Right: Sunny checks out first
bucket of water from well.
Below: CJ (Ike) & Sunny leads students to Christ after a seminar
in Ogberuru. |
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- (cont...) secondary School
during our two outings / meetings with the students. The largest gathering of over
500 students was arranged by their Dean of Studies on behalf of the Principal with no
hindrance to praying on campus, singing and sharing freely with them. We taught them
how to excel in school, advance through life via college education or vocational
training as well as what we believe, how we came to know the Lord, and why we love Jesus Christ. The rest of the converts were pulled in from the several open air meetings we held at the Love of God Miracle Ground in the heart of the village beside it’s oldest deactivated shrine and fetish alter.
- We held meetings and established contacts with the Anglican Bishop of Owerri, Rev. Dr. Cyril Okorocha for possible partnerships in ministry & mission work as it relates to using the V-TEN concept discussed to reach it’s community more effectively. Along this line, he made a request for Computer Training of their clergy & instructors next year when we bring in V-TEN volunteers again, perhaps using their new training facilities under construction. There were several similarities in the ministry approach they had, especially in their focus on providing hostels and empowering young women with skills who were migrating from villages into urban centers. When housed otherwise, it has been observed that these girls were being sexually molested in the past by their hosts or distant relatives in many instances.
- Held several teaching meetings in a number of Churches and the Full Gospel
Businessmen’s Fellowship International, Owerri / Ikenegbu Chapter where Clarence
Joseph (Ikechukwu – his Igbo Nigerian name) also ministered in music and was well
received by the people as fellow African.
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(cont...) Meriel Bernhard (Ije – her Igbo or Nigerian name), the only Caucasian with us was like a star! Children and women cheered her all over including during our visit to local markets, jubilantly shouting Onyeocha or Oyibo (literally meaning a white person. We quickly learned to “hide” her or avoid taking her when we want to shop for a bargain while buying from the market or shops with no price tag on things. A white person was not an advantage here because the locals think we have all the money or dollars to shell out). She shared from her experiences with MOM’s In-Touch on the value of mothers’ prayer for their children, teachers and schools. This blessed a lot of women both in the cities we went to and in the rural areas. Ogechi Ochi-Okorie interpreted for her in Igbo on occasion where her audience would not understand her American English.
- Met with World Bank Africa Region representatives in Abuja – capital of Nigeria to discuss
potential partnership areas in Community Driven Development (CDD) and get facts on how NGO's
could get their financial support for our work in rural communities. Our main contact name
(Mr. Mark D. Tomlinson - Country Director) provided from Washington DC then directed us to
discuss with his Nigerian assistant(Engr. J.W.E Metibaiye) since he was heading out to Lagos.
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