WBS Office Destroyed in Nigeria

World Bible School Office Destroyed in Lagos, Nigeria

2/13/2012 Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria

We were awakened at about 6:00 am with the winds starting to blow. Around 7:00 am it struck with force. They later reported that it was hurricane winds of over 100 miles per hour. We heard things blowing around and glass breaking. Then the rains hit and a deluge began to fall.

About then my cell phone rang and it was Godwin Isaac calling from our WBS office. I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was shaken. He said in a broken voice: “The roof is gone!” I questioned him as to what he meant and he stated it again; “the roof is gone and the office is destroyed.” He then began to explain that he had gone to the World Bible School office early that morning to prepare for our day of work there in Lagos, Nigeria. He had heard the winds outside, but then his world was shaken when a sudden tearing sound exploded over his head and the ceiling came crashing down on him. At first he did not know what had happened. He crawled from under the ruble and tried to find the door. It was jammed shut so he had to force it open physically.It was obvious that it was a serious storm but we would only find out later how serious. The power was out and we could hear people scrambling to assess the damages. The church building where we were staying was intact, but we would find out that three roofs had been blown off next door to the building destroying their homes and most of their belongings.

There in the street below laid what was once the roof for the building where our WBS office is located. The winds had torn the roof literally off of the building and it crashed into the street below. All of the offices in the upper level were destroyed and now the rains were lashing down upon what was left. Everything was destroyed and soaked with the drenching rain that continued for about thirty minutes that morning. Godwin was not injured luckily, nor were any others in the immediate area. We would learn later that day that several died across the city of Lagos from falling debris and collapsed buildings. Godwin came to tell us of the incident and he was still badly shaken from what he had just lived through. He and his fellow workers would return and spend the morning salvaging what was left of our WBS office for Nigeria.

Luckily these things can be replaced and no one was seriously injured. We did learn that one of our preachers lost his house and all of his belongings. Who could imagine that something like this could happen while we were there to work in that very office that day? We have relocated to another office temporarily while they decide whether to rebuild the office building or not. Other church members were also affected across the city of Lagos, but we were thankful there was no loss of life among our Christian brethren.

THE VILLAGE

Yarasi, Western Region, GHANA 1/27/2011

It could be a village in any number of places, countries or locals around the world. This particular village happened to be in Ghana, West Africa. It lies in the Western Region of Ghana and is a small village by the name of Yarasi; a quaint little place in a valley beside the river. It is a cocoa producing agricultural area with mostly farmers relying on the cocoa crop for the their yearly harvest and livelihood.

We had come here to work going house to house where we would share the message of Jesus Christ. happened to be in Ghana, West Africa. It lies in the Western Region of Ghana and is a small village by the name of Yarasi; a quaint little place in a valley beside the river. It is a cocoa producing agricultural area with mostly farmers relying on the cocoa crop for the their yearly harvest and livelihood.

Each day that we worked in Yarasi brought us in contact with so many amazing people. Even though most were just simple farmers with little education, they were very religious, but had very little Bible knowledge of the scriptures. It reminded me of Paul’s words from Acts 17:23, “What you therefore worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.” We would have an open air meeting each evening in the community open air market and show a Christian film to them before preaching the word of God. This was a new experience for most in this village as the nearest cinema is hundreds of miles away from them and most have only seen a television a few times in their lives.

As we taught day after day, many came to a better understanding of the scriptures and over 30 gave their lives to Christ in the water’s of baptism. As we left this village on that last day of work and waved good bye, we left them in the hands of God. Thirty new babes in Christ, along with a small group of believers that had already established the church in that small village, all in the care of God’s hand of protection, strength and blessings. Oh, it is so hard to leave when you know they need to learn so much, but that is the way it works so often. I know that the Apostles must have felt the same way on many of their missionary journeys.

As we left Yarasi and traveled down the dusty road I said a silent prayer for these new Christians, now my new brothers and sisters in Christ. May God bless their new found faith and may they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

.

TWO LEFT FEET

Dixcove, Ghana 1/18/2011

Going shopping in a foreign country is always an experience. First, there are no Super Walmart's or shopping centers where you can go and do all of your shopping in one stop. Everything that you need has to be bought one item at a time from small shops and stalls along the road way. So the simplest of shopping trips can take some time.

