may 4 w

30/
11979
d
I W S from
The Land of the Sohfira owl the Niger
mZ , 1979
Today ttie government decreed free tuition to all secondary school students
Boarding fees and books must still be paid by pisxents, however. Within Nigeria's
350,291 square miles Teachers' Training Schools have sprung up all over to meet
the educational needs of the 80 million people. Teachers are being sought from
abroad. Nigeria needs agronomists, educators, doctors, nurses, technicians and
engineers. Development of the main resource, OIL, provides a stimulus to the
economy. However, we pay $1.30 a gallon for petrol here. The United States is
the number one customer for Nigeria's petroleum.
Nigeria attained Ihidependeiice in 1960. Soon afterwards the Western State
declaved a "state of emergency". The civil war began in 1966 when Biafra attempt
ed to secede from the Federation. The war ended in 1970. The Federal Military
Government kept the country united. Today the Military Government Is in the pro
cess of bowing out to a civilian govenment. Two of the main candidates up for
election are the same as at Independence.
Both are over seventy years old.. The new
consititutlon is based on the American
democratic constitution with aDoendments,
of course, to meet the needs of the
Republic of Nigeria. Beginning July 7th,
with the election of Senators, five
general elections will take place, cul
minating on August llth with the presi
dential election.
Here, in the rain forests, the legal
farmers continue to battle the eleo^nts.
Ihcy straggle for existence out of a
ground laden with the insects and washed
by heavy rains, Droughts and floods are
coBsnon events. Young men leave the farms
There are very few of thean left bo harvest
needed to provide the palm oil which is a necessary part of every man s diet.
There is only one way to get the oil. One must climb the palm tree and cut down
the red kernels, which are then processed. The old growth on the tree must be
hacked off with a matchet so the tree can produce again in due season. Today one
pays dearly for palm oil because most of the younger climbers have gone to the
city.
The gospel is needed now more than ever to stablls^e the emerging nations.
Can we give the world a true sense of what freedom really is? They need to know
that true freedom is Christ-given, inner contantiaent with what they have and
freedom from the bondage of sin. The masses of the poor (and also the rich) need
to be freed from the delusion that riches will set than free, for as a mirage In
the desert, freedcsn will recede aa they advance. Many think that education, im
proving economic conditions, even more health facilities and money wall solve all
their problems. But man does not live by bread alone but by every word that pro
ceeds out of the mouth of God.
Does your Initial coimnitment to Christ still stand? l^ie rock tha.t you built
your faith on is it still holding you up? Or have you amended your faith by
seeklns first the plea-sures of this life rather than the lost? Our lives need to
to work in industry in the cities,
the paim kernels. This harvest is
be committed now more than ever before to the saving of the lost. Our time is
short. Our day Is at hand, '*How shall they believe in Him whom they have not
heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach un
less they are sent? . . . How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad
tidings of good things" (Romans 10;14,15).
On Friday we remembered the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ with a Christian gathering here. In the past ws have held the Easter
Fellowship for three days but because of the rising inflation we did not want to
work a hardship on the people. In rfie past we Have prepared food and each one had
to pay for it. This time we held a one day meeting and each one provided his own
food for the day. We heard messages from God's Word on "Baptism is Frcm Heaven"
and "God's Power for Salvation", The fellowship with the seventy people from the
churches at Bariga, Egan, Egun Xedo and Sango was sweet. The Lord truly .blessed
all of the activities of the day as we rejoiced together.
