1st Nigerian anniversary...

The 6th of October was my first living-in-Nigeria anniversary...that went quick...

I thought I'd celebrate with...can you guess??...yup..pics..

Today we particapted in a Charity Walk by Unicef which was hosted by the Sheraton Hotel titled Check Out For Children...apparantly it's an iternational Charity Walk held annually in a bunch of places over the last 11 years in partnership between Unicef & Starwood Hotels...
click on the link at end of post for more info...

10 students, with a teacher & some of our organization's volunteers were invited to attend...what that meant for us was participating in a 7 kilometer walk, and then back to the Hotel for speeches, acknowledgements, refreshments, entertaiment, etc. There was also a raffle, which we didn't buy tickets to, but some people even won free trips to Europe with KLM...



with some of the 8 students & one of the teachers during the Check out for Children walk...




Anisa, fully supporting the Charity action...


Michelle, myself, teacher & students, Anisa...


With the three mascots...

awar...

That's for abscence with a reason....

I'll be off this blog for the next week or so, as I'm working on setting up a new blog for the young people in my area....

I shall return....

Jos Bible Camp!

Just returned the day b4 yesterday from Plateau State, about 3 states up north-east of Abuja, where we held a 4-day Bible seminar for a small Discipleship group in a city called Jos. Pictured above is the quaint little hotel that we held the seminar at...

Now I can see why missionaries always traveled to Jos over the years as the temperature, climate & scenery are ideal (even when in the States earlier this year, while we were holding a missionary living class for Sunday School group of Third Graders at a Baptist Church, the pastor told me about his visit to "Josh" in the 70s & how he liked it so much....I corrected him once or twice saying that the name of the place was in fact 'Jos', but after about the 4th or 5th enthusiastic repeat offense of the word "Josh", I gave up...)...around this time of year (nearing the end of rainy season) the outskirts of town are just covered with greenery & flowers.

But, yeah, there's just something about teaching God's word to a group of hungry souls for nearly a week straight. I swear it's the ultimate therapy (& I don't swear).
My next swear is that the 12 Foundation Stones Course is about the most
inspiring Bible Guide ever put together. It brings the Bible alive unlike
NOTHING I have ever read before. With it's insertion of true-life stories, lively skits, discussions & practical steps for direct application, this course not only enables, but leaves the student with an ornate desire to get out & do everything for God & fellow man that they can...That thing is so anointed & I believe that
that was the cause of half the fun I had over the last 5 days.

Besides the 6 classes taught, we also enjoyed inspirations, Loving Jesus night, volleyball & a movie together (Pay it Forward, which went right along with your witnessing/change the world class...Awesome!)

Enjoy the following pictorial (all pics by me, unless I'm in them...go figure..):


Simon teaching the Eternal Salvation class...


Enjoying a meal of Semovita (maize starch) Egusi soup & Beef Stew...it was actually really good...


All of us, minus Paul (our Active Member who had to travel the day b4)on the last day


The cute girls who attended our seminar: Biara, Grace & Pamela


Jos' flowery hills...


I have no idea what type flower this is, but they were everywhere & they were pretty.

The Miracle Motor!

Quite literally, actually...

Referring to the car story you've all been waiting for...(correct me if I'm wrong (someone I live with, that is...)). To my knowledge, the story goes something like this:

We have a long-time friend who helps regularly with large donations towards our projects & also every now & then with specific requests. He's also the one that just gave us the use of his house in Jos when we held our Bible camp last week (but that's another story...).

One day about 2 weeks ago, he called us up out of the blue & said: "I have a van that I would like to give you. Come to my office & pick up the keys". So off went Angela, Michelle & Abner to pick it up & about 45 minutes later they came back with this automatic '98 Honda minivan (sort of, more like station wagon), that's actually in pretty good running condition. It's not brand new, but no one's complaining at all as it was FREE! Hallelujah!

Later Angela found out that our team in Port-Harcourt had just prayed that morning in devotions that the Lord would supply another car for us so that we'll be able to drive up to Yankari (National Park) together at the end of the year (we had 3 vehicles, but only one is large enough to hold a group of us plus luggage. We're trying to sell our Jeep Cherokee as it's older & has issues (another prayer request...) & the 3rd one is a very small, 25 year old Peugoet that's...special.).
So the Lord answered that prayer the same day. Now between our truck & the minivan, we'll all be able to travel up together....awesome.



Isaiah 65:24= And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Nigerian Driving!

I got my Nigerian license the other day, so now I'm legally on the road...

The "dive-in" method proved effective as I combined my first attempts at Nigerian driving with getting to know Abuja city (road's wise) in earnest & find my way around.

I had been taking taxis when going out with Michelle, or would tune out completely when with another legally-road-worthy driver in times past, so I got it "cold turkey" about a week ago when I took the car & went out with Anisa (who is brand new to Abuja). Half our time was spent asking for directions, but since that day, I've been driving everywhere & am finally getting a little grip (mentally) on the roads here.

Even though I've been part of the work in Abuja for about 9 months, I spent more than 3 months of this year abroad, (2 in the U.S. & 1 in S.Africa) & hadn't really done much driving here between, so my sense of road knowledge (which is already generally useless) was...well, pretty much non-existant....I'm glad that's changed now.



Pictured is the car I presently drive.

I'm gonna tell you a REALLY GOOD car story tomorrow...don't let me forget!

(if you guess what it is b4 I post it, you get a prize...)

An Answered Prayer and a Prayer Request...

Way-cool! The Lord answered that one really fast...

We have a Bible camp/Discipleship training course coming up for a group of friends in Jos on the 20th of September. When looking at the expenses for our trip & hotel costs for the whole group, it came to about double of what we'd already raised in sponsorship for the thing...

