Dear ITEM Friends,
Today was a travel day. After another mostly sleepless night due to various reasons, I got out of bed at 4:30am preparing for a 5:15 trip back to the Kigali airport for a four-hour flight to Abuja, Nigeria. Other than the sleepless night, everything else was smooth and on schedule. This short stop (one night) was to be highlighted with an ITEM team meeting tomorrow before my flight to Lagos for the Saturday apologetics seminar. But with the tragic death of our coordinator here, my main event was meeting with and praying with his widow.
WAS HIS DEATH NECESSARY?
Our Coordinator, Jatau D Nok, was killed in an accident last Wednesday and they will never know what caused it. There was no other car involved and he didn’t live to explain. What adds to the emotional pain is that he was on his way to see his wife at their home in another part of town. So, of course, she is thinking, “If he hadn’t decided to come….” And from what I can tell from what I’ve heard, Nok bled to death needlessly while he received delayed, casual treatment. I was told that it appeared to be neglect due to the fact he was an evangelical pastor.
MAY GOD GIVE SUPERNATURAL COMFORT
I saw with the family and guests for 30-45 minutes. I didn’t say much because no one was saying much. When the time came, I prayed, gave her an envelope with some money to help with expenses, and then I was on my way to the guest house where I’ll spend the night before my return to the airport about 6am, flight to Lagos at 8:45.
NEXT STOP, LAGOS (THE AIRPORT EVERYONE TRIES TO AVOID)
I will spend time with Ebenezer Afolabi, a new friend, who has written his own book on apologetics (for Africa). One Friday I will meet with a group to discuss how we can increase awareness of and the need for training believers in apologetics.
Saturday I will be a part of an apologetics seminar at a university. My assigned topic is, “What It Means to Be a Christian Apologist.”
Why avoid Lagos? The airport and the city traffic are chaotic.
ONE CONCERN RESOLVED
One of my concerns and prayer requests from yesterday was in relation to my cancelled and rescheduled flight tomorrow. With the help of the man who picked me up at the airport, it was all taken care of and I was able to change to an earlier flight.
WELCOME BACK TO NIGERIA
One quick story that reminds me that I am back in Nigeria. I’ve been to this guest house number of times over the years. One of the adventures is ordering and waiting for dinner at the independent restaurant at the guest house. Today was a reminder.
I asked for a menu and a one-minute search turned up none. “No menu?” “No.” So I asked, what do you have. Ans: Rice. “That’s all?” Ans: “Omelet and chips.” Those were mu choices. Rice, or an omelet and chips.
If she would have found a menu, I wonder what it might have listed. The moral of the story: Just ask what they have on hand.
I asked it that is what they had scheduled for dinner also, and she said, “No, …..” but the rest was hard to understand. So I just said “thank you.”
That’s all for today.
· Pray for Nok’s wife and family, for comfort above and beyond what might be expected.
· Pray again that I can get some good rest tonight. The AC works in my room here plus there is a ceiling fan that seems to work well. Plus, the mattress seems to be a little softer.
· Pray, of course, for my flight and prep for Friday and Saturday.
· Pray for my continued health and strength.
I will upload a couple of picture. One is of Nok an his wife.
NOTE: Weak internet here. Pictures may not send. But use old link to check. If not, I hope to be able to send tomorrow from Lagos.
By His grace,
Steve
CLICK HERE to see photos