Please pray for Bob, Connie and Chris
Sheffler to receive permits to work with
us in Kigeria, The Christians at Ekori
eagerly await their arrival, for Bob will
be teaching in the Cross River Bible
School,
Please pray for our daughter, Lisa,as she
travels to Nigeria in May. Lisa, who is a
student at Kentucky Christian College,
will do her six months missions internship here helping with the correspondence
courses that we offer on the Search the Scriptures radio broadcast. She will be
Involved in sorting the daily mail, mimeographing radio massages and Bible
lessons in English and Yoruba, preparing literature and Bible courses for mailing,
recording graded lessons and filing applications, Her studies will involve
History of Africa, Yoruba Natural Religion, Church Growth in Nigeria and
Missionary Principles,
Pray "that we
needs of each one.
will all have the spiritual and pliysical energy to-meet the
CHURCH OF CHRIST (CHRISTIAN)
909 West Locust Street
Wilmington, OH 45177
WEST AFRICA CHRISTIAN MISSION
Donald D, Baughman
PO Box 46, Otta
Ogun State
Nigeria, Africa . w
FOEWARDBJG AGENT;
Mrs, Carol Scarbrou^
Route #3 Box 26 C
Midlothian, TX 76065
In Christian love,
- Don and Marianne Baughmaa
West Africa Christian Mission
NON-PROFIT ORaANISATION
U,S, POSTAGE PAID
PEEMIT #59
WIIMXNGTON, OH 45177
Keinptcn, Indi^oia
46049
3oJ
OCT
2 5 197g
N
The Land a/the Sahara and the Niger
October, 1979
Today, Bob Sheffler, Walter Smith, Don Baughman and John Egbe, a
Councillor on the Local Government Authority Council, went to see the
Secretary of the Local Coundl, who is the second highest official rn
Obubra Division. John Egbe graduated from the West Africa School of
Evangelism at Sango Otta. Presently he is elder/evangelist at the Assiga
Church of Christ, few miles from here. The people of Assiga elected
John to represent them at the Council. There are twenty-five Councillors
and they select three of their number as supervisory councillors of
Health, Education and Works. John is on the Works Committee which takes
care of road maintenance. He is well-known as a travelling evangelist as
he has preached in most villages In the area.
Don explained to the Secretary, Mr. Ogbe, the health needs of Ekorl,
and the surrounding villages and explained that we would like to have a
mobile clinic that would visit all of the nearby villages, vaccinate
babies against children's diseases and diagnose early serious illnesses
like IB among other services, Mr. Ogbe was Interested and sympathetic
and asked us to present a brief summary of our activities for the next
council meeting. John assures us that it will be approved. We have
ndeavored to meet the health needs of the Christians and others since
the early 1960*s when we began visiting the churches that the evangelists
established. For several years we have been praying to be able to do a
more substantial health service. Connie Sheffler Is a nurse with
thirteen years hospital experience and is willing to begin a mobile clinic.
In 1976 Capt. Eni, a retired army medical corpsman, offered us his fur
nished fifteen-room, two-story house in Ekorl for a medical facility.
This building is an answer to prayer, for it gives us a base from which
to begin the medical services and to open the Cross River Bible School.
There were only two problems with the
building; bats inhabited the attic and
their guano.filtered through the cracks
between the celling and the wall and
covered the floor. Also, the house had
been closed up for two years. The second
problem was water. Although all of the
plumbing facilities are installed and a
water tower ready to use, the well has
never produced enough water to be pumped
Into the up-tank.
Upon arrival our first task was to pen all the doors and windows
and sweep out the bat droppings. Don, our daughter, Jane, who Interned
with us last year, Vincent the caretaker, and Marianne set to work and
eventually had an acceptable situation. Overhead the bats carried on
with their own squeaking affairs. We tried several remedies: Don opened
the attic trap door and sprayed in DDT. Later we again opened it and
shoved In several moth balls because we heard that bats do not like them.
At this point the bats moved off of our bedroom celling. Shefflers
visited the "bat palace" in January of 1978. Bats were still In resi
dence at this time. Bob, Connie and Don left before they were overcome
by guano. Then Walter Smith returned from the states and volunteered to
"bomb the bats". He climbed up into the attic and inched his way along
the rafters, his DDT spray in hand. Don watched from the trap door.
Two brave little bats flew at Walter's legs. Briefly alarmed, he stepped
off the rafter and broke through the ceiling. Regaining his stance,
Walter promptly emptied his spray gun at the attackers and all their
companions. He climbed back down through the trap door to have his kieea
attended to. He was quickly dubbed "Batman".
