September 5, 2013

I went to the bank today to do some transfers – went in driving rain – was about the only vehicle on the road apart from a few bicycle taxis with their brightly-colored, extended umbrellas sheltering driver and passenger alike.   Rainfall is heavy in this part of the Niger Delta – especially in Eket and Oron – towns so near the ocean.  The roads were flowing rivers of water today, which is especially hazardous in Eket, given the number and depth of the potholes and ditches along the way.  Those of you who’ve been here know what I’m talking about!

Anyway, as I sloshed through the deep water on the way to the bank, windshield wipers going crazy, pedestrians racing for cover, I realized I’d never told you what God did for me a few weeks ago, when the California team came to build the church at Esuk Ekong!  The rain reminded me!

In Nigeria, much emphasis is put on the testimony hour at church.  But the testimonies are of recent events in one’s life where God has shown Himself faithful.  And as someone moves forward to testify, they sing a chorus along the way.    

So, my chorus now, “I am a living testimony, praise the Lord, of what God has done-o, praise the Lord!”

First, the rain.  Here’s the thing.  We are in rainy season.  And as I said, it really, really rains here during rainy season…night and day downpours.  (Kind of like Seattle, only worse!)

Well, I had prayed and prayed that during the team’s ten-day visit, God would hold back the rain.  And He did!  During the ten days our visitors were here it rained one or two nights, completely stopping before 6 am., and at the work site, there were only two afternoons of very light sprinkles, lasting about 20 minutes each! 

The day before the team came it was raining so heavily that the roads were rivers.  And the day after they left, the heavy rain resumed its work.  And it’s been raining every day since then! 

That’s miracle number one.

Then there was that fateful day - that Thursday I will never forget.  The next day, Friday, I was to fly to Lagos to meet the team.  I’d scheduled Thursday to go to the bank, withdraw the money needed to buy groceries for the ten days, pay for my flight to Lagos to meet the team, pay for our hotel rooms there, taxis and flights back to Eket. 

I drove up to the bank.  This is Ecobank, by the way, a multinational institution well-known throughout the world.  Heavy gates and metal protectors fronting the building, normally open and welcoming at that hour, were chained shut!  I sat in the car, stunned, gaping at those gates!  Not believing my eyes! The security guard standing nearby waved at me, shook his head and mouthed, “Bank is closed today.  State holiday.  Closed tomorrow too.” 

This couldn’t be happening, I thought to myself.  No way.  I have NO money to buy groceries, fly to Lagos, feed us there, house us then get us back to Eket!  I punched in the phone number of my friend Mr. Ologun, the Ecobank manager with whom I work, someone who always answers at first ring and who has helped me enormously during my years here.  The phone rang and rang; no one answered.  I called his other line.  No response.  What was I going to do?  I rang both numbers two or three times again.  Finally Mr. Ologun called me back, but said there was nothing he could do.  The bank was tightly locked up ‘till Monday and he was on his way to Uyo to spend the long weekend with his family.

Realizing I was in BIG trouble, I just started praying that God would somehow make a way, where there seemed to be no way.  After some time of just sitting in the car, thinking and praying, I decided to go to the grocery store, ‘Testimony Plaza’,  and plead with the Igbo woman there, ‘Ma’, to extend credit ‘till Monday.  After all, I had shopped at her store for many years – a faithful customer!  Then I’d call the Blue Nest Hotel in Lagos and my taxi driver there, Mr. Nna Nna, and ask them the same favor.  That’s what I would do.

I drove to Testimony.  ‘Ma’ wasn’t there, but her minions were, (she has them sooo brow- beaten!  They jump at her every word and do NOTHING without her permission!)  Chukwu, John, Esther and Grace basically run the store for ‘Ma’ while she presides over her little kingdom perched on a high stool, clutching her vast leather purse!   I told these long-suffering staffers my problem and asked if I could get credit.  They said no way, that I’d have to wait for ‘Ma’, who was ‘coming’.  (In Nigeria, that means she could come in an hour, later that day, tomorrow or next year!) 

