Grace and Light International

From December 2006 the Grace and Light News Updates have been published as pdf files. If you do not have an Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer you can get one for free by clicking here.

 Previous News from April 2005 to June 2006

I bring to you greetings from the Grace & Light family, affirming the Lord’s faithfulness to us over the past couple of months. Sorry for the long silence. It’s not because there was nothing to say, but there was so much to do that emails becomes so hard.

God has continued to bless the activities of the ministry through the combined efforts of our staff and volunteers. From January to date a number of activities/events were carried out with the following results recorded;

-          4 volunteer trainings were held at Jos for Bassa LGC, Zonkwa, Bauchi and Minna. A total of 127 volunteers were trained.

-          3 Action Committee trainings were held at Abuja , Mangu and Gigiring in Jos.

-          1 Pastors’ sensitization workshop was held at B/Ladi.

-          68 congregational members were visited with Grace  & Light vision.

-          3790 people were tested out of which 3351 were open with their results while 439 were confidential, 3480 were negative while 310 were positive and are receiving care and support from their various churches in collaboration with Grace & Light.

In the months of May and June 2006 the Lord has blessed us with three new staff, they are: Aston B. D. Jatau Admin. & Finance Manager; David Abidan Program Officer and John Adang P.A to the International Coordinator. The Lord is helping them to settle down to their work.

Another development is a one month old new office accommodation located at NBTT compound, old Airport road Jos.  This is meant to decongest the head office by moving the Jos team to be on there own. Presently, all the staff and volunteers under Plateau state team report there.

Our second AGM was held on 22^nd April, 2006, during which two (2) new board members (Mr. Andrew Gwaivangming and Mrs. Margie Upson) were admitted on the Board of Directors of the ministry. About 90 % attendance was recorded at the meeting and that was encouraging.

We thank God for the provision of furniture for our new Jos team office and a photocopier for the head office. We also appreciate God for the successes recorded over the year with PLACA grant which helped in expanding our work to four more Local Government areas in Plateau State .

Please join us in prayer for the following:

-          Volunteers’ training is coming up at Birnin Kebbi , Kebbi State on 28^th June, 2006.

-          National Conference for 2006 comes up from 30^th November to 3^rd December, 2006 in Jos, Plateau State . About 200-300 participants are expected to be in attendance.

-          The International Coordinator will be traveling to the United Kingdom on 29^th July, 2006 for ministry. Pray for God’s leadership in all and for journey mercies.

-          The Liberian Team Leader has started this month. The team leader is a staff with Grace & Light Liberia, Phelix Chea. Who returned to Liberia on 28^th May, 2006. Pray for the leadership of the Holy Spirit and God’s protection for him and his family as embark in this struggle of sharing the kingdom of God .

With much love to you for being you for all of us,

Yours in Christ,
  
Tassie Ghata

Grace & Light Coordinator.

November 2005

Philippians 2 verses 3,4: 

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Our Progress In The Ministry At Grace & Light .

In every way we give thanks to God for His faithfulness to Grace & Light .  During the months July to October 2005, we entered many more churches than we had previously and we tested 40% of the total number of people tested by Grace & Light since May 2004.   With our continuing expansion into other states and discussions underway to move into Cameroon and Ghana , which are countries near Nigeria , surely God is demonstrating for us that He is faithful.

Encouragement from Yola, Adamawa State.

During a recent visit to Yola, we were told of three women who were sick as a result of HIV and who had reached the last stages of AIDS.  They had been in hospital and were told that they were really beyond help and it would be pointless to give them ARV’s, the drugs which help people living with HIV. However, they met our Yola Team Leader, Farah, who spoke with them about Grace & Light, particularly our principles of the Gospel and openness.  The three women embraced the message and they are now doing very fine in respect of their health.  We thank God that He is using Grace & Light to enable people to live positively.

Summary Statistics.

Since our last update in September,

we have visited 19 churches

testing 1359 people

of whom 118 people became Grace & Light Members.

Acquisition of Land

We wrote in the last Update of the need to acquire an area of land for the further development of Grace & Light .  The land would provide for office space as well as training facilities.  We have now identified a suitable area of land and negotiations with the landowners are at an advanced stage.  We thank God for this provision and look forward to acquiring the land and then to the work commencing on developing the site.  Please continue to pray with us that God would continue to meet our needs in respect of this project.

