“You are healed!”, said Fortune, after he and his BOMCA schoolmates gathered around and prayed for me. Sure enough, the cold and flu symptoms I had experienced the last few days began to disappear! This prayer took place last July, just outside the BOMCA house chapel after I revealed to all that I was feeling ill.
This moment symbolized for me an actualization of HEAL’s mission of forming Servant Leaders (Mt. 20:28) through Self-Emptying (Phil 2:6-11). The children offering to pray for me in my suffering from a routine cold and flu reaffirmed in my mind and heart how God is working in this mission!
Indeed, Servant Leadership expressed in authentic self-sacrifice for the true common good is perhaps the most urgent need in all of Nigeria. We wrote last week about certain corrupt practices of elected leaders in the run up to the Presidential Election on February 16th. HEAL’s mission is to create a new culture of selfless public service for Nigeria and beyond.
Besides my above prayer experience with “the Masters”, as we call the children, I have witnessed their formation in action over and over. It’s all part of the program! “They are taught the rule of faith and prayer together with work in symbiotic relationship and not as compartmentalized activities,” Deacon Leo says. Indeed, the ancient principle of “Ora et labora” is a core feature of our mission!
Of course, forming and educating youth in a counter cultural way is incredibly difficult and costly. We need your help! Become a HEAL Prayer Warrior, Helper, Healer, or Hero today!