I asked if I could at least fill the cart.  I had a long list of groceries, after all, and it would be good if by the time ‘Ma’ showed up, that part of the work was done.  Chukwu and John finally agreed, so I filled the cart.

“Now, let’s make a list of my purchases and package them up, so when ‘Ma’ comes we’ll be ready to do business!”  (I knew I was really pushing it, but thought if all was in readiness ‘Ma’ would have no choice but to give me the credit I sought!) 

Chukwu sat down at the table and started to write the list while John packed the groceries into the cartons. 

Suddenly, in walked ‘Ma’.   Five faces turned towards her, expectantly, hopefully….

But when I told her the situation and asked her to extend credit until Monday, ‘Ma’ literally blew a gasket! 

“We NEVER do this!” she screamed!  “Chukwu, John, you know we don’t extend credit!  Have we ever done this before?  NO!  What are you thinking, making that list and packing the items?  Get those things back on the shelves NOW!”  Chukwu and John froze, not moving to empty the cartons.  Just waiting. 

I explained again, told the whole story of the visitors coming, of Ecobank being closed, of my return on Monday to pay her.  She would have nothing of it.

I just stood my ground, knowing that sometimes the Holy Spirit can work and minds can be changed.  Just stood there silently, along with Chukwu and John - Esther and Grace cowering in the background.  ‘Ma’ ranted and raved, paced the floor, shouted down the minions when they tried to defend my request.

Then ‘Ma’ said, relenting slightly, “Okay, if you’ll pay for half of the bill, I’ll give you credit for the rest ‘till Monday.”  Half of the bill would come to N25,000 or $160. 

“That’s my problem,” I answered.  “I don’t have half!  I don’t even have ten kobo, (cents,) to give you!”  And continued to stand there silently.

Then Chukwu, who was standing over to the side gave me a look, kind of jerked his head towards the door and went out.  So after a few seconds I followed him outside. 

There, Chukwu pulled out of his pocket a wad of bills, exactly N25,000, and pushed them into my hand.  “Take this,” he said in a low voice, “and pay for the groceries.  You can pay me back whenever you are able.  But don’t let ‘Ma’ know I gave it to you!  She’ll kill me for certain!” 

I was so surprised and touched by this kindness, so unexpected, so desperately needed, from this boy who hardly even knew me that tears sprang into my eyes.  I hardly knew what to say!

“Go and tell her you’ll go out and borrow the money – the N25,000 she demands!” Chukwu whispered.   “But please don’t let her know I gave it to you; she’ll sack me for sure!”

I went in and told ‘Ma’ I was heading out to find the money, and to please hold the groceries for me.  I then drove around Eket for a bit, praising God, went back to Testimony, paid ‘Ma’ and loaded the supplies into the car.  I thanked ‘Ma’ and said goodbye to the minions, promising to come back Monday with the rest of the money.  I wanted to hug Chukwu, but knew that would give the game away, so just smiled at him, hoping he knew how I felt!

So, one down…but could I expect the hotel in Lagos and the taxi driver, not to mention Network Travel, to extend me any credit?

I had just passed Ecobank, (still tightly locked up, I was sorry to see….could it not have just been a dream?) when my cell phone rang!  I looked at caller id.  It was Mr. Ologun!  My banker!  I swerved to the side of the road sending a wave of water over a poor passing cyclist, and answered the phone.

“You can come to the bank,” Mr. Ologun said without any preliminaries.  “Tell the guard to let you in.”

My heart beating joyously, I did a quick U-turn, nearly running into a van loaded with dried fish from Oron, and drove back to the bank.  The guard gave me a weird look, like, “Didn’t I tell you we were closed?” 

“Mr Ologun told me to come,” I explained, and calling Mr. Ologun, I handed the guard the phone.   Ologun told him to have me wait in the guard house, then just a few moments later, Ologun came walking out of a side door of the bank,  motioning me to follow him back inside.

It was very dark inside the bank, with only one dim security light by the door.  It was quiet; our footsteps echoed as we walked through the empty room.  Then I saw Mrs. Chibuzor Nmesirioye, another manager, standing motionless next to a table upon which were stacked five piles of N100,000 bills!  N500,000 – a little over $3,000! 

