Babushka_13's Xanga

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:22:38 GMT

WOW, I didn't realize it had been so long since I have updated this. Lets see lots has happened in the past month. I went to America for a Summit/Base Camp for churches interested in or who already are coming out to West Africa and adopting people groups. It went well and I got to see several friends I have not seen in a very long time, including one I hadn't seen since high school graduation! It also snowed the day before we left, now that was exciting, only I did not have the proper attire to keep warm. When i returned from Birmingham, it was time to go right back to work with a couple teams in country. We have been busy this month as we currently have 4 teams in country. I had to give up my truck for the week so that a team would be able to get out the bush. It has gone well though, not too many hiccups or anything. The teams have had a time out in the bush among their people groups. I think dealing with the heat has been tough though. Hot season is here and it has been up over 100 here on the plateau so that only means it is hotter when you come off it which is were the teams go.

Lots of traveling has been taking place and more to come. The Bowman's, Lovett's and Angel will all be traveling in the next few days and I will be left alone for a few days (the only Engagement Team member that is). All the teams will leave by Saturday or Sunday and then we will have about a week without any teams here.

It is hard to believe that I'm not into my last about 2 1/2 months left in Nigeria. Time has really just flown by and i know these next couple months will continue to fly by as well. Pray as there are many decisions to be made over the next several months.

And Then There Was One

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:11:44 GMT

Well, it's official, I'm the only jgirl left in Nigeria now. Took Katy to the airport last Wednesday. It is different now; I have moved into a new, smaller place and am getting used to being alone. I don't think it has really hit me yet though because I still just feel as though Katy is out in the bush or something, although it is feeling more and more like she is gone now that I have moved out of our house. I have also decided that I would rather move across the world than within the same town. I mean it is nice to not have to really worry about packing well, but it is just a pain. oh well, I'm getting settled in, but there is still a bunch of stuff to set up and currently it is sitting in the middle of the floor.

Life here is pretty much normal. We have plenty teams coming out in the next few months so we are going to be busy, busy until it is time for me to leave that is forsure...no time to really get lonely :) At the end of the month, I will be headed to Birmingham, AL with Angel and Clint for the Summit that will be there, so if your church is interested in coming to the Summit, there is still room and still time to sign up!

Never an Easy Journey

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:12:29 GMT

Last Thursday, Katy and I take off on what we think will be a routine trip to Gombe and back. Gombe is only about 3 1/2-4 hours away. Going there Thursday, coming home Friday. There are some friends there that Katy wanted to say goodbye to. We had our mechanic check out the truck Wednesday because it was making some weird noise after some Nigerians had taken it out over the weekend before. He fixed it and we headed out the next morning. We made it about 20 minutes outside Gombe and the fanbelt breaks. We call our friends in Gombe and he comes and tows up back to their house (not fun, I don't like driving like that) and he fixes it. All is going fine, we are enjoying our time with them and they take us out to their village. We get back to their house and eat lunch (this is Friday now) and start our drive back to Jos. We get halfway home when the fanbelt breaks....again! So once again we are stranded on the side of the road. By the time someone gets to us to fix it we cannot make it home because it is too late so we have to stay the night with a pastor friend that we know and work with. Luckily, Nigerians have no problem with you dropping in on them and needing a place to stay. We spent the night and then got up in the morning and finally made our way home. Just can't go anywhere without getting a good story out of it I suppose! :)

Fun times in America

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:23:45 GMT

Spending a week with my family and friends in St. Louis was just absolutely wonderful! It was a good time of encouragement for me to see everyone and know that so many people are praying for me and my ministry here. I was able to do many things in the short time I was home that I cannot do while in Nigeria such as ice skating, going to the movie theater, eating wonderful food, etc. I was also so blessed to have some of my aunts from out of town come in and see me! When I spoke at my church the first 2 or 3 rows were filled with my family members! Here are a few pics of my time home.

I have been back in Nigeria for more than a week now and little time to get ready for the next madness. I arrived to Jos on Friday and picked up my team from the airport on Saturday, took them to the bush on Sunday, had meetings all day Monday and then again on Wednesday. My team returned from a great trip to the K people on Wednesday and Clint and I did their debriefing, then Thursday I took them shopping and then out to the airport so they could head back home. Friday morning we got news that the daughter of our secretary at the office had died. She was only 10 years old, but had been very sick for a few months now. It is very sad but we are praising God that this little girl is no longer in pain and is now with her Heavenly Father! So Friday afternoon we headed out to the house of our secretary and spent time with the family. Please remember the family as they go through this time of grieving over their loss.

