Canvas contributes to couples’ Nigeria mission by selling T-shirts promoting their trip

In a dimly lit room with a projection screen illuminating a patch of the wall above a microphone, more than 30 people gathered around circular tables to discuss God’s connection to their real-life experiences.

The Canvas meets in a room in First Christian Church on Kirkwood Avenue every Wednesday night, but this night’s meeting was different.

Will Reed’s brother requested he tell the story of his call by God to work on community development in Nigeria, and the group had a surprise for him. 

Reed, an IU alumnus, said he was raised in Bloomington and played soccer in high school, but he felt like God was calling him to do something more. On a trip to Mexico, he met his now-wife, Theresa.

“She said she wants to be a teacher and would love to be called into a mission field,” Reed said. “We felt called to get married in college when she was between her sophomore and junior year. We needed to have two years of marriage for whatever’s next.”

Reed said he found out about Back 2 Back Ministries through his youth pastors at IU, Todd and Beth Guckenberger.

After talking to the director of the group in Nigeria, Reed said the director told him the opportunities for the two work areas he and his wife want to do are in Nigeria.
While living in the country, Reed said he will work with the orphans living on the streets of Nigeria.

“To meet the need of an orphan in Nigeria is different than other countries,” he said. “The kids are living on the streets or in a village. They don’t have an orphanage to go to. The idea is self-sustainable, to have the community take care of the orphan.”

The couple visited the country last October for five days, Reed said.

“It was a heck of a trip,” he said. “We met with the staff and they gave us an idea of what life would be like.”

On a Thursday night of their visit, Reed said he and Theresa had dinner with a Nigerian couple.

Their hosts made fun of the ministry director for getting arrested on “Sanitation Saturday,” a day when the government requires everyone to burn their trash and clean their homes until 10:30 a.m.

“They asked us if we had been arrested on our first visit to the country, would we still want to work there?” Reed said. “They asked if we knew there was so much poverty and needing. But of course there’s need. We wouldn’t go otherwise.”

Reed said he and Theresa hope to leave for Nigeria in September.

“We made a minimum commitment of three years,” he said. “But for us it’s indefinitely.”

Near the end of the night, Giff Reed, Will’s brother and the director of the Canvas, and other members of the group took off their sweatshirts to reveal T-shirts advocating Will’s trip to Jos, Nigeria.

Members of the Canvas sold the shirts, designed by Reed’s brother-in-law, in an effort to raise money for Will’s move.

“We’re raising our own salary,” Reed said. “Currently we have just over 40 percent of our monthly support. This is huge. The fact that people get something while giving us something, it’s extremely encouraging.”

Sophomore Alena Degrado said she feels like college students are looking to plug into something that’s bigger than just IU.

“It’s a way to get connected when you normally couldn’t in Midwest, U.S.A.,” she said.
The group has sold 50 or 60 shirts so far, Giff said, and will continue to sell them until Wednesday. 

After his speech, Reed told the members of the audience, “Don’t underestimate this time. It felt like college was a waiting period for me, but through different experiences, God was instilling something deeper in my heart. A lot of times the things we’re passionate about are the things that God wants us to live out. Don’t underestimate the power that he had to be in your life right now.”