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| Victor Tukura sharing his vision with us and his MSL Board |
Having served on a number of boards, I’ve learned that you
can usually expect a nice dinner at the conclusion of the meetings either in
someone’s home or at a nice restaurant. However, never have I experienced a
board dinner at the home of a Supreme Court Justice—until last night!
For the past year my Nigerian friend, Victor Tukura, has
been sharing with me a vision for a major project that could significantly ramp
up Nigerian involvement and support for global missions. As an extension of the Missions Supporters League (MSL), a ministry he and his wife founded, this project would take
his mission to a whole new level of outreach and impact. Recognizing that I
couldn’t give Victor all the consulting help he needed for this project, I was
able to recruit my Spokane colleague, Scott Rodin, to share in that consulting
role. As a result, we’ve just spent the last two days here in Nigeria meeting
with the MSL board of directors.
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| Scott Rodin and me showing off our Nigerian caftans along with Justice Clara, her husband, Paul, and Victor Tukura |
It just happens that the chairperson of the MSL board is
none other than a thirteen-year veteran of the Nigerian Supreme Court. On top
of that, she’s one of the first ever women to be appointed to that prestigious
role in her country. As a full day of board meeting discussions came to an
end, we were whisked off to the home of Justice Clara, as she likes to be
called. However, before departing our hotel, we were also handed a couple of
packages and asked to don official Nigerian caftans for the event. Seated
around a huge outdoor table, Scott and I definitely felt like we blended in
(sort of) with the forty others invited to the sumptuous buffet dinner.
What a privilege it was to not only get to know Justice
Clara personally but also her husband, Paul, who is a renown surgeon at one of the
main hospitals in the capital. Their humility, exemplary marriage relationship,
and love for God was so evident as we sat together at our end of the long table
chatting about everything from presidential elections to our two countries’
Supreme Court value systems.
We’re looking forward to seeing MSL bring a successful completion
to this important project they are embarking on. But one thing is for sure, a large part of that success will be a result of board members with impressive credentials
and a heart for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
