January 2012

 Dear Partners in Ministry,

 Happy New Year!  We pray that you had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your family and friends!

 Washing Feet, Washing Dishes…

“When you think of the word ‘servant’, what comes to mind?”

 “When you think of the word ‘leader’, what comes to mind?”

 I asked these two questions to the 30 or so students at Warari Bible School in Niger State in early December as I led the school’s morning chapel.  The responses, as expected, went something like this:
 A servant is an unimportant person, a ‘nobody’.  Servants have no authority, get little respect, and need to do as other people command them to do.  They are like slaves and have little value. 
A leader is a ‘big man’ and someone that people look up to and listen to.  Leaders are seen as wise, important, and powerful.  They are honored people who have authority.

To keep the conversation flowing, I quickly asked the students who they would rather be: a servant or a leader.  Without hesitation they all identified the ‘leader’ as the person they would rather be.  As others nodded in agreement, Nuhu – a student who is a member of the local royal family – noted that he didn’t even like talking about servants as the conversation was beneath him and made him uncomfortable.

 If that was the case, then my next question really baffled everyone: Is it possible to be a servant and leader at the same time?
The response was immediate and in unison…not only was this impossible, but the thought was completely ridiculous!
For the morning chapel I had decided to reflect on John 13:1-17.  This is the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.  As we looked at this passage, I noted the following as lessons that we can learn from Jesus actions and that we should mirror in our lives:
* Jesus loved his disciples so much that he was willing to be their servant and wash their  feet.
* Jesus was able to humble himself because he was fully aware that his identity was found in his relationship with God.
* Jesus’ actions were not meant to be a one-time event; rather it was a way of leadership.

Leadership is challenging on the best of days.  It is far too easy to slip into a ‘big man’ mentality and end up hurting those you are intending to lead.

Knowing that ‘servant leadership’ was a new and challenging concept, I invited the students to ask questions following the devotional.  Nuhu asked for some practical examples of servant leadership that he and the other students could implement into their daily lives.  As I was thinking of a response, Christy – a Nigerian WBS staff member – told of her experience the night before. 

Christy and her husband, Hezron, had walked over to where we were staying to welcome us.  When they arrived, Stephanie and our colleagues, Matthew & Laura Lanser, were chatting outside.  But I was not there.   Christy poked her head in the house to greet, but saw that I was busy washing the supper dishes.  Embarrassed, Christy and Hezron quickly excused themselves and decided to come back at a later time to greet. 

For North Americans, this doesn’t seem like much of an act of servant leadership.  Personally I wasn’t even aware that doing the dishes would make Hezron and Christy embarrassed and too uncomfortable to greet us.  But for the WBS students this event was shocking!  How could a guest and the leader of the Mission do such a task?  Were they the guests of some family, in no way would they be willing to do such a task, nor would they let a guest assist with doing the dishes.  According to their culture, this job was beneath me and shouldn’t have happened.
But it also challenged them.  The conversation drifted towards other household tasks that could be done to assist their wives or husbands.  Ways that they could assist their children and others in the community…
Many of these WBS students will graduate May 2012.  They will become a new generation of leaders in this emerging church that is dotted amongst villages of people who practice their traditional religions and Islam.  It is a culture that knows mostly of leaders that act as ‘big men’ and looks down on servants.  It is a community that is desperately in need of the hope and salvation we have in Christ.  Please pray that these students will humble themselves and serve in a way that will speak in a clear and loving way of the good news of Jesus Christ. 

Security Update… 

We are grateful for your continued prayers for Nigeria given the tension and unrest it has experienced these last few weeks.
Jos has remained remarkably quiet throughout the national strike.  Security was high – given Jos’ past – and that turned out to be a blessing.  While many shops in our area were closed, some remained open and life continued here without too much disruption.
That was not entirely the case for the rest of Nigeria.  Large protests / demonstrations were held in most major cities this past week.  Some of these were peaceful; others resulted in violence and the destruction of property.
We are hopeful that the ‘standoff’ between the federal government and labour unions is coming to an end given some of the announcements over the weekend and early this week.
Despite the insecurity, we do want to share an encouraging story that has emerged. Please follow the link to this article of how Muslims and Christians worked together to protect and serve one another as reported by the Nigeria news organization Vanguard. 

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/kano-muslims-pays-solidarity-visit-to-churches/

 Praise and Thanksgiving… 

* We are grateful that our travels to Niger State and Abuja in early December were relatively uneventful.  Losing the brakes on a bad road gave us a little scare, but overall it was a good trip.

* Please pray for the Warari Bible School students as they continue in their studies.  They are the future leaders of a small but growing church in an area of northern Nigeria that is heavily influenced by traditional religion and Islam.  Several of the students are the only Christians in their families or villages and face many trials and much hardship as a result.  Please pray that the Lord would continue to guide and strengthen their walk as they serve as examples of Christ’s love to those around them.

* Please continue to pray for the leadership of Nigeria.  The recent security incidents, deregulation of gas prices, and nationwide strike have tested many Nigerians’ patience.  Please pray that Nigeria’s leadership would be granted an extra measure of wisdom and integrity as they lead Nigeria forward through these tense times.

In Christ,

Phil, Stephanie & Elijah Beck

Christian Reformed World Missions

For God. With You. Among the Nations.