9 September 2011

Update from SIM Nigeria Director, Dr. Phil Andrew

"Many of you will have heard the very sad news of Willi's death. He and his colleague, Siegbert Stocker, were abducted in rural Afghanistan while hiking together about three weeks ago. Their bodies were found on Monday, 5 September 2011.

	Willi and Ruth Ehret

Willi and Ruth Ehret were missionaries here in Nigeria since their marriage in 1984 until the early nineties. Ruth had formerly served in Niger as a single missionary and Willi had been in Nigeria. Initially they were based in Kaltungo working with ECWA Rural Development. I used to enjoy visiting them on my tours of the area in those days. Even then Willi's love of the outdoors and of hiking was evident as he was a registered guide for climbs to nearby Tangale Peak.

Later they moved to Jos and Willi became the driving force behind the development of a different approach to working with communities. He oversaw the training and re-orientation of ECWA Rural Development and Community Health Programme workers on principles of community based wholistic development. The result was the new People Oriented Development project (POD) of ECWA. Willi's extensive research and planning, including visits to programmes all over Africa, was the energy behind POD's development. He and I worked together very closely in this project and I and many others owe Willi a great debt for how he educated us about what Christian community development is all about.

After leaving Nigeria they lived and worked in Malawi doing aid work and from there in the last few years Willi started some projects in Afghanistan as well, while Ruth remained mostly in Malawi. Willi continued to enjoy hiking. Willi was a great friend whose couragious commitment to Christ and compassion for those in need both spiritual and in all other respects was a challenge to many. He will be greatly missed.

Please pray for Ruth in Malawi at this difficult time, and for their adult children and one grandchild who are scattered in various parts of the world."

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German News Source: Afghanistan: Zwei deutsche Christen und ihr Tod am Hindukusch

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1 September 2011: Please pray with us for two German men who have gone missing in Afghanistan. Willi Ehret and Siegbert Stocker were hiking on Friday, August 19, and did not return to their driver. They were not in a Taliban area. To date there is no news and no one is claiming to have kidnapped them.

Willi Ehret worked with SIM in Nigeria many years ago where he met his wife, Ruth, a missionary nurse from Switzerland. More recently they have been serving in Malawi with another organization.

Please pray for the safe and swift return of the men, and for great comfort and peace for their families, especially for Ruth and the Ehret children who are living in different parts of the world.