Report From Nigeria

[The writer of this letter is often evangelizing in Nigeria for the Lord Jesus Christ. His name is Olayinka Peter. He originally visited our BerkeleyVersion web pages and filled out the request for the Gospel According to John CD set that is freely given away. He also asked for, and received, an NASB translation Bible—the New American Standard Bible.]

Peter's letter starts: "I hereby attached some of the pictures of our outreaches and the little group we have over here that is reaching out to village people. The majority are in high school, a few are in the University, and some are teachers in elementary school. You will see some of the beneficiaries of the Bibles you sent to me—not all are distributed—since we've got to give some out in other churches, and others scattered in other places. But we are sure they are being given to the right persons who value them and its uses and application.

This is the outreach team of members that are in high school, a few from the University and some are teachers in elementary school. They deliver the Word of God out to people at the grass-roots level.

"We endeavor to reach out in two villages (Oke-Odo and Ijumu) shown here. The latest one in the neighboring Republic of Benin started this year. Because most of the time the villagers feared being molested by their neighbors, we usually reached out to them one-on-one. However, at times we do gather them for a short time—about 30-40 minutes for prayers and exhortation.

"In one of the outreaches to the Oke-Odo [the photo below], one of us ran into the grove of the strongest cult among the people—even during their meeting—although she was unaware that they were meeting at this time and that the place is meant for that purpose. To the amazement of this cult group, they have already applied juju power that will not allow non-member to come in. But they were surprised to see this sister unhurt and unharmed. Later on, they decided to shoot and machete her. But you see, God proved the powerlessness of their cult and god, and exalts His own kingdom even among them. Has He not said that, nothing shall by any means hurt us. And that He will be going with them with signs following. For, the kingdom is not in word, but in power. This I think has made some of them to respond to our call as against their traditional belief and power.

"At another village, Ijumu (Nigeria) [the photo below], the head of the village (Baale) has given his consent to the new movement and he always accommodates us and he is strong member of the church there. Now, there is sacred bush where the cult members are empowered for wicked act. The head of the community as a result of his new belief went and cut down this sacred bush. He was approached by the Cult leader never to attempt it, but the Baale went ahead. He was warned not to plant on it (the ground), he did. And as the time came to harvest the produce, the head of the cult—without previous sickness—died. This again boosts the morale of the villagers to come to the knowledge of Christ. Indeed in the Bible, Philip went to Samaria, and all with one accord gave heed to what he was saying when they see the signs and wonders being performed through Him. To God be the glory great things He has done!

Pastor Olayinka Peter teaching the Word of God to villagers in Ijumu, Nigeria.

Larger view of the typical Nigerian village visited by the Outreach Team.

"I am full of praise. I tell this always to my friend everywhere even the amount you send. There are some who use the whole time soliciting for fund on the net, yet you have given me the hand of fellowship, and thus you are teaching me about the love of Christ and to be good always as we have opportunity.

You, the viewers of www.BerkeleyVersion.com, have an option for a direct participation in his group's missionary effort. Olayinka Peter is very effective with his outreach team in these two villages in giving them the Word of the Lord he truly loves and devotedly preaches to all willing to listen. This website's association with Peter began with his simple request for CDs for himself and to receive a nicer study Bible. I sent him a fine NASB and it got through all the customs and mail delivery. He then emailed me to tell of his personal history—for he is college educated—and his desire to be full-time in the Lord's work.

So YOU, too, can participate in this successful ministry in an important way. Olayinka Peter can certainly use the shipment of more bibles (NASB, please)--contact me and I'll give you the address, or via Western Union some donation into Nigeria directly to him can be sent. But if you wish, send me the money and I will forward every bit of it to his group. He spends only after much prayer and obtaining guidance from the Lord.

Western Union requires this information: Name of recipient--Peter Abdul-Razaq OLAYINKA, with the nearest city service being in Lagos, Nigeria. (Note, his family name is Olayinka.) So that you understand, in my case, I paid the $20 service fee to Western Union in order that they deliver $200 to him over there. Besides their asking him to show identification, he must answer a four-words-or-less question you put to him on their form. (My Bible question involved the name of the translation I had sent.)

“Hello, Olayinka Peter: This brief writing is to address your wish to call me 'father'. That is, of course, a compliment to me, and because I have heard it from you, we feel closer; but, there is no need to refer to me that way—especially when trying to use Scripture as some sort of guide—for we can read in II Timothy 3:10 of what nature it was that Timothy had to Paul. I read from the Berkeley Version: 'But you have adhered to my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my steadfastness, my love, my patience, my persecutions, my sufferings—all that happened to me in Antioch, In Iconium and in Lystra…'

"While I have been a help to you in providing you with materials and prayer support that I can provide, unless it is that you have studied the John Part I and Part II Bible studies that are on the website BerkeleyVersion.com, and it has formed part of your 'teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, steadfastness,' etc., (as II Timothy 3:10 states), then it is enough to say that we are 'brothers in the Lord.' Let’s look, too, at another couple of instances where Paul calls Timothy 'son': II Tim 1:2 'to Timothy my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!' Paul was confident enough in the Lord and had the graces of the Holy Spirit working strongly enough within him that he could, literally, bestow these particular blessings from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord over onto his beloved student and protégée, Timothy. Now in my own life, I can confidently pray for healing for those afflicted with disease, injury or some unstable mental condition—even release from destructive unhealthy habits—but to bestow a blessing and sending forth for a mission to accomplish, that is more the nature of a modern-day elder in some church, I believe.

"Another clue as to Paul’s willingness to claim Timothy as his ‘son’ comes from reading the footnote to I Timothy 1:2 that Gerrit Verkuyl, the kindly translator of the Berkeley Version placed. It reads, with regard to the Scripture portion 'to Timothy*, my genuine child in faith': * 'Converted young at Lystra under Paul’s ministry. With him on the second journey, and the third; in Rome.' So you see, the age when Timothy came to be a believer sort of 'set him up, or conditioned him' for seeing Paul as his father-figure besides the probability of his having a natural father as well.

"I can pray as the Holy Spirit leads; be it a strength for you now to know that you are chosen, well-chosen, in fact—as a lady I respected in a church I regularly attended told me some thirty years ago. If I am serving the Lord to the fullest now at the present time, more than at any age in my past, that is good—and to be well-chosen does carry with it a surety that all blessing and advancement that God intends for you shall come to pass. However, the rapidness with which this takes place is known but to him. I certainly would not know the speed at which the Lord’s will is to take place in your fine, consistent life.

"So with this in mind, it’s better for you not to call me 'father' as sometimes it is done in Bible references, but to merely accept me as a dear 'brother' who has only well-wishes for you and a readiness to pray on your behalf, and continuance of the financial support once began that shall continue as the Lord sees fit to remind me of.

"Best wishes in the Lord, and may your ministry now reap some additional financial and material support from readers of the 'Missionary Report' page now very soon to be on web pages of the www.BerkeleyVersion.com website that is established through my own appreciation towards the fine Bible scholar and translator and lover of children and their Christian education: Gerrit Verkuyl, Ph D, M. Div."