DeVoted to Nigeria

DeVoe prayer update

2011-11-18T02:04:00.001-08:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

Ministry and life continues to keep us very busy here in Nigeria and therefore must ask that you continue to pray for our success and safety. Oct. 28-30, we had 2 teams go out to 4 small villages in the southern most part of Kaduna State for our first evangelism outing of the dry season. Your prayers were answered with awesome results.

TOTAL Attendance=1,096

Total Salvations=221

Just some of the many who trusted Christ

in Jangkasa, Southern Kaduna.

Stephen doing some of the counseling; the

Morning after their decision to trust Christ.

Our trip to this area was very timely as the following weekend a crises erupted when gunmen attacked a church during an all night prayer vigil in a village only a few miles from where we had been. 2 people were killed and 11 others injured. Things escalated from there with youths setting bonfires on major roads and smashing vehicles. Security men and soldiers engaged the rampaging youth and the Governor put the whole area under a 24 hr curfew for a few days which has been eased up and currently the area remains under a curfew from 6pm to 6am.

Today we are headed out to 4 more villages in the Eastern part of Kaduna which is quite a distance from where the trouble was. The 4 villages are Zarangi, Naturu, Taremu, and Mabango in the local government area of Gure. We visited these villages last week in preparation and are looking forward to more great results. However, we need your prayers:

for the vehicles and equipment to not disappoint

the volunteers needed to help with the work

safety and wisdom on the roads as they are some of the worst that I have traveled on

the speakers and counseling to maintain a focus on the Gospel message yet not neglecting the issues of idol worship, fornication and thoughtless living

for the Spirit to open the hearts and minds of the people

good follow up by the Nigerian missionary, Pastor Musa Kanga, in the area

and for a village close by, Katimi, which is all muslim

If you would also pray for me personally to have wisdom beyond my years and to demonstrate fruit of the spirit in all that I do, not following the easy path of the flesh.

Thanks for your prayers

Bob

FW: DeVoe update

2011-10-20T12:19:00.001-07:00

Dear Prayer Partners

This morning while most of America was still sleeping God was answering the request that many of you have been lifting up for over 2 years now. Stephen Bahago and his family were granted American visas so they can travel to the US for training, serving and deputation. It truly is a bittersweet answer to prayer as Stephen is an individual I have come to depend on heavily, both in ministry and personally. However, I know this trip will make him an even greater asset to the kingdom of God.

Another big answer to prayer was to change our ministry van which had become a mechanical burden; for a vehicle that was more fuel efficient yet something that could manage the rough roads and still carry people and equipment. The Lord started answering that prayer a few weeks ago with the sale of the van and finished up last week with a 1998 Toyota Rav 4 with all the little details that I hoped for: strong engine and body, 4 wheel drive, low mileage, roof rack, and within our price range.

Although there has been lots of ministry activity over the last few months the sweetest of all remains the direct work with the children and youth. Last Sunday afternoon we had over 200 children from ECWA Churches around the Bukuru area, just a few minutes north of where we live, for a time of fellowship and fun. What a privilege it was to see The Holy Spirit at work and have 30 of these children respond to the Gospel and trust Jesus Christ. There is so much more to share but will have to fill you in more in the next few weeks with a prayer letter. For now keep praying, I am headed to Kano in the North tomorrow for a youth conference where I will be speaking and the following weekend we will be kicking off our first bush evangelism weekend of the dry season.

God bless from the DeVoe family

FW: DeVoe Prayer Letter

2011-08-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

We are continually amazed by Gods answer to prayer and supply through our many supporters like you. Truly, we can’t thank you enough. We have been busy the last several months but have also been blessed with the opportunity to visit with all of our family members and some of you as well. For those we have not been able to see, I hope this will get you caught up with us and give all of you the points we need for you to pray about.

Part of His Workmanship

Bob

FW: Prayer Update

2011-05-06T03:05:00.001-07:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

Just wanted to let you know what some of the activities are for the coming month and to ask you to pray for safe travels and fruitful ministry. I know if I didn’t make time right now before I take off for Suleja I will miss out on your prayer support. Stephen and I are headed to Suleja for a few days to help with a children’s camp: Bible study, games and sharing a film about Jim Elliot. Our Clubs guy, Sam Dodo, that lives in Suleja will be headed to the Kwali District Church Council (DCC) area located in the Federal Capital territory for club training and follow up there on Saturday. We are so thankful that even with the trouble that was experienced in Suleja during the elections Sam and his new bride Tabitha were safe and had many opportunities to minister to those that were injured or lost loved ones.

Next week Tues Barry, Stephen and I are headed to Kaduna to begin work in the area of Zon Zon DCC. When I was there last month setting things up we learned that there was over 50 church in this area but as far as the chairman knew only 2 out of all the churches had anything at all for training of youth and children. Our hope and prayer is that we can ignite a passion and commitment for youth and children’s ministry in these local churches.

By Wednesday next week the clubs guys and our Drama team are headed to Egbe in Kogi state for the National Youth fellowship Conference. I was so disappointed when it had to be canceled last month because of security concerns associated with the elections, but now rejoice over how God has worked it all out. We will be leading devotions from a sample Word of Life Quiet Time that is included in their conference program, performing our Born Again to a Living Hope Drama which will confront each youth with not only the Gospel but also the need for purity additionally we will be bringing an element of fun between major events in the conference with object lesson/ice breakers activities. With an expected turn out of over 5,000 we hope that this conference will have great impact for eternity.

There is also going to be one last evangelism for this dry season in a very remote village called Tukyeh on the 13-15^th Our director Peter Verkaik will be heading this up with our Local Church council and hope at least 50 people from our area go to share the Good News about Jesus Christ. The National missionary and his family are pictured below and said that there has never been a team there before to share the Gospel, so our presence will be a real help to his ministry and a great opportunity to the community.

Along with everything else going on our septic system has started to collapse, so we have a group of workers at the house taking out the old and putting in a new one, we pray it is completed quickly. Please also pray for Sarah and Meredith as I am going to be gone a lot over the next several weeks and we have to finish preparing to travel to the USA on June 1^st. We have not yet heard about the Visa that Stephen and His family need to travel to the USA for training and support raising and really hope to know soon so they also will need to prepare for traveling.

God Bless and please keep praying,

The DeVoe Family.

Prayer Letter from DeVoes

2011-04-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

Although there has been a lot on the news about Nigeria and the elections, our prayer letter will inform you about the good things God is doing, and hopefully help you to pray more effectively. There continues to be problems in many of the areas to the north where we are heavily involved in ministry, however things here in Jos remain relatively quiet and peaceful.

