Adventure for a Lifetime

Have you been there?

2012-01-27T01:40:00.000+01:00

Cahoots and other interesting places

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, ex wife, family, and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

I may have been in Continent, and I don't remember what country I was in. It's an age thing.

Please do your part! Today is one of the many National Mental Health Days throughout the year. You can do your bit by remembering to send an e-mail to at least one unstable person. My job is
done!

Life is too short for negative drama and petty things. So laugh insanely, love truly and forgive
quickly!

From one unstable person to another... I hope everyone is happy in your head - we're all doing pretty good in mine!

New Year's Resolutions..

2012-01-11T04:37:00.011+01:00

So apparently I have some...a few actually...

Here are the top 10 (not necessarily in order of priority):

1) NOT txt & drive...it's completely illegal & it's gonna get me in a wreck one of these days...

2) Be financially sound...my goal is to double last year's income...(roughly 25 Gs)

3) Stay spiritually focused...While attending my cousin's church, after the service one of the pastors asked me if I'd any spiritual goals for the New Year...and that made me think...as much as I love the Lord & consider myself a spiritual person, I hadn't actually thought @ my specific goals as far as my walk w/ the Lord in 2012...In one way I thought that was a good thing, as by nature I try to take time w/ Jesus every day & talk to Him as I go about my day, meditate on Him when waking & lying down, take time to read the Word each day, etc. So all this will continue...so while I was happy that these things come naturally, at the same time, I did want to set a new goal for myself (at this preacher's prompting) & in the end decided that my spiritual goal for this year is 2-fold:

a) think positively about myself...I realized that as much as I believe in & love Jesus, my outlook on myself & my day-to-day circumstances can be pretty negative at times....much of the time, actually...but since God is Love, Happiness, Inspiration, etc., since He created me, I should exude those same things...& furthermore, if I believe He's all-right, all-good, has a perfect plan for me, etc. I should be happy that my life is as He wants it & that He'll perfect it as I go along (I'm still convincing myself of this goal even as I write it now..)...

b) I'd like to see manifestations of miracles this year...it's always inspiring/motivating to see God's hand move & I want 2012 to be no exception...I'm looking forward to miracles of supply, healing, renewed hearts & ppl turned to Jesus...should be exciting..

4) Star in a major motion picture..I'd like to have a speaking part in a movie this year...I'm coming up w/ a bucket-list (which will be really long...thankfully it'll include experiences I've already had...which might not seem to make sense) & 1 thing on that list already is to star in a movie...my last year's experience as an extra doesn't count towards this bucket-list goal, as I want to see my name on the credit at the end of said movie that I star in...Being that loads of movies are being made in Atlanta these days, this one should be pretty easy...keep ur fingers crossed, everyone..

5) Get into a new relationship...while my last relationship lasted more than 2 years, that now seems a few days in comparison w/ the 30+ years of my life...after being single nearly 2 years after that it seems it's time for me to turn on the love-light in my life again..let's see what (or rather 'who') 2012 has for me..I'm trying to devise a plan as to how this will come into being (although, if there's anything I've learned as to how not to get into a relationship, it's to plan for one)...will it be online dating that does the trick? or will I turn on sparks with someone I already know, or meet someone entirely new? We Shall See!!

6) Pump major iron!!! I plan to put on at least 10 pounds this year (which for me is a lot, seeing as I've weighed roughly the same weight over the last 10 years)...Plus, being generally fit/ripped is always cool..may help in the modelling/movie department too..

7) Eat health food...this goes along with the previous resolution & I'm determined to stay a "health freak" as some of my dear African friends have termed me...

8) Take time w/ family & friends...due to both the higher costs of city living & the desire to start some kinda savings, I've turned into a complete work horse & a total anti-socialite...I'm set to have this change over 2012 & am determined to hang out w/ friends (make new ones) & family throughout the year...

9) Which brings me to my Europe trip, speaking of family....I'm excited about doing the usual London/Belgium trip, but am also convinced I'll see Paris again after 6 or so years...Holland is also on my 2012 wish-list...

10) Build a solid team of associates with my LegalShield business..the future is bright (golden, in fact) with this new opportunity & I'm looking forward to not only selling many, many memberships here in the city of Atlanta, but am also looking forward to building a team of associates between friends here & throughout the country as I introduce others to the same opportunity I was introduced to a half-year ago...

aaaaaaand 1 more for good measure:

11) Write...determined (there's that word again...maybe that's what all these things will take) to make further headway on researching towards & writing my book on my time in Africa...this will also keep Africa in my heart & help me not miss it so much...

What are your 2012 resolutions?

On set..

2011-12-12T20:39:00.003+01:00

I had a good time working on set as an extra for the production of the film 'Coma' last wk Monday & Tuesday...

This is an upcoming mini-series produced by A&E, playing next year over Memorial Day wknd..It stars James Woods, Geena Davis, Joe Morton, Burgess Jenkins & others..From wat I understand it's a 3rd remake, with the original having been a 70s version with Micheal Douglas, then another mini-series of the same story done in the late 90s..

I play a medical intern & will most likely be seen wandering the hospital, checking on patients, etc..of course, once editing is done, u may not even see my face at all..But hey, it was an experience nonetheless & a good way to make a little extra on my days off..

This was my first time being on a movie set & it was quite a sight to see the intense detail & tediousness behind making a movie..Interesting how it all coincides...you've got the set director leading his tech team who are putting up reflectors, taping of lights, marking camera spots, building the set, basically...at the same time the director director is looking at shots, communicating with the actors & watching each rehearsal & take (1x the set director & team finished putting everything in place)...then the director has an assistant director who's also directing certain takes, & the set director has a first assistant too...then there's the "extras director" who's looking at the whole scene apart from the immediate actors & bringing in (through his assistant) all of us who build the scene surrounding the actors..the chain of command trickled waaaay down...amazing..

Then there's the camera crew & computer technicians..this whole team makes up about 20 0r 30 ppl, not to leave out the costume & make up department & then all the extras...for most of the scenes I worked in, the actual actors were only 2 or 3 in each shot at one time, but altogether there were between 35 & 50 of us on set at any given time...

More extra roles in the future will hopefully lead to an actual role, or more significant film appearance in the future..

I recommend extra work for those looking for a little side income, or something to do on your day off, or even for someone just wanting to experience being part of a movie, seeing how it's all done, etc. Try it sometime!

coming back...

2011-12-08T05:15:00.002+01:00

ok, that's it...

I'm back...

it seems that adventure still abounds, although, certainly in smaller & less exciting doses....but adventure is adventure & it's time I started writing again...

Ok, let me tell you the real reason I'm writing on this site again...

A book by the same name of this site is being currently constructed (penly speaking)...in order to write good book material, I need to keep my writing skills honed/up to snuff/practiced/sharpened....ok, I think u get the point..

all that to say...I'll be writing up here again..

Tune in to tomorrow's post (or the day after, depending on how life goes over the next couple days) which will tell about my adventure being a part (a small part) of the mini-series Coma, starring Geena Davis, James Woods, Burgess Jenkins & others...

See u then..;)

closing temporarily...

2011-04-12T05:44:00.002+01:00

when traipsing around Africa saving souls/bodies/spirits, experiencing cultures, seeing the world, performing, writing, giving, doing, etc. I felt a more intense kind of gratification in knowing that I was making a difference & then hopefully inspiring you all by telling you about it here on this blog...

Now, however, I live a slightly boring life here in suburbia, going to work & back, as I adjust to a new lifestyle & get set up to study (what I don't know, but certainly something that will help set me back in Africa making a difference & experiencing Adventure for a Lifetime)...

So for the timebeing, because I'm so boring, I thought I'd officially take leave,
as well as take time to write my book, before all my beautiful African memories leave me...

So with that I take leave...I certainly won't close the site, cuz for those new to it, there's many an adventure to read about, picture to enjoy & story to be inspired by...there's 5 yrs worth of blog up here, so feel free to peruse around & enjoy to the full...

Meanwhile, I'll try & find another more fitting name for a site that can host more boring tidbits from a less adventurous time that is mine (the present)...

Stay tuned...;)

Stories of Hope/Kindness during Japan disaster...

2011-03-18T05:35:00.001+01:00

March 11 stories that warm my heart
by Celly Kamoi on Monday, March 14, 2011 at 1:25am (reposted w/ permission)

Some of these are taken from my friends and family's posts on FB and others are Tweets. The generosity of heart in a time of crisis touches my soul. I love Japan, and though I haven't lived there for 11 years, it's still my home and I feel the pain and want to be with my countrymen. There is love and kindness out there - I've never felt so patriotic about my country as I do now.

Even if you only read a few, it will encourage and warm your heart. My people need your help and prayers!

* Lots of stories coming out about people risking their lives/giving their lives to save others. What I find most touching is the little things, like the homeless people bringing cardboard to the people sleeping in the cold in stations where they are stranded. The homeless, often ignored by all of us, may not have much to give, but they are doing what they can.

* My sister wrote: During the earthquake, I thought I was going to die. The trains were stopped, so I walked towards my friend's house. There were no taxi's running, the restaurants and shops were all full of people who couldn't get home. After I'd walked 4 1/2 hours, hope was fading, the temperature dropped and I was so so cold. The masses of people crawled along like little ants dragging their feet. At that time I had just crossed this bridge, as I came down there was an old man with the trunk of his car full of "hokkairo". He passed them out to the weary people walking, encouraging each passer by. I immediately felt warmed inside through the kindness that was shown.

* Heard a story last night of a woman and her baby who were caught up in the tsunami. A man on a second floor balcony climbed down to help her, passed the baby up, and helped the woman up, only to be washed away by the tsunami himself. Selflessness like that is amazing.

* In the middle of the night, I was walking home from college. A lady at a bakery was giving out bread. She kept her bakery open till late hours and was doing what she could do to help others. I was so touched. Tokyo is still not a bad place to live! Such a heart-warming scene.

* Seems the Yakuza up north were out in force after the quake... HELPING DIRECT TRAFFIC.

* Just read about the citizens of Osaka showing up in droves to donate blood.

* I was so moved by the statement issued by the UN Secretary General, saying, "Japan is one of the most generous and strongest benefactors, coming to the assistance of those in need the world over. In that spirit, the United Nations stands by the people of Japan and we will do anything and everything we can at this very difficult time." This is a perfect example of doing good to others. They will do the same to you, when you most need their help.

* This afternoon at the convenience store there was a group of young punk looking guys buying drinks and beer. When they got to the register, one of them realized if he bought the beer as well, he wouldn't have any money left to make a donation for quake victims. He returned the beer.

* My husband walked for 4 hours to come back home. He was feeling weak at Akabane and this man offered free coffee saying "It's pretty cold huh? Warm up with this hot coffee!" Thanks to the him, my husband regained the strength to keep walking. It must have really touched him because he's been repeating the story 5 times. Thank you to the man passing out free coffee.

* This afternoon, I saw a young guy who has radical looks. He donated put several ten-thousand-yen bills to a donation box saying his friends “We can buy a game anytime”. I heard his words and that made me and the people around there what is important and we donated a bit too. I re-realized that it is not appropriate to judge people by their looks.

* When the earthquake struck Japan, I was working at the restaurant. The restaurant was almost full. After the earthquake, we guided the guest to go out from there because it could be dangerous. I thought great part of them would leave there without paying, but most of them came back and paid their bill. The rest of them, who didn’t pay yesterday, came back to the restaurant today to pay. What a beautiful country Japan is.

* Weep! I was so touched I cried super hard! That international call from a stranger just now, it was a phone call of worry and support from someone who called their own number, except with Japan's country code hoping to connect with someone in Japan! I didn't quite understand the English, but I understood what the person was trying to say! She said a lot of people over there are "praying for Japan"!

* It happened last night. A convenience store near a train station managed to open for business with a power generator. While I was waiting in a long line, the generator stopped, maybe because it ran out of fuel, and the cash register stopped. The entire store was pitch black. Everyone put the things they had in their hands back on the shelves and left, even though no one would've noticed if they walked out with them.

* An elderly man, probably over 80, who was rescued from the disaster area said "We will be OK, we are pretty sure we will. We have experienced Tsunami from Chile so why can't we do it this time?" he said with a smile. He again said with a smile, "It is useless to say something sad" to the news reporter trying to get some comments of sorrow. His wife standing next to him told the reporter sharply "Don't take photos of our disgraceful look". From this conversation, we can see how courageous the people who built Japan have dignity.

* A conversation I overheard on the train between two grandmas. "The police are telling us to turn the lights off because there's not enough electricity. We used to spend a lot of time without lights for the good of our country during the World War 2. This time, we don’t need to worry about the bombs falling over us. We’ll gladly turn off the light, won’t we?” The people around them got silent for a second. My eyes welled up with tears

2011 kick-off..start it out right..

2011-01-06T05:25:00.001+01:00

employ these principals & 2011 will be your best year yet..

*Don’t let mistakes of the past blur your vision for the future. Focus on the good to come.

*I am willing to go anywhere, anywhere, anywhere—so long as it’s forward.2

*People are always blaming their circumstances. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.3

*Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.4

*“When you pass through the waters … they shall not overflow you.”5 God doesn’t open paths for us in advance of our coming. He doesn’t promise help before help is needed. He doesn’t remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God’s hand is stretched out. Many people forget this and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them miles and miles ahead, whereas He has promised to do it only step by step as they may need. You must get to the floodwaters before you can claim the promise.
I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you.”6

*Faith gives us courage to face the present with confidence and the future with expectancy.7
________________________________________
1 Mottos for Success.
2 David Livingstone (1813–1873).
3 George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950).
4 William Carey (1761–1834).
5 Isaiah 43:2 NKJV.
6 Isaiah 41:13 NKJV; Author unknown.
7 Mottos for Success.

Mari's Charitable Christmas Spirit..

2010-12-21T05:02:00.013+01:00

"He said that his wife was sick in the hospital & he had no one to cook Christmas dinner for them..Plus he'd spent all his money on her medicine & wouldn't be able to buy Christmas presents for his kids..now he was trying to get back to his hometown so he could see his wife in the hospital before Christmas & spend Christmas with his kids.."

"He just walked up to us at the bus stop..I was a little leary at first, but there was something about him..you could see in his eyes that he was genuine...so we gave him a ride to his bus, plus we payed for his fare so he could go home to his family..but before that, we stopped at a Pick & Pay & bought some food for their Christmas dinner.."

