Back to school........

These last couple of weeks have been a bit hectic as we have been getting all our children back to school and indeed starting some that have transfered to different centres into school. This is obviously costly and we Praise the Lord that despite the financial crisis He has provided enough for us to put all our children into school this term again.
For those of you who read previously about our new little girl 'Favour' check out these new pictures of her.....we started her in nursery school last week....




























It was an emotional moment as i took her to register her in school, she clung to me and I could imagine what it feels for all mothers to send your child to school !!!
What an awesome priviledge we have in this job...to care for these little ones whom God has given to us...

Girls visit Aunty Nicky

On Friday the girls came to visit me at my house...all 20 of them..It was a great time --a first for them and me as i cooked traditional Nigerian food by myself and they liked it !!! Of course they were fascinated by my toilet and the fact that hot water can come out of a tap , so there was a constant stream in and out of the bathroom and no hot water left by the time they went home...It is fascinating what little everyday objects to us are a source of fascination to so many...we have so much to be thankful for. It was really nice to give them an occassion to dress up for and to treat them with nice things...to make them feel special as they were created to be..

Christmas and New Year Celebrations

As I write this we are beginning a new year... where has this last year gone ? It doesnt seem very long ago that it was last Christmas but then on the other hand sooooo much has happened , so many changes have occurred and we can only Praise God that he sustained us throughout the year and look forward to all that will come this one.

Because of the curfew beginning at 7pm New Year celebrations were curtailed in Jos...so I spent the night in the village with our kids...and it was one of the best New Years i can remember in a while. It was so much fun playing games with our boys and girls and laughing and joking with them, and as we settled down to watch a film I couldn't help thinking how great it was to be able to love on these girls and what an awesome privilege to be in a position of looking after 19 girls. They are all awesome and so enthusiastic, as soon as i arrive in my car i am mobbed by everyone trying to hug me all at once, carrying my bags for me, sitting on my lap (usually 3 at once) and so thankful for everything :)

Life here is very unstable and unpredictable and chalenging, but these precious children are what makes it all worthwhile, and i couldnt think of a better way of welcoming in the new year , than to be in this place at this time, knowing this is where God wants me to be , and doing what he wants me to be doing.

Below are some of the glimpses of this christmas.....

God's timing is always spot on.....

Well I am now back in very hot and sunny Jos having come from thick snow and -10C in Chicago.....quite a contrast. Many of you will know that while i was away riots broke out in Jos as a result of a closely contested election for control of our state. A lot of damage to buildings, people's property and to people was done in just two days before the army took control of the city. We are now in a relative state of uneasy peace under curfew and we pray that nothing starts again.

Being away from here at such a time was very hard as Erin and I sought to find out information about our friends and children. It brought up many questions..Why was I not there? Should I feel guilty that I am not there ? What would the city look like when i got back ? Why had God chosen that particular time to send me to America ? these and many more questions were rattling around in my head....

But...there had been so many confirmations that this was the right time for me to be away , that I knew that he had chosen the timing and so I had to trust that God's plans were best for me , and so he had a reason for me not to be in Jos.

But then came the question ok am i going to go back as planned or am I going to delay ??? A difficult decision to make going into the unknown and a lot of stress deciding....after Erin and I prayed I felt that God was telling me I should come back....Once the decision was made several things happened to confirm this was a good decision, the most miraculous was the return of my hand luggage which had got left behind in an unknown cab all intact, and the fact

that i came all the way back with free bags and they all arrived with me....very miraculous i can tell you.

Once again I have to trust that my Heavenly Father knows the times and dates and he wants me back here. Maybe I will find out one day why I was not here when these awful things happened, but maybe i wont , all I can do is trust him with the future....

Lots to be Thankful for............

This year I am actually in America for Thanksgiving to experience it firsthand ......After the heat of Nigeria it has been great to experience Autumn again and to see all the beautiful colours in the trees here...and to see all the Pumpkins everywhere, and the fallen leaves.
I love it and am so thankful for the chance to be here.




This celebration is a real family time here and it
has been really great to be able to spend time with Erin and her family, and to be so welcomed into their home.







It is a time marked by eating traditional foods like Turkey and sweet potatoes and cornbraed and of course pumpkins......... all together on one plate...very unlike England but interesting....