God bless,

The DeVoes

FW: DeVoe update

2011-03-11T03:45:00.001-08:00

Dear Payer Partners,

Last month our evangelism trips to the Southern part of Kaduna State were very successful! With over 1,300 coming out to hear the Gospel and almost 50% of them making the decision to trust Christ. The picture below is of some of the many children from the village of Tum; who returned for counseling the morning after the Gospel presentation and film. The time we get to spend with these individuals doing counseling during our Evangelism weekends is one of the most enjoyable things about life here in Nigeria. Both Villages that I was in last month also want to start Word of Life Bible clubs for the many Children they have.

We are headed out with 2 teams for evangelism today and really need your prayers for safety and for many to accept Christ. A little more than 2 weeks ago a village, Bere, was attacked leaving 17 from the village dead as well as one of the attackers. Three days after the attack we went and visited the village to pray with the families and try to encourage them during their time of grief. As we spent the day with them we discovered that many do not know Christ, but claim to be Christian simply because they are not something else. We hope to not only share Christ but also spend time dealing with what the Bible says about conflict and suffering, in an effort to try and encourage peace in this area and not retaliation and more violence. The other team will also be in Plateau State in the villages of Kwahas Lalek and Mangu Halle.

It has been incredibly busy last month with so much more to talk about but really wanted you all to pray for this village and our weekend.

Thanks for Praying

Bob

FW: DeVoe Prayer requests

2011-02-11T03:48:00.001-08:00

Greetings Prayer Partners,

Things in Jos have calmed down again yet the tension remains high. Most are trying to carry on with everyday life even with the changes that have taken place. Many of the places I used to do business are now no go areas and many of the individuals that I did business with have relocated. Jos becomes more polarized with each crisis. The registration process for the election coming in April has finished and the Schools which were closed to serve as registration centers have resumed, which also helps with things returning to normal. Pray specifically for those in power to make wise decisions concerning the ongoing problems in Jos and that each of us does our part to promote peace, healing and the Love of Christ.

We are headed north to Kaduna today to 4 villages for the weekend. The 2 teams will be in Mallagum 1 & 2, Kamantan & Fadiya. These are located in the southern part of Kaduna and things there have remained peaceful all throughout our troubles in Jos. Pray that while we are out in the villages things in Jos would remain peaceful, Meredith and Sarah will remain at home in Rayfield. Pray also that those we minister to will be open to the Spirits leading and that many will accept Christ and that the equipment will operate as needed.

I was in Suleja last weekend for 2 days doing follow up training for Bible Club leaders which went very well and I had no troubles with traveling. I plan to be in the Capital city of Kaduna State, Kaduna, next week teaching at a school for youth serving in ministry. I always enjoy my time teaching at this school as the students come from a wide range of religious backgrounds. The opportunity this brings to provide clear Biblical teaching is always a blessing. The students commented last time I was there how I helped to end confusion about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and what the Bible clearly teaches. I also have another training for Bible Club leaders on the 25^th and 26^th in a small city in southern Kaduna, Zonkwa. I did have to cancel a trip to Kano this month which is in the far north because those I was working with felt it wise to postpone until after the elections in April at which time we will reevaluate the ministry opportunities in this predominantly Muslim city. Pray for safe travels in the weeks to come, interaction with all those we minister to that is profitable to our Lord and that Meredith & Sarah will have no troubles in my absence.

We are so thankful for your faithful prayers and financial support and ask that you keep up the good work and so will we, as the Lord enables.

Part of His Workmanship

Bob DeVoe & family

FW: DeVoe Preyer Letter

2011-01-15T08:52:00.001-08:00

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

I have included our prayer letter hoping it will give you some information about what is going on here. I will be very honest with you it is very difficult at this time to share about life and ministry here as I do not want to complain or create a false image of what is going on. It is stressful times that we live in yet God is at work. Although we must constantly assess what we are doing and where we are going it also makes us ask the question is this what will glorify God, is this what will accomplish His will here on earth or am I doing this to suit myself or is this just what is easy or expedient. Although this past year started and ended with crisis with plenty of troubles in between our prayer letter shares the incredible numbers that have heard the Gospel and responded. In just this past year almost 50,000 heard the Gospel through Word of Life Nigeria, with over 15,000 making decisions for Christ. Yet there are still so many that have not heard and many that are religious but still need to be confronted with the truth of the Gospel.

The entire missions community here is on alert and have prepared as much as we can to leave if that were to become necessary. The US embassy keeps us informed of developments and areas to avoid. Again I do not share these things to play on people’s emotions but to help you to pray for us. God has called us here to serve Him and I believe we can best do that alive. If we are told by the US that we should leave we do plan to comply. We do not feel our lives are in personal danger at this time but do need wisdom as we continue to live and minister here in Nigeria.

Praise God and may His will be done as you Keep the faith and encourage one another.

Part of His Workmanship

Bob DeVoe

FW: DeVoe prayer update

2010-10-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Prayer partners,

Today 2 teams will be headed out for our first evangelism weekends of the dry season. We look forward to these opportunities that we have here in Nigeria and ask that you pray for: dry weather (rainy season has lingered this year), the equipment to run as needed, all of us that are going to be ready to serve, our speakers prepared to share the Gospel in a clear and relevant way and that even before we arrive God has opened the hearts and minds of those who we will minster to, so that they trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

One team will be in Nkun on Friday and Ganawuri on Saturday with the other at Fangroi & Bum. The picture is of Rev. Titus (on the far right) who is one of our speakers and the coordinator of 12 national missionary families in the Bukuru area. The group standing next to him is Pastor James and his family who live and work in Nkun and helped us with planning and preparation for this weekend. We have worked with both men in the past and they have done an excellent job of follow-up with the many new believers that were in their areas.

I will send and update next week to let you know how your prayers were answered. May God bless and encourage all of you, as you do for us with your prayers and support.

Rev. Bob DeVoe & family

Eph. 2:10

DeVoe Prayer Letter

2010-09-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Nigeria,

We hope your summer has been enjoyable and fruitful, the prayer letter attached gives a few glimpses of ours. The raining season here is not finished yet so we really enjoy any warm sunny weather we get and look forward to the dry season. We hope and pray that you all continue to see our Lord work not only in our lives here in Nigerian but in yours as well .

Please continue to keep us in Prayer.

Part of His Workmanship

Bob DeVoe & family

FW: DeVoe update

2010-05-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

May 28^th is the last official day of school and both Meredith and Sarah are ready for a break. Sarah’s school play “Little Women” was a lot of fun and all of the students did a great job. The costume changes that Sarah had were dramatic to say the least and thought that you might enjoy seeing what she looked like. Meredith will be helping to train teachers for an orphanage school for part of her break, and hopefully we can keep Sarah connected with her friends in and around Jos, during the school holiday.