The Crisis and the Rain

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:40:33 GMT

I have been trying to write this post for the last couple weeks now and have been unable to find the words that I’m truly looking for to explain what has been going on.

In the wee hours of Friday morning, 28 November 2008, fighting broke out here in Jos. While it was not completely out of the blue, we all hoped it would not come to this. Local government elections were held for the first time in about 8-10 years (have heard different numbers). They had been put off and put off, so going into Thursday we were not even sure that the elections would actually take place; however, they did and everything seemed to run smoothly.

Friday some of us were supposed to head to Senegal for a conference, but that did not happen. Instead we woke to gun shots and smoke filling the air. It is hard to stay what goes through one’s mind in the midst of all of this. I knew that I was not the focus of the unrest but I knew that my Nigerian friends were not all out of harms way. Many missionaries were evacuated out of their homes because they were close to the action. Katy and I even humored our boss and stayed at the guesthouse for a few days.

Over the next few days, we heard stories coming in of churches, mosques, homes, cars, tires, and stores being burned and people being killed. We were under curfew, 24 hour one in some areas, in others it was 6pm-8am and now we still remain under curfew from 7pm-6am. In a matter of only a couple days, hundreds were dead with many more injured and thousands became refugees. While the election may have been the front for the violence, it was not political for no politicians were targeted; rather it was a religious battle. Before results were even announced, it was heard that the predominately Christian party had won and the predominately Muslim party was not happy about it. Revenge and retaliation became the feelings of many in the area. Christians were fighting, Muslims were fighting. Tell me, how are Christians to reach those who do not believe when the react in the same way?

This is not the first time that crisis has taken place in Jos due to religious conflict. Jos sets in the middle of the country, most areas south are considered Christians; most areas north are considered to be Muslim. While most of the time we live in peace here, occasionally unrest happens. The Hausa (predominately Muslim tribe that takes up much of the north) have tried to conquer the Plateau State of which Jos is the capital, therefore, if they can take Jos then they can take the whole state, they have yet to achieve this goal.

I am thankful we have a forgiving and loving and just Father! Only He can bring about good in the midst of a crisis. Friday, 5 December 2008, one week after the fighting began, it rained! Now as many of you know, December is right in the middle of dry season, it is not supposed to rain. I heard from someone that it has been 8 years since it has rained in December. This rain was not just a little sprinkle; it rained and rained and rained for a few hours. Maybe it was God’s way of washing away the blood so a new start can be made.

Harmattan

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:44:38 GMT

Harmattan, oh Harmattan, how I do love thee. I love it how nothing stays clean anymore, you can see our footprints in the floor and the paths that we take in our house most often. I love it how my feet are always dirty from walking inside. I love it how now I will blow dirt out of my nose for the next few months and you never know the the sneezing attacks are going to sneak up on you. I love how if you leave anything uncovered for only a few hours it will have a nice layer of dust on it. Okay so maybe I don't really love all those things, but I do love that with Harmattan comes the cold weather! (For those of you who don't know what Harmattan is, it's this thick cloud of dust that is blown down from the Sahara Desert that lingers in the air from now until about March it will begin to lift.)

Katy and I had a good time out in the bush this past week. We were gone for 6 days and were able to get the information we needed on 13 tribes! It was a lot driving and dealing with some frustrations but all-in-all it was a good trip with good results. About half of the tribes are in need of engagement, but some are going to have to be done rather carefully as there will be much persecution. The other half we found churches in and work being done! PTL! So I thank you for your prayers as we were out in the bush.

Constant Changes

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:30:54 GMT

October has come and gone by rather quickly. 6 teams have all come, been out to the bush and returned home to America. We had some great groups come through this month and have really enjoyed having people coming out again. Some were coming out for the first time and others were on return trips but each group had a great experience among their people group. We have already seen some new believers and for this we are greatly rejoicing! A couple of the volunteers are even considering coming back to the field somewhere...of course we pushed West Africa because everyone should come here! :) I have said it before and I will say it again, God is moving here in mighty ways. Some people wonder why I would want to stay in place with very few comforts of America, but I look around and what has been happening here and I wonder how people cannot want to be here and see all the wonderful things that the Father is doing!

