We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

We WISH you a Merry Christmas!

We WISH you a Merry Christmas!

We WISH you a Merry Christmas!

And a Happy New Year!

Reflections from the Nigerian Countryside

When I (Carisa) was in Nigeria this year, we did a LOT of traveling. We drove across a lot of the nation of Nigeria. We saw MANY new and interesting things.

We saw fences made of live cacti! They are VERY effective in keeping cattle and people IN or OUT!

We saw live chickens and goats tied to motos for transport, along with more people than you could imagine!

We saw trucks loaded in ways that are JUST NOT SAFE! lol

One day, we passed a goat tethered along the side of the road, similar to the goat pictured above. He had lots of greens all around him to eat, yet he was STRETCHING and PULLING at his tether, trying to get to what was just beyond his reach. The Lord used that goat to teach me a lesson! We often think that the grass is greener on the other side. The truth is that God has set our boundary lines, and He has put us right where we are for a purpose.

Psalm 16:5-8 Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

We are set in this place by the Lord Himself! How humbling that feels, and how very safe and good. Thank you Lord! Merry Christmas, dear friends! Carisa Haven, SFA Secretary

Port Harcourt STILL WAITS...

No news to report from Port Harcourt, where Phyllis is waiting to begin work on a large piece of land for the Fulani. The king is very happy about our plans to set up a model rotational grazing reserve and upgraded cattle market. Our dear friend, Mogodi, will help us, as a member of the National Assosiation of Cattle Dealers. We are trusting the Lord to see us through!

SFA ON THE ROAD!

Missionary Phyllis Sortor is coming home for Christmas! If you can't join us in person, click on the links to watch the live stream from home!

Sunday, December 28th, Phyllis will be sharing at Seattle First Free Methodist Church, 3200 3rd Ave W., Seattle, WA! Service is at 10am.

https://ffmc.org

Sunday, January 4th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Free Methodist Church, 20815 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA! Services are at 9:30 & 11:00.

https://www.wbfmc.org

*Services are recorded and posted by noon, same day.

Sunday, January 11th, Phyllis will be sharing briefly at

Northlake Christian Church, 19029 North Road, Bothel, WA! Service is at 9:30am!

https://www.northlakecc.org

Sunday, January 18th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Senior Community at 10am! Join us at 20420 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA, in Beachwood Lounge.

Sunday, January 25th, Phyllis will be sharing at Shoreline Free Methodist Church, 510 NE 175th Street, Shoreline, WA! Service is at 9:45.

http://shorelinefm.com

*We would LOVE to share at YOUR church, wherever you are! Phyllis's time in the states is limited, but SFA Secretary Carisa would be happy to travel to your church, too! We can share our Kidnapped Redemption Film and updates on what God is doing in Nigeria! We are a non-denominational ministry. We are happy to partner with ALL bible-believing churches. Email us for more details!

Email us!

Persecuted Christians In Nigeria

Romans 12:21: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good".

On November 21st, 2025, gunmen abducted 315 Nigerian Christians from a Catholic school, St. Mary's School in Papiri, Niger State, Nigeria. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The victims included 303 students and 12 teachers. The kidnapping has been described as one of the worst mass abductions in Nigeria's history. The abduction at the school was the third to hit Nigeria in a week.

More than 1,500 children have been abducted from Nigerian schools since 2014, when 276 girls were taken during the infamous Chibok mass abduction. The kidnapping of people for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become a major problem in many parts of Nigeria.

Because of these recent kidnappings, the Governor of Niger State has ordered the closure of all primary and secondary schools in the state. We have closed all seven of our primary schools there, and our new secondary school in Niger State. We have also closed our schools in Plateau State and Bauchi State.

Kidnappings are rampant in schools and churches. We need prayer for our dear ones in Nigeria. Will you join us? Lord, HELP!

Port Harcourt WAITS...

Phyllis and team are in Port Harcourt now. They have made some progress, but still no building permits. The Barrister phoned Comrade about this, last evening; Comrade's response was, "It's not easy." He's obligated now, due to his acceptance of the advance payment, and eventually must bring forth those permits. It's really hard to wait. Time is precious, but we are trusting the Lord for His timing and successful outcomes!

SFA ON THE ROAD!

Missionary Phyllis Sortor is coming home for Christmas! If you can't join us in person, click on the links to watch the live stream from home!

Sunday, December 28th, Phyllis will be sharing at Seattle First Free Methodist Church, 3200 3rd Ave W., Seattle, WA! Service is at 10am.

https://ffmc.org

Sunday, January 4th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Free Methodist Church, 20815 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA! Services are at 9:30 & 11:00.

https://www.wbfmc.org

*Services are recorded and posted by noon, same day.

Sunday, January 11th, Phyllis will be sharing briefly at

Northlake Christian Church, 19029 North Road, Bothel, WA! Service is at 9:30am!

https://www.northlakecc.org

Sunday, January 18th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Senior Community at 10am! Join us at 20420 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA, in Beachwood Lounge.