This was the story told me by Mariangela last Christmas, when recalling her grand "operation angel", conducted by her & Seth the Christmas before that one..

As soon as I heard this story, I knew I just had to do the same for someone else..not for competition's sake, but just cause I was so impressed with their Tiny Tim/Bob Cratchet Christmas spirits & I wanted to "save someone's Christmas" too..

At the mission base I stayed at/worked at for a year in South Africa, one of my main jobs was deliveries/driving duties...Picking up food for distribution, dropping food at project sites, picking up donated goods for the mission center, picking up building supplies for renovations to the mission, trash runs, school runs, shopping trips, business trips, taking the kids to dance recital...I was behind the wheel almost half of every day..

During such driving expeditions I would often pass hitchhikers. Of course, the knowledge of Johannesburg's notoriety as THE crime capital of Africa, did give me a sense of extreme caution when assessing who would benefit from my charitable "driving-drop-off-duties" that particular day..

Shortly after Mari told me her story (and shortly after Christmas had ended) I was back & forth from the mission base to the Home Affairs office downtown Pretoria where I was working on extending my visa to enable me to stay on in time to participate in the World Cup Outreach programs I knew we'd be putting on..

One particular morning, when going to an appointment with a senior officer at the immo office who'd promised to help speedily process my visa, I had a certain feeling (or maybe Someone was speaking to me) that I should take a side road to down-town Pretoria via the industrial area instead of taking the free-way like I was accustomed to doing..I was soon to find out why I'd had this feeling...

I was flying along at an exceptionally high speed (well, only about 10 ks over the speed limit..ahem..)as I was late for my appointment, when on the side of the road I saw a small Afrikaans family hitch-hiking consisting of a young couple & their baby...I sighed inwardly as I drove past them, as I didn't want to stop & get them, but I knew good & well that I was going to anyway..

I pulled over to the side of the road & put on my emergency lights..As they rather quickly walked up behind me, pushing their baby in a buggy, I could see that they were poorly dressed, slightly shabby looking, with a sort of stressed air about them--the wife in particular--as if they hadn't had much sleep the night before. The man explained that they were trying to go to a national hospital several kilometers up the road, but they didn't have a car, or cab fare to get there..When he asked me to open up the trunk so they could put the buggy in the back, I obliged..after noticing them struggle for a minute or 2, I rolled my eyes & wondered just how much later they were gonna make me.. After helping the wife & baby get into the back, the man got into the front passenger seat & off we went.

All my annoyance was gone in an instant, when the man explained to me after thanking me again & again, how his wife had fallen sick several days before & was experiencing shortness of breath & having trouble sleeping...but the reason they were going to the hospital was for their 6 month old baby, who was also sick (I can't remember with what)..He explained how they'd been going to this government hospital as they couldn't afford a private doctor..He had no idea how he was going to get treatment for his wife, as they barely had enough money to get medicine for their baby..

As I drove on, we made small talk & I told him why I was in South Africa & that I was a missionary..I talked about my time in Nigeria & that I'd plans to go back there (at the time I did)..He asked if I would take him with me & employ him as a missionary as well..

After only about 10 minutes we arrived at the hospital. When I pulled up at the entrance the man asked if I had any money I could give them towards medicines..I thought of Mari & how heroic she'd been in accommodating all the needs of her weary-traveler-in-need that Christmas.. But I actually hadn't brought money with me that morning, as it was to be a single-purposed visit with the immigration officer & then I'd be coming straight back to mission...

"I don't have any money on me, but I believe in the power of prayer & I'd like to pray for your wife & baby before you go.."

I laid hands on the baby & mother & prayed a simple prayer asking for Jesus' miracle working power to not only heal them from what they were sick with, but to also provide for them in the myriad of ways that they needed..

I left them with the few gifts that I did have to give them, including a loaf of bread & some fruit that were in my car from the last food distribution I'd done, as well as a copy of the inspirational magazine meant for the appointment I was now late for..They received these gifts thankfully & I promised them I'd continue to pray for them, which I did both throughout the day, as well as during the months that followed whenever I thought about them..

As I drove on to my appointment, I realized the the frustrations I faced with my visa not being processed as I'd wanted, were nothing compared to the frustration this simple couple faced as they watched their child struggle with something they had so little power to fix..

Apart from the reality check as to how blessed I really was, I also drove on with the feeling of happiness & relief that God had me be at that exact spot that morning, where I could be of assistance to that family in need & pass on a little bit of Mari's charitable Christmas spirit..

Let My Love Warm Your Christmas..

2010-12-17T22:28:00.001+01:00

From Jesus, with Love..

No matter how down you may be--if you are out of work & have an empty wallet or bank account, if you're lonely or sick or have suffered personal loss, if war or hatred or injustice or others' indifference has chilled your heart--My love can change that. Let My birth & all that it heralded be remembered. Let My love fill you & give you purpose. Evils also plagued the world at the time of My birth & throughout My life on earth, but in the midst of such great darkness came the brightest light the world has ever known; amidst great suffering t...he greatest gift was given. My Father sent Me in the form of a weak & helpless baby to grow up & live as one of you & experience the same hurts you do, and to suffer at the hands of unjust men. I became one of you in order to save you.

Let the truth & love that I brought that first Christmas Day shine in your heart now. Let Me wipe away your fears & tears.

Let My love warm your Christmas.

Merry Christmas, everyone! ;)

Christmas kick-off..

2010-12-01T23:07:00.002+01:00

So it's officially Christmas all over the world now, no doubt..

Here in the States, Christmas starts about a week before Thanksgiving..so we've already had @ 3 wks of Christmas decorations, carols, commercials (those r the most annoying)..

In any case, this beautiful story, signifies the Love & Spirit that embodies Christmas & for which Christmas was originally invented...Enjoy!

The SPARROW at STARBUCKS - The song that silenced the cappuccino machine.

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth. For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right.

Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?" To my delight, she accepted my invitation. "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well. ... do you know any hymns?" Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one."

"Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one." She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing, "Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?"

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

"I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches me."

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!"

But the ovation continued.. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!"

"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.

"Why is that?"

"Well ." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song."

"Really!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual... "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. "Are you going to be okay?"
She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine."

She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, remember, Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, And Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

Thanksgiving..

2010-11-26T06:16:00.002+01:00

So u thot the last post was cheesy..

Since it's Thanksgiving, I'm gonna talk about giving thanks at a time when you're just not "feeling it"..

I'm not gonna lie & say that this is always my "eternal-flowing-inner-sentiment", but I'm discovering more & more the virtues of positive thinking/praising God for the current circumstance..no matter what it is..(that's the tough part)..

The other day I walked to work--FROM MY HOUSE! Which after Googling I realize was a full 4 & a 1/2 miles from where I live..no wonder it took me nearly an hour & a 1/2..

This was a result of me just missing the last bus connection that that would've brought me to the mall where I work on time..the next bus wasn't due till 1/2 hour after I was supposed to BE at work..The reason for my initial busing expedition, was what I presumed a faulty connection in the electrics of my borrowed car, resulting in the dashboard lights not illuminating when I drove from work the night before..

My initial reaction to the situation:

--If the car I'm currently borrowing was in fully functioning order--or better yet (& this realization the true source of my annoyance), if I had a car of my own--this would be 1000% avoidable..

--Being a cloudy day, I'll probably get poured on & I don't have an umbrella..my freshly ironed work clothes will be ruined..

--I'll arrive at work hungry/tired & will still have to be on my feet after an hour + of walking..

While all of the above may have been true, since I'd determined my current position was unavoidable, I decided to look on the bright side..my stance then turned to...this:

--This hour walk SO takes care of my exercise for the day..

--While it's overcast, it's dry, resulting in less heat then if the sun was out & hey, as long as I'm not getting rained on, it's all good..

--A full hour of fresh air & looking at the Autumn colors throughout the full & floral residential areas of Smyrna & Vinnings, while listening to my favorite Metanoya on my phone, is actually more relaxing than anything else..

That kind of thinking brought me relaxed & invigorated to the restaurant where I'm working & had me hot-to-trot thru my following 6 hour shift..

It turns out that what I'd thot was a problem with the lights of my borrowed car, was merely a loose switch/dial that I'd accidentally turned down..(typical)..there wasn't a problem at all..but I had an enjoyable, DRY walk that turned out a pleasant experience instead of an awful one..

What do you have to be thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Price moments..

2010-11-17T05:39:00.003+01:00

It amazes me at how short a day really is..24 hours sometimes seems to just fly by & we're left looking back at a week that was a joint effort of 7 seamless days that just passed with our barely glancing twice..

But then at the same time, when you stop & think about it, there are a lot of little moments in each day that make up noteworthy events, even though they may be little...when you do stop to notice..

The other day I read something in a book by Kevin Trudeau about getting 15 minutes of sunlight a day & the health benefits attached..now I see that 10 minute walk from the bus, or that little "pause" in the sun outside the mall on my break in a totally different way..

..then the fact that we had 2 weeks of straight sun this month proved another thing to get happy about..During said 2 wks the Autumn colors were in full display & just stepping outside anywhere here in Georgia seemed a treat..

The other day at work I happened to overhear one of my guests speaking Dutch with her son at one of my tables (I work at a restaurant) this was all I needed to launch into a full-on, albeit broken, 20 minute Dutch conversation with her & we were both thrilled as we relayed to each other in a language that we both loved (neither of us being originally Dutch, by the way) the events that made up our lives up till our "chance" meeting that day..

Just yesterday & today I had the most quality 24 hour visit one could have with a missionary family I've been very close to over the last 10 years in Birmingham, Alabama..the smiles on their children's faces & the care & concern I receive from the parents (who, incidentally, have adopted me as one of their children) warms my heart to the full & is truly irreplaceable...totally special..

Life is made up of these type moments..

Let's savor these as much as we would the big things that come our way...cuz hey, those "biggies" may not come around that often..

perseverance..

2010-11-04T02:49:00.002+01:00

is something we all need to make it along as times wax tougher & tougher..

I love these already put together acronyms that hit a certain cord in my heart & say what I would've wanted to say..

I won't take credit for the little "breakdown" below, but it'll ring just as true, nonetheless..hope it encourages you today..

* Persist no matter what.

* Endure discomfort.

* Request help.

* Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values.

* Envision triumph.

* Very consistently keep at it.

* Embrace adversity as your teacher.

* Refuse to give up.

* Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!

Chain of events...

2010-10-30T03:14:00.008+01:00

Since coming home to the States I've experienced a feeling of an "adventurless" lull..not that I haven't been busy experiencing/learning/doing/loving life..but somehow it feels like the adventure is finished now that I'm not "charting foreign lands"..but that obviously doesn't have to be the case..

Even if I'm not in the middle of the Nigerian jungle giving a child malaria medicine, or seeing an elephant up close at an East African elephant sanctuary, or having grand South African braai & beer by the pool with all of my friends..(sighs to himself)..doesn't mean that there's no adventures to be had here in the good ol' US of A..

Meanwhile, I feel I should say that this time of life is a transitional/discovery faze..While I don't feel that my missionary days are over, I'm excited at the idea of spending some time home enhancing my education, work experience, job history, home network, etc. I've just taken on part time jobs here & am looking into study options, deciding on what courses to take is, Thank God, going to be the only challenge...Innovation, forward thinking, new projects, thinking ahead to the future inspires me to endure the humble beginnings of a new era that will, God willing, take me into a billion new adventures..each grander & fuller than the last..

Here are some photos of recentness for all u who aren't on facebook (&/or on my facebook)...

w/ family & friends of family at my cousin's goodbye (off to College)..

Playing penguin at the Georgia Aquarium w/ my cousin, Ilona, who was visiting from Holland..

in true Atlanta tradition having hot dogs/fries at the Varsity, down-town..

my "bling-bling" nephew, Dorian, aged 3...

Hang on..

2010-10-12T16:24:00.002+01:00

Below is a quote I read today by Maria Fontaine that encouraged me..

I've just taken on 2 part-time jobs & am looking into a 3rd 1..trying to save up for a vehicle, getting set-up here in the States, hoping to get my own place, get into some colleges to enhance my studies over the next months, etc.. the challenges are ever-present, large & looming..but that's where faith comes in.

The Lord is taking us deeper into the spirit world all the time and requiring us to keep stretching our faith. He says, “Wherever you’re at in your faith life, you can be sure that I’ll stretch you further. And that’s a good thing!” I’ll repeat what the Lord said: Stretching our faith is a good thing! It doesn’t feel so good sometimes when the Lord stretches us, but because we know that it’s good, we can really praise the Lord for those experiences
when they present themselves!
(Link 61, paraphrased)

Fwd: "Compassion"

2010-09-04T00:10:00.002+01:00

A friend sent this to my e-mail box the other day...Powerful..Heavy..

A blind girl hated herself because she was blind.

She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend.

He was always there for her.

She told her boyfriend, "If I could only see the

world, I will marry you."

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the

bandages came off , she was able to see everything,

including her boyfriend.

He asked her 'Now that you can see the world, will you

marry me?'

The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.

The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't

expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of

her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note

to her saying : 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear;

before they were yours, they were mine. '

This is how the human brain often works when our

'status changes'.

Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who

was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who

can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of

someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of

someone who's crying out to for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who

went to the grave too early

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone

who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't

clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the

streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of

someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think

of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had

your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning

another - Remember that not one of us is without error and

we all answer to the same GOD.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a

smile on your face and Thank GOD you're alive and still

around.

The Glorious Outside..

2010-08-31T16:00:00.002+01:00

"Take a walk & look outside
Breath the air, feel good inside
Isn't it good to be alive?"

Quoting Metanoya's beautiful ballad there..

But you'd be surprised at the multiple health-benefits to walks outdoors, apart from the obvious= exercise.

Review my own discovery to these recent walking health-related perks on my hub-pages write up..

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Glorious-Outside

check it..

2010-08-20T02:22:00.003+01:00

3 great tips to aid you on your "health quest" today..

http://hubpages.com/hub/3healthhops

enjoy..

(I apologize again for the copy-paste requirements attached to viewing URLs posted on this blog..blogger doesn't let me embed links directly onto my pages...don't ask me why)

HUB PAGES..

2010-08-14T23:37:00.003+01:00

This is the new website that I'll be posting on these days..

