This is Gideon. He's a soft-spoken young man who grew up in the village of Billiri. He's the oldest of his family, and was named for the Gideon of the Bible who trusted the Lord to overcome the enemy when it seemed impossible. Eric Black, a missionary in Billiri, mentored Gideon as he grew up, including teaching him our CTO.
Gideon so appreciated the thorough instruction of computer skills, the studying through the Bible that helped him to see the whole picture of God's redemptive work, the strong teacher-student dynamic the program encourages, and how he was taught not just to do a few things, but to try new things, thinking through problems rather than abandoning them.
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| Gideon talking with the Blacks, the day we went to visit the school where Eric teaches. |
Gideon is now our CTO teacher in Gombe, about 90 minutes' drive from Billiri. He strives to make the CTO as beneficial to his students as it was to him when Eric taught him. He told me how sometimes his students ask him how to do something, and rather than giving a quick answer, he makes them think it through, applying what they've already learned so they can really understand the concept.
He has a heart to make a big impact in his country. He shared with me plans he has to start a fellowship with like-minded young people for accountability, discipleship, personal and community development, and business ventures. I gave him some encouragement but also some cautions about the presumptions he was making. He's loved working through our teacher material in which we discuss how important it is to strive for Christlikeness in our lives as we teach and how transformation starts with an obedient faith, and how hard the enemy works to divert us.
Please pray for Gideon as he continues to teach people in Gombe, including some pastors who were blessed by our Pastors & Technology seminar and want to learn more. I also pray he may be able to partner with churches in Gombe to offer the "Learning with Computers for Primary Students" at our center. Finally, please also pray for the Lord's guidance for his future, with all his aspirations, that he may attain all that God has for him.