We just recently purchased a Kerosene lamp from some other missionaries that were leaving and are really enjoying good light to read by that does not require a generator. This lamp is as bright as a 60 watt light bulb and is very easy and inexpensive to use, it has been perfect for our devotions in the morning. Pray for wisdom for us as we are exploring alternative options to what we are currently doing for electricity.

Our last evangelism trip for the dry season went very well. The Lord answered our prayers and we only had a little sprinkling on Friday night at Rahai Fan. Saturday evening at Gashet Fan was a light show in the clouds with thunder and lightning all around us even watching the rain in the distance as it was getting dark, yet we didn’t have a drop on the village we were in. The Hausa language Christian music videos that we start off with are always a draw, and we had a lot of fun watching these children trying to keep up with the traditional Nigerian dancers on the screen. Between the 2 villages there were over 500 people that we shared the Gospel with and 241 of them came to trust Jesus Christ.

The rains have not been as often or the length that we have known in the past, for the month of May. But today it seemed it was catch up time; getting over 4 inches of rain in less than 2 hours. The picture below is of the side yard by our front door turning into a stream that ran through our front porch.

You may recall that I was licensed as a ECWA (Evangelical Church of West Africa) pastor about a year and a half ago, and even before we returned to Nigeria back in December the process was begun for me to be ordained. This coming Sunday May 23, 2010 at 2 pm Peter Verkaik, 3 other Nigerian Pastors and myself will officially become ECWA Reverends. Peter & I will be the first “bature” (that is Hausa for white guy) Reverends in ECWA. It appears that the whole matter is quite significant to everyone here an many, many people have been invited including the Governor. Our Church here has done a lot of planning and we look forward to seeing many friends and enjoying the day.

Thanks for your Prayers and support

The DeVoe Family

DeVoe update

2010-05-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

Thanks for your Prayers and support

The DeVoe Family

FW: DeVoes prayer update

2010-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Prayer partners,

With the trouble that continues to make international news concerning Nigeria, I thought you all needed to hear some of the good things that God has been doing that don't tend to make the headlines. We as a family are so thankful for our safety as well as that of the many individuals that are part of the Word of Life Nigeria family.

We have enjoyed sharing the Truth Project from Focus on the Family at our local church in Rayfield as the center of our Thursday night Bible Study, showing half an hour of the DVD and then breaking into small groups for discussions. We are also doing a small group at our home on Sunday evenings with plans already in the works to repeat this small home group with more of our neighbors, many of whom are not born again believers. Pray specifically for a Muslim family, the Tajany's that we had over for dinner on Tuesday, to build a relationship that will provide more opportunities to share Christ.

We are also thankful for the safety that God provides with all the traveling I continue to do. The beginning of the month I was in Minna at the ECWA National Men's conference, which gave me lots of ideas on how to come along side the National Youth Conf. that will be held next year, for the purpose of seeing "every man complete in Christ". The clubs staff and myself have held 3 different training sessions for youth workers and Sunday school teachers, 2 in Kaduna and 1 in Jos. I spoke at a Bible college in Kagoro sharing a bit of my testimony, information about world evangelism and closing with a challenge from God's Word. By far the most fun I had was helping at a 3 day Children's camp, that had over 700 children and 300 teens. I lead the Bible study hour, helped with games and activities and also showed a film one night about Gladys Aylward, a missionary in China that took 100 orphan children over 100 miles through war-torn China to safety, a real walk of faith.

Thursday is opening night of a school play that Sarah is in, "Little Women", and we are very excited about her involvement. Ryan has healed up very quickly from his knee surgery which we are thankful for and is doing very well at WOLBI. He turned 19 on the 24th and we were able to send him a cake and pizza through the WOLBI kitchen. Meredith and Sarah only have one month left of school, pray they will finish well. I am headed out on Friday for an evangelism weekend to two villages, Rahai & Tere. On the way out to these bush villages last week to do the survey, I saw so many destroyed houses and encountered a number of road blocks, even encountering a truck full of military men patrolling; so pray specifically for our safety this weekend, that the equipment would work well, that the rains would not hinder us, open hearts to the gospel and that many would come to know Jesus Christ.

[cid:image002.jpg@01CAE7C7.F9653C70] [cid:image006.jpg@01CAE7C7.F9653C70] [cid:image007.jpg@01CAE7C7.F9653C70]
Some of the many children at camp good old fashion fun Meal time

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.
Bob DeVoe and family.

DeVoes prayer update

2010-04-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Prayer partners,

With the trouble that continues to make international news concerning Nigeria, I thought you all needed to hear some of the good things that God has been doing that don’t tend to make the headlines. We as a family are so thankful for our safety as well as that of the many individuals that are part of the Word of Life Nigeria family.

We have enjoyed sharing the Truth Project from Focus on the Family at our local church in Rayfield as the center of our Thursday night Bible Study, showing half an hour of the DVD and then breaking into small groups for discussions. We are also doing a small group at our home on Sunday evenings with plans already in the works to repeat this small home group with more of our neighbors, many of whom are not born again believers. Pray specifically for a Muslim family, the Tajany’s that we had over for dinner on Tuesday, to build a relationship that will provide more opportunities to share Christ.

We are also thankful for the safety that God provides with all the traveling I continue to do. The beginning of the month I was in Minna at the ECWA National Men’s conference, which gave me lots of ideas on how to come along side the National Youth Conf. that will be held next year, for the purpose of seeing “every man complete in Christ”. The clubs staff and myself have held 3 different training sessions for youth workers and Sunday school teachers, 2 in Kaduna and 1 in Jos. I spoke at a Bible college in Kagoro sharing a bit of my testimony, information about world evangelism and closing with a challenge from God’s Word. By far the most fun I had was helping at a 3 day Children’s camp, that had over 700 children and 300 teens. I lead the Bible study hour, helped with games and activities and also showed a film one night about Gladys Aylward, a missionary in China that took 100 orphan children over 100 miles through war-torn China to safety, a real walk of faith.

Thursday is opening night of a school play that Sarah is in, “Little Women”, and we are very excited about her involvement. Ryan has healed up very quickly from his knee surgery which we are thankful for and is doing very well at WOLBI. He turned 19 on the 24^th and we were able to send him a cake and pizza through the WOLBI kitchen. Meredith and Sarah only have one month left of school, pray they will finish well. I am headed out on Friday for an evangelism weekend to two villages, Rahai & Tere. On the way out to these bush villages last week to do the survey, I saw so many destroyed houses and encountered a number of road blocks, even encountering a truck full of military men patrolling; so pray specifically for our safety this weekend, that the equipment would work well, that the rains would not hinder us, open hearts to the gospel and that many would come to know Jesus Christ.

Some of the many children at camp good old fashion fun Meal time

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.