It is a time to be thankful to count our blessings for all the people in our lives and to look for things to be Thankful for...this started me thinking ....

What am I thankful for....
* My family who love me unconditionally and who are always supportive of me even if they don't understand my decisions, and have to sacrifice not seeing me very often.
*My friends who walk my journey with me and encourage and support me from all across the world.
*The missionaries who I live and work amongst in Jos who daily encourage me
*The "job" I have been chosen to do by God and for the many people who support me financially and prayerfully so that I can do this work.
*A completely different life now to the one I used to live, despite its many challenges and uncertainties.
* I am soooo thankful for all of the children that God has brought into my life , that I have the priviledge to love and care for.
*Ultimately I am most thankful for the Love of my Heavenly Father who has known me from the beginning and Knows everything that happens to me and can be completely trusted with my life.

I am in Texas...............

Well I have arrived in Texas.....my first visit to this part of the world...its a long way from Nigeria...but worth it to be reunited with my good friend and fellow missionary Erin again...:)

I have arrived in Autumn and even though this pool looks tempting ....it was freezing.

We enjoyed the first few days staying with the leaders of the Crazy Texas team which come each year to visit us in Nigeria...it was wonderful ...they were so hospitable and we felt easily at home. Their church sponsored my flight to come and so in return myself and Erin spent the weekend speaking to various groups raising awareness of our ministry...

This is a church of 15,000 members and is of the Southern Baptist variety...and i have never seen a church so big it was a huge cultural adjustment to make...but everyone was so friendly and welcoming and for some reason liked listening to my accent :) we hope we have raised awareness of some of urgent needs and inspired more people to visit us in Nigeria...

Erin and Uncle Jerry Me sharing about the ministry at church

Everything is soooooo big here....the cars are huge the lorries massive, the portions of food huge....and the glasses big and then they keep getting re filled .... the houses and yards are massive compared to what I am used to.... all to say its all bigggggggggggggggg....very interesting, now I understand why American people think England is so cute !!!

We are enjoying travelling around , meeting people and sharing about the ministry with all we meet. Yesterday for instance with the people we went to have our feet sorted out with , (our feet get very dry and cracked in the Nigerian climate)so a pedicure was in order...we were telling why our feet were so bad and this led to a great conversation about why are we in Nigeria...and ended up with a fellow customer paying for our pedicure....see how God is blessing us :)

So far soooo good, I will keep recording my reactions to share with you later...watch this space.

Another First for me.....

On Saturday just gone one of our Uncles from Geyro got married and he asked me to be the Chairlady...

Well I didnt have a clue what that meant !!! and everytime I asked one of my Nigerian friends they just kept laughing at the thought....so it didn't bode well...

Uncle Musa just told me i was expected to say some encouraging words !!! and give a substantial gift !!! sounds easy enough....

So we get ready...all the ladies from Geyro had outfits made in the chosen cloth ( everyone in an organisation likes to be identified here by wearing the same cloth !!) and off we went.

Well we were late arriving and when we get there we were some of the first to come....and certainly no family or a bride...

Then I get asked to substitute for the Chairman ( who had been called away to a funeral) and he was supposed to pick up the bride...so we drive to the pastors house to see not only the bride still getting ready but 10 bridesmaids as well...well no way were they all going to fit so we had to call for a back up !!! meanwhile suddenly my car is being covered in ribbons....despite not being very clean courtesy of the village the day before...

I had never met the bride before....and eventually we arrived at the church one and a half hours later than supposed to start...and then ....

A two hour service in which our boys sang and the Uncle joined in and The bride joined in the choir....and it was all in Hausa....I was in and out of the service being called out to rescue one thing or another....and finally they were married...

We managed to eat small and then proceeded to the reception ground next door....and embarassment as i had to sit at the high table and had to get up and dance in front of a crowd... thankfully by this point Gaylyn and Jamie had joined me and so we danced together whilst people kept coming up and showering us with money !!!

It was tiring but thankfully the chairman turned up so i didnt have to speak ...yeah...

Finally we got home around six in the evening...a truly long day full of cultural learning experiences....hopefully not to be repeated in a while.

Me and my assistant.....