The Shefflers arrived In ^?igeria In June, 1979 and moved into the
%at palace" in July, The bats were gone, Vincent said that they were
"on holiday". Bob hired a crew to shovel out all the guano in the attic
another crew to wash all the windows, walls and floors, another dug a
garbage pit, others moved Enis* personal effects into store rooms after
the contents were ltaized. Enis told Shefflers to use anything they
needed. Bob and Connie are tha^kfu^ to be using the generator, refriger
ator, electric stove, table, chairs, sofas and inside bathrooms.
Fortunately in July, August and September there is plenty of rain.
Bob bent and tied a roofing sheet to catch rain water from off the roof
into plastic barrels as a temporary measure. He believes that the well
can produce more water eventually. To provide water for showers Bob
attached a bucket to a pully, welded in a pipe, placed in a stop valve,
connected a shower head and presto! A shower flows Into the bath tub!
%
While the Shefflers and Walter and Don were making the house habit
able, one by one sick people appeared at the door. Connie was happy to
do what she could. "Anything I can do will be better than the nothing
they have, won't it?" she said. After two days of treating the local
people, many more people began to arrive on bicycles, motorbikes, and one
lady came in a car. The waiting seats on the terrace overflowed. Connie
realized that she had not yet had an opportunity to register as a nurse
nor had the government given permission for the "clinic" which developed.
So we called a ^eQIpora^y halt. Connie is now registered and can prac
tice anywhere in Nigeria.
At this writing, Don and Walter are getting the Bible School build
ing prepared for the opening of school. Bob is preparing to teach in
the school. They are working on last minute projects like painting the
blackboard, getting the mimeograph into operation, buying and carrying a
few building materials in the pick up and having meetings with our two
Nigerian teachers, John Egbe and Lawrence Ebak, evangelist at Appiapum.
The Lord willing the school will open early in October.
Very recently a young volunteer mission team drove a mobile
clinic across the Sahara down into Nigeria,_ They spent some nights with
us at Sango Otta, It se^s that because they are only "temporary" they
have not been given peimission to operate the clinic. Already they have
offered to "loan" it to us. They are asking their sponsors to either
sell or donate the clinic to the'West Africa Christian Mission. Flease
pray with us that we will soon have the mobile clinic in operation. Tba
maintenance of the bubble-topped Volkswagen, the cost of medicines, and
Nigerian helpers are also matters for prayer.
This week Connie Sheffler is attending a nurses' seminar at Jos.
Bob, Don and Walter with John and Lawrence continue to work and plan the
Bible school. Chris, Lisa and Marianne are chief cooks, water carriers
and typists in the "bat palace".
Church of Christ (Christian)
909 West Locust Street
Wilmington, OH 45177
^ WEST AFRICA CHRISTIAN MISSION
Donald D, Baughman, Missionary
FORWARDING A(^NT
Mrs. Carol Scarbrough
Box 26 C
Midlothian, Texas
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
The Baughmans - Don Marianne
Lisa
and
NON-PRCSPIT ORCSANIZATION
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #59
Wilmington, OH 45177
iri Indiana
4604^^
5c? I
"Bat Palace" Cj wg.
by Marianne Baughman
Several evangelists who trained with us at the West Africa
School of Evangelism at Sango Otta returned to the Cross River
in the 1960*s and started churches. We were also given.land
for a Bible School in Ekori. Local Christians built a mud block
building which we roofed, and the school began with two evangelists
John Egbe and Lawrence Ebak as teachers. Each ye^ we made
several visits to the school to teach and preach^^ at the
conference of the local churches. Then a mighty wind blew the
building down and we determined to build a more stable structure.
Together,with the Ekori church doing much of the work we
built a new building with concrete blocks. During this time
our mud "rest house" collapsed. This left us without a place
to set up camp.
