Nigeria

(click to view this on-line to see the video)

In December, Margaret Hill and I were in Nigeria helping to lead a Trauma Healing workshop. We heard heart-breaking stories of the cycles of violence between Muslims and Christians that have enveloped Plateau state. 

We reconnected with Pastor Ishaku who we first met in 2002. His church had been burned down and many people lost their lives in the attack. In the intervening 8 years, two more of his churches have been burned down, but he says, "You get used to it," and "Nothing can separate us from the love of God." "Still," he says, "it's difficult to see a church woman now a widow and her only son now with both arms amputated in an attack. He was her hope, a brilliant university student. Now what?" We had not heard from Ishaku for years, but he has been using the trauma healing materials extensively in his ministry.

Stefanos Foundation is a Nigerian organization that is responding to the critical situation with trauma healing, medical help, food and shelter, and advocacy to the world to stop the violence. They hold up the example of Stephen (Acts 7) who forgave his attackers. The video is from the dedication of Stefanos's first clinic and ambulance. The man speaking is a community health nurse who goes into villages that have been attacked, documents what happened, does triage, and gets the severely injured to a hospital. If they go too quickly (as has happened), they risk getting attacked themselves. And they have to be careful to get the victims to a Christian hospital for care, and avoid ambushes along the way (as has happened).  Between caring for victims of attacks, the clinic will provide normal health care. 

But there has not been much down time. Since December, the number of attacks has escalated. Some have made the news, but many have not. Please pray that the violence would stop, that God would intervene, that governments--both national and the international community--would take the measures necessary to ensure safety for all. And pray for the Christians living out their faith on the front lines, that they would have wisdom from above and grace to forgive and not take vengeance into their own hands. And for Stefanos Foundation. (More details available if you're interested.)