Sunday, January 25th, Phyllis will be sharing at Shoreline Free Methodist Church, 510 NE 175th Street, Shoreline, WA! Service is at 9:45.

http://shorelinefm.com

*We would LOVE to share at YOUR church, wherever you are! Phyllis's time in the states is limited, but SFA Secretary Carisa would be happy to travel to your church, too! We can share our Kidnapped Redemption Film and updates on what God is doing in Nigeria! We are a non-denominational ministry. We are happy to partner with ALL bible-believing churches. Email us for more details!

Email us!

As the Lord pours Himself into Nigeria, it is an absolute delight to be His hands and feet there. We see the Lord moving mightily! God certainly doesn't NEED us, but He does INVITE us to join Him. Would you care to join us by supporting the work financially?

GIVE ONE TIME

GIVE MONTHLY

Making Port Harcourt SAFE!

Port Harcourt WORK BEGINS!

Phyllis and team are in Port Harcourt now. Because of the danger here, especially for the Fulani, and for us, we're going to fence the perimeter of the land and build a safe house there for our staff and teachers. The safe house will have twenty foot walls and a wire fence as well. THANK YOU to our faithful donors, who have met this financial need!

Grab your tissues for this heartbreaking story! Recent email from Phyllis:

Greetings, friends, from the Agate Hotel in Port Harcourt! (Pronounced Ah..Gah..Tay Hotel!!) So, another delay in our working on our land. Yesterday we were so excited as we drove to meet the surveyor we'd hired to confirm boundaries of the 99 hectares. This needed to be done in order to put the boundary wall in the right place. First of all, the surveyor didn't show up. Instead we met ten or so young men from the community - they had said they knew the boundaries - but it turned out they did not. Anyway, they were peaceful and promised their availability when work commenced.

Then we embarked on the required visits to the local District Police Officer, the local Army Commander, the local Police Commander and finally, the Chairman of the local government. These visits are expected of newcomers to the area. All these men, except for the last one mentioned, were friendly, interested and welcoming. But that last one - definitely not friendly. In fact, I left that office seething at his behavior. We had introduced ourselves: Manager Lawal, two Fulani friends, and myself. The Chairman rudely announced that he had recognized that 2 of our number were Fulani, and hoped our project would have NOTHING whatsoever to do with Fulani, who, 'as it was well known' (according to him) were the cause of ALL the trouble and problems in Nigeria, and he wasn't going to have ANY of this trouble in HIS local government!

I couldn't believe such blatant rudeness and prejudice! He turned to me and said he expected written details of what our project entailed, that he would do findings and would get back to us as to whether we could proceed or not! He said all work should stop until that time. Hopefully by Monday, he said. No words to express my disgust at such behavior. Lawal assures me that once our wall is built, whatever we do on our land is our business; no one, not even that Chairman, can stop us.

The next morning, Mogodi came over to meet with us at the hotel. We, or rather, he... talked and talked about the terrible thing that had happened at the Chairman's office yesterday. There were SO MANY insults and hate inflicted on our Fulani friends - for being who they are - Fulani. 

Then Mogodi, Lawal and I drove to the main road where we picked up our Fulani friends and drove the 30 minutes or so to the palace of His Royal Highness, the King of the area in which our land is located. We told the King exactly what the Chairman had said and done. I wish you could have seen our friends' faces while this story was being told. So sad, embarrassed, humiliated. For what? Being a Fulani man?

The King asked some pertinent questions, which we answered, then leaned back in his chair and said, "Don't worry. I will phone the Chairman immediately and tell him to allow you full access to your land. I will take care of this problem for you. Don't worry. I'll let you know, this very afternoon, when this problem is resolved. After all, as King, I can remove this difficult Chairman from office, replace him with another. And he knows that. He will drop this matter immediately!" It was with big smiles on our faces that we all thanked the King for his help! He kept saying, "Don't worry. Don't worry!" Now we're waiting for that important phone call!

This morning, as Mogodi and I walked back to our car after our meeting with the king, he held my hand as we walked, as friends do in this country. I told him, "You and your people coming to settle on this land, quietly, peacefully, raising your cattle and working your farms... this is our opportunity to show the world the true nature, the goodness, of a people called the Fulani."

He smiled at me, squeezed my hand and said, "Yes. This is what we will do. God will help us." And God will do exactly that. 

Please pray for us. God IS faithful and true. He loves the Fulani and even loves that miserable Chairman! But pray. Trusting that we can start again on Monday! God bless! Phyllis, at AHGAHTAY!!

Please enjoy the email below, from our dear friends at WATS, West Africa Theological Seminary! Dr. Gary Maxey and his wife, Emma Lou are living near Phyllis in Imala, Ogun State. Pictured above, left to right, is SFA Secretary Carisa, Missionary Phyllis, Dr. Gary Maxey, his wife Emma Lou, and our beloved friend Carol Barrett.

The Global Crisis of Christian Persecution Is Focused Primarily on Nigeria

3 November 2025

As never before, West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS) needs your help to respond to the ongoing and horrific crisis unfolding in northeastern Nigeria. The scale of persecution is staggering. According to a recent Fox News report:

  • 18,000 churches have been burned since 2009

  • 50,000 Christians have been martyred since 2009

  • 5 million people have been displaced since 2009

  • 7,000 killed so far in 2025 alone

Fox News further reports:

“Jihadist organizations, including Boko Haram, have carried out religiously motivated killings over the last 16 years, massacring 125,009 Christians. . . . 19,100 churches have been sacked. According to Open Doors, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world.”