Things are always changing. You get adjusted to living one way and before too long it is going to change again. People are constantly in and out of our lives, always saying hello's and goodbye's. Sometimes they are hard changes and sometimes they are easy. I have never really minded adjusting to changes, always thought myself to be a rather flexible person, but I wonder if it ever wears on a person. Just something I was thinking about today.

Goodbye forever

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:56:46 GMT

Well maybe not goodbye forever, but for awhile at least. Melanie leaves on Sunday and I'm not exactly looking forward to that, but I know that God is taking us both right were we are supposed to be. It has been a pleasure serving with her for the last 2 years. We have laughed together, cried together, and even been frustrated together! Through all the crazy trips we have taken and the teams we have worked with and sports we have played and the friends we have made, it will be hard to see her go and it will be hard for her to go, but it is time for her to go forward with the next stage of her life...seminary. She is one of those people that loves school and wants to take all the classes she can (haha, we don't have the same opinion on that subject!). Pray for her as she adjusts to living back in America, that her time with family and friends will be sweet and memories will be made and memories shared. Pray for us that are left behind here to continue the work. I thought maybe someday goodbyes would get easier or that I would maybe get used to them; however, that has yet to happen, especially when you are having to say goodbye to a dear friend. We covet your prayers.

Time flying by...er, not so much

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:37:50 GMT

It's rainy season right now, of course things are not flying by! However, we are finding ways to entertain ourselves. This seems to have been a particularly heavy rainy season, even the Nigerians are commenting how much rain we have had. Theoretically it will start slowing down soon, which would be nice since we have plenty of teams coming out starting in October and it would be nice if they could actually get out to their tribes that they have adopted! But I figure we enjoy the rains while we have them because soon enough they will be no more and we won't see rain again until April.

Melanie and I have been coaching the JV girls volleyball team this season and it has been an interesting experience. 8 of our 9 girls have never really played volleyball before so we are trying to teach. This is our first time coaching so we are learning right along with the girls. I'm proud of them though, they are learning and listening and working hard (most of the time)! I definitely have a new found respect for all of my coaches though!

Here are a couple pictures of how we have been entertaining ourselves!

Summer and Rain

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:20:18 GMT

Well it has been awhile since I have gotten to this to update it, one since a lot has been going on, but in another not so much. I spent a month this summer down in South Africa getting some therapy done on my knee in hopes that it will get better and I will not have so many problems with it. It was nice to be in a more modernized country, sometimes I forget I was still in Africa, it is so different down there. It gets a little boring when you are down there without your friends, but luckily i made some new ones. They were 2, 4, and 5 (Issac, Abigail, and Isabel):

They arrived after I had been there a couple weeks, I was sitting outside and Isabel yells at me "Hey who are you?" We were all friends from that point on. Their mom was there to have a baby and it was such a blessing being able to hang out with them. The kids would knock on my door each day when they were out on the playground wanting me to come out and play. They made my trip down there way more fun than I could have ever thought. As for my knee, well its not completely better, but I got new exercises to do and inserts for my shoes and a new knee brace and all those seem to helping out a bit.

Once I finally arrived back home, I had a week and half before it was time to leave again and head to Cote d'Ivoire for our annual meeting with all the West Africa folks. It turned out to be an amazing week of hanging out with friends and lots of fellowship and worship. Dr. Ashford from Southeastern Seminary was our speaker for the week and he was awesome. He brought the Word and challenged us. His wife Lauren came along as well and we had some great times hanging out with here. It was also great to meet up with Anna again since she left us in January to work in Niger. What a good "family" reunion we had.

The Lord spoke while I was there. I was supposed to be coming back to the States in 3 months because my term here was ending. I had no idea what I was going to do when I back, well God's timing is always different from ours. Clint called me over one day to talk and asked if I would like to stay a bit longer in Nigeria. For the first time I was really excited about what I would be doing past October of this year. After prayer and talking to a few people, I have decided that it is not my time to return to the States yet. I will be staying in Nigeria until June next year helping out with all the teams coming out and finishing up what little bit of research we have left. I'm so excited for this next leg of the journey here!

School starts back up for the kids here and I can assure they are all so very excited to be back in school! haha, maybe not, but they are excited to see friends again. With school starts also starts the volleyball season for the girls. I'm excited because Melanie and I will be coaching the JV girls!

We are about to enter into another time where there will be many changes, please pray that these will go well and smoothly. We have a new couple, the Lovett's, who will be here for three years helping the Bowman's out. We are so happy to have them with us. Pray as they continue to adjust to living in Nigeria. May God bless you this day. Thanks for your prayers and support.