Reflections on 2008

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).

Our family, minus Greg who could not come to Toronto

The end of a year and the beginning of a new one is a good time to reflect on what has happened in the last twelve months. By looking backwards we realize that we live by grace alone: God has planned things better than we ever could. Thus it is also an appropriate time to thank God for his provision and care. Without his help we would not have been able to accomplish anything. 

Wendy and Adrian in the office of the head of our department at the University of Jos in Nigeria

Christmas Day 2007 and New Year’s Day 2008 we celebrated in Jos, which was the third time we were in Nigeria for these events. Spending Christmas in the tropics is totally different from being in Canada, where the weather is much colder at that time of year.  Nigeria has never experienced a white Christmas. Yet December and January are two months when the weather is very comfortable. The dry season has started, and flowers are in bloom, but it is not yet as hot as it gets in April and May.

Flowers bloom all year round

During the first months of 2008 we were finishing our courses at the university and helping a number of graduate students complete their theses. It got a bit hectic in April when we were trying to sell some of our possessions, in preparation for winding up our work in Nigeria, and returning to Canada in May. We left behind some books and basic necessities, which will still be needed when we plan to be back in Jos in a few weeks. But we also gave away many of our books to friends, colleagues, and especially to some of the local seminaries and schools that can make good use of them. 

We often held classes in our office, which was small but had lots of light -- useful especially when there was no electricity

We returned to Canada in May. Soon after arrival we took off for the Dominican Republic for a vacation. This was a new adventure, especially in staying at a resort on the ocean, with a beautiful beach. Like many tourists, our stay under those conditions meant we were insulated from the poverty, which is one of the drawbacks of this type of tourism. But for us it was a much needed break. 

Enjoying the resort in Dominican Republic

Immediately after we got home again, we got busy with medical checkups and tests. We both felt run down after the last months in Nigeria. Wendy had a sore shoulder, which resulted from a fall more than a year ago and could not be treated adequately there. Thankfully, now we both enjoy good health and are ready to go back to Africa again for a while. 

Toronto skyline

Our 100 year -old house in downtown Toronto

Backyard barbeque

July is always the time of year for the annual Vision conference of IICS/CSI in Kansas City. On the way there we traveled via Florida in order to visit our dentist in Melbourne, who provides free dental care to IICS/CSI professors; thus it is well worth the trip. As always, the conference itself was a wonderful occasion to reflect on the work of the year, to be inspired by a great variety of talks, to meet old friends and to make new ones. We appreciated Paul Marshall's contribution as one of the key speakers. He has a gift for explaining things in an easy and engaging way. Our relationship with Paul goes back many years to our return to Toronto from the Philippines in the late eighties. 

August through November kept us busy with visits to many supporting churches and work on writing projects. Wendy added a number of chapters to her book on Sophia, or the personification of philosophy. Except for the final editing she managed to get the book finished, which is quite a relief, since we are gearing up for more travel soon. Adrian worked on some articles related to research on Christian-Muslim dialogue, and has also given significant time to a proposal for a conference planned for next year in Toronto, focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a crucial factor in relations among Christians, Muslims, and Jews. 

The highlight of November came on the 19^th of the month with the birth of our third grandchild, James Thomas, to Pauline and Greg Roy, a brother for Gracie and Chris. Wendy helped out for a week and a half before the birth and stayed more than a week afterwards.  Adrian drove down to see the new baby and to pick up Wendy. On the drive back to Toronto we ran into a snow storm in New York State. Fortunately, it did not last long, and the rest of the trip was uneventful. But this snow proved to be a harbinger of things to come. Like many across North America, we experienced lots of snow during December, and a lovely white Christmas in Toronto. 

Newly arrived James Thomas (J.T.)

Chris, Gracie and Pauline with J.T.

Oma holding J.T.

Opa holding and feeding J.T.

As 2009 begins, we need to gear up for our return to Africa in mid-January. We will go to Jos first of all to give whatever encouragement and help we can to our doctoral students. Then we will travel on to Tanzania to teach for a semester at St. Augustine University in Mwanza, the second largest city in that country. While we are in East Africa we will have several additional assignments, especially investigating possibilities for IICS/CSI colleagues to teach in the universities there. 

Map of Tanzania: Mwanza lies on Lake Victoria in the north

We are thankful that we are able to return to Africa for this work. During these last months we have been restored and given new energy. In spite of a global recession, and many indications of doom and gloom, we are thankful for many good things that happened in the year 2008. We pray that 2009 may prove to be a year of special blessings not only for us but for you as well. Please pray for us as we travel back to Africa and begin teaching in a new environment.

Report about 'inaccurate reporting' by media

(Adapted from Christian Solidarity Worldwide) - Although tension has eased in Jos, Plateau State, following days of deadly violence, there is increasing resentment in the Christian community at "biased and inaccurate reporting of events" by the international media.

Several international news agencies have reported that the violence was triggered by the results of a local government election. However, Christians in Jos point out that voting passed off peacefully and the violence broke out in the early hours of Friday, 28 November, before electoral results had even been announced. Moreover, instead of targeting political institutions, rioters armed with guns, spears, machetes and other weapons immediately attacked Christian businesses, churches and the homes of clergymen. As usual, the rioters took Jos by surprise, and are now hiding behind election results to launch and excuse their mayhem.

