Photo of the
Author:
-Paul Ndukwe (Rev.) International Executive Director
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Link International Ministries
Spring 2008 Ministry Update.
Returns of Investment.
Investment, Profit, Loses, Interest, Deficit and Return, they are
words we are more likely to associate with a financial statement
than to an invitation to pray. It might interest us to know that
Wall Street did not invent the concept of maximizing and enjoying
the results generated by a good investment. Jesus Christ our Lord
and Master talked in a great deal about these very financial
concepts.
I was reminded that the central focus of our call as an organization
is "To use all our God given resources to minister to people – bring
them to salvation in Jesus, develop or disciple them, nurture them
to maturity and release them as servant leaders into God's harvest
field". All these years of working with Link International
Ministries, I have asked after any of our outreaches, "Have we
received a good return on God's investment that was entrusted into
our care?" "Have we combined all our resources and abilities to
produce a multiplied investment into the Kingdom of God?"
The Administrative Management Staff Training
School:
Many years ago the idea to take the leadership training program
we have conducted for over twelve years across the continent of
Africa into a public University somewhere in Africa and create a
department of 'Administrative Management Studies'. About two years
ago we started negotiation with Abia State University, Uturu,
Nigeria. A feasibility study and an in-service training program for
junior and senior administrative non-teaching officers of the
University was conducted during three separate one week seminars at
the University campus. The success of the program and the
endorsement by majority of those who participated in the program was
a clear statement that we must go ahead and implement the program as
an integral program of the University under the faculty of political
science. The government of Abia State has also endorsed the program
and indicated that they would avail their junior and senior
administrative officers to participate in the program. The program
presently is designed for only those in any kind of administration
and management position.
The administrative management staff training school will officially
begin end of July until 2nd week of September, 2008 (Please visit
our upcoming events page for more information). There will be 3
weeks at Abia State University, 1 week off campus in Kaduna and 1
week off campus in Lagos. May I take this opportunity to invite
anyone out there interested in this program in any form of
administrative or management position, either in Nigeria or from any
other African country to contact us for more information?
Community Outreach/Upgrading the University
Hospital:
The last container arrived safely and most has been distributed.
We are working with Abia State University and the State government
to ascertain that the goods get to the poorest of the poor within
the seventeen local government areas of the State. Just recently a
group of special needs from Abia South geo-political region of Abia
State were assembled in the front courtyard of the Government House
in Umuahia to receive, wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, used clothes
and reading glasses. One of the ladies who came with her local made
wooden chair and received a wheelchair in tears of joy told me that
she has gone from one place or the other looking for a help but
could not find any. She doubted those who invited to come that day
for this so called free gift. According to her “I reluctantly came”.
She continued by saying, “God, so you love me so much that you had
me in mind. Am I in a dream or is this a reality that I now have my
own wheelchair and can now move from place to place without much
struggle and can also be more productive to myself and my
community?” Another family whose six year old son received a
wheelchair in gratitude wrote, “Thank you for the assistance
rendered to my family by the gift of a wheelchair to our son who had
difficulty to seat, stand or walk on his own.” You can the tears in
my own eyes and in my heart I felt one more person has been helped.
For me, I felt that paralyses caused by polio should not deter
anybody from being fulfilled in life.
As you know steps were taken last year to upgrade the University
Medical Centre to University Hospital. Plans are on the way to build
two new wards as an addition to the ones built last year. You do not
know how much joy that erupts in my heart when I hear reports like,
'premature babies are saved, students who were suffering from
sexually transmitted diseases are treated and are free from such
transmission; a poor family from one of the remote areas receives
medical care. A young person who could not read receives a reading
glass and now is given a chance to move ahead in life, etc. My
friends, we should celebrate because the main reason for us
upgrading the then Medical Centre to now University Hospital is
gradually being accomplished.
Micro Finance Corporative for Widows:
Toward the end of November 2007, for a pilot project we gave
$1000.00 for a Micro financing Corporative for Widows to over 50
widows from villages around the university. The women have been
making and selling mats and, as they are the only ones in the area
doing this, they are being encouraged to buy all available materials
and expand into a co op in order to help even more women.
Translating and Publishing the Bible into
Nigerian Pigin Language:
I recently stumbled into something I do not know how to describe
it but felt I should share it with you. I met with Mr. Roy Okonkwo,
the President of Mercy Christian Ministries International about a
month ago. After listening to him on how he was led to get into
Bible translation into Nigerian Pigin Language without the training,
I could not resist the prompting of the Holy Spirit to inform you on
this new project.
Presently the translation of the Bible into Nigerian Pigin language
is almost over but there are two things that must be done to bring
the work to completion - vetting the script and then publishing.
Link International Ministries has entered into a partnership
agreement with Mercy Christian Ministries International and Abia
State University to vet, print and train those the instructors of
the Pigin Language. Abia State University department of Linguistics
will vet the translation and avail their facilities for the training
and development of the instructors. Link International Ministries
takes the responsibility of publishing the Bible and possibly other
literatures related to this project.
Literacy International, an organization in the United States has
done a tremendous work by visiting Nigeria to help prepare some of
the trainers. They have also developed the Nigerian Pigin primer
booklet and the training syllable, the teaching guide and other
instructional materials for this very project.
It will interest you to know that Pigin Language is the first
language in Nigeria and over 70 million people in Nigeria use Pigin
Language on a daily bases. Truly exciting things are happening these
days the stock market clearly indicates that any good investment
made would definitely produce a multiplied profit into the Kingdom
of God.
Should the Lord speak to you to join the party in the Nigerian Pigin
Language Bible publishing project, or in one of the other ongoing
projects, please do not hesitate in contacting us at 778-552-4459 or
604-707-0222 or through the e-mail address.
Whatever it is that God has given to you and me, let us invest them
back into His Kingdom for a great return and the blessings of
others.
Paul Ndukwe (Rev.)
Executive Director, Link International Ministries |
