Life and Random Observations

Hi Everyone,

I'm not feeling particularly talkative today and I'm not sure what to write on this blog. I suppose the fact that we live in Jos, Nigeria would make you think that our every day is filled with lots of exciting things......but the reality of it is that our lives here are not much different from yours - only the scenery has changed. (oh, alright, maybe it is a little bit different - grin!) After a staff meeting this morning, we each were left to do whatever ministry we felt led to do or do the "everyday" types of things.

Crist and I ate lunch and decided we both wanted to go to the village to spend some time with some of the patients at the doctor's place and then go pay a visit to Pastor Dauda and pray with him. Then on the way home we needed to do some "shopping." We went and visited Michael, Joy and Judith, three patients at the doctor's compound. We had some crayons and coloring books for Joy and Judith and some stickers. We sat and just visited for a while with the two girls and their moms. I'm not sure how much any of us understood the other, but the smiles and laughter transcend any language. We prayed with them and went to visit Michael, a man we had met a few weeks ago with a broken leg. We met his wife and visited for a few minutes and prayed with them.

From there we went to visit Pastor Dauda and we just chatted and talked and prayed there in his yard. It's nice getting to know him better outside of the church building. On our way home we stopped at one OF THE MANY MANY little markets along with way. I needed some potatoes, green peppers and bananas so you can see my back in one of the pictures of me shopping for those items. You try to ignore the gazillion of flies everywhere and just pick out what you think looks good, pay for it and off you go!! There's another picture of one of the "meat markets". This market we DO NOT go to. We get our meat only from vendors recommended by other missionaries. That meat will come clean, prepackaged and without flies!

The woman walking with her child on her back (a very ordinary way for all mothers to carry their babies to and fro) is a common sight everywhere you look. And there's something almost beautiful as the women carry household things, water, vegetables - whatever needs to be moved - on their heads. What at one time would amaze me is becoming a normal thing to see. I guess that means we're feeling more at home here. But we sure would love to hear from you; the home we left behind.

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you." Genesis 12:1

In-joy,

Eileen and Crist