Ad 4 life will continue to run..but as you've noticed, since my arrival in the U.S. the postings have been rather..shall we say, "slow in coming"..This is cause the exciting happenings that made up the majority of my adventures in Africa over the last 10 years of my life, will also be slow in coming over the next few months, as I plow through the more mundane routines needed to assist me in getting set-up in my next stage of life here in the States..

But the good news (for all of you who follow this blog) is that I will still be writing & posting regularly on the internet..

My new focus in writing will be on the topic of health..posting on a different website called hubpages..While posting there, I will include a summarized version, or a hyperlink here on ad for life..

The link for my hub-pages profile is: http://hubpages.com/profile/Brian+Whyte

See you there ;)

Back in the States..

2010-07-29T17:29:00.002+01:00

After being away 3 years..

Last time I was here was only 4 a couple months anyway..

It's been a while since I was up on this page...a long break due to closing World Cup projects, then major car issues, then packing & preparing for almost 40 hours of flying...

Well, I've been here for nearly 2 weeks, so no excuses after I arrived here..

It's been great seeing all my family again (Sister, Grandmama, cousins, etc.) as well as spending a little more extensive time w/ my Grandmother, my sister, Phebe & my nephew, Dorian..Also, wasted no time in starting work on my license, resume for job hunts, etc. So it's busy times yet again, but also trying to relax/take a break at the same time..

Most anyone who has tried to keep up w/ this blog, has likely given up by now, as my posts are always so sporadic...but maybe that's what keeps it exciting? (He asked, directing the question to himself at the same time..)

Anyways, here I am & here I shall stay...find me here anytime & look forward to more frequent postings..(and no, that's not yet another empty promise)..

I'll close w/ this quote I read in July's issue of activated today:

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.--The Dalai Lama

Answered prayers..

2010-07-05T11:01:00.002+01:00

..."and while they are yet speaking, I will hear"..

My friend in Belgium, had a different diagnosis since we've been praying & now it seems it's only a thyroid problem in her leg, not the bad circulation first expected..

Hugo of Eman & Lita is back at home & recovering well..

No wonder we keep praying...it moves God toward our behalf in time of need...

Try it sometime if you haven't recently...

;)

Pray for my friends..

2010-06-30T20:05:00.003+01:00

My sister sent me this e-mail, w/ this urgent prayer request:

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick note to you all:

J. just phoned and told me that yesterday G. was brought to the hospital, she has a acute swelling in her one of her legs.
She has had this for quite some time now but never had it checked up until recently.
It seems her blood is not circulating in the bottom half of her leg, the doctors told her if the blood doesn’t start flowing probably within a short time that there is a possibility that they will have to amputate her leg.
I’m quite taken back by this, it comes as a quite a shock.
Nobody expects something like this to happen to someone you know.
So I want to ask if you all can pray for her, pray that the blood starts to circulate and that she can keep her leg.
Thanks a lot.

Lots of love,
Christina

Also, my dear friends Eman & Lita have their baby boy in the hospital w/ pneumonia as a result of contracting measles which is going around Africa hectically right now..He's had trouble breathing & had to be put on oxygen..

Pls. pray desperately for the Lord to keep his little life safe & that he'll heal completely w/ no side affects...

TY!

AYOBAAAAAAAAAAA...

2010-06-17T19:13:00.005+01:00

Well, we didn't win...but the action was amazing & worth every bit of rejoicing we did last night..

Get ALL the action at this link..

http://playing2win.com/blog/?page_id=62

FIFA 2010 so far...

2010-06-14T20:33:00.005+01:00

Obviously, the whole world is following..

as mentioned in an earlier post, TFI (The Family International) is doing a LOT during this month in evangalistation & humanitarian projects throughout..

Friday's kick-off saw us performing at a township in Zandspruit Community along w/ North Point City Church..That day the SA/Mex & Uruguay/France games were held..

Yesterday we performed outside Hatfield Stadium in Pretoria all day Sunday before the Serbia/Ghana & Australia/Germany games..

The vibe was amazing...the performances were spontaneous (although pre-practiced) & continuous & a mighty witness went out...

The display of color, vibrancy, joy, excitement & just plain fun was captured by our thorough & professional documentation team..

http://playing2win.com
is where it's all logged & blogged... make sure you're there at some point. Awesome.

(unfortunately blogger's not letting me add a hyperlink right now, so you'll have to cut & paste that code above...)

200th POST ON AD 4 LIFE!!!...XD & other recent pics...

2010-06-04T17:19:00.008+01:00

This is where I spent the 1st 2 wks of May..
XD (Xtreme Disciple) was a life-changing & helped me realign my goals in life in light of the years ahead & all that I'll face as God does new things for me & all of us...

Me & my mentoring group..

Isn't she cute?

Steve's B'day..

At Gold Reef City..

During a donated Team Building session as one of the scheduled activities...

Forum in small groups...where the practical application on the life-skills presented takes place..

W/ Bible students, Active Members & friends in Lusaka, Zambia, shortly before my 30th B'day...

Happy B'day to me...my 1st B'day in Zam...probably the last?

Some of the drama and witnessing team we took to UNZA (University of Zambia)that day...

FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa starting in 7 days..

2010-06-04T17:01:00.002+01:00

AND WE'RE READY FOR IT!

We've a lot of plans to make the most of this time in the way of reaching all the millions (figurative, not literal) who will come down here w/ inspiration & a message of God's Love.

Apart from that, we'll also be coordinating projects w/ other volunteer orginisations who will solicit help from overseas volunteers to conduct projects to help the needy here in Africa, taking advantage of some of the manpower from outside the country during the World Cup month.

Stay tuned for regular project updates conducted by TFI (The Family International) in the Gauteng area & throughout SA.

Lately...

2010-06-01T21:33:00.002+01:00

..The measles has been going around Gauteng, (all of SA, actually) & I'm so glad I had it when I was little..

..Helping conduct the XD seminar was a truly enjoyable experience..

..Solidifying plans on 3 new projects to do w/ the World Cup that will be conducted from the 11th of June, till the 15th of July...

..The SCM (Student Christian Movement) started by Phoebe & Simon has been growing & going extremely well...Reaching those kids in that township high school is a top thrill (personally, at least)...

..I've started working out again after a 4 week break (2 wks Bronchy, 2 wks XD)..

So there's an end to a month-long silence..

What's up w/ u?

Happy B'day Mom!

2010-05-03T16:03:00.002+01:00

May you have all the love, fun, joy, happiness, attention, gifts, spoiling, laughs, etc. that you deserve on this special day, as well as everything you've asked of the Lord this coming year..

You're so special to me & to millions of others & I wish I could've been there to celebrate w/ you..

Enjoy it & know that my prayers are w/ you every day for the year ahead..

Happy Birthday!

--Your son

P.S. & remember: If their are so many candles that you can no longer see the cake...you know you're getting old...;) LY!

Another dry spell...

2010-05-03T15:53:00.002+01:00

It's been weeks since this page was updated..

I'm gonna have to stop permanantly blaming bad internet connections & find a better solution..

But in case you're not on my FB list, I'll have you know that I have been down w/ a major case of Bronchitis that I contracted via my lungs being severely chilled on 2 nights on a bus (up from Livingstone (after I went to Vic Falls), then again down to Jo'berg from Lusaka the following night)..

But I'm on the up & up...lots of ppl have been praying for me & I've seen a doctor who put me on a STRONG antibiotic..

so, TTL...God is good..all the time..

But I'll be around & have not forgotton my desire to share my life's "Adventures" w/ all of you..

Don't give up on me..yet...;)

Trip down...

2010-04-09T17:48:00.002+01:00

Believe it or not, I'm still in Zam..

I know..6 weeks & counting...& I was only meant to be here for a month..(guess I'm only 2 wks overdue, in that case..)

It's been fun & I like Zambia a lot..

What's kept me here is that there's a chance that one of our missionaries will drive down to S.A. for business...the question is: When?? I've been expecting this trip to happen for approx. 2 weeks now..but it's delayed for one reason or another..

Seeing as prayer is uber-powerful, pls help me by praying for the following:

--That the Lord will supply the needed finances for the trip down

--That the other factors that the team here are waiting for to fall into place will (accomodation down there, appointments w/ associates, possible clients etc.).

--That I'll have wisdom in knowing if I should go back down early, or wait for the drive & cash in..

--(Unrelated, but hey) For my whole Nigeria timing to gel as well...that the Lord will show me when to go up now in light of the XD & all (happening in SA in May..I'll be helping w/ that)...that Rebecca will be patient in waiting for me & not be annoyed that I'm stalling & giving her random/unclear answers...(Sorry, Becks XO..).

TX guys! I need you!

The Wonder of Easter!

2010-04-01T15:05:00.002+01:00

(Excerpted from Maria Fontaine's 2010 Easter message)

The Easter season is a wonderful opportunity for Christians everywhere to unite as we praise our living, risen Savior! I think that Pope John Paul II expressed the Christian perspective on the resurrection so well when he said, “We are the Easter people and ‘hallelujah’ is our song!”

Because He rose, I, too, shall rise,
Shall rise and walk and dance and sing;
And there shall be no grief, no pain,
Nor any tears, remembering!
—Martha Snell Nicholson

Easter represents all that our salvation is (John 11:25–26).—And THAT’S worth celebrating! Easter stands for everything that has been and forever will be possible in our resurrection-empowered lives. It represents:

• Freedom from condemnation of past mistakes and failures (Rom.8:1).
• Liberation from fear of death (Heb.2:14–15).
• The guarantee of hope for an eternal future in a Home that Jesus has gone to prepare for us (John 14:2–3).
• An alternative to the temporal, sin-laden, suffering-plagued existence of this world (John 16:33).
• The opening of the door of Heaven to us.
• The blind given sight (1Pet.2:9; John 9:25).
• Common men and women becoming kings and queens (Rev.5:9–10).
• The drowning man rescued.
• The brand snatched from the burning (Zec.3:2).
• The power to preach good tidings, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isa.61:1,3).
• The paralyzed becoming mobile (Mat.11:5).
• The earth coming to life in the spring.
• The knowledge that man can live forever (1John 2:17).
• A demonstration that anything wonderful can happen when all hope seems gone.
• Complete forgiveness (Isa.1:18).
• Freedom from the law of death (Rom.8:2).
• The truth let loose in the world (John 1:17).
• The sting taken out of death (1Cor.15:55).
• The guarantee that there are no illnesses nor pain in Heaven (Rev.21:4).
• The promise of eternal life with our loved ones (Acts 16:31).
• The assurance of a glorious future, no matter how bad the world gets.
• The power to conquer all impossibilities (Luke 1:37).
• Divine healing power (Mark 16:17–18).
• A way of life, not just a religion or a ritual (John 10:10).
• The Gladys Aylwards of the world cradling abandoned babies in their arms.
• Powerful prayer ministries like those of Sophie the Washerwoman.
• Jesus' ambassadors all over the world undergoing severe afflictions and struggles, but continuing steadfast in their missions in poverty-stricken and war-torn countries.
• Those short on finances, welcoming the destitute into their homes and lovingly sharing their limited resources with them.

He Who was the Spirit of Love and the Spirit of Life was destroyed in the flesh, but His Spirit could not be destroyed (Luke 23:46; 1Pet.3:18). What was destroyed for all who turn to Jesus was the power of sin and death, the spirit of the world, and those spiritual forces bound to them. Their power was broken and conquered by Christ for any who would receive His gift of sacrificial love. These forces of Satan no longer have any power or authority over His children beyond what Jesus allows for a purpose: to teach us and strengthen us, to cause our witness to shine even brighter, and to draw us closer to Him.
What Jesus did through His death and resurrection to bring us salvation is something so very mysterious and beyond our human comprehension that we won’t be able to fully understand it until we’re liberated from the realm of the flesh into the spirit—and maybe not even then. However, every time we reflect on what Jesus did for each one of us—and for all of us—it renews our sense of reverence and awe.

Happy Easter, everybody!

--Brian Whyte

30!

2010-03-24T17:35:00.005+01:00

Well, it's a new decade! Hallelujah! During the days & weeks preceding this B'day, when thinking about the future, I had reservations..turning 30..Change Journey..still single (as in, unmarried)..

In light of the past decade of thrills/adventures/lives changed (mostly mine), etc. I wondered how the coming years could compare & I wondered if the best part of my life is really already done..

But man, is the fun just beginning..The Lord has been speaking to me via different sources (The Word, my loved ones) @ the possiblities the future holds..I'm pumped w/ ideas & I know that Change is gonna be THE adjective in my life this year & all the ideas that I have, if coupled w/ faith & God's power, WILL result (And if I was in Nigeria, I'd add: "IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JE-SUS!!).

But besides that, even just on account of the past & what I have in my life today, I have every cause to be happy.

Then on top of that, I received 70+ B'day greetings via Facebook, e-mail & phone this year..I was elated & felt, quite frankly, honored...

Thank you, God, for my family & my friends...Each of you mean the world to me..Yes, already at 30, I've lived a full & productive life. If I died today, I'd die happy. ;)Below are 2 of my favorite B'day greetings this year:

"Glad you are my son :) So nice to talk to you today Brian. And once more a very Happy Birthday. The sky is the limit this coming year, so let's go and get some piece of sky!! You can do it."

Guess who that was from?--Obviously my Mom..

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN! I PRAY THAT YOU HAD A TRULY BLESSED DAY!
You are such a wonderful young man, and we are so proud of you and love you very much.
We look forward to seeing you whenever you are able to visit. In the meantime, know that you are
in our prayers every day.

GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO WE!!!

Love, Hugs, and Kisses and many many blessings!
Auntie Darice, Uncle Julius, Stacie, Teri, and Julius Jr."

Kidnapped!

2010-03-22T14:35:00.003+01:00

In urgent need of prayer right now are 2 of my friends, Simon & Ikumi, currently in south of Nigeria. They've been taken hostage by who I do not know, but I know that they're in potentially huge danger. However I do have faith that the Lord will deliver them. I need all of you to join me in immediate & desperate prayer for ther safe & speedy deliverance.

I can only imagine the anguish & emotional turmoil that both of their families have undergone are currently undergoing.

I'm not sure all the politics involved, but I know that various militia groups have been operating in the Delta region of Nigeria where all the oil rigs are situated, targeting oil workers and or their loved ones as potential avenues of high high ransoms. At it's highest point, which I believe was late 2007, all foreign oil workers were evacuated from the country. Although the situation subsided somewhat, kidnappings have continued to occur since & the majority of both oil workers & expatriate workers in general in the Port Harcourt area usually travel w/ an or several armed escorts..

