Bless you for your prayers and concern.
How can reading a tract by a Nigerian brother over 700 km from its source lead to God answering prayer for our permanent residency in that land?
Because brother Yinnkah contacted the West Africa Theological Seminary in Lagos and learned that they had an opening for a lecturer in systematic theology. He informed me, I viewed their website, and sent off an email of inquiry. Literally ten minutes later a meeting was scheduled on April 4th, the exact day Patti and I first set foot in Nigeria back in 1998.
It wasn’t really an interview per se, more like being reunited with dear friends that instantly we felt like we had known for years. I shared my books with them and they rejoiced at the emphasis. In short, the hand of God in orchestrating our meeting was evident to all and I will be teaching BA and Masters level students beginning in August while Patti will share the Word of God with the female staff and assist in the library.
They have a very nice 2 bedroom staff apartment that is reserved for us right next door to a lovely Christian couple, Mark and Marybeth, the American administrators of the school. It is the only accredited non-denominational seminary in Nigeria. Their emphasis is upon discipleship as opposed to turning out “pastors” to fill slots in the existing denominational settings.
As a result of this development, we returned to the USA in mid-May in order to file our paperwork with the Nigerian Embassy in Atlanta. That process has thankfully been completed and we have our residency visas in hand. We return to Nigeria on June 2nd where we will get situated at the school prior to heading for two weeks to share the Word with brethren in five different locations in central Nigeria.
After that, we will spend time with the brethren in Ibadan prior to heading for two weeks of sharing the Scriptures with the brethren in Sierra Leone beginning July 3rd. Upon return, final preparations will be made for the upcoming classes resuming in August with about 400 students on campus from all parts of Nigeria and other surrounding West African nations. We are so grateful to God for listening to all our prayers. Bless His name forevermore.
Oh, and what occupied us for the past two months? Discipleship from morning to night, counseling couples, recording 150 hymns for our online songbook project, printing 2,500 copies of some of my book titles, weeks of Bible teaching in Abuja, Asaba, Abakaliki, and Onitsha, encouraging brethren in many home churches and local assemblies, and sharing the gospel of Christ with many individuals.
And now we are ready for more. Brethren, pray for us.
Much love, Steve and Patti