Nigeria: Discipleship Care Training

This project shelters new Muslim background believers from danger, grounds them in their faith in Christ, and helps them start a new life, spiritually and practically. Our mission partners in Jos, provide accommodation, Bible training, pastoral care, literacy/numeracy training and vocational skills training. Afterwards, the disciples move back into their own community if they feel sufficiently safe, or into other communities, under the care of a local pastor or missionary.

Some testimonies of current beneficiaries:

Brother Bako, Fulani tribe

My conversion journey started after I had a dream. In my dream, a man appeared to me and told me that he is Jesus Christ. I went to church, but the church rejected me because they were afraid of my father because he is a well-known Muslim man. One day in the market, an evangelist came and preached, and I walked up to him and told him that I wanted to give my life to Christ. He took me to a pastor who accepted me, and I stayed with him for four months, from there he brought me for discipleship at the mission centre last August.

In December I returned home to visit my family, at that time my grandmother had died. All my family members tried to convince me to return to Islam, but I refused. They said they would take me to a nearby city, for Islamic education. But I still refused so they beat me and locked me inside a room. They tried to force me to tell them the name of the pastor who was responsible for my conversion, but I would not tell them, because if I did so I would have put him in danger. Finally, they left the room.

At around 4am, I heard a voice telling me to stand up and open the door. In doing so, I found that the family had forgotten to lock the door. I ran out and climbed a mountain near my house. In the morning, I saw that the police had gathered near my house. I left the area and went to my pastor’s house and explained all that had occurred. He immediately brought me back to the mission centre.

My being here at the mission not only helps me but helps to protect my pastor and the church. Here I am learning welding and fabrication at the vocation institute.

Sister Aretta, Fulani tribe

I was sick from childhood. My mother went to many places to find medication for me, but it didn’t help. One day, a friend suggested that she should take me to a prayer house. My mother initially ignored the suggestion but when the sickness became so serious that I fainted and it seemed that life was leaving me, she rushed me to the church. In desperation, she told the pastor – even if I had to become a Christian, it didn’t matter, she wanted me to be healed. When the pastor prayed for me, I was healed.

Word spread and our neighbours started looking for me. The house my mother was renting was taken from her by the landlord, just because she agreed to allow me to be a Christian. My mother took me to my aunt’s house and hid me there for some days. But when the youth of our neighbourhood found out, they took me from there, they beat me and tied me up for three days, without food or water.

On the third day, they asked me to tell them who was the pastor that led me to Christ. But I refused to mention his name. They beat me again, severely, and they untied me. They thought I would be too hurt to escape. But that night, I escaped and slept on the street. In the morning I went back to the pastor and immediately he arranged for my coming to the mission centre because he was scared when I told him what had happened. My coming here has many blessings. It protects me and my pastor and also offers the best discipleship training for my new faith. I am also learning catering as a vocation.  

Brother Mobo, Fulani tribe

When I was in secondary school some people came from Gideons International and gave each of us a New Testament Bible. I started reading it and I found that Jesus is risen from the dead. I was disturbed because I knew Mohammed in the Koran never talked about his resurrection. From there I became interested in Christianity, but I kept it secret until I went to university.

When my new faith was discovered, my uncle who is a policeman came and arrested me and kept me in prison for three months. While in prison I met an old man, and he encouraged me, and he gave me a phone number.

In prison I became ill, and the authorities called my father. I was released and taken to the hospital. After treatment, I returned home. Soon after, I called the number the old man gave me in prison, it was the number of a local pastor. This pastor brought me to the mission centre in November 2022.

I returned to my hometown for the Christmas break, but before returning to my home, I visited the pastor. He told me that I must return immediately to the mission because my family had been looking for me and also looking for the church that accepted me. They threatened to harm any pastor that has any connection with me, so I left immediately.

I am here at the mission in discipleship training and also learning computer hardware repair in the vocational school. I really appreciate God and this ministry for the work they are doing in my life.

Brother Abeo, Fulani tribe

I was a fugitive and ran away from my home state. The area where I ended up is mostly dominated by Christians. The people became curious about me and wanted to know my faith. I also became curious about Christianity because of the love I received from these Christians. However, I was still holding on to the belief that Christians don’t know what they are doing. One day I went to the church with the intention of finding a way to teach them about Islam because I was a teacher of the Koran before leaving home. But instead, I started asking them about their faith and right there, I came to know that Christianity is the truth.

Soon after, I had a dream, a man appeared to me and told me that I would work for him and that he would send me and work through me. From that point, I started attending church regularly.

Later my family discovered that I had become a Christian. They told me to come home. Without realising the danger, I went to see them. They tied me up and planned to kill me the next day. But God used one of them to help me to escape. They continued searching for me.

One time they came to the village where I had been staying and they saw me in the market. They pursued me with guns in their hands and in that process, one of them was knocked by a vehicle on the road. I managed to escape.

They took away all my inheritance of land and goods that my father left for me. As it is now, they are still looking for me to kill me, and part of their reason is they accuse me of rustling their cows because this happened immediately after I left home.

My pastor heard about the danger I was in and took me to his house and hid me. He called the bishop and told him what was happening. He arranged for me to be brought to the mission centre.

Here, I have learned how to read and write, l know how to pray, follow Christ and live for His glory. This place also serves as a place of refuge and safety both for me and the church.

Brother Abaeze, Hausa tribe

I became a Christian because of the love I received from my Christian friends. I converted to Christianity in a nearby city. I started attending church there. After a while, I returned home and started going to church secretly. My family suspected me and asked the local security to trail me.

I was discovered and brought before my family to answer whether I have been going to church or not. I denied it for fear that I may be killed. They discovered that I had a Bible, and they took it away from me and warned me not to think of going to church again.

After some time, I was tired of not going to church and decided to go, but my family caught me, they beat me and were discussing what to do with me. Some believed that I should be killed while a few were against this. They beat me to the point that I was seriously wounded, and I couldn’t move. They left me there on the ground.

My Christian brothers came and took me to one of their homes. They treated my wounds. From there I continued to go to church, but I experienced serious hatred from the members of the community. I couldn’t buy anything. People started calling me all sorts of names. The church was also scared of what my family would do next. I became so frustrated and wanted to leave the community. I was in the process of making plans to leave when the church resolved to bring me for discipleship at the mission centre.

Coming here has ensured safety for me and the church, especially for those people who opened their homes to me.