I know that the Family is conducting a large-scale medical camp in this area (as of today) & my guess is that Simon & Ikumi were somewhere in the interior driving between one place & another to do w/ the camp (possibly between the hotel & the camp site, or collecting supplies from somewhere) & either forgot to or didn't think to bring an armed escort & were accosted. These kidnappings usually occur at night. Whether or not this was the case this time, I'm not sure.

In any case, I know that prayer is the most powerful weapon we have.I pretty much have prayed for these 2 non-stop since getting this news, w/ a concentrated hour-long vigil held from 10:30-11:30 p.m. last night, & am also doing a 24-hour fast, which began from the moment I heard the news yesterday evening. If any of you out there do any of the above mentioned prayer methods, I know this will
help bring about their speedy release..

As I was praying I claimed many of the Psalms of David which I read throughout my prayer vigil. Psalm 17 in particular came alive in this situation, which reads:

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord,
Attend to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer wichi si not from decietful lips.

2 Let my vindication come from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

4 Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

5 Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.

6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me,
O God;
Incline Your ear to em ,and hear my sppech.

7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up agains them.

8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

9 From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.

11 They have surrounded us now in our steps;
They have set their eyes, crouching down to the eart,

13 Arise, O Lord,
Confront him, cast him down;
Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,

14 With Your hand from men, O Lord,
From men of the world who have their portion in this life...

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.--Psalm 17, NKJV

Thank you, everyone for praying..

In an unrelated note: It's my 30th Birthday today!

Zam so far!

2010-03-17T21:15:00.002+01:00

March 12th is Zambia’s national Youth Day. Our Lusaka team took the opportunity to hit the University with our song/drama combo to inspire & motivate any & all available “youths”…I was invited to participate..

The concept originally drawn-up by Simon who came here a couple weeks back with another team of young people who performed several skits including “Everything” & “The Four Horsemen”. Since I’m up here a couple weeks, we decided to carry on in the drama “vein” & a few of us copied a version we’d seen on video.
Although we didn’t have a huge audience (lot of ppl gone home for the holiday) It was definitely fun & something new & different for a lot of the 12 FS & Active members here..

Apart from performing dramas, Zambia has had its other sides of Adventure, w/ painting galore (house is getting a facelift), music & guitar lessons, conducting Bible studies, giving Menina English lessons, & some First Aid & GED studies thrown in there in my spare time (which I have surprisingly more of compared to in S.A.). Hoping the productivity continues..Pics to follow (once I’ve stacked up a bunch).

Zim/Zam...

2010-03-03T15:13:00.002+01:00

Hardly any Zim, really, but there was ring to the title (wasn't there?)..

I've been in Zambia @ 5 days now & will be here the rest of the month..

It's a loooooooooong story, but bascially my Nigerian visa didn't come through on time & I had already had an extension on my S.A. visa, so I wasn't able to extend it again w/out leaving the country, so...voila..here I am..

Spending a couple weeks with the team here & so far it's great..

The bus ride was long & grueling (albeit comfortable...confusing, I kno..)..we were 3 hours late in leaving (no, 4, actually..), and sat 5 hours at the Zim/Zam border waiting for "commercial goods" (of which none were mine, I assure you) to clear...

Anyways, it's been gr8 2 b back in my element--teaching 12 FS classes, meeting friends, exploring, learning about the local people, etc.

My current pryr/wish is to go Vic falls for my B'day...

Offline...

2010-02-23T19:52:00.003+01:00

my computer seems to have crashed..

still working on that one..

in other words, I'll be offline for a bit...

will be back in Nigeria as of Sunday, & then maybe I'll have more internet time/a workable computer situation by then...

so excuse my abscence...for now..

Tx! ;)

P.S. We had a wonderful fellowship for the Family International's 42nd anniversary the other Sunday at the Vine Lodge...it was great...2 bad there weren't any pics taken..that followed by a short but sweet little ''bash'' thereafter that went into the semi-wee hours of the night..not tooooo long though...most everyone had things the following Monday, so couldn't be up to late..

TIA

2010-02-17T17:42:00.002+01:00

hmmmm....

So I'm applying for my Nigerian visa, right? As I'm going next week...

In order to leave the country, my current S.A. extension on my visitor's pass has to come through first...

I set off to home affairs at 9 yesterday morning & after looking for a parking space for nearly half an hour & enduring another 12-15 minute walk to the office (that's how far down Pretorius street I parked), another 15 minute wait in line, they tell me that (and it had been more than 30 days): My visa is not ready.

"Try again in 2 weeks!"

"But I'm leaving the country in 2 weeks!"

"Ok, try next week!"

Wow. I'd even called ahead, but no one picked up...

I thought "Oh, well!" Let me at least be productive & go apply for my Nigerian visa, so as to save time...(the idea being that my Nigerian visa would be through by next week if the application was submitted yesterday) & I'd go collect my extension at Home Affairs next week..

Phone information told me that a) Visa applications were excepted between 10am & 2pm Tuesdays & Thursdays. b) forms were given at the embassy as the website was experiencing a problem (I wasn't able to view the visa forms earlier--or load the page at all for that matter..).

I rushed to find the place, not knowing that Rivonia Road was so long that it would take me all the way through Sandton & into Illovo (nearly an hour drive from the Pretoria office I'd just left). I was making good time: 1:15pm. Well--rushed time--but good time. I took my passport pics, printed the invitation letter & other needed documents, rushed to the embassy (I even left my car parked at the plaza & ran down the street to avoid going all the way to the parking booth in order to save "precious minutes"), got there at 1:30 only to find that "we have closed for the day! Office hours are between 10am & 1:00pm."

I'm like: uhhhh...oK..."well, can I at least have the forms & come back Thurday w/ them?"..

"There are no forms! You can only get them online!"

Woooowwww...so I had nearly wasted my whole day...but what can I say...This Is Africa..

I'm repeating said process tomorrow..please pray I have the right info/documentation in hand & that all goes well..

Tx soooooooooooo much!

Perspectives..

2010-02-02T20:53:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I saw a man getting beaten by the side of the road…

We’ll never know why...all I know is that the wickedness of man is reaching new proportions to the point that these things can carry on in broad daylight. But that’s not the saddest part. The saddest part is that I did nothing to help the situation. I, & no doubt, countless others, drove right on by… Granted, I just caught glimpse of the situation in my rear view & had to keep my eyes on the road. Granted, I was winding down a bit of a mountain road & had to watch very well what I was doing. Granted, by the time my faculties kicked in, so did the realization that the criminal may be armed. But by the time I got home a truer & grander realization kicked in: “Evil prospers when good men do nothing” (does anyone know who originally said that?). Now I know how true that is.

Thankfully communication with God is one reflex that I do have that did kick in immediately & I instantly prayed sincerely that God would do something to help that man. Approximately 240 seconds later a cop car drove past me towards the direction I’d just come from. I prayed again that God would send the police right by (after all it was on the side of the road) & that they would put a stop to what appeared to me a mini-terror that I’d barely witnessed. But if my reflexes were quicker still I would have honked/flashed my brights at the police, or turned around & gone towards them, flagged them down & told them where & when the crime was taking place & urged them to do something.

I have a lot to learn. But I’m praying for a faster mind, so that I can have the correct reflex at the correct time.

I trust that God is helping that man. Why? Because I prayed for him consecutively for the next 2 hours after I got home & I’ve prayed for him alternately since. I’ll keep praying for him.

But another realization still took place in my life because of that 4 second happening (my witnessing the event, that is)--and it produced a learning in my spirit. And that realization was concerning the suffering of so many Africans & so many people in the world in general. This man being beaten probably didn’t have money to pay the taxi & so the taxi driver pulled over & took it out on him. Or even worse, maybe he’d been picked up innocently & then been the subject of a hijack/burglary…with a beating (or is that the better case scenario?—I can’t figure).

Changing the subject slightly, our house help (newly acquired after Jacob & Gansan were slaughtered on the road 4 months ago) lost his daughter recently to heart trouble. She was 13. Probably due to lack of medication & proper health care, due to them being a low, low, low income family. The saddest part is that her father couldn’t even attend her funeral as he didn’t have the money to travel back to Malawi for the burial.

Where this story is actually going is to the point that I realized then that I complain a lot (yet another realization). Ironic because...I HAVE NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT!! I have a loving family, a beautiful girlfriend, a thrilling/adventurous lifestyle, A fulfilling calling, a God who cares for me, & what’s more, safety, good food, protection, full health…..Basically I lead a charmed life compared to so many. So many of us do. Yet we still find ought to gripe/bemoan the small things missing in our lives (inconsequentials, really, like summer sea-cruises, designer clothes, iphones, expensive cars, etc.). That’s changed for me. If I have to go back & scratch out all the other new Year’s resolutions & replace them with just one it would be this: in 2010 I will be thankful! I will not complain about anything this year & I will thank God for my many blessings.

Alright. There you have it. My new New Year’s resolution for 2010. Thank You God for all you’ve given me. You're the greatest. I love you!

New Year Goals!

2010-01-27T10:36:00.001+01:00

Some already enacted:

Am reading the Bible straight through for pretty much the first time ever..

Because I’ve started & stopped so many times, I decided to skip the first five books of Moses having read those 1000 times over (Genesis/Exodus particularly) & began from the book of Joshua this time. The Bible is one looooooooooong book, let me tell you right now. Been reading for 2 months (again, starting from Joshua) & I’m now only at Nehemiah chapter 10. Although, to be fair, I am a slow reader!

Continuing in my fitness vein, TTL! It seems it’s for life now. I’m learning to make do w/out a gym, and although I have gotten considerably smaller since leaving the comfort & regular regimen of my Dome Gym in Abuja, I’ve managed to keep frequent work-outs going with the current exercise equipment comprising of dip bars, pull-up bars &….the floor…which suits all other exercises (squats, push-ups, plank, calf-raise etc.). So I’m still happy & healthy…(won’t say happy & buff, but happy & healthy nonetheless)..

Am learning to say no. Said it a couple times recently, including a big no when I turned down a 4-week long road trip to instead extend my current visa internally which turned out a tough process & was pretty much down to the wire, but my application was accepted in the end & I learned the art of weighing up balances & the advantage of sometimes choosing the more immediately tedious option, to avoid an easier option that may take 5 times longer to reach the same result (in few words, sometimes it’s worth it to go through several days of intensity, if it avoids you weeks of slower work). Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced that?).

Putting on God’s mind:
This one still a work in progress, but it definitely feel great to be taking more time in meditation & prayer, going to the Lord w/ my questions, not being too busy for Him, praising Him more in my heart, reviewing the Word & key promises, keeping a spirit song in my head or playing on my phone. A great way to start the year! Like some kind of phenomenon, the more of God’s Word you get, the more you want…cool. Of all the goals, I hope this one I can truly keep up throughout the year.

3 10s...

2010-01-13T21:30:00.002+01:00

On the 10th of January 2010 I had my 10th Africa Anniversary..

I couldn't get online on the 10th, so am posting this now..So celebrate w/ me..

Let's c how many more their will be..well, I'll let you on to the simple fact that there won't be that many more, as I'll be moving at the end of this year..

but my history in Africa is certainly not in any way coming to a close..The future is bright & big w/ God's help..TYJ!

In other news, after 4 trips down-town Pretoria..at the last minute on the last day of my visa, they approved an extension for me, as I finally had all the right forms..(it's a loooong story w/ a long process)..Thank the Lord! I'm so thankful that it worked, as this way I didn't have to travel out..Hal!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-09T13:39:00.002+01:00

Wishing everyone out there a fantastic 2010! I had a GREAT C'mas & New Year's, btw...more details coming w/ pics..

First happenings of 2010: I stayed a few days at the Centurion Home while my team was down in Cape Town & we had a candlelight/New Year reflection..Here's what I came up w/..

Thankful for in 2009: Rebecca, Projects conducted in Nigeria & South Africa, lessons learned, survived a life-threatening car accident, FDTP, travels, visit w/ my family, PMA course & that I was able to be here for the graduation ceremony.

Goals for 2010: Embrace Change & be open to the new things the Lord has for me this year..Full Possession (in other words, a mind meld w/ God..to know Him & His Word better then ever, so I can do what He wants, not what I want).

Funny enough, one of my 2010 goals is to learn to say no. It seems simple enough, but I actually need that resolution as I too often do everyone else's wishes, without making sure it's right in my own life. Already managed a couple nos..and the year's just getting started..

New Year's promise:
(Message from Jesus, speaking on the Keys of the Kingdom:)
The power of the keys will never be broken. Within the keys lie all the power and energy and components you will ever need to build on your dreams and carry out My will.

Awesome.

Christmas after-thought..

2009-12-26T19:11:00.002+01:00

Got this from my Mom..

Good gifts for anyone to give..for the New Year as well, not only for Christmas..

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

2009-12-23T13:02:00.002+01:00

Below is the txt I sent w/ my C'mas e-card (or will send, when our connection is fixed..)to my friends in Nigeria...but the wish goes out to all of you just the same..:

Wishing you a relaxing & invigorating Christmas season & a thrilling New Year w/ Jesus..

My prayers are with you that this year will be a combination of your hopes & heart’s desires come true, as well as your destiny realized.

I’ll be praying for your health, safety & prosperity (those practical things that we all need) as well as for those of your family.

God willing, I’ll be seeing many of you sometime soon. Even though I haven’t been there w/ all of you over the last several months, I wanted to also say thank you again for your help & support to Family Care Eduvision’s missionary & humanitarian projects over the course of this year. May God continue to bless you & repay you for your generosity & kindness.

Merry Christmas,

Brian

Today's infostore quote..

2009-12-14T08:38:00.000+01:00

The humble are not afraid because they’ve already accepted that they are nothing, that they know nothing, and can do nothing without Me and without the love and help of others.
--Jesus

Euro pics!

2009-12-07T18:04:00.005+01:00

Had a great time w/ my fam in Europe..1 week in the UK, 1 week in Belgium..

My sister Lisa came down from Iceland & Phebe & her son, Dorian (who I met for the 1st time), came across the ocean from Atlanta(GA)..

Some photographical evidence follows:

Looking further..

