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Dear Friends:

This is the first time I have really had opportunity to share with you about our trip to Nigeria.  There are not enough words in the English language to describe what we experienced in this time of ministry, December 9-19th.  Our lives will never be the same.   The Nigerians are a people totally focused on PRAYER, WORSHIP and the WORD.  There is no 'fluff' and no foolishness about them when it comes to the things of  God.  I did not see any 'strange' or unusual behavior (as I often see in some North American churches).

About 3,000 pastors and their wives gather for one to 1-1/2 hours before services just to pray.  It sounded like a drone of millions of bees when they prayed.  I was so moved, I tried to imagine what Heaven will be like when people from every tribe and nation are gathered around the throne worshiping God in their own culture.    They worship with such sincerity and purity;  I think one word that could best describe their worship is CELEBRATION.  They enjoy every sound, every beat.   The music was unbelievable.    I never did sense any type of 'competition', 'performance' or 'showcase' atmosphere (as we often have in our American gospel music!).  For the most part, they had "excellence" and "quality" in their music, but it was such beautiful worship.  

Most of the people speak English but all the services were also translated into African dialect.   Their English is sometimes difficult to understand because they interweave the dialect with the English and they also have a British type accent, which I found difficult at times to understand. 

The meetings went for hours and hours.   The evening service started at 7:PM (+ the 1-1/2 hour prayer time before service started).   The services were very organized, but not stiff nor cut and dried.   One meeting went until after 4:00 A.M. the next morning (I got to bed at 6:00 AM that morning).  After the services, the pastors and their wives again return to the place of prayer after every meeting and there for another 30 - 60 minutes,  they prayed and worshiped and sang praises......it was the most angelic sound I have ever heard.     This just describes the evening services.   There was also a morning service and an afternoon meeting.  I never saw anyone leave early, get antsy or complain about the meetings being so long.  There was no running in and out of the meetings like we see in so many American churches.  I've never seen such respect and honor to the things of God and to other human beings.  The messages were just pure WORD - no imbellishments, stories or unnecessary acknowledgement of people and personalities.....everything was a GOD focus.   I'm convinced these people have the pattern for true revival;  I'm just concerned that we in the American culture are not willing to pay the price they pay to experience God's presence and we would never last beyond a one hour service. 

Lorne and I were asked to share a musical package on Wednesday evening.   As we were walking to the large stage, Lorne whispered to me "share a brief testimony".....I said "NO - you share".   There was no time left to argue about it.   I went to the microphone and said "Twenty five years ago, our lives were a wreck.   We were separated in our marriage and everyone said there was no hope for us.   However, the Lord had spoken  to my heart  that He would heal our marriage and there would be ministry to the nations through it ..... I feel tonight is part of the fulfillment of God's word to me".(Little did I know the full depth of what was happening).      The people jumped to their feet with applause and worship.   I sang Lorne's rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" with sign language and Lorne immediately played "The Hallelujah Chorus".   The people exploded!    After that meeting was over, we were made to realize that RR.SAT, probably the largest satellite company in the world, was there from Israel with tons of equipment and for the first time in history, that service on Wednesday night and again on Thursday evening was being beamed into every nation of the world LIVE.   That was a powerful confirmation to me that God really had spoken to my heart with that word 25 years ago.  

The attendance on Friday evening was estimated at 14 MILLION people LIVE at one gathering.   The 'sanctuary' was under the stars, and always a large Nigerian moon up above;  we met  in a field one mile deep and 1/2 mile wide, but the people extended way beyond those boundaries.  CNN was there with reporters a few years ago and they estimated the crowd even back then to also be 14 million;   some have said that is evangeLASTICally speaking .......I had my doubts before the trip, but I am here to tell you, I saw it with my own eyes - it is an awesome sight.....people just as far as the eye can see and even beyond that.         The sound system was unbelievable.   They had large screens scattered throughout the field so the  people could visually see what was happening on the platform and see the speaker and the musicians.    There were thousands of white plastic lawn chairs (the stackable kind) and beyond that were homemade benches.   Many, many people slept all night on the benches, or just rolled up in a blanket on the ground for the night.   There were little booths along the road where people could get food.     You could go to the meeting area any time of the day, even in the hottest sun,  and find people at the altars praying and crying out to God, even when there was not a service happening. 

When altar calls were given, the people literally ran to the altars.   They had altar stations scattered throughout the crowd, with counsellors at each station;  information was written down  about  every person who came forward for follow-up, encouragement and prayer support.

I learned quickly that you cannot give away anything in a third world country.   When we were ministering in Mexico City, a lady had made some small crosses to wear on the lapel.  I had a few left and decided to take them to Nigeria and give to the children.    I was almost mobbed, not only by the kids, but the adults were coming saying "I have two children".   I finally crammed the crosses in my purse and ran for it!!!!

They had just finished building a new hotel "Esther's Palace" even as we arrived;   this was the first time anyone had ever stayed in the hotel.   There are no building codes and I prayed  literally that the building would not cave in that week.   There were four floors with a court yard/atrium in the center.    The columns were all leaning.   None of the steps were the same depth or height.   I fell two times the first day we were there.   I felt clumsy ..... until I found out four other people had also fallen.   My  first fall was in our hotel  room.  There was a high ledge going into the bathroom (this kept any overflow of water in the bathroom) and I tripped over that and fell face down on the toilet bowl.   The other fall was in the atrium of the court yard.   We had an air conditioned room ..... BUT we didn't always have electricity!!!!!!!!     It would come and go without any notice.   Same for the water.   We had running water, but it often stopped running and that was inconvenient if you were in the middle of a shower!!!!!   We had hot water........ ONE day.  

