“My thoughts for you are to give you a future and hope.”
A school and building have been provided for displaced children in Nigeria, providing them with a better life and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
The International Christian Concern (ICC), which has been with the residents of Nigeria’s International Displaced Persons (IDP) camp for the past two years, recently opened the “House of Hope Academy” inside the IDP camp to provide high-quality education to children living in the camp and promote relationships with Christ.
The House of Hope Academy has a special meaning considering the challenging circumstances faced by some 1.5 million Christians in the Nigerian state of Benue. Over the past five years, these people have been displaced by brutal attacks by Fulani militants. The families, whose ancestral land was taken from them, have been pushed into the shadows of displaced people’s camps, struggling with the loss of livelihood and opportunities.
Previously engaged in agriculture, these families, particularly school-aged children, resorted to begging for sustenance, and women found themselves compelled to trade their bodies for a meal in town. The construction of House of Hope has appeared as a beacon of light, not only providing essential school supplies and transportation but also introducing a daily lunch program for students.
IDP camp Chairman Nye Gabriel expressed heartfelt gratitude, saying, “We more than appreciate the educational assistance for our children. What you have done to us, I lack words to express my happiness.”
The aspirations for House of Hope Academy go beyond academic achievement. Samdi added, “Our prayers to God are to give these children and their parents a Christ-like heart through this School. In the face of the persecution they are going through, we hope to make them leaders after God’s heart, shining testimonies of the love and forgiveness that Christ has shown to the world.”
We pray that God would help us make this school a standard for all IDP schools in Benue State and resettle all families back to their homes, after which the school would grow to be a community school after Christ’s heart.” he added.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:11,14)
God, thank You for giving hope to refugees in Nigeria who have lost their homes, lived miserable lives, and could not dream of any bright future due to attacks by armed forces for years. We pray that refugee children and their parents will not only be provided with rest and education in this land but that they will also rise as a church that embraces the heart of Christ and overcomes persecutions through the House of Hope Academy. Let the victorious witnesses who have overcome hardships here stand as a conduit of the gospel so that refugees suffering in Nigeria and lost souls from all over the world can return to the God of salvation.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