A New Team in Cross River State

One of our workers at Grace & Light has volunteered to relocate with his wife to Cross River State in January 2006.  Initial visits have led to a number of churches already inviting Grace & Light to partner with them.  Mark Healy commented, ‘Grace & Light is in a position to make a significant impact in the fight against HIV/AIDS in that state.  A predominantly Christian state, yet 12% of the population are known to be infected with the virus – the highest in Nigeria .  The principles of Grace & Light – Gospel, Openness and Love – will have a significant impact on the lives of people within churches in Cross River State as we have witnessed through our work in other states in Nigeria.’

Our Diary For The Coming Months

As well as our weekly church programmes, we are also carrying out :

National Volunteer Training

24th to 26th November 2005 - Jos, Plateau State

Open House

1st December 2005 - Maiduguri, Borno State

PACANet and ICASA Conferences

Grace & Light will be represented by two staff, Tassie Ghata and Esther Subulade, at these conferences to be held in Abuja , between 1^st and 9^th December 2005 .  ICASA is the international conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa held bi-annually, this year in Nigeria .  This is preceded by a conference of Christian organisations working in HIV/AIDS.

Prayer Needs

We ask you to join us in praying for the following issues in the coming weeks:

• Thank God for all the work of our Staff and Volunteers.   Grace & Light could not move at all if it were not for their commitment to the Lord’s work.  We are grateful to God for bringing His people together to work in His service.

• For our Volunteer Training to be held from 24^th – 26^th November in Jos, this is National Training where people who will possibly become leaders of new teams are introduced to the work of Grace & Light.  Pray that these people will make a real commitment as they volunteer for the work so that strong new teams will be formed throughout Nigeria .

• Thank God that we have been able to identify an area of land for the development of Grace & Light .  Pray that if this land is the Lord’s provision that all our needs will be supplied, in all that is necessary to acquire the land and subsequently in meeting our needs for the development of the site.

• Pray that teams will be strengthened as volunteers re-commit themselves to the work and that their commitment will enable them to take the Grace & Light programme into more and more churches in their own state.

• Pray that continuing work to start up Grace & Light in UK will come to fruit soon.

• Pray that we will see the number of staff at Grace & Light increased during 2006 to supplement our existing staff who are working tirelessly to see Grace & Light move faster than AIDS.

Yours in Christ,
  
Tassie Ghata

Grace & Light Coordinator.

September 2005

2 Corinthians 12 v 9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Our Progress In The Ministry At Grace & Light .

We thank God for the ‘open doors’ to churches we have all been praying for.  God is providing ways for us to take Grace & Light into so many churches.  The response we are experiencing is high as people come forward to test for HIV and share their lives together in Accountability Groups.  As people are open about their HIV status the barriers of stigma and discrimination are broken down.

Training And Development.

Recently, training took place in Akwanga, Nasarawa State .  That was at the beginning of August, when 30 people were trained as new Grace & Light volunteers.  They are already busy taking the Grace & Light programme into their local churches.

Also in August, 25 church pastors attended training in Zaria .  Their awareness of Grace & Light is key to our having access into churches.  Their knowledge of HIV/AIDS will enable them to support members of their congregation.  The training provided by Grace & Light covers both these issues.

We are looking forward to Volunteer Training in Yola at the end of September which will see the growth and development of one of our existing teams.  Training of Volunteers for our new teams in Plateau State will take place in Jos, 6 to 8 October.

There will also be Pastor Sensitisation training in the last week of September in Abuja , Capital of Nigeria, again, this will assist in the expansion of the existing team in Abuja .

Acquisition of Land

As part of the terms of Grace & Light ’s registration as an official organisation in Nigeria, the Corporate Affairs Commission requires us to acquire property to further establish ourselves as an organisation.  Currently, we are renting office space from Great Commission, the Nigerian wing of Campus Crusade For Christ.

At Grace & Light we have decided that the best way forward would be to construct a property from new and the first phase would be to acquire a piece of land.  This would satisfy the Corporate Affairs Commission and acquiring land be less costly than acquiring a property.

Nevertheless, the cost of land in Nigeria is comparatively high.  To provide for a property which will eventually be large enough for adequate office accommodation as well as training facilities, the cost would be equivalent to £16,000 (4 million Naira). 

The annual cost of the offices we rent is £800 (200,000 Nira).  In addition to which, the cost of hiring training venues is £320 (80,000 Nira) each time we carry out training in Jos (currently, four times a year).

In acquiring property, there will be long term financial benefit.  However, we need to identify the funding for the acquisition of the land.

Please will you pray along with us over this mater and if you feel you are able to assist us in this project, we would welcome the opportunity to partner with you.

Our Diary For The Coming Months

As well as our weekly church programmes, we are also carrying out :

Volunteer Training

September 28 to October 1 – Yola

October 6 to 8 - Jos

Pastor Sensitisation

September 27 – Yola

September 29 - Abuja

Prayer Needs

We ask you to join us in praying for the following issues in the coming weeks:

• That God will move people to provide for the acquisition of land to establish Grace & Light and meet the requirements of the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission.

