Chairman’s Report for July 22, 2022

In this issue of the newsletter
Update: Land purchased for permanent home for Nigerian orphanage
New: Fence repairs, new electrical and plumbing needed
Update: Christian summer camp in Jordan has been changing lives since 1974
New: Working on Capitol Hill during Nancy Pelosi’s TV show

Land purchased for new orphanage site

Funds transferred: We have purchased a one-hectare (2.5 acres) site for the new orphanage location inside of Jos City. Christian orphans traumatized when their homes were destroyed and their parents killed by Sunni Muslim extremists such as the Boko Haram will now be safe.

All the orphans were terrorized when our orphanage, located in the more rural area west of Jos, was attacked last August. Our farm in Miango was also destroyed by Sunni Muslim Fulani Herdsmen. The children escaped with only the clothing they were wearing.

Everything in the orphanage was burned and all buildings made unusable and beyond repair.

Because of the trauma to the children and the danger, rebuilding in Miango was not possible. Although land inside of Jos city is much more costly, the move to a city this size is necessary to keep the children safe.

Jos is over 90% Christian, and it is a city of about 900,000. The property location is excellent.

We are working with other organizations in Jos including a Christian trauma treatment center. The teachers at the orphanage are receiving training on helping the children to heal from the trauma they have endured, with faith that Christ stands with them.

Favorable exchange rate: The purchase was made in Nigerian currency which is the Naira. The cost of the land including fees was 88,600,000 Naira. The “official” exchange rate would have been $231,303 USD. We did a lot of shopping for banks and legal currency traders and negotiated an exchange rate that allowed us to buy the land for $142,000.

Originally, the exchange rate was not affordable. Continuous bargaining and a lot of prayer reduced the cost in U.S. dollars. The generous support of our prayer partners and supporters made the purchase possible.

What next: We purchased three separate properties, two of which were occupied and have good fencing. The largest of the three was not occupied and fencing and existing structures need repair. With much prayer and the Grace of our Lord the funds were made available to purchase the land. Now your prayers and support are needed to have the children safely moved into the new facility. Here are the immediate needs:

New fencing 2,300,000 Naira Re-Roofing of 5 buildings 10,000,000 Naira
Install modern wiring, plumbing 5,000,000 Naira Additional costs 3,000,000 Naira

If we can obtain the same exchange rate of 600 Naira to the dollar we received for the land purchase, the 20,000,000 Naira needed would be about $33,333 USD.

Not immediately, but somewhat later, 7,000,000 Naira will also be needed for another bore hole for water and construction of offices.

My plans are to move forward at a steady pace and get the needed work done. Other programs, such as Diapers for Refugees, have needs as well. I will not stretch our financial condition by moving too fast. A lot has been accomplished just to purchase the land.

Existing buildings: The existing buildings will furnish more space for the children than they had in the rented building. Over the next few years, the structures will be expanded in a slow and deliberate manner. Additional classrooms will also be built. All that is in the future.

What is important now is that we have a new home for the children that is safely within the borders of a major Christian city. The location is just east of a major multi lane highway. Because Jos is a Christian majority city, it is more westernized that more northern cities where Sharia is the law. There is a Domino’s Pizza not far from our new location.

The location in Jos will also allow us to help find employment for orphans that age out and have the ability to care for themselves.

Wish I could be there: I really wanted to be present for the actual land purchase and signing of the documents, but I had previously agreed to several meetings in Jordan and Iraq.

There is also the issue of the proper use of funds. The money for a third trip to Nigeria could be better used to help the children move to the new location.

Please pray for the orphans and the workers as they clean existing buildings, do repairs and move out of the rented space to the new permanent home of the orphanage.

Christian Summer Camp in Jordan

I am really excited to visit Camp **** (name redacted for security) in Jordan this year. Because of the Covid-19 lockdowns, I was unable to inspect our missions in Jordan and Iraq in 2020 and 2021. During that time a lot has been done to enhance Camp ****.

