It happened again, another church was bombed as people met to worship God. I guess you could say that some were called for a special appointment and church attendance wasn't quite enough. I am reminded of a funeral I attended in Adamawa state a few years ago for one of our Lutheran pastors. The archbishop commented on how it's odd that everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die.
Some sense their fear increasing today since this is the second blast in Jos in the past few weeks that occurred on a Sunday morning, but surprisingly more of us just see it as a prayer concern and go about our daily work.
Even our children don't seemed to be stressed, unless of course school is disrupted. That would actually increase their stress; it's better to keep busy and we have "spring break" at the end of the week anyway.
Those of you who read this that live in the West, probably can't understand how calm we are taking these attacks. Some how, we still sense that God is in control and the miracles of only a few deaths are noted more than the violence itself. Do pray for those that are affected, I know that some of our school community members have been present during both attacks.
As I said, some how we know that God still reigns in Nigeria, if not it would be far worse because all the military and police checks really do very little. I'd much rather trust in God anyway!
Showing posts with label Jos crisis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jos crisis. Show all posts
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Friday, January 30, 2009
Peace
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
These past few days in Jos we have had rumors of more violence. It resurfaced some of my fears and motivated me to be more ready in the midst of it.
Yet it was still a challenge to focus on the tasks demanding my attention. As I sat at my desk in my classroom, trying to focus on marking papers before my next lesson, I had to stop and pray; then this verse came to mind.
The passage begins with, "Rejoice in the Lord always...have no anxiety about anything..." and ends with the verse above. In the past it was the other verses that claimed my attention, but with the rumors flying the words of peace were given new meaning.
I remember hearing a story when I first arrived in Nigeria on the heels of a similar crisis that hit Kano in 1990. One of the missionaries gave the following account. After the crisis he met a Muslim that he had known for some time and asked him about the crisis. The man admitted that they had been on their way to burn down his compound when they had turned and saw smoke rising as if it was already burning. It wasn't until the fighting had stopped that they realized otherwise.
This story has prompted me to pray for angels with flaming swords to stand on our compound walls and provide similar protection. I am realizing more and more that God can deliver peace in ways that no human mind can understand.
As humans, we want to retaliate. Even people who have preached peace begin to say, "It is enough!" Some churches have been burned several times over the years. When destruction and loss of life has no rhyme or reason it becomes harder to preach peace and yet we have to remember that God's ways are not the world's ways.
These days I pray more and more for this kind of peace. I don't need to understand it, but I do claim it!
I saw another need for this kind of prayer yesterday when one student came in full of anger, annoyance, and frustration claiming he was going to quit school before he hurt someone! It is so easy to fall into traps of anger when we feel slighted or misunderstood. I pray for God's peace to enter the heart of my student too. May you too join me in my prayer for God's peace wherever and whenever you see the need for it.
Oh, soon I have my next women's fellowship meeting. We were only five last week, but again the bonds of connection were made stronger as we realized none of us had ever been in a church group like it. I had thought it was only me! I will share this message with them today and pray that it will also strengthen them and give them a sense of calm and hope in our city Jos.
These past few days in Jos we have had rumors of more violence. It resurfaced some of my fears and motivated me to be more ready in the midst of it.
Yet it was still a challenge to focus on the tasks demanding my attention. As I sat at my desk in my classroom, trying to focus on marking papers before my next lesson, I had to stop and pray; then this verse came to mind.
The passage begins with, "Rejoice in the Lord always...have no anxiety about anything..." and ends with the verse above. In the past it was the other verses that claimed my attention, but with the rumors flying the words of peace were given new meaning.
I remember hearing a story when I first arrived in Nigeria on the heels of a similar crisis that hit Kano in 1990. One of the missionaries gave the following account. After the crisis he met a Muslim that he had known for some time and asked him about the crisis. The man admitted that they had been on their way to burn down his compound when they had turned and saw smoke rising as if it was already burning. It wasn't until the fighting had stopped that they realized otherwise.
