THE RETIRED GOD’S GENERAL IN THE HAUSA LAND SHOULDN’T BE USED, AND DUMPED TO PERISH… THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR LIVES AFTER SERVING GOD IN THE MISSION FIELD OF THE HAUSA LAND SCARE THE YOUNGER GENERATION AWAY FROM TAKING OVER FROM THEM… THERE ARE URGENT NEEDS TO SUPPORT THESE RETIRED GOD’S GENERAL IN THE HAUSA LAND…LIFE IS BECOMING UNBEARABLE FOR MOST OF THEM!
(CURLED FROM THE JIGAWA STATE 2018 MISSION OUTREACH REPORT FROM 5TH TO 7TH DECEMBER, 2018)
We give thanks unto our Father, who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
We will never cease to thank God for making salvation through Christ Jesus to be free for every nation, tribe and kindred. Despite the fact that many have tried and are still trying so hard to deny the Hausa People Group access to this great opportunity of eternal life, the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, is on a daily basis breaking every form of tribal, ethnic and social barriers. Thank God that the Love of God in Jesus Christ is also for the Hausa People Group.
We cannot underestimate the powerful roles that our parents played in ensuring the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Hausa Land against all odds; many of which were disowned, jailed, tortured and even killed for their faith in Christ. The propaganda that is being sponsored to deceive the world that there are no Hausas that are Christians in Nigeria and even beyond is suffering a severe defeat on a daily basis. Today, to the Glory of God and to the shame of the devil, we make bold to say that there are millions of Hausa Christians in Nigeria and other African Countries.
Although the work is moving on, there is however a rising concern that needs urgent interventions for the work of the preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom to be sustained. Many of the indigenous people that God used to continue with the work of evangelizing the Hausa Land after the Western Missionaries had left are people that were passionately consumed by their callings to reach to others for Christ immediately after being saved. Most of them had no any formal education except the little they received as a short term training to prepare them for the work that God has called them to. Out of the passion to bring many to Christ, many of them abandoned their homes and whatever they had and surrendered their lives totally to Christ. Some died in the process while some became too old to continue and so they had to retire. The support or the stipends that most of these indigenous missionaries received while in service has never been able to feed their family let alone send the children to school. Many of them lived their lives without proper medical assistance, healthy food or something to secure the future of their children. Even with that, life in Ministry despite all the internal and external challenges is more hopeful to them than life after ministry. The most terrible nightmare in the lives of many of our indigenous pastors and missionaries is knowing that one day they will all retire and go back home. What will they go back home and face? Is it the rejection from their extended or immediate families who are not Christians or the pain of thinking of where to start? Is it the house to stay or the food to eat or even the medical bills after retirement?
It is God who has called them into the work, and so, it won’t be godly to watch them after serving God faithfully to end up as hopeless as anyone who has no God or brothers and sisters to help them. Their children who are somewhat victims of circumstances live with resentment and hatred toward the Church when they look at how their parents end after serving God. It is not common to see the children of these pastors and missionaries doing any form of ministry just because of how life treated their parents. The fear of becoming wretched and helpless is now preventing many young people in the Hausa land from taking over from these our God’s generals who cannot longer continue due to their advancement in age. We have many people who are retiring from Ministry every year, but very few to take over from them.
The lives of these retired ministers who have served God diligently; who have risked their lives and sustained the Gospel in the Hausa Land is in such a pathetic state. Some are sick with no money for treatment, some are struggling on how to survive with no certainty of the next meal, some are living without a house, and some continue to suffer the rejections they faced all their lives and pray for nothing more than for God to take them home.
In our mission outreaches we have come across so many of these people who obviously need all manners of help, encouragement and love for them to finish well. At this time nothing will strengthen their faith than knowing that someone somewhere cares for them; nothing will give them peace like knowing that somebody appreciates their service unto God. They have poured out their lives as living offerings, they have fought the good fight of faith, they have brought many to Christ, but they are left in their old age with no one to cater for them. The strength to go out and find another job to sustain them is no longer there. That is how many of them live their lives, but it should not be so.
What these people need is not something big, a gift of just N5,000.00, or N10,000.00 a month or quarterly can turn their hopeless situations around. They don’t receive even gratuity or pensions from most of the ministries in which they served. Just kind gestures from the Christians can bring back hope in the lives of many of them.
For the Gospel to be sustained in the Hausa Land and for the lost to be saved, the Church must be strategically proactive in all its approaches. We must not create any loophole for the enemy to gain ground into destroying the work that God has already started. We must inspire the upcoming generations by helping the older generation who have served God well to go home in peace knowing fully well that their labour is not in vain.
As we commit ourselves to the course of reaching out to the entire Hausa Land by perfecting the saints and saving the lost, will you help us bless at least a life by becoming our partner today? Join us to encourage these God’s Generals and restore hope back to them. Your support of any kind can inspire, encourage and empower them. Please be a blessing today!
We therefore want to specially appeal to every Christian in Nigeria especially from the South to do the following for the Hausa Christians and every Christian in Northern Nigeria:
-
Pray for the Grace to continue and finish this race strong
-
Pray for the salvation of our Brothers and Sisters who are yet to come to the love and saving power of Jesus Christ.
-
Pray and take authority over every veil of darkness that has covered the eyes of our unsaved brothers and sisters from seeing the way of Christ to be lifted up.
-
Send all manners of help for the persecuted Christians in those places (Eg. Bibles, Educational and Learning Materials, Clothing, Food, Health Facilities, scholarships, support for our God’s Generals etc.)
-
Become our Mission Partner to reach the Hausa Land effectively with the love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.