Shore Vineyard Church sent a team of 9 to Rescue Mission Church in Lagos Nigeria where we held an all-week conference.  We've been friends with Pastor Ignatius Umunna for more than 15 years.   The focus of the conference was that ministry is for all the people - the job of the pastors is to equip the people.  Some were healed or touched by simply inviting the Holy Spirit.  These people then prayed for others.  It was powerful!

This particular picture was taken after a time of repentance and reconciliation, when whites repented to Africans for treating them as slaves and as inferior, and Africans repented for treating themselves as inferior.  Great love was released!  Pastor Brett is shown hugging a member of Rescue Mission Church.

It is well understood that the two rivers - the Niger and the Benue both unite and divide Nigeria.  They form a Y that splits the country into the three primary tribes - Yoruba in the southwest, Igbo in the southeast, and Hausa-Fulani in the north.  Most of the violence and many of the problems in the nation result from tribal problems between these major tribal divisions.

In this picture, pastors representing the tribal divisions of repented to one another for hatred and prejudice, and now all are repenting for idolatry and lack of love across all peoples.  The Holy Spirit came powerfully upon us.  Pastor Ignatius is shown in the center of the circle.

Two of the pastors are also chaplains for the state government, which has decided to continue to sponsor these reconciliation and worship gatherings.
 

We visited the Igbo tribal village where Pastor Ignatius was born, where we were able to pray with the elders and give presents to a widow from that village.  Then we walked to the spring where the tribe gets water.  Here Pastor RIchard is asking all those gathered to bless the waters of the village that the River of God will flow.

Near Ignatius' village is the local crusade ground.  All day long the pastors and the widows from the local churches waiting for us, since our airplane was delayed.  We were able to bless the widows with the gift of cloth for clothing.  The local pastors promised to care for all the widows, and Pastor Ignatius will help them with finances.

We asked Ignatius that we would be able to visit prisoners, widows, and orphans, and he helped us to do each.  In this picture, we are visiting the some of the smaller children at the SOS Children's Village in Isolo, Lagos.  This is a beautifully fun orphanage, an oasis within Lagos, where the children all live in homes run by loving widows.  Shown in the picture are Rod Conover, Lozie Umunna, Bill Maciunski, Ignatius Umunna, Suzie Rapp, and Darlene Tittle.