Gary Fallesen / Saturday, December 3, 2011 / Categories: Nigeria, Mission: Nigeria 2011, Dispatches Sunday, Dec. 4 We hiked for five hours into the Koma Hills searing heat that dehydrated our bodies and challenged our resolve. We were accompanied by Moses, the 18-year-old son of the chief in Tantile, and 17-year-old Lazarus on our trek to Wiwp (pronounced “weep”) where we attended a funeral for a 98-year-old man who was the oldest person in the village. We were told the dead man was a “traditional man,” which explained the music, pipe-smoking women, dancing by women wearing leaf skirts, and throwing of gifts (nuts, water and chewing gum) at the wrapped corpse carried overhead during the ceremony. We were told it was a celebration of life, but not the Christian life. After the funeral, the village chief greeted us and welcomed us to Wiwp. He granted our request to meet at 8 p.m. with villagers to share the Gospel of Christ. About 60 people attended and heard the message of salvation. Seven souls recommitted or gave their lives to Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.“ — John 3:16 NIV Saturday, Dec. 3 Monday, Dec. 5 Print 3384 Gary FallesenGary Fallesen Other posts by Gary Fallesen Contact author