Chairman’s Report for May 17, 2024

In this issue of the newsletter
Update: Thriving children at Nigeria orphanage win gold medals for cycling!
Update: Life Enrichment at the Orphanage … New advantages for the children
New: New attacks in Bokkos and Mangu cause program difficulties
Update: Adult diaper program in Middle East continues as need grows

Good News First! Orphaned Children are Thriving!

Our orphanage recently entered a total of 18 youth into cycling competitions in Jos.

All the youth participating received cycling clothing from vendors advertising their products. The children are thriving after enduring the evacuation from our original orphanage site in Miango in August 2021 because of a Jihad attack.

Youth from the orphanage ages 13 to 15 participated in 8K and 16K races and other competitions. The competitions were open to boys and girls.

In all, the orphanage children received ten medals including three gold! All of the medals were awarded in the “under 15” category.

Sports are not the only area the children are excelling in now that they are in a safer home inside Jos City.

Various aspects of the orphanage are improving, but Jesus is still the center. Daily Bible lessons are part of the curriculum, and the chapel is used daily!

The below photos show some of the activities the children are participating in at the orphanage.

The first photos shows our students playing board games with guests from areas near the school. Visitors also regularly attend the Sunday services in the chapel!

The next photos show a girl’s baking class and some of the children at a computer learning center.

The last photos show some traditional skills being taught. Pictured is a boy’s furniture making class and a girl’s basket weaving class.

New attacks on Bokkos and Mangu cause program difficulties

Our Heart for the Persecuted Church program to assist rural families by giving them $10 per month, per child is facing difficulties because of continued attacks.

On the weekend of April 20th, the Sunni Muslim Fulani herdsmen again attacked areas in the Mangu and Bokkos districts. Officially in the last attack there were 18 killed.

I have two videos of the attacks in Bokkos that were made with cell phones by people behind shelter. People can be seen running from the gunfire.

On the soundtrack of the videos sent to me automatic gunfire can clearly be heard.

Civilians are not allowed to own guns of any type in Nigeria, not even shot guns. None of the Christian farmers are armed. Christian farmers would have to buy guns on the black market illegally.

An AK-47 similar to what the Fulani Herdsmen have would cost $1,200 to $1,500 on the black market. For most small farmers $1,200 is more than what they could make in a year.

If the authorities found out a farmer owned a weapon it would be confiscated, and the farmer would be arrested.

How do the Fulani keep their guns?

Authorities are afraid to challenge them, and the trained fighters are mostly nomadic. There is not a specific place to search for the weapons even if the authorities were willing to search. Even the army is afraid to deal with armed Muslims.

The work continues: Despite the attacks our newly formed team continues to work with tribal leaders to locate relatives of displaced children. Some families nearby can take in relative children once they understand there will be funds to help care for them.

The attacks are not stopping our efforts for the children!

What guidelines? The family must be associated with a church and attend on a regular basis. Interviews are being held to determine the commitment in the home to Jesus. The head of the family will be required to sign an agreement that the child will be in a Christian environment.

The farm

A farm was operated on land near our orphanage in Miango for a couple of years before the attack on it in August 2021.

The crops on the farmland we had rented were destroyed by the Fulani Herdsmen the same day they burned down the orphanage.

There is no open land near the current location inside Jos City for a farm, but we have managed to rent land just outside the city. Last year there was a very successful crop.

More was produced than could be used and some was given to a less fortunate small orphanage.

Once again, this year the children will have the opportunity to provide for themselves.

The farm isn’t just about providing food, it is also about promoting self-sufficiency. By preparing the land, sewing the seed, and harvesting the crops the children are helping to provide food for themselves and for others.

The children take turns working on the farm to instill important lessons of self-sufficiency in as many children as possible. Of course, the very youngest of the children do not participate.

We have already provided the funds for the farm this year. Please pray for a positive outcome for the farm this year.

Adult Diaper Program in the Middle East

Almost all of the Christians in the “West Bank” areas are unemployed. Many had jobs in Israel proper before the current war with Hamas. There are no safety nets under the Palestinian Authority. There are no unemployment checks, nothing.

The very impoverished elderly and disabled youth we were assisting in Bethlehem are even more desperate now.

Adi is an example of just one of the children we help. He is now 13 and has the mental age of a two-year-old. Because of a doctor’s error at birth, he suffered bleeding in the brain. He was never expected to graduate to slip on diapers from wrapping diapers.

With the prayers of those who love him he has learned to indicate that he wants to go to the bathroom although he cannot speak. He still needs the diapers during the day.

Most of the recipients of the slip-on diapers are adults in advanced years with severe medical conditions. Most of the West Bank facilities for disabled Christians have the ability to supply a bed and food, but not the expensive adult diapers. Family members are expected to bring diapers to the facility for their loved ones.

Many of these disabled elderly either have no family left in the West Bank or the families are no longer employed because of the ongoing war.

All those we support with diapers are Christians. Whatever aid the Palestinian Authority could afford is given to Muslims. Nothing is left for Christians who must care for each other.

The diaper program is also continuing in Iraq and Jordan. In Iraq there are many who suffered severely during the Islamic State invasion. They are incontinent either because of injuries suffered in explosions or they could not obtain medical care at a critical time during fighting.

In Iraq Christians are pushed to the back of the line when it comes to aid, often getting nothing. In Jordan we are assisting Iraqi and Syrian Christian refugees. It is not in the news cycle in America, but the Islamic State is still fighting the secular government of Syria, Please pray for the persecuted Christians around the world and for the safety of the newly orphaned children in Plateau State.