2009-11-23T23:10:00.002+01:00

while out on my trip (just the 24 hour travel from S.A. to UK), apart from enjoyable flights & silly musings at the Cairo airport, I had a good look at a lot of people & noticed a few things..

--a lot of them looked very sad..many looked downright miserable..

--saw at least 3 people crying at different airports that day (I'm not talking about goodbyes)..I prayed for each of them that God would touch their lives & give them lasting happiness..

--saw a blind girl busking at the train station when I got off in West Dulwich..It was freezing cold that day, but there she was singing a rather pretty sounding opera & even smiling, although she couldn't see (or make a decent living)..

As I myself was exhausted (virtually sleepless night that first Jo'berg/Cairo flight), lugging around large suitcase up flights of stairs, juggling change, calls, tickets, oyster, etc. I didn't really stop for people that day, but more committed them to the Lord in prayer..

The conclusion is that it was yet another confirmation of the sad state of so many in the world today. It's all I can do to keep plodding along & try to encourage those I come across every day..(as I did only thru prayer that day)..it's no wonder I've chosen the life I have..

Random lounge thots conjured at Cairo airport...

2009-11-20T00:06:00.006+01:00

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(Tues morning, 17th of November)

After landing in Cairo (en route to London--don't ask) at 5:00 a.m., while having my breakfast at one of the airport cafeterias, I came up w/ the following:

--It’s roughly 5.20 Egyptian pounds to the dollar, if you wanted to know..

--On the back of the cafeteria crew’s t-shirts: “I’m here for you!” That just cracked me up. Why not something more tame like “I can help” (I guess Wal-Mart took that one)?..

--Was tempted to have “Egyptian sweets” but due to the fact that I’d sampled most of the same “varieties” at Small World (Lagos) earlier this year & felt like “food-food”, I Settled on Fresh strawberry juice & Ham & cheese Bagel (mouthwatering?)..Plus, how I could hurry to “dive” into the culture, when I hadn’t even left the airport?

--Is it too much to ask for a view of the pyramids while one dines on Egyptian goodies? Apparently. No such fortune for me. They’re probably not even visible from the airport at all, but I wouldn’t know, as, because I’m in transit, I’m only allowed in terminal 2.

--Irony: The internet (which is free) isn’t working in terminal 2 today. Only terminal’s 1 & 3. We have repairs & Murphy to thank for that.

--I noticed in the airport staff interactings that Egyptians are quite lively people. Similar to Italians, or Lebanese. I guess Egypt also sits on the Mediterranean.

--I shall have to return one day to see the many sites of my possible fore-fore-fore ("Are you through?" "Great-great Aunt!"--Tell me you got that..) fathers..

P.S. Egyptian music videos remind me of “Bollywood love songs”.

P.P.S. I hesitate to say Egyptian yet again, lest I turn it myself..

Drakensburg, oh Drakensburg..

2009-11-19T23:42:00.009+01:00

A small part of the gorgeous grounds we stayed on..

breathtaking Drakensburg area...

The hike:

No joke!--better sign!

myself, Tiago & Samuel...

Feeling the power of the mountain..
Feeling accomplished after our climb we "pause to pose" at the summit (well, near summit anyway)..

How to successfully become a horsewhisperer in 4 easy steps:

Step 1: Approach horse slowly--whispering!

Step 2: Stroke horse gently while whispering (even if only to yourself quietly--you MUST whisper).

Step 3: After having successfully befriended said whisperee, give it some grass to solidify the friendship (whispering at this point is optional..)

Step 4: If man/horse bond doesn't prove permanant, simply switch horses & start the "whisper" process from scratch.

Happy Whispering!

Finally..

2009-11-08T20:21:00.009+01:00

Leilani & myself..we were in the same group..

A casual photo shoot (is that one word?) by the "willow"..

w/ the PMA/CGO team getting my certificate...

Steve films while we enjoy the near sunset..

"Yaaaaaayyy!!!"...it's just the beginning, really..

Back online!

2009-11-07T21:54:00.002+01:00

Well, after almost 2 weeks of the phone line being down after being struck by lightning (long story), Telkom finally got in gear & restored the line..

So that means I can finally post those pics..but the connection's still a little slow & my computer's acting up slightly, so let's see how things go..

So much going on here in the last couple days. A lot of the ones usually around here travelled, so I'm the only driver right now, so if it's not pick-ups, then it's "drop-offs", or OR or FR or some other r..

Anyways, thus my abscence..(or former abscence rather..)..

Welcome back (he said to himself)!

PMA grad.

2009-10-18T12:55:00.002+01:00

The PMA (Professional Missionary Academy) 2009 semester came to a close by the last week of September..

The Africa students (of which I was proud to be one of) were treated to a week-long retreat & excursion/activity time..it was pretty far-out...

Pics coming soon..

Crash!

2009-10-12T21:42:00.003+01:00

You'll never know when your life can just end..

We lost dear Jacob & Gansan (our 2 faithful house-help, who were more like brothers in the Lord) after they were hit by a car the Saturday before last (9 days back)..

The suddenness of the event was such a shock to us all..

I'm telling you, your life & spirit will change when you lose someone. Now I'm contemplating life again & everything comes to focus, as far as what's worth living for & what's not. It makes you want to treat every day as a gift. You look at everything & everyone so differently.

Sorrow so has it's uses, I'm starting to see. You lean on Jesus & you appreciate your bretheren like never before.

Please pray for the families of these 2 (they both have a young wife & 2 small children each), that they'll be comforted & look to Heaven during this time.

pics..

2009-09-14T15:12:00.007+01:00

here's a few of our Cape Town Vacation..

The area where we stayed called the Victoria Wharf...a collection of hotels, restaurants, malls, etc. Our Hotel (called the Table Bay Hotel) was actually right on the waterfront & boasts the title of "Best destination on the Cape"..

complimentary wine served at our Table Bay Hotel rooms..

Bikini Beach..

relaxing over S.African beer/cider w/ a view of Gordon's Bay to our left..

Enjoying Turkish & Spanish Cuisine..

Gordon's Bay..

Cape Town!

2009-09-07T21:48:00.001+01:00

I'm here on a week vacation in Cape Town..

The Lord has done phenomenal things for us (details coming)..

I recommend every reader of this blog visit this place..it's simply aMAzing! The beauty is exquisite & it's like it's own kind of paradise...pics coming.

Talented?

2009-08-29T22:00:00.003+01:00

This taken from the e-mail just in from Celly:

To All Gauteng Homes from ASH I (Woodlands)
Re: Leo Party August 30th Sunday, 8:30pm, 18 on up.

Dear Gauteng Homes,

We hope you're well and happy and recovering nicely from flus, mumps, colds,
bumps and scratches of any kind.

We wanted to host a Leo party for our many awesome Leos in the area. To do
something a little different we wanted to make it a talent show so you have
a week to prepare something that you can do that others may, or may not know
about. Everyone must participate. You may have 2 others join you if you'd
like but no bigger than groups of 3 so that we can have a lot of variety and
avoid the whole home doing one thing.

Feel free to add props, costumes, stunt equipment and anything else that
will make this fun. If you ask the Lord what to do and put your heart into
it, it's going to be legendary! ;)
Due to our neighbours having a workday on Monday we'll need to keep the
volume down after 11. Thanks for your consideration of this.

We would like to charge 10 Rand for drinks (which will be provided) but if
you put enough effort into your talent, the charge will be waived.
The Leo's will be the judges and they will decide if you qualify!

Looking forward to seeing you all!

The Ash (Woodlands)

Let's see what I can come up w/?

Catalyst, 2009

2009-08-28T20:51:00.009+01:00

The DTP (Discipleship Training Program) for 17 year olds commenced satisfactorily & was a multi-faceted success, Thank the Lord!

Up from last FDTP on many fronts--The program itself had an upgrade, we had a better facility to host the program & between the 2, it seems the teens were better able to assimilate & process all the Word classes, Workshops & Vocational Studies given/provided.

With the Change Journey & Offensive programs, it was interesting to see the training of the Family given from a more professional stand-point, with thorough focus given on each of the different pillars & aspects of Family life & Missionary living...Not that these elements weren't represented before, but I guess with the latest vision imparted & shared by all the attendees even before the program started, it helped point "hit home" more this time, I feel..

Cool.

Enjoy the pics (placed in no special order)..

Staff & Attendees on the final day before the closing ceremony

All 14 Catalyst 2009 attendees

Dude corner

Gina, Andrew, Jenny, Mikey, Lisa & Sam

Some of the attendees during our first witnessing day...

During a Sunday "Braai" (S.A. word for grill/cookout/bbq)

The attendees came to certain VTs (Vocational Training classes) or Workshops dressed smartly, depending on the subject matter taught (i.e. business studies, Public Relations, CGO, etc.) Don't they wear it well?

Mark Merour--A sharp & studious individual...this guy's gonna go place. Look out world!

Almost there!

2009-08-16T21:06:00.001+01:00

As of tomorrow, we're heading into the last week of the FDTP..

After that I'll be back to blogging more regularly, as well as posting news/stories/testimonies of the program, etc. For now everything's jam-packed, as far as my days/work goes..

Til then, then! Stay tuned!

You're all in my prayers!

2 links.

2009-08-05T22:38:00.006+01:00

This being somewhat of a repeat of the last post..

..except I have 2 links that will enhance the points made on the last post..

-Anj extoled my sister, Lisa's virtues, coupled w/ a better B'day greeting than even I could've given at: http://whackywhazzo.blogspot.com/2009/08/lola.html

-for a full pictorial in daily Power-Point slides of the academy we're holding here in S.A. simply click on the following link http://thinkteen.familymembers.com (this one for missionary members only).

For everyone else, I'll soon be posting pics..(don't I always say that?).

FDTP 2009..

2009-08-02T21:57:00.003+01:00

Explains my abscence from this blog (Funny how I seem to use the same events that make my blog, as excuses for not blogging..)...

But we've just concluded the first week of the month-long "Family Discipleship Training Program" for 17 year olds..(a month long college course taken just before reaching the age of 18, that prepares individuals for missionary living in the Family International)..

Thanks to your prayers, it's gone great so far. I haven't posted pics, as I haven't shrunk any yet & the bandwith here in Laezonia's quite limited..but when I shrink, I shall post.

More soon!

P.S. It's still freezing.

P.P.S. Lisa turned 30 yesterday. Wow..we're no longer children..she's the second of my siblings to pass the 3 decade mark (she's gonna kill me for this) & I'm to join them next March. As they say, time waits for no one..heh..

I'm praying she has a wonderful year & I pray you all join me in praying for her (I pray you pray, heh). She's still serving the Lord in Iceland & is giving of herself every day in a VERY cold place. God bless her!

COLD!

2009-07-21T20:14:00.002+01:00

This is my 2nd "July-winter", but that doesn't make it easy..

Thanks be to God, we're starting the FDTP at the end of July this year, so we'll be going into August mainly, when it already starts warming up..

I suffer mainly first thing in the morning & again at night (only when going outside, my room has a heater, TG..). During the day it's still good & warm (although you'd never know by my eskimo outfit)..

Please help us pray that the Training Program for 17 year olds will be an immense inspiration & time of learning for them & us as well..

More prayer requests coming!

S.Africa!

2009-07-17T22:00:00.004+01:00

I arrived here safely this morning at 4:00 a.m. local time..(3:00 a.m. Nigerian time time) after a 5hr & 15 minute flight on Arik arilines...The plane & services were downright impressive..It was a nice, mostly empty flight, so I got to lay down as I slept, making the short 3 hour night rest I had just a little more comfortable..

Got through immigrations & had picked my luggage by 5:00 a.m. & by 6:30 I had had B'fast at Mugg & Bean & was already calling to let them know I'd arrived..Was picked u by 8:45...the aiport wait turning out to be nearly as long as my flight from Abuja, ha..

I miss Nigeria already..I'm here in & S.A. & I'll be here for a while..It's here at Plot 6, w/ the large grounds & 6 Rottweilers that I'll be spending the next month & a week preparing for & conducting the FDTP 2009. After that, there'll be a good few adventures here in S.A. to speak of that should take me at least through to the end of 2009...

I shall keep you posted..

A Miracle of Comfort & Healing

2009-07-10T22:06:00.005+01:00

This taken from the "Family Life" section of this month's 'Link' magazine (if you'll enjoy it half as much as I did, u'll walk away touched & inspired):

By Sherri, Mexico

Enrique is a friend who we've known for close to a year. He was interested in our work, and offered to donate some toys for one of our Christmas benefit programs. I had been trying to visit him since then, but it never seemed to work out.

I finally got through to him one day over the phone. When I asked him how he was doing he explained that his two-year-old son was having surgery the next morning for a tumor in his leg. He admitted to me that he was very scared, and I assured him that we would pray for his son.

We prayed that night and the next morning. When I called him to ask about the outcome of the operation, he sounded relieved, saying that everything had gone incredibly well and he thanked us for our prayers. We kept in touch over the next few weeks, and after the crisis was over I made an appointment to visit him.

When we arrived at his office he was waiting for us.

"Thank you so much for what you did for my son and me," were his first words.

We were a little confused as to what he was referring to, but thanked him and sat down.

He then explained to us why he had been so worried about his son's operation. The tumor had been sitting on top of a major artery in his son's leg, and the artery would have to be cut and then re-attached, an extremely high-risk procedure. It was so dangerous that they had sought out the best specialist in Mexico, and had brought him all the way from another city to perform the surgery.

The night after I called him the first time, he had gone out to eat at a little stand in his neighborhood. He was mulling over his worries as he ate, when two little boys of about six and ten years old sat down next to him and ordered one crepe for the two of them to share. He bought them some more food, and they began to talk.

"Do you have children?" the little boy asked him.

"Yes," he replied. "In fact my two-year-old is having surgery tomorrow."

"Tell your son that he is going to be okay," the boy replied.

Enrique thought that was a bit of a strange remark coming from a child, but agreed to pass on the message. As he got up to return home, the younger boy again called out after him, saying, "Tell your son that I'll be with him in the operating room tomorrow."

Enrique again thought that the child was very odd, but he was so preoccupied with his sadness and concern that he could spare no energy on trying to figure out the comment.

The next morning, as planned, his son was prepared for surgery. At 7:00 AM, as they were wheeling the little one away, he began to cry hysterically, "Daddy, don't leave me! Daddy, come with me!"

"I'll be with you soon, I promise."

Tears filled Enrique's eyes as he and his wife sat down to face the torturous wait.

