Write to Pastor Andrew
It was 2014 and Pastor Andrew was serving a church in Monguno, north east Nigeria, when Boko Haram attacked his community, forcing him and his family to flee.
The family ended up in Guyaku, where Pastor Andrew began serving a new church who he warned should prepare for a possible attack by Boko Haram. He even began teaching them how to deal with persecution. But people felt his concerns were unfounded, given how peaceably people lived with one another.
In February 2015, the pastor’s worst fears were realised when Boko Haram militants attacked the town. “We lost everything,” Pastor Andrew recalls. At the time, he felt the church would never recover.
The pastor and his leadership team later returned and encouraged other Christians to return and rebuild their homes and church. The message was heeded, with members returning and each donating money to fund the church’s restoration. Open Doors also contributed to this.
Remarkably, the church is now bigger than it was prior to the attack – there were 300 members beforehand, now there are more than 450. The faith of the believers has also grown stronger. Pastor Andrew – who has received other support from Open Doors, including trauma care and advocacy training – now leads a different church, but he often revisits the church in Guyaku.
Pastors in Nigeria carry a huge weight of responsibility – not just in helping believers to grow spiritually amid persecution but in the pastoral care they provide for those traumatised by attacks. Pastor Andrew needs nourishing as he seeks to nourish others, and you can do just that by writing to him.
Guidelines
- Greeting cards, postcards and children’s artwork are best
- Be encouraging and include one or two Bible verses. For security reasons, please do not use verses that refer to Israel, armies, or war
- Show sensitivity. Please do not dwell on the recipient’s plight, or share about the blessings of life in your country.
For security
- Do not mention Open Doors
- Do not mention other religions
- Do not refer to Israel, even when using Scripture
- Do not criticise religions, religious extremists, governments, judicial systems or political leaders
- Do not send money or make proposals to help
- You can disclose your name and the country you live in, but do not provide your full name or full address.
Send to us!
Send your drawings, cards or letters to us at:
PO Box 6
Witney
Oxon
OX29 6WG
And we'll do the rest!
Please note this campaign ends 15 December 2022