“Will this take care of your needs ‘till Monday?” Ologun smiled. 

This time, I was completely speechless.  That Mr. Ologun and Mrs. Chibuzor had taken their time to come in to the bank just for me, (Mr. Ologun had turned around and driven back to Eket to arrange it,) open the bank and the vault just for me….it was unheard of.  This never happens.  What wonderful people, and what amazing love they showed to do this thing for me.  I couldn’t thank them enough.

“I know women never hug men in Nigeria,” I told Mr. Ologun, “but just this once, could I please, please hug you guys?”  Mr.  Ologun and Mrs. Chibuzor shyly submitted to my request, then quickly bundled the money into my bag and me back outside the bank premises before any alarms or higher authorities could catch us! 

And so I drove home through the rain, filled to the brim with gratitude and appreciation for these people who had come to my aid when I needed it most, praising God for the way they had loved and blessed me.  And the way God had blessed me.  Because that kind of love can only spring from hearts linked to God’s heart, after all. 

These people were loving God and loving people, even as Jesus had commanded.  And that’s all we need in this world, to make everything alright.  Oh how I pray that I may show love to others, as it has been shown to me. 

So, I packed away the groceries, flew to Lagos, met the team, flew back….had food to feed them….!  

Of course, first thing on Monday I drove back to Testimony Plaza to pay ‘Ma’.  I was kind of glad she wasn’t around!  “If you wait awhile, she’ll be coming….” Grace told me.  “Nah….that’s okay!” I said! 

“No, I’ll just pay you the balance I owe.  Be sure you tell her when she comes!”  Of course I had the signed receipt, of which she also had a copy, so all was well.

And Chukwu was there, stocking shelves.  I went over to him and with a full heart, gave him back the N25,000 he had lent me.  I shook his hand and thanked him again, telling him what a blessing he was to me.  He smiled and waved off my thanks.

This, my friends, is my testimony.  I thank God for the way He is caring for me, through these wonderful Nigerian friends.  God continues to show me His protection, love and grace, and a multitude of blessings….most of which come in human form….in all shapes, sizes and colors! 

My chorus, as I ‘walk back to my pew’ goes like this: “Who has the final say?  Jehovah has the final say!  Who has the final say?  Jehovah has the final say.  He turned my life around, He turned my life around.  He made a way where there is no way!  Jehovah has the final say!” 

 

PLANNED ROTATIONAL GRAZING IS INTRODUCED IN KOGI STATE!

Work is in progress on the fifty hectares acquired for the planned, rotational grazing project, aka PRGP, designed to teach Fulani herdsman the system of successfully rearing their cows on one piece of well-maintained grassland rather than along expressways, in abandoned bush and temptingly close to developed farmland! 

The fifty hectares has been properly surveyed by state-certified surveyor, beacon stones are in place, and the documentation and survey plans will soon be available. 

A qualified and experienced borehole driller with his team has done the geophysical work and identified the best location for a high-yield well.  This particular well will service cattle needs, (concrete drinking troughs in a well-fenced area,) surrounding crop fields and a future visitor’s and training center.  A second well will be drilled at the far boundary of the land. 

My happiness is, ‘school’ on this site has already begun!  Several Fulani herdsmen led by Alhaji Bature Musa are being walked through the process of locating an appropriate grazing site, working with surveyors, identifying land boundaries, dividing and fencing paddocks.  They will observe as the boreholes are placed and fencing is arranged around the water point, to protect our precious grass.  They will learn that it’s possible to settle in one place with their cows and thereby lead a peaceful and cooperative existence with their neighbors and their cows.  What they learn here, they will begin to pass on to others.  School has begun at this planned grazing site!   

The work at present is to decide the size and location of the grazing paddocks and divide the land off the access road into at least ten or eleven paddocks through which we’ll rotate the cows over thirty day periods.  Alhaji and several herdsmen have walked the boundary of the fifty hectares and confirmed the beacon stones set by the surveyor.  They are now measuring for paddocks off this winding road. 

We have contracted with local village boys to clear the perimeter boundaries of the fifty hectares, and with the Fulani living on or around the site to work with Alhaji in identifying paddocks and fencing them. 

