2/10/2014
We began our day at 8 a.m. with eggs, juice and bread. We wake up with instant Nescafe coffee and powdered cream. I have rediscovered sugar cubes and have gone to having a couple of lumps in my coffee. Our first stop today was to visit Chris Adamu, a recently retired government worker who is passionate about the poor and vulnerable. He has just incorporated a non-profit called Fanta Adamu Biyam Memorial Foundation. Its motto is “Service to Humanity.” Benji explained to us that Adamu has been a ...
2/9/2014
We had a good night's sleep at the bishop's guest house. We gathered at 8 a.m. for breakfast and then were off to a 9 a.m. worship. We celebrated the Sabbath at the Taraba State government-sponsored church. The pastor announced that all faiths are welcome. The three-hour service included spirited music from all sectors of the congregations — youth, women's group and young adults — the clergy-led songs being particularly engaging. Four pastors took part in the worship. A retired minister ...
2/8/2014
The Roses Hotel in Abuja was a lovely place where we slept Friday night. We rose early on Saturday and visited the building site of the Bishop Peter Dabale Memorial United Methodist Cathedral currently under construction. District Superintendent and Cathedral Senior Pastor Mathew Dangombe provided a tour of the construction and time to meet with many of the leaders of the church including the chair of council on ministries, lay leader, among others. United Methodists comprise the smallest sect...
2/7/2014
During our eight-hour flight with fine accommodations from air Lufthansa, I couldn't help but think that more food was thrown away on that flight than what is probably available on any given day at the orphanage. Now we await our next leg of the journey from Frankfurt. It's about 1:30 CT at home and 8:27 a.m. here. It's about a six-hour flight from Frankfurt to Abuja where we will stay all night and travel via Nigerian domestic flight on Saturday. We will arrive in Yola sometime on Saturday ...
2/6/2014
We are on the flight to Chicago from Omaha and feeling very surreal about being at the Orphanage sometime in the next 24 hours or so. When I walked into the airport this morning it was about 7 below zero. When we arrive in Jalingo it will be 95+. I'll admit, I'm looking forward to wearing sandals. More importantly my traveling friends, Nigeria Partnership Chair Dottie Halvorsen and Lincoln Christ UMC Pastor Jim Miller and me are eager to see our friends and colleagues at the orphanage. We will...
12/11/2013
Christmas should be one of the deepest and most meaningful times of the year. It is the celebration of God’s ultimate, self-giving intervention into human history. While there are many songs that express the joy and wonder of this incredible event, my mind keeps going back to an unlikely hymn: Let all mortal flesh keep silence, And with fear and trembling stand; Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing in His hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand. King of ...
11/13/2013
Christians know that God hates sin. God has condemned murder, lying, stealing, adultery, greed, sexual immorality, blasphemy and worshipping false gods. When an individual comes to having faith in Christ, God’s grace actively seeks to help that person grow toward “the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). At the same time, God desires more than just a group of holy individuals. God’s will is that the entire world be re-created to conform to God’s will. Christians are ...
10/2/2013
Most United Methodists need a spiritual revival! If that is true of you or your church, what does revival look like, and how do you prepare for it? Revival is always by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. So, prayer becomes an important practice in seeking to find that new life that we seek. Many of us have our regular prayer routines, such as grace before meals or the prayers offered in our weekly worship services. I hope each of us has a daily prayer routine as well. Have you ...
Transition into Ministry Program
8/24/2013
Pastor Wendy Mohler-Seib served as a TIM Associate Pastor at Chapel Hill Fellowship United Methodist Church, Wichita, Kansas from 2012-2014. I dislike fighting. I avoid hockey because of the bloody noses and flying fists. In high school, I ran away and hid from fights while others gathered around to cheer. People actually pay to watch WWF fights; that blows my mind! On Wii Sports, I’ll happily challenge you in tennis or bowling, just please no boxing. For a woman that hates fighting, I ...
Transition into Ministry Program
8/24/2013
Pastor Emily Cannon served as a TIM Associate Pastor at Saint Paul United Methodist Church, Lincoln, Nebraska from 2013-2015. Looking back, I think that I was being called to pastoral ministry long before I started consciously considering it. There are so many examples from my early years where I demonstrated a passion for Scripture, an eagerness to serve others, and a propensity for asking challenging questions—and in retrospect, I think that these aspects of my personality were “...
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