3 April 2006

Dear friends and family:

On Friday, March 17th we went to a small village about 50 kilometers east of here. We were taken by Dr. Onamusi-Martin, a GP who has a clinic here in Sagamu. The village is named Atoyo (a-to'-yo). It has a population of about 2,000. The reason we went is because Dr. Onamusi knows that the Church thru LDS Charities can drill boreholes (water wells) for communities. He was raised in a town nearby to Atoyo and knows many people in the village and is concerned about them.

When we arrived he drove us to the center of the village where a previous water development project had been started. Several years ago the Nigerian government began construction on a water development project for the village, but never completed it. A small metal water tank was installed, but the borehole was never drilled. Dr. Onamusi wanted to show it to us and see if the Church could complete the project.

Currently, the village gets its water from a nearby river. We walked down the hill from the village on a path about 1/4 of a mile to where the women of the village get their water. There is a pool of water where the women fill their water buckets, place them on their heads and walk back to the village. While we were there several women came to get water. We took some pictures and I have attached pictures of our trip to Atoyo. The first picture is walking down the path to the river. The river is down in the trees. As I said it is about 1/4 mile from where we parked our car and probably about 200-300 feet lower than the village. Because the village is spread out we can't say how big an area it takes up. But I would guess that some of the women must have to walk at least 1 mile round trip to get water.


The second picture is of two women filling their water buckets. They then place them on their heads and walk back to the village.

Dr. Onamusi wants to have a borehole constructed so the people of the village will have a safe source of drinking water. In Africa one of the biggest killers is water-borne diseases. From our one trip it is hard to put an exact cost on what it would cost to rehabilitate the tank, drill and equip a borehole and build water taps. But it would probably be between $3,000-$4,000 US dollars. Because the average daily income here in Nigeria is less than $1, you can see that without outside help, the villagers would never be able to build and equip a well on their own. And the Nigerian government does not appear capable or willing to make these kinds of improvements. It is sad but true.

After looking at the borehole site, we visited the local primary (elementary) school. Dr. Onamusi introduced us to the head master (principal). The head master had been one of Dr. Onamusi teachers in secondary school (high school). Much to our surprise, we recognized the head master. He is a member of the Church. He joined the Church about Christmas time. He attends the Ondo Road Branch in Ijebu-Ode, about 15 kilometers west of Atoyo. We talked to him and found out that he had just been transfered to this school about 3 months ago. Dr. Onamusi also wanted to show us a problem at the school. Two or three years ago a storm blew the roof off one of the three school buildings. And of course it hasnt been fixed. The local government has been unable to fund the repair. As a result the school has combined its classes. The school has 220 students, ages 3-12. Thats right, primary school starts at age 3 here. We have included pictures of the damaged building, a classroom and some of the students.



When we arrived, it created quite a stir. I am sure none of these children has ever seen a white in person before. They look at you like you are from outer space. Of course, they just love you. They all want to touch you. From the picture you can see they are lovely children.

Dr. Onamusi asked if we could do something about the school's roof. The school is a typical Nigerian school, they are like this in big cities like Ijebu-Ode (population about 1 million). The inside of the classrooms look like this also. Windows with wood shutters but no glass; concrete floors, no lights or electricity, no water, and no books. Thats right, no books. In Nigeria only the teacher has a book. The students have only an exercise book. An exercise book is what we call an exam book that we used in college to write essay answers on tests. That is what the kids use here to copy what the teacher writes on the chalkboard.

The head master said the school has a library, but it has no books in it. If it had books, the children could go to it during one of their school periods and look at the books. But here they can not check out books, they must stay in the library. If they checked them out, they would never come back.

Reading materials are in short supply here. The only thing that is readily available to read are the local tabloids. As a result, everyone loves to get a copy of a church magazine. When we drive between Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode four times a week we are stopped at police checkpoints four times each trip. Even the police will take a church magazine.

Back to Atoyo. The head master estimates the cost to repair the roof at about $2,000 US dollars. On the way home we talked to Dr. Onamusi and told him we would make a request for funding for the borehole and school roof. To receive funding from LDS Charities, we have to write a request and submit the request to the area office in Ghana. We should find out within a month if the request can be granted. We will keep you posted.

After spending the morning there, you see how many people have so little. And there are thousands of villages like Atoyo. Even in cities like Sagamu, access to drinking water is a problem. As we have described in the past, many people come to our apartment building to get water from our outside tap because we have a borehole and we have a backup generator that pumps water even when electrical power is off. And as we have decribed before, electrical power is off more than it is on.

I hope you are all thankful for the things which we in America consider the small things like water, power, etc. Because in a place like Nigeria, these things are not small things.

Until next time. Love Elder Gilmore

April 2, 2006

Dear Friends and Family,

We are so busy that the days run into each other and I can’t keep track. You are listening to conference right now. This will be the second one that we have missed. However we have the CD of last conference so we are listening to it instead. Since we have been on our mission, we have learned to “listen” to the counsel of the Church leaders so much better. We have learned to listen with the power of the Holy Ghost and it fills our souls with a desire to be more obedient and to serve more diligently. I have become so aware of my weaknesses and pray that with experience they may be made strengths. There is urgency in the work that we do, so much to do and so few months left to do it. We have just received word that a new office couple has been called and have accepted the call…however they won’t come until 4 weeks after the other couple has left. (The couple coming and the couple leaving are sisters!) As we are the only couple left in the mission, by default we will become the office couple until the new couple arrives. That isn’t what I would choose to do but then I wouldn’t have chosen to come to Nigeria, either and look what I would have missed out on- a wonderful experience.

