Hello friends. We are writing to you from Gembu!! It has been an 18 month absence that was supposed to be 3 months. Thank you so much faithful prayer warriors! We honestly believe that is what has gotten us through and safely back to Gembu. We also know God’s timing is perfect and that is what we have prayed for!
We left our house in Pine River, MN on January 15. Our COVID-19 tests that we took on January 13 were negative so we were cautiously optimistic that THIS would be it. We had our Visa stamps and plane tickets. What could go wrong? As the past 15 months have shown us, more than we ever thought lol!
We said goodbye to family and friends and our friends Mark and Jane dropped us (as well as our luggage) off at the airport on January 16. We got to the first line and a gentleman looked at our COVID-19 test and told us that we can’t travel. Dan and I look at each other and Dan asked the man why. He proceeded to tell us that the regulation changed, the hour requirement was 96 hours before the flight now it was 72 hours. They did this on Thursday the day AFTER we took our COVID-19 tests. Dan called Mark and Jane and asked them to turn around and pick us up again. You may have never seen two more disappointed people than on that ride back to the Erickson’s house. Again, everything was up in the air. When could we get another ticket and of course, another COVID-19 test? Sunday, we visited Edinbrook Church (our sending church) and asked people to continue praying. Monday our travel agent, Craig, found tickets for the following Saturday.
We worked on things from Mark and Jane’s house and visited with a few family and friends and took another COVID-19 test on January 21. January 23 the Erickson’s dropped us off at the airport with our luggage again and we were cleared to travel!!!! Would this be “it”? We have scheduled tickets 5 times, had 2 strokes, an ablation, a saddle pulmonary embolism, blood clot from foot to groin, COVID-19 pandemic, expired Visa, and changed regulations.
We left with no issues! Praise the Lord! When we got to Abuja, Peter, our former Head Driver, now an Uber driver in Abuja, picked us up at the airport and took us to a hotel that he had arranged for us. We had to stay at the hotel for 9 days as we had to have ANOTHER COVID-19 test. We had that test on Day 7 of our hotel stay, then after we got the results could schedule tickets to Jalingo (the capital of our State). We traveled the hour and a half flight and Taiwo and Wilson picked us up at the airport. We had to stay the night in Jalingo because our plane did not arrive early enough to make the trip safely. The next day we drove the 6 ½ hours to Gembu.
It was so wonderful to hug and see some of the staff that were still there at the time we arrived. We were home on February 4 at about 3:00 pm!
Since we have arrived, we have been unpacking, cleaning, and trying to remember where we put stuff 18 months ago, we found the compound and everything so wonderful. Our staff has done a remarkable job of not only maintaining ministry but also moving forward during this global pandemic!
We see that we need to position to move forward again and have a lot of work to do during the next months. Please pray that God makes it very clear which directions to move and focus on and what the priorities are.
Things are also moving forward with the Gotel Initiative! We have had the opportunity to talk with some churches over Zoom and are thankful we can do that most days from Nigeria! We are still looking for a Director and Prayer Coordinator for the Initiative. Please pray with us that we find the people God has already prepared for these positions. We are also praying for Global Workers to come and join us here on the Mambila Plateau.
In His Service,
Dan & Tina Gibbs
Standing Beside
Visit our website at www.dtgibbs.com
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Our staff member to pray for this month is Doctor Peter. Doctor Peter came to GECHAAN in January 2021. He is a young man with about 3 years of experience before joining our team. He already has a great rapport with the patients that have been coming to the Hospital. We are excited about his passion for bringing quality healthcare to the organization. Pray that God will direct him and give him wisdom.
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Financial Report
Our Personal Support is currently 99% however with Converge’s next fiscal year starting May 1st it will drop to 97%,
Click here to support us.
Please Give to the HIV and Hospital Project funds!
Click here to give to the Project Funds.
Please support the Gotel Initiative!
Click here to give to the Initiative.
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Prayer Points
- For wisdom, discernment, and cultural awareness for Dan and Tina
- The staff, as we are exploring how God wants us to move forward at this time.
- An Initiative Director and Prayer Coordinator for the Gotel Initiative.
- Global Workers to join us. The process will take approximately 2 years to get them on the field here with us if they start now.
- That Satan is bound from any interference on our compound, with our staff, and in any of the ministries currently happening here in Gembu.
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Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GibbsMission/
Connect with Tina on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tina.gibbs.921 (Tina Gibbs (Bowden))
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