Writing club pictures

Here are most of my writing club kids. (L to R) Jennifer, Dogara, Yakong, and Hosanna. (Afa was sick that day). I really had to push the kids to stand closer together but Jennifer told me later, "Aunty, I don't like boys and I'm not going to." I said, "Okay, stay that way until you are thirty."



We are having a lot of fun with the writing club and I think the children are really seeing their creativity in action.

Family Group

Here is a picture of my family group. As you can tell I'm really, really white. We meet with our family groups about once every 2 months. Today we heard a Bible story and then we drew pictures; they are such sweet kids!

Random

I know I will have more random sighting in Nigeria but here is one of the first.

I saw two live crocodiles in the back of a car in Jos. They were probably about 3 feet long and yes they were alive because they were blinking. Ppl they were in the back of a car in a city with small children standing around them with no adult supervision!

Crazy.

Just a list

So to stave off the thoughts of home and to make two years not seem so long, I've come up with a list of events or small projects that I can do or mark off while I'm in Nigeria. Don't get me wrong, I feel so priviledged and honored that I'm able to be here and serving as a missionary. However, I do miss my family and looking at two years away from them is a little scary. So here is a little of the list (in no particular order).

• Read all of Psalms and Proverbs
• Finish studying the minor prophets
• Christmas 2005
• Start of the 2006-2007 school year
• July 22nd, 2006 (1 year anniversary of being in Nigeria and my nephew's 1st birthday!)
• MRH under new control (the current missionaries are going home for furlough)
• Easter 2007
• Completing my Revelation 2 study
• Writing the KA 2006-2007 budget

So I hope that list doesn't bore you but gives you some idea of things that I'm working on and looking forward to.

Have a nice day.

Fun Fair

Today at KA: Fun Fair. Fun was had by all. We had donuts that cost 60 naira a piece; I was a little weary of the price but they were good, jelly filled.

I took a few pics until my batteries died. I would recharge them but cannot because I put 220 volts through my 110 charger (for those of you that don't know (like me) that's too much juice for our wimpy American chargers). I'll have to wait for the Crouches to return from Yankari before I can download (upload?) the pics.

Have a great day.

I'll try to think of something else to post that is more interesting I promise (to try that is; I'm not promising to have an interesting life).

(update: (on behalf of Emily mathy pants who wants perspective- I'll give you perspective- clean your glasses!)
so $1= 133 N. I pay my househelp Jummi 50N for one hour of help; I also give her 50N for lunch. Here are some other things that I can buy for 50N: one green apple, 1/3 of a Snickers bar, 1 mineral (at the tuck shop), some Nigerian made candies, a Nasco package (Nigerian made cookies). I can't think of much else.)

Hosea

*Warning, below is a long post but I hope worthy reading.*

During my quiet time today, I read Hosea chapters 4-6. Chapter 6:1-3, 6 struck me. I don't really know why but they did.

Let me type them for you: "1 Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. 2 He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the thrid day, That we may live before Him. 3 So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." (God speaking through Hosea): "6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

I had to ask myself: how often do I think "well I'm a missionary, I don't need to work on my relationship with God after all I'm living in a foreign country all for His name"? Are these thoughts burnt offerings? But that attitude can't be good enough. I want to be a better Christian when I return to the States; I want to be a better Christian each day that I'm in Nigeria, to be better in this learning process. At times of God convicting us, it seems that He is ripping us apart and being convicted hurts, because it means we must change. He's changing us to be better, to be better for Him.

A reference to Hosea 6:6 was Isaiah 1:11 which talks about the many sacrifices of the Israelites and how God takes no pleasure in them. Then Isaiah 1:16-17 states, " ' Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.' "

I asked God to help me live out and learn Isaiah 11:17. I also realized I had no idea what "reprove" means! [www.dictionary.com says reprove: to voice or convey disapproval of; rebuke.] Okay, I feel educated now.

So that's it. Leave your comments. I'm interested to see what you think of the verses.

*Go back to what you were doing.*

Tuition payments

So Monday, I know I'm late on the post, get a life, was the day that parents were suppose to finish the 1st semester's payments. I gave sufficent warning, they signed in August and given a reminder slip a week before that they would need to pay and guess what happened? Lots of parents saying "i can't pay," or "the bank was closed today". *Sigh. I realize life is hard in Nigeria (that's what the non-paying parents tell me) and that at times employers don't pay on time or at all (ask the public school teachers why they quit or don't show up for class).

I thought I would have no trouble telling parents "no, you're child cannot come back to school, you must pay", but I am because a child's education is at stake. However, with all of the promises that I hear, I can't feed my teachers and staff with promises and IOUs.

Sorry, not meaning to have a depressing post. Just letting you know that sometimes the job is rough.

On a lighter note, I bought some apples and a pineapple in Jos on Wed. Today my house help came and she cleaned the house! It's wonderful to come home and see the dishes done.

Have a nice day!