So we had prayed that the Lord would touch a bigtime sponsor's heart who has a house in Jos, so he'd let us use it. We prayed for it all together one morning as a team.
The same day, when Michelle & Angela were out, she called the guy & he said yes right away. With having a house there, we can not only cover the whole cost of the camp with the amount of funds we have, but we can even start the camp a day early, fitting in an extra 3 classes...awesome...we'll be teaching the 12 Foundation Stones classes..

So the prayer request now is:

That the Lord will make a way for each of the attendees to be able to be free during the days that we're there.

That He'll supply any other needs for costs we still haven't covered.

That it will be the most powerful discipleship course these students have ever taken & that they'll get ahold of the Lord during this time & really find out what His plan for each of them is.

That He'll anoint each of us who are hosting it to be good teachers & powerful witnesses...

Thanks so much!

For Lola....

I didn't miss her B'day, but I did miss posting about it...

..her B'day was actually in the beginning of August, but since I'd been away so long, the first posts I managed to put up were of the FDTP...

..but the good thing about this is that she's not expecting it....Please surprise her by wishing her a happy New Year & telling her something you'd want her to have this new year. (especially all those of you who know her)

Enjoy the following pics of "big sis"....


Taken quite recently in the North of Iceland, shortly before her B'day...I actually nabbed this one off of Anj's (far left) blog (whackywhazzo@blogspot.com). See my sister second from right. She's a faithful missionary in the way North of the globe...Iceland! She's been diligently ministering the Lord's Word the the people there for the last 2 years now & going strong...I really admire & look up to her. Go, Lola!

Interestingly enough, I was thinking how when I was down in S.Africa, month before last, with her at the top of the globe that was probably the furthest any of us had ever been from each other geographically. (besides when I was in Japan & some of my family were in Belgium...then again..)



Showing one of her silly sides....



...and another one...






The funny thing about Lisa, is that she'll look almost completely different in every picture...many a phase this woman has gone through...she should right a book, actually! Hey, Lisa, why don't you do that?? You could call it...."The many sides of Lisa Velzeboer"...or "101 Ways to be Yourself"...go with that last one, actually...

Anyways, I'm praying this year will bring New challenges your way, since you like adventure so much & that God will guide you in everything you do & keep you healthy, happy & safe...

ILY!

FDTP 2!

The Highlight of the whole program (after Praise night, anyway :)) came about as a result of the desire to implement the call to witness, renewed in our hearts during the CGO (Church Growth & Outreach) classes, presented by Rachel, when 3 witnessing days were planned. Below is the basic formula we used for our witnessing:

Prime wheat target: Any & all sad, lost or hungry souls
Harvest field: The main university in Bloemfontein
Harvesters: Teens, shepherds & staff
Harvesting tools: ‘What Some People Get High On’ & ‘Four Horsemen’ tracts, guitars (for Holy Ghost Samples), Bibles, ‘Free Hugs’ signs (to attract said wheat), long arms (for giving ‘Free Hugs’), conviction, loud voices, MASSIVE smiles, Love.


A bunch of 'on-fire' 17 year-olds....Rosie in the forefront! They had just finished singing & witnessing around the campus...we got a LOT of good responses from the songs & Endtime message that day.


(l-r) Joy, Jasmine & Leila...these 3 were on the attack & won so many souls that day & really gave God's love & Word to so many....


You did not choose me, but I chose you & appointed you so that you should go & bear fruit & that your fruit should remain & that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you...
--John 15:16 (NKJV)



If you want a simple yet powerful addition to your witness & testimony of God's love, just....give a hug. We had such good responses to the 'Free Hugs' addition to our witnessing...from students to professors to university staff, everyone was touched by this simple act of caring & were open to recieving tracts & a deeper message either of Jesus' love for them, or about the Endtime & Bible prophecy after recieving a hug.




Soldier of the Cross

Jesus tells us: If you love Me
You won't suffer any loss
Leave yourself & come away with Me
Be a soldier of the cross

Be not yoked with unbelivers
Be ye seperate in your ways
Come & join the Soul Retrievers
For these are the Latter Days

Give up what you cannot keep, my friend
To gain what you cannot lose
Jesus tells us "If you love Me,
Then the future's yours to choose"

Family Discipleship Training Program!

I had the privilege of participating in a 4 week missionary training seminar in South Africa for 17 & 18 year olds last month...thus my absence from blogger....

Each of these young people had decided to make missionary living a career of their own & in attending this course have studied more in depth all that that will entail working with the Family International. The potential as far as motivation & dedication in each of these young people is amazing & has inspired me immensely!
I missed all the people back home...esp. art. He is really quite cool, and extremly funny guy. Love you man. (Art's little love-note to himself, there...don't ask me how he got into my post...as they say here in Nigeria: "Don't mind him!")

As I always say, "A picture is worth a thousand words": Enjoy the following shots I (mostly anyways) took during the course of the course...

Enjoy!

Some of the Word classes given included: Missionary Calling, Disicpleship, Prophecy & Witnessing.

Practical courses taught by guest teachers included: Project Management, Public Relations, Teaching, Secretarial & Office skills.


Working on an assigment as a team....


Open Forum in groups


Michael organizes game night...


At a nearby university praying before witnessing...

Let me at least start with these....more later! Enjoy!
(choosing pics out of thousands is INCREDIBLY mind boggling for a brain so small as mine....) ;)

Back to the Blogging!

Hey, world!....

what happened there?...the last month was full & great fun, but I was waaaaaaaaaaay to busy to even think about blogging.

The FDTP in S.A. went very well & was a wonderful time of training for the nearly 20 attendees we taught during the course of the month.

I'll put up a more detailed report with pics soon.

I also didn't visit any of my friends blogs either....can't wait to catch up with everyone else in blogger world. See ya there!