Of even greater concern are reports that appeared to suggest that Christians had killed 300 Muslims over the weekend, whose bodies were deposited at a central mosque. In reality, the men died while obeying orders from a mosque in the Dilimi area, which was using its loudspeakers to instruct all Muslims to defy the authorities, participate in the "jihad", loot properties for money and then burn them. Local security sources insist the rioters were shot while defying a night-time curfew and launching fresh attacks, including an unsuccessful large-scale assault on police barracks. Commenting on these deaths the General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Engineer Salifu said: "It was not Christians who killed them; it was their own unfortunate attitude". He also articulated local concern that such inaccurate reporting could fuel further violence against Christians elsewhere. 

While a final Christian death toll has yet to be determined, so far more than 16 churches are known to have been burnt down and at least four pastors are confirmed to have been killed, including a pastor from the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) who was shot dead in the suburb of Congo-Russia, and another from the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), killed in the Rikkos area. From all indications, the final death toll among Christians will not be less than 100.

There is also growing evidence that the weekend's violence may have been planned in advance. So far 500 Muslim rioters have been arrested, some of whom were dressed in fake police and military uniforms. Two hundred are now known to be citizens of the neighbouring Republic of Niger, while 300 are from the northern Nigerian states of Kano, Katsina and Sokoto. Some of the rioters informed police that they arrived in Jos three days prior to the violence. "They had weapons, many weapons" said another source, "they were ready, very ready". 

Commenting on the recent violence, Rt. Rev Dr. Benjamin Kwashi, Anglican Archbishop of Jos said: "This crisis is a wake up call to state and federal authorities to undertake a serious appraisal of all the previous crises in Jos and elsewhere that have affected the church in northern Nigeria, and to ensure that truth is told, truth is maintained and justice is done. We have become a convenient scapegoat and target for those with grievances about events both at home and abroad. The Church in northern Nigeria needs urgent national and international protection. We have suffered this violence for over 20 years and it is now becoming unbearable."

Summary of recent events in Jos

(Adapted from Compass Direct News) – Communal violence broke out in the central Nigerian city of Jos on Friday (Nov. 28) after Muslims began attacking Christians on claims of vote-tampering, leaving hundreds dead and thousands fleeing their homes. After officials reportedly refused to post local council election results on Thursday (Nov. 27) – prompting speculation that a party backed largely by Christians had won – Muslim gangs in the Ali Kazaure area began attacking Christians, according to local residents. Violence along political, ethnic and religious lines followed, with security forces said to be responsible for killing more than 300 Muslims whose bodies were later brought to one mosque. 

On Saturday (Nov. 29) officials reportedly announced that the ruling People’s Democratic Party, backed mainly by Christians, had won 16 of 17 council seats, defeating the All Nigerian Peoples Party, said to be primarily supported by Muslims. Muslim militants burned several churches, including that of the Church of Christ in Nigeria in the Sarkin Mangu area of Jos, and its pastor has been confirmed killed. Several mosques also were reportedly razed. Plateau Gov. Jonah David Jang said in a radio and television broadcast Friday night that the crisis was pre-planned by disgruntled elements who had schemed to manipulate religious sentiments to create instability in the state. Gunfire heard Saturday morning (Nov. 29) died down by the end of the day as the government sent troops to quell the violence. 

But tensions remained high on Sunday as authorities had extended a curfew on residents of several districts of the city, with military guards ordered to shoot on sight.  By the end of the weekend state officials said that 500 people had been arrested. There was fear that the rioting could lead to a repeat of the violence that hit Jos on Sept. 7, 2001, which resulted in more than four years of bloodshed, killings of thousands of people and displacing thousands of others. In 2004 an estimated 700 people died in Plateau state during Christian-Muslim clashes. Located in Nigeria’s central region between the Muslim-majority north and the largely Christian south, the state is home various Christian ethnic groups co-existing uneasily with Muslim Hausa settlers. 

Prayer request for December 1 (Update on Jos riots)

The latest reports from Jos indicate that the city, under a strict 6 pm to 6 am curfew, has been reduced to a tense kind of quiet through the presence of troops and armored personell carriers. For some days the streets, especially in the northern and central parts, were full of people burning, killing, looting, and expressing deep hatred and anger. It will take many months to sort out who all was killed, and much longer for peace and sanity to be restored to these areas.

Loss of life is estimated in the hundreds. Our friend Dr. Ardill, who works at Evangel Hospital, close to the centre of trouble reported on Saturday that "the hospital is full and overflowing and the staff are tired after seeing over 200 injured in the last 24 hours. Although there were only 5 who died at Evangel, we have heard over 300 have been killed in the fighting." In the heat of the trouble last Friday and Saturday thousands fled their homes and took  shelter where they could, in army barracks, police stations and other public buildings. Some 6,000 people took refuge in a secondary school.

