Dear Friends,
Our Health
“The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2) This is not just a metaphor: it is John’s vision of creation after the beast is removed. The beast subverts God’s gifts for profit and control. God is not like that: “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” (Genesis 1:29) Perfect DNA, no manipulation, no patent. “Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:12) Our drink today comes from Mediterranean Black Seed. Tomorrow, we are using avocado seed, mixed with avocado and mango leaves. We have paste from tiger nuts mixed with ground nuts that tastes like Nutella, except it’s locally grown and highly nutritious. We grow many plants on our site, including moringa, which is among the superfood plants for nutrition. Today, the beast is busy outlawing natural farming, including the Dutch and heavy fines and prison for the Amish in America, two of many examples, to grow its monopolies.
We have reported before about our use of tea bags containing Artemisia annua (and other plant antiparasitics) to treat malaria. Malaria is a major killer in Africa. We formerly used preventative pharmaceuticals, but they no longer work. Treatment medicines are unreliable. Malaria was a constant issue before we learnt how to use these tea bags. They are 100% effective for Ruth and I and for our staff, produced by a friend at Jos University. They have immediate effect. Our friend’s team made a successful Covid treatment. Nigeria wasn’t troubled by Covid, except the regulations that caused wealth transfer from the poor. Technocrats claim to be seeking answers to malaria, completely discounting what has been known for millennia concerning Artemisia in its natural form. It doesn’t enhance their control.
We are now planting neem trees. Their leaves, bark, seed and oil have many uses, including malaria treatment, and pest control for the farm and house. We accidentally found years ago that spraying water from our fish pond on our trees not only provided fertilizer, but also protected the leaves from black mould and insects. It’s great not killing insects, because this increases our bee, moth, butterfly and bird life, which are now so abundant, and we produce natural honey. The greater diversity we have in our ecosystem, the better we are protected from plagues. Paul Shettima, an overseer in CFM, is type two diabetic and mixes our mango, guava and pawpaw leaves to bring down his blood sugar levels quickly. He works 24/7 and is strong. We keep planting new remedies on our site as we learn.
Kent’s other health issues began with blood pressure and medications 20 years ago. He took the medications as the easy way out, and not long afterwards developed severe urticaria (with anaphylactic shock), which was controlled by long term steroids and even longer term high doses of antihistamine. Exclusion diets didn’t help. The top urticaria specialist in the UK, at UCL Hospital, said Kent just had to live with it: “There is no help we can offer.” Recently, his blood pressure was still rising, even with medication. We consulted the friend that gave us Artemisia, a leading pharmacologist/ toxicologist in West Africa, and he put Kent on certain plants as part of his diet. We also consulted local people with generations of knowledge in plants. The blood pressure is now coming under control, better than it was when Kent was on the medication. Going off these tablets also helped bring the urticaria under control, without antihistamines or steroids, but it’s not gone entirely yet. Overall, Kent’s body feels better than it has for years. This, without significant weight loss or exercise (no excuse for that.) There is a leaf that grows outside our door (Bryophyllum pinnatum, Nigeria’s “miracle drug”) which is taken with raw garlic. Kent takes a daily local hibiscus drink, Zobo. And of course, Popeye’s spinach, and cucumber.
Pharmaceuticals are unaffordable for most here, so their approach to health is to provide nutrients for the body to fight disease, rather than to kill the disease with a poison with side effects. At Wurin Alheri, we are synthesizing genuine traditional plant knowledge with our hospital, for cooperation rather than competition. The same traditional approach to farming involves integrated community restoring nutrients to soil and ecosystem, rather than employing industrial poisons which severely impact soil fertility and national health through diet. Whether we are speaking about personal health or farming, we are often confronted with the same corporate interests who discount natural remedies as “alternatives,” when they are the primary source of health, as God designed in creation. While opportunists are busy provoking social division and war, God has given us neighbourliness which solves much, while building peace.
When the world teaches people not to believe in a perfect creation and redemption, they are stuck with fallen technocrats as their only hope, with corrupted motives like the Nephilim of Genesis 6, whom God judged. God renewed the creation, and he will do it again. (Romans 8:21) We are seeing this unfold once more before our eyes. Whether, as some commentators say, the Nephilim were fallen angels leading the world astray through unholy technologies, or, as others claim, human warlords and would-be dictators, the bottom line is they were self-appointed gods of the earth, misusing God’s gifts to kill and destroy. This is beyond the scope of this update, but interesting for perspective. Technocracy claims to be modern, even sincere, but it is overthrowing representative government, seeking to return humanity to the ancient gods/ slaves relationships.