Bob DeVoe and family.

FW: DeVoes prayer letter

2010-04-06T11:19:00.001-07:00

From: Bob Devoe
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 3:08 PM
To: Bob Devoe
Subject: DeVoes prayer letter

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

We Hope you had a great day of celebration this past Sunday, rejoicing over Christ’s triumph over the grave!

We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement over the last few months here in Nigeria and hope this prayer letter will encourage you as well.

May God bless you as you do us.

Bob, Meredith, Ryan & Sarah DeVoe

Well said...

2010-01-25T03:15:00.001-08:00

A longtime expatriate resident of Jos posted this on her blog. I could not have said it better myself. I am, however, cautious to accept the truth of the massacre in Kuru Karama; Muslim numbers and victimization are sometimes inflated and manipulated. However I have seen with my own eyes destruction wrought in vengeance by those who call themselves Christian, so the message is relevant in any case.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2010
To those who preach hatred in God's name:
I read this passage this morning:
""God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In
this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have
confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like
him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made
perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet
hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his
brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And
he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his
brother."
I John 4:16-21
This afternoon, I read of the details of the massacre of Hausa Muslims
in the village of Kuru Jantar on Al-Jazeera, which I had heard hints
of earlier posted on Naijablog on January 19: first a plea for help
and then an exhausted report of a massacre.

"Reports on Saturday said that about 150 bodies had been recovered
from wells in Kuru Jantar, near the city of Jos, where clashes began
last week before spreading to nearby villages.
Locals in Kuru Jantar, also known as Kuru Karama, told Andrew Simmons,
Al Jazeera's Africa editor, that a massacre had taken place in the
village.
They said armed men had surrounded and attacked the village on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera saw the bodies recovered from wells, as well as the burnt
bodies of children recovered from ransacked houses.
Up to 18,000 people in the area are thought to have been left homeless
by the clashes in Nigeria's Plateau State."

Witnesses seem to indicate it was some sort of outside attack, saying
the "village was surrounded." Whether that is true or not, there
definitely seem to be politics behind this. (For more information on
the indigin/settler politics that seems to be the root of the recent
sectarian violence in Plateau State read these documents: a recently
published article by shari'a-in-Nigeria scholar Philip Ostien on the
events leading up the the 2008 crisis"Jonah Jang and the Jasawa"; a
Human Rights Watch report on the politics of "Settler/indigene" in
Nigeria, with a section on Plateau State, and the Human Rights Watch
report on the Military abuses during the 2008 crisis, which have no
doubt been continued during this crisis.
I've had a few friends recently be vocally critical of "religious"
people who do not speak out loudly against those who commit evil in
the name of religion. Let this be my response:
To those who kill and loot and politic and conspire and corrupt youth
in God's name, may He judge you with the same fire you used to burn
the houses and bodies of innocent people. To those who preach hatred
and prejudice and violence in God's name, listen to the words of
Jesus, who is venerated in both Christianity and Islam:
"Jesus said to his disciples: 'things that cause people to sin are
bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would
be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied
around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
So watch yourselves.
'If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If
he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times come back to
you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." Luke 17:1-4
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By your fruit you will
recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree
cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many
miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from
me, you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:15-23
And when the men came forward to arrest Jesus and one of Jesus's
disciples cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest,"Put your
sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the
sword will die by the sword." Matthew 26:52
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not
enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites, You
travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes
one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
[...]
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have
neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and
faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting
the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a
camel.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of
greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of
the cup and dish, and then the outside will be clean.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are
like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the
inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the
same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the
inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypcrites! You
build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would
not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.;
So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of
those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin
of your forefathers!
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned
to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and
teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog
in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will
come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the
blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,
whom you murdered between the temple and the alter. I tell you the
truth, all this will come upon this generation.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent
to you, how often i have longed to gather your children together, as a
hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not
see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord.'"
Matthew 23:13-39
"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved
darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who
does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear
that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes
into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done
has been done through God." John 3:19

For those who excuse attacks on those who are of a different religion
or ethnicity because you think if you don't strike first, they will
persecute you:
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I
forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?'
"Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven
times." Matthew 18:18
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you
on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants
to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloack as well. If
someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the
one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to
borrow from you."
You have heard it that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven." Matthew
5:38-45
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who
hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If
someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give
to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do
not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Luke 6:27
"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
It is enough for the student to be like his teacher and the servant
like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub,
how much more the members of his household!
So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not
be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you
in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear,
proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy
both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a
penny[assarion]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart
from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are
all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows" Matthew 10:24-31

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so
you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another." John 13: 34
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid" John 14:27
Posted by Talatu-Carmen at 1/23/2010

Update

2010-01-02T07:38:00.001-08:00

Greetings from Jos, Nigeria.

We are thanking the Lord for answered prayer and that we have arrived safely
back to our home in Jos Nigeria. We landed on Tuesday evening and all of our
luggage was with us.We spent the night in the capital, Abuja, and then
traveled the next day to Jos where we were greeted by many friends and
fellow labors in the Lord. Today after a staff meeting where we were able to
catch up on all the aspects of the ministry, we began running around with
getting paperwork renewed, repairing some broken items around the house, and
stocking up our home with necessary supplies. As we had suspected from what
what was in the Nigerian newspapers on line, fuel was hard to find and we
have had only a few hours of electricity, yet we are not in the dark about
what we are here for and look forward to another year of ministry.

We eagerly anticipate what the Lord is going to do in 2010 and we wish you a
very Happy New Year!

Bob and Meredith DeVoe
Eph. 2:10

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Snowflakes drift gently outside and I wear a warm sweater and corduroys as I listen to Christmas music. How different from Christmas in Nigeria, and how very different from that first Christmas in Bethlehem.

The weather would have been cold and dry, with a dusty wind blowing. Instead of balsam fir and cinnamon, the holy family would have had the smell of hay and manure and animals in their nostrils. Instead of carols and bells, the bleating of goats, the cries of labor, and the soft squalling of a newborn baby. No home with candles burning and the happy faces of family and friends and the tastes of too many delicious foods; instead the overcrowded houses and barns, smokey with lamps and cooking fires.

In many ways that first Christmas resembles Christmas in Nigeria more than the cozy celebration we have made of it. In many ways, a spare and weary Christmas highlights better that Greatest Gift ever given, the Gift wrapped in swaddling clothes, surrounded by controversy, gazed upon by wondering faces of shepherds and livestock.

God bless you and have a Merry Christmas!

