Children's Day

Each year all the churches here give a Sunday over to the children. They do
the preaching (That's Caleb), the worship music, some Bible quizzing and
some memory verses, and usually a drama or two. The children take a
collection and offer something to the church. This year they gave a bit
over $15 for a new microphone. Everyone usually shares a Coke, or "mineral"
as we say here. The kids did a great job. Pastor John prays over them,
blessing them for the year. We are always amazed that the first
thanksgiving and blessing is for life. "Thank you that many have died, but
these children live to see another year. Bless them with protection over
their life in the coming year, that none would die."

Dule - Pepe

swimmin' hole

 

Lining up for assembly at the Etiose school

Generator House? check

The building housing the generator is complete. Complete with a small
storage/shop and covered pad for parking a machine or drying beans or corn
during rainy season. I am trying to inaugurate a "NO" cassava processing
rule. I'll keep you posted.

Finishing this small building was the last major task before the team
arrives next Friday. We can never thank you enough for all your prayers and
support over these last two years.

God Bless You All

Some of the things we do...

Chris Lund at the Wenatchee Free Methodist Church was kind enough to post a video we made for the team that came last May. 

 

Check it out:  https://public.me.com/wfmcvideo

 

Steph and the Transition class in the guest house

monkeyin' around

Jack-o-lantern

Or do you say Ben-o-lantern? Anyway, this is all we will be doing to
celebrate Halloween. No carving the funny mouth necessary :)

See me happy!!!

OK- you can't see me but if the picture is blurry it's because I'M STILL
JUMPING FOR JOY! NEPA (Nigerian Power Co.) went out about 2 hours after the
generator was "commissioned". The radio announced it won't be back for
seven days. So, our clan and the boarding students are smiling big right
now.
Thanks to everyone who has prayed and supported us. This generator plus the
team of electricians coming in two weeks will have this place in great shape
for the future. For the record, it was not a special request to "make the
missionaries comfortable." This is planning for the future needs of the
school, the clinic, the boarding house, and the future missionaries to come
replace us. It is not easy to go without power, but it has been doable,
certainly. Clearly, we are in a better place than the rest of the state as
far as comforts go. Even teams can manage to suffer without power for brief
periods of time. But power is more than comfort in this case. Power means
water, power means food doesn't spoil. It is a real long-term need of the
compound, as we take the responsibility of providing for these sponsored
students and us wimpy expats.

Rainy day = morning assembly in the assembly hall

It's good to be me.

Thanks WFMC and Mike Babst in particular, who spearheaded this generator project.  In the morning, the school’s new generator will be placed onsite.  It is in Lokoja right now!  AND, FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS THERE WILL BE NO POWER IN ALL OF KOGI STATE!  Except here.  I’ll even be able to run the air conditioner, which we have never been able to do when we are on the generator!!  Cold water, cool insulin… we’ve got it all for these last few weeks!  The boarding house was shouting with glee that they, too, will have power off this new gen.  Can you imagine the government announcing, as they did here tonight, that several states would have a 7 day power outage?

Hello from deep in the Nigerian bush!

 

Little lambs school

Twice we have visited Pastor Reuben as he teaches in our new satellite
preschool in the Fulani camp of Malaam Ali. They are having a lot of fun
and picking things up very quickly. Every time we make that rough drive out
there (getting worse with every rain), we just cannot believe what God has
allowed us to participate in. This school is a little flickering candle in
a dark land! Pray for Pastor Reuben - it's not easy!