Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: March 13, 2021
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV
Many of us will have been comforted and restored by these verses in Lamentations 3. The prophet Jeremiah had almost given up hope when he reminded himself that the mercies (or steadfast love) of God never come to an end. God’s covenant love for his people - his truth, faithfulness and goodness – is infinite and everlasting. Jeremiah set his hope in his faithful, covenant-keeping God.
We set our hope in the same faithful, loving God whose mercies never come to an end, as we pray this week for Professor Tarfa, his wife Mercy and their children in Kano state, Nigeria.
Many of you will have prayed with us for Professor Tarfa since December 2019 when police raided the DuMerci orphanages he and his wife founded, arrested the professor and took 27 of the children to a state-run orphanage.
While there, the children were not permitted to leave the premises to attend school or church, and have been mistreated because of their religious beliefs. One of the older Du Merci residents was reportedly physically assaulted by security officers in the presence of a government official.
In January this year the three youngest children were forcibly relocated to an orphanage in a remote area. Last week we learned that two more had been forcibly relocated.
Our sources report that the children who were relocated in January looked ‘ill and emaciated’ and have had their names changed to Muslim ones.
Professor Tarfa told us in January how much he valued your prayers, saying, ‘I want to appreciate the family of CSW for standing beside us, for praying for us to make my freedom from the prison.’
Meanwhile, Professor Tarfa’s trial has been adjourned until 1 April, when the judge will review his lawyer’s submission for the case to be dismissed due to the lack of any evidence.
Will you stand beside this beautiful family in prayer again?
In summary, please pray:
- For strength and hope for Professor Tarfa and his wife Mercy, that they will continue to put their hope in the God whose mercies never come to an end.
- Asking God to comfort the children who have been forcibly relocated under the shadow of his wing, to protect them from all harm, and to heal Moses’s face and arms from extensive burns he suffered in a fire at the government orphanage.
- For the case against the professor to be closed during the next court hearing, for all the children to be returned, and for an end to the campaign of harassment against the professor, his wife and the children in their care.