Nigeria: Encouragement Flows From Women’s Retreat

Encouragement to persecuted Christians often comes from our willingness to travel far distances to meet and simply spend time together, rather than from our words of wisdom.

In June a group of Western women, including Open Doors workers and supporters, traveled many miles to northern Nigeria to spend time with their persecuted sisters.

The trip was divided into two sections. First we facilitated a retreat for 24 pastors’ widows and four young women affected by persecution, including Jamila Noma, Jemima Alkali, Rhoda Zakka (Nakub Zakka’s daughter) and Lois Garba.

The second part of the trip entailed a visit to remote lower Plateau State to meet and encourage more widows in their natural settings.

“On the first day of the retreat the Western visitors were received very warmly by the Nigerian women,” explained one visitor. “When we arrived at the center, we witnessed a most touching moment when the widows broke into spontaneous song and rushed over to hug each of us as if they had known us for years. It immediately broke the ice. The widows demonstrated their openness and ushered in a time of very sweet fellowship,” she said.

An Open Doors co-worker was stunned by the reception. He has been involved in assisting these women over a number of years, but has never been welcomed so openly.

“This reception is not something the men in Open Doors have experienced in our relationship with the widows,” he said. “It just looked like a missing piece of the puzzle had now been found.” 

Over the next three days the Nigerian and Western women cried together, laughed together, prayed together and found solace for their pain together.

Local workers were greatly encouraged to see the level of identification with one another. “Each of the speakers carried a unique message and a unique experience of suffering in one form or the other,” said one of the visitors.

“All the Nigerian ladies related to the Western women. The speakers sharing from their own experience made a deep impact on the widows as they realized that believers all over the world are going through suffering. All the ladies shared from their brokenness freely with the Nigerian widows.”

One western participant explained, “Many hurts and emotional wounds were brought to the surface and dealt with. An especially poignant moment occurred when names of individuals or groups who had perpetrated individual or sustained acts of abuse were recorded and placed in a box at the foot of a cross before being burnt in an act of releasing forgiveness and closure into the situation.

“Handing over letters of encouragement and blessing to the Nigerian ladies and seeing their reaction was a special privilege,” she said.

It was clear that all participants, whether from Nigeria or abroad, were deeply encouraged by the fellowship they had with each other.

“I am so grateful to God and to this ministry,” said Asabe Kurnab. “Since I lost my husband, Open Doors has helped me in different ways (i.e. spiritually, morally and financially).  Honestly, I don’t know what to say but I am sure the Almighty God will reward you and your ministry.”

After the retreat the group of visitors, joined by three Nigerian widows who participated in the retreat, visited other widows in Lower Plateau. This is one of the regions in northern Nigeria that has been affected deeply by religious violence.

Here the visitors had the opportunity to share a short word of encouragement with the Nigerian widows. The widows that participated in the retreat had the opportunity to share some of the comfort they had received. The visitors also popped into the homes of some of the widows they met. Again, the visitors were able to distribute letters of encouragement lovingly written by Open Doors supporters from across the globe.

We are convinced that it was not so much our words that encouraged our sisters in Nigeria. Rather, it was the fact that we felt compelled to get on a plane and come to Nigeria to cry with them, pray with them, and bring to them the greetings and love from others who could not come. Those who have come to encourage are the ones who have gone away most encouraged.

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