Ardill


Ardill's News

				April 1998

		Joy in Jos

1998 has been one celebration after another for the Ardill family. On March 15^th Bill had a birthday, on March 19^th Dorothy and Bill celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary and we will celebrate the addition of another Ardill in September. When Bill was discussing the arrival of a new baby with Anna, she commented, "Well, I guess it could be a black baby or a white baby, but I would like a white baby!" We all hope so! Thanks for your prayers for Dorothy over the next months.				February 19, 1998 was a historic day in Nigeria. SIM signed a new memorandum of understanding outlining our partnership together in ministry in Nigeria. The road to the signing of this document has been difficult but we are excited at the result and pray this will launch the many ministries of ECWA and SIM into the next century with a new vitality and a better understanding of our roles and vision in ministry.


	Another big event was another addition to the house… or rather the yard… or rather a tree in the yard. After months of Bill promising to make a treehouse for Marie and the girls, Bill spent 5 days ‘up a tree’ and now the girls have their own private treehouse. They have already put up a sign forbidding boys and restricting entrance to only those knowing the password. Now the twins want their own playhouse so we’ll work on that this month.			.	The Gidan Bege outreach continues to grow almost explosively. In addition to the outreach to the Moslem street boys and blind beggar women, there are also outreach teams to the wheelbarrow boys at the market, the deaf community and the crippled beggar boysWe praise the Lord for the provision of a new building so we can move from our rented place to a permanent site in April. Please pray with us for the needed funding of $130,00 to pay for this new property. It will allow us to expand the ministry to provide temporary housing to some of the destitute and persecuted believers coming to Gidan Bege and will have enough space to begin vocational training to those wanting to learn a skill to support themselves. If the Lord prompts you to help towards this ministry, send your gift to SIM for Project NG #96909. Thanks for your prayer support for this exciting ministry to outcasts of the city – those for whom Jesus died.

Thanks for your prayers for the annual SIM Conference in January. Dorothy was in charge of the conference and all went well. We especially enjoyed hearing the challenges on "Fruitfulness" from John 15 by SIM International Pastor Bill Schmidt. A special treat was the coming of a team of 12 young people from East Swamp church in Quakertown, Pennsylvania to run the children’s program during the conference. They did an outstanding job and their enthusiasm was appreciated by all. We hope the trip made an impact on each team member as well as they saw the many needs and ministries in Nigeria.

Bill enjoyed going to the biannual missionary physicians’ conference in Kenya in February. He enjoyed the evening messages by Rev. John Stott and the many pearls from interacting with 250 other physicians and surgeons working in mission hospitals throughout Africa. He also was treated to a safari trip by some generous friends and had a great time seeing the ‘big game’ of East Africa.
After returning from the Kenya meeting, Bill resumed his work as surgeon at Evangel Hospital. He has thoroughly enjoyed getting back into the operating room and the many interesting surgical challenges of practicing in Africa. Our Hausa study was extremely helpful and already Bill is using his Hausa in the clinic and wards with patients and staff. A number of changes have been occurring at the hospital including addition of a video system throughout the hospital to show Christian and health education films, painting of the outside of the wards and the drilling of a borehole for a more reliable water supply.			Thanks for your support in so many ways. We have enjoyed receiving e-mail from many of you but remember we pay for e-mail we send AND receive so please don’t send pictures, chain letters or files bigger than 10K. Please continue to send us personal letters. We praise the Lord for giving us the privilege of serving Him here. Our children are happy and healthy, our marriage is moving into a second decade and our ministries are touching the lives of many with the message and healing touch of Jesus our Savior. In Christ, Bill, Dorothy, Marie, Heather and Anna Ardill


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