October - December 2022 Missions' Update

Calvary greetings in Jesus’ name, and welcome to December 2022. We pray that every blessing that is meant for you this year that has not reached you will locate you far beyond your imagination in the name of Jesus. May your outstanding miracles find speedy expressions in Jesus' name.

Thank you so much for your partnership. The challenges in missions are getting fiercer by the day, but the victories are also increasing. We are grateful to God for all the help we have received, and we cannot divorce the successes recorded from your prayers and financial support. Below are some of the reports, which include new heights gained and the burden and siege we have found ourselves in and requires prayers:

 Salvation/Discipleship

New converts

We continue to enjoy the harvest of souls as many across several of our mission fields surrendered their lives to Christ. Jesus Film remained a handy tool. The film was projected in several places where outdoor outreaches are still allowed. We also embarked on door-to-door evangelism, and responses were encouraging. A substantial number of persons that did not surrender their lives to Christ promised to think about it.

.     Missions Training – AMLI

The bi-annual Advanced Missions Leadership Institute (AMLI) course held October 1-10, 2022, at our Zarazong Mission base. In addition to over 20 Grace Foundation’s older missionaries, missionaries from 10 other organizations across three countries participated in the training. Besides the introductory

AMLI 2022

Lectures, the first three full days focussed on security. We then concentrated on discipleship as an ancient but critical leadership style, integrity/accountability issues, and stress/burnout management, among others. The feedback received from the participants is heart-warming. Thank you so much for your prayers and sponsorship provided for the candidates.   

Partnership – Salkam with Gospel Without Border

Partnering/Networking with other mission agencies has continued to benefit us immensely. The Gospel Without Border, with headquarters at Sokoto, Nigeria, led a team of over 30 volunteers to our mission field at Salkam, Niger Republic, during which over 200 persons surrendered their lives to Christ. They also covered Kwalan Gobirawa,  Kwalan Maifunfun, and some Fulani communities. The team includes medical professionals who gave medical attention to the sick. The number of those seeking medical help was so overwhelming that they had to quickly get more medications from Sokoto.  Several persons surrendered their lives to Christ. Pray along with us that Christ will be formed in the new converts.

Partnership – Missions Enablers Africa

In continuation of the partnership of the Missions Enablers, their team from Nigeria visited our mission fields in the Niger republic. Seeing what God is doing, they committed to contributing N20,000 per week to feed kids during our outdoor Weekly Bible Club for the Children in the market square at Ahole. They also committed to contributing N100,000 monthly for foodstuffs at the Ahole Home of Grace (HOG) kids. They are also trusting God for the reconstruction of the dilapidating building of the kids. 

Home of Grace, Jos, Nigeria

Some HoG kids

God has kept the kids safe and doing well. We are particularly grateful to God that the five who sat for NECO and WAEC did very well. Only one of them is deficient in Chemistry which he is rewriting for the External WAEC examination. Elizabeth Daji will be resuming at the Plateau Polytechnic in January 2023 to study Public Administration. Blessing Garba has since commenced an IJMB (Equivalent to Advanced Level GCE) and will, by God’s grace, sit for the examination in June next year. This will qualify her for JAMB direct entry admission. Victor Aderemi has left the Home to reunite with his mother. Some of the kids had health challenges – malaria and typhoid and some of them had nose bleeding. Pray for sound health for all the kids and for funds to meet the challenges of the increase in the price of foodstuffs, school accessories, etc.     

Mission Fields Building Projects 

To enhance the missionaries' effectiveness on the mission field, we are doing the 

Beru Missionaries' House needing completion

much as we can to build churches and mission houses in places where we cannot get property to rent. We constructed the roofs of two churches, pending when we will have funds to build the walls, plaster, and floor them. We also built a complete church. These were locations where the converts worshiped under the trees. The Lord provided resources to build the walls of the churches where we constructed the roofs. The doors and windows have also been bought. 

At Beru in Bauchi State, we have completed the mission house so the missionaries can move in, but we still need resources to complete the entire project. We are grateful to God for the completion of the roofing phase. The doors and windows have been bought but need to be fixed.  What is left now and still critical are the ceiling and plastering of the wall. 

Snake bites and the Siege of  Bandits and our Other Cousins

This is a difficult season for missionaries. The snakes are all over the place. One of our missionaries, Matthew Richard, was beaten by a snake at a time when the community was under siege by the bandits. Thank God he is better now. Elizabeth mistakenly picked a snake by the tail but was not hurt. The same night, she was stung by a scorpion. At Libente, Benin Republic, one of our missionaries, Mousa Sayeri, saw a long snake on their doorpost but successfully killed it. The land is infested with snakes and scorpions. 

The bandits have also multiplied in the land to the point that the government shut down the local markets in the area. The bandits attacked the military base closest to our Kamberi fields, but with concerted prayers, God granted the military victory over them. The tensions are still high, so movement is still restricted.  At another mission field in Bauchi State, the attacks are not violent but aggressive efforts to convert the Christians. One of the Christian politicians, unfortunately, threw his Christian faith to the dustbin. Please, pray for his restoration. We covet your prayers for divine protection for the missionaries and the converts.

IDP and Widows Care

IDP camp Makurdi

Twice in the last quarter, the Lord provided resources to put smiles on the faces of the displaced persons at the IDP camp in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, in memory of our late partner, friend, and family member, Air Commodore Gabriel Ochai. This was done in collaboration with Tabitha Arise Foundation and Peniel Ministry.  Also, God, through our Helping Hands unit, provided new wrappers for over 50 widows in Plateau and Bauchi States. The occasions were used to reassure them of the love of Jesus and stress the need for salvation. 

Prayer Points/Needs

While thanking God for the massive harvests in the last quarter, please pray along with us that the converts will be properly discipled and they will, in turn, disciple their people.

We are still sourcing for partners to adopt some of the graduates of our School of Cross-Cultural Missions recruited early this year. Pray that God would provide the required fund and basic care in terms of accommodation. We got land to buy at Salkam costing CFA110,000. This is a huge miracle that we must quickly grab.  The land would serve both church and accommodation. Pray along with us for funds to pay for the land before they change their mind and also build up the place as soon as possible.

Salkam church needs land, a church and
missionaries' house

With the collapse in naira, the upkeep allowances being remitted to our missionaries are grossly inadequate, especially for the missionaries outside the borders of Nigeria. The inflation is severe, and when the Naira is exchanged for the currencies of our host countries, the value drops significantly. Even the missionaries being supported in Dollars struggle to meet up with the challenges of the inflation rate. Pray that God would provide more funds to meet up the increasing challenges.

Please, pray with us for some of our friends/ministry partners going through health challenges, especially Apostle Livinus Ofem and Mama Char Meyers.  Both of them have received the best medical care available. Our hope is on God alone now. Please, pray along with us.

Conclusion

Again, we are grateful for your selfless and sacrificial partnership. You have been a great source of encouragement, and through your support, we got to this height. We pray that the Lord bless you richly in every aspect of your life in Jesus' name.