• That the teams who have recently been trained in Akwanga (August), Jos (October 6 to 8) and those who are being added to the team in Yola (September 28 to October 1) will be committed to the work of Grace & Light and that as they take the Grace & Light programme into churches their commitment to the work will be a blessing to the church congregations

• That those whom Tassie Ghata met during her visit to UK in July will have Grace & Light on their hearts and in their minds and that their promises to commit to Grace & Light will be realised.

• That staff will be encourages as they see their efforts in the Lord’s work bearing fruit as more churches welcome Grace & Light and more and more people are made aware of HIV/AIDS and come forward for HIV screening.

• For all Members of Grace & Light who are HIV Positive, that the Lord will be very close to them and that their sickness will be the means of spiritual growth for them which will then spill over into the church and the whole nation.

Yours in Christ,
  
Tassie Ghata

Grace & Light Coordinator.

August 2005

"Shout for joy to the Lord ------ Serve the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. Know that he is God. It is he who made us and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture ------ this is our portion with the Lord"

Dear Friends  -  Our Progress At Grace & Light .

The year 2005 continues to be our busiest with continuing blessings. The Lord continues to open doors to different Churches of different denominations. More people have been showing an interest in volunteering with Grace & Light as more people living with HIV and AIDS are ready to live openly with their HIV status.

Training And Development.

A training programme for 20 volunteers was held from 19^th-21^st May in Maiduguri , Borno State which is situated at the north-eastern part of Nigeria . This was the third volunteer training conducted this year. The team has since started work and tested over 100 people in the first church in which they ran a programme.

The fourth training of the year took place in Jos, Plateau State where two new teams were trained for Pankshin and Mangu. A total of 51 people were in attendance and all signed to become volunteers with enthusiasm.

In both recent training events there were 5 and 2 people respectively living with HIV and AIDS. We thank God for what He is doing in expanding the ministry and the fact that the volunteers are willing to work for the Lord at Grace & Light . One of the participants says:

 “Before this workshop I used to be of the opinion that a HIV Positive person should, as much as they can, keep their status to themselves to avoid stigma and if people are tested, the results should not be announced to the person, but I am blessed to be part of this training and to see the benefits of openness.”

Our First Annual General Meeting

The first AGM of Grace & Light was held on Saturday 28^th May. It was attended by 27 people comprising of members, observers and staff. The following are the things we discussed during the meeting:

Annual Report

2005 Work Plan

Financial report and 2005 budget

Members were satisfied with the past year’s achievements and commended the staff and volunteers for their efforts.

Visit of International Coordinator to UK

The International Coordinator visited the UK from 10^th to 27^th June 2005 . The aims of the visit were to report to, encourage and thank the existing supporters of Grace & Light ; to raise further funds for the work; to set up Grace & Light as a UK charity and to consider the possibility of starting a Grace & Light ministry in UK .

It was a successful visit. A planning committee has been set up to do further work on establishing Grace & Light in UK . We thank God for the people willing to commit themselves in such an enormous task.

Summary Of Our Activities Since Last Update

Number of churches we have taken the Grace & Light Vision = 59

Number tested = 877

Total becoming Grace & Light Members = 832

We are continuing our weekly church programmes of sharing the Grace & Light Vision, of asking people to Commit to HIV testing and to Openness with their status and with each other about their lives as people join our accountability groups.

We also intend to:

Train more volunteers in other parts of Nigeria .

Arrange further Pastor Sensitisation Workshops.

Provide workshops for our Church Action Committees.

Prayer Needs

We ask you to join us in praying for the following issues in the coming weeks:

·     Thank God for all He is doing in Grace & Light .  For His faithfulness in meeting our needs and keeping us safe as we travelled throughout Nigeria and to the UK .

·     Praise God for staff who are showing their dedication to Him through their commitment to Grace & Light .  As a young organisation the workload is heavy as we continue to grow.  But staff and volunteers are meeting the challenge through His strength and power.

·     Pray for openings to new churches in new denominations where Pastors and Church Leaders will be open to the work of Grace & Light and invite us to take our programme to their congregations.

·     For the new team in Pankshin and Mangu that they will quickly be established as a strong team working together to take the Grace & Light vision forward in those Local Government Areas.

·     For the Board of Directors of Grace & Light that they will have wisdom in making decisions which affect the work of the ministry in all areas and that they personally will be blessed by their work and commitment to Grace & Light .

