My sixth visit to Chibok from April 8-10, 2015, was a very risky journey, but I decided to go and deliver letters from the Church of the Brethren congregations in America and express how brothers and sisters from the Church of the Brethren love, care, and have great concern for the abducted Chibok girls’ parents. A lot of people from other churches and other individuals’ hearts ache for them as well.
Nigeria
Spiritual Resources to Remember and Honor the Chibok Girls
The following resources for worship and individual meditation on the one-year anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls were prepared by Joshua Brockway, director of Spiritual Life and Discipleship for the Church of the Brethren:
Remembering the Chibok Girls, One Year Later
With the one-year anniversary of the abduction of Nigeria’s Chibok girls, many are wondering, “Where are the girls now?” This is a great question and one for which there is no definitive answer at this time.
Summer Tour Itinerary for Nigerian Best Group and Women’s Choir Is Released
The itinerary for a summer tour by Nigerian groups from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has been released by the planning committee. The two groups are the Brethren Evangelism Support Trust (BEST), a group of businesspeople and professionals, and an EYN Women’s Fellowship Choir.
A Chat with ‘Spirited Brethren’ Carl and Roxane Hill
The Church of the Brethren co-directors of Nigeria Crisis Response, Carl Hill and his wife Roxane from the United States of America, were here once again to assess the impact of the donations made by American Brethren on the activities of EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria, or the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).
Report from Nigeria Elections: Continuing to Hope and Pray
According to leaders of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), as reported by Markus Gamache, director of the Lifeline Compassionate Global Initiatives (LCGI), the 2015 Nigerian General Elections were more peaceful, and more people were able to vote than ever expected. Yes, there were sporadic incidents of violence around the country, but not the massive violence many had feared.
‘They Called to Us to Come Closer’: An Interview with a Chibok Girl Who Escaped
On the night of April 14, 2014, Hauwa was in her room at school when she heard voices outside. When she looked outside she saw soldiers coming toward their dormitory. “They called to us to come closer,” Hauwa recalls. “When we got closer to the men, they asked us where our teachers were. When we told them that our teachers were staying in town, they wanted us to show them where the food was being stored. It became clear to us that these men were not soldiers but Boko Haram. We were all very frightened. Before we realized what was happening, they began shoving us into cars and driving us away.”
Trip to Nigeria Yields Testimonies of Thanks for Support from American Brethren
This report from Roxane and Carl Hill’s recent trip to Nigeria highlights testimonies about how the aid of the Church of the Brethren is appreciated by members of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Carl and Roxane Hill are co-directors of the Nigeria Crisis Response of the Church of the Brethren.
Nigerian BEST Group, Women’s Fellowship Choir to Be at Annual Conference, Tour Districts
Two Nigerian Brethren groups will be attending the 2015 Annual Conference and touring in the eastern and midwestern districts from June 22-July 16. Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren is the sponsoring congregation. A 2015 EYN Planning Committee includes members from Lancaster and two other Pennsylvania churches: Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren and Mountville Church of the Brethren.
Bring Back Our Girls: The Story of Artist Sandra Ceas’ Rendition of the Chibok Abductions
In December 2014 Larry and Donna Elliott, former Church of the Brethren mission workers in Nigeria, attended a concert at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, Colo. While strolling through the art gallery before the concert, a big piece of artwork caught their eye–many tiny gingham dresses–and they saw the caption, “Bring Back Our Girls.” They discovered this piece was telling a story that was near and dear to them: the abduction of the schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria.