A Treasure Heart – Christian Freedom Worldwide

“He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay;

He set my ft upon a rock, and made my footsteps agency.” Psalm 40:2

It started with a pastor’s imaginative and prescient to rescue younger women and men who had been left homeless, traumatized, and drug addicted after their households had been violently attacked in Nigeria.

The imaginative and prescient and message had been clear: God has not forgotten them.

In August, the primary class graduated from the Treasure Heart. In a single yr, the scholars – survivors of Islamist violence – helped to construct the Heart, acquired counseling for therapeutic, educated in job abilities, and had been discipled to start new lives.

They remodeled run-down buildings into dorms, workshops, and school rooms, whilst their lives had been remodeled into new creations in Christ.

It was simply over a yr in the past that our companion in Nigeria advised us about this dream for a rehabilitation Heart. Together with your generosity, Christian Freedom Worldwide (CFI) helped to show the dream into actuality on this terror-stricken nation.

The scenario in Nigeria is grim. Within the final 4 years, jihadists have killed almost 17,000 Christians.

Rev. Andrew Okebe would take turns with different pastors holding all-night vigils to lift alarms when Islamists would assault. Christians would flee into the bush at their warnings. Those that had been unable to run – the aged, invalids, toddlers – had been massacred by machetes or weapons. Houses, church buildings, and crops had been destroyed.

Among the many survivors are younger adults. They skilled members of the family and family members being brutalized. They fled in terror. For a lot of, trauma and hopelessness drove them to substance abuse.

So, God gave Rev. Andrew a ardour to revive them. He calls them “our treasures”.

Rev. Andrew shared his imaginative and prescient and a businessman gave buildings rent-free. However the dilapidated property wanted all the things. Roof, doorways, home windows, gates, furnishings.

On the proper time and due to supporters such as you, CFI was in a position to present simply what they wanted. They instantly started work and the scholars joined within the labor, studying beneficial constructing abilities alongside the way in which.

Since June 2023, over 78 college students – each survivors and Christian converts from Islam – have come to the Heart. By August 2024, twenty-two had completed the total program and celebrated in a well-deserved commencement ceremony.

It’s a blessing to be part of their success! However this isn’t the top. We additionally funded apprenticeships for eight graduates to develop their abilities.

Please pray that their religion might be stronger than any temptation or despair. Pray that their new abilities will equip them to comply with God and serve their communities. Pray for the persevering with and new college students who’re on their journey of therapeutic and redemption on the Heart.

Thanks for praying and caring. Your presents are serving to these “Treasures” – and different persecuted Christians – to beat evil and be geared up to dwell for Christ.

The primary class has graduated the Treasure Heart – and new college students proceed to reach. Their damaged lives are being made new in Christ.

Will you retain the imaginative and prescient alive of reclaiming and giving a brand new life for Christians who survive persecution?

Reworking Lives

The Treasure Heart was born out of a pastor’s imaginative and prescient to revive traumatized Christians in Nigeria who had been pushed to medicine after assaults by Islamic militants.

Christian counselors information them off medicine and thru trauma therapeutic, discipleship coaching and buying job abilities.

Rev Andrew Okebe

In August they celebrated their first commencement. Rev. Andrew Okebe stated:

The Lord laid a burden on our hearts for the future of the younger folks that the satan has hijacked. There may be hope if we are able to convey them collectively and present them the love of Christ virtually and educate them abilities so once they exit of this place, they’ve one thing to do.

We obeyed the Lord and got here to this place that’s now the Treasure Heart. At the moment, it was deserted, vandalized and desolate, filled with bushes, which was used as a spot for open defecation and a hiding place for rogues and drug addicts.

There was no single door or window and no flooring. After we first moved in, we had been residing and sleeping on moist flooring, amidst threats of assaults from criminals. However God, in a imaginative and prescient, assured us of His personal safety over us.

As college students started coming, all of us slept collectively in a single room. These included my household, the few staffers, and the laborers, as a result of there wasn’t every other place prepared but.

[With CFI’s support] Stefanos Basis stepped in and invested closely within the reconstruction work, gear, bedding, and feeding, and inside six months, the place grew to become remodeled, symbolizing the transformation of lives that’s taking place right here.

Over 78 people have handed by this floor. Some keep briefly, others for much longer.

It was not straightforward for them. God has finished the work of transformation. They set up themselves, they cook dinner, they do devotions, they clear up. We taught them to backyard to allow them to survive. They’re wanting to be taught.

There are challenges. A few of them didn’t need to keep. They misbehave. However God in His infinite mercy helped us.

We saved being affected person with them. We hold telling them the love of Christ. We thank God {that a} day has by no means come that we went to sleep hungry.

We thank God for the many individuals that God has touched to ship assist. We are going to do way more because the Church helps this work. We simply began. That is the primary class to graduate by the grace of God. They’re excited and we’re rejoicing with what God is doing of their lives.

“We need to present our profound appreciation. We pray that God Almighty will bless in order that they’ll do unto others as they’ve finished unto us. I pray that as all of us go, we might be helpful and use our abilities.” Treasure Heart graduate.

Honorable Matthew Kwarpo, member of the Plateau State Home of Meeting, celebrated with the graduates as a result of, “I determine with them. They arrive from villages that had been attacked in my space.”

Mark Lipdo with Stefanos Basis stated:

Due to Rev. Andrew Okebe. It’s his ardour, his imaginative and prescient. He put his life into these younger ones.

The buildings had been freely leased to Stefanos Basis and CFI supplied the help to revive and equip the power for non secular abilities and entrepreneurship coaching.

This we do to reign again the intention of the enemy to terminate the Gospel and Christianity on this place. Christians proceed to be an affidavit on this scenario. We’re grateful to CFI who introduced us to revive this facility and refit it for this coaching.

Right this moment we hope that as they exit into the world they’ll maintain themselves and dwell a greater life. Due to our companion Christian Freedom Worldwide for enabling this mission to take off.

“I give because of God that I used to be introduced right here and for this second that I’m graduating. I used to be additionally baptized right here. I’m sincerely grateful.” Treasure Heart Graduate