This story has prompted me to pray for angels with flaming swords to stand on our compound walls and provide similar protection. I am realizing more and more that God can deliver peace in ways that no human mind can understand.
As humans, we want to retaliate. Even people who have preached peace begin to say, "It is enough!" Some churches have been burned several times over the years. When destruction and loss of life has no rhyme or reason it becomes harder to preach peace and yet we have to remember that God's ways are not the world's ways.
These days I pray more and more for this kind of peace. I don't need to understand it, but I do claim it!
I saw another need for this kind of prayer yesterday when one student came in full of anger, annoyance, and frustration claiming he was going to quit school before he hurt someone! It is so easy to fall into traps of anger when we feel slighted or misunderstood. I pray for God's peace to enter the heart of my student too. May you too join me in my prayer for God's peace wherever and whenever you see the need for it.
Oh, soon I have my next women's fellowship meeting. We were only five last week, but again the bonds of connection were made stronger as we realized none of us had ever been in a church group like it. I had thought it was only me! I will share this message with them today and pray that it will also strengthen them and give them a sense of calm and hope in our city Jos.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
A very crazy month, but never far from God
I don't know if all who read this heard about the Jos crisis. It started right after American Thanksgiving and was very intense for my family and I on Friday and Saturday.
Some say it was a religious crisis, but most who know Nigeria and Jos say it was far more political, but since nothing in Nigeria happens outside of religion, neither was this event absent from religious tension.
The guesthouse where we live and work is in a very Muslim neighborhood and when our neighbors started to riot, their cries were very disconcerting. On Friday morning we feared the rioters would enter our compound so we had to flee from the house and run two compounds over through at least one kind of hidden door.
That first day we did not hear police or military, but the second morning it started right after the dawn to dusk curfew ended and again found us in a corner of the next compound, only that time we could hear the rioters cries met by the military response. I must confess, hearing the military's strong presence as the Muslims refused to step down was very reassuring. (I was told later by my brother-in-law who ventured out later that morning that the street was full of corpses.)
That evening (Saturday) we began hearing rumors that the Muslims might try to come from the big rocks behind the guesthouse so we began making plans to leave. I did most of the packing for the kids and I by candlelight and the light of my cell phone. We had a place to stay that was furnished, but we needed to pack food items, some kitchen stuff and our personal things.
Before 6:30 the next morning we left with a military escort and a soldier in the car and drove across town.
The road we travelled on did not show many signs of fighting, but the four neighborhoods that were hit hardest were not on that road. Schools, mosques, churches, Christian homes, Muslim homes, businesses were all lost. A few days later relief groups counted three large refugee camps with 30,000 people. That doesn't count the many, many compounds that provided refuge to family and friends who lost everything. We passed through many military checkpoints on our way through town.
The reports of compassion come from both sides, as do the many accounts of barbaric violence. Even my girl was running through the house looking for bottles to give to her uncle to make gasoline bombs. (We thank God for the poor aim of those that threw a few over the guesthouse wall.)My prayer for Jos is that the hearts of those that have lost so much will be open to the Word of God.
I think of the many Muslim widows and children who have lost their main provider and pray that their need will open the door for those ready to provide relief and a Word of Peace and Hope.
On December 4th the kids and I and one sister-in-law left Jos for our new house in Yola. From the moment we stepped in the door is seemed like we had come home. I remembered a few weeks earlier when I wondered if we were being selfish to build such a nice house when we had no long term plans to use it. I immediately felt God whispering to me, "Don't worry, you will have a need for it." I still don't know if He means more than this one month when our need has been great, but I see his hand in how hard Amson has been working on the house. I also see his hand in how He led me to get the marking I did before Thanksgiving and get it all entered into the school system.
When school was to start last week I just wasn't ready to head back. I thank God for those that stepped in to allow me the time to heal in Yola. Even now, when I think of going back, I feel the tears wanting to fall and yet I trust that when it is time, He will strengthen me. At this point we plan to return around January 8th.
