July 22, 1998
 

Dear Sponsor,
 

HONOR TO THE DIVINE FACE!
 

I greet you again in the name of the poor of the Lord, whom you have adopted in the love that He has put in your heart. In His name, I write to acknowledge the wonderful and grace-filled part you are playing in letting those needy brothers and sisters in Christ know the reality of the love of God. In very truth, I tell you to be proud in the Lord who has chosen you for the fulfillment of this role in the lives of His people.
 

I can hardly believe that it has been almost a year since my last communication to you. I have had so much to do both in the parish where I serve and as a diocesan functionary that I missed out on a few things, including writing to you as I always had the mind to do. One of the things I had to take care of was the participation of our diocese in the very first beatification ceremony of a Nigerian, Blessed Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi on March 22 this year, for which the Pope made his second visit to Nigeria. It was quite an experience for which I thank God. 

(Photograph: Our Bishop, Rt. Rev. V. A. Chikwe congratulates the beneficiary and expresses gratitude to the Divine Face Organization for their concern; shown in the donation of this tricycle.)

UPDATE
 

Within the past year, we have been able with your help to make some of those people see a difference in their lives. Two young ladies who are crippled have been provided with a tricycle each to help them get around more easily. A widow who was unable to maintain the hut made of leaves of the palm tree where she lived with her five children is now an owner of a two bedroom house decently built. Another widow who had the roof of her house blown away by the wind had it replaced very promptly. Although she lives in this house with her children, it lacks shutters for the doors and windows. Still another was helped to repair a very bad roof of the house where she lives with her three children. The number of families receiving regular assistance increased from 30 to 47. I truly wish I could effectively communicate to you the affection these people have for you. Be assured that they are constantly praising God because of you and calling down His blessings on you. (Photograph: The second receiver of a tricycle).
 

On October 16, 1997, we had the formal opening ceremony for the school we are building at the Divine Face Center. Although it is yet only the emergency building consisting of ten classrooms and some facilities, yet to be plastered, painted and furnished, we are surer of the security of the children and more comfortable with the environment which is very much devoid of distractions to learning. However, due to transportation difficulty, some of the children we had before are unable to come to the new place. We have tried and tried to make the old Volkswagen pick-up truck (being used as a "school bus") available for transporting them, but it only consumes money for repairs without rendering any satisfactory service.
 

Still about the school, many of the adopted families have children of school age. Until recently, the public schools were not demanding any fees from pupils. Even though those schools have very little education to offer, the parents sent their children there, at least to satisfy the idea of sending children to school. But now those schools are demanding fees. This puts many of these families into more difficulties. So I would strongly encourage you to kindly continue your sponsorship of your adopted family. As a matter of fact, the cost of living keeps going up in the country, especially due to the sanctions imposed on Nigeria by the international community because of the government dictatorship it has had for so long. Thank God the dictator is dead, but we still have the stinking system he left behind. Please, help us pray that we may be relieved of that one also, as part of your deep-seated concern for God's children in need. Recently, the present head of the military regime released some political prisoners and promised releasing more as a supposed sign of his readiness to start the very long journey to democracy and national reconstruction. That sounds good, but...we wait and see. May the Lord make him resolute and irreversible on that road, and may he reach the desired destination thirty minutes before the usual devils know it!
 

ENCOURAGING!
 

I am, indeed, deeply grateful to those of you who have in the past year or two increased their commitment to this blessed act of love filled with promises. If you are one of these, please accept our thanks for anticipating our need. (Photograph: The chapel at the Divine Face Center before it was roofed.)
 

There are a few things that have happened still within the past year which I see as further signs of divine favor in our endeavor. The parish priest who replaced me in the parish where we have our headquarters in Nigeria has been super supportive. God bless him! We have also been able to build a fairly sizable chapel at the Divine Face Center for the school children, their teachers, and the Stewards. The chapel has been roofed and plastered along with some part of the habitation for the Stewards.
 

OUR PROJECTIONS
 

It is our hope that with divine providence going for us all we have started will be completed. It is also our hope that the children of all our adopted families who need to go to school will do so as from next year. Almost all the buildings we have at the Divine Face Center, except the main school block now on hold, are being put to use although uncompleted because of the urgency. We propose to make some progress in the direction of improving on them in the coming year. Regarding transportation for the kids, we have purchased a very old bus here in the United States (1975 model) which was what we could afford. It is presently undergoing repairs and our plans are to have it shipped to Nigeria as soon as the repairs are completed. The shipping company tells us that it is going to cost $7,000.00 (seven thousand dollars) just to ship the bus to the nearest port to the Divine Face Center. That is more than four times what we paid for the bus itself. By the time we finish that transaction, our Organization will be needing artificial respiration! (Photograph: Front view of the bus to be shipped to Nigeria.)
 

I came out earlier this year because some friends made it possible for me to go on a pilgrimage on the 8th of June to Garabandal in Spain, Lourdes and Fatima. It was wonderful! Of course you know I prayed for you specially while in those places that our Blessed Mother has made holy. Because too many things were happening almost at the same time before I left home, I could not get any letter for you from your adopted family this year. Sorry about that! Hopefully I will be enabled by God's Holy Spirit to keep up with all I will have to do in the time ahead.
 

Please feel free to contact me at this phone number, (817) 467-7440, until August 22, 1998.
 

Meanwhile, accept my deepest regards, and know that I am praying everyday for you and yours. God bless you.
 

Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,
 

Rev. Fr. Gerard A.S. Anyanwu

Chief Steward

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