Again, the importance of involving the Fulani is that they learn by doing all that is needed to set up their own grazing lands!  And, the work we do should be easily replicated by the Fulani themselves!  Hence the low-tech fencing, local materials and local participation involved.  Whatever we do here must be such that our students will say to themselves, “Hey!  I can do this by myself on my own land!” 

Much of this area is in crop fields.  The Fulani have beautiful farms located within our boundaries!  The last thing we want to do is to disrupt these people’s lives and drive them away, when our whole purpose is to teach cooperation and peaceful coexistence with our neighbors!  So, we’ve told the farmers that of course we won’t disturb their crops, and the fields will be untouched until after harvest.  Once the crops are taken in, however, they will have to cultivate new farms outside of the boundaries.  And the three Fulani villages within our fifty hectares will have to be gently relocated just outside of the boundaries as well.  We will do this gradually to make the moves as painless as possible.  

Our strong goal is to also establish a revolving fund to be used to assist qualified herdsmen in putting down-payments on their own grazing land.  These funds will be given as loans, to be repaid within a two-year period of time.  The money would then be loaned to another set of herdsmen.  

The PRG system is great – it is tried and proven, and it works.  BUT FOR IT TO BE ANY HELP TO HERDSMEN, THEY MUST HAVE THEIR OWN LAND ON WHICH TO PRACTICE IT! 

The first step is to learn planned rotational grazing. 

The second is to acquire land and PRACTICE it!

ICCM is able and willing to work with our Fulani contacts throughout Nigeria to screen applicants, walk them through the process, monitor repayments of loans and monitor the MIRG practiced on their lands.

It’s a BIG VISION, but also a BIG SOLUTION to the Fulani/farmer crisis at hand.  If we work together, we CAN make it happen!

Remember little Husseina? The Fulani child whose sponsor, from Fernley, Nevada Free Methodist Church sent so many wonderful gifts? Well, here she is - Husseina herself - dressed in the little sundress and holding the little doll which her sponsor sent. With her on the left is Haruna and on the right, Chief, both of whom enjoyed opening the gifts just as much as did Husseina herself!

Two of the very happy wheelchair recipients at recent wheelchair distribution!

On Saturday, May 2nd we distributed wheelchairs to seventy-six disabled men, women and children - mostly polio victims – mostly Muslims – at a celebration that included music, gospel messages, fellowship, fun and food! Chief, guest of honor along with his friend Arduli, listened with many others as Rev. Mike Henry told the story of how the gift of a wheelchair for Salihu, our disabled student at Hope for Little Shepherds, resulted in 200 wheelchairs given to the needy poor in Nigeria. I shared that in the same way King David showed great mercy to the crippled boy Mephibosheth for the sake of David’s beloved friend Jonathan, so God shows saving grace to us, crippled and broken by sin, for the sake of His son, Jesus.
One by one, our guests were called out, and assisted into their own personal wheelchairs amid great excitement and loud applause! And just as we settled the last person in her chair, the heavens opened up and a cool and refreshing rain, a wonderful shower of blessing began to fall – bringing sweet relief from the heat. We served rice, meat and pure water to our guests who enjoyed their meal sitting for the first time, not on the dusty ground, but on their own new wheelchairs – filled with dignity, respectability and joy.
As Michele spoke to our disabled guests of the real threat of pressure sores and how to avoid them, Kevin and other team members knelt before each individual, here adjusting a foot rest, there tightening a wheel. Faithful imitators of Jesus, they were in a true sense, bathing these poor, twisted feet.
Truly, the point of this wheelchair ministry was summarized very well in the chorus sung for us that day by the children of … choir:
“God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name; I’ve been born again in Jesus’ Name; and in Jesus’ Name I come to you to share His love as He told me to…
“He said, “Freely, freely you have received…freely, freely give. Go in my Name and because YOU believe, others will know that I live.”
There are at least seventy-six people in ….State today who know for sure that Jesus lives!

