PRAISING THE LORD FOR TWO THINGS

If you look below at the posting in May, 2008 you will be reminded of Albert & Priscilla's wedding and of their plans to return to Liberia. Albert has finished his thesis and they are looking to leave in a few weeks. Their taking the vision of discipleship to Liberia and seeking to help churches and individuals there to catch the vision is exciting. We praise God for how he has helped Albert with his studies and brought he and Priscilla together. I believe God is going to really use this couple in an amazing way in Liberia. They are depending on Him for their needs both physical and spiritual. Albert is pictured here teaching in Liberia in January.

The other thing we are praising the Lord for is the Discipleship Seminar that was held this past Saturday, August 23rd. Over 600 pastors and church leaders attended. The topic of the seminar was INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP. Like in many places, church pastors are not focused on the mandate the Lord delivered to us just before he departed- "Go and make disciples". The seminar was trying to help them bring into focus how they can intentionally start discipling a few believers in their churches. Both Rev. M. Pada and I spoke for 5 hours. He spoke in Hausa and I in English. Needless to say it was a draining time but both of us felt the Lord really used the time to do what He wanted and for His glory.

Health Update & Our New Granddaughter's Arrival

Just before we left for the month of June we posted the news about Albert and Priscilla's Wedding. They are doing well as Albert tries to finish up his Master's Thesis at Seminary. They are still hoping to return to Liberia when that is finished if the Lord provides some support for them.

HEALTH REPORT

We were busy the first few weeks home wih doctor's appointments and tests in trying to find out what was causing Judy's numbness. After all was said and done, the only thing that was discovered for now is that the numbness in her wrists is probably caused by carpel tunnel syndrome in both hands. But the tests did not show any cause for the numbness in her feet. We were thankful that nothing serious was causing it and will look further into it when we are home next year.

EXTRA BLESSING- A HEALTHY BABY GIRL

Just after we had decided that we needed to go home and look into Judy's health concerns our daughter, Darlene, called and said that they were going to be able to adopt a baby in mid-June. So Caitlin Mia Weith was born on June 14th. Because we had a few days before returning to Nigeria we flew out to Phoenix, AZ, by the blessing of some free tickets. We got to spoil Caitlin for a week. We are so very grateful to the Lord for this working out the way it did. They had thought that they would probably be waiting at least a year after their adoption approval by the state.

Darlene and Mike are very thankful for how the Lord worked out things in such a short time. Now they have the challenge of parenthood before them. Darlene is able to have some weeks off work and Mike continues to work on his degree online which he hopes to finish this year.

We had a few days with David while we all got to meet the new member of the family, Caitlin. These were all extra blessings added by the Lord to our time in the USA. On July 2nd we traveled back to Abuja and are now settled back into our home and the ministry here. As soon as we arrived back the Baptist House began to get busy with visitors. We were also busy four days with three missionaries on a vision trip to Nigeria. They got to visit SIM's ministries in Jos and Abuja. If the Lord directs them back to Nigeria we may see them again in a few years.

This past month has reminded us again of the Lord's goodness to us. In a world where good things are not always experienced by many people we want to give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for it all.

Presenting Albert & Priscilla Lloyd

ALBERT & PRISCILLA LLOYD

Pictures of the wedding of Albert & Priscilla which was this past Saturday, May 24th. It was a very special time being that Albert always introduces us as his parents in the Lord. We have known him since our time in Liberia and have helped him through the years to reach where he is today. Married and soon to finish up the work on his masters at the Jos Evangelical Theological Seminary.

It was an international weddding. Not just because we were there but because Albert is a Liberian and Priscilla is Nigerian. Her father has been a pastor for many years. Albert and Priscilla are planning on finishing his masters program soon and then go to Liberia. They have a heart for discipleship and want to see the Lord use them in Liberia to do their part in the Great Commisssion.

They are doing what is called a bridal dance. At the reception the bride and the groom are asked to dance while people come up and congratulate them and give them gifts. There is always a lot of dancing at weddings and occassionally they try to get Us up to join them. I won't say whether we do or not. You who know us can answer that.

