Keep His Song In Your Heart Even When You Feel Like Crying

Hi Everyone,

It sounds like a country western title of a song, doesn't it - that title up above? Early this week several of us went to OLA to figure out some work projects we can do when our work team comes in a week and a half. And just seeing once again how sad things look sometimes can get you down. But there's a gorgeous, brilliant (almost glowing) red bird that is plentiful here in Jos and on the OCC property, there are many of them. I zoomed in with my camera and on this particular tree, that didn't have any leaves, I saw this red bird and he was so easy to spot in the starkness of the barren tree. And he was singing his little heart out.

I think that's a lesson for Crist and I while here in Nigeria. There's alot of "barrenness" here, but God wants us to keep singing for Him even in the midst of stuff that looks sad to us. The second picture up above is of Joseph, who is 10 or 11 years old and he and Daniel, another 10 year old at OLA help SO MUCH with the taking care of the babies. Joseph is standing in the baby room holding Okeechum (spelled phonetically) who just woke up from his nap. These last two pictures are of 1) the bathroom where the children are given their baths. The only problem with this picture is that the water doesn't run from the faucets any longer so the tub is useless except when the older kids stand in it and pour from a bucket rinse water over them as they wash. The toilet isn't working either. The babies are washed on the white sink area in the picture. The blue tub is filled with VERY HOT water and there's another bucket with COLD water and we blend them together as we wash the babies.

The last picture is of 4 year old Hope in the washing machine room. This room, hopefully, will be the target of a good cleaning out and throwing away of junk, new paint on the walls and the washing machine hooked up and ready for use - a work project for the team coming. There are ALWAYS things to be done to improve things at OLA - and with "His song in our hearts", like the redbird in the tree, it will happen.

In-Joy,

Eileen and Crist

P.S. Today is Abigail's 41st birthday (she's the lady at OLA in the wheelchair I've shown pictures of before). We're going to her birthday party this afternoon - I'll take pictures - will blog on it soon.