Giving Tuesday on December 1 is a day Global Ministries will accept gifts over the phone or online starting at 12:01 AM. United Methodists will once again come together to support the work of Advance projects and missionaries on UMC #GivingTuesday. And once again, every gift made online through The Advance at www.umcmission.org/give on Dec. 1, 2015 will be matched up to $1 milion. The theme for the 2015 UMC #Giving Tuesday campaign is “Activate Love. Transform Lives. Change the World.”
Because we United Methodists in Iowa support the UMC of Nigeria, consider giving to two Nigerian educational programs. They are:
We grieve with Ishaya David, Nigerian student at Simpson College, whose older brother died in Nigeria. Over 100 friends set up an“gofundme” which raised $2,200+ in a 24 hour period to help pay for his airline ticket to return to Nigeria to be with his family.
Do you know Musa Danjuma? This young Banyam Theological Seminary faculty member is now on the other side of the desk…attending West Africa Theological Seminary to get a Master’s Degree. With a new laptop, living in a dorm, Musa studies hard, writes reams of assigned papers and reads late at night. The first semester will be over in mid December and he will return to his family living in Bambur.
Funds to pay his housing, meals, school fees and books are needed for him to continue for three more semesters before graduation. These per semester costs are about $2,000. How about helping Musa get his Master’s? Funds may be sent through your local church to the Conference Treasurer marked: INP, #230, Musa Danjuma.
We thank all individuals and churches who support the Nigerian church through the collection and packaging of a variety of kits gathered yearly at the five InGathering sites. These are gratefully received by the UMC of Nigeria when the container is sent in March, arrives in May and unloaded in June. The UMCN has just started two new comprehensive high schools so health and school kits will be welcome.
The Iowa Nigeria Partnership is transitioning with new leadership assuming responsibility in January 2016. Plans are to continue collecting InGathering kits through Nov. 5, 2016. More information will be forth coming but the INP continues to assist the UMCN with shared mission and ministry programs/projects.