Anneke en Jackson

Introduction

In the text below you might find unfamiliar notions. These notions are explained under the heading ‘Extra information’.

In 2007 Anneke had finished her Master in Management, Economics & Consumer Studies at the University of Wageningen, The Netherlands. Before starting at the multinational Procter & Gamble, she went to Togo in West-Africa for three months to do volunteer work for Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Her relationship with Jesus got so personal and intense during that time, that she knew she only wanted to act on His plans for her life. What those plans were would become clear later. Ten days before she would be leaving Togo she met Jackson, who was a missionary from Cameroon. He worked with YWAM Nigeria and led many ‘Discipleship Training Schools’.
Convinced that God had a plan for them together, they started a relationship at a distance. Anneke started her job in the marketing department at Procter & Gamble, while Jackson continued his work at YWAM Nigeria. They both have a lively relationship with the Lord. In January 2009 they married in a church in Cameroon. Anneke had quit her job at Procter & Gamble, which led to many conversations with her non-Christian colleagues. Jackson took a break from his work at YWAM Nigeria and for the next three months the couple lived in sunny Cameroon. At first they wanted to start their first year of marriage calmly by working in Cameroon and saving money. After three months however, God spoke to them and said that they should go to Nigeria. In Nigeria they started training at YWAM and slowly it became clear what their future was going to look like.

Mission

This is their mission: To start a Youth With A Mission University of the Nations (UofN) campus in Calabar (Nigeria), where young people will be trained to be the key to change in West-Africa. At this campus young people will be equipped with professional skills in bachelor programs applied to the problems in West-Africa. Besides this they will be stimulated to build a personal relationship with Jesus.
For example: The faculty of Education could focus on training teachers to open primary schools and could in that way reduce illiteracy in West-Africa (= putting faith into practise!) To aid students in paying their study expenses at the University of the Nations, employment could be created through starting a guesthouse.
In order to have a good start in Calabar, Anneke en Jackson were advised to follow more training and to build a network of contacts all over the world. So they will be studying and working at various campuses of the University of the Nations, amongst them the campus in Hawaï (= headquarters UofN).
They received a partial scholarship, which was a real answer to their prayers since they are financially dependent on gifts. They hope to have finished their training within three years, at which point they will start a UofN campus in Calabar.

Extra information

DTS – Discipleship Training Schools
This intensive Christian training aims to prepare missionaries for their work and helps them to get to know God better. There are hundreds of these trainings all over the world.

Youth With A Mission (YWAM)
YWAM summarised: “To know Jesus and make Him known”. The organisation is dispersed over 149 countries with about 16,000 missionaries working fulltime (without any payment). Although the activities of YWAM vary among countries, YWAM everywhere practices evangelization, gives practical assistance and aids in teaching.
Want to know more? Check out: www.ywam.org

UNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONS (UofN)
The UofN is a Christian university consisting of 7 faculties (Arts, Christian Ministry, Communication, Counseling & Health Care, Education, Humanities & International Studies, Science & Technology) dispersed over 110 countries with about 10,000 students a year. In these universities you can choose to follow a complete bachelor program in different countries.
Want to know more? Check out: www.uofn.edu

NIGERIA
150 million inhabitants, 250 different population groups (and over 250 different languages!), 923.768 km2, (22 times the size of the Netherlands), 37 states, independent from the United Kingdom since 1960, rich in raw materials, (especially oil!) and a country with great contrasts between poor people and rich people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria).

Links

Education: UOFN
Anneke’s home church: Church of the Nazarene Vlaardingen/
International website of Anneke’s home church: Church of the Nazarene
Where exactly is Nigeria anyway? Google Maps
Hawaï: Wikipedia
Where exactly is Hawaï anyway? Google Maps