robbed!

Corruption in Nigeria seems to never cease. It’s not uncommon for people to be confronted by an armed robber. Many people even live inside of gated fences with guards patrolling their houses. Earlier this week I received a taste of what it means to be robbed. It may surprise you in regards to whom and how I was robbed but let me give you a little background before I tell you how it all went down.

The week started off with a cultural orientation review with the Nigerian staff with whom I am partnering.

Tuesday morning I met with my “boss” to discuss my plans thus far. I’m still trying to figure out where I’ll best serve. So far it seems like Gyero and Transition House will be the two main areas of focus. Gyero is roughly an hour away, or 12 miles! The roads are so bad that it takes 1 hour to travel something like 12 miles. I will probably spend a lot of time in Gyero with the boys out there. They also have a farm and given my farming experience, Gyero seems to be a perfect fit for me. There are also needs in regards to maintenance and for Bible teaching and mentoring.

On Tuesday I went to Gyero to spend the day and the night. When I arrived I was given an official tour of the farm that needs much work. It started to rain when we walked to the farm so I gave my rain jacket to Sunday (one of the boys) because I didn’t want him to get sick. It turns out that I got wet and in turn I was sick that night and for the last few days. On Tuesday night I read the boys the “Pineapple Story” and they were all very attentive and excited. At the climax of the story I jokingly said “okay, I’ll read the rest of the story tomorrow”. They were all surprised and pleaded with me to keep reading…so I did. These boys love stories and they long for attention.

Now, how did I get robbed? I told you it may surprise you in regards to how and whom the robbery took place.

Do you remember what I said about getting wet and sick? When I went to see the farm I was wearing a t-shirt and I got very wet. When I returned from the walk I hung my shirt on a bed post so that it would dry out but when I went to take the shirt back to where I was staying, one of the boys offered to carry it for me. His name is Joseph Danladi(see picture and shirt over his shoulder), he is an orphan and he’s been in the ministry for a few years. Later on in the evening, I forgot about my shirt and when I asked Joseph where it was he said that he had it with him.
I said, Joseph, do you have my shirt?
He said “yes, I have it”
I said “can I have it back?”
He shook his head “no”
I said “why not?”
He said “because I want to sleep with it tonight”
At this point I said, “Okay, Joseph, you can have it tonight but tomorrow please give it back to me”.
Joseph came to me armed with a heart longing for a father and affection. These boys have been robbed of paternal care and love. They’ve spent a large portion of their lives trying to survive on the streets of Nigeria. When I came to Gyero Joseph was quick to welcome me and show his longing for affection. Joseph did not steal my shirt, he simply borrowed it for the night. He wanted anything he could to remind him of me. My shirt carries my scent and it is a part of me. As far as I know, Joseph wanted to be near his father. My shirt was the closest thing to having a father close to him when he slept.

These boys are starving for affection. Some of them have been through atrocious acts and abuse. Others have been without a male or female influence for the majority of their lives. Joseph has no father and he has no mother. As far as he is concerned, I am his father until I leave and return to the U.S. In two years, I too will abandon him.

While I was in Gyero I told the boys about my friends and family in the U.S. I told them about my friend Sarah who gave me the pineapple story. I told them that she is their age and that she wants to start a business selling bread to her neighbors to help sponsor orphans. They were very interested to know more about her and about sponsors in the U.S.

I would like you to consider sponsoring orphans and contributing to the ministry here. These boys need food, clothing, shoes and school supplies. These are simply material items. Above all, they need love, they need people like you and me to come and spend time with them, to read them Bible stories and teach them about Jesus. Consider visiting Nigeria, consider these boys and girls in your prayers. Before you eat breakfast tomorrow, consider the wonderful food that is in front of you. Consider the comfort of your bed and of the wonderful family God has given to you. Consider these boys who have been robbed of their rights to simply be loved.

If you are interested in finding out more about this then please write back or visit the following link…

http://www.cityministriesnigeria.org/

I’m sorry that this post was very long. I hope that you read it all and you can get a better look into the ministry that I’m involved with.

Here are some Prayer requests:
1. For direction in regards to where to serve
2. I’ll be in Kano(99.9% muslim) from the 20th-28th. Pray for effectiveness in outreach.
3. Pray that I’ll find a cheap car to get me to and from ministry locations.

Other than that, thank you all again and again for giving me the privilege of serving the church in Nigeria. I praise the Lord for all that you’ve done to make this possible. Please continue to stay in touch…I love hearing from you.

Oh and Bryan, e-mail me soon