Dear Friends of the Missions,
We here in Nigeria, Africa, labor in what seems to be one of the most corrupt countries of the world.
Boko Haram, an affiliate of ISIS thrives in the north of the country and daily terrorizes and kills christians while the government looks away. Nigeria is one of the largest producers of oil on the continent – producing up to 2+ million barrels of oil each day.
Due to corruption there is no stable electricity and it is not uncommon to go for weeks without any power. There is no running water unless you are very wealthy and dig your own borehole, and the roads are shockingly made of the most inferior standard and in constant state of disrepair. Everywhere bribery is rampant.
The Igbo part of the country where we live though is almost entirely Catholic and the most common crime is stealing and kidnapping.
We dug a borehole here shortly after we arrived and run a generator each night for a couple of hours to try and fill the four 1000 gallon tanks for the coming day.
We would like to install solar power for this so that we could water the garden as well. the cost of this would be $15000 as we would also power a freezer for our drinks and pig meat.
We are in serious need of another Toyota truck as ours is a 2007 purchased in 2014 with already 200000 miles on it. It has been in an accident before it arrived and once while here and now the engine is exhausted. We have rebuilt it 3 times now but it is rejecting even that attempt to keep it alive. We expect to purchase one directly from the US and pay now more than $25,000 with shipping and importation fees.
We built a huge big church for Fr Charles Ike’s ordination in 2017 but need windows and tile flooring which is estimated at $40,000.
The African is notorious for lack of maintenance so this year we need to re-roof all the buildings in the compound but especially the priests house and the hall. We estimate a cost of $5,000.
We room and board 13 boys from ages 7 – 15 and pay for their school fees and all other expenses including clothes, toiletries and medical bills. That’s about $1,500 each month.
We also have living with us 5 young men whom we call Brothers who help out in all aspects of the house and parish, from doing the laundry, teaching catechism, office work, maintenance of the grounds, prayer groups, chicken & pig raising and overseeing study of the younger boys. At any given time there are usually a couple of other young men discerning a vocation, or visiting, or learning a trade.
Of course there is always the procession of beggars who come seeking the largess of the white man’s heart! Fr Christmas as some call him!
So when you donate to the Missions know that the money is used for essential needs and is greatly appreciated.
Occasionally, I bring the boys into the “city” and buy them an ice cream!
May God shower you with His Graces and Blessings this year of 2020!