For the past three years, West Africa Theological Seminary intentionally reached out to churches in northeastern Nigeria most devastated by this modern-day genocide—Global Methodist Church (GMC), Church of the Brethren (EYN), Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), and Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), among others.

Today, WATS is training more than 150 students from northern Nigeria, including 112 Global Methodists and 25+ from the Church of the Brethren, along with others. Every one of these students is a pastor, evangelist, or missionary preparing to return home and strengthen churches in regions where hundreds of pastors have already given their lives for the sake of Christ. Despite unimaginable loss, their resolve remains firm: they refuse to bow the knee to Islam.

Yet the need is growing. There are hundreds more in northern Nigeria longing for the solid theological training WATS provides—but we cannot meet this need without your partnership.

Urgent Needs

1. Scholarships for 200 students – covering full tuition, fees, and a modest monthly stipend for living expenses.

  • $150 per month or $1,800 per year per student.

2. $150,000 for campus infrastructure, renovation, and expansion.

3. $100,000 for faculty recruitment and training.

We can only accomplish this vital mission through the help of Almighty God and the generous support of friends like you.

How You Can Help

  • In the USA: Send checks to Friends of WATS, 609 E. Main Street, Duncan, SC 29334.

  • In Nigeria: Transfer your Naira donation to Zenith Bank Account #1010290423 or #1310069521.

Thank you for your prayerful engagement and generous support.

Prof. Gary S. Maxey, Founder

Dr. Olufemi Emmanuel , Provost

SFA ON THE ROAD!

Missionary Phyllis Sortor is coming home for Christmas! If you can't join us in person, click on the links to watch the live stream from home!

Sunday, December 28th, Phyllis will be sharing at Seattle First Free Methodist Church, 3200 3rd Ave W., Seattle, WA! Service is at 10am.

https://ffmc.org

Sunday, January 4th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Free Methodist Church, 20815 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA! Services are at 9:30 & 11:00.

https://www.wbfmc.org *Services are recorded and posted by noon, same day.

Sunday, January 11th, Phyllis will be sharing briefly at

Northlake Christian Church, 19029 North Road, Bothel, WA! Service is at 9:30am!

https://www.northlakecc.org

Sunday, January 18th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Senior Community at 10am! Join us at 20420 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA, in Beachwood Lounge.

Sunday, January 25th, Phyllis will be sharing at Shoreline Free Methodist Church, 510 NE 175th Street, Shoreline, WA! Service is at 9:45.

http://shorelinefm.com

*We would LOVE to share at YOUR church, wherever you are! Phyllis's time in the states is limited, but SFA Secretary Carisa would be happy to travel to your church, too! We can share our Kidnapped Redemption Film, and updates on what God is doing in Nigeria! We are a non-denominational ministry. We are happy to partner with ALL bible-believing churches. Email us for more details!

Email us!

The Rumors Are True!

Now HERE Is Some Exciting News!

The Rumors Are True!

Mission Aviation Fellowship will soon be flying again in Nigeria! The airplane pictured below will be used! President and CEO of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), David Holsten, shared 2 weeks ago: "Exciting progress is underway—we have a plane at our headquarters preparing for service in Nigeria, donated by a very generous partner of MAF. Last year, MAF began exploring the process of launching a new flight program in Nigeria. In addition to other ministry opportunities, this program will position us to provide flight support to the Egbe Hospital, where we will provide medical-related flights to a local hospital. There is still much work to be done before the program gets up and running, and we would appreciate prayers as we work through important details like permissions, staffing, and facilities. We’re grateful for the faithful partnership of so many who make it possible to extend help, hope, and healing to isolated communities."

MAF is a Christian organization planning to expand its operations in Nigeria to provide aviation services for humanitarian efforts, medical evacuations, and aid to remote communities. The organization's work in Nigeria aims to reduce long travel times and deliver essential help to isolated people in the country. 

There is still much work to do! MAF faces numerous challenges operating in Nigeria, including significant security risks, extensive regulatory complexities, logistical and infrastructural deficiencies, and funding hurdles. Please pray for them as they build their ministry in Nigeria!

MAF's initial location in Nigeria will be Abuja, enabling them to serve the hospital there at Egbe. We are hoping to partner with MAF, too, so we will be eager to watch them build their ministry! We are so thankful for their upcoming presence in Nigeria!

How's It Going In Bauchi State?

ALL DONE!!

354 children were registered for classes! The team had to go to the lumber store to buy more wood for desks! The Headmaster is begging to close registration, because the children just keep coming! We will have to hire 2 more teachers immediately.

The healthcare clinic is stocked with medicines and supplies, and two nurses have been hired. They are already treating patients!

Large metal soccer goal posts have been installed on the play field, and a brand new soccer ball provided!

This is a FIRST for Phyllis!! The Two Villages Mungyar community has organized a special event to commemorate the opening of the first school in their community, Partners in Progress Primary School.

