March 2026 Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings from Banana Bush Land, where the temperature seldom dips into the 70’s. There is always a warm welcome for you here if ever you are tired of cold winters. My daughter said the daffodils are blooming, so hopefully spring is around the corner.

Someone asked if we were ok, security wise. Certainly there is cause for concern, especially in light of current events. As many of you may know, President Trump unleashed two missiles to hit terrorist groups in northern Nigeria. He has also sent military advisers to help train the Nigerian defense forces to deal with the chronic insecurity here. There are groups that have over time created much harm and destruction, in some parts of the country more than others. Fortunately for us, much of this has been to the north, so we are not directly impacted. We pray for Christians in the North and middle belt whose lives and worship are endangered.

Though we had here in the South our own period of insurrection, which caused many expats and missionaries to leave, we are more bothered by normal criminality. One of our sons and one of our daughters were both robbed recently in what is commonly called “One Chance.” Victims enter a normal-looking taxi or bus where there are other passengers, not knowing they are all accomplices. David only lost his phone, which is a big loss true enough, but was not beaten or threatened. Unfortunately, Jonell was not so blessed. She had to work overtime, so was out past her normal hours. Once in the bus, they forced her to give up her phone and bank card. They beat her until she gave up her PIN number, and robbed her of months of savings. Though the majority of the group wanted to kill her, one person spoke up for her, and she was dumped, wounded but alive. We thank God for their lives, and the painful lessons learned.

In our 33 years here, we have been robbed twice at gunpoint, have had bullets pass close enough to hear, been stabbed at, been threatened, besides the dangers of traffic accidents, serious illness, and more. All of these experiences have reminded me of the truth of God’s Word. Psalms 127:1 reminds us that unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stands guard in vain. It is not the 5 locked doors I have between me and outside, not the high walls and barbed wire, not the 24/7 security guards — it is the grace of a loving God who keeps us. It is not the size of the army, or the advanced medical systems; it all lies in His hands. We do our best to do our part, but in the end, we rest in the arms of a loving and all-wise God. We know each day can be our last. But we don’t have to be anxious about anything, even our security.

We have begun the dreaded cycle of burials for those we mentioned in our last letter. One of our friends, who converted from Islam, is to be buried on Saturday. The hardest will be of our brother Ini, coming up before the end of the month. The church tried our best to help with the funeral of our brother Stephen, the Bicycle Man. Unfortunately our bus broke down on the way, and a call was put across for a congregation near his home village to stand in at the last moment. Even in death, Stephen did not have the proper respect we wanted to give him, but it was not for lack of trying. Two more of our elderly sisters also passed away in the past few days. Since we seek to serve the disenfranchised, the elderly, the widows and orphans, it’s not unusual that this becomes our burden to bear.

I heard a disparaging remark made about us recently, calling us the Rice Church — that people only come for the rice and food we share. Well, it is likely true that some come for just the physical help we willingly give. We try to avoid scams, which we sometimes painfully learn of too late. But so they treated our Lord, gathering for earthly food instead of spiritual. Even so, we continue to share the blessings you have shared with us, telling those who are so blessed about the One who is the giver of every good and perfect gift. We try to share without prejudice, continue to give joyfully, and pray for the Lord to have His glory as His love shown. Thank you for being a part of that process. Your gifts continue to make life possible for many who have so little hope. Each gift of food, each drop of medicine, each gift of clothes and shoes, and other blessings we are able to give, only come because you have faithfully shared what God has blessed you with. We pray for God to continue to find us all useful in His plans and purpose.

Among the good news is the new birth of 11 new babes in Christ. We continue to ask for prayers for these who have made a public commitment to follow Jesus. What a huge responsibility to nurture and encourage them on their journey. I am pleased to see maturity in some, especially our young men who are stepping up to serve in public ways. We are also happy to announce the marriage of Joe. Joe came into our life as a teenager, after the death of his mother. We wish him and his new bride all the best as they start life together. It wasn’t easy with all the demands of culture. There is always a large bride price which includes the demands of community and family. This prevents most young people from getting married nowadays. The burden is simply too much. We pray for great change in people’s thinking.

We are hoping and making plans to return to the US for a brief stay in May. We hope to witness the graduation of Kingdom from Lubbock Christian University, and visit with as many of our friends and supporters as possible. Though we visit on phone with loved ones, it has been three years since we have met many of you face to face. We hope also to collect some things to help our kids in their school, since we continue with our homeschool.

We thank you all for your love and mercy. May it be returned to you in abundant measure.

With Love,

Cliff, Nkiru, and Family