Day 15: Bill Bryon
Bill Bryon
ChildVoice International
PO Box 579
Durham, NH 03824
Dear Mr. Bryon,
My name is Emmett Eldred. I am one of many youth and young adults who belong to an active, passionate movement within the Church of the Brethren to better reflect the love and teachings of Jesus in our everyday lives. I am writing to you as part of a series of 1000 letters that I will write to over the next year to community leaders and public figures about the Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN) the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria.
Your organization works to remedy situations of conflict that manipulate, leverage, or directly harm children. I’m sure you remember the 276 schoolgirls who were kidnapped and continue to be held by Boko Haram. Roughly three-fourths of those girls belong to the EYN. In fact, few groups have people have been more severely affected by the violence in Nigeria than the men, women, and especially children of the EYN, and their situation continues to worsen.
However, it is not only the suffering of the EYN that makes their story so remarkable, but also their incredible, deeply inspiring response to their suffering. The Church of the Brethren, including the EYN, is a historic peace church. The EYN have been remarkable in proving their commitment to peace, through practical, positive action, despite their hardship.
In the face of great hatred, fear, and division, the EYN consistently responds with even greater love, courage, and community. The EYN understand that they must be a beacon of Christ’s love in a climate darkened by hatred. They have been leaders in working towards restoring community, dialogue, and the dignity of all Nigerians, though it requires tremendous sacrifice.
These people fill me with hope, and I will never stop advocating for them.
I hope you will learn more about the EYN, and partner with them in building lasting peace in Nigeria. The violence in Nigeria is one of the world’s most terrible examples of brokering the safety of children to advance a narrow-minded mission. The EYN is working towards protecting their children and all the children of Nigeria from even more violence, but they need your help.
Please share their story with your organization, and partner with the EYN to build peace.
With thanks and the love of Christ,
Emmett Eldred
Carnegie Mellon University SMC# 2046
Pittsburgh, PA 15289
eeldred@andrew.cmu.edu
814-502-8349
Dunker Punks 
