitional home.
I was immediately grabbed by Arnold, a young boy who wouldn't let go of my hand the entire time we were there.
He led me around every inch of the compound.
My times up I'll try and write more later.
God bless.

Monday morning errands

It's Monday morning, around 11 a.m. and my list is full of things to do today.
We fly out of D/FW airport tomorrow afternoon on our trip to Nigeria, so the clock is ticking away.
We arrived back in Rockwall yesterday morning around 11 a.m. after a long 13 hour drive. We were very pleased with our time, as we had predicted it would take at least 14 hours to make the trip from Iowa to Dallas.
It was an amazing trip overall. We saw 15 decisions made by folks in Branson, Missouri, seven or eight more the first night in Ottumwa, Iowa and another 15 or 16 the second and final night.
The Bible tells is that the angels rejoice when one sinner comes home. They were throwing some parties this weekend and it was an amazing blessing to be a part of it.
As I finish packing an running errands today, I'm reminded of a challenge a very close friend and supporter gave me last night, "Find at least one miracle a day and let us know about it."
So I'm going to do my best to meet that challenge.
Here are a few miracles I believe I've seen since leaving for Branson Wednesday night.
1. We arrived safely. It may not be that big of a deal, but when you consider how many accidents there are each day across the country and consider we're towing a two-ton wrestling ring behind a 15 passenger van and you consider all the distractions that could take place when you throw a bunch of testosterone in a small confined place, I think it's a widely unreported miracle that we arrived to each of our destinations. We also had a tire fall apart somewhere in the middle of Oklahoma, early Sunday morning, but God protected us and we were able to pull off the road and change it with no incident.
2. We managed to get our visas for Nigeria. I received an e-mail while I was in Iowa, passing along information that our visas had been secured. They group we're going with has had trouble securing visas every year since they started going, and I believe God had his hand in this one as well. We had a little help from a chance friend who was introduced to us by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. When he found out we were still waiting our visas he made a call and got the ball rolling. It's amazing to think about how God is so sovereign and puts in our places for "such a time as this."

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' - Acts 17:24-28

3. I woke up almost 98% sore free this morning. When I consider I've been sore for nearly a week and a half, and consider the horrible positions I fell asleep in on our trip, its nice to wake up pain free. My only real soreness now is in my legs from playing catcher last Wednesday night and that's about worked itself out. Sure I had some help from my chiropractor Tim Lehmann, but God uses people to do His work. So I'm counting it as miracle number three.
Well I could probably keep typing, but then I'd get behind on my to-do list. So I better get back to work.
Thanks for your prayers and interest.
I'll post again soon, but it may be after we arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday.

CWF responses

We filmed some thoughts and responses from folks who saw our shows over the weekend. Check out what they had to say.

Albert with the Champ

Albert with the Champ
Originally uploaded by Jdblundell.

Albert took a picture with the Champ after the CWF show in Ottumwa, Iowa

Chillin

Chillin
Originally uploaded by Jdblundell.

Ryan Heart, The Bishop, Jesus Freak and Saul hang out after Friday night's show in Iowa.
I've posted some photos on my Flickr account. Click the photo to scroll through the pics.

First night in Iowa

We're in Iowa tonight hanging out at the Liquid Lounge in downtown Ottumwa. We just finished our show for the youth hangout at a neighboring church.
I think 70-80 people showed up and we had seven or eight decisions tonight.
The show was amazing and after they figured out what was going on, the audience stayed hot most of the night.
Phil's on injured reserve with a doctor's note after last night's injury. Chris said Phil's a big pansie but he's still got a beauty of a shiner and the doctor taped up his eye instead of stiches.
I'll try and get a photo posted by Monday, if not before.
We have another show planned here tomorrow night and then we'll be heading back to Dallas before Rob and I fly to Nigeria on Tuesday.
And the band just started rocking out here. Missed the name, but the owners said they're a local act.

Prayer requests:
Continued safety for the wrestlers and all involved in our shows. Continued fast healing for Phil. Quick healing of bumps and bruises and just general soreness that comes from wrestling and long rides in a van. Safety in travel from Iowa to Texas on Saturday night and Sunday.

God bless - He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Busted eye and 15 decisions

We're in Branson, Mo tonight. We left Rockwall, Texas Wednesday night at about 2 a.m. and made it to Branson by 10 or so this morning.
We set up our wrestling ring, ate some lunch and then headed to the hotel for a few hours of naping.
Our show started at 6:30 p.m. tonight and nearly 250 kids showed up.
It was a great atmosphere and everybody did a great job.
We did have a somewhat minor injury tonight.
When taking a move, Phil "The Bishop" Barron was thumbed in the eye and got a nice shiner as well as a 3/4 inch gash below his eye.
He powdered out of the ring pretty quickly, but carried on shortly there after.
He finished the match and then came back to give the Gospel presentation at the end, bag of ice, bloody towel and all.
God really spoke through him and he was able to use his accident to tell everyone that despite his sacrifice, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was so much greater - even unto death.
15 people made a response of some kind, including eight people who accepted Christ for the very first time.
Well, we're back at the hotel tonight and plan to hit the road by 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.
We'll be in Iowa for another show tomorrow night.

How you can pray:
Praise God for souls that He touched tonight. Pray that they will get plugged into the church and grow closer to God. Also pray for Phil as he's still waiting at the local hospital for stiches. And pray for safe travel tomorrow.

Less than 24 hours to go

In less than 24 hours, I'll begin an "around the world" trip that includes Branson, Missouri, Iowa and Jos, Nigeria.
The Christian Wrestling Federation will put on three shows between now and Saturday night and then drive back to Dallas, before "Jesus Freak" Rob Vaughn and I join a group of 13 others from Lakepoint Church in Rockwall as we head to Jos, Nigeria for 2 weeks.
I plan to keep you updated as much as possible here, including pictures whenever I can.

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and minister to those around us.
God bless and enjoy.