Our trip coming home, with lay overs, was about 26 hours.   We flew to London, England coming and going.   Many were concerned when they heard about the plane crash in Nigeria, the same night we arrived there.   We did not know anything about it until the next day, but we thank you for your prayers still.   Normally, an airport can be seen for miles before landing......the airport lights in Lagos looked more like a few scattered flash lights stuck in the ground and you saw a little bit of light as the plane was taxiing into the airport.  

We were very much protected while we were in Nigeria.   "Protocol" was provided for us, to serve us in any way needed.  A young man sat at the corner of our floor and everytime I went out the door, he was there to carry whatever I had in my hands.   I asked him one day if they are trained to do this ......."oh no Ma'm - we believe this is just an evidence of the fruit of the Spirit of God living in us".     We never did leave the camp grounds while we were there - it was too dangerous.  The internet says Nigeria has the highest crime rate in the world.  If you tell a resident of Nigeria that, they will argue strongly that they do not have people on the streets shooting each other as we have in America.   At service time, we were picked up at the hotel in a mini bus and driven to the platform of the meeting place at all times.   When we were being taken to the airport, I saw a man laying on the street with leprosy; his legs were eaten off at the knees. 

The ladies gave me a beautiful African dress and the head wrap to match.  They also gave Lorne an African shirt.   We wore them to the service one night.  It's strange, but I never did see color when I looked in the faces of these people.   I think I may have been the only red head amongst the millions of people - I did not see any other (maybe Clairol has not been exported yet!!!!!)

I know many of you were praying for us and we are truly grateful.   I was very reluctant about going on this trip.   Lorne was going to play the piano for The McDuff Brothers and they insisted that I go too.    I did everything I could to get out of going;  even on the way to Tampa Airport, I prayed and asked God to shut the door if this was not His will.    The McDuffs sang as a trio on Tuesday night and Colman McDuff got very ill and was in bed in his room the rest of the week.   The Lord had a man there who was a sports medicine specialist.  He took very good care of Colman, sometimes sitting with him in his room.  He also cared for those of us who did cart-wheels in the atrium too!!!!   He was from Ireland and had gone to Nigeria to do some work with street children in sports.     He accepted Christ as His personal Savior that week and there was the greatest glowing change on his face from that time on.    There were people there from many nations.   I was able to minister to several young ladies who were from the Netherlands and Warsaw, Poland;   a couple of them were separated from their husbands and it seems God has ministry waiting wherever we go. 

I also want to thank those of you who have helped financially.   Normally December is our best month for getting caught up and closing out the year with all the bills paid.  Last year I believe we did our Christmas concert 27 times.    This year we missed over half the month of meetings we normally have.       We still feel it was God's will to send us forth to the nations and we have treasures in our heart that money could never buy. 

Our daughter Melody and her family came down to Florida to spend Christmas with us.....there were 10 of us.   We never did have an opportunity to get rested, so we are just now getting caught up on sleep and rest.   Lorne has come down with a really bad cold, but we hope that will go away soon.    Our bodies are over the jet lag and we are trying to get "normalized"!!!!!

Thomas, our son-in-law has an audio/video production company in Ohio and he brought all his equipment down and we made a live video December 23rd of our Christmas concert "King of Kings"  (in costume) at The Church on the Square at  The Villages, FL.    This is a Senior's community of about 65,000 residents and an absolutely beautiful setting to do a video.   We will let you know when this is available. 

Get a God FIX in 2006!!!

Hope all of you have a blessed new year!

BLESSINGS!

"J.R."

Lorne with the two gentlemen from Ireland who had come to Nigeria to do a sports program with homeless children.  Both of these men accepted Christ during the conference we were at.  The sports doctor is on the left. The young man on the right is 27....when he was 15 years old, his Mom, Father, and both grandparents (who lived next door to him) all died within a four week period.   He was left alone and turned to drugs, alcohol and all kinds of perversion and was living under bridges.   Now that both of them have come to Christ they can really help others.  They went one day to speak to children who were living under this one bridge --- there were about 50 children showed up. He said he wanted to go back to Ireland and make things right ....he had been living common law with a girl for several years  and he said he was going to marry her and do it God's way. 

Colman McDuff, Jimmie Ruth, Adeboye (the leader of the conference), Roger McDuff, Lorne and John McDuff. Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye is one of the greatest men I have ever met in my life; he has really impacted my life for God. He has a very soft and gentle, but strong warrior spirit.   He has one of the highest math degrees of any black man in Africa...... a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Lagos and is the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I have only seen one other person who impressed me with such a  prayer life. that was missionary Mark Buntain who served in India.   Adeboye I think lives on his knees. He is a powerful man of the Word. 

 Jimmie Ruth with one of the beautiful African women (J.R. is the one with the red hair sticking out the edges!!!!!!!!)

African women came to our hotel rooms and measured us and then they made us all African dresses with matching head wraps as a gift to us. I am with some young ladies who attended the conference  from Warsaw, Poland and the Netherlands. Some of them are really struggling in their marriages and I had opportunity to minister to them. Some said when they accepted Christ, their families shut them out and have absolutely nothing to do with them anymore.  

This is not a good photo, but it was taken when Lorne and I were doing our musical package.  I was singing Lorne's rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" with sign language.   After that, Lorne immediately went into his piano arrangement of "The Hallelujah Chorus" ..... the millions of people exploded with praise.   You can see some of the huge choir in the background.....what music they made!!!!