For instance, I needed a pair of cheap flip flops (sandles) to wear at the guest house where we were staying. So I went to the local market in Dixcove to buy a pair. I looked at them at several different shops, but finally decided on one lady’s little shop as the best option for my purchase. She showed me different pairs and insisted that I buy a certain type and brand. Of course she did not speak any English so all of this was through hand gestures and pointing at certain qualities on the plastic sandals. I selected a pair that I liked, but she would not let me have them. She chose the pair that she had insisted that I buy, found the size under her stall table and put them in a black plastic bag and I was on my way with my two dollar pair of sandals. So having completed my mission in the market, I was on my way happy to have accomplished my task. I put the sandals in my back pack and headed on into a busy day.

That night when we got back to the guest house I decided to try out my new purchase and got the sandals out of the black plastic bag. I put on the left sandal first and reached for the other. To my surprise it was not a right, but rather another left. Now they say that “two rights does not make a wrong”, but I am hear to tell you that “two lefts is definitely wrong” when it comes to buying sandals.

The next morning we were back in town to work and I headed back to the little lady in the market stalls that sells only left footed sandles. She was surprised to see me again and even more surprised when I took the sandals out from the black plastic bag. At first she did not understand the problem and ask she did not speak any English I could not explain it to her. So I held up the two sandals and demonstrated trying to put them on my two left feet.

All at once she bagan to laugh, realizing the mistake that had been made and realizing that I was not upset; that I only wanted the right “right sandle”. She quickly apologized in her native language of Twee and looking under her bench found the other “right” sandle to match my left sandle. We both had a good laugh as she put them in the black plastic bag once again assuring me in Twee that she had the right sandles this time.

So next time you go to the shop to buy sandals in a Ghanaian market, make sure you don’t have “Two Left Feet”!

THE IRON CROSS

Dixcove, Ghana 1/20/11

They call it the call it the castle now! And it does look much like

a majestic castle on its rock perch overlooking the ocean on the western coast of Ghana. However, it was anything but a castle originally. Built in 1692 as

a strategic fort, with its many cannons for defense from sea and land. One of the 46 such forts built along this stretch of coast in the country of Ghana.

But as I walked through through the inner court yard I knew it was more than just a fort for defense. This was a fort of human bondage and for gold dug from the earth to make men rich. We entered the holding cells where up to 30 men would be held for months at a time until a ship would come to take them away to distant lands that they knew nothing about. Thirty men, in a room no larger than fifteen feet by fifteen feet. No beds to lie on, but simply stone walls and a brick floor were theirs where they would await their fate. Cell after cell where human bondage was practiced and lives would not be the same ever again for those held captive.

And the ships would come! And these men and sometimes women would be put in shackles and marched to the large iron door at the front of the castle. It was known as the “Gate of no return”. And such it was, as these were now slaves to be sold to the highest bidder for a life of pain and suffering in a land that was not their own.And the ships did come; every few months; and over sixty lives would be changed forever more with each ships sailing. They would leave their native land, no longer free, but slaves to another.

Two things struck me as I walked the courtyard of this fort, now called a castle. There on the highest point of the front wall over the “door of no return” was a large iron cross! A cross, I thought, in this place? This place had become known as the “Fort of the Iron Cross” and was referenced as such even from the 1600’s. And as I thought of these words and tried to make the connection between slaves and a cross it struck me.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 6:16-23 that we were all slaves; slaves of sin. But thanks be to God that you became obedient from the heart and became slaves of righteousness. As these slaves went through the “the door of no return” and their lives were forever changed; we to as Christians entered through the “door” that is Jesus Christ and our lives have been changed forever more under the cross of Jesus.

As I walked out of the “Fort of the Iron Cross” my mind was racing with emotion. How many lives were changed because of this place? But then I saw that Iron Cross, and thought how many lives have been changed because of that cross as well?

We walked down the hill below the fort, below the iron cross to the water’s edge. There in the ocean water we baptized a young man by the name of Isaac that we had studied with that day. Most likely it was on the very spot where slaves were once loaded onto ships to take them away and their lives would be forever changed. I prayed that this young man might also on this very spot, below the Iron Cross, have his life forever changed as well.

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Romans 6:17-18

Today a Snake Came to Church

Today a snake came to church. Now, I know what some of you are thinking already. In a lot of churches some who attend might be considered snakes because of the lives that they live. But no; this one that I refer to was a real snake. Not large, probably not poisonous, but all the same a snake. And he crawled right in the front door while we were having services.

Now we have always said that our doors are open to everyone. And in this case it is a new church building in the remote town of Gorblee, Liberia where we had come to have a week long gospel meeting and outreach to this community. Being a new building, that is not even finished we do not even have windows and doors on the building yet, so the snake just crawled in the front entrance.

We were in the middle of our morning lessons and someone yelled out from the back in their “Bassa” language, “SNAKE”. Now I again know what some of you are thinking as you look around your church. But this is Africa, where they take such things as snakes very seriously.

