Hello everyone,
I apologize for not updating any of you in the last four
weeks. I have been busy and we had lost internet at the orphanage for two weeks
due to a lightning storm. While I was in Ika I could not talk about what I was
doing there. So now I will very briefly update you on what has happened in the
last four weeks. I went to Ika and was there for two weeks. I spend some time
with Spencer Dibble and his son-in-law Tom Wheeler and his grandson Benji
Wheeler. We were working on a secret project for Tom’s wife, Lois. We were
remodeling the kitchen and master bathroom. I also spent some time with Mr.
Dibble and sat and talked with him for hours on end. We also took some time to
fix Crystal’s sons bike. On the Sundays I was there, I was asked to speak. One of the Sundays, I went to a conference.
There was one woman who was there who was used to be a Muslim. She was afraid
that her family would kill her if she became Christian. Finally, she snuck away
to a church and talked to one of the elders. She left her family and went to
another part of the country so she could not be found by her family. I had a
great time there.
The next few weeks I went with Mepa Adejo on Evangelism. We went
to a village just off the Dekina road a little ways. With it being Ramadan
there were many Muslims who were not very happy, because they had no food in
their stomachs since early morning. Many of them told us to go away, some said
they would visit us, but never did. Many
of them young unmarried ladies, that want to marry a nice white man. Yeah that
would be me, all of them asking how my wife was in Igala.
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| Our evangelism group |
While I was with Mepa, I stayed at Mama Gross’ house, with
her daughters Esther Nordman and Ruth Carlson, who were there cleaning out the
house and taking their mothers things back to the US. I had a really good time there in the time I
spent there.
I have been working on a project of getting Igala words
together to be put in dictionary form. It has been a long process and it will
continue for a while as I continue to study the language in the US. I hope to
also put tone markings on each of the words, in order to make it so I can
understand it better and so that others who desire to learn the language can
also.
I decided to return to Otutulu on Saturday evening after I
went with Mepa. Normally, I would stay and speak at the chapel there, but this
time Daniel Edeh and his family were in Anyigba for the giving away of Mama
Grosses house to CMML Nigeria (a local denomination). So on Sunday, I went to
Abejekolo to visit a small church there with Daniel Edeh. It was an excellent
time fellowshipping with the believers there. We took about 8 of the kids from
the orphanage with us, because the church is very small. I believe it was a
great encouragement to them.
The week that followed I helped with work on the compound
and did some other things, played with the kids and worked on my language
study. In the evenings I would sit with some of the kids and talk and with my
good friend, Freeman Edeh. This last week, I spent many of my evenings with the
older Edeh kids, who are around my age. I helped them with office work and
talked with them. Last Sunday, I stayed in Otutulu to speak. I was thankful for
that opportunity.
I have some very exciting news. I was in Otutulu village
doing a week of Bible stories on the life of Joshua with a projector. Every
night we went there and told another part of the story of Joshua. One night
after finishing the story, one Muslim boy asked me a question and I explained
it to him. He continued to ask excellent questions. Finally, he said he wanted
to change his mind to Christianity. As it was late he told me to come the next
day to see him. I went the next afternoon; we talked for a while. I answered
questions then he asked me about the trinity. I tried my best, but I don’t
think it got through to him. Almost every day this week I have been to see him.
He is definitely a believer. His greatest fear was to tell his mother and
grandfather he was a Christian. He knows that they can kill him for that. He
also fears his brothers, who are not in the village right now. He went to his grandfather
on Wednesday and told him that he was a Christian. The grandfather simply told
him, that he did not believe it. I pray that he might be in the church
tomorrow, so that he can show his grandfather that he is serious about it. I gave
him an Igala Bible and an English Bible, so that he can understand the
scriptures better. We can praise God for what he has done. I only wish I could
stay and disciple him. I have given that job over to one young man who is eager
to do it, because he is so happy that this boy, his friend has finally become a
Christian. I myself cannot even say it was anything that I did, but it was
fully the work of God, I praise Him for what He has done. As I came back from
the village after the boy had told me that he was a Christian that he knew that
Jesus died on the cross for his sins and that he wanted to follow after him, tears
of joy rolled down my cheeks. Even if it was for this one boy who came to know
Christ, it was well worth the time I spent here. Well worth my time. I would
not trade coming here this summer for the most well-paying job. I only wish I
did not have to leave.
I am back in Ika until Sunday, visiting Spencer Dibble and
the Wheelers, once more with Shana, before I leave. I will be leaving on
Wednesday at 11:15pm from Abuja.
I would appreciate your prayers, for my trip back. Please
pray for the Muslim boy in the village. Also as I am coming back to the culture
shock of America and I have many things that I have to get ready before going
to school the next week.
Thank you for all of your prayers. I appreciate them very
much.
Your brother in Christ,
T.J. Kerttula
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