Greetings Friends!

And a sincere “Thank you!” for your support on my recently concluded trip to Nigeria.

Travel was safe and smooth.
Zero lost time to headaches or plumbing problems - (:>)
And, most importantly, many ministry opportunities!

€ Outbound New Year’s Day evening.
    (someone prayed me into Business Class luxury!)
€ Fourteen hours in Paris airport
    (too cold and rainy to venture out).
€ Arrived Port Harcourt, Nigeria on Friday at 5:25am
    (landed with zero visibility)
€ Several Nigerians stayed with me until my ride arrived two hours later.
    (anyone praying for angels??)
€ Visited the Ministers Prayer Network office
    (they have coordinators in each of Nigeria’s 36 states)
€ Preached at Glory Reign Church in Port Harcourt
    -A vibrant congregation of several hundred worshippers
    -Sermon: “What Would Jesus Pray?”
€ The PrayerQuake Conference opened Sunday afternoon
    -Delegations from every continent
    -Participated in the Procession of the Nations’ Flags
€ Monday and Tuesday taught two “Schools of Ministry”
    -The Effects and The Impact of Pastors Prayer Networks
€ Discovered my third topic was to the entire Conference
    -Spoke on The Importance of Networking to 3500 - 5000 conferees
€ In a village on Wednesday:
    -A Nigerian student in Chicago connected me to his Pastor father in Nigeria
    -Pastor Immanuel took me and a colleague to the palace of their clan’s King
    -We were received by Her Royal Highness, prayed for her household and served a delicious Nigerian meal
    -At the Pastor’s Church, St. Michael Anglican, many from the village came to receive personal prayer
€ Thursday evening preached and facilitated prayer for Dominion Base Church
    -Pastored by the brother assigned to take me to and from my hotel each day
    -About 40 people; prayed individually for about half of them
    -Taught on small group listening prayer (not their cultural style)

The Nigerian Christians pray with a fervor and intensity I have rarely seen, fueled by their circumstances of third world poverty and practices of dark spirituality.

The Nigerian Prayer Network is strong evidence that significant and strategic networking can take place without pervasive use of email and cell phones (though the number of leaders who have both is growing rapidly).

This trip has encouraged me to continue our work towards a Global Network of National Pastors’ Prayer Networks. Each nation building their own network in their own way for their own purposes, but, a deepening relationship between the leadership of those national networks -- Leading to increased communication, opportunities for cooperation, and strategic collaboration.

Carol and I are truly grateful for your partnership in making this dream more and more of a reality!

Phil & Carol

Phil’s Schedule:

* Tuesday - House of Prayer, Elgin IL & CMBA Staff in Blue Island
* Wednesday - Office catch-up day
* Thursday - Will be interviewed on the Cities Conference Call (10am central)  - Facilitate CMBA Listening Session - One Great City Leadership Team
* Friday - Cities Planning Call
* Sunday - Facilitate Celebration of Prayer @ Willow Creek Community Church (6pm)
* Monday - is Martin Luther King Day ... Pray for reconciliation
* 21st - Facilitate a Solemn Assembly in Springfield, IL
* 23rd - CMBA Staff Retreat
* 25th - Lead Prayer Seminar in Joliet, IL
* 26th - Lead Prayer Seminar in Litchfield, IL
* 27-29th - IBSA Directors Retreat
* 30th - CMBA Pastors’ Meeting