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1/8/2008 – Dear Friends, Happy New Year! These past few weeks have seen much progress for us. After sleeping on army cots and sitting on camp chairs, our much needed furniture has at last all arrived. We now even have a stove and freezer. With power coming and going so often, we felt that a freezer would keep food much better than a fridge. However, we already realize thawing frozen food won’t always be practical. So we are on the lookout for a small fridge as well. On the 30th of last month we made our first trip into the bush. Though not too far out of the city, these villages still hold much of the romance of old Africa. This particular area was one that I’d visited many times when I was here from ‘96 to ‘99. Originally, my trips sprung out of a church service which some Nigerian men and I held in a taxi park for the boys who worked in the park. The boys had come from the villages into Jos to earn money.
I’ve often wondered what became of these youth, as well as how life was progressing in their village. So when a friend loaned us his truck, we were off! On our drive out we found that much had changed. For one, the road to this particular district is now paved a third of the way in. This resulted in us missing the turn off the main road. But after realizing our mistake, we hit it right on the second pass. As we pulled up into the village a crowd began to gather, partly because any car that drives through this seldom-traveled area draws attention. But then for it to be two white men… We’d already passed some children filled with joy, while others gazed in fear. Two young men met me by the side of the truck as I stepped out. With surprised looks on their faces they said, “Pastor Patrick!” I wasn’t sure that I’d even still be remembered after eight years, but many more in the village also still recognized Jeff and I. A number of the boys (now young men) who I’d once worked with were home for their holiday break. I found that several of them were now in various colleges around Jos. What a joy it was to hear of their progress. A local leader of the church invited us into his home for lunch. He shared with us how some of these boys had saved their money in order to pay for their schooling. He also mentioned, however, that a few were not fairing well spiritually. He expressed hope that we’d be able to meet with them in the future. Before leaving, we set up a time for returning later in the week. We only passed one other vehicle and a handful of motor bikes on that whole trip.
On the 2nd we returned to the village for our scheduled service, not sure of just what to expect. Once again the church elder had us into his home to eat—this time for rice and fish. After setting up in the church, Jeff pulled out his guitar and began to lead in worship. Many of his songs were new to everyone, but they were eager learners. The numbers quickly grew with the progression of the Bible picture slide show. I told the lesson of Israel’s drought and the stand off between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Drawing closer to the end of the story, the elder who was interpreting became very animated as he pointed out details in the pictures to emphasize the power of God. The people looked as if we could’ve go on for hours, and our group had grown to over seventy by the end. But needing to travel before dark, we brought the service to a close. Before we drove off, the men of the church presented us with a rooster and a giant head of cabbage. How humbling it was to witness people who have so little give so much. Many of the village children had swollen bellies from lack of nutrition. In this sense it was difficult to take the food from them. However, it would have been a great insult to have not accepted their sacrifice. We hope to return to this village soon. Our lack of transportation at this point is the only hold up (we’ve been taking taxis or walking to where we need to go around Jos). Please pray with us as we look in to buying an older model truck to help us in bush work here. Also, in answer to prayer we’ve discovered a Hausa language class that begins next week (1-14). This will be an intensive six week, five morning a week introductory course. Please also pray as we undertake this new schedule and seek to lay a foundation for grasping the local language. We pray that the Lord will draw you closer in fellowship and more deeply into the knowledge of His will in 2008. Please keep in touch, as we will do the same! For His glory,
2/25/2008 – Dear Friends, It’s been a while since we’ve gotten an update off. The majority of our time these last six weeks has been sucked into the black hole of language school. Our last day was Friday. We’ve accumulated a tremendous amount of head knowledge, along with the necessary grammatical base. Now we turn to the practical classroom. That is, we get out and try to talk to folks. One of the assets of learning another language is what one gleans about the culture in the process. As with any language, Hausa is full of phrases that give insight into how people think and in some ways, why they make certain decisions. Nigerians tend to be generally happy people and their language expresses this. Though Hausa is purported to be an easier language than English, I’m continually amazed at how many specific words it contains. It’s evidence of the long and rich history behind it. In an answer to prayer, we now have wheels to use. A fellow missionary is allowing us use of an old pick-up until we can locate something of our own. We’ve had to sink some money into it to get it up and running, but the timing couldn’t have been better. With language school at an end, we can make trips into the bush over the next month. For you classic car fans, the truck is a ’56 Willys JEEP. Yes, it even turns heads here. We haven’t logged it going faster than 36 mph. However, the four wheel drive works, and we don’t need speed on rural roads.