Back at the school, it took only two days to dig out and level the ground for the foundation of the new health clinic, in spite of very rocky, uneven terrain. Why did it only take two days? Because of the huge bonus we offered to get the job done in record time! And once the blocks were molded and the rocks and sand were carried up from the river, the foundation was poured and work on the walls put forth in earnest! Malachi and Nate were in charge of buying supplies, supervising the work and paying salaries. George, a civil engineer, was responsible for the technical drawings and calculations!
Michele, the team nurse, worked with Kevin and Sean to set up medical files on the children – gathering and recording basic information such as - how each child’s height and weight compared to the norm for his age, which immunizations the children had had and which they needed, common illnesses in their families, etc. With these statistics Michele hopes to come up with some recommendations that will improve the general health of the whole community.
Along with screening the kids, Michele taught classes to the Fulani and village women on hygiene, nutrition and childbirth, especially advising the Fulani women to begin using latrines and to keep their little ones in diapers for the sake of camp cleanliness.
And as if this wasn’t enough, Michele saw a steady stream of patients as well, treating such ailments as ear infections, boils, toothaches – a woman who believed desperately that she was pregnant but wasn’t, and another who appeared to be in her ninth month of pregnancy and was lactating, but also wasn’t!
When two of Jibree’s sons became seriously ill with fever, all of us were very concerned. Jibree had lost his older son Abdullahi in November from an undiagnosed illness. We needed to do everything possible to make sure these next two boys recovered.
Michele began treating the boys for malaria, but the fevers persisted. So, two days later when she heard that Jibree had taken his sons to hospital, Michele was very relieved, certain that there the boys would receive the care they needed.
“Which hospital did he take them to?” I asked.
“Oh, the one right here in …..!” Michele answered. “I’m going over there now, to see their lab results and discuss their treatment with the doctor.”
On her way over Michele phoned her husband….whose comment was, “Why do we need to build a clinic at …. if they already have a hospital?”
“Well, I don’t know,” Michele answered. She would soon find out.
Well, when Michele arrived at the little mud hut furnished only with a wooden bed, a bench and pail of water – no lab or lab results, no doctor or nurse, no treatment plan, her professionalism and medical training, even more, her heart of love and compassion, sprang into high gear.
I watched in wonder as there in that dark room, seemingly oblivious to the scantily-clad Fulani crowding around her and the sweat pouring off her face, Michele pulled out her Blackberry and proceeded to phone a friend! After calmly discussing the boys’ treatment with a pediatrician in Wenatchee, Wa, Michele administered the recommended drugs, and we all rejoiced in the boys quick recovery and return to school.
Soon after returning to Wenatchee, Michele wrote these words:
“I learned so much in …….about the power of God…of prayer, the focus of helping others in ways of which I never thought myself capable. I have served people my whole career, but I feel like it was all just practice for what we accomplished there at ….”
When Chief came over to thank Michele for treating his nephews and his wife, we took the opportunity of speaking to him about latrines for the sake of his families’ health.
‘We know you want what is good for us,” Chief answered, “so anything you advise us to do – we will do!’ Michele looked over and caught my eye. Afterwards we discovered we’d both had the same reaction to Chief’s statement.
“Chief! We advise you to follow Jesus! That is what would be ultimately good for you!” But we kept quiet, knowing better than to put him on the spot in front of the team. For how long though, I wondered, are we to keep quiet

On May 6th we combined business with pleasure, buying beautiful Nigerian lace and Fulani artifacts at a local market, touring the palace of the Emir then going on safari into the bush to discuss possibilities of opening an extension school for a group of about 100 Fulani children. The camp is several hours’ drive from …., and the children very young, so we’ve agreed to sending two Christian teachers to bring the children up through Primary 3, after which the kids will come as boarders to ….. for Primary 4 and beyond.
These Fulani , under the leadership of Malaam Sani, a close friend of Chief’s, have agreed to our Christian guidelines and we in turn have agreed to helping them with a small classroom building and school supplies.
But before we can do that, we’ll have to repair their existing water system – a borehole, pump and water tank out of commission for some time – and get these children clean and healthy again. This would be a great team project for some of YOU to consider! Imagine camping in a Fulani village for two weeks, providing children and families with clean water and a school! What an amazing opportunity to share the love of Jesus.