ABA, NIGERIA Sabbath, November 22
By Marti Schneider, On location

Sabbath here is harder in one way, because we have morning and evening
meetings. Because Don's voice was getting strained, Bob Folkenberg
preached that sermon on health: clean and unclean meats, etc. Bob made
a call for baptism and had some acceptance. When Bob finished, he was
hoarse. That was gratifying to Don, not to be the only one. <grin>

Because it was such a hot day, the people did not sit in the chairs in
front of the stage, like they do in the evenings. The seats in this
large stadium were full, even behind the platform and screens where you
really couldn't see. I'm not sure of the seating capacity but there was
a crowd. One young man came in the evening to the place where I was
sitting and told me he was from a downlink site about 20 kilometers
away. He had come for the one meeting so that he could meet us. I'm
sure we had others that simply wanted to experience the meeting live one
time.

As we were driving out of the stadium after church, our driver got very
excited. "Did you see Adaelu, he said? Mrs. Adaelu?" It took a moment
for my brain to compute who Adaelu is . . . then I remembered that is
the family whose home we visited, the ones with the really enormous
house. He works for Adaelu.

"No, I didn't see her, where is she?" Then as we passed the gate, he
said, "There she is!" I looked to the right and there stood Clara Adaelu
in the crowd of people who were on foot. We rolled down our windows and
she came to the side of the car to greet us. We were riding in an
Adaelu vehicle while she was walking in that hot sun. She was sweet and
gracious . . . never letting on that she was the owner of our vehicle.
It really touched our hearts.

The first baptism after the opening of the meetings took place
immediately after the close of the morning meeting. That meeting began
at 9:30 and ran to 11:00 so there would be time for the baptism. Of
course, everyone could not attend. Don and I and our camera crew wanted
to be there, so our driver took us the two kilometers to the river. I
had taken our two umbrellas! What a blessing! The sun was so hot . . .
I envied the baptismal candidates. When we arrived the row of pastors
were already baptizing. The people would give the card they had
received at the call to the deacon as they entered the water. That is
the way they know just how many and who were baptized. It works very
well.

A man came to Don and said, "Do you know who I am?" Don said, "Yes, of
course, you are my angel! You are the doctor who came to my room during
my kidney stone attack." He was the non-Adventist doctor who is chief
of the Adventist hospital. "I am going to be baptized in a few
minutes," he told Don. What a thrill! I went running back up the hill
to get my camera, since I couldn't see our camera man anywhere. On the
way back down the hill, I came upon an old man with his cane. He was
dripping wet in his bright red boxer shorts and ribbed undershirt, being
assisted up the hill to the dressing room by a deacon. I had to take a
picture. It was priceless. Then I saw the doctor . . . He too was
dripping already! I took that picture so I would have it in my own
camera. Don said he has his Ph.D. in chemistry, then he got his M.D.
and he would like to go to the U.S. to work in genetic engineering. It
is interesting . . . before, our Adventist hospital did not have an
Adventist doctor . . . but now it does! Don declared, "God brought good
from the bad." (I don't know if you can blame on the devil when we
don't drink enough water to support health.)

When we returned to our vehicle to go to the hotel, we met several
people. A pastor brought to us the old man I had snapped (that is the
term for taking a picture used here in Nigeria) and his tall young son.
There is a story there that the pastor is going to try to help me learn.
The son told Don quietly that his mother told him seven days before she
died, "Do not worship any god but
Jesus." He found Jesus at the meetings . . . and is following his
mother's instruction.

Another man, Emmanuel, and his sister, Mercy, were baptized. I am
going to use them in a special feature soon, when I talk about the
baptisms and how God changes lives. I'll attach a copy of that feature
after I use it.

Don and I shared a prayer during the 6:30 meeting. People came forward
as we prayed for marriages, children, to have babies, health, jobs, etc.
The National Nigerian Choir had just finished singing, "Nearer My God
to Thee." I used the words as I began my prayer and the choir
director asked me afterward, "Was our song an inspiration for your
prayer?" The people are so special. Many call me "Mommy" and Don
"Daddy." I believe the title goes for mature people. Hmm!

Don preached on baptism by immersion on Saturday night and made another
call.

After meeting a youngish woman came to me and said, "Please pray for
me." My husband and I have been married for eight years. We have no
child. We talked a moment and as I drew her close to pray for her, I
asked her for her name. "Patience," she said. We both looked at one
another and smiled.

The special feature this evening introduced the translators. They had
been brought out and introduced one by one on stage shortly before my
feature. I told the audience I wanted to tell the rest of the story.
So I talked about how they worship together, they meet with Don at 11
o'clock each morning to discuss the evening's topic, look for hard
words, get a list of Bible texts and talk
about illustrations. I showed on video the translators entering the
stadium and then told the audience that they are all in a room together,
they see on screen what the audience sees. Although they are pastors
(or elders) with their own pulpit, they become a team with the speaker
when they come to "Visions for Victory." When Don talks, they talk.
They are all preaching the same thing. They are all preaching from the
heart. It is loud! It is lively! Then I put on 30 seconds of video
with sound . . . it is sounds like utter confusion, but when the
audience back home hears, it is clear, because the translator speaks
into a microphone attached right in front of his mouth. (The audience
seemed really excited with this feature.)

The band in the courtyard of our hotel was playing and singing loud,
raucous African music . . . but now it has switched to a loud rendition
of "The Old Rugged Cross" . . . interesting. I hope they get ready to
close up shop soon. I believe I am ready to turn in.

Good night!

Marti