Please pray as we visit villages and survey different areas. We’ll be doing some camping along the way, practicing Hausa, and seeking outreach opportunities. Please also pray as we keep an eye out for a more permanent transportation solution. In the long run we’ll need something that won’t always cause us to wonder what old part will need to be replaced next. We’re still looking for a roommate. It seems we have a candidate, but nothing definite yet. Ideally, we need someone to stay at our house in Jos when we travel. Thank you for all the ways you bless and uphold our ministry. We’re excited about what 2008 will hold as we continue to lay the foundation for future work here in Nigeria. Please let us know if there is anything we can join you in prayer about. In His service,
3/7/2008 – Dear Friends, We’ve just returned from a few days in the bush. The “wilds” of Africa are not what they use to be in this part of Nigeria. The only wild animals we saw on the whole trip were a rabbit and squirrel. I was even surprised to catch a glimpse of these since so much has already been hunted out in the area where we camped. Oh, you can still occasionally find monkeys and smaller wildlife such as hedgehogs and various types of parrots, but you do have to look close. The main purpose in our recent trips has been to scout-out the land as we map bush roads with a GPS, and pray about where our long-term home in Nigeria will be. When we came to a fork in the dirt road, instead of just wondering what’s down it, we’d turn to see for ourselves. We’ve ended up in some very interesting places doing this.
Yesterday we found ourselves in the middle of an old tin mining town, remnants of the British presence. The houses were packed so close together that I really had the feeling we would soon find the road taken over by them. Jeff and I stopped to buy some puff-puffs (a fried donut-type bread). Children, teens, and even old men turned out in amazement at two white men in their village. Over fifty children gathered to watch us eat. One old man shooed them away and then sat staring at us with equal interest. The children then returned and the whole process started over. When Jeff spoke to one of the old men in Hausa, this initiated a moment of great wonder on behalf of the spectators. A younger man kept telling everyone around, “These men speak Hausa!” The truly funny part about this was that he was mainly speaking in English. As we were about to leave I pulled out an assortment of cartoon “Chick” tracts (click here to see a sample from our webpage). All of the young men were excited to get them and began reading at once. These tracts have been very effective here. Not only do people ask for them, but they come running after us begging for their own copy when they see a friend with one. We were also able to give out two Proclaimers (an audio Bible of the New Testament in Hausa) to two primary schools in remote villages. They are the size of a small radio and are powered by a hand crank generator and solar panel. One of the teachers was a Muslim. When he heard the “radio” speaking Hausa he had an even bigger smile than the “Christian” teachers. Knowing full well that we were missionaries, he heartily shook our hands with a big smile saying, “Na gode, na gode!” (“thank you” in Hausa). Our hope is to head back out near the middle of next week. Please join us in prayer that our old 1956 Willys truck will hold up, that we’ll find safe places to camp for the night, and that we’ll find heart’s that are longing for God’s Word and His holiness. We have also added a few new pictures to our photo album (click here to visit the page). In His service,
5/9/2008 – Dear Family & Friends, We probably should’ve gotten this update out sooner, especially after running into several friends who said with surprised expressions, “I didn’t know you were back in the States!” Since we hope to return to Nigeria next month, our short furlough has already proved busy and will undoubtedly continue to be so. We’ve set a goal to paint and finish remodeling our house that is west of Birmingham on the Warrior River. With the assistance of a local church, the painting is about halfway completed. Another weekend work day should finish it up. After a lot of intermittent fixin’ up on this old fixer-upper over the years, the end is in sight. It’s been a tremendous blessing to have a place to call home when we find ourselves Stateside. Maybe next time we return it’ll even have indoor plumbing! Last week we took the opportunity to head up to the Tennessee Smokies for a few days of camping and kicking back. Patrick struck up a conversation with a blacksmith who was giving a demonstration at a local music/craft fair. This led to us receiving some general pointers and a hands-on lesson about forging nails. More than just possessing a momentary interest, we soaked up the knowledge with an eye towards the future. Using horses, as we did in Belize, is also our intention for rural ministry in Nigeria. Horses are available, but shoes and nails might be another matter. So there is the possibility that we’ll need to set up our own on-location forge at the mission station. We then swung up to North Carolina to visit with Ricky and April, friends of ours who work at Teen Valley Ranch, a Christian camp in the sleepy town of Plumtree. Ricky interned with us in Belize about five years ago. When he returned to the States, he and April met while on summer staff at camp, got married, and went into full-time camp ministry. They’ve been a consistent source of encouragement to us over the years and regularly impact with