A snapshot of a blessed day!

Up at 5:30 to say goodbye to Reverend Joel and Reverend Ubak. They were visiting from Akwa Ibom State to officially open the Etiose school on Friday and to provide some teacher training on Saturday.

Hebrews Precepts for me, more sleep for Devin

It was hot!

We went out to the Assembly Hall at 7 a.m. to help arrange desks and chairs for church, and to sweep. Jack made a breakfast of “Frosties,” which are Frosted Flakes, complete with Tony the Tiger, and ice cold powdered milk. Frosties are about seven dollars for a regular size box, so they are a special treat. Topped with bananas, of course, and with a nice cup of coffee. Of course, it was already hot and the coffee made us sweat, but it was OK!

Showers (no water heating necessary), getting dressed, talking to people about this and that detail… I put my ipod on and did my Sunday morning sing walk/stop/prayer time, with an awesome amount of joyful tears. Some kids were playing soccer, several came to listen to my ipod for a minute. The catfish pond had been drained to just a couple inches deep and was being filled. Devin tried to fix the Wii transformer, which, unfortunately, fried. The boys really look forward to a little time on the Wii on the Wiikends, so there was a small tear for that as well.

By a bit after 9 we were out to church, setting up the podium and loudspeakers and such. It’s hot. The boys are just milling about. At 9:30, I teach the children’s Sunday school (I had maybe 20 kids today, in the clinic today, on 4 long benches), while Devin goes to Sunday school. Today was Isaiah 6 – I love teaching that to kids, but it takes longer when you have to explain “imagination” for a good five minutes before they can begin to try to imagine the scene. Then I keep stopping and checking, because “train of a robe” and even just “robe” are unknowns… etc. And, of course, I have to ask how to pronounce Isaiah, which was different, so I am thankful I asked. In the end, we had a wonderful time. Devin went to Sunday school in the Assembly Hall. They discussed the same passage from the perspective of Committed to Change. There were some good questions, he said, including “so you mean if I haven’t seen God like this in all His glory, I might not be saved?” We all join together at 10:15 in the Assembly Hall where we discuss Sunday school until 10:30.

Then church, which was hot. Lots of singing with clapping. A drum kit, but no other instruments. One of the moms has a stick she whacks kids on the head with. I had to leave to spank Ben in the middle of the service (but he escaped her stick!). Just about the entire Fulani boarding camp sat at the back and listened to every word today, so that was wonderful. They kept each other still and quiet. Church was short today, over by just after 12. There were less than 50 people if you leave out the 20+ Fulani kids.

Chicken hot dogs on wheat bread with Heinz catsup for lunch, with sliced cucumbers and carrots, Pringles, and drinkable yogurt. The ingredients for yogurt here are “powder milk, sugar, vanilla,” but it has a great tangy, coconutty flavor. Shortbread cookies for dessert. The highly processed food thing is so we can give our caterer Sunday off.

We planned to go with Phyllis at 2 to see our security guard’s baby boy, born on Tuesday. At about 2, we learned he wasn’t around, so we switched our plan around.

It was so hot, so Phyllis suggested we go to the river. So, 25 kids and 4 adults loaded into Big Jim and drove maybe a mile up the road and tops two miles down a dirt road to the Niger River. It was so wonderful. I was in my one piece swim suit and some capris (the whole swim). The muck was sick if you thought about it. The water was very warm with less warm streaks, and you couldn’t see your hand two inches in. It was awesome. We could go out very far and it was still pretty shallow, so no swimming skills were necessary (only a couple had any). We returned to the house and sprayed all the boarders off with a hose. We showered.

Devin popped over to Emi-woro because Phyllis wanted to splurge on “minerals” for the boarders (Fanta, Coke, Sprite). She payed an extra 50% for the convenience of location, so 48 bottles was $17. They were HOT, so we didn’t drink them, but put them in the freezer. I prepped dinner and then we drove over to Umar’s house, which is a very cool hut of mud and a cement floor with a beautiful thatch roof. Wow, newborns are so amazing. When asked if this is the first baby, we learned that it is the fifth, and this one makes 3 living. They will name him in a ceremony in a few weeks. The mother is experiencing pain, so we called the nurse and asked her to make a visit.

Came back, I finished dinner (spiral noodles, in a mushroom sauce (canned mushrooms, of course) and a yummy fruit salad of pineapple, papaya, and bananas and ice water to drink) while Devin got set up outside for a movie in the Assembly Hall. He put a slideshow of pictures from this week on, with WOW worship music, came in and ate with us and Phyllis and even Bassey at 6:45. Chronicles of Narnia at 7. I stayed in with Ben, who was “grounded” from the movie as a consequence for bad behavior. He was in bed at 8, after talking at least three hours’ worth. I came and wrote and got organized a bit for homeschool.

It’s almost 10 – Winter Olympic highlights (we have satellite for this month so we can see them!). And probably another quick shower, and bed – with air conditioner running.

Life is very, very good!

God bless you!

I Testify to His Faithfulness

Every Sunday in church, there is a time where two or three people can do a testimony and/or “special number,” which is when the person either performs or leads a song. Today I shared a testimony, so I’ll share it with you! The Bible says the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy, so when we tell of the great things Jesus has done, they carry spiritual weight into the future, and can happen for others. So let me give a testimony of the faithfulness of my Lord!

