JOS, NIGERIA – Twenty years ago, Daniel Shehu Danlami Salihu didn’t know what he was going to do.
Freshly out of high school, he was eager to begin studying to become a doctor, but an instructors’ strike had closed the universities. It was already October, and the driven young man wanted to do something productive with his time.
The purpose of my trip to Nigeria in November was to cover the 20th anniversary of a computer school founded there by Dr. Anthony Petrillo, an SIM missionary, in partnership with ECWA, a Nigerian Christian denomination. This article tells the history of that partnership and will be the first-posted of several articles written for Dr. Petrillo’s ministry, TEN3.
I was just remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when I was struck by how admirable and appropriate each part of his name is.
Reverend – He was a man of God, pursuing Jesus’ call to love Him and all of our neighbors equally and sacrificially, who sought to minister not only to souls but also to suffering.
Doctor – He was a man of learning, who succeeded in cultivating his mind despite significant, racist barriers to fair education.
Martin Luther – He was a reformer who worked to free the oppressed from the corruption of his time.
King – He was a born leader with eloquence, regality, and courage.
Junior – He was a son, not only born to an earthly father but also reborn to an eternal One.
The Finger Lakes Times (Geneva, NY), where I used to be a reporter, published an article about my recent trip to Nigeria. The article appeared in today’s “Insight” (opinion) section, along with two pictures of women being helped by a ministry in Jos.
The article can be read here. I am very grateful to my former editors for giving me this opportunity.
I try to grow in my faith and understanding, to follow Jesus ever more closely, and to speak only things that uplift, inspire, inform, or amuse.
Like most people I know, though, I am human, and I sometimes say the wrong thing clearly or the right thing imperfectly.
Anything I say poorly is my own fault and should not be taken to reflect the views of my God, my church, my fellow Christians, or the missionary organization through which I formerly worked.
The opinions expressed on this site are my own opinions. They are not necessarily the opinions or views of my former employer, SIM, or any current or future employers.
The Heffron Family