January 2016 Missions' Update

Dearly Beloved,

Greetings in Jesus name.

We thank the Lord for bringing us safely into the year 2016. He has promised to bless us this year despite the challenging beginning and we trust He will. We have availed ourselves also to be blessings especially to the dark nations of the earth than ever before.

Recent conference - Fulanis, Dukawa, Bokkos & Kamberis

The shaking across the nations may be very unpleasant but it is yielding dividends for the kingdom. In the past two months, we have several cases of chronic unbelievers come themselves to surrender their lives to Christ in some of our mission fields. For security reasons, we may not give their identities and locations in this medium but we earnestly covet your prayers for Christ to be formed in them, and for them to stand firm even in the face of persecution. Pray for our missionaries for wisdom and grace to continue to move the work forward despite the numerous challenges confronting them and the work.

Our missions training program is waxing stronger. A new dimension we are witnessing is the influx of indigenous missionaries from unreached people background. Beside students from other tribes, we currently have five Fulanis and two Mumuyes, two tribal groups in the North of Nigeria and Niger undergoing different levels of training. It requires greater skill and patience but it will tell on their various tribal groups positively when they are done. It also requires a lot of finance. It will cost a minimum of N100, 000 to train each student. We need N500, 000 for the School fees for the five Fulanis. Another student, Martha from Kenya has struggled getting air tickets for her and her son to fly in to resume. Her husband got lost over five years ago and there is still no trace of him. We will appreciate your prayers in this regard.

Our kids at the Home of Grace (HOG) had one of their best Christmas and New Year

Baby Victor 

celebration. Soteria church at Oakland sent them plenty toys and clothes. They had more than enough and shared generously with other orphans, widows, missionaries and other needy people. These gifts came after friends and partners had bought them Christmas clothes. We also had additional gifts (food stuff) from two groups of the Christ Apostolic Church in Jos, Nigeria and two individuals. Second term school fees for five of the kids were paid by one of our partners.   One of our kids, had surgery. Her recovery had been quite gradual but she is strong enough to resume school now. We appreciate everyone who put smile on the faces of these kids this season and pray the Lord bless you all richly. We still have need of N106, 000 to complete the school fees for this term. Our Home of Grace kids in Niger Republic are also doing well both physically and spiritually, they always come out as winners anytime they go out for children camp meetings.

First batch of blankets sent to Internally Displaced
 Persons at Yobe State, Nigeria

Re-engaging the North East of Nigeria is one of our priorities with peace gradually returning to the region. All our missionaries in Bauchi State have long returned back. More fields are opening up among the Zabulanci tribe. The Internally displaced persons (IDPs)in the region especially those in Yobe and Borno have been on our mind and in collaboration with a mission agency laboring among the people, we recently bought some standard blankets for some of the displaced families at the camp. It was such a great joy strengthening the hands of these heroes still laboring in the land but what we did is very little compare to the need on the ground. In a recent message sent to us, one of the leaders said the winter cold has been very cruel to the people. They will need some cardigans urgently and a good quality one cost about N1000. The persons in the camp are numbering almost 10,000. As the Lord provide for us, we hope to do more than what we have done.

The wall of our new mission house in Bolu (three bedrooms flat) is completed with cement block. We are waiting for fund for roofing and finishing.  Work has started on the new church building for the Zabulanci people. We used stone for foundation and are raising the wall with mud block.  We need fund to complete and roof it before rain starts.

We are trusting God to build three classrooms block at Tibiri in Niger Republic this

The Boubacars @ Ahole, Niger Republic

year as part of our plan to kick-start a private school. This is in response to the need for a mission-centered primary school that will help capture the kids holistically. The mission House bought and donated to us at Ahole is also tearing apart. We plan to rebuild it with cement block this year as response to the cry of our missionaries in the land. Join us in praying for the needed fund.

We will be hosting the 21st African Missions Summit (AMS 2016) on March 9-13, 2016 at our headquarters in Jos, Nigeria with the theme: The Battle for the final Harvest. You are highly invited to be part of this great event.  We are expecting mission leaders from at least 10 different African nations to come share with us the reality of their struggles/challenges in doing mission amidst the rages of the heathen in their context. Pray along with us that the summit will strengthen our missionaries and many other missionaries that will be in attendance against the work ahead.

The situation in Nigeria is beginning to tell on foreign missions. One United States Dollar is N305. The support to our missionaries outside the shores of Nigeria when converted to the local currency is ridiculous. We are teaching them to rely on God to use their nationals to support them but it is still not yielding result. The missionaries in Nigeria are also not left out. The value of the support has dropped significantly in the face of inflation and decline in support coming into the ministry. Please, join us to pray for our partners also for improved financial situation. Some are owed salaries, others pension and some, their businesses are going through distress.   

Once again, thank you so much for being there for us.

His bondservant

Andrew Abah