Last year and this year the Religious Freedom Coalition paid for upgrades at Camp ****. So far this year, we have invested just a few dollars shy of $11,000 to replace deteriorating things such as mattresses, and for other upgrades.

The water system and new tanks we installed more than a decade ago are state of the art and have held up well. The camera systems we installed for security several years ago were also state of the art and continue to work well.

The physical aspects provide for the spiritual aspects of the camp.

We want to support the camp and make it comfortable and safe for the children, so that they can focus on the spiritual change that is offered. Most of the children come from homes that are officially Catholic or Orthodox. In the evangelical setting that is provided, a personal relationship with the Lord is emphasized.

No attempt is made to have children or families change churches. The purpose of the camp is to increase the spirituality of the children and their understanding of the Lord, regardless of the church setting of the family. We do not want to cause discord in the church family.

Something big this year: For the first time, 50 Christian children from the West Bank towns of Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour will be bused to Camp ****.

Because of travel restrictions imposed on Palestinians, this will be the first time they have been able to travel this far from their homes. Special permissions were required. The United States and other Western nations treat Christian Palestinians as possible terrorists, simply because they are Palestinians.

I have a friend in Bethlehem who has a daughter and grandchildren in California. He will never be able to visit them because he is a police officer employed by the Palestinian Authority. No Palestinian Christians have ever been involved in a terror attack.

Syrian children at Camp ****: In 2018 and 2019 a small number of Christian refugee children from Syria were taken to the camp. The number of weeks Camp **** is open has been expanded this year to allow time to bring in more Syrian Christian refugee children.

There are about 250,000 Christians in Jordan. Camp **** has a profound effect on the Christian families whose children attend. It is a generational effect. Camp **** has changed lives, and I have seen the results in adults I have met.

The camp was founded in 1974 – This year some children at Camp **** are the grandchildren of couples who met when they were counselors at Camp **** decades ago. This place changes lives for the better and we are a part of it. Please pray for the success of Camp **** this year.

Diapers for Refugees

Iraq July mission: The week you receive this newsletter in the mail, I will probably either be in Iraq or on my way back to the United States.

I will actually have one more workday than planned in Jordan because the United States dropped the Covid-19 test requirement for re-entry. Being required to take a Covid-19 test just 24 hours in advance of a return flight to the United States would really mean that the better part of a day was lost.

The extra day I will have in Jordan allows me to spend more time at Camp **** and to interact with those receiving diapers in towns near Amman.

The diaper program continues to be a blessing for Christians in Jordan, Iraq and the West Bank.

Work on Capitol Hill: What a mess. We are in an election cycle, so both parties must put on shows. Because ultra-rich, multi-millionaire liberal Nancy Pelosi controls the House, she gets to present the biggest show.

Her show is the January 6th Committee effort to go after former President Trump. She wants her TV show on prime time every night. Obviously, she and the Democrat party consultants think this will win congressional seats during the mid-term elections in November.

Doing this kind of show didn’t work for Newt Gingrich when he tried to impeach President Bill Clinton in 1998 and it will not work for Nancy Pelosi. Why? January 6, 2021 is in the past and most Americans want it to stay there while the nation moves on.

Conversations on the Hill: In the past month I have been talking about the situation in Nigeria to Senators. Just in June, I spoke with Senator John Barrasso (R-WV) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) about the situation in Nigeria.

I am making the point that Nigeria needs to be re-classified as a CPC or Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom. I also make sure candidates I talk to are willing to fight the “wokeness” that is infecting our culture.

I am spending as much time as possible with social conservative candidates running for election to the Senate. I want to let them know that millions of Christians like you and me want Senators who will fight for traditional values. I met with JD Vance who is running as a Republican for the seat in Ohio. He is the author of best seller Hillbillie Elegie and other books. He has a great message on traditional values and is a constant critic of the new “woke” culture.

William J. Murray, President