A short while before Bob, Connie and Chris Sheffler applied
for their visas to enter Nigeria we were offered a fifteen room,
two-storey, furnished house for a medical facility in Ekori.
The idea of a medical facility was an answer to prayer for we
spent much of our time in the Cross River treating the sick,
transporting them to hospitals and paying for operations. We
began to pray for a doctor, and also contacted FAME. In answer
to our prayers the Shefflers were granted permits to enter
Nigeria "subject to regularization." Connie Sheffler is a nurse
with thirteen years hospital experience.
At the same time the Cross River Christians were praying
for their "own" missionary to come and help them with the Bible
School. Bob Sheffler*s desire is to teach young men God's Word.
As we continued to make trips to Ekori and needed housing
we asked the EniSg if we could use the building they were
giving for the medical facility. They were happy to agree and
handed us all of the keys.
Bat Palace page 2
The caretaker-watchman opened the front gates with
royal precisiont escorted us around the enormous e^le statue
in the front yard and directly into a garage downstaiis#
The upstairs which we were to use was furnished with four sofas
twelve over-stuffed chairs, and inside bathrooms. There were
only two problems I Bats inhabited the attic and their guano
filled the cracks between the ceiling and the wall and covered
the floor. The house had been closed up for two years so the
smell was nauseating. The second problem was water. Although
all of the plumbing facilities were installed and a water tower
ready to use the well had never produced enough water to be
pumped into the up-tank.
So, our first task upon arrival was to open all the doors
and windows and sweep out the bat debris. Don, our daughter
Jane, Vincent (the cardtaker) and I set to work and by dark
had an acceptable sleeping situation. Overhead the bats
carried on with their own squeeking affairs. We tried
several remedies* Don opened the attic trap door and sprayed
in DDT. Later we again opened it and shoved in several moth
balls. At this point the bats moved off of our bedroom ceiling.
Shefflers visited the "bat palace" in January of *78. Bats
were still in residence at this time and and Bob, Connie
and Don left before they were overcome by the guano. Then Walter
Smith returned from the states and volunteered to "bomb the
bats." He climbed up into the attic and inched his way along
the rafters, his DDT in hand. Don Baughman watched from the
open trap door. Two brave little bats flew at Walter's legs.
Alarmed he stepped off the rafter and fell part-way through
the ceiling. Regaining his stance Walter promptly em^ied
his spray gun on the bats. He climbed back down through the
trap door to have his knees mended and was soon known as
BATMAN.
J
Bat Palace page 3
The Shefflers arrived in Nigeria in June *79 add moved
into the "bat palace" in July. The bats were gonei ^'On
holiday." Vincent told us. Bob hired a crew to shovel out the
guano, another crew to wash all the walls, others moved
personal effects into store aooms after the contents were
itemized. Bob immediately bent and tied a roofing sheet to
catch rain stsx water from off of the roof into their plastic
pigs-feet barrels. Fortunately in July, August^ and September
there is plenty of rain. '^*0 provide water for bathing Bob
attached a bucket to a pulley, welded a pipe, place^in a stop
valve, connected a shower head and prestol A shower flows into
the bath tub!
While the Shefflers and Walter And Don were making the
house habitable,one by one sick people appeared at the door,
Connie was happy to do what she could, "Anything I can do
will be better than the nothing they have, won't it?" she said,
Aftet two weeks of treating the local people, many people began
to arrive on motorbikes, bicycles and cars from nearby villages.
The waiting seats on the terrace over-flowed. Connie realized
that she was not yet registered to practise in Nigeria, nor
did we have government permission for a clinic. So, the
clinic had to be called to a temporary halt. However, Connie
is now registered with the rfliigwrijimi government and can practise
anywhere in Nigeria, The state medical officer in Calabar
is not adverse to a health centre, so pray with us that
the legal steps will be swift and our "bat palace" will soon
be
gix a Health Centre in Ekori, the Cross River State of Nigeria,
Also, please pray that we will soon have a doctor in residence
and more nurses to help in the work.
^ Ui) ttid hy
I'ili