the Gospel the many youth who pass through the camp’s ministry program. TVR is a camp that offers horse rides as an activity. During our visit the farrier arrived to shoe some of the horses. I jumped at the opportunity to observe his technique and bother him with questions. He graciously slowed down and allowed me to glean what I could as he worked. I learned to shoe our horses in Belize from local Mennonites. But this was the first chance I’d had to talk with a full-time farrier. It offered me the occasion to fill in the gaps of my experiential knowledge. Between the blacksmith and the farrier, the Lord unexpectedly aligned our trip so as to have these beneficial encounters. One of the main reasons we’ve returned to the States at this time for is to secure necessary immigration papers in order to continue living in Nigeria. Please pray this upcoming week as we begin submitting the proper forms to the embassy. Pending the approval of our visas and securing plane tickets, we’re planning to leave for Nigeria in June. Feel free to e-mail us should you like to get together at some point before we head out. Thank you for your interest in and support of our work! For His glory,
7/15/2008 – Dear Friends, Concerning our return to Nigeria, we’ve been in a holding pattern this past month waiting on the Nigerian Embassy to process our residency permits. However, as of last week we now have all we need in hand. We‘d hoped to have been back in Nigeria by now. But being at the mercy of others, we’ve submitted the situation to the Lord and waited upon His timing. Experience has taught us the wisdom of this time and time again. There is so much that can’t be see with the natural eye that the Lord uses to purposely and deliberately focus our gaze on Him who knows all. With our paperwork in order, the determining factor of our departure is now plane tickets. We’re in the midst of trying to prioritize and pack supplies so that we’ll be ready to leave as soon as finances allow. As we’ve sorted through things that we shipped back from Belize, it’s been a toss up to try and figure out what is essential to go with us to Nigeria. We’re limited on space. This means we’re weighing the long-term value of each item, whether it’s a kitchen utensil, a particular book, or a horse saddle. Some items simply aren’t available in Nigeria, and others are outrageously expensive if they can be found. Thanks to all of you who’ve joined us in prayer as we’ve awaited the approval of our residency permits. Please continue to pray as we look towards leaving for Nigeria shortly. It seems our Nigerian friends are anxious for our return. We’re anxious to pick back up in ministry where we left off in March. And, as language study will still be priority upon our return, we hope to be able to squeeze in Level II and III of Hausa school by the end of the year. A couple of anticipated needs we’ll be facing are a vehicle and a piece of land. We’re hoping to locate an older-model 4x4 that can handle the bush back roads we’ll be navigating. Land Rovers are quite obtainable in Nigeria, and parts are readily available. They are as common in former British West Africa as a Ford pickup is here in Alabama. Since our long-term ministry vision involves starting up a rural trade school, we’ll be intensifying our efforts to find a suitable site to begin constructing a facility on. Hence, the need for a vehicle and land go hand in hand. We are grateful for your encouragement and support of the work God has called us to. We’ll be in touch as we know more specifics about our departure! For His glory,
7/31/2008 – Dear Friends, We wanted to let everyone know where we currently stand on our departure for Nigeria. As of today, we’ve been provided with plane tickets and are scheduled to leave the States on August 16. Thanks for your prayers! Hopefully, we’ll be able to put the finishing touches on packing within the next week and avoid the frenzy of last minute scrambling…that’s always the goal anyhow. We’re excited at the prospect of returning to Nigeria and picking back up where we left off in March. Though we hadn’t planned to tarry for this long in the States, there are already a few reasons that we can see for the wait. And, I’m sure a few more reasons will become apparent in time. All in all, “the mind of a man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Your continued prayers are appreciated—especially that we’ll have wisdom in prioritizing all that needs to be taken care of before we head back to West Africa for what is currently an undetermined length of time. In Him,
8/15/2008 – Dear Friends, We wanted to let you know of a very last minute change that has occurred concerning our departure. Due to the airline having failed to inform us of some crucial information regarding the specifics of our flight into Nigeria, it became necessary to reschedule our departure to August 27. So you’ll have to put up with us for a couple more weeks! In all seriousness, we know the Lord has a purpose for the delay. In our waiting He is working, either here, on the Nigerian side, or both. At least we’re about finished packing. And hopefully, we’ll now be able to visit with some of you that time wasn’t going to allow before. Having our plans completely changed is taking a bit of a mental adjustment. But as with ministry in general, and overseas mission work in particular, we’ve learned to roll with the unexpected. Please pray with us as we re-set our focus and look to leaving in two weeks instead of tomorrow! We’ll keep you updated. In Him, Jeff & Patrick
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