Luther in Sachsen-Anhalt The Leucorea

Robbery doesn’t stop two Nigerian women.

Robbery was the motive and Rahibe Steven and Naomi Martin were victims as they started their journey from Jost, Nigeria to Wittenberg, Germany. The two Nigerian Pastors, and delegate representatives to the Conference of International Black Lutherans at the Leucorea in Wittenberg Germany, started their journey from Jost to Lagos, Nigeria by being held captive and robbed of all their travel money by freedom fighters from the country of Chad. Along with over 30 others they were detained up to six hours on the first leg of their journey to Wittenberg. “Living close to a border means that you have these kind of things happen,” stated Naomi Martin. “The Chadians needed money for their war effort.”

It was not a simple robbery though, as two men were shot by the freedom fighters. One man died at the scene and one had a serious eye injury. Upon their arrival in Lagos, missionaries there assisted Pastors Steven and Martin with the necessary money for travel visas and travel money.

At the Women’s Pre-conference of CIBL an offering was taken to assist the two African delegates who had arrived safely in Germany after a harrowing start to their trip to discuss justification in an continually changing world. The prayers in worship also included prayers of thanksgiving for the travelers, prayers of healing for the wounded and for the families of the dead, and prayers of forgiveness for those who were the robbers.

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Richard Stewart

Wittenberg, Germany