DeVoe update

2009-09-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

What joy it brings to a father seeing his children walking in truth. Today Sarah headed to school early, which is rather surprising considering that she is really bothered by many of the other students behavior and talk of drugs and immorality. Sarah left before 7am so she could participate in a nationwide program involving students gathering at their flag poles to pray, asking God to work on their campuses among students and staff. We also need to be praying for our Christian students to be unified, for them to stand strong in their faith and for them to have the courage to share Christ.

This past weekend was also filled with joy as it was the opening weekend at the Word of Life Bible Institute. 10 years ago I responded to God's call on my life by moving my family to Schroon Lake and attending the BI. Unsure what He had in store for us we moved forward one step at a time and He showed Himself to be faithful again and again. From selling our house in VT in only 2 weeks, with no real-estate agent to both Meredith and I receiving Bachelors' degrees while remaining dept free. He also raised up the financial and prayer support that allowed us to move to Nigeria as a family in 2006 which enabled us to serve in an incredibly fruitful ministry. To be at WOL for Ryan's opening weekend brought back a flood of memories which stirred my heart and mind with anticipation as to what God has in store for Ryan. Pray for his coming year to have a lifelong impact and for wisdom in deciding what the next step in his life will be after a year at the BI.

We were also blessed this past Saturday evening to be part of a sell-out crowd for a concert by Mark Schultz & Point of Grace hosted at our Church, First Baptist of Johnson City. Sunday followed with an open house and Dedication service of the new building which is now home to a church that is over 100 years old and stands testament to the faithfulness of God. Before we left for Nigeria in 2006, we had been part of a prayer walk that moved about an open field which had been marked out for what we were asking God to bring to a reality. Now to the glory of God an incredible ministry center stands which purposes to provide new ministry opportunities for a group that abounds with people that live their faith, give sacrificially and serve unconditionally. Pray along with us to meet up with the stewardship of such a building and that God will raise up an army of individuals to serve in every aspect of ministry where there is a need so that First Baptist of Johnson City will be all that God expects her to be.

Our furlough is almost half over and we are so thankful for the many individuals that have provided meals, housing and encouragement in many different forms and for the many opportunities we have had to share about what God is doing in Nigeria. God has answered your prayers for our safe travels with over 9000 miles logged since the 8th of July and we would ask you to continue to pray for safety as we travel to the many missions conferences and speaking engagements that we have coming up over the next 3 months. Please continue to pray for the Verkaiks and the ministry staff in Nigeria as the work goes on in our absence only with less hands to accomplish it. We also ask you to pray for an increase in our prayer and financial support base before we return to Nigeria.

To God be the Glory, great things He has done.
Bob & family

Top Ten...

2009-08-04T07:24:00.001-07:00

Top ten things I miss about Nigeria:

"Sannu! Ina kwana?"

Our friends!!

The most-always pleasant weather

The colorful clothing

Dancing in church

Reggae music

Rice, beans, and red stew

Hillcrest School

Jerry (a five-year-old who lives in our compound)

Mangoes

Top ten things I don't miss:

Achabas (motorcycle taxis)

Trash strewn everywhere

Public urination

Diesel fumes

Marriage proposals for my daughter

Corrupt police and officials

White-knuckle driving everywhere

Crashed and burned-out cars

Razor wire

Potholes

Top ten things I am appreciating about the USA:

Blueberries, cherries, apples

Safe driving

Open lawns and gardens, farms and woods

Thrift Shops

Libraries

24-hour electricity

Drinkable water

Clean air

I am not an object of curiosity everywhere I go

Most everyone is actually wealthier than me

Top ten things I wish about the USA:

That people were grateful for the enormous blessings they enjoy from God every day

That people would spend less time mowing lawns and more with each other

That people would dress nicer-- not jeans and t-shirts ad nauseum

That people would loosen up and make some noise in church

That people would buy less and make more

That junk food was not so ubiquitous

That SUVs would go away, especially Hummers

That they would turn the air conditioning down

That people would protect the unborn AND the Alaskan wilderness

That Christians would make Christ known so the world will see and turn away from false gods

Finishing Well

2009-06-16T03:34:00.000-07:00

In just two weeks we will be headed for the US for 6 months. Already our Nigerian friends are warmly telling us how much they will miss us and how they hope we enjoy our "holiday". I laugh when I tell them we will likely be more busy in America than we are here! But we are enthusiastically looking forward to seeing our family, friends, and the churches who have helped us so greatly.

Please pray for us as we prepare for our furlough schedule. We expect a full roster of speaking and sharing what the Lord has done in the last three years-- How can we tell it all?-- as well as taking classes, working part time, keeping house and traveling extensively. God will give us the strength to do all we need to do.

We are thankful for all He is and all He has done and will continue faithfully to do.

Finishing Well

2009-06-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

The month of May has ushered in the rainy season and brought with it much activity for us as a family and in the ministries of Word of Life Nigeria. As a family we have been very busy making many plans for our upcoming furlough to visit friends and relatives, along with juggling the many activities that coincide with the end of a school year for a teacher and students. Even with being far from the United States Ryan enjoyed a very traditional High School Graduation with all the festivities that one might expect. He has also enjoyed getting his Nigerian drivers license, and some of the privileges that go along with yet another step towards maturity and independence.

The First picture shows Ryan and his classmates with Ryan standing while they gave a synopsis of his 2 years at Hillcrest.

The Born Again to a living Hope Drama Ministry presented in Jos at the Police Barracks and at the Air Force Base as well as traveling to the area of Kafenchan to give another 11 performances. These 13 powerful presentations ministered to 5704 individuals with 755 trusting in Jesus Christ. We may never fully know the impact of this ministry this side of eternity, but the Lord gave us a glimpse this month. After the Performance at the Police Barracks I began working with the Chapel leaders to start Word of Life Bible Clubs and the Pastor told me how the week after we were there 4 more people came forward telling how God used the drama to impact their lives and convict them of their need to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.

The second picture shows the Police Barracks Chapel with those that came forward to trust Christ the day of the performance.

We also have been incredibly busy with the Bible Clubs this month visiting the far north city of Sokoto at the beginning of the month. We trained many leaders and began Word of Life Bible Clubs in this predominantly Muslim City where Church growth is limited by the fact that no one will sell land to Christians for a Church; and even if you did somehow manage to get some land you would never be granted permission to build a Church. This past weekend we were in Mina for a leadership Conference weekend and had a great time with Bible Club and Church leaders spending time on the subjects: The Key elements of a Student and Olympian Bible club, Commitment, How to get more out of your Quiet Time, and How to most effectively use the ClubDiscipleship time.

The last picture is of Sam Dodo our Southwest Area Missionary doing some of the teaching.

