Real joy could be seen on the faces of the children. Their happiness shown like the day as they gathered within the little premises of Whanyinna Nursery and Primary School, situated inside Makoko, a slum community in Yaba Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Lagos State, collecting one gift or the other. “I am very happy, I thank the oyinbo, (white people), for the books, pens they brought for us,” Valery Hunmenu, a primary school pupil, enthused.   “We are very grateful to SOS for all the things they brought for us,” Friday Shemede, another pupil said with smiles.

Beaming with joy, Emmanuel Shemede, traditional head of Makoko, expressed gratitude that God was opening up the community as it is now gets attention from people of the international community. “I really appreciate what these white men have done.  By their action, they have brought hope for the children of this community and even for the adults. I pray God will help them to do what they promised to do for us because it will be a thing of joy for me if all the children in this community can be educated,” he said.

Dwellers of Akankan and Akitoye villages,  some remote villages outside Abeokuta, Ogun State also benefited from the benevolence of the missionaries as they also got some shoes, books and other educational materials as well as some first aid kits for use in their communities. Overwhelmed by the activities of the missionaries, David Kuye, Baale of Akitoye was extremely happy. “It is a thing of joy for us that the white people from America came to our village here to bless us,” he told the magazine.

Ramon

Oke, Baale of Akankan, said he was happy to have allowed SOS representative, Mike Schadt, to minister when he came last October. “Last year when he came, he told us that he was coming back and truly he came and brought things for us and our children.  We are happy and we pray that God will continue to help them and especially to help them do what they are planning to do for us,” he said.

Stephen Centre, an orphanage in Abeokuta, also got some educational supplies as well as some personal items that could be useful for teaching and educating the children. Isaac Wusu, director of the orphanage as he received the goods, expressed deep appreciation. “I am short of words, I am happy that SOS stretched a hand of fellowship to the Stephen Centre. My prayer is that God will keep strengthening them and prosper them in their endeavours especially as it concerns Nigeria,” he said.

It was almost like a dream when members of the SOS Ministries International, an international church planting organisation based in Clearwater, Florida, United States, US, made a second appearance in Makoko and the other communities, with loads of items for the indigenes of the villages.

In Makoko, particularly, it was strange that foreigners could take so much interest in their welfare especially since state and local governments have failed to respond to their several calls for assistance for the school. Over 2000 pupils already registered are waiting to be accommodated for lack of space, besides, a promise to construct more classroom blocks by Jide Jimoh, chairman, Yaba LCDA and Tunde Williams, the vice-chairman, since over a year ago is yet

ago is yet to be fulfilled. “The chairman also promised to sponsor the teachers’ education to College of Education, NCE, level but till now, we have not heard from them,” Noah Shemede, Whanyinna  school coordinator disclosed.

Acknowledging the supremacy of God as the one who gives enablement to do all things, he said “We are planning and believing God to construct an extension to the school in Makoko. Multipurpose building that could be used as a place of worship, education and as a medical clinic. A permanent structure, like the existing school to be sand-filled  and built using very  strong wood and steel; two-storey high,” he had told the magazine in November last year.

This second visit, now with four other members of the ministry is a “vision trip” to get a broader scope of the situation. Jack Piquette, Community Life Pastor and member of SOS Ministry told the magazine that “the trip was actually meant to catch a vision of how to go about bringing the needed assistance to the community.  Not just about physical assistance but to also use the opportunity to minister to them spiritually.”

 Glad that the ministry could impact on lives in Nigeria and particularly Makoko, Josh Kee, who is in charge of the youth/students department  in the ministrysaid it was a good thing the team came on the visit. Though with some reservation for the beyond deplorable condition of the Makoko people, Kee was impressed that they could still be happy. “Our desire is to really love the people of Makoko. To bring real happiness, not just the project we are planning to do but to show

them real love as demonstrated by Christ,” he said.

Touched by the hopelessness of the depravity in their environment, physically and spiritually, Schadt said the situation burns on his heart. “If you meet someone in need and you close your eyes, what is the need of meeting them? So the vision is clear, we will take the message back to the US and strategise on how to accomplish this mission, God helping us,” he intoned.

By bringing those items to the pupils of Whanyinna Nursery and Primary School,  the orphanage and the other villages visited, Shawna Hoopinganer, a member of the ministry, noted it was cheering to be able show love. “By doing this, we are showing the love that transcends race and tradition or culture,” she said. Margaret Mahony, another member on the vision trip, told the magazine that by coming with some necessities for the communities visited, the SOS was reiterating what Christ did when he was on earth. “May be their living condition is not going to change totally, but we are trying to bring hope that Jesus gave us by ministering to them physically and spiritually,” Mahony explained.

The first visit of SOS Ministries was in October 2009 when Schadt, founder and field director, came to Nigeria on a fact-finding mission. It was actually his first visit to the African continent.  He stepped out on the prompting of the Holy Spirit to seek out souls in  villages and communities in Nigeria that needed to be reached with the gospel of peace and whose people could benefit from the abundant grace made available by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Burning with the desire to touch lives in

in Nigeria, the mission activity took Schadt to Makoko, Shote Village in Ibafo area, Akankan and Akitoye. In fact, the first visit to Akankan was memorable as there was a stiff resistance and Schadt and his team, Nigerians, were initially not allowed to preach the gospel for they were told it was a taboo to preach in the land. But after some entreaties, persuasion and pleasantries, with the Holy Spirit at work, they were allowed to minister and it was indeed, a success story.

Akankan is a village inhabited mainly by Muslims and whose only source of drinking water is a shallow pond.  The indigenes have to trek several kilometres to get clean potable water. Schadt after ministering in words to the villagers, expressed the willingness of his ministry to provide a borehole in some not too distant future time, God willing, to make clean water readily available for people.

Schadt also paid a visit to the orphanage in Abeokuta, called Nigeria Special Children at Stephen Centre International. Established in 2000 by Voice of The Christian Martyrs, a Europe-based not for profit organisation with a Nigerian affiliate, the orphanage caters for children of victims, Christian martyrs, who lost their lives in the series of religious crises in northern part of Nigeria.

With the ten-day vision trip successfully concluded, the five –man team while leaving, expressed hope to be back soon. “It all depends, however, on how soon we can raise funds for the projects, both at Makoko and at Akankan. But God willing we shall surely come back,” Schadt assured.  With its presence established in Nigeria and the impact already being felt by the people, the

the door is already opened for SOS Ministries and the connection made. There is no holding back. The grace will continue to flow unhindered and will extend to other parts of the country, the E

ast, the West, the Southsouth and even the North. According to Schadt, “God has opened an effective door of strong relationship in Nigeria and I believe the Lord would perfect His work.”

 

Schadt: Impacting the lives of the needy

Piquette: On a ‘Vision Trip”

Oke: Delighted