Nigeria-Ijaw Mission UPDATE June 10, 2003

Blessings to you in Jesus Name.
The work among the Ijaws of the Nigerian Delta Region is continuing to expand, and once again I want to thank you for your participation in this great endeavor for the Kingdom.  We (NIM) are continuing to support the 4 Ijaw Pastors plus Pastor Wilson Okotie in the form of salary that is sent quarterly from us to Pastor Wilson, and distributed by him to the Pastors' families.  We have also raised the funds to build our first church complex.  These Ijaw church complexes will include along with the church/training center bld'g, a parsonage and attached store for retail business, which will be run by the pastor's wife and serve to make the pastor's family self sufficient.  At which time we will redirect the his salary payments to the next Ijaw pastor, and so on.  Funds over and above the cost ($7,000) of our first church building project are being saved for the next church building project.  We are in immediate need of 3 such church complexes.  Our goal is to plant churches in all 9 of the major town/villages of the Ijaw Egbema Kingdom, and to build church complexes in each of these central locations.  We are simply waiting on word from Wilson to send the funds for the commencement of our first building project.

I am planning my next trip to visit the Ijaws for the end of this year.  At this time, due to the holiday season, all the Ijaws, who are normally living along the rivers in fishing huts or migrated into urban centers, return to their home for a large tribal ingathering.  This is a most effective time to reach the largest number of people, so we plan to take full advantage of the opportunity.

Our plans to plant a 4th church this month in the village of Ofunama has changed and the new church will be planted in the village of Jamagiu instead. 

Pastor Wilson is currently training 4 new Ijaw pastors at the High Impact Christian Center (HICC) in Lagos and their training should be complete w/ them ready to launch into the field by the end of this year.  We are truly praising God for the progress that Wilson is making and the faithfulness with which the Ijaw are receiving the Gospel.

Please pray concerning the following:

The war over Shell & Exxon Oil operations, between the Warri Ijaw Kingdom and their ancestral rivals; the Itshekiri, has spilled over into our Egbema Kingdom territory.  Please pray that the Lord will intervene with protection over the Egbema Kingdom and raise up people to bring a resolution to this conflict.  In an atmosphere of peace the gospel can spread and we can operate freely.  War is a huge inhibitor and destabilizing influence.

New Church Planting In Jamagiu
With only having 7 months into our 3rd church plant - last November in Abere - this month's 4th church planting effort in Jamagiu will place a significant weight of responsibility and demand on our current 4 Ijaw pastors.  Please pray for them, their families and the success of the new work in Jamagiu.

Our 4 Ijaw Pastors & Their Families
Ebitebe, Alade, Assurance & DeRock.  These 4 and their familieas are currently pastoring our Ijaw churches.  Ebitebe lost 2 of his young children to sickness within months of each other.  The hardships they endure are significant and they need our daily prayers.

Our 3 Ijaw Churches
Adjakurama, Ogbuhgdubudu, & Abere. Please pray for growth and continued favor for our churches in these villages.

I have posted below and attached a copy of Wilson's recent report to me. Included are some pix of the Ijaw Pastors w/ their wives and the 4 new Ijaw pastors in training.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Yours In His Kingdom,
Nick
Faith Christian Church
The Nigerian-Ijaw Mission

Wilson's email report:
Greeting in Jesus name amen. Throughout the period of silence i have being dealing with various issues in the minstry which I needed to clearified before
writting you. By God's grace most things are working as planned.

Ijaw work.
Two weeks after my arrival in Nigeria Pastor Ebitebe came to me in Lagos informing me not to visit Ijaw villages because some Egbema Ijaw men joined the warri
Kingdom Ijaw to war against the itsekiris and oil companies. They burnt over 20 Itsekiris villages and my village (Koko) four pastor children were thrown
into the fire making the pastor and his wife childless.

After receiving the information I decided to sent the 3 months salaries to the 4 Pastors including their wives money. I also arrange for 2 weeks seminar for
the pastors and their wives, and the 4 Ijaw mission school students. The programme was held at Benin closest city to the Ijaws. The seminar deals with the
ministry vision, new ways of reaching people with the Gospel, Councilling, Accountability in ministry and Business.

The Building of Churches in Ijaw villages. Two days ago I held meeting with the Pastors and they all said the Churches should be build under the supervision of
my wife and the pastors. The building will help in the establishment of the work among the Ijaws and the Itsekiris cannot penetrate into Ajakurama, Abere and
Ogbudugbudu to burn Churches. First, the Itsekiris don't have the man power, weapons and population to fight the Ijaws. And secondly, the fight is for a
short time. They all advice me including my wife that the churches should be build. Our goal is to bring Jesus Christ to them so that God will remove the
storming heart and replace it with the heart of flesh that will seek after God.

I hereby include the pictures of all the 4 pastors and their wives including the 4 students with me in Lagos and Abere church. The next letter will be on Pastor
Assurance and Lagos work. Note:- Ebitebe, Alade and Derock will start the new church at Jamagiu not Ofunama this month June.
Pastor Wilson Okotie.