With a very busy month of May behind us I am asking that you would all pray for what is shaping up to be an even busier month of June. I have been diligently working on our furlough schedule and am thankful for the Pastors and many missions committees that have had a part of this process and hope to finish it up in the next few weeks. The 1st will be our staff meeting followed by visiting a retired Nigerian Missionary that will be a part of the Missions Conf. that I am coordinating for our Local Church from the 8th to the 14th. The 2nd thru the 4th I will be in Abuja doing the set up trip for the Born Again Drama ministry that will hold the 3rd week of June which I will be leading. The 5th & 6th we will be giving Bible Club orientation at the police Barracks in Jos. The 9th we will travel as a family to Abuja and ship Ryan to America. The 11th thru the 14th the Club guys and myself will travel to Igbe and provide Bible Club orientation to begin Clubs in over 20 of the Local Churches there. The 21st I will be speaking at our Church and the 23rd will be in Abuja again dropping off our Short Term helper Heather Johnson and picking up the Verkaiks. The 26th and 27th we will hold another Leadership Conference in Kaduna. Then, Lord willing I will be ordained at our Local Church, along with Peter Verkaik, on the 28th. The 30th Meredith, Sarah and myself will head for the States and begin yet another season of life and Ministry.

Again, please pray that this last month in Nigeria we will all finish this first term well.

God Bless and look forward to seeing you all soon.

Bob and Family

Imagine... and pray

2008-07-12T02:41:00.000-07:00

Imagine if in your town, ...the roads washed out, the schools closed, and the water was shut off.

The power only came on for an hour or two every day or two. As a result, you lose your job or go out of business.

Food prices rose 25% per year.

Gas stations frequently ran out of gas. When they opened, an hour's wait on queue was common.

The police refused to respond when you called when someone was breaking in to your home. Most of them did not know how to drive, and they had no ammunition for their AK-47s.

The hospital closed. The best medical care was a facility like what we called in America, a "Doc-in-the-Box".

Road officials sometimes pulled you over and tried to extort a bribe or even arrest you for no reason.

As many as 50% of high school students were infected with HIV.

Imagine, and then pray for Nigeria, where this is reality.

For us, these things are a hardship. But if things get too bad, we have someplace to go. Nigerians don't. They have to try to live under these conditions and create a hopeful future for their children.

Pray for Nigeria!!

Sunday's Story

2008-06-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about our neighbors. To make a long story short, there are 5 or 6 children and a rotating group of adults- a grandmother and daughter-in-law, mostly- living in a 8' by 10' concrete block shack next door (the adults go off looking for day work and sometimes don't come back). Well, the grandma came over the other day with a boy who had cut his head on glass, asking how we should treat it. I got some hot water and antibiotic cream and started cleaning it up- he had a thumbprint sized piece of paper stuck on the cut-- and when i had soaked that off, there was a one inch gaping gash on his temple, deep. So one of our staff (who speaks Hausa) and I took him to a clinic in Maiadiko and he had four stitches. This kid is not related to the others living in the shack, his father went to his village to visit ("going to the village" is a common thing, they come to Jos to find work but often visit their rural village), his mother is dead, and his stepmother locked up the house and went off supposedly to sell meat in the next town (about a fifteen minute walk) and never came back, so for 4 days this kid was left on his own and the already overcrowded family took him in. The kid has no clothes except what he was wearing (which is now covered with blood) and his school uniform, and he IS going to school which is good. But he hadn't eaten since the day before, none of them had. So we ended up sending over food. (The grandfather was off drinking his salary.)

Unfortunately this boy and his story are totally common, orphanages are chock-full of kids like him that no one cares about. You have to live here daily with the knowledge that you can't meet all the needs you see even for one day. The boy needed a lot more than medical attention and a hot meal. There is a shame and fear that comes with poverty and neglect, and the kid would not really meet anyone's eyes. But at the clinic, after the doctor had jabbed the wound about ten times with a novocaine needle and the swelling had burst in bright red blood all down the kid's face and clothes, right to the floor, I grabbed some cotton to clean his face up because it was a mess of tears and blood and sweat and mucus. While I was wiping his face, for a second his eyes met mine. That was my reward, and I can't explain it, but I feel like I got more from the transaction than he did.

Thankfulness

2008-05-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

My sister Susan married Mark Breckenridge on April 5 of this year and I was privileged to be able to attend the wedding. Having lived in a third world country for almost two years gave me a fresh perspective on American living. How great to go to Wal-Mart and find so much in one place! To have electricity 24/7!! And good roads with traffic lights!! To know that the police are my friends!! And that church will start on time and not go over three hours!!!

Of course, the homes and cars and lawns and lakes and stuff were beautiful. Someone asked me, "Do you find yourself wishing we didn't have so much?"

I thought about that and my answer is truthfully, no, I don't wish that at all; but I do wish that people would be more thankful and fully appreciate how blessed they are and how much God has given them.

I know about myself that in times of suffering I draw very close to God and depend on Him for every moment's grace; but when things are good I tend to go on auto-pilot spiritually. This tendency has really bothered me in the last year and with prayer, I found out how not to let that happen: by being thankful.

Africans are thankful. They have so much less than Americans. Yet you will never hear them complain about their job, instead the proper response to "How is work" is "Thank God." Thank God I have work, thank God I have the strength to work. A Sunday rarely goes by that Reverend Iwuji fails to thank God that "He has brought us alive to see this day, because many who began this year are no longer with us." You will not hear them complain about their house or clothes or car, instead if they have a car they are very grateful (and would be ashamed to complain, considering how many are walking or depending on motorcycle taxis), if they have clothes and a home they are thankful.

I wish Americans realized how much they have and gave thanks for it. "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. " Ps 107:8,9

LONG overdue update!

2008-02-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

Life here is way too busy, and unfortunately I have really neglected to update this blog. So much has happened! Here is the content from our October, 2007 newsletter, which recapped our first year in Nigeria:

“The Gift Granted to us Through Many”

“...we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in [Africa]: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength… that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us... in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.” 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

Both Bob and Meredith were individually struck by how appropriately this verse sums up our first year of serving the Lord in Nigeria. We know that we could not have made it through the many trials we have faced, without knowing absolutely that God would deliver us, and that YOU are praying for us.

In one year we have had two serious car accidents, an armed home invasion, malaria, dysentery, and other tropical illnesses; all while adjusting to life in a very different culture in a third world country.

In that same year we also saw thousands of persons respond to the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Bible Clubs are exploding, especially in the Islamic state of Kaduna. God opened the door for Meredith to teach at Hillcrest, an international school for missionary and Nigerian children. Ryan and Sarah have had an active ministry of their own with young children, as an adjunct to Peter and Bette Verkaik’s Couples Fellowship ministry.

You were “helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.” The “gift” is not only the glorious things God has been doing, but the deliverance we experienced from all the times we were “burdened beyond strength.”

