May/June '15

On the last Sunday of May, almost exactly ten years after our family arrived in Nigeria, Grace & Glory Baptist Church celebrated its Grand Opening service with 80 in attendance [pictured]. This is the second church in which our family is personally involved. For six months, we held Bible studies in a home until eleven families were ready to start the new work. We are meeting in the banquet hall of a hotel inside the city of Abuja and have begun evening services immediately.

On the last Sunday of June, Truth Baptist Church celebrated its first-ever Family Day. This was a rescheduling of our anniversary service (usually held in May) and also a celebration of the completed work for our auditorium expansion. We had plenty of special music, refreshments after the services, and two photographers ready to take family photos [ours with Sabrina's Mom] of all in attendance.  Putting the enlarged auditorium to good use, it was the first time Truth Baptist Church had over 300 in a regular Sunday morning service!

For weeks, my wife and kids had been counting down the days until my mother-in-law arrived in the middle of June. This was her 3rd visit to Nigeria and her longest stay, more than 3 weeks. My children's "Nana" witnessed TBC's Family Day, two Sunday services at our new church, and spoke for the ladies' fellowship [pictured] as they gathered one afternoon in our home. It was a sweet, fun-filled, and refreshing time for our family, and we made a new friend as a young lady from one of our supporting churches accompanied Sabrina's mom on her trip.

On our survey trip almost 10 1/2 years ago, an assistant pastor (to the veteran missionary with whom we would be working) named David Amos [pictured] conducted in his native tongue an outdoor service beside a stream for a village chapel, and then I had the memorable experience of baptizing several new converts as the village elders looked on. In 2011, not long after Bro. David became the pastor of that chapel, he went to Heaven and left behind his wife and two wonderful boys. The life of a widow is unimaginable in third world countries, but I have watched with amazement at how Mrs. Amos has provided for herself and her children, has saved to buy land, and has worked and sacrificed to get a house to the level of roofing, which is the most expensive part of the home. She needs help, and I wish to ask our supporting churches and praying friends to give through us the $2000 needed to put a quality roof on this widow's house. Anything raised above the required amount will be used to add windows, doors, ceilings, and electrical work for the Amos family.