At their own expense they hired a large canopy and chairs, and prepared a feast for everyone! They invited many dignitaries, including chiefs, members of the local government and education secretary with his entourage! This is the first time that this has been done at the opening of any of our schools! Phyllis is especially happy, as this is an indication of how they will value and protect this gift of a quality education for their children! Praise God!

Partners in Progress, Bauchi State, was given a whoppin' good welcome by the Chairman of the Local Government, Education Secretary, Chairman of SUBEB, (Universal Basic Education Board,) many other officials, chiefs, villagers and kids! The Chairman of SUBEB announced that they were so happy with this school that they will enter our teachers' names into the government system, pay their salaries and their retirement pensions!! And they're asking for similar schools in the three other local government areas! They'll pay those teachers salaries too!

The Fulani Ardo (Chief) gave Phyllis a cow!!

What an amazing day. What an incredible welcome.

Classes have officially begun!!

If you love cows, you would love Bauchi State! There were hundreds of cattle on the road today, at least three hundred in this herd alone! We stopped and asked one young Fulani herdsman where they were headed. He said they were going to Benue State looking for greener pastures!

WHAT IS NEXT?

Phyllis and the SFA Team have traveled to Port Harcourt!

Friends of SFA bought land outside of Port Harcourt for a large group of homeless Fulani, but they've not been able to take possession of this land due to continuous attacks from neighboring villagers. Phyllis will meet our Fulani friend and colleague, Mogodi, who's coming to discuss the land issues! We are going to take possession of the land. Pray for us please!

The roads to Port Harcourt were indescribably bad. According to Google, it's a 9 hr drive, but it took two days! "But hey", Phyllis says, "We're all fine.. the car's running okay, so we thank God!! We'll get there when we get there!!" The team made it to Port Harcourt, safe and sound! Thank God! Stay tuned for more details!

Please pray for Phyllis, our security guards, and the whole team. They are stepping into a volatile situation, to help bring peace between the villagers and the incoming Fulani. Pray for their safety! Pray for resolution! Pray for God's wisdom to find a solution!

SFA ON THE ROAD!

Missionary Phyllis Sortor IS coming home for Christmas!

Sunday, December 28th, Phyllis will be sharing at Seattle First Free Methodist Church in Seattle, WA!

Sunday, January 4th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Free Methodist Church in Stanwood, WA!

Sunday, January 11th, Phyllis will be sharing briefly at Northlake Christian Church in Bothel, WA!

*We would LOVE to share at YOUR church, wherever you are! Phyllis's time in the states is limited, but she DOES have some availability in January still! SFA Secretary Carisa would be happy to travel to your church, too! We can share our Kidnapped Redemption Film, and updates on what God is doing in Nigeria! We are a non-denominational ministry. We are happy to partner with ALL bible-believing churches. Email us for more details!

Email us!

Holy Spirit, Open Their Eyes!

God is moving in Nigeria. People are coming to God! He invites us to join Him in this work, but it is the work of the Holy Spirit ALONE to move in people's hearts! Will you join us in praying for Holy Spirit revival in Nigeria?

God is on the move, HALELUJAH!

How's It Going In Bauchi State?

It's Going GREAT!!

Phyllis brought two SFA teachers, Head Master James (below left) and Mr. Timothy (below right) with her to Bauchi (from Solid Rock School in Plateau State) to help kick start this new school. Mr. Timothy will be the new head teacher here in Bauchi State, at Partners In Progress School. He's well known to us, experienced, a strong Christian - someone we can trust!

God BLESS your new work, Mr. Timothy!

Phyllis hired Abubakar (below), the man whose dream of a school has come true, to be office manager and assistant to Mr Timothy, who will be head teacher at Partners in Progress Primary School!

ENROLLMENT WAS AMAZING! When we drove through the gates of our new Bauchi primary school, Partners in Progress, we were instantly met by both the Jarawa and Fulani chiefs, scores of men, women and children, so, so excited and happy to see us, as our coming meant that CLASSES WOULD SOON BEGIN! We enrolled nearly 300 children!! I don't remember such joy and gratitude for a school as we've seen here in Bauchi State!

This precious boy pictured below has an opportunity to receive an education AND healthcare! YOU have an opportunity to help support this child and the 300 others enrolled in this new school. Monthly support goes directly to Nigeria to pay the salaries of teachers and nurses!

See below to GIVE!

Here are some pictures from our parents' meeting at Partners in Progress Primary, Bauchi. We have 300 children enrolled so far, and over 30 applicants for the teaching jobs! Although there are 8 regular classrooms, we're considering using the 3 smaller rooms in the storehouse as classrooms as well. Just sooo many children - A GREAT problem to have! We try to keep class sizes under 30 students.

The Fulani women were SO thankful and grateful, they brought many gifts to show their appreciation! Included were decorative bowls, gourds, and three live chickens! They prepared the chickens for us to eat immediately. NOW THAT IS FRESH CHICKEN!

SFA ON THE ROAD!

Sunday, October 19th, SFA Secretary Carisa Haven will be sharing at Oroville Free Methodist Church in Oroville, WA!

Missionary Phyllis Sortor IS coming home for Christmas!

