HEAL Blog
Welcome! Here we will post news and highlight the faces, needs, and services of HEAL.A Celebration of Missionary Discipleship in Africa
Since HEAL began 5 years ago, many people have expressed a desire to visit Nigeria and personally participate in our mission of forming future Servant Leaders of Africa. Deacon Leo and I have discussed and begun plans to host missionary visitors in a way that would...
HEAL Meets with Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL 14th)
Back in June, I suffered the inconvenience of having to fly to Washington DC just to provide fingerprints to the Nigerian Embassy for the renewal of my Nigerian visitor’s visa. On the bright side of the trip, however, I discovered and attended a lobbying event at the...
HEAL Present at Sunrise Prayer Service
“This is why I don’t think you should go!”, my mom said to me in 2014 before my first mission trip to Nigeria. She handed me an article in the Chicago Tribune about a Boko Haram terrorist attack that claimed many victims in northern Nigeria. I reassured mom that the...
5th Annual HEAL Benefit
Join us for a great event at Assumption Parish on October 4th!
On the South Side, Jesus Promises Eternal Life
“How many of you want eternal life? Raise your hand!” exclaimed Deacon Leo Okonkwo in his mission appeal homily last weekend at St. Dorothy Parish on Chicago’s south side. I raised my hand and looked around. Sure enough, everyone had their hands high in the air! But,...
A Welcoming I’ll Never Forget
I stepped out of the car into the BOMCA courtyard, ready to be received again on this my fourth mission trip to Nigeria. A little girl named Rosemary, who I know from previous visits, placed a small plant in my hands. Two others wrapped me in a colorful fabric and...
Agricultural Skills for Life
On my first trip to Nigeria in 2014, at the airport, I met a baggage carrier named Jasper who had a university graduate degree. Because of government corruption and lack of connections, Jasper struggled mightily to find employment that matched his level of education...
Violence Creates NYSC Shortage
Last week, I made a one day trip to the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC to obtain a Visa for my upcoming 4th trip to Nigeria. After my appointment, I attended a lobbying event at the US Capitol on religious persecution in Nigeria. It was hosted by an organization...
Family Behavior and God’s Healing Workshop
We can all recall times when behavioral dynamics within our own families fostered division and disharmony rather than unity and peace. And, while we should always focus on the good times and be grateful for our families, we shouldn’t ignore the real harm that adverse...
Better Practices for Better Education
I remember when I was at Brother Rice High School how one of my teachers named Brother Moore would never give a grade of 100% on any of his tests or assignments. His reason, as he would say, was that “there is always room for improvement.” In HEAL’s educational...