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!