In August, the Adeuya and Ukwa families (including their kiddos) traveled to Nigeria where we worked alongside our local partner, Davrem School, to serve the children of the Isheri community in Lagos. Within this community is an orphanage, which is home to approximately 50 to 60 children, newborns to 19 year olds. This orphanage also houses a school within its compound, where the children from the surrounding communities attend school. This allows the children living at the orphanage to integrate into society with the children from the community, which is critical amongst a culture where being an orphan carries a heavy stigma. This particular orphanage takes in children that have been reported abandoned to the Police, never knowing the child’s history, or even the child’s birth name (if the child is too young to speak).
The children are given the family name of the orphanage’s founder; so they have a family name, hopefully lessening the stigma society puts on them. Just like here in the U.S., in Nigeria, once a child reaches the age of 18, they ‘age out’ of the system. This particular orphanage allows the children who ‘age out’ the opportunity to voluntarily stay, as it’s their belief and realization that just because a child turns 18, doesn’t mean they are equipped to be out on their own with no support or guidance from family or a community. We couldn’t agree more!
As you can imagine, when working with children who know they were abandoned by their families, and are growing up in an orphanage, there are endless opportunities to speak life and identity into their lives.
The VBS ran Monday through Friday from 10am to 3pm, during which time we served children ages 4 months to 19 years. On day one, approximately 65 children attended, then as the word spread that we were there, we had 85 children by day two, and by Friday, approximately 145 children! Good news spreads fast!!
Through the VBS, children were exposed to the teachings of Christ through participating in worship, bible study, art, music, and games. We shared five characteristics about Jesus Christ through the various activities to create a deeper understanding of the Gospel in a very practical simplified way. This allows young children to gather basic truths about who Jesus is and who He expects us to be. The material was presented in a way that is thought provoking to stimulate young minds, to engage deeper understanding of the Bible, and also facilitate those who want to continue studying the word of Jesus Christ. The teachings included:
Day 1 – Washing dirty feet (John 13: 1-12)
Day 2 – The impossible made possible (John 2: 1-11)
Day 3 – The storm (Mark 4: 35-44)
Day 4 – Compassion (Luke 7: 11-16)
Day 5 – Sacrifice (Matthew 27 – Matthew 28: 10)
After the week of VBS, the Ukwa family traveled East to the village of Ohafia, where they served lunch to an estimate 375+ children. We were able to share with the children that they are each beautifully and uniquely made by God and that they are seen and loved by God.
We Came to Serve. When we arrived at the orphanage on Monday morning, we had the opportunity to speak with the staff as well as the founder’s wife. They admitted that when our local partner, Davrem School, approached them about our team coming to run a VBS for them, they were skeptical and hesitant, wanting to know what we wanted in return. They couldn’t understand why we would be traveling all the way from the U.S. to spend the week with them, and expect nothing in return. We soon realized that this concept even baffled the older kids we worked with. It was amazing to see how quickly their guards dropped and how warmly they embraced us, as we served as the hands and feet of Jesus to each of them. God is SO good!
Never too Young to Serve. We quickly found that our own children have hearts for the babies! They spent quite a bit of time in the baby room loving on the seven babies that were there. They enjoyed holding them, singing to them, and making them laugh! It’s a fantastic reminder that one is never too young to share the love of Jesus with others!
Ministering to the Older Kids. From the time we arrived, it became very clear to Anthony and AG that they had a unique opportunity to minister to the older children. They had a great time playing games, laughing, and quickly building a good report with the kids, which allowed them to have moments of real truth talk. They discussed the ‘elephant in the room’; what being an orphan means in the society they are living in. They acknowledged the unfortunate nature of their circumstances, and encouraged them that God sees them, knows them, and has great plans for them. They are Sons and Daughters of the Almighty God! They have been blessed with a unique, large, wonderful, and beautiful family and they must work together and support each other, they don’t have to go it alone. By Friday, all ‘tough guy’ exteriors that greeted us on Monday morning had long vanished, as we were sent off with tear filled eyes and hopes of seeing each other again.
Bibles for Everyone. One of our gracious donors provided the funds to purchase 120 youth Bibles, which we gifted to the children. It was such a huge success – each child was so proud of ‘their’ Bible, something that was brought just for them. We continue to pray for each of them as they continue to seek the Lord and dive into Gods word.
God is AMAZING! As you can imagine, there is no shortage of stories about God’s provision and covering over every step of our fundraising, planning, and execution of both missions’ trips! If you want to hear more, feel free to reach out – we love to brag on God and His faithfulness!!!