LIONS!!!

Lion’s are big scary animals with big teeth and big claws. They are agile and very strong; they could easily rip someone to pieces in a matter of moments. Africa is full of them and I never wanted to meet one face to face in the wild. I’ve already had my first encounter with a lion and I’ll tell you about it but first let me ask you some off the subject questions…

When you think back to your childhood, do you have good memories?
What type of memories do you have?
Do you enjoy thinking about the years past and the days ahead?

For me, the good memories far outweigh the bad. I remember spending many summer days playing with my brothers, my cousins and my dad. I remember the Saturday fishing trips to Neville Island. I even remember when Ricky, Stephen, Bryan, my dad, and I caught 48 fish. I remember the day my dad took us out of school to go skiing at Boyce Park with my cousins. I remember my parents reading to me, teaching me how to read, to draw, and to tell time. I remember the times my mother and I would have a cup of Lipton tea with a bowl of Wheaties (no milk) and we would play crazy 8’s together. I remember shopping with her and she would always buy me provolone cheese and my favorite cereal. I remember evening Bible studies with my family, Christmas morning, Easter morning, and long summer days swimming in our pool. I even remember the bump on the way to church which would make your stomach drop…it would tickle all of us kids, we all would laugh and sometimes my dad would turn around so we could do it again!

What does all of this have to do with encountering a lion?

My first encounter with a lion took place many years ago. I was a small boy (maybe 10) and my dad decided to take my brothers and sisters to the Pittsburgh Zoo for the day. My brothers, sisters and I had a great day seeing all of the animals, the fish, the lions!, the snakes, the monkeys, the birds and the alligators. My dad bought us soft pretzels, Pepsi, and ice cream. The goal was to eat the ice cream before it melted down your forearm and dripped off of your elbow. It was a hot day, humid and sticky, but, to me, it was one of the greatest days and memories that I have ever had. My good memories definitely outweigh the bad. I hope this is true for you as well.

For the boys and girls here, their bad memories far outweigh the good. Their memories would rather be forgotten, placed in a steel box and launched to the moon. To relive them would be cruel torture and would border on the edge of insanity. Their memories of their parents are bittersweet. Some have lost one parent, other’s both or none. Some have lost a parent and then been accused of killing them. Some have had to flee from their families because they were accused of being in a secret cult. Some have been physically beaten, tied by their feet, hung from the roof and burned. Their memories are dark spots, deep in the recesses of their minds. They are areas that they would rather forget, move on and continue their lives. For some, they have been healed of the hurt, the pain, and the sadness. For others, our newer ones, many years of counseling and prayer will be needed.

How are they bittersweet?
Some of our boys have great memories of their childhood. They remember times with their father’s and mother’s and brothers and sisters. They remember learning how to work on vehicles and how to farm. They remember spending quality time with their families. Tragedy struck for many of our boys when one or both of their parents died. Even more tragedy struck when their uncles and aunts or remaining parent accused them of being the culprit. Can you imagine? Your father or mother dies of malaria or some other disease and you are accused of putting some sort of curse on them. Someone has to be blamed so they blame you. Can you imagine?

Fortunately our boys (and girls) are receiving love and protection. Our kids are being taught scripture, education and basic life skills. Our boys are receiving hope again and love. We have over 100 boys in Jos, and 15 girls. I’m personally witnessing a transformation in their lives. I’ve seen one boy who rarely smiled, after a month he felt safe enough to smile again. Another boy doesn’t stop singing. Another doesn’t stop smiling.

There is a flip side to the tragedy that has struck in their lives; I hope you gather that from this post. Africa, Nigeria in particular, is not a country full of lions, malaria, HIV and orphans. We actually have amazing men and women, boys and girls here. We have future missionaries, pastors, doctors, Godly fathers and virtuous mothers. We have over 100 boys and 15 girls that I like to look at as gold mines. To have more men and women involved in their care, praying for them and coming to see them would be incredible. Our smaller boys love balloons and bubble gum. They love drawing pictures, singing songs and playing football (soccer). They have a hope now despite the darkness of their pasts. They have good memories that are beginning to push out the bad. They have a joy that they never dreamed they would ever have again. This is Nigeria, a land of opportunity. These are the boys and girls of City Ministries Nigeria. These are the kids I came to Nigeria for; these are the ones that are giving me more good memories that will last a lifetime.

Guess what? You are making this possible…praise the Lord and thank you for your faithfulness to God, towards these kids and towards me.

Pray for these kids, God knows their hurts and their futures. Pray for them, pray for the staff and pray for me.