Summer 2025 Newsletter

Dear Friends and Family,

Long overdue, we pray our letter finds you all well and prosperous in God’s care. We are thankful to have this medium, which is a poor substitute to a face to face visit. One day we hope to see you face to face and discuss in more detail the work we have undertaken together, and the eternal impact your gifts have made.

There is so much news, I hardly know where to start. Let me start with the biggest challenge of the moment, and that is our building project. I pray that our efforts are not in vain, and that our prayers for guidance and wisdom are answered. Normally, I would have wanted to be wait until the congregation that meets in our home grows until it reaches a point where it can be self-sustaining and able to build whatever their level can reach. I have followed the path many other well intended missionaries have made, and that is to solicit outside funds to help make a decent assembly point available for a young and poor congregation.

Yet when a small 100 by 50 feet plot became available on our street, the last in our area, we took the leap of faith to buy it and start the process. It was either this or miss any opportunity to locate a building near us. The dream is to have an open hall on the ground floor where the church can assemble. For some years now we have met under a tent in front of our house. We have extended to 20 by 60+ feet and still sometime folks stand out under the sun as there is no more space to contain the crowd. So the ground floor can house our general assembly. It can also be used for other needs and matters.

The second floor is proposed to be an open hall as well, with moveable dividers which can help accommodate our classes for children. Currently we have over 40 children under the age of 5 in one of our bedrooms. We also have over 40 kids from 5 to 12 that meet in our library, which is a tight squeeze. And then over 60 teenagers meet in the living room. These are all full to the brim, and we need room to grow.

We currently have three rented shops on our street where we offer free skill training in baking, catering, barbering, hairdressing, tailoring for both men and women. We hope to move those to the second floor as well. This can also be where we prepare the meals that we share together after our meetings on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. We also have an adult education program to help others read and understand the Bible for themselves. There would be room also to have a free or low cost school for the many children whose parents are not able to pay to send them to school, condemning them to a life time of poverty.

The third floor is intended to be an accommodation block, with an apartment for a minister and his family, and some guest rooms for visitors and emergency shelters. We have been overwhelmed this year by so many who for a variety of reasons had no place to live. We would love it if we could welcome a mission group from a congregation or a Christian school to come and boost us up. That is part of the reason for an accommodation block.

We have been approved for a fourth floor, again an open hall. This can be used for a variety of purposes and depends upon funds. On paper and in human terms, this project looks worthy and full of promise. I know the Lord who continues to see us through impossible odds will make it happen if it is in His Will.

After months of struggle to get the plan approved, we have cleared the land, dug and poured the foundation, erected the pillars, and will soon be ready to level and pour the first floor. This is all with raw manpower, shovels and sweat. Under pouring rain and blistering sun, the crew has labored on and are making remarkable progress. We just ask for the Lord to bless our efforts if it brings Him honor and glory. That is our prayer and faith. We thank those who have made generous contributions to make this beginning. One thing is for sure, at 70 I am not able to do all the young bucks do, but I still try to be onsite every day to do my part.

I guess this would be an appropriate place to inform you that our minister has moved back to his home state, so I have assumed once again the lead role in preaching and teaching. Gradually though we will start to incorporate more able men to share these important duties. Another able minister who recently retired after 19 years serving the second largest congregation in this state has moved to our area and indicated his willingness to assist in any way possible.

I have posted on Facebook many of the pictures of those coming recently to confess their faith in Christ and be baptized. Over 75 persons have taken that bold step this year, and attendance hovers close to 350 every Sunday. We are trying our best to be a loving family, growing in our walk together as God’s children. The trials are many, the stress unrelenting. Please continue to pray with us that all this effort continues to be in accordance to the Will of God and that He will bless our efforts together as He deems fit. Wisdom, strength, provision, so much to pray for. The harvest continues to be plentiful.

We continue to pray for you as well, though I may not be as acquainted as we would like with your various needs. We do have a prayer meeting every Friday night and we pray for those needs that we are aware of. We sing and pray for an hour, and afterwards we share food and fellowship together. We will be praying this evening for the family of Br Bob Harris, a former elder at the NorthWest Congregation in San Antonio, and longtime supporter of our work together. He recently passed away and I know the family is in need of your prayers. We will also pray for our long time cook, Chinanu, who called this morning to say her mother passed away last night. Chinanu has worked so hard over the years, with never a complaint or problem. Not easy to shop for and prepare the volume of food that goes through our house. Pray for God’s Light, a 10 year old daughter of our sister Peace, who had a large ovarian cyst removed yesterday. And for Solomon who is scheduled for surgery on his elbow next week. And for the brother whose hand was shattered by a motorcycle driver. And Sister Blessing who was hit by a truck while crossing the road. All of these required medical attention beyond their ability to pay. Without your kind aid which we were able to channel, their outcomes would have been very different. These are but a few of the more critical needs that have come up. Medicine for malaria, headaches and fever, typhoid or other such seem to make our house almost like a first aid station. Thanks for helping us to be there for them.

We do thank you one and all. We pray for the Lord to continue to bless you and keep you. May you be encouraged in His presence.

We love you,

Cliff, Nkiru and family

The small 100'x 50' plot on our street

The crew preparing the foundation of our future meeting place

Under pouring rain and blistering sun, the crew has labored on and making remarkable progress