Sunday, December 28th, Phyllis will be sharing at Seattle First Free Methodist Church!

Sunday, January 4th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Free Methodist Church!

*We would LOVE to share at YOUR church, wherever you are! Phyllis's time in the states is limited, but she DOES have some availability in January still! SFA Secretary Carisa would be happy to travel to your church, too! We can share our Kidnapped Redemption Film, and updates on what God is doing in Nigeria! We are a non-denominational ministry. We are happy to partner with ALL bible-believing churches. Email us for more details!

Email us!

As the Lord pours Himself into Nigeria, it is an absolute delight to be His hands and feet there. We see the Lord moving mightily! God certainly doesn't NEED us, but He does INVITE us to join Him. Would you care to join us by supporting the work financially?

GIVE ONE TIME

GIVE MONTHLY

Seattle Missions Fest

SFA ON THE ROAD!

Friday/Saturday, October 10th - 11th, Missions Fest Seattle will be hosting MANY ministries, including SFA! See the flyer above, get more info HERE!

Sunday, October 19th, SFA Secretary Carisa Haven will be sharing at Oroville Free Methodist Church in Oroville, WA!

Missionary Phyllis Sortor IS coming home for Christmas!

Sunday, December 28th, Phyllis will be sharing at Seattle First Free Methodist Church!

Sunday, January 4th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Free Methodist Church!

*We would LOVE to share at YOUR church, wherever you are! Phyllis's time in the states is limited, but SFA Secretary Carisa would be happy to travel to your church! We can share our Kidnapped Redemption Film, and updates on what God is doing in Nigeria! We are a non-denominational ministry. We are happy to partner with ALL bible-believing churches. Email us for more details!

Email us!

How's It Going In Bauchi State?

With Annual Conferences complete, Phyllis will soon return to Bauchi to enroll children, hire teachers and a nurse, buy school and clinic supplies, etc!! Partners In Progress School is COMPLETELY finished and ready to OPEN!! The roof is complete, and the dirt moved! :)

In The News This Month...

Grazing reserves are in Nigeria news this month! We are praying that the plan for proposed grazing reserves in each state will be realized and that the cattle owners will be willing to change their roaming lifestyles to settled lives of peace. SFA will put schools in each reserve, adding educated young people to a new and peaceful lifestyle. God is on the move!

Would you like to see what it's like at a market in Nigeria? Click on the button below for a 30-second clip! Warning - IT'S LOUD! :)

GO TO MARKET!

Say HELLO to Officer Jacob, Head Of Security!

Officer Jacob is experienced at keeping our team safe in Nigeria. He is also very kind, and very funny! Click HERE to see a sweet video greeting from Officer Jacob!

SFA ON THE ROAD!

THIS Saturday, September 20th, 6:30-8:30pm, Sage Hills Church, Wenatchee, WA in the Fireside Room, SFA Secretary Carisa Haven will be sharing about SFA, and her recent trip to Nigeria.

Friday/Saturday, October 10th - 11th, Missions Fest Seattle will be hosting MANY ministries, including SFA! See the flyer below, get more info HERE!

Sunday, October 19th, SFA Secretary Carisa Haven will be sharing at Oroville Free Methodist Church in Oroville, WA!

Missionary Phyllis Sortor IS coming home for Christmas!

Sunday, December 28th, Phyllis will be sharing at Seattle First Free Methodist Church!

Sunday, January 4th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Free Methodist Church!

*We would LOVE to share at YOUR church, wherever you are! Phyllis's time in the states is limited, but SFA Secretary Carisa would be happy to travel to your church! We can share the Kidnapped Redemption Film, and updates on what God is doing in Nigeria! Email us for more details!

Email us!

**Although our base of support is from Free Methodist Churches, we are a non-denominational ministry. We are happy to partner with ALL bible-believing churches. :)

How's It Going In Bauchi State?

Phyllis is on her way to prepare for Annual Conferences in Nassarawa, Enugu and Akwa Ibom states! She is looking forward to Rev. Mike Reynen's arrival and the fun of seeing friends all across Nigeria! Below are progress photos taken at Mungyar Village; she will return here after conferences to enroll children, hire teachers and a nurse, buy school and clinic supplies, etc!! Partners In Progress School is almost finished! Below you can see the school getting a roof! The clinic is nearly complete!

God's INCREDIBLE FAVOR!

From Phyllis: I spent a great day in Abuja with my Fulani son, Mogodi (ABOVE, the tall one in white). He and I had been invited to meet with the President of the National Association of Cattle Dealers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria (pictured in the black cap). We've been asked to work with them, to convince Nigerian President Tinubu and the state governors to recognize the Fulani as human beings, apportioning land for their cattle in each state. We'll do training for herdsmen in planting good grass and rotational grazing. Mogodi suggested that we set up the 99 hectares we own in Port Harcourt as a location and model for this.

President Ilyasu asked if we would go on a visit with him to several European countries to see how they feed and care for their cows. Mogodi said he would go, but only if I went with him. I said I would go. Exciting times ahead! President Ilyasu is calling himself my #2 Son, since Mogodi is #1!

