24 November, 2006

Braces




Today, Friday, Lauren, Naomi and Jon are making the 8 hour round trip to Abuja to visit the orthodontist. Lauren will get her braces on! Naomi will get hers on in January. We hope Lauren will be out of braces and in a retainer by the time we come to the states in 2008. Each month, the girls will make the 8 hour trip for adjustments. However, there is a place to get ice cream in Abuja, so I feel sure Daddy will treat them!

Thanksgiving 2006




These photos were from Thanksgiving Day 2006.

It Is Well With My Soul-the song that rang out of the open windows of a fellow missionary's home as our mission community gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving and worship the Living God. We were all missing family. However, we have become a family. Children call adults "Auntie and Uncle" and we weep when others weep and rejoice when they rejoice. One lady in our mission has taken one of our daughters under her wing to disciple, love and teach on a regular basis. Another missionary's high school daughter as become her "big sister"! We truly missed our families in the states, but we can truly say, "it is well with our souls"-and we are thankful for the family the Lord has provided here!

Exams are just 2 weeks away! Each student at Hillcrest memorizes Psalm 139, word for word, as part of their Bible exams at the semester. How beautiful and comforting are the words and we have been filled with joy as we hear the words flow from the tongues of our own children.

PSALM 139

1 You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.

5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, [a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

19 November, 2006

Nigeria




Many of you have asked, "Where is Jos?" Here is the best way we know to answer you-with a map. It takes about four hours to go from Abuja to Jos. Abuja is the capital of Nigeria, Jos is the capital of Plateau State. Abuja is where we fly in and out of and where Jon and Lauren go once a month for her orthodontist appts. Nigeria has about 140 million inhabitants and is the most populated country in Africa. It is a little more than half the size of California. Life expectancy rate is about 47 years old. Muslims make up 50%, Christians 40%, with indigenous beliefs filling in the other 10% of the population.

Football (soccer) is Nigeria's official sport. We see it played everywhere we go, on the side of street, at school, in the backyard, everywhere...with soccer balls, wads of paper wrapped in tape, anything anywhere. Jon, of course, LOVES to join in any game he sees going on.

Many worship services/prayer meetings both in the Christian church and at the mosque are broadcast on loud speakers, very loud speakers! Having both a mosque and large Christian church near our house, we often hear the competition of how loud each speaker can get.

Education isn't free. Parents must pay school fees before their children can attend. Most children wear uniforms to school. Each school has its own colors and patterns for the uniforms.

There are two seasons here. Rainy (May-Sept) and Dry (Oct-April). You can figure out the weather by the name! During Nov-Jan, we also experience Harmattan-the desert winds blow in dry air combined with fine sand/dust. It appears to be foggy outside and will become quite cool since the dust cloud blocks out the sun's rays. We are now in Harmattan season. We use vaseline for lotion and lots of visine. EVERYTHING is dusty. At night, when we wash our faces, it looks like we are taking of make up! It is kinda like getting a spray on tan!

For food, we are blessed with fresh vegetables and fruits. Meat is more expensive, so we try to eat "close to the earth" -better for us! The market where we buy most of our food now is quite interesting. The little girls and I love it, but Jon and Lauren avoid it if possible. The smells are not pleasant, to say the least. It is very crowded and bartering is necessary for anything purchased. It does take a long time to shop, but it is fun to get out and meet others. We have made friendships with some Igbo (tribe) and enjoy talking with them each time we go.

Hope this answers some of your questions about Nigeria-specifically Jos.

5:30 PM, Changes, Daddy's Coming Back



One day while we were out playing with some of the kids in the neighborhood, one of the older boys asked if I would tell him Bible stories! "Of course," I said So, each afternoon at 5:30, we have a time of games, songs, Bible stories and sometimes crafts and snacks. The local Nigerian children come from all over. We had eight the first time, now we have 40+ kids. Their excitement is contagious and usually pulls me out of the fatigue I feel from teaching all day. This is also a wonderful opportunity for Mattie and Naomi to practice teaching some basic Bible stories.

Yesterday, Mattie, Naomi, and I walked to the market. Lauren stayed home and worked on a big history project with a friend. We tried a "shorter route" which ended up taking about 2 hours! We had such fun leisurely walking through the market. We were looking for crayons for the kids to use in the afternoons, but didn't find any. (An excuse to go shopping again!) When we got home, I thought the girls would be wiped out, but they weren't! As I was washing dishes, I looked out the window and saw them outside with their friends (all Nigerian) playing and singing. Mattie took one group and was having them all read parts of the Bible and pray together-with a few side lessons on sharing and not hitting each other) Naomi was teaching another group the Lord's Prayer with an Indian dance to go along with it (she learned in school)

We are seeing our girls become very comfortable around their Nigerian friends, comfortable sharing scripture and defending their faith, and finally settling in a bit.

Please be in prayer for this next month as we will be going through a few more changes. We will celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. We will be moving to a new part of town, a new house, a new compound (positives and negatives in this move). We will lose our househelp. We have exams in three weeks. Julie's started driving. Julie's mom is coming out Dec 13-30!!! Yippee Yi Yah! Our yearly conference is coming up soon. Mattie's 12th birthday is just around the corner. Lots of changes, celebrations, hellos and goodbyes.

Heading out to pick up Jon from a men's retreat. He's been gone all weekend and we're driving out to Miango (hour drive) for church service, a meal and to bring him back! The "girls weekend alone" has been fun, but we're ready to have him back!

17 November, 2006



For the last month, a short term missionary doctor, Brad, has lived on our compound as he worked at Evangel Hospital . We have enjoyed so many moments with Uncle Brad. Some of our memories include
Settler's
tuna
Click Net
Alias
the market
Uno Attack
the longest road
$5 rice
M&Ms
dinners at the Fretheims
cheese pie
sharing eggs
driving a stick shift
giardia
worshiping together
ice cream
taking out a guard (almost)
Elysar's
basketball



Come back, Uncle Brad, and bring your family, so we can add more memories to this list!!!
We really miss you!

15 November, 2006

It's Coming....It's Coming

A new blog post is coming!

Once our progress report grades are in today, we'll post an update, we promise!