The men near by jumped into action and quickly grabbed sticks and killed the snake and discarded of it. The amazing thing to me was that the preacher kept right on preaching through the whole ordeal without missing a beat or showing any concern for what was going on at the back of the little building.

Now I want to ask you a question; “If a snake came into your church, what would happen.” Would the services go right on as usual without any concern? Would the preacher or teacher keep going with their message with no concern? We would probably all evacuate the building, call animal control and threathen to never come back into the place until we were guaranteed that it was safe. But not here in Africa. Here in Africa it was just a snake that came to church. He was not welcome so he was dispatched. No big deal, just a snake. And the matter was forgotten almost as quick as it had happened.

But not for me! I will remember this day for a long time to come. The Day that a Snake came to Church. In my travels around the world, I have seen dogs, cats, rats, chickens and even a goat come into the church building while we were having services. But this was my first Snake. And I will remember it for some time to come and probably use it as a good illustration in the future.

So next time someone says there are snakes in the church, look around carefully.

There just might be!

Today the Children Spoke Without Saying A Word

Today the children spoke without saying a word! They spoke with their eyes as they looked, stared and questioned their surroundings. They spoke with their expressions as some smiled, others looked down or away and still others had a look of puzzlement. They spoke with their body language as some rushed forward to get as close as possible and others fell back to just blend in among the many others.

Today the children spoke without saying a word. I am here visiting at the Safe Home Children Village, an orphanage here in Flehla, Liberia where over 60 children are now being cared for. They range in age from 2 years up to 14 years of age. And everyone of them has a story that is different, unique, sad, heart wrenching and in some cases just plain pitiful.

Many are orphans because of the sixteen years of war that ravaged this country. Mother’s, Father’s, siblings, killed in a senseless war where no one succeeded. Other’s came here from the death of a mother at childbirth and now there is no one to care for them. Other’s came from homes where they were neglected, abused and used in ways I cannot describe nor discuss.

And still others came from abandonment; children abandoned to fend for themselves in a hard hard world. Take little Benjamin; now six years of age. He was found, abandoned, living in a garbage dump and sleeping in the African bush all alone. He survived for over six months on what little he could salvage to eat in the garbage dump, and trust me, this if Africa where not much of any use it discarded to the dump.

As a result of his treatment, he has some mental challenges, but each day as I would come to the home, he would follow me around and say; “Take my picture, take my picture.” Starved for attention, starved for someone to just care for him and show them that he is loved.

But thanks be to God for little Benjamin and all the other children that have been brought to this Safe Home Children Village where they are loved and cared for. Each day they are fed, bathed and clothed, go to school and receive the medical attention that they would have never received before.

And so each day as I came and visited at the Safe Home Children’s Village; the children spoke to me, and often times without saying a word. They spoke with their eyes, their actions, their gestures and with their little smiles of joy. And by the end of the week of visiting with them, playing games with them, walking and talking with them, I wished that I could bring every one of them home with me. While that is not possible, I am just thankful that they are now at a place where they are cared for, loved and shown the love of Christ.

And even though I could not bring them all home with me, I promised them that I would carry their picture home with me. That each day I would look at their smiling little faces and say a special prayer just for them and their care givers. A prayer for the Safe Home Children Village and for what it is doing to give these children a chance in life that they might have never had otherwise.Today the Children spoke to me!

And it changed my life forever!

For Childrens' full story please see: http://treasureinheaven.org/

Thanksgiving In a Foreign Land

Thanksgiving: aw, the memories; turkey and dressing with all the fixens, green bean casserole, salads, fresh baked rolls, pumpkin pie. More food than the body can stand or needs. Family getting together to just enjoy one another’s company. Thankful for so many blessings, past and present. Thanksgiving, aw the memories.

But here I am 10,000 miles from home, away from family, friends, familiar surroundings. For here in Pujehun, Sierra Leone it is just another day. Another day of work in this remote part of the country. No parades to watch on t.v., no football games; for there is not even any electricity nor tv’s to watch if there was.

For my “Thanksgiving” feast I had a piece of Spam on a day old bread roll. And as I ate my feast for the day, I reflected on Thanksgiving.

The Giving of Thanks! To our God, our Creator!

Am I thankful?

How could I not be thankful for another day of life , doing what I love. Touching lives with the saving message of Jesus Christ. Oh, I miss family and good food, for sure. But at the same I would not want to miss this experience of working with my Brethren here in this part of Africa.

I am thankful, for each new day, for each new experience, for each life that I am able to touch in some small way. God is good.

Thanks be unto God the Father. Pslams 107:1