LAST LESSONS #99 – NIGERIA

 “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth you possession.” Psalm 2:8 

The story of how God put Rafiki in Nigeria is fascinating to me and to some others—especially Karen Elliott who is part of the story. It began when Bob and I and my brother Don and Bette McEachern went from Ghana to Nigeria for a couple of days in 1989. Our hosts in Jos, Nigeria, were Nancy and Bill Sands who were SIM (Sudan Inland Mission) missionaries. Our trip’s goal was to visit the BSF classes that were in an ECWA (Evangelical Church of West Africa—later named Evangelical Church Winning Africa) church. Although Rafiki was not discussed during that short trip, plans were made for me to return the next year to meet Panya Baba, the president of ECWA, to discuss how Rafiki could assist ECWA in their ministry to Nigerians. ECWA was the largest denomination in Nigeria (numbering more than six million members), and I was to meet their president! Imagine that! 

When I went the next year (1990), I went again to the city of Jos. Jos is in the middle of Nigeria and most people there are Christians. As a matter of fact, JOS stands for “Jesus Our Savior.” To this day Jos stands between the Muslim and the Christian parts of Nigeria.

I went to meet Panya Baba prepared to offer the names of two Rafiki missionaries (Karen Elliott and Alan Schmautz) who could work for ECWA. I expected to meet a big strong man dressed in regal robes. Instead, I found a small gentle man who welcomed us warmly. When Panya Baba heard that we could send a banker (Karen Elliott) to him, he literally went down on his knees in front of me and said that they had been praying for a person who could set up a credit union for the church. Could she do that? When I said “yes” he was almost in tears with gratitude. He was also thrilled with Alan Schmautz, a photographer, who could publish the church’s much-needed newsletter. Immediately Rafiki and ECWA became partners, and the church began the process of registering Rafiki as an NGO in Nigeria.

It didn’t take Karen long to raise her support and leave for Jos where she quickly became the treasurer of the whole ECWA denomination! Alan and his family also went to Jos and worked for ECWA where they were greatly appreciated. And of course, they taught BSF classes! Karen remained as a Rafiki missionary in Nigeria for the next ten years and Rafiki and ECWA flourished with her help.

But I learned something about leadership from Panya Baba—he showed me a beautiful picture of zeal bathed in humility. His total dependence on God for the needs of his church was a lesson I needed for Rafiki, and to this day, I am most grateful for Panya Baba.

Years later in 1999 when Rafiki received funds to open an orphanage in Africa, Nigeria was poised to receive it. In Nigeria, we had missionaries, and Rafiki had been registered as an NGO. All we needed was government’s blessing and land.

Karen set up a meeting for me with Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau State to discuss the possibility of a place for Rafiki to start a Rafiki Children’s Center. The meeting was very formal and most impressive. The room and furnishings were ornate and beautiful. The governor and I sat at one end of the room on a sofa. On both sides of the room were seated the governor’s cabinet, tribal chiefs, and aides. After some formal speeches the governor asked me what I wanted. I told him that we wanted land on which to build an orphanage. He stated that he would give us land, gifts were exchanged, a friendship was begun.

I learned that Christian government officials make helping countries with their needs fun and exciting!

The next trip to Nigeria was in 2000. We went to see the land that Governor Dariye had in mind for Rafiki, but much to our dismay, squatters had built their homes and planted their crops on it. The governor and we were disappointed, but God had a better way. The Paramount Chief of the Rukuba tribe, Adamu Adiwu heard of our need, already knew that squatters were on the land promised us and came to our rescue. This most intriguing man had heard of the possibility of an orphanage, and said he had some land that his father had left him that he would give Rafiki! Amazing!

When we went back the next year, we got the full story of Adamu’s inheritance. Adamu told us that on his deathbed his father had told him that missionaries had come and brought the gospel and educated him so when he died he wanted his land to be given to missionaries who would start a Christian school. And that is exactly what Rafiki, by God’s grace, would do!

On that trip, we had taken John Chunn, a lawyer on Rafiki’s Board, so on October 25, 2001 a memorandum of understanding was signed transferring 30 acres of the chief’s land to Rafiki. Bill Joslin and his family were sent as missionaries and a contractor was hired to start the work of building. It was a huge job for Africa to build 18 cottages, a dining hall, and missionary residences and took some time.

I will never forget the day before the dedication in 2003. As the sun was setting a truck pulled up in front of the gate with 20 children in the back. They were all orphans who had traveled five hours to be dropped off to live at the new Rafiki orphanage. We could not take them because the government required that they be placed by the Nigerian Ministry of Social Welfare. My heart broke as I watched these children being driven away in the night in the back of that truck. At that time, there were estimated to be ten million orphans in Nigeria.

As the Rafiki orphanage grew, it became apparent that we would need more land. Dear Adamu came to our rescue again and sold us 13 more acres right across the road at a low price. What would we have done if God had not provided Paramount Chief Adamu Adiwu? I am grateful for his visits to the US to see us, and for his continued friendship.

There is one more person that I must mention before ending this story of Nigeria. His name is Jonah Jang. He became the governor of Plateau State in 2007. In God’s providence, Jonah had been a substitute teaching leader in BSF and I had met him at a BSF retreat in Africa. Naturally we became friends and in his official position Jonah did a number of things to help Rafiki. He provided a paved road and a bridge to the Rafiki Village. He drilled solar-powered water wells and provided water storage tanks for Rafiki. He also provided funds for computers for teacher trainees. What a wonderful leader Plateau State had in Jonah Jang.

God is omnipotent and he alone could have put a Rafiki Village in Jos, Nigeria. Instead, he used church leaders, governors, and a tribal chief to make it happen.

What I learned was that it pays to know people in high places!

But it is most important to know the ONE in the highest place of all. And HE gets all the glory.