Our Youngest Son, Daniel
Daniel is doing well. He really loves his dogs and God has given him a very peaceful nature. We have seven dogs on site, which take turns having puppies, which we sell. We have a puppy nursery at the back of our house, which Daniel keeps clean each day. We have a staff member (a missions leader) who also helps supervise him, but Daniel does all the jobs, including house cleaning. He loves it here and is happy. When the smile breaks it’s beautiful. We are grateful to God.
Ruth with Marvellous, and our 6 week old puppy Trudy. This pup is a keeper. Marvellous is our tailor, wife of Farouq. Farouq was given up to die many years ago with heart failure, nursed in Gabriel and Tope’s house, now a wonderful pastor in CFM. Farouq and Marvellous are proud parents of 1 year old daughter Rhalia.
Our Grandchildren
Valentino, our latest grandchild in Sydney, born to Benjamin and Marija.
Our six suspects in the UK, whom Ruth and I visited for a few weeks last year. Born to Esther & John (Bertie, the younger of the two in the middle), to Timothy & Bethany (Noah, Emily and Jude, left, Noah the eldest) and to John and Michaela (Abraham and Eleanor, right.)
Nigerian Citizenship and Passports
Ruth and I are in the latter stages of applying for Nigerian passports, which are rarely given to westerners. We will be honoured to have such. A Federal Minister in the outgoing President of Nigeria’s cabinet wrote the email below to us today. She recommended us for the passport.
“Good morning and I trust you and your amazing family at the Ministry are doing well. It is always a delight hearing from you and on this note, it has been my absolute pleasure to put forward a recommendation letter on your behalf to the Honourable Minister of Interior.
You and your husband have been such a blessing to our dear country and I trust that God is ahead of all that concerns you all. Thank you all for your unwavering service and acts of love to Nigeria and in particular to citizens of Plateau State. God bless and keep you all safe always.”
Dame Pauline K. Tallen (OFR, KSG) Honourable Minister Federal Ministry of Women Affairs Abuja, Nigeria.
Personal Support
If you wish to support us personally, you may use these details below. We do not take a wage from gifts to our CFMI ministry accounts, nor use ministry accounts for personal expenses, or even ministry expenses when out of Nigeria. Excess personal funds are sown back into CFM.
In Australia Kent & Ruth Hodge BSB: 732-870 Account number: 557885 In the UK Kent & Ruth Hodge SC: 206518 Account number: 80502774
A testimony from one of our students: Before my brother and I became Christians, we had no self-discipline at all, no control over our anger or our lusts. We saw no purpose in our lives. Here at CFM the Word of God has totally changed us: we abandoned alcohol and drugs completely and don’t even want them anymore. We are no longer violent or immoral. We are content to wait until we find Godly wives and can build a good family. We now know the truth and it has truly set us free. My life is changed. I am now a responsible man. I came here not knowing how to read and write, now I can read and write, and even speak in English. I need to know more about the scriptures so I can preach the gospel to those who don’t know the wonderful change and hope Jesus brings. I appreciate CFM.
We appreciate your prayers for us all. Thank you for praying for our family. Family is so important for us all and God is answering your prayers. We receive a lot of love and care here from our wonderful team and students.
Our love,
Kent, Ruth and team
Giving In Australia A/C Name: Christian Faith Ministries Int., BSB: 032870, A/C# 207255 Donations to CFMI are not tax-deductible in Australia. However, you can give towards tax-deductible projects in CFM, where 100% of your gift goes towards your specified project, if you contact us for details before you give.
Giving in the UK A/C Name: Christian Faith Ministries Int., SC: 230580, A/C# 28337116 UK Charity Commission# CFMI 1137723. To give via Gift Aid, contact Peter Embling Gifts are tax-deductible. Please contact Peter Embling: emblingpeter@gmail.com International Transfers: Metro Bank, London, 1 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA, IBAN: GB06MYMB23058028337116, SWIFT: MYMBGB2L
Giving in the USA CFM is now a tax-exempt charity in the USA. Please contact us for details.
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We don’t have any admin fees. 100% of what is given to CFMI goes to our projects in Nigeria. Our admin costs are covered by volunteers. Kent & Ruth receive no wage from CFMI. No address is added to CFM's news email address list without a personal request. See www.cfaithministries.org and www.cfaithnews.org