This is actually in a few steps…

First, my friend Meegan sent some coffee for our private stash. This was such a blessing, as the only thing available locally is Nescafe instant. Yuck. But, we wanted to share! Who better to share good coffee with than our team from Wenatchee, northwest connoisseurs?! We were talked out of it for a couple of days, but we made the decision to put the coffee in the community coffers. The next day I got an email that our friends are shipping some in a care package! Paul Frazier, as he was leaving this week, left his stash of coffee and a big tin half full of CoffeeMate. Not something I’d usually buy (I’m cheap), but a treat for us above and beyond. Now, I didn’t include that part in the testimony today, but many of you can relate, and it was significant to us, as a lesson that we may not always have everything we want, but we’ll always be blessed enough to share what we do have.

When the Wenatchee team was here, we needed sunscreen for a long day in the sun. The enemy says to me “your family will need the sunscreen you brought. You are here two years, and you can’t replace it. Take care of your own.” Ridiculous! I’ll share! Well, guess what, the team left behind sunscreen, so we have more than we had before!

Last weekend one of the boarder students hurt his knee pretty bad and I cleaned him up and bandaged him out of our personal first aid kit. I hear in the back of my mind, “your boys are dangerous! You might need this stuff, and you can’t get this quality here, or find it when you really need it.” But I had it, and was blessed to be a blessing to the boy, and dressed it again the next day. I said to Devin when he returned – “if anyone asks what they can send in a care package, we’ll need bandaids.” The day after I mentioned it, Paul gave us his Ziploc of bandaids without being asked.

At breakfast the next day, I was telling this story of how the Lord provides to Carol and Paul on their last morning with us. As we were preparing to leave the U.S., several missionaries told us that we will be amazed at the Lord’s provision on the mission field. We are still in shock that we are funded for this mission, but as their stories went, it would be the little things that are just as amazing – like you need red balloons and they suddenly and “impossibly” show up. So Jack said – “So let’s say I really pray for like a bunch of glow sticks to come – they’ll just fall from the sky??” I hope his doubtful tone translates…

HA! The night before, Carol had given me SEVERAL TUBES OF GLOW STICKS. Now – you can say it is a coincidence that of all things Jack picked THAT, but I won’t believe you. Sometimes God just blesses us in an unusual way to show that He is able, and just because He loves to give good gifts to His children. It was a faith builder for us all! We got a good laugh and said a good prayer.

So, leaving out many of these details, I tried at church today to give God glory for how He provides, and tried to express how thankful I am that He is teaching me generosity even now when we are unable to work for more and provide it for ourselves. With Jesus there is always enough. I am trying to let Him teach me this well. I know we will continue to be surprised by His blessings – and it’s exciting!!

OOOPS and AHHHHHH

How I want to learn first time obedience.

All afternoon, the Lord was speaking to me, wooing me, saying “come away and praise me and look at all I’ve done.” We were having an ongoing chat and I was making notes on whatever was in front of me, looking forward to evening when I could drop everything else. It was lovely and a longing at the same time.

Because school gets out early on Fridays, by about 3 it was very quiet around here – much quieter than ever! I was singing to the Lord as I made dinner, and let the boys play some video games while I stole away to my darkened room to pray for a few minutes. Devin was out of town, so I knew by evening I would have some soaking time with the Lord. I have an iPod shuffle (thanks Kelley) loaded up with WOW Hymns and some other worship songs, with some of my favorites being from the California Baptist choir. I knew our time was coming. I kept making little notes and was so irritated that my pen wasn’t working, because I didn’t have time to make a big list or wait for ink…

But Friday night is our prayer meeting.

I love prayer meeting! It is much smaller than church, with somewhere around 10 adults and 10 children fidgeting and finally sleeping on benches. There is no set schedule, but it seems to include about a half hour of getting your heart right through confession, listening, and speaking to the enemy to flee and the Holy Spirit to take over. Of course, much of this speaking is through song. Then there is about a half hour of teaching. Then there is a solid hour of prayer where our Pastor gives us a guide and we all pray out loud at the same time, then we move on to the next topic together. There is always opportunity for a song to drive the prayer home. Sometimes it includes walking out over the school grounds, sometimes laying of hands for healing but ALWAYS prayers for healing and protection. Sometimes it is more passive than others, but it quite often gets violent, or should I say authoritative.

Anyway, at 7:30 I was enjoying the boys, anticipating the prayer meeting and then special time in prayer alone after. We walked over at 8. As the flow began, I was just “trying.” In Nigeria this is a compliment, showing that you are really giving it your best effort, but in this case I know God was seeing it as STRIVING. I wanted to be there to support my Pastor, my church, and also I just love it. About 8:45, Pastor John was looking for an “amen” from the congregation to back up a good scripture he was using. He shouted “Wake up, church!” Now, a pastor shouting is NO PROBLEM around here. Things tend to get loud. But this time it was like a ton of bricks on me from the Holy Spirit – OOOPS.

“Wake up! Don’t tell ME ‘I’m coming,’ – COME!” So, I left the prayer meeting, and walked across the courtyard home. We got ready for bed, and I was blessed to have the boys sleep with me since Devin is gone. I plugged in my iPod to listen to WOW Hymns and various other favorites.

AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! For hours, I prayed and sang and prayed over the boys, but mostly just praised my sweet Lord. He is so incredibly faithful. Now THAT is where I am supposed to be! I don’t know about the men reading this – can you have the feeling of stealing away with a lover? The intensity of the love is enough to carry me forward for days and weeks!

We train our kids that obedience is right away, all the way, without complaining – or it is disobedience. I know I am forgiven. Now, I pray I can rise to this level of obedience. Not my will, Lord, but Thine! And Thy timing!!