The McCains had about 60 taking refuge with them, while another 40 were able to sleep at our former university house not far from the McCains. A big problem was to feed them, since no one could get out, nor were markets open those first days. They report that university officials managed to get them some rice and garri (a starchy food).

Aside from Emmanuel Baptist church, which had already been burnt down twice before in earlier troubles (see the photo below), other churches near the university -- Trinity Anglican Church, where many faculty and students attend, a COCIN Church, a Deeper Life Church, and many others -- were totally destroyed.

Emmanuel Church after it was burned down the second time -- notice the text on the front wall, "Father, Forgive them, for they know not what they do," by which was meant the Muslims who burned down the church the first time. It has now been burned down for the third time and the blocks of the new building, which was not yet finished, were torn down and carted away. The pastor, who was our student, lost all his books and his thesis on which he had worked for many months.

*Pray for those who have lost loved ones, the hundreds who were injured, for the congregations who have lost their buildings, and for the families who have lost their homes. Pray for all who are troubled. Pray that those who are stirring up trouble will be cast into disarray.
*Pray for Danny, Mary, Katrina, Yoila, Roselyn, and others who are caring for these refugees and feeling the effects of weariness. Pray that they may be able to find enough food to feed the hungry.
*Pray for strength for the doctors and nurses, for those being treated and for those who have not been able to get treatment, those who get to clinics only to find no bandages or medicines are left in the cupboards.
*Pray that a lasting solution may be found to solve this problem and that peace may be restored to Jos, which was known at one time as "The City of Peace."

Prayer request for November 28 (Riots in Jos)

Unfortunately Jos is experiencing another major ethnic religious crisis. On Thursday the city had local government elections.  The rumor is that radical Muslims who were unhappy with the election results went on a rampage throughout Jos killing and burning.  They have burned ALL of the churches that are closest to our former house and the houses of our IICS colleagues who are still there (Danny and Mary McCain, Yoila and Roselyn Yilpet, and Katrina Korb).  They report that there was fighting within a half mile of their homes.  

Several Unijos students have been killed.  Danny McCain was invited to go to the university clinic to take pictures of some of the wounded. He reported that the carnage was horrific -- it was literally a war scene with blood everywhere. He went around and prayed for each wounded person.

Danny's house has become a refugee camp again, as it was in 2001 in the riots that preceeded those of 9/11 by four days. Currently, 57 people are sleeping downstairs at his place, similar to what happened in 2001, and another 40 are staying at our former home.  Katrina Korb, who normally resides with the McCains, is staying with this group. No one in the university compound has been hurt and all the IICS people are okay.

Mary McCain is praying that the food will be multiplied so that they will have enough to feed all of these people.  Please pray that the electricity will continue to to remain on, and the violence will be stopped.

Birth of James Thomas Roy

We are proud to announce the birth of our third grandchild, James Thomas Roy, who was born on Wednesday, November 19, at 2:30 am, to  Pauline and Greg Roy. He weighed 8 lbs 7 ozs, and measured 21 in. His sister, Grace, and brother, Christopher, are happy with their new brother. Pauline was going to be induced later that day, but she went into labor on Tuesday evening and the baby was born soon after that. Mother and baby are both doing well. Rejoice with us!

Prayer notes for October 31

1. We ask your prayers for our doctoral students, Dennis, Cosmos, and Chikas, who are working with Adrian; and Dauda, Kate, and Rebecca, with Wendy. They face many challenges in terms of the availability of internet, water and electricity—all things we take for granted in North America. Pray that they will persevere and make significant progress on their theses by January, when we hope to meet with them.

2. Thank God with us for the new course in New Testament Greek for Bible translators that started in Jos in September. The Nigeria Bible Translators Trust which sponsors the course faced some critical internal problems in August, which threatened to derail the course. Pray that whatever obstacles they face, these may be resolved. We are thankful that the first section of the course is nearly finished. The second section (for which Wendy wrote the text) will be taught early in 2009. Please pray for strength for the instructors, Rob Lillo and Rudy Wiebe, and for the students, that they may persevere and finish the course. Pray with us that their newly acquired language tools may be a real blessing to them in their translation efforts.

3. One of the top priorities for us to teach in Nigeria was to promote higher standards, so that students can stay in the country to finish degrees. Pray with us that initiatives we made while at Unijos to raise standards in our Religious Studies department may bear fruit. Unless standards are maintained students will still need to go abroad to finish their studies. 

4. Pray also for the initiatives in fostering dialogue in our department between Christian and Muslim colleagues. Pray in that regard especially for the colleagues with whom we have worked closely.
 5. We would ask your prayers for us as we prepare to make the transition to Tanzania. Pray for safety in all the traveling that lies ahead. Pray that we may be able to adjust quickly, and that we may be given wisdom in assessing the needs, in providing help and advice. Pray also for our family as we will be separated again for some time, and for a safe delivery for our daughter Pauline, who is expecting their third child in November. And pray for our son David, who has just started a program in community development at Sheridan College in Brampton, and our eldest, Sharon, who just started teaching in an after-school tutoring program in downtown Toronto, in addition to her other jobs.