As the Lord pours Himself into Nigeria, it is an absolute delight to be His hands and feet there. We see the Lord moving mightily! God certainly doesn't NEED us, but He does INVITE us to join Him. Would you care to join us by supporting the work financially?

GIVE ONE TIME

GIVE MONTHLY

Partners In Progress!

SFA ON THE ROAD!

Saturday, September 20th, 6:30-8:30pm, Sage Hills Church, Wenatchee, WA in the Fireside Room, SFA Secretary Carisa Haven will be sharing about SFA, and her recent trip to Nigeria.

October 10th - 11th, Missions Fest Seattle will be hosting MANY ministries, including SFA! See the flyer below, get more info HERE!

Sunday, October 19th, SFA Secretary Carisa Haven will be sharing at Oroville FMC in Oroville, WA!

Missionary Phyllis Sortor IS coming home for Christmas, and will get to share at a church or two! We'll keep you posted on those dates!

A New School In Bauchi State!

Phyllis went with Wheelchairs For Nigeria to Bauchi state for a wheelchair distribution. While there, a government official invited her to come build a school there. They met in July to discuss the details, and a PARTNERSHIP was formed! So began Partners In Progress Primary School in Mungyar Village, Bauchi State. There are MANY Fulani in the area, living peacefully with other tribes just across the street! The chief is thrilled with the opportunity to educate his children, and the surrounding community!

Below is the Fulani chief in Mungyar Vilalge. His name is Ardo Gudel. Gudel means 'short man'! So he's Chief Short Man! He's a super nice guy - he'll be taking Phyllis around to the various Fulani camps to talk with the parents about sending their children to school.

Work began on the school and clinic last week! Phyllis walked the boundaries with the village elders again. There are children EVERYWHERE! There were also cows everywhere! Those cows will soon have to relocate - the school and healthcare clinic will go up quickly!

Phyllis and her team waited two whole days for the engineer to arrive at our new school site with his well drilling machine. He never showed. He kept saying he was 'coming'! In Nigeria, "I'm coming" gives a LOT of leeway. It could be in an hour... or a day... or a week. "I'm coming ON THE WAY" however, is a different story! We stand up and peer down the street at "I'm coming on the way"!!! He finally arrived, and the whole village celebrated! He was quickly successful at finding water, Praise God!

The government has given the team their guesthouse, free of charge, for as long as they need to stay while they build the school. They each have a luxurious bedroom - food is delivered - and there are two lounges, very nice. The only channel available on TV is football! (In Nigeria, 'soccer' is known as 'football'! But who's complaining??

Phyllis hired laborers to build block on site. Foundations were poured in concrete, and the blocks were already placed for the clinic building! Work on the clinic roof has begun!

The red portions on the map above represent the highest concentrations of Fulani people in Nigeria. Find JOS on the map and BAUCHI. Bauchi is the capital city of Bauchi State. We are building this very large primary school in Mungyar Village, within the red zone of Bauchi.

We also MUST initiate the establishment of schools in Gombe, where reside the highest concentrations of Fulani in Nigeria. Fortunately, Phyllis has a very good friend in Gombe, Alhaji Bello Mahmud, retired government official, who is ready and eager to assist.

There are over 6 MILLION Fulani living in Nigeria, and only 10% of them have ever been to school. Will you support our endeavor to provide every Fulani child with the opportunity to learn?

UPDATE! We just met with the Bauchi State representative and three other Bauchi representatives - they want SFA to establish schools in their constituencies as well. They are arranging a meeting for us with the State Governor! God's work is moving ahead!

We Have Some Needs...

At Lafiya 2 Grazing Reserve on Ero Mountain, Kogi State, we are working on a model grazing reserve. We are partnering with World Bank to refine the grass types that are best for our cattle there. We need beacon stones all around our large reserve, almost 1,000 acres! These beacon stones are used to mark our boundaries against encroaching neighbors. It is important, but also costly, at $10,000. The investment will safeguard our land for the long term. This work in rotational grazing is becoming more and more important for the Fulani, as the population is exploding in Nigeria. They are really beginning to recognize the value of staying in ONE PLACE!

Another need is that our schools are doing SO WELL that more classrooms are needed to meet the demand! TWO SCHOOLS, Good Shepherd Primary in Ogun State and Solid Rock in Plateau State need more classrooms! It will cost $15,000 to add more classrooms to one school.

Check out the story from School Supervisor Victoria, at Solid Rock School: We admitted so many children in Solid Rock Good Life Academy that the school is full! We have limited classroom space, and we even converted the headmaster's office for another class! As more and more children came in, we had to refuse to admit more until the next class graduated. Some Fulani children came to school in the morning, but because they were refused, they would sit outside the fence until school was over, then go home. This continued untill the local chief came and pleaded with us. He said he could not rest while the young children were sitting outside the fence. Once they are in, his mind will be at peace. We relented, creating another class for them since they are very young. Thank you, Supervisor Victoria Jwantu

At Good Shepherd Primary in Ogun State (below), Phyllis lives on a large river with over 100 Fulani families. There are SO MANY Fulani children, and our classrooms there are FULL! More classrooms are needed to squeeze them all in! Schools For Africa will hire additional teachers as soon as the classrooms can be built.