We are so thankful for that deliverance, and for all the wonderful things that God is doing.

Thankfully, things have been somewhat more routine in the last few weeks. But we are no less dependent on your prayers. Bob is traveling thousands of miles in the next few months, bringing the Bible Clubs ministry to every state in Nigeria. Ryan and Sarah are meeting the challenges of school and making new friends. Meredith needs wisdom, love and stamina to teach Kindergarten.

We trust that God will “still deliver us”, and that you will continue to be “helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given.”

We ARE giving thanks!

2007-01-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Prayer Partners,
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support!! The most recent weekend evangelistic campaign was in Shendam Government Girls’ Secondary School. Peter Verkaik spoke on purity and dating, AIDS and abortion, and a Hausa evangelist gave a clear presentation of the Gospel, to which 528 young people responded for salvation. We are thanking and praising the Lord that when the Word is preached, people are “born again to a living hope”! (1 Peter 1:3)
Equally important is the discipleship side of Word of Life’s ministry. Jesus said to “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Bob has been very busy with that aspect! As you may know, the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) has asked that Word of Life help them to establish sound, fun, Christ-centered Bible Clubs in all 6,000 of their churches. Additionally, the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) has expressed strong interest. So every week we are meeting with pastors and denominational representatives, giving leadership training seminars (“Source One” workshops), and speaking at Youth Conferences, and always presenting the Good News and inviting people to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
The photo at the right shows us in front of our ministry bus. We have had the word “Missionary” painted across the front of the bus because have recently encountered some adversity in the form of harassment by the police– not for evangelizing, but for supposedly owing fees for registrations for our vehicles, for which as a ministry we are not liable. Some of these men simply are looking for a bribe, which Scripture forbids us to give (Exodus 23:28). Please pray that we would find favor with the police and not continue to encounter trouble.
We are very grateful that our support level is holding firm, and we thank all our supporters very much. We are also so very grateful for all those who are praying for us, God is answering and we are praising Him! Although we did not raise full support before coming to Jos, we have been able to make ends meet, and hope to fulfill our first term without financial constraints cutting it short.

Family News
Both of the kids are working very hard at home schooling and doing well in their studies. However, Ryan is really praying that he can go to Hillcrest, a private school in Jos, next year, as he misses the sports and other involvements. The tuition is very expensive and definitely not in our budget, but we know that if this is God’s plan it is no problem for Him to provide the need in answer to prayer. If you are led to help out with this, please let us know. We know this is a very big and special request, but want Ryan to see that we have a big and awesome God!!
Ryan and Sarah are really enjoying our pets, Shep and Lily, our guard dogs; and Splotch, our new kitten. They provide rich entertainment and discourage unwanted visitors of various kinds. Lily, seemingly not the brightest of the bunch, recently proved her worth in setting up an alarm at the presence of a scorpion in the yard!
Another recent “addition” has been an old, chartreuse VW Beetle for family use. Those who know Meredith well will not be surprised! Instead of calling them a VW “bug”, in Nigeria they are known as “kunkuru” or “turtle”, which is Sarah’s favorite animal.
Holidays are coming fast! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends, complete with turkey and pumpkin pie. While Christmas will be different with no snow, evergreens, jingle bells or colorful lights, it will surely be more like that first Christmas long ago when Jesus came to earth. Surely the manger was dry and dusty; and the night was dark and smelled more of livestock than balsam. It is actually easier to focus on what Christmas really means in the absence of all the “usual” holiday cues.
In many ways we have really settled in and feel at home here. God is good! We are so thankful to be serving the Lord in Nigeria! And we thank all of you, and our God, who makes it possible.
May the Lord bless you!

It's all good!!

2006-10-05T08:18:00.001-07:00

Praise God!! We arrived in Nigeria August 22. After a few days recovering from jet lag we returned to Abuja to retrieve some of our luggage that had not made it- including the water purifier we need in order to drink the water here.

The first few weeks seemed to go slowly as we were awaiting our house to be brought to livable condition. We moved in to no water or electricity, but it was home!! Then ministry really began to pick up, and we are busy home schooling Ryan and Sarah, and taking care of many other details, including immigration, getting drivers licenses, fixing things, buying food, fixing more things, witnessing.... think of how long things take to do in America, then multiply by 5- 10 times. Well, it's all good.

Meredith had malaria and was very sick for a few days, but in answer to prayer, God healed her and raised her up to be Bob's helpmeet once again. God's grace was sufficient and His power made perfect in weakness. He is faithful!

Please pray for our first evangelistic trip coming up October 13-15. We will spend two days at Bokkos, present the Gospel in film, preaching, music and puppetry; and spend time discipling new believers. Please pray for an abundant harvest to God's glory!!

Thank you for all your prayers and support. I hope to post some photographs soon, as it is difficult to convey in words how different it is here- both exciting and difficult things.

Blessings to all!!

2006-10-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

2006-07-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

Just a short post that yesterday, July 19, we purchased our plane tickets for August 21. Currently we are packing and trying to tie up all the loose ends! Please pray for us. "For a great and effective door has opened to [us], and there are many adversaries." 1Co 16:9

2006-07-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord, we are closing in on 80% of our financial support and buying plane tickets for August 21!! (The date was pushed ahead a few days to allow the Verkaiks time to prepare for our arrival.)

A friend is praying the following amazing Scriptural prayer for us each day. She sent this prayer to me and I was amazed at how the Lord had shown her what our specific needs are. That is worth more to us than anything!!! We would be so grateful, if the Lord moves you to do this, if you too would agree with us in prayer before the Lord for all these things.

Precious Father,
I plead the Devoe family will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will daily walk in His power (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16).

I pray they will speak the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31; Ephesians 6:19).

That they will present the gospel clearly to unbelievers (Colossians 4:4).

I praise You cuz I know they will be accepted by the citizens of Nigeria, the unbelievers, the believers, and the missionaries in the area where they are laboring (Romans 15:30-31).
God, I plead that You will protect the Devoe Family from the attacks of Satan and his demons (Romans 15:30-31; 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3).

Father, I ask that You would open doors and hearts to receive the gospel as Meredith and her husband minister in their place of service (Colossians 4:3).

I pray that You will make their ministry exceedingly fruitful and that You will glorify Yourself through this ministry (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

Father, Oh Father, I am trusting with whole heart, mind, body and spirit that You will deliver this family from loneliness and frustration (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 18:9-10; Hebrews 13:5).

Lord, I pray that You will create in Meredith and her husband a servant's heart (Philippians 2:5-10).

I ask that they will live and labor each day for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Father, I honor Meredith's desire to be a vessel through which the love of God can flow to others, and I pray that you anoint her with your loving Holy Spirit Fire. I pray this for her husband as well Lord. Let them breath Your Breath into all the hearts that hear them. (Romans 5:5; John 13:34-35).