In Nigeria things fall apart. I can’t tell you why but nothing seems to last very long. I don’t like it when things don’t work. At home, if something didn’t work it was fixed as fast as I could do it or get it done. It has been a challenge I have to endure here because almost nothing works for very long. Electrical sockets have to be replaced about every 3 months. Electrical plugs used in the socket are spoiled at the same time so they also have to be replaced at the same time. The air conditioners in each room go out regularly-we have 2 needing repair right now…one of those (I had one put in the kitchen as it feels like 200 degrees when cooking meals) will be the 4th time I have called to get it repaired since it was installed about 2 ½ months ago. Things just fall apart. I know what is meant in Malachi 3:11 about the power of the destroyer. The Nigerians live it every day with everything they own. I tried to start listing the things that don’t work for long but it would be easier to list what does work…umm, I can’t think of anything. It truly is a terrible curse on the nation. We have many improvements and the ability to pay for the repairs but for the average Nigerian there is no way to overcome except with faith in the promise made if they pay tithing.

Some of you asked about the stolen electricity line…they did get the lines back up so we resumed getting power for a little while. I’m sure you have heard about the unrest in the oil producing part of Nigeria known as the Delta. We are a long way from there and wouldn’t be affected except major gas and oil lines have been blown up. Those pipe lines feed the power plants so only about 20% of the normal amount of electricity is being produced. This time not just our area but the whole nation has been affected. Again, we can afford to pay the price for keeping our generator repaired and fueled but the average Nigerian can’t afford such luxury. We get about 2-3 hours of power a day…usually in the early evening.

Today was Fast and Testimony meeting. Let me tell you about some of the testimonies born. A 16 year old boy told of the desire to know what church it was that was meeting in the compound next to his home. He came, learned of the true gospel and brought the rest of his family into the church. He told of how his increased knowledge in the scriptures had given him the knowledge to silence the opposition that his non member friends heaped on him. This knowledge had made him bold in preaching and defending the truth. A missionary was seeking to deepen his testimony in the Book of Mormon. Other churches put loud speakers outside the meeting halls so that they can broadcast their service to who ever is in hearing distance. (One of our chapels has their service drowned out by the load speaker broadcast from the church next door.) The missionary was walking past just such a meeting when he heard the pastor say the words, “And when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God”. Knowing the scripture to be from the Book of Mormon, it was a witness to him that this was a true book and that other faiths had recognized it as such. When we arrived at church, I introduced myself to a man, Samuel, that I had not seen before. He came up eagerly to meet me and said he had been to our church before and this was the second time. During testimony meeting he got up to bare his story-testimony. He had become aware of the Book of Mormon at a friend’s house. He asked where he could get one. The friend told him where our church was. He came to church. He made appointments to be visited by the missionaries but because of circumstances they didn’t come. He waited all day and at night as he slept he dreamed that in church he would shake the hand of a white man. This puzzled him because he didn’t know any white man was in Sagamu. The next week something prevented him from coming. He dreamed again about shaking the hand of a white man. Early this morning something happened that would again prevent him from coming to church but he recognized that it was Satan’s work to try to keep him from church. He arrived early and to his surprise, he met Elder Gilmore and shook the hand of a white man just as he had dreamed. I met him a few minutes later, he didn’t say that shaking the hand of a white woman was part of his dream howeverJ We only worship at this branch every 8 weeks so had the man not recognized that Satan was trying to prevent him from coming, he would not have shaken the hand of a white man. The missionaries taught him right after church and he, hopefully, now has the Book of Mormon that he wanted to have. Another young man about 17 bore his testimony as if he were a seasoned missionary. Wow, Heavenly Father built up a firm, lasting testimony in this young man who has no parents to support him and lives with a non-member brother. He has gained his testimony and lives faithfully attending all his meetings all on his own with, in his words, “the help of the companionship of the Holy Ghost”. It puts us in awe of the faith that fills the bosom of these wonderful people of Nigeria who have little more than their faith to exist on. The branch president wasn’t paying his tithes but was told by the mission president that he must in order to receive the blessings he needs to lead the branch. He made a promise to do so. Today he bore his testimony that he didn’t know how God did it but He kept His promise. The pres. started paying a full tithe last January. Most of the time his little income isn’t enough to pay his obligations. He said that since he has paid his tithe on this little income, he hasn’t made any more money but after he has paid all his obligations he has had money left over. He does not know how that can be but by miraculous ways. He promised to pay his tithe faithfully because Heavenly Father keeps His promises if we keep ours. His testimony prompted another young woman, the first convert baptized after we arrived in Nigeria, to take 10% of her monthly pay she received yesterday that she had in her pocket and put it in a tithing envelope. She has so little to live on and is trying to save money to go to college. The Spirit touched her and she obeyed. The Spirit was so strong in the meeting that it could have melted the coldest heart. This work is true. Heavenly Father works His miracles for those who love and have faith in Him and the Nigerian members love Him and have great faith. Our faith has increased exponentially as well. May you all be blessed with similar miracles as you exercise your faith as seen by your works.

Love Sister G