Please be in prayer for Albert and Priscilla as they start their life together. It will not be easy for them now with Albert still schooling. They are trusting the Lord to provide for them now and when they go to Liberia so that they can give themselves to the ministry of discipling the men and women of Liberia.

LIBERIA TRIP

The year is still new but we have a lot to write about already. In January, just before I took off for Liberia, I had a Discipleship Conference at ECWA Good News Church - Nyanya. Around one hundred people attended from two English churches in that area. A group of people from one church had already been introduced to Equipping The Saints but many others came to learn how to be involved. Since the conference the pastors have organized their members and have discipleship groups meeting regularly.

Then on January 21st David, my son, Albert Lloyd and I set out on a 13 day journey to Liberia. This was the first time for David and I to be back to Liberia since we left in June, 1989. Needless to say we were excited to be returning but were prepared for the worst after the many years of civil war there. We arrived in the evening and got settled into a house that was to be our home for the next week. The first thing we noticed upon arriving at the airport in Liberia was the huge presence of the United Nation Forces. They are helping to stabilize things as the President works on getting an effective government in place.

SIM only has two couples and two single ladies in Liberia at the present. A campus that used to have a hundred or more living on it, seemed really different being occupied by other expats and Liberians. Most of the houses on the campus were still there but some are occupied by swatters who don't belong there and they are not maintaining the houses. The house on the left is one we lived in on the ELWA Campus when we first went to Liberia in 1982. The one in the center is the first one we stayed in in Monrovia. The thing we noticed in Monrovia was how almost all the homes now had high walls around them with razor wire on the top of them. Before hardly any place had a high wall, much less razor wire, as the house on the right shows.

Many people from the interior are in Monrovia because life is easier there than in the rural areas. Travel to the interior is more difficult due to the bad conditions of the roads. A company is now working on the roads in Monrovia and else where. Most people manage in the city by having a generator for lights. The government is working on getting electricity supplied to the city but progress is slow. People talked about the traffic being bad in Monrovia but compared to Nigeria it was much less and cars were moving a little slower and not as much in a rush as here.

On the right is the remains of the Old ELWA Radio Studio. Below you see the new Studio. They are broadcasting but with very limited power. The ELWA compound is blessed with good generators that supplies the compound with electricity from 5:30am to midnight each day. That makes life bearerable for the residents there. Along with ELWA Radio, ELWA Academy and ELWA Hospital are functioning. ELWA Academy use to be mostly missionary children, now is completely Liberian children and ran by Liberians. They are making good use of the facility.

The first conference was in Monrovia. We had around thirty pastors and leaders from churches in the city. It was held at a Methodist Church on the main street going into Monrovia. The other conference was in Buchanan a city about 3 hours East of Monrovia, also on the coast. We had about 45 pastors and church leaders attending. Albert helped me teach at both conferences while David helped us with material distribution and he took many pictures.

Probably one of the most mixed emotional times I had was when I saw this building in ruins. This was the One Way House, (pictured here) This is where the Monrovia Evangelical Church was meeting. I worked with this church most of the time I was in Liberia. I had many good memories of the ministry there but was saddened to see it destoyed from the war. The trip was full of unexpected blessings and memories for which we are thankful.

Besides the blessings of being used to help pastors and church leaders grow in their vision for the world, David and I had many wonderful memories of our seven years in Liberia. As we departed a part of us was wanting to stay there.

After the two conferences and visiting with friends the two weeks were over and we came back to Nigeria February 1st. It was a very fruitful trip in many ways. Albert Lloyd is a Liberian who is finishing a master's program at Jos Evangelical Theological Seminary by May. He is planning to go back to Liberia after his wedding in May to a Nigerian lady. I have been training him and he will be going back to take Equipping The Saints and establish Liberia as another contact for the discipleship ministry. Please pray for him. We are trusting the Lord to provide him with the needed funds to get established in Liberian upon his return, probably in June of this year. It will be a step of faith for him and he will need your prayers.