Guide Meredith and her husband in Your specific direction for their ministry (Psalm 37:5).
I pray this family will experience an even MORE growing and intimate relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:4-5).

I pray as they are working in Nigeria they will be blessed with a deeper and clearer understanding of the Word of God (John 16:13).

Father, I plead that You will continually protect The Devoe Family from all harm and ask that You would strengthen all of them physically (Genesis 2:7).
I ask that You would bless Meredith with peace and assurance about the well being of family members that are left at home (1 Peter 5:7).

Fill this family with Your joy in all situations and let this joy sustain them in all situations (Nehemiah 8:10).

Father, I pray that they see people and things from Your perspective (Proverbs 3:5).

Lord, I ask that You would bless and strengthen every family member from cousins to in-laws, to immediate family to close family friends. Fill them with need and desire to lift Meredith, her husband and children without fail in prayer and support. (Ephesians 5:22-6:4).

I plead that this family will have a renewed and growing zeal to share the gospel with unbelievers (Romans 1:15-16).

I ask that they be completely yielded to Christ and willing to die to self in all matters (Mark 8:34-35).

I pray that they grow in humility (1 Peter 5:5-6).

I ask You to create a thankful heart in The Devoe family, especially in times of difficulty (Ephesians 5:20).

I pray that You will raise up prayer partners for The Devoe Family (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

I plead that all of their needs--physical, spiritual, emotional, and spiritual--will be met by You through Your grace and power (Philippians 4:19).

I Praise Father That I know this family will labor from godly motives and not from a desire to please people (2 Corinthians 4:2).

I am thankful Lord, that you would raise up strong believers around them who will encourage them in the tasks that God has given to them (Philemon 20).

I'm Praising You Lord that I know this family longs to be holy and live a life of obedience to the Word of God, I am honored to call them friend. (1 Peter 1:15-16).

I Praise You Lord, that I KNOW they will be salt and light to the people to which they have been sent (Matthew 5:13-14).

Father, I thank You for strength that will enable them to pray for those who persecute them and for those who spitefully use them (Matthew 5:44).

I pray that this family would not lag in diligence but would be fervent in spirit, GLORY FATHER, I know they will rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and continue steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:11-12).

I ask that they not lose focus in ministry but that they would have their priorities ordered by You. I pray and stand in awe as they set their minds on things above and not on the things of the earth (Colossians 3:2-3).

I thank You Father, that they WILL be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that their labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Father, I ask that you comfort her as she prepares to make this journey. Lord, I'm a woman, I know how her heart must be fluttering as she looks around her home, sees her friends, talks to her family. Her heart must be torn in two sometimes, Lord, fill her with MIGHTY WINGS OF PURPOSE. Fill her with peace and courage. Renew this in my dear friend everyday as she walks a path that cuts into the unknown, make everything familiar and new, fill it with Love. Ease any concerns she has about loved ones. I praise You Father for the blessings that are going to fill their hearts, for the goodness and good things that are set on providing for those less fortunate. Father, make Meredith's voice like the voice of an angel as she teaches Your Word, Your Love, Your Miracles, Your Grace and Your Mercy. More than anything Precious Father, keep my precious sister from any kind of harm, sickness, demon, bug, political squabbles, vengeful God haters, protruding rock, falling rock, depression, doubt, weariness, anxiety, FATHER, I PRAY THAT NOTHING TOUCH THIS FAMILY THAT IS NOT OF YOU... I praise You Father, I adore Your Love and In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

What I did this summer (Lord willing!)

2006-06-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

So far we are still making plans to leave the United States for Nigeria on August 16. Praise the Lord!!! We are currently at 70% of our needed recurring monthly support.

We are very excited because God has provided a home for us in Jos, newly built, which we will have to put the finishing touches on (like running water and electricity... small details...) but it comes with enough room for our family and office, and is in a good location for ministry. Best of all, we will live there rent-free for the first term, which will allow our ministry funds to go a lot farther. Thank you, Lord!!

We still have to:

Get physicals, shots, and malaria prescriptions
Visit the Dentist
Get our papers in order
Get Visas
Pack
Decide what to store and what to part with
Say our "See-You-Laters"

Please pray for us as we work through this in the next few weeks!!

We are also visiting churches nearly every weekend, but we also have some other special things planned.

The DeVoes and Meredith's family are both having reunions.
Ryan will spend a week at Word of Life Island, and a couple of weeks in Vermont with his good buddy Kelly Keegan.
Sarah will spend a week at Word of Life Ranch.
We will all spend some time in Vermont visiting with old friends (and doing some support-raising as well, of course).

Thanks to all for your continued prayers, and to our God, for making it all possible!!

DeVoted to Nigeria

2006-04-18T05:55:00.000-07:00

DeVoted to Nigeria
"Do something so big for God that it's destined to fail without Him."
The person I heard this from couldn't recall who said it; but this saying has ignited me lately. Because that is what I feel we are doing!

Our departure date for Nigeria is AUGUST 16, 2006. I am confident that we will be going on that date- but it still takes a lot of faith to believe it!

We still need 37% of our monthly support, and are seeking 400 more prayer partners as well. We are leaning hard on God for these right now. Please pray for us!! To go to Nigeria is a BIG thing- but not too big for God!!

A Gift from American Kids

2006-03-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

Ruth, Habibu, and the sewing and knitting machines
The AWANA club of our sending church, First Baptist of Johnson City, bought sewing and knitting machines for the new Fulani church in Mallam Fatori. Habibu is the pastor of this church, which was planted in response to the many salvation decisions in that village during evangelistic campaigns last dry season. The machines will be used as an outreach tool to the community, and to provide income for Pastor and Ruth. Please pray for this church. The 50 Fulani converts who are part of the church face persecution and ostracization for their new faith.

2006-02-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

Bob and Meredith

2006-02-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our blog.

We are Word of Life Missionary Appointees to Nigeria, West Africa. Lord willing, we plan to go there in October 2006 to begin our missions work with Word of Life Nigeria. We are very excited to get involved in what the Lord is doing there-- literally thousands of people are hearing the Message of Christ and thousands are trusting Him as Savior!!

In the meantime,...

·Miles we drive per year: about 40,000

·Churches we ministered in in 2005: 37

·Times we have moved since 1999: 10

·Number of individuals who support us regularly: 27

·Number of Churches that support us: 7

·Blessings we have received: countless!!

We are currently at 55% of our needed monthly financial support, and 100% of our moving fund. We are in need of people to PRAY for us and to support our ministry. If you would like to recieve our current prayer letter, please send us your e-mail address, or e-mail us your mailing address. Thanks and may the Lord bless you!!