It was supposed to take five or more hours, but after one hour and fifteen minutes the specialist came out, announcing that the operation was over, and had gone amazingly well.

"Go to your son," he said. "I have paperwork to do, but I need to talk to you, because something inexplicable has happened."

When the little boy awoke from the anesthesia his father joyfully whispered, "How are you? I was with you in the operating room, wasn't I?"

"No dad, you weren't," came the matter-of-fact reply, "but there was a little boy with me."

Enrique went pale.

He was still in shock when the specialist entered the room and got right to the point.

"You saw the test results, and so did I. They all showed that the tumor was wrapped around the artery. But when I went in this morning, the tumor had detached from the artery! It was only superficial, and very easy to remove. I don't know what happened, but it was a miracle."

At this point of the story telling Enrique had tears in his eyes, and so did we.

"You see," he concluded, his voice breaking a little, "those two little boys were angels. I went back to the neighborhood and asked around, and no one had ever seen or heard of them."

He felt that both these miracles were a result of our prayers, for which he was so grateful.

Suddenly composing himself, he sat up straight and said directly, "I've brought you here to find out how I can help you."

After a quick check-in with the Lord we presented our Home's needs: finances to help cover our monthly budget, funds for the construction of a new building for our humanitarian project, and a new fridge and freezer for our community. Without a moment's hesitation he agreed to cover all three needs, and took us out the same day to buy the two appliances.

Because we had shown concern for his needs, he was willing to help us with our own. But above and beyond all that, the Lord was concerned about him and his family, and showed it by performing a miracle of healing for his son and by sending two little angels to deliver a promise of protection and safekeeping.

Yankari/Lagos

2009-07-05T00:54:00.005+01:00

w/ friends we made at the park..we split the cost for this game drive..

Keeping up w/ tradition, I took Christina to Yankari National game reserve for 2 days.

Yankari was relaxing & invigorating in that whole "nature-dwelling" kinda way..Lagos was a good time of fellowship & was also Mary & my official farewell party hosted by Angela & the team there.

The day after we got back we took off to Lagos w/ most of our home to spend the wknd w/ the team down there.

Great fun, the whole week.

Just before swimming in the Wikki Warm Spring below...supposedly a constant 31 degrees celsius, but the water's cooled off considerably over the last decade..

W/ our guide, just after we got back from the Safari--the stick's to ward off Baboons..

Fish Eagle--taken near the river.

"wen he was a young wart-hog...wen I was a young Wart-Hooooooooooooooooog"...(not me, Pumba!)

Sis so far..

2009-06-14T21:09:00.008+01:00

Christina's been here a week & 3 days & so far we've:

--Walked the 8 kilometer span at the HASH, held along airport road, w/ a bbq after-dinner..

--Seen Strabag 8 times (at least)..(pool, drinks, etc.)

--Visited our schools & IT training centre in the making..

--Seen Angels & Demons at Abuja's one-&-only movie theatre at 'Ceddi Plaza'..

--Had brother/sister bonding over (and get this) an Indian dinner at a Japanese restaurant in Maitama..wow..(it was actually pretty good, tho..)

--Conducted a visitation project at Abuja School for Handicapped (just today, actually), which Christina herself largely sponsored. Tx, Stars!

--Were treated to a Mexican meal bought & cooked by Christina (w/ a bit of help frm her brother, but hey..), complete w/ some Brazilian drink for good measure..

More to come..

Enjoy the following pictorial (that's an order!).

Abuja 'Craft's village'

w/ some of our Primary students

Christina took this one

at our IT centre just finishing construction..

4 prayer points!

2009-06-03T18:58:00.003+01:00

Seeing as prayer is not the least we can do, but the most, I thought I'd get a little help frm God via some help frm my friends in cyber world..

I'd like to "kick-start" my month's blogging w/ the following prayer requests:

1) My sister Christina is visiting us here in Nigeria for 3 weeks starting Friday, June 5th. Please pray that her trip to Nigeria will be smooth/safe/enjoyable & that we'll have a wonderfully productive/fun/enjoyable time together..

2) On those same lines, one of the projects we'll be doing together will be at an orphanage/handicapped-center here in Abuja on Sunday, June 14th. Please help pray that the project will come together, including co-ordination between all the volunteers (different friends will be coming along) as well as supply of the goods we'll donate to the center.

3) I'd also like help in praying that my old computer will sell within the same 3 weeks. I'm off to S.A. in less than 6 wks & need to have my computer sold by then in order to purchase a new one when I get down there..

4) Lastly, let's all continue to uphold the victims of the Air France 447 crash in our prayers. I'm praying that those that have passed away will find peace, God's love & mercy in the next life & ultimately Heaven. I'm also praying that if their are survivors, they'll be found immediately.--That the Lord will also anoint the crew to find any clues as to why/how this happened, so that it can be prevented in the future. Will you join me?

Overhaul!

2009-05-24T22:54:00.002+01:00

This blog needs a bit of a make-over..

these r busy times (always), but I'll get around to it soon enough!

I always need change..Even bringing change to my physical surroundings/personal effects helps me have a sense of newness & variety...

who can relate?

An ode to a friend!

2009-05-20T22:49:00.003+01:00

There really are a lot of special people in my life & I'm thankful. I thank the Lord every day for my family & friends who brighten up my life & show me so love in so many ways..

But this time I want to highlight a certain friend of mine, that puts a twinkle in my eye....

some ppl are driven.

some ppl are motivated.

some ppl have conviction in what they do.

some ppl are dynamic.

some people want to change the world.

others actually take the time to step out & do it.

some ppl are good w/ ppl.

some ppl take the time for others & connect with their spirits to take them to a higher plain & to propel them further in life.

some people have a certain Joy & spunk to their character that makes you want to "have some of what they're having".

Very few people are all of these things together.

--Anjali is one of these people....

Any who know her can testify that she's charming, spunky, outgoing, solid in faith, a bellwhether & a good friend.

Anj, keep it up...the world can do w/ a few more like you..

Mom & Anj, Dulwich, London..taken last October sometime during my visit to Europe..

The prayer-miracle connection!

2009-04-29T22:09:00.002+01:00

Well, it went a little something like this..

About a year & a half ago, we submitted a request to an insurance company here, requesting sponsorship for any of our projects..we submitted a profile of our various programs & said something like "Requesting financial assistance towards the running of the programs run by FCEIS in the attached profile"...

Then last year, they expressed an interest & we brought another proposal with some specified dates & figures for the school project, as well as for the upcoming free health care projects in the South..

For what looked like endless months, we never got any reply..

Meanwhile, we'd also been praying for other donations to come through; some specific furniture items for the kids, more petrol contacts to run our vehicles & generator (electricity had been off more than on.), & a couple of other household needs....these too seemed to be taking months to come in..

Then the Lord showed us that we needed to target these items in prayer--specifically, fervently & regularly--so that's exactly what we did. Every day in devotions we claimed these things, then praised for having them already..

Within 2 weeks:

--2 petrol companies agreed to give us 300 litres of petrol a month
--another company gave desks for the kid's school room
--the insurance company that we'd approached & been discussing w/ since 2007, agreed to sponsor 175 of our school kids' fees for 2 terms..so that's for the rest of the year.

We're hooked on this new prayer method. You all should try it too.

IF

2009-04-23T21:03:00.002+01:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master,
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

In that case I think I'm finally growing up..Not quite there yet, tho..Life really is tough at times..exhilaratingly wonderful at others..But it's these extremes & learning to deal w/ them that make us who we are...do u all agree?

(P.S. the 2nd frm the last paragraph, seems to be @ the one I've mastered the most..how do you all fare?)

PMA!

2009-04-17T22:58:00.002+01:00

It's official..

I started the PMA (Professional Missionary Academy), 2009 semester this week..

I'm doing the Building A Flock course..

This feels really good, actually...I haven't done any intense college courses in at least 8 years..I did a part-time writing course in 2006, which was good fun..

This year's brought a few new things already...

let's see what else is in store..

TYJ!

Double do!

2009-04-10T18:01:00.013+01:00

Here's a few pics from my double B'day party, Sunday b4 last..

These were originally posted on my Facebook account..

I hope you enjoy them!

The project at the orphanage went very well & it felt good to be giving on my B'day for once instead of always expecting to get things for myself...the after party was a simpler event (due to just coming back from the orphanage), but I enjoyed it all the same.

most of us (BA staff & Family Care staff w/ some of the orphanage caretakers & the kids)..

with some of the kiddos..

Blowing out the candles..I know the pic below actually goes 1st..

Everybody singing for me..all I could do was clap along & smile..

.The after-party:

random snap of friends..

celebrate--doesn't it feel good to be pushin' 30?? hmmm...

Chloe decorating the 2nd cake of the day...both cakes were courtesy of Mary, as were the mini pizzas & other snacks served..she made the day as far as food went..

W/ 12 FS students, Amechi & Ekwa

Prayer requests for 2moro..

2009-03-28T22:33:00.003+01:00

Pls pray that:

--My B'day project will go very well & that we'll be a blessing to the kids at the orphanage...

--That I won't forget anything or leave out any details..(why do I choose to organize my own B'day..sigh..)

--That the after-party will go well & that a lot of ppl will come..

Coolio! Pics soon to follow..

Awesome!

2009-03-27T22:51:00.001+01:00

My Mom got this message from Jesus for me for my B'day..:

Happy Birthday My son. Your faithfulness amazes Me. Can something amaze me? Yes, when I see the love and adoration My children have for Me, it amazes Me and makes Me so happy. And you make Me happy, My darling. I’ve seen your battles, I’ve heard your cries and yet you’ve stuck to the job, feeling responsibility to your friends and co-workers, and the young people you have and are working with. Many look at your faithfulness, your sticktoitiveness and your love for Me. You might not think you make that much of a difference, but take it by faith, you do.
And one day in Heaven you’ll get to see the beautiful results of your pouring into others. Of course that’s only one of the wonderful things you’ll find out when you are Here, and it won’t be just dry stats, you’ll be able to see the smiling faces and the results of their lives, partly because of your influence on them. What a wonderful day that’ll be!
And what’s next for you, My darling? A great infusion and surge of My power as you lean on Me. This great anointing will allow you to do great and mighty things. Hold on, son, this will be the ride of your life.
One of your gifts is prayer, esp prayer for healing. Now make it your profession! There truly is power in prayer. Leave the results to Me, Brian. The desired results will come, but in My time. Some prayers will be answered right away, on the spot, in other situations it will take a bit longer.
That too will be awesome when you see the amazing and wonderful results when you are here in My Kingdom. Keep a notebook with prayer requests and the outcomes, as it will build up your faith to pray more and more.
“They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover” Mk 16:17,18 Review this verse often, you’ll need it.

My day!

2009-03-23T22:52:00.002+01:00

Literally..except it wasn't today, but yesterday..

I also share it w/ Jan & Janet in S.Africa..(as well as Spring of Godfrey & a couple others too..cool!)..

But it was good & relaxing..spent most of the day resting up from all my travels/partying..as well as recieving B'day calls from my family & friends...e-cards & txts thrown in..

Got about 35 Birthday greets on Facebook as well, so that was an added bonus..

Will celebrate this Sunday, w/ friends & a special project...(due to the fact that I didn't have time to plan/invite friends cuz of traveling)..

Stay tuned...;)

Longest time!

2009-03-19T17:24:00.011+01:00

since I'd seen some of my friends..

Haven't had much blogging time recently...hmmm...that's cause I've been PARTYING.../traveling..

My time in S.A. was adventurous, relaxing, sentimental (saw a lotta old friends), invigorating, insightful (lots of meetings, hearing from the Lord in prophecy about our various initiatives for the year), fun-filled, etc.

It had been a really long time since I'd seen some of these people..

Dan & Phoebe

Hadn't seen Phoebe in about 5 yrs & Dan in 6...was amazing to see them now married w/ 2 kids..wow..

Crit Pair & David Barker..

I saw David the year before last at the FDTP, but I hadn't seen Crit since he was about 4 or 5 & I was about 9 or 10...wow, a good 18/20 years ago..wow!

Sonia Turcotte

I hadn't seen Sonia in more than a decade...look how good she turned out..tx 4 the pic, Sonia..

Julia Buckle

Hadn't seen Julia in about 4 or 5 yrs...

A few for fun..soccer w/ Joy & Jed..Nikki (of Liz) & Marie (of Dom) were actually playing w/ us too..or rather I shld say I was playing w/ them, as I was the guest player..during this game Crit Pair broke his toe..heh..

w/ Suzy at Sara's goodbye..guess who we're dressed as?

At the pisces party...Each home came dressed as a different theme...if our pose didn't give our theme away, wld the clothes have?--Probably not!

Highlights last week!

2009-03-11T16:00:00.002+01:00

(almost in chronological order)

--Caught up w/ tons of old friends...

--Went personal witnessing w/ All Saints, AJ's & Phoebe's (JTs) homes at the university of Johannesburg & won 6 souls...awesome!

--Met new faces & spent time w/ old ones at Natalie-Ann's goodbye party at Dros...

--Found some killer deals at the Santon & Fourways malls...

--Went ice-skating for the 1st time in 14 years..

--Got to spend the wknd w/ Phoebe who I lived w/ for 3 years but hadn't seen in 5..

--Also happened to be Phoebe's 25th B'day, so got to party w/ her & Dan Saturday night & her & her home Sunday night..

--Had an awesomely rousing/inspiring Sunday fellowship w/ the Centurion Home..

This wk's highlights, as well as last wks pics soon to follow...

Hallelujah!

Alive!

2009-02-27T20:11:00.007+01:00

It was a day just like any other day, really..except it was better—to start with anyway.. I was excited to finally be going to the North again as it had been several months..we weren’t late—in fact we were on time, as the next set of girls would graduate from their tailoring course that week. On the one hand I felt on top of my game...On the other hand this was the first project to the North that I would conduct without Richard who just moved on to PH. That left a little apprehension as to how the project would go, but nothing that I felt too nervous about, as we’d prayed discussed & planned (all that good stuff).

Things went as planned at the Zaria center, with a slight adjustment. When we discovered that the 20 sewing machines that we had ordered from Kano for 2 centers (Zaria & Katsina) hadn’t all arrived, we decided to push back the Zaria ceremony that was originally meant to take place that day, till 10 days later, since the rest of the sewing machines were technically on their way to Zaria anyway.. This way, we’d take the 10 that were already there with us to Katsina (far North of Nigeria near the Nigeria/Niger border) as it would be a long time till we went that far North again (that’ll prove true), whereas Zaria is only 3 hours from our house…

After assessing the current needs of the old & new VVF wards in the Zaria hospital, we happily went on our way..

