-•• • • •• • • • • ••• May, 2008 -•• • •• ••- -- - ••• • • --

There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming.
Luke 18:2-5

Greetings to you from the country of Nigeria!

He-lo'…he-lo'…he-lo'? Are you hearing me?

Every week we receive calls from Nigeria and the start of the phone conversation is always the same. For some reason it seems like phone calls have a hard time getting over all that water in the Atlantic Ocean. We receive phone calls at all times, usually in the middle of the night, and they cannot afford very many minutes so it is usually a greeting and then a good-bye with an admonishment for us to call right back. Les has spent over 45 minutes just trying to get through due to bad connections. It can be frustrating sometimes, yet the wait is well worth it to hear their voices and learn of the latest news from Nigeria.

Air France Runaround

Just recently we received word from Air France that a reimbursement on the unused portion of our tickets would not be possible. You can imagine that we were not all that pleased by the news. It is our intention to try and ask for further consideration. We really were not satisfied with the reason given. On three different occasions we have complied with all the information they have requested. Now Air France stated, “that medical (hospitalization) consideration can be given only to tickets issued in the United States and travel must begin in the U.S.”. It is our desire to get better clarification and see if there is any potential possibility for further options. We are taking the stance of the persistent widow to plead our case and, at least, get a forthright response. It does seem to us that we did a lot of unnecessary work to just get this kind of generic response.

Faith Bible College and Seminary

We wanted to take a little time to introduce you to one of the ministries that has been very helpful to Laborers With Christ in Nigeria. FABICOS (Faith Bible College and Seminary) is a non-denominational Bible college that trains men and women for ministry. Over the last five years we have gotten to know them very well and the commitment and diligence of the staff and students has been very inspiring to us. Many of these students literally live on a budget of under $5.00 dollars a week, and due to high unemployment, it is very difficult to find part-time work. Laborers With Christ just recently offered six scholarships (2 Basics, 2 Associates, and 2 Bachelors) for students to try and encourage them in the calling they have from the Lord. The amazing thing about this is that based upon the course, from $45.00 to $75.00 we can sponsor a student for the entire school year. This is one full year of Bible College! Presently the student body at FABICOS is approximately 50 students. We thought perhaps there are some interested who would enjoy helping provide for a Bible student. If this is a need that you would be interested in helping meet, please contact us and we will share more details

On a personal note

We have a couple of events coming in June that we are excited about. Josiah, our oldest son, will be graduating from High School. Since we home school, our calendar is a little more flexible than most. His reception will be on June 14th, and we are very thankful to the Lord for the work He is doing in his life. Josiah’s future plans are not clear at this point, and he is praying for direction and clarification. Contrary to popular belief, we have encouraged him to take his time and wait upon the Lord for His perfect will. If your location is such that you can come to his reception, you are certainly invited to attend.

On June 11th we have the four month doctor’s visit for Jonathan’s back. We have been very blessed to see how well the recovery process has gone. We know he is tired of listening to the warnings and cautions of his parents. Hopefully the doctor will allow more freedom and remove a number of the restrictions that will make life more enjoyable. Please keep both of them in your prayers.

Please sir, we need more seed...

Every time we return to Nigeria, this is a popular request. It may surprise you, but seed is not even available to the majority of the population. Those who can afford the seed have friends and relatives send it from other countries. We wish we could adequately describe how much of an impact just one package of seed makes when we put it in the hands of a needy individual. While we were in Nigeria this last trip (late March-early April) the latest concern was rising food costs. The issue of increased cost for oil is affecting economies around the world. Nigerians are spending anywhere from 45-65% of their income on food. Just today we talked with a Nigerian friend (Rev. Armstrong) and he shared that rice in a 50 kilo bag cost 5000 Nihra (about $42.00) a year ago, and now it costs 12500 Nihra (about $104.00). He also shared that rice is probably second to cassava in consumption and the majority of it is imported into the country. We really feel that FAAGRIC is becoming more and more of a vital need to help deal with this huge problem.

This will be the last month for seeding seed for this years growing season. We are very grateful for the response we have received and we praise God for the way He touches hearts to make a difference for others in a far away land. Now that we are in our third year of research, we feel we are getting a handle on what will do well and what this particular culture of people enjoy eating. Please keep your eyes open for specials as the seed goes on sale, and below is an updated list that will help give you a better idea of what is useful.

This month’s special something

While we were living in Nigeria, we had a number of living challenges. Some of these were minor inconveniences; others were huge roadblocks that frustrated us on regular occasions. Probably the hardest adjustment for us was having no regular mode of transportation. All our shopping, working on the farm, and even attending church was usually accomplished by walking. There were times arrangements were made to collect us and go by car, but most of the time we would walk about three miles by the time we got there and back to our home. We will be the first to say; walking is good for you, but oh how nice it would have been to just hop in the van and go. Another part of this frustration was depending on others in a culture that is not so dependable (for our Nigerian friends who are reading this, please don’t be offended). Many times we sat waiting for our “transport” to come, and after 2-3 hours of waiting either it would finally arrive or we would change back into more comfortable clothing and risk needing to change again if they did show up.

We realize we come from such a mobile society…while the truth is the majority of the world is getting to most places on foot alone. Les remembers a time in India when it was necessary to hire a taxi and we had a couple of young men with us (new converts about 16-18 years of age) who had never ridden in a car!! It is now very special for us to just hop in the van and go here or go there. We praise God for dependable transportation. We do still walk once in a while, but now it is a choice, and not out of necessity.

Another testimony of making a difference

Sunday Okorie is a wonderful example of what one can accomplish through God’s provision and being diligent in all circumstances. This last visit Sunday shared with us how he believes if not for the FAAGRIC program, his mother would have died! His Mother, who is blind, experienced a small stroke, and he had no means to get medical attention. What he did instead was to radically change her diet and nurse her back to health based on what Catherine teaches in her physiological nutrition lectures. For those who are curious about the source of some of Catherine’s material on this subject two good books are Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman at www.drfuhrman.com and God’s Way to Ultimate Health by Rev. George Malkmus at www.hacres.com.

Sunday shared that the transformation was amazing and he has now started to counsel others who have health problems. It is a blessing to see how the Lord has used FAAGRIC to impact Sunday’s family and the surrounding village. Every time we visit his home the compound is full of containers with lush vegetation. These are once again an example of his effort and diligence to those around his home. One interesting note about Sunday is his hunger for knowledge. This past graduation Sunday was asked to share about his mother and we also used some of his plants for demonstration. Sunday shared about each plant, and from memory gave the scientific name and the vitamin content. It was very impressive to all who witnessed the occasion. We also have recognized his hard work and godly attitude. For over a year, Sunday has been employed by FAAGRIC as a part-time staff member. Sunday does most of the cultivating, planting, and record keeping on the research farm.

IT IS SO ENCOUARGING TO HEAR FROM YOU AND LISTEN TOHOW MUCH YOU ENJOY THE DEROOS DRUMBEAT. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON HOW TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THEM WITH US.

• Please pray for regular and clear communication to those who are working with FAAGRIC in Nigeria.
• Please pray for wisdom as we try and have Air France reconsider their decision on our ticket reimbursements.
• Please pray for Josiah as he seeks the Lord’s direction for his life, and pray for Jonathan’s check up on the 11th of June.
• Pray for wisdom for future direction and timing in regards to returning to Nigeria.

God Bless you!
In His Love & Service,
Les, Catherine, Rachelle, Josiah, Zachery, & Jonathan