Yours in Christ,
  
Tassie Ghata

Grace & Light Coordinator.

June 2005

April 2005

The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made His light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us… We are often troubled, but not crushed…  At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that His life also may be seen in our bodies.  2Co 4:6  GNB

Our Progress In The Ministry At Grace & Light .

The year 2005 is certainly our busiest and most blessed year.  Almost every Sunday we are taking our Vision into churches.  Often, we are having to run the programme simultaneously in two churches.  At times, even in three churches.  We look at the work humanly and say it cannot be done, we do not have the resources, but the work is certainly the Lord’s and He always meets the need.

Training And Development.

A training programme for 22 volunteers was held in Abuja between the 7^th and 9^th  April.  All who attended the programme have put themselves forward as Grace & Light volunteers.

We are asking God that these new volunteers will strengthen the work in Abuja and FCT ( Federal Capital Territory ) where HIV/AIDS prevalence is high at 8.4% of the population.

Attending the training was a volunteer from Cameroon .  We thank God for the opportunity for Grace & Light to establish a presence in another Africa country and trust Him to grow His own work there.

At an Open House in Jos recently, more than 50 people come together from HIV/AIDS organisations and interested bodies in the Jos area to learn more about the work of Grace & Light .  This followed a similar event last year where people were invited to give their views on the work of Grace & Light.  We were able to learn from the observations at that time – as a young organisation we are of course constantly developing - and we invited participants once more to freely express their views and to make suggestions. 

The event was covered on Plateau Radio and Television (PRTV).

‘We Are Often Troubled, But Not Crushed…’ 

When returning from a Grace & Light Vision at Zaria on 24^th April, Grace & Light Coordinator, Tassie Ghata, and others travelling in the car, including Ann, Tassie’s daughter, were involved in an accident.  The car was very seriously damaged, but God was surely protecting His people.  Apart from some cuts and shock, no one was seriously hurt.  We thank God for His care and looking after us when we are not even aware of the dangers we are in.

Our First Annual Gen eral Meeting

The first AGM of Grace & Light will be held on Saturday, 28^th May 2005 at Great Commission Board Room.  We are excited by this opportunity to share the news of what God is doing through Grace & Light to meet the needs of people who are affected and infected with HIV/AIDS.  Anyone who is a Grace & Light Member is invited to attend.

Summary Of Our Activities Since Last Update

Number of churches we have taken the Grace & Light Vision = 15

Number attending the Vision = 7,500

Number tested = 560

Total becoming Grace & Light Members = 443

Grace & Light Accountant

In April, we were joined by Mr Wilfred Combosch to Grace & Light staff.  Mr Combosch is a Missionary who is from Germany .  He is now in his first three year term.

We are indeed grateful to God for providing Wilfred who will be working to set up systems and procedures for our accounts during the time he is with us.  We know God will bless him and prosper his labour.  We welcome Wilfred and trust that he will enjoy his time with us, that he will be really blessed.

Our Diary For The Coming Months

As well as our weekly church programmes, we are also carrying out :

·        Ministry Visit

June – UK

·        Volunteer Training

May 18 -21 – Yobe/Borno

·        Begin work in three Plateau State Local Government Areas

     Following grant from PLACA, we will begin to focus on three areas. (See below).

Plateau AIDS Control Agency (PLACA)

Grace & Light recently received a grant from PLACA specifically to extend our work into five new Local Government Areas in Plateau State .

We are grateful to God for providing through PLACA.  The work in carrying out this programme in the next twelve months is challenging us as far as human resources are concerned.  But God has proved himself to us in this way in the past, we know He will meet the need again.

Prayer Needs

We ask you to join us in praying for the following issues in the coming weeks:

·        That God will provide us with the staff and volunteers necessary to take the Vision forward.  As we recruit new Volunteers, that we may discover the people that God has set apart for this work.

·        Tassie and Fara (Yola Team Leader) are scheduled to visit the UK between 10^th and 27^th June, 2005 .  There are already opportunities for them to bring awareness of Grace & Light and to raise support for our work.  Ask God for open doors and open hearts as our brothers and sisters in UK respond to the need.

·        Pray for the weekly Accountability Groups meeting in churches where we have taken the Grace & Light programme.  That people in the groups will be open before the Lord to share their lives with each other.  That Grace & Light Members will experience the meaning of sharing new life in Christ and what in means to live in Christian community,  ‘so that His life also may be seen in our bodies’.

·        Pray for our existing staff and volunteers.  That God will be very close to us in this demanding work.  God has brought us this far and surely He goes ahead of us. 

Yours in Christ,
  
Tassie Ghata

Grace & Light Coordinator.