It must been about 11:30 when I awoke (first mistake—shouldn’t have been sleeping) to the sounds of tires screeching & the feeling of swerving…I had no idea what had just happened, but it was clear that something had caused Art to lose control of the truck..

I sat up & gripped the handle bar on my right side…Something was pulling us to the left & off the road..the tires scraping made it evident that the brakes were fully engaged.. One swerve & we were now on the complete right lane of the road…but instead of steadying, we now swerved till the back of the truck was facing where we should have been..we carried on swerving till we tipped off the side of the road--as the lane suddenly ended & there was a crooked, 2-foot drop--then flip, flip, & flip again.

Going through my mind at the time were a million thoughts in those 2 seconds, among which were whether I would come out of this alive, if I did which parts of me would be broken & if I didn’t, how how my family would take it, etc. etc. But out of all those 1 of these thoughts was actually processed & came out as a prayer; I shouted out : "LORD! I CALL ON THE POWER OF THE KEYS." We landed between 8-10 meters from the road & a good 45-50 from where we originally started swerving.. (it was later evidenced that when we hit a certain pothole, the left-front tire went, which is when said driver hit brakes hard & the swerving began...)

We stopped rolling (duh!) & I then realized that I was still sitting there, as was Art..we were alive! Not only that, we were ok! I got out of the car, to assess the damage & it was clear that the car had been pretty much totalled, as the roof had folded & torn, the back of the open cabin was in pieces with lights/fixtures shattered, as well as the actual cabin bent severely & the back door partially off...the actual frame of the car was severely "altered" as well & the two back passenger doors were bent/dented harshly...but funny enough the engine was intact..but it was only after assessing these damages that I stopped, looked down at my hands, then felt the back of my head (for blood), turned my neck side to side..felt my legs, wiggled my toes inside my shoes..I was completely ok! Art too! Not one injury on either of us...only an infinitesimal scratch on my right index finger & the smallest of bruises on my left pinkie..Amazing! I would say phenomenal, except for the fact that I know miracles happen every day.

But now I also know that I am one of them! I'm a walking/talking miracle & unless the above repeats any time soon & I don't survive it, I'll be saying that phrase for a long time...

I know that I'm alive today because of the prayers of my family, friends & loved ones..I owe u all the biggest of thanks! Prayer Power works.

I'll close this post w/ e-mails frm 2 of my sisters who brought key concepts that made me think more than just random thoughts about dieing as I flipped off the road in our ex-Nissan Frontier..

Are you back in Abuja yet? Write me, tell me stories..ILY. And am soooooooooooooooooooooo thankful you're alive..even tho Heaven would have been cool too..Ha. But that just shows you have a marvelous destiny to fulfill..mwahaha...looking forward to hearing the exciting stories of what it is. You can't survive something like that w/o a cool reason. TYJ. Wow. Amazing about dad's dream too, huh? It's weird how families are connected like that, no? What a miracle. Ok, WRITE ME!!!! Bye...wow, thank God I didn't have to say that for real. Ok, I love you. You know that right? But of course you do. I love you some more, brother of mine.--Lisa.

Hi everyone, Most of you may have already heard, but Brian was in a car accident about 2 days ago. The vehicle he (and the driver) were in, hit a pothole and flipped twice! Thankfully Brian and the driver came out without even any scratches! Thank God! that was a real miracle and I know that Brian is very thankful, as we all are!I just wanted to remind everyone to keep Brian in your prayers, and all of us! We need to keep eachother in our thoughts and prayers at all times, because you never know what each of us might be going through or needing at that moment.Brian, we love you and we're so glad you're okay!XXXTake care and be safe, ok. Lot's of love to all of you, Phebe

For Valentine's!

2009-02-14T23:23:00.005+01:00

3 things I like about Rebecca:

--Her Nigerian jokes are definitely original...they make me laugh..

--She's always bubbly & mostly laughing about something or other..

--She's relaxed & takes time to hang out w/ me..

Wouldda been cool 2 spend Valentines together, but I know you're having fun in S. Africa.. ;)..Happy Valentine!

Happy Valentine, everybody!

Skimping..

2009-02-08T19:14:00.005+01:00

wer: on this blog
wen: soon
why: see below

how does the following read to you?

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would live & work a full decade in Africa. I never thought that the land where great deserts spread, & jungles thrive would also be a source of adventure & excitiment in my life.. I had no idea that I would befriend members of the Lunda , Karimojong & Teuso tribes. Nor did I know I would walk the same paths as Livingstone, Stanley & Mary Slessor. I had no idea that the Nile River would be mere miles from my home. I had no idea that I would be an aid to street kids & a mentor to prison inmates…But what I really would never have seen coming was that I would one day grow to call Africa “home”. But all that & so much more took place..

Due to my short memory, I know that I could never recall half of what went on during all those years. No doubt, many a classic moment, exciting tale, or stirring scene have fallen through the sieve of lost memories…but what I do remember is still more than enough to fill a big book & I certainly have had enough Adventure to last an entire Lifetime..

Yup, a book by the same title as this blog..and full it will be...of course time to write it is another thing...which is why I'm gonna have to cut in certain areas..this blog being one of them..but i'll still be around...just w/ less frequency..;)

4 kid sis..

2009-02-03T22:51:00.005+01:00

Christina w/ her boyfriend...taken at our family Reunion last September...

Granted, her B'day was yesterday, but internet was too slow to benefit...

So I called her up instead & we had a good 1/2 hr chat..

Happy B'day, Christina!

I'm wishing her a great one & I know she's gonna get it...especially cuz she'll be visiting me here in June! YEAH! That's gonna be great!!

See you then, sis..

LY..

this one for old time's sake...(I even left the date on it..)

Changes!

2009-01-30T19:18:00.002+01:00

They're obviously good for us..

The New Year is such a good time to grow, take stock of life, see where you're going, stretch, think outside the box..etc.

Besides the big changes I'd like to see (I'm being evasive on purpose), I'd like to change a lot of little things about myself; how I relate to people on this blog, for instance..I've been so busy relaying news (which of course is the most interesting), that I've not taken time to express myself about myself...not droning on & on w/ senseless "self-talk", but more like sharing a life-lesson that might help someone else who's going thru the same thing, or give a bit of advice that may help someone avoid making a certain mistake I may have made...being deep, basically..

2 of my friends I link to, have done a good job of that of late..

check it:http://whackywhazzo.blogspot.com posts titled God's Setups, Happy Ending New Beginning..
http://notcheaperbythedozen.blogspot.com posts titled Quote for Life, Puzzle Pieces..

Inauguration of America's 1st black president!

2009-01-22T19:18:00.002+01:00

Well I saw the speech a day late (yesterday), but that didn't make it any less monumental...

here's what I viewed (let's see if this works)..click below..

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=11631215

9th Africa Anniversary!

2009-01-10T19:59:00.006+01:00

I can hardly believe it..

Looks like this one may be the last..(more on that in another post)..

But, yeah, TTL, I made it through another year of missionary challenges in Africa...awesome!

Here's a pic or 2 of last night's happenings...our friend refurbished & subsequently re-opened his club called Soho..the new improved version is tons-a-fun, as u can c...

Jummai & I...(that rhymes..oops..)

w/ new friends...(friend's of the B'day girl..)..fun..

Art, Myself & Anisa, w/ friends..

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-01T21:33:00.008+01:00

Let me welcome you all to the New Year by sharing with you some of the txt messages I got from my friends throughout Nigeria yesterday & today...(each typed up exactly as appeared on my phone..) enjoy!

Hapi new yr!
Wishin u a blessed yr, God wil perfect his divine wil in ur life, laughter n joy ll be ur companion always n may ur dreams cm true!

Hi, dear,
I don't know what 2009 holds 4 u - but I kno HIM who holds 2009 _ He Whose Arms protects, Whose Help Assures, Whose Wisdom Guides, Whose Words...

GRACE. ABILITY. KNOWLEDGE. FORTUNE. WISDOM. SPEED. ACCURACY. A 7-fold increase. Brace yourself! Raise the Praise! Accept my congratulations! It's your wonderful 2009!

I may need help to understand this one:

Get up&open d tap how many drop of water can u count? So shal ur blesings be dis NEW YEAR, becos it's ur yr of recovery & U SHAL TAKE BACK UR POSESSION amen

concentrate 4 this one...

Where d eagles fear u'l dare, whre odas fail u'l suceed, d sky shl b ur springboard & d LORD shl be ur strngth. Welcome 2d LIGHT of ur horizon. hapi new yr.

This one a cute concept, I thot:

Welcome on board December Airways, U are on boeing 031 days and we'll be flying @ 100 degrees success & 30,000 ft above failure. Tighten ur seat belt & relax as we r about to take off with Capt Jesus in d cockpit. U &* ur's will surely land safely @ 2009 airport. Bon Voyage!

Finally the classic of all.. this one sent to Mary by one of the doctors that participated in 2 of our medical camps last year..:

May u live long like corruption in Nig. May ur blessings increase like fuel price in Nig. May ur generosity spread like poverty in Nig. May ur enemies fall like Naira against d Dollar. May ur happiness rise like unemployment in Nig. May u move freely like criminals in Nig. May u never fail like P.H.C.N. and may all our prayers be accepted like election riggin in Nig. I wish u a better 2009.

Vacation!

2008-12-30T22:44:00.002+01:00

At Sheraton hotel for a week...all donated, TTL!

We're all here for a good relaxing break...as a result I won't be online as much..

c u all wen I get back..

Happy New Year in advance! May it be your most significant ever!!

Love to all..

P.S. Pray for the people of Palestine & Israel, who many of which will not be having a "Happy New Year"..they need our desperate prayers..

Christmas!

2008-12-26T14:41:00.005+01:00

Highlights:

--Had friends over for Christmas Eve..Soup, starters, Turkey, Stuffed pork-roll, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce etc. etc..the works..ended with Christmas stories, Caroling & partying..

--Mary got me an office chair for my Christmas gift..(we all picked names out of a hat & I got Mary & Mary picked me..heh..)

gift frm Abner /Anisa

--Then another Christmas dinner on 25th..

--Got to call all of my family & even a few friends in Iceland, Madagascar, etc. that was a special Christmas gift (from me to me).

--My U. Julius is back from Iraq & he's not going again!!!!!...that was such an answer to prayer that he got back safely & is home for good..

Kai! My uncle Julius fought in the Gulf war in the early 90s & now in Iraq..Obama better give him some kind of award..he deserves it..

Benefit!

2008-12-21T17:18:00.012+01:00

Held on the 15th of December as planned (Thank God)..

Due to the fact that we were largely last-minute, slightly disorganized (we tried, but it was our first benefit dinner as a home) we thus relied heavily on the Lord...and it was a large success..

Held at the Nicon Luxury hotel here in Abuja, with about 250 or so guests invited, some of our program's features included:

-Buffet dinner
-Power-point presentation/speech showcasing FCEIS projects conducted during the course of 2008

-Shows by our own talented performers, Abner/Anisa/Kids & our Guest performers, Simon & his daughters Jenny & Lisa..

-Guest speakers

-A raffle to finish off where we raffled off a good variety of quality prizes all donated by various companies & stores throughout Abuja..

My part was the emceeing, as well as hosting the raffle...but of course there were all the in-between bits (that I probably should've skipped out on..heh..) like greeting, picture-taking, filming, selling tickets, tools, etc. that kept me thoroughly running around the entire time ...
but all efforts worth it, as the turn out was good (between 120 & 150), people were happy with the program, a good witness went out & we were able to raise a hefty sum for next year's projects..

Thankfully Josh came up from Lagos & brought his SLR to take some good shots that my little Konica would never have managed...

Enjoy the following..in no particular order:

w/ some of the attendees picking up their "Christmas goodies" after the show..

Lisa, Josh & Simon (far right) with some of our friends..

Sam & Christina (who perform at hotels as a duo) stepped in to add a Christmas Lounge feel to the whole thing...

I got Ang to help me with the raffle, she did the "shake" of the ticket bag..

Then I'd call up one of the attendees to pull the winning number..that way there was no chance of rigging...

Then it got more complex...I was stumbling through my prize giving, calling people up stage, naming the gifts raffled as well as the sponsors, yaddyadda,...about half the prizes were actually gift vouchers from different stores, worth from about $50 to about $500 in the case of the higher ones...anyways, all my vouchers were all bunched up in my hand & I started stumbling over myself, slightly...so then Richard came up & started organizing the vouchers on the table next to me..
so by the end Ang would do the shake, then a guest would come up & draw the number, then the winner would come up & the person who drew the number would help Richard hand them their prize...thus I exceeeded my stumbling & in the end we had it down to a finery art..

Anisa w/ 2 of her beautiful daughters..

Josh & Mary sporting their wears..

Christmas so far!

2008-12-08T14:22:00.012+01:00

In full swing, really..

Because a lot of (most, actually) the expats go home for Christmas, they do their company events & official Christmas parties early in December...

Our school also closed for the year on the 6th, so we had our year-end party & Cultural day for them then..complete with lunch, C'mas gifts & raffle (all thanks to our many wonderfully generous & kind-hearted sponsors)..

At the Berger Christmas Bazaar on the last Saturday of November..Notice the German Gluwien (I'm sure it's spelled wrong...correct me, Germans..) in my hand...while Mary looks on enjoying Dutch Heineken (loved equally by Germans, obviously)..

Sampling sweet potatoes in coconut milk at the Thai food stand (at least that's what the sign said)...it sounds bad, but it was surprisingly "delightful"..of course, out of theme with the German saugage stand that had about a 3-mile cue behind it...forget it, right?

..But hey, for all I know i was correctly in theme with a traditional Thai C'mas...Any Thai's out there to concur with or deny this speculation?

The 'Secondary School Singers' group perform an accapela of the '12 days of Christmas'..they were pretty good actually..

