Miango Ministry

I was in Miango (Plateau State Nigeria) from 4-10 January 2011 doing some Bible talks for the SIM annual Spiritual Life Conference. What follows is a daily blog from those days.

Sun 2 Jan.
Left Singapore at 11pm for London. Slept well and watched Agora which is an interesting movie re the spread of Christianity in Alexandria C5.

Mon 3 Jan.
Largely spent in the luxury of the Qantas lounge in London – frankly indulging myself. Overnight flight to Abuja: asleep before take off and waking just an hour before landing.

Tues 4 Jan
First day on this second visit to Nigeria. A vehicle breakdown meant a long wait in Abuja (during which a guest house hostess thoughtfully provided a bed for some catch up sleep) and then a late trip up in the company of the youth ministry team. Settled into a sparse but adequate ‘villa’ which I had to myself. Slept before 10pm and only woke once before arising at 6am.

Wed 5 Jan
First day on the job.

As people arrived for the conference my brother Peter arranged for three Nigerian friends to take us on a district tour. This included the site where Christianity first arrived among this tribe, a hydro-power station in the middle of nowhere – but non functional since July due to a blocked water intake and a picturesque but polluted waterfall. Also did my first talk (Jer 1). My theme title is ‘Confidence in the Lord, confidence in his word’ and I’m looking to encourage people to persist in word-based ministry.

Before I spoke an American doctor gave testimony to his experience during a home invasion during which he was shot and held for 48 hours until ransom was paid. After treatment, he returned to the field to keep serving as a surgeon. But then the doctor who prayed for him had also been shot in such an invasion. These people know suffering for the Lord in a way that I do not. Yet I will speak on suffering for the Lord in a talk from Jer 20 on Friday.

I think there’s about 200 all-up at this conference. For many, it’s the annual spiritual tonic much as Spurgeon Sabbatical at Gordon-Conwell has been for me. That motivates me to push myself and prioritise so I feed them from the word as well as I can.

Meanwhile at home: Glenda dealt with the movers who came to take our goods for shipping to Sydney and then started the clean up. Her heroism is quiet and supportive.

Thurs 6 Jan
Second talk, making two back to back evening / morning. The pace now steadies to one a day, leaving plenty of time for one on one talks plus some of my own projects. Its dry season here which means dryness and lots of airborne dust. That’s irritating my sinus as well as leaving my tropics-adapted skin needing plenty of moisturizer.

Fri 7 January 2011
People tell me that I’m being useful in the talks. One evidence of that to me is that good one on one conversations are opening up on issues arising. I guess this is so, but I’m also conscious of the privilege of being here and listening to these people.

There are so many rich stories of grace in people’s lives and being worked through them. Eg: at testimony time last night ‘Ray’ spoke of an early life of abandonment and crime being now turned into usefulness for the Lord in prison ministry in Nigeria. And heroism ... eg, any number of these folk staying here despite being victims of home invasions, robbery and shootings. Eg, an 80 year old man still serving on the mission field even after his wife died some years back.

I spoke on suffering today from Jeremiah 20. But these people are the ones who speak from experience, not boastfully but just with a sense of this is what happens and this is how God stood with them through it. I guess that my role is to help give a Biblical framework in which to understand and especially to cope with their sufferings.

I’m glad I came and consider that I gain more than I give.

Sat 8 January 2011

A cold wind blowing dust off the Sahara desert at night means an early evening retreat from outdoor activities for me and delaying my morning emergence.

Fourth talk today, from Jer 52 and tracing the theme of confidence in God’s word. After morning tea I attended a general briefing and discussion on security issues. There are real and rising concerns and I especially feel for the young families and single women.

I also wandered through the graveyard attached to the conference centre. The silent wander between rows of graves from new borns and infants makes me appreciate the cost that some pay to fulfil their calling. Likewise with the graves of adults in their 30s and 40s. Jesus warned about taking up our cross to follow him and I guess this is the other side of it. How many of us waste our lives in temporal trivialities when the eternal cause awaits our best years and energies?

Sun 9 Jan

Final talk linking Jer 31 to the new covenant in Heb 8 etc. The Korean pastor who conducted the communion made a nice link from the sermon to the sacrament. Farewells etc and was touched by a number who came and spoke of my material being Biblical, relevant, within grasp and useful. Slow trip to Abujah by road (2-7pm) due to an enforced doubling back. Several road blocks along the way slowed things even more and a there was a soldier’s gun near my face a few times over. Spent the night in a church guest house with no dinner available. Glad to be still and have an early sleep before the flights up to London and down to Singapore. Thus end my first mission trip for 2011 and thus also ends my last preaching until late July.

Heard that ten people were killed yesterday in violence near the area where I was staying. A grim reminder of the daily realities for those who stay behind.