Can you help to fund this good work? Click the button below to give! To save on fees, please mail checks to SFA, c/o Don Standley, Treasurer, 1010 Silver Springs Way, Stanwood, WA 98292. Designate the funds for CLASSROOMS or BEACON STONES.

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As the Lord pours Himself into Nigeria, it is an absolute delight to be His hands and feet there. We see the Lord moving mightily! God certainly doesn't NEED us, but He does INVITE us to join Him. Would you care to join us by supporting the work financially?

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A WONDERFUL School Report!

After visiting MANY of our schools in Nigeria, I can say with great confidence that the schools are doing very well. We spent WEEKS traveling with Reverend John Raji, our SFA Assistant Director, and his wife Josephine - THEY admin all of the Kogi State schools, a several others! School reports are very strong. Reverend John and Josephine have trained all of the teachers in teaching young children English phonetically. They monitor student progress, lesson plans, teachers and staff. They visit the schools regularly to check in on teachers and meet with parents. We are careful to hire certified teachers who will genuinely care for the children. And OH THE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN! They are very thankful for the opportunity of an education!

Enjoy a video greeting from Reverend John and Josephine HERE!

Several years ago, American teachers Jan Novak (second from right, above), Judy Hildebrandt (second from left, above, a recent addition to our SFA board), and Carol Barrett (third from left, and pictured below) developed, distributed, and trained teachers in the phonetic program that SFA uses now to teach English to children. English is the 'official' national language in Nigeria. Many Nigerians speak their own tribal language, AND Hausa, a common language throughout the nation, AND English, or some combination thereof. While visiting Nigeria in June/July, retired teacher Carol was able to see the phonetics programs still being used in classrooms! She worked with the SFA Nigerian team to retrain teachers and fine tune the program. What a wonderful success the phonetics program has been! Praise God for these kind teachers, and their continued work in phonetics!

Below are some of the MANY incredible teachers we have!

Many Fulani understand the importance of education. They have seen our schools, met some families with educated children, and highly value education for their children! One Fulani man told me that he used to get lied to by the veterinarian. He would purchase meds for his cows, but they would be inert, outdated, or even poison! Now that the children can read, they can check the vaccines bought for cattle! Education will change the futures of students, AND their whole families! They have HOPE for a better future.

Below are a few precious students of the thousands gaining education through SFA!

Meet Hassan, Overcoming Every Challenge!

Hassan (pictured below) started school at Hope Academy in 2010. As a Fulani boy, he struggled with cultural and language barriers. He came to Hope Academy barely speaking English, and adjusting to the new environment was difficult. Life at Hope Academy was not easy for him - it was filled with challenges. He lost his father at a young age, and since then, surviving became his daily reality. Without guidance or support, he had to grow up quickly and learn to face life on his own. Hassan had no family members who supported his education. He had to find ways to manage school responsibilities alone. Many times, he had to work to support himself.

In the midst of it all, Hope Academy became more than a school. It became a second home to him as he stayed in the boarding house throughout his school days. At Hope Academy he was shown care, understanding, and belief in his potential. With support from Reverend Phyllis and Schools for Africa, he was able to focus on his studies, stay in school, and grow in confidence. He received excellent marks throughout school.

Today, we are proud that he has gained admission into university, something that once felt impossible for him. A great thanks to Reverend Phyllis and our Schools for Africa partners. May God bless Reverend Phyllis with good health and enrich her for all what she has done.

Thanks, Reverend John Raji, SFA Assistant Director

A Miraculous Trip W/ Phyllis To A Village In The Bush!

SFA Secretary Carisa Haven (left) traveled to Nigeria with a dear friend, Carol Barrett (right), in June/July! It was a highly successful trip! With Missionary Phyllis Sortor (center), we visited MANY of our schools, and God was with us in the lengthy travel! There are SO MANY stories to tell!

FIRST - THE ROADS WERE TERRIBLE!

We traveled throughout the nation for three whole weeks, rarely staying in one place for more than a day or two. We did A TON of driving. Phyllis always travels with two vehicles, an armored Lexus and a small pick up. This way, if a vehicle breaks down, we can get safely to the next stop while the other vehicle is repaired. Each vehicle has a driver and an armed security guard. For this trip, we had THREE armed guards!

Phyllis has told our board time and again how bad the roads are. She has even suggested we use planes to travel to each school! But until you see these Nigerian roads for yourself, you can't truly understand.

Imagine taking a jeep up into the mountains to do some 4x4ing, crawling slowly over rocks, through crevices and potholes. Now imagine doing that for 8-10 hours a day for 2-3 days straight! My core muscles are MUCH stronger from being on the road so much in Nigeria. Now add to the scene a mass of chaotic traffic. Picture HUGE semi trucks and dozens of kekes (little taxi vehicles) and dozens more motorcycles and cars and trucks ALL vying for the next six feet. One time we were just inches from a huge semi, and our vehicle lurched left, down into a huge hole. I thought surely we would hit the semi! We didn't.

