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"More valuable information about certain critical issues than you'd find in the New York Times!" - John Bongiorno, WorldServe |
SUMMER ISSUE 2022
  On a beautiful Saturday in June we gathered at the Leaders Training Academy outside Jos to dedicate the newly arrived WorldServe deep water drilling rig. It seemed almost unreal to see this massive, more than 30 ton truck sitting outside the Leaders Training Academy warehouse after so many months of anticipating its' arrival. Bakari Bunga delivered a challenging message that was a call to all of us to dedicate our lives to the mission and purpose the new drilling rig represented. Immediately afterwards, Peter Fretheim had everyone gather to offer a prayer of thanks and equally, a prayer that this truck will be instrumental in bringing hope and renewed life to areas of the country where scarcity of clean water is critical. In many of these areas, providing access to safe water is conflict mitigating and bridge-building between warring factions.  Illus. Peter Fretheim's map marking some of first borehole well sites using the new drilling rig. "We will be training up a skilled team during our first borehole installations, and will also be in development with our water surveying capabilities. Water surveying is critical in Northern Nigeria especially, and as our team becomes proficient, we will be able to offer this service as a way of building sustainability that will help fund many additional wells." - Peter Fretheim, Aug. 19, 2022  photo: Zoom call with Peter Fretheim and David Bongiorno August 19 planning first 30 borehole wells.   Photo: Lee Cantelon speaking at the church dedication June 12; Joel Haruna translating into Hausa. Sunday, June 12, was a milestone in our involvement in missions in Nigeria as a new church was dedicated in one of the northern states. This is an area that was once bypassed due to insecurity, turmoil, and conflict between warring tribal and religious groups. Five years ago, when we first visited the region, the idea of building a Christian church in this location with members of other religions as well as tribalists attending and participating in its dedication would have been thought utterly impossible. But as someone once said,"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." I thought of this quote as I stepped to the pulpit to say a few words that Sunday afternoon, and how it might also be said, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your limitations." In all of the nine missions Microboard supports we have learned that we can never impose our human limitations on a limitless God. The limitlessness of God has been proven on so many occasions and circumstances. I think Michael Kurams put it best when I visited with him during this same June trip (see later in this issue) when he described his mission as being about "faith overcoming fear." Michael was talking about overcoming the fear of living and working inside a conflict zone. But sometimes our fears are more subtle, and we are called to overcome the fear of the "impossible". On Sunday, June 12, the dedication of the new church was a vivid example of God's limitlessness, and we all felt His smile.  Photo: A Sandy's Helper with one of her goats at a start-up farm in Miango, June 20. On Monday, June 6, we attended the first Sandy's Helpers event, bringing together 65 of the more than one hundred women who are the first members of the Sandy's Helpers program. Sandy's Helpers was begun by the wife of Microboard founder, Craig Hoekenga, in the summer of 2021, helping disadvantaged widows and single mothers to start small farms. Miriam Fretheim (pictured below) spoke about this new mission from the Hope & Freedom Centre in Jos:  This aspect of Sandy's Helpers is what makes this such an exciting initiative. With assistance from a small business administration team that is part of the Hope & Freedom Centre and the Leah Foundation, the women in Sandy's Helpers are grouped into collectives that help sponsor other women. The numbers multiply as Sandy's Helpers assist new members to take part. Veterinarian, Dr. Ikita, oversees the animal's needs and teaches humane practices and animal husbandry. On our last day in country, we had the opportunity to visit five or six farms outside Jos, and see firsthand just how successful this program is becoming. A waiting list is already filled with names of women who will be part of the second group of Sandy's Helpers and their numbers are growing every day.  Photo: Poster with 16 of the first one hundred Sandy's Helpers photographed in Jos, June 6, 2022. From top left (row by row) are pictured: Talatu David, Juliana Ibrahim, Ruth Emmanuel, Comfort Garba, Lynda Gyang, Esther Samuel, Lucy Matthew, Cecilia Mohammed, Tabitha Mallam Pam, Suzan Pankut, Martina Pwajock, Patience James, Esther Badung, Regina C. Pam, Jummai Aoe, and Sarah Wena.    Photo: Timothy Team gathering at the Baptist Guest House in Jos, June 14, 2022. June 14th we had a chance to get together with all of the members of the Timothy Team in Nigeria, young men and women who are active in City Ministries and will be part of carrying its' mission forward. Many of these outstanding young people have grown up from within the ministry, and all of them share one, united call to serve. We are looking forward to their participation in our missions meetings here at Microboard and seeing them connect with our "generation-next" who are answering a similar call to service in missions. Pictured are Hunter Fretheim, Peter Nehemiah, Emmanuel Julius, Sibi Peter, Joshua Akwai, Khadija Mohammed, Samson Nuhu, Patience John, Joseph Dazang Moses, James Adeyemi Ajagbe, Raymond Bello, Theophilus Jesse Liman, Wasiu Ganiu, Joseph Robert, and Elisha Akwai.  special video: TO NIGERIA WITH LOVE 
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THE CALL MAGAZINE SUMMER EDITION NO. ONE