Dear family and friends,
Greetings to each of you in the name of the Lord. It has been a long time since we have written, and Cyprian has returned to Nigeria/Ghana since the end of February. Join us please in praise and prayer as we give the following report.
Our recent trip to Canada and Indiana was wonderful, and we were blessed as we shared about what the Lord is doing in Nigeria and Ghana. We will not forget the wonderful times visiting family and old friends and being encouraged as we met so many saints who are faithful prayer warriors.
Since the first day of his arrival on March 1st Cyprian was busy with meetings, taking stock, workshops, and speaking engagements. The Lagos area coordination of the Emmaus courses has been exemplary. From March 2nd to the 4th, at their request, Cyprian had a workshop for new active correctors that were raised during the last quarter of 1998 and who are now ready with their own students enrolled under them. The Lagos area has also taken on the responsibility of raising an effective area coordination in Ibadan, the ancient city of the Yoruba's. Here there are about twenty students under a new corrector who was also raised during the last quarter of 1998.
On March 6th and 7th a workshop was held in Ankpa at the College of Education for the professors and instructors who are correctors. The meeting turned out to be a time of questions and answers, exhortation, and prayer. The result is that Cyprian was asked to revisit on the 4th of April.
He was in Makurdi, March 8th to 10th, raising awareness in the churches about the Emmaus courses and its current method of distribution and uses. On the 13th they held a workshop at Otukpo; many attended but seemed to lack focus. A special motivational meeting was held March 17th to 20th with correctors who now have more than 15 active students who have studied not less than eight courses. In these meetings the role of a coordinator, the challenges and benefits are discussed in full. Leadership and organizational skills were carefully presented to them, particularly its application to the Emmaus distribution network. The testimony given is that the skills are helpful for those in various positions of authority at work. In other words, association with the Emmaus project has proved to be relevant to their daily lives in this manner also.
On the 20th he left for Ghana and went to Kumasi to be with the Bowrons and the assembly that meets at their home. Cyprian held gospel meetings in the evenings, workshops, and counseling in the day time, and corrected courses with one-on-one discipleship. This work has grown and over nine benches have been made to ease the seating arrangement. Mike and Elaine will be returning for good to Canada in May, and the work there will be on its own, so to speak, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Please pray that that work will continue to flourish and that those left behind will be faithful.
Cyprian will be in Ghana again on 21st of April, where he will be joined by Jim Gillett (Ireland) and Hans Schieb (of Germany) for a few weeks of ministry. We cannot say how much we value your prayers for boldness, wisdom, energy and safety during this heavy schedule. As we see what the Lord is doing, we realize that we cannot focus our eyes on other humans but on the Lord of the whole earth, for when we "measure ourselves by ourselves and compare ourselves with ourselves, we are without understanding" (2 Corinthians 10:12). He is LORD. Prayer brings Him into ordinary situations and makes them extraordinary. Brethren, pray for us, as we pray for you, that we will resist the temptation to look at the little events in our lives as ordinary and recognize the sovereign purpose God is working out in our lives.
Praising our God,
Cyprian and Joy
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