Nigerian congregations continued to welcome the message of love and openness Grace & Light volunteers bring during Sunday visits.

One church stands out for international coordinator Tassie Ghata from all those volunteers visited during the last three months of 2016. The Jos team were in Garaku, Nassarawa State, sharing the gospel and testing. Most of the congregation chose to be tested with only one person keeping their results confidential. Almost half the congregation rededicated their lives to Christ and a quarter made a first commitment.

“At the end of our visit one of the church leaders said that he was surprised so many people had agreed to test. What made the difference was the Word of God. We shared the need for being accountable to each other and to God,” explained Tassie.

Four teams – Jos, Yola, Bauchi and Tafawa Balewa - were active during October to December 2016. Between them they visited 21 churches and shared the gospel with 8,000 people. Of these 765 rededicated themselves to God and 144 made a first commitment.

1,445 people were tested for HIV within these churches and 1,375 chose to join life sharing groups and be open about their status. Another 800 people were tested in schools, workplaces and during World Aids Day.