Wow! What a great trip! 3 weeks has escaped like a vapor and here we are back in the United States again – where it’s cold!!!

Three guys (Jim Vanden Bosch, Jim Neagle, & Matt Wilson) that barely knew each other before this project lived and worked together for three weeks and became three good friends. 3 generators – a new 3 phase service on the Miango Dental Clinic – and another 3 week project scheduled for February 2008.

Leaving was as much of an adventure as arriving, but we left knowing that the Ministries of the Miango Dental Clinic and the Kent Academy has the Power they need when they need it. On the trip home I (Matt) read one of the most thoughtful and well written letters of thanks that I had ever seen. My vision clouded up with tears as the words of the Porter family addressed to me (our team) came off the page and into my heart. The Porter famioly talked about the chaos and confusion caused by the pieced together electrical systems that are common to many missions around the world. The danger – the constant concerns and fears that they cause the missionaries are frustrating. The tears began to roll down my cheeks when they wrote of the burden that was lifted from their lives as we removed the old electrical system and installed a new one – a small portrait of the amazing transformation that happens in a person’s life when they ask Jesus Christ to reconcile them to God – taking away the fear of death and a frustrating sense of emptiness in life. In the Bible, there is a verse that says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, and the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) My tears came not only from the Porter’s compliment to our team – but from the memory of my own chaos and confusion before I asked Jesus to rebuild my life – from the inside out.

And what about “Generator Jim”? His very first overseas project was a smashing success. But the question had to be asked “now that the generators are working again, how can we make sure they are properly maintained?” How do you convince someone that preventative maintenance is not an option – it must happen!
Jim realized that teaching mechanical skills is only part of the answer to that question. Jim used the work we were doing and the condition of the generators to illustrate a spiritual lesson to the Kent Academy (KA) maintenance staff. God gave us His book, the Bible, as a manual for our lives. When we read and understand His word and apply it to our lives, we too avoid major problems and breakdowns. When we get too busy to read His directions and talk to Him in prayer, we start seeing bad results. Just like when we are too busy to maintain a piece of equipment it begins to break down. Eventually it will completely fail, costing us far more in the end than a simple maintenance program would have ever cost us. I (Matt) will admit that prayer and Bible study can be time consuming & hard work, but I agree with Jim – it is the key to avoiding life’s major breakdowns. When we do our work to the very best of our ability it stands as a testimony of God’s work in our heart. Colossians 3:22, 24 says “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you, and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence
for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Now there’s a man you don’t mess with!
Lord willing, Jim Neagle will return to Nigeria to finish rebuilding this generator for the Miango Rest Home in late February of 2008. At the same time, Gene Flewelling (Operations Manager / Lineman Volunteer) and I (Matt Wilson) will also return to conduct a wiring survey of the entire campus. After the survey is complete we will be able to assist the mission of Serving In Mission (SIM) in achieving their goals of upgrading the campus electrical system. First, by developing a plan and later by forming a Team of I-TEC volunteers to carry out the plan. We are looking forward to partnering with SIM on this project. You can learn more about the ministry of SIM by visiting their website at sim.org

A Sharp Dressed Man! Authentic Nigeria garb – except for the I-TEC hat. Jim received this suit of clothes along with several other gifts and a stack of thank you notes from the students and staff of the Kent Academy. Next time you see Jim ask him to model his outfit for you – I really think he should wear it at Garden Chapel in Middletown, PA the next time he speaks there. But, I will let it up to you guys to put the pressure on him.

The ladies in the picture below are making pounded yams. This process is a cross between making mash potatoes and chopping firewood. But we certainly enjoyed the end result. A spicy soup is poured over the pounded yams and served in a bowl. The lady holding the “mixing bowl” is Laime. She and her husband Joshua, pictured on the family motorcycle with their youngest daughter just finished building a new house in Miango.
Al & I had the privilege of visiting with them at
their new home.

During our time in Miango we noticed that our Nigerian friends enjoy going “to greet” each other. These impromptu visits are welcomed by their surprised host. Kids play together outside with soccer balls and home made toys while their parents sit and talk. It’s really kind of nice!

These last pictures were taken outside of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (E.C.W.A) church we attended on our last Sunday in Nigeria. The E.C.W.A. churches are all over this part of Nigeria. The man in the purple robe is the Pastor and the other 2 gentlemen are elders in this church. We really enjoyed experiencing worship here in Miango. Thanks for traveling along with us on this journey. We hope that the blog has been helpful and enjoyable. It is a new tool for us and there is still much the we need to learn about it. Again we would like to thank all of you that have been supporting our Team in prayer. We are looking forward to getting back to Miango soon.
Until then,
Al, Jim & Matt