Beloved in Christ Jesus,
Greetings from Nigeria. We (myself, brother Dele Shotola, and two of SWSE students) traveled on Thursday morning, May 7 2015 boarding Benue link to Takum town in Taraba state by 8:00 a.m. and we stopped at Markudi in Benue state by 8:30 p.m. to spend the night. Early Friday, we continued our preaching trip to Takum via Buruku and Wukari River and we landed at Lissam town by 4:00 p.m.
By 5:00 p.m., I addressed the thirty-five WBS students from five local governments in Taraba state and a neighboring country, Cameroon on “Obedience, The Master Key,” while brother Isaac Ibrahim, who was converted last November along with seven of his household and two of the other WBS students of B. Wolfe-BCC TX 026, served as my interpreter and brother Dele Shotola, one of my fellow WBSFUW in the South Western state of Nigeria, declared the program opened by short prayer.
On Saturday morning, the much awaited WBS seminar for students and friends in five of the local governments in Taraba state was officially opened by opening speech from brother Isaac Ibrahim, a one time pastor at Restored Church of Christ in Nigeria who doubled as the WBS coordinator and the host minister, while I taught extensively for about three hours on the “Three Dispensations of The Bible” and also answered questions for about two hours before six of the twenty WBS students were baptized at a river which is about a thirty minute drive from Lissam town.
We were forty five in attendance. Twenty WBS students and twenty five friends.
On Sunday morning, brother Victor Yiron, one of the SWSE students, led in songs. I taught on “Worship that Pleases Jehovah,” while brother Dele Shotola admonished the saints at Lissam town on “Thy Will be done.” We were thirty five in attendance.
On Sunday evening, several Bible classes were conducted in Lissam and nearby villages where I and brother Dele Shotola , our host (brother Isaac Ibrahim) and some of the Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE) students studied with the extended family of brother Ibrahim (father of our host) and denominational friends from 3:00 p.m. through 9:30 p.m.
We left Lissam town early Monday morning by 8:00 a.m. via a charter van that passed through Jalingo to Gombe state to Abuja to Kogi to Akure and lastly to Ibadan city in Oyo state. We arrived at Ibadan by 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The whole exercise cost us the sum of N120,000=( N40,000 to Taraba state and N70,000 back home. N10,000 was spent on food, water, and benevolence during the Saturday WBS seminar for fueling the bike that was used to convene the six candidates for baptism).
The church at Lissam needs a place of worship and at least $75 monthly support for their preacher’s Bible School to train some of the zealous WBS students in this Northern part of Nigeria and a bike for brother Isaac Ibrahim for evangelism and follow-up, while the WBS students, over 2,000 of them, need Bibles for their studies.
One thousands copies of VOTI vol. 83 were freely distributed with some Mission Printing Materials during our mission trip to this Northern state of Nigeria starting from Benue state on Friday morning till Tuesday morning in Kogi state.
Brethren, we thank the Almighty God for counting us useful in His kingdom and we appreciate our dear brother Doug Wheeler and associates for funding this mission trip to the Northern part of Nigeria. Lastly, we thank you all for your partnership in this soul winning program.
May the Lord keep on using each and every one of us for His glory in Jesus Christ name, Amen.
I remain yours in His Grace As A Servant,
Makinde Ebenezer Olufemi (Director of Studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan & Lagos campus, Nigeria