River Terrace Church

RTC_Nigeria_Partnership_logo

In 2008 River Terrace Church initiated a partnership with the NKST church of Nigeria. This partnership focuses on the church's response to HIV/AIDS. In February 2009, eight ambassadors from RTC visited Nigeria to meet our partners in the NKST church and experience the work of Beacon of Hope, the Nigerian organization that carries out the work with HIV/AIDS in Benue State, Nigeria.

One of our ambassadors, Mark Menning, relates this story about the ambassadors' experience with the "fruits" of American missionaries whose work in Nigeria nearly 100 years ago is still benefiting Nigerians.
When we were in Benue State in southern Nigeria a year ago, we were introduced to two old people in the town of Sai. We were told they had been baptized by the first Dutch Reformed missionaries from South Africa who had arrived in Sai in 1911. After a Sunday morning church service we were shown a memorial for those missionaries. Under the hot African sun at noon we were told the story of the four boxes.
Legend has it that the missionaries brought four boxes to Sai. The first box contained Bibles and other books. The second box held seeds of vegetables and fruits. The third box contained drugs and medical equipment. In the fourth box were tools for construction and farming.
The Tiv people make up most of the population of Benue state. At the time the missionaries arrived, the Tiv had no knowledge of cultivated fruit. The missionaries planted mango, grapefruit, banana, orange and other fruit trees.
After we were told this story, we were taken to one of the original schools started by the missionaries in Sai. The drive to the school was lined by huge mango trees and many people were waiting for us in the cool shade of those trees planted almost 100 years ago.
It is said that planting a tree is an act of faith. The planters rarely sees the end result of their labor. But they can hope and pray that the tree they plant will flourish and provide food for the hungry and shade from the hot sun.
We may not be able to solve what appear to be insurmountable problems in Nigeria, but we can plant seeds in the name of Jesus. We can make it possible for a child whose parents have died of AIDS to go to school. We can make it possible for teenagers and young adults to be tested for HIV infection. We can make it possible for poor men and women who are HIV positive to earn enough money to support themselves and regain the respect of their neighbors.
Please contribute to the EmbraceAIDS/Beacon of Hope campaign.
Let's plant a few more trees in Benue.
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The Second Box


You don't see many old people in Nigeria. Life expectancy there has been dropping over the last two decades. In 2007, it was 46. This is what happens in a poor country with limited health care and rampant HIV infection.

Members_who_were_first_baptizedWhen we were in Benue State in southern Nigeria a year ago, we were introduced to two old people in the town of Sai. We were told they had been baptized by the first Dutch Reformed missionaries from South Africa who had arrived in Sai in 1911. After a Sunday morning church service we were shown a memorial for those missionaries. Under the hot African sun at noon we were told the story of the four boxes.

Legend has it that the missionaries brought four boxes to Sai. The first box contained Bibles and other books. The second box held seeds of vegetables and fruits. The third box contained drugs and medical equipment. In the fourth box were tools for construction and farming.

The Tiv people make up most of the population of Benue state. At the time the missionaries arrived, the Tiv had no knowledge of cultivated fruit. The missionaries planted mango, grapefruit, banana, orange and other fruit trees.

After we were told this story, we were taken to one of the original schools started by the missionaries in Sai. The drive to the school was lined by huge mango trees and many people were waiting for us in the cool shade of those trees planted almost 100 years ago.

big_mangos

It is said that planting a tree is an act of faith. The planters rarely see the end result of their labor. But they can hope and pray that the tree they plant will flourish and provide food for the hungry and shade from the hot sun.

We may not be able to solve what appear to be insurmountable problems in Nigeria, but we can plant seeds in the name of Jesus. We can make it possible for a child whose parents have died of AIDS to go to school. We can make it possible for teenagers and young adults to be tested for HIV infection. We can make it possible for poor men and women who are HIV positive to earn enough money to support themselves and regain the respect of their neighbors.

Please pray for our partnership that we can develop lasting relationships with our Nigerian partners that will have lasting impact on the battle against HIV/AIDS.

If you are able, please contribute to the EmbraceAIDS/Beacon of Hope campaign.

Let's plant a few more trees in Benue...