In the meantime, I have other marking that I am trying to finish. The essays for AP World are done, now I am working on portfolio reports for my basic world history class and then I have some tests and essays to finish in US History. On Sunday Amson will come with part of the exams to mark, mostly essays and portfolios from my AP students. Much to think about while the holidays are going on and during the days we are in the village.
In some ways I feel the stress of the workload, but the peace in our Yola refuge still surrounds me and I know, in God's timing, all will work out.
God is in charge and even though crazy events like this happen in the world we have to trust that God is in control and remember, even when all seems well from the newsreports, there are still many who need your prayers to continue living and caring for their families.
Dorthea in Yola
Some say it was a religious crisis, but most who know Nigeria and Jos say it was far more political, but since nothing in Nigeria happens outside of religion, neither was this event absent from religious tension.
The guesthouse where we live and work is in a very Muslim neighborhood and when our neighbors started to riot, their cries were very disconcerting. On Friday morning we feared the rioters would enter our compound so we had to flee from the house and run two compounds over through at least one kind of hidden door.
That first day we did not hear police or military, but the second morning it started right after the dawn to dusk curfew ended and again found us in a corner of the next compound, only that time we could hear the rioters cries met by the military response. I must confess, hearing the military's strong presence as the Muslims refused to step down was very reassuring. (I was told later by my brother-in-law who ventured out later that morning that the street was full of corpses.)
That evening (Saturday) we began hearing rumors that the Muslims might try to come from the big rocks behind the guesthouse so we began making plans to leave. I did most of the packing for the kids and I by candlelight and the light of my cell phone. We had a place to stay that was furnished, but we needed to pack food items, some kitchen stuff and our personal things.
Before 6:30 the next morning we left with a military escort and a soldier in the car and drove across town.
The road we travelled on did not show many signs of fighting, but the four neighborhoods that were hit hardest were not on that road. Schools, mosques, churches, Christian homes, Muslim homes, businesses were all lost. A few days later relief groups counted three large refugee camps with 30,000 people. That doesn't count the many, many compounds that provided refuge to family and friends who lost everything. We passed through many military checkpoints on our way through town.
The reports of compassion come from both sides, as do the many accounts of barbaric violence. Even my girl was running through the house looking for bottles to give to her uncle to make gasoline bombs. (We thank God for the poor aim of those that threw a few over the guesthouse wall.)My prayer for Jos is that the hearts of those that have lost so much will be open to the Word of God.
I think of the many Muslim widows and children who have lost their main provider and pray that their need will open the door for those ready to provide relief and a Word of Peace and Hope.
On December 4th the kids and I and one sister-in-law left Jos for our new house in Yola. From the moment we stepped in the door is seemed like we had come home. I remembered a few weeks earlier when I wondered if we were being selfish to build such a nice house when we had no long term plans to use it. I immediately felt God whispering to me, "Don't worry, you will have a need for it." I still don't know if He means more than this one month when our need has been great, but I see his hand in how hard Amson has been working on the house. I also see his hand in how He led me to get the marking I did before Thanksgiving and get it all entered into the school system.
When school was to start last week I just wasn't ready to head back. I thank God for those that stepped in to allow me the time to heal in Yola. Even now, when I think of going back, I feel the tears wanting to fall and yet I trust that when it is time, He will strengthen me. At this point we plan to return around January 8th.
In the meantime, I have other marking that I am trying to finish. The essays for AP World are done, now I am working on portfolio reports for my basic world history class and then I have some tests and essays to finish in US History. On Sunday Amson will come with part of the exams to mark, mostly essays and portfolios from my AP students. Much to think about while the holidays are going on and during the days we are in the village.
In some ways I feel the stress of the workload, but the peace in our Yola refuge still surrounds me and I know, in God's timing, all will work out.
God is in charge and even though crazy events like this happen in the world we have to trust that God is in control and remember, even when all seems well from the newsreports, there are still many who need your prayers to continue living and caring for their families.
Dorthea in Yola
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