Our drivers are SKILLED! On the way to a market, I asked our expert driver and SFA Manager Lawal, "Sooo, have you EVER accidentally knocked a motorcycle over?" He smiled, "No." I ask, "Have you ever accidentally even BUMPED a motorcycle?" Another small smile, "No." I am amazed! "But aren't you guys always getting into car wrecks and scraping each other's paint??!" Small smile, "No." Wow. "Lawal, how many accidents have you been in since you worked with SFA?" He replied, "I have driven Reverend Phyllis for 8 years, no accidents." Wow, I am truly shocked. How is this possible in SO MUCH traffic chaos and horrible road? They're just used to it, he tells me.

'Good' roads are few and far between, but even they are filled with HUGE potholes. We speed up to 60 MPH on the good parts, careening around huge potholes. Of course we are hitting many bone-jarring potholes. In the US, we would be checking our alignment if we hit one big pothole. In Nigeria, the whole road is one big pothole. AND, if the road looks better on the other side, folks would just switch over to our side and drive on the wrong side of the road! They were coming right AT US!

Driving might have been miserable, but for the great company and incredible scenery we drove past. The Lord was truly with us, keeping us safe. One day, I was watching the road too much (bad idea), and anxiety began to rise up in me (TRULY UNDERSTANDABLE). Thankfully, the Lord reminded me that He had given me this incredible opportunity as a gift - don't ruin it by letting anxiety take root! OK, Lord, you're right, I won't, I trust YOU! And the anxiety went away. :)

This story will never communicate just how terrible the roads are in Nigeria. And yet, we MUST travel to our schools throughout the nation to check on them and encourage them. Be thankful for our roads in the US, such as they are!

A Miraculous Day In Plateau State

Driving days were filled with discussion about each school, the people, God's gifts, many challenges, our team, etc. We were on our way to Plateau State. Chief Security Officer Jacob lives in Plateau State. Phyllis went to Jacob's church for his baby's dedication, and found the congregation meeting in a tin shack on rented land. The Lord asked Phyllis to build them a church! She did, then the church partnered with us to build a school nearby, called Solid Rock School.

The school is run by Victoria, a wonderful woman of God who is passionate about kids, Jesus, well actually, this beautiful woman is passionate about most things! She is doing a great job running the school. The local Fulani chief in the area, Ardo, is SO happy and SO thankful to have a school for his children. He is a great advocate for education - he and his wife are taking afternoon classes to learn to read and write English! He says he has left the disgrace of ignorance behind him. The school brings opportunity for a better life, and Ardo is thrilled for his family to have this opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.

Ardo is SO thrilled that after we built the school in 2023, he immediately started telling his brother Usman (also an Ardo, or village chief) all about it. His brother has a large village about 1 hour away. Ardo and Usman have been PESTERING Victoria for Reverend Phyllis to PLEASE PLEASE build a school for Ardo's brother's village! Well, finally, we are on our way to visit Ardo, and possibly go to see his brother. On the way there, Phyllis ACTUALLY SAYS TO ME that she wants to slow down (SHOCKING) building primary schools. Maybe we want to focus on building secondary schools, now that our students are needing to progress to further education. Our year is already packed with building projects, so in my heart I am thinking "We can not build a school for Ardo's brother, Usman. We are too busy."

After an hour of driving horrible roads through the bush way way out, we pull under the shade of a large nut tree, looking out over a field of corn. Across the field is the beautiful village of Ardo's brother Usman, made of cement block homes and huts. We trek down the trail through the corn, and are escorted to the shade in a stand of trees. They pull out Chief Usman's thrones for our 'mommies', Phyllis and Carol, to sit on - what honor they show us! They bring us a treat - a bottle of Maltina, my favorite soda, and bottled water!

The children are streaming in to join us - you should have SEEN them pouring in! First there were 8-10 children, then 20, then 50! Soon the whole village and almost 80 children surround us!

Ardo and Usman sit down with us, and through an interpreter, Ardo introduces Phyllis as MAMA FULANI to Usman. Usman is desperate for a school for his children as well - you should have seen the look in his eyes! Phyllis describes to Usman and the village how God called her to the Fulani. She explained that not only will we be blessing the Fulani with education, we will build peace with our neighbors by allowing other tribes to attend the school as well! Usman CLAPPED at the idea. He explained that there were MANY Fulani camps in the area, and many other tribes as well. He had already purchased land for the school, hoping that we would come. He can sell the land to Schools For Africa for a token small amount.

All was agreed upon, and we were off to see the land right next to his village. The land is plenty big enough for a LARGE school and soccer field. It is a beautiful location overlooking a lush green valley. How could we possibly say no to this man, his family, his children? We could not. Phyllis agreed to build a school for Chief Usman's village next year. There are THREE schools ahead of him. The elder men in the village actually CHEERED at the news, thanking Phyllis with great joy. They too would leave the disgrace of ignorance behind them. Their children would have opportunities that they themselves never dreamed of! Praise God!

I (Carisa) actually got this whole exchange on video! I will learn how to share it, and get it out to you as soon as I can. It is 20 minutes long.  Carol and I could barely hold back the weeping as we watched it all happen before our own eyes. WOW! This is how the Lord leads SFA. He leads, we follow. WOW! Praise God!