One of the Primary groups perform a cultural dance

Proud parents enjoying the show..

w/ Mary, a friend, & Arturo at the PW Christmas party last Saturday..(PW is an Irish construction company that have been supporting our projects for the last 4 or 5 years at least.. every year they put up a great Christmas party complete with full traditional C'mas dinner & even Irish cider (sported above) this was my 3rd PW C'mas party, and I'd say the best as far as the actual partying, although last year's food was better (this year they had less of a spread and the abscence of home-made desserts, due to a lot of the wives traveling out early)...

Look how big she's getting? Unfortunately for her, not quite big enough for Irish Cider...a couple more years, Chloe...

Chloe & Mary doin' the "Booty-Bang"..we got to some serious dancing after the kids left, but hey, no one to take pics then..so i'll leave u w/ this lovely shot..

Back in Nigeria!

2008-12-01T23:41:00.002+01:00

Have been back since the 25th...

I anticipated it being a lot rougher to get back in the swing of things after being gone so long..

But all anxieties wasted as it's been great fun getting right in there & enjoying the Christmas push/Nigerian everything again...the timing is good..

The main thing I had to adjust to was the heat/humidity in Lagos & then the heat/dryness/hamatan here in Abuja...this resulted in about 5 or so sleepless nights & a bit of scratchy throat, but the Lord's working all that out too...Hal!

Some big events coming up here over the course of the month...

Stay tuned...

Sam Krome's goodbye!

2008-11-11T18:22:00.004+01:00

Sam was off to Mex (made it there safely by now, DV)..so that was all the excuse I needed to go & "hang" w/ my friends at the Phoenix home...coolness..

The "Foozball" table competed seriously for our time & attention with the snack table (pic 2)..of course, the snack table won..

I think Prem beat me...actually..ok...I don't remember..

Kate & DJ

Check out my "strongbow" tower...Chris kept knocking it down..but thru the keys of perserverance I insisted on it staying up...

Kate, Heather & I..

w/ Heidi sporting her beautiful smile..

Of course, not leaving out Mr. Krome, who the whole party was for...have fun in Mex, man...GB!

History re-written!

2008-11-05T15:20:00.002+01:00

It is a big day for America, isn't it?

The fact is that whatever the future now holds, as everyone's saying, this was a "historic election".

We haven't hooked up the TV yet, so I only caught the news of Obama's victory online..ha. It's gonna be quite something...

I agree that Obama is an excellent speaker...time will tell if his actions truly match up, tho...

Like I said...history re-written...

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20081105/twl-us-elects-obama-as-its-first-black-p-2802f3e.html

London, Baby, Yeah!

2008-11-04T18:03:00.009+01:00

(Post title said in an Austin Powers accent..re-read w/ that in mind)

This one posted from the nearest library, as Mom's new place doesn't have interet...yet!

That serving as the official notice that the request I solicited prayer help for the other day (2 posts back) came through...Hal! Mom got her new place (pics soon)..

Also, my new passport arrived like, 2 or 3 days after I posted the prayer request...cool..

Enjoy the following random pics over the last couple weeks (I wonder how many thousand times I've said that since the inception of this blog)

Somehow this computer doesn't load blogger fully, so I'm having a hard time working on this..captions will have to wait..if you can decipher what's what, tho..do comment & we'll c if u'r right...ha.

Sure enough, Anj got it right! C 1st comment in 'comments' box for captions...i'm adding a few more, but to be fair to her well-named captions, I'll put the next batch under here...(except I put up another pic in the beginning...stay tuned for Anj's caption for that one 2...heh..)

last 2 pics: At Kennington Park with Mom, Petra & Sarah, after above said happening, which Anj will caption for us...(small snickers ensue...)

More than I bargained for...

2008-10-30T00:08:00.002+01:00

It SNOWED last night....hmmmm...

As I was waiting for my train to London from Portsmouth, despite the fact that I was pretty "well-wrapped", it was so cold that I had to walk up and down the track platform to keep from freezing..then as I got off my train at Waterloo I saw everybody walking in the station shaking & brushing stuff off their shoulders half in disbelief...I looked out the station door & could not believe my eyes...thankfully none of it stuck & that extremely cold front has blown off now...

It shouldn't be snowing in London now!!! It's October, for God's sakes..

Autumn!

2008-10-23T22:18:00.026+01:00

It's been about 6 years since I saw Autumn...actually, no..I saw a bit before I left the UK to Nigeria (2 years ago)...

In any case, it's a season of such color & variety in the nature...since London has so many parks & so MANY magnificent trees, Autumn is extra beautiful here..

These taken just the other day at Kennigton park--enjoy! (thank you Photoshop)...

2 prayer requests!

2008-10-22T20:12:00.003+01:00

Getting my passport renewed was a major run-around due to the American Embassy requiring not only a mail-in application (since it was a standard renewal, doing it in person was not an option) but extremely restricted payment options, not to mention the selective passport photo locations which I had to travel far for...big headache..

After running around for a week trying to buy an international money order, which had to be in dollars, but which every British monetary institution would only issue in pounds (figures, we are in "Pound land"), I was able to complete all the requirements & pay via a friend's credit card, Hal!

Prayer request 1: Now I need help in praying that my new passport will arrive back here in the UK within the 2 week time-frame that it's meant to, which will be well in time for me to travel.

2nd prayer request: (& the more important one, obviously) is that my Mom will be moving house--just where she'll be moving is not yet confirmed. Though she does have a house that she's claiming by faith, she's still not sure whether or not she'll get it.

Please pray, claiming the keys of supply & timing, that the real estate agent will confirm this week that she can have the house & that next week we'll be able to start the move.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!--Much appreciated!

Belgium!

2008-10-18T20:43:00.012+01:00

Spent about a week in Belgium with...well my whole family apart from Phebe and her sister..including my Dad, & meeting his new wife & kids for the first time...
In random order:

Brunch at Stein & Gunther's...

Falling in the lake after volleyball at one of Belgium's largest parks "De Ster"...this was going waaaaaay back down memory lane...back in the day we used to meet here for area fellowships during the summer months from when I was like 15-18...I'm gonna try to get my hands on some of those archaic shots & post..

Saturday night out with the Maurits & Ms. Kempeneer...Photo by John..

Left Janet's eyes red for the effect..

w/ Nina Maurits...back at her place, she teasingly asked me to show her my "moves"...that resulted in some serious "shakin' " on the hip-hop floor...we all got our exercise for the week between 1 & 4 that morning..

Don't mind the quality of these next ones..these were taken from my sisters still & then I snapped them with my digital...

Dinner at Dad's...he was doing curry, but threw in some fried chicken for old times sake..
Emilio entertains Christina...probably w/ a story...

Tina's Abuja post!

2008-10-15T22:53:00.002+01:00

I don't actually have the URL to this post, as it's Tina's blog, but if you click on the 3rd link in my 'Friends in Far-Out Places' section on the right side of this page titled "Tina-Jungle Rumblings", you'll get a good bit of insight into our home & work from "supervisor's persepective"...The post about us specifially is currently the 3rd from the top & is titled "Abuja, Nigeria".

Enjoy!

It was actually really good seeing Tina again, even tho I only got to speak to her for about 10 seconds, as I had to dash out & buy my ticket & I flew out to London the same day. Ironic. But it was nice of the Lord to work it out for us to see each other briefly after 2 years...cool..

Uplook!

2008-10-11T21:04:00.006+01:00

In light of the recent economic crash & the seemingly imminent meltdown, this article I'm writing for activated may be a comfort. The following is likely to feature in an activated magazine sometime in 2009.

Enjoy the "rough" for now..

THE UPLOOK!

A good friend of mine once said “even when all is bleak around you, you can always look up”. What a true statement. Indeed there is always a way that we can be positive in the midst of adversity, however hard it may be to do so. The sky is no limit for someone who needs a new vision. Blindness should be the only hamper for not viewing the sky.

Time & again I’ve found in my life that when I was so absorbed in the moment of loss, anger, sickness, financial difficulty, or whatever my current “frustration” was, I had failed to take comfort in the fact that God had a future for me & that whatever today brings, we always have tomorrow. Sometimes that’s the only key: looking ahead to the future. Similar to how at times our only outlook may be an uplook, sometimes the best way to make it through the present is to look to tomorrow.

But don’t limit yourself to just looking at tomorrow--think beyond that. Rejoice in the fact that if you have Jesus in your heart, he’s given you eternal life. Then, after you’ve taken heart in that fact, educate yourself as to what that means for you. Refresh your mind & heart with the passages on Heaven in the Bible & rest in the promise of that which is to come. (see Revelations 21 & 22; 1st Corinthians 13:21) Instruct your heart with the vision of the future promised to you by Jesus that will result from your bond with him, your faithfulness to Him &, yes, even your suffering w/ Him—“If we suffer, we will also reign with him.” (2 Timothy 2: 12; Romans 8:17 & 18; 1 Timothy 4: 10)

Taking your heart to Him in prayer can also help you overcome the moment of distress, anguish, heartbreak, or loneliness, or the seeming failure you may be facing. There are so many ways to let our souls fly free from our undergoing troubles if we can learn to see things through the eyes of the Spirit. Remembering that we are spiritual beings housed in physical bodies can help us to search for spiritual solutions to our seemingly “physical” problems. Knowing full-well that we can rest in Jesus at any time & that we have His love unconditionally, can actually be a spiritual “life-saver”.

Many times when I seem to find no solution to my present problem, the one thing that pulls me through is just meditating on the magnitude, depth & personality of Jesus’ love for me. This always pulls me through--at least for that moment. And then if I can’t seem to find any other good in that moment…Well, I can always look up to the sky, focus on Jesus' love & remember that at least I have tomorrow. 'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.'

Reunie!

2008-10-05T12:14:00.015+01:00

We hebben een hele leuke tijd gehad in het midden van de boederijen van (hoe heet die plaats alweer?..oh, Nijverdal..) Wij waren lekker gewoon op onszelf...of dat denk je dan wanneer je van de "Velzeboer Reunie" hoort, tot dat je nog en keer kijkt, dan zie je dat we eigenlijk en heel nieuw en groter team zijn met al de "aanhang" die er de laatse 6 of 7 jaren of zo bij zijn gekomen. Dat was natuurlijk geen nieuws voor idereen, maar voor mij was dit de eerste Reunie sinds een jaar of 10. Tuurlijk heb ik m'n nichten & neven door de jaren heen gezien met een bezoekje hier of daar met ma, en ik ben nog een keertje zelf bij Oma geweest in het jaar 2005 of zo..maar verder niks. Dus deze reunie was niet alleen heel speciaal, maar haalde ook veel herinneringen op bij mij.

Dus...geniet van de fotos & de korte uitleg erbij. :

This bonfire doubled as both "Cousin bonding" & "Operation-Cold-Escape".

Enjoying "volleyball tournament"..

Thrashing my sister in ping-pong, after thrashing both Matthijs & Nando...ha! (actually she did beat me on this match)

during "quiz night"...this was quite fun actually...Aram & Roy (seated at the high seats) compiled a bunch of questions that we'd all asked seperately on different forms...then they divided us in teams & we all had to try to answer the combined questions correctly... this pic also showcases how nicely my sis, Christina, (far right) did the party decor..

Helping Oma get to her multiple cakes as we celebrate her 90th B'day...

the "briefing" before the "shooting"...it's just as well that I'd already gone paintballing before, as this guy's "Nederlandse uitleg was toch een beetje te snel voor mij" & I only understood about half of it..heh..Aram kept translating for me..

going back in for the final chase...in "sudden death" see comment box for the rest of that story..

we'll get the shap-shap official photos taken at the photoshoot sent to us soon...then I'll post again.

click on the following url for more pics taken by Matthijs of Ilona..

http://picasaweb.google.nl/M.Lindeijer/FamilieWeekend#

Flights..& making it to Holland in 1 peice!

2008-10-03T14:48:00.003+01:00

I have this thing for posting what’s current & in the immediate now… so usually when I miss something that’s happened, even by a week or a couple days, I just skip. But I’m gonna back track for a change...as my friend Anj recently said “change is good”).

My flight was definitely eventful, so I’ll mention moments most noteworthy.
The most noteworthy part being that I flew the same day I booked & bought my ticket (talk about last minute) which was a miracle in itself—I’ve honestly never done that in my life.

For months I’d been preparing (22 months in prayer, knowledge, mental preparation—2 & a half months raising funds for my trip/ticketing etc.) for a family reunion on my Mom’s side that was to take place from the 26th to the 28th of September this year. Until the same day I flew out (2 days before the reunion—there’s that number again) I was banking on a donated ticket by a helpful chap who had helped bring about 3 donated tickets for our other volunteers earlier this year.
When I found out that from his side I wouldn’t be able to make the free flight the same week of the reunion, I immediately went & bought another ticket, which my solicited donations in the past 2 months just “happened” to cover.. Ha!--Another miracle. 3rd miracle was that originally there was no flight with the same airline from Abuja to Lagos for that day & I would’ve had to buy yet another flight with a different airline & paid yet another transfer fee for a taxi between domestic & international airports in Lagos. But there was a little 1 hour margin of time when I went back to the house to pick up the rest of the money to pay for my flight, and in that time, an economy class seat cleared on the 4:00 flight for the same airline that would connect me for free to the other airport & with which I’d fly to London (Virgin Atlantic).

My flight was uneventful for the most part. But then again-- …..There’s just something about the safety procedures before every international flight that are just so routine, but at the same time, I make a conscious effort to tune in each & every time. I will not even get into quoting all the safety regulations, as my fingers won’t allow..but basically a quick run-down on the seat belt, oxygen mask & in-seat button uses…then on to a little run-down of where the emergency exits are, as well as how to use them and the emergency slides, and how to adopt the brace position in case of a crash landing. Then a little more about how we can’t use any electronic…ok, you know the rest.

Back to my story.

I was glad that I was able to fully absorb for about the 120th time the repeated safety procedures before the flight, but when we hit a 10 minute turbulence so hard that I would’ve left my seat had my seatbelt been on (to put this in perspective, just imagine yourself on a night flight rocking & reeling about 8,000 feet in the air—pretty scary), I was sure glad that I had prayed a serious prayer for the whole flight, the pilot, every part of the plane claiming the keys & the help of any & all travel angels I knew. Wow! Came in handy!

Anyway, we made it in one piece…which was the good news..I landed at Gatwick by 6 in the morning, met up with my Mom & them by 10 & connected by bus to Breda (Holland) with Eurolines by 8 that evening after a quick jog in Kennington Park, a nap, and a haircut...

and that's the full run-down...

Reunion post next..stay tuned...