Ardill's News

bill.ardill@sim.org                                                              February 2000

To everyone’s amazement, we had no Y2K problems - our phones and electricity stayed on. December and January have been busy months. We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas week of holiday at Miango and then a great SIM conference the first week of January. Dorothy was the co-organizer and we are grateful the conference went well and God worked in the hearts of many.
	At the Evangel Hospital, Bill has been busy and is enjoying the many challenging and interesting surgical cases. He has especially enjoyed mentoring Dr. Tracy Goen in surgery. The Goens are an SIM family planning to go to Egbe Hospital this spring who have been in Jos for several months for orientation. Bill will be going to Kenya for a Christian Medical Society meeting February 6-21. Please pray for a safe and profitable trip and for Dorothy as she juggles her responsibilities teaching and managing the home and children. Evangel Hospital will appoint a new medical director this month so we would appreciate your prayers for our new director as well.
Praise the Lord, funds have come in to purchase a new generator for Evangel. This is a terrific answer to prayer. It will take a few weeks to get it installed but Bill looks forward to the days when he can stop operating “in the dark!” The new VVF (vesicovaginal fistula) ward is almost complete. There is still a pressing need for $30,000 to complete the furnishings and equipment for this new important wing. (NG #96209)	We are grateful for the peace and stability in our area of Nigeria. Several states have declared they will institute Moslem Sharia law this year. Tribal and community riots and clashes in the south have also caused concern. Pray for President Obasanjo, an outspoken Christian - for his protection, for wisdom and courage to deal with these impossible issues.

The Gidan Bege ministry to the poor, destitute and handicapped is growing by leaps and bounds. In addition to the outreach in Jos, outreach has started by ECWA churches in the northern Moslem cities of Kano, Katsina and Kaduna. We are thrilled with the enthusiasm of these initiatives. Pray for wisdom and courage as we face the process of transfer of the Jos ministry to the local church. There are financial and vision concerns and we covet your prayers.

We recently heard that a leader in the Moslem blind town in Kano had secretly trusted Christ. When questioned about concerns for his safety, he assured us he would be safe but excitedly told us there were seven other believers in the community. Pray for these new believers as they face opposition and persecution.

Dorothy will be teaching the kindergarten two mornings a week again this semester. She is looking forward to August when the twins will be in first grade! She loves going to the weekly ECWA Women’s Fellowship meetings and has had opportunities to challenge the women concerning caring for the poor and destitute.

Rev. Chuck Brod has been chosen to be the new SIM Nigeria Director. We praise God for this answer to prayer and ask for your ongoing prayers for Chuck as he faces this important responsibility.

Marie has grown a lot this year, both physically and spiritually. She loves to paint and make crafts including decorating her tree house. She has begun faithfully reading her Bible each day. She gets along well with her new third grade teacher and has enjoyed the friendship of Elise Goen. She will miss Elise when the Goens move to Egbe in March. Marie has started using her mommy’s sewing machine and is baking cookies almost by herself. Last semester she received an award at Hillcrest for walking 100 kilometers in the walking club. Heather and Anna seem to be able to synergize their energy and it is increasingly difficult to keep up with them. Heather seems to have unlimited questions, bounding enthusiasm and makes friends easily and eagerly. Heather loves to go out with her daddy - even when going to see patients in the hospital. Anna is quite particular that she is dressed properly and enjoys staying at home with Mom.

Thanks for your ongoing prayer and financial support. Just a reminder that we also send a weekly email to family and friends interested in a more personal and detailed journal. Let us know if you would like to be added to that list. (bill.ardill@sim.org) Note our new e-mail address as well.

Bill, Dorothy, Marie, Heather and Anna Ardill