Hi Everyone,
There's so much going on and it seems like I don't have a chance to blog about something before something new happens. So today I'll show you three things that have been happening. God is on the move here and it's so exciting to see the Spirit of God blowing into people's lives. Last Sunday we had a widow outreach at the Education Center. Any and all the widows in the village were invited to a "Forum" to just share about their greatest needs and for us to meet them and begin to know them and to build relationships with each one. Thirty-seven widows, young and old, showed up - all walking and for some it was a long walk. Two of the women were blind, but they showed up, eager to give their input to the afternoon.
I can't begin to tell you all their stories. A young widow stood up and shared about losing her husband, and struggling to raise her five children and losing one of her daughters and then having to raise her daughter's three children as well as the man "who has inherited her", raising his three children. He doesn't contribute to the household. There are no jobs - everyone just lives from day to day sharing what little they have with others in the village. There was such a sense of hopelessness. Each story was similar with regard to their great needs. Leaking roofs, lack of food, lack of education for their children and grandchildren, a sense of bleakness, no jobs - the list goes on and on. And in a very real sense, all these women are looking to B2B for something - anything. "Will anyone listen to me?" "Can anyone help me?" I had to frequently lift up a prayer to the Lord so that I wouldn't feel hopeless with their situations too. But we serve a mighty God and we KNOW He loves these women. We're hoping in January to have a clothes giveaway and each month we will try to respond in some ways. We cannot abandon these women and with God's help we will persevere with them into the future.
I can't begin to tell you all their stories. A young widow stood up and shared about losing her husband, and struggling to raise her five children and losing one of her daughters and then having to raise her daughter's three children as well as the man "who has inherited her", raising his three children. He doesn't contribute to the household. There are no jobs - everyone just lives from day to day sharing what little they have with others in the village. There was such a sense of hopelessness. Each story was similar with regard to their great needs. Leaking roofs, lack of food, lack of education for their children and grandchildren, a sense of bleakness, no jobs - the list goes on and on. And in a very real sense, all these women are looking to B2B for something - anything. "Will anyone listen to me?" "Can anyone help me?" I had to frequently lift up a prayer to the Lord so that I wouldn't feel hopeless with their situations too. But we serve a mighty God and we KNOW He loves these women. We're hoping in January to have a clothes giveaway and each month we will try to respond in some ways. We cannot abandon these women and with God's help we will persevere with them into the future.
Today is our granddaughter, Sarah's 12th birthday and we celebrated it on Monday night. It was a fun evening eating some of Sarah's favorite foods, sharing encouraging things we like about Sarah and, of course, the opening of the birthday gifts. She liked everything!
It has been such a joy for Crist and I to be able to live next door to Corrie and John, Sarah, Gus and Sami. They've always lived away from us so this is such a wonderful opportunity to get to know these grandkids better and to be able to love them "up close and personal."
It has been such a joy for Crist and I to be able to live next door to Corrie and John, Sarah, Gus and Sami. They've always lived away from us so this is such a wonderful opportunity to get to know these grandkids better and to be able to love them "up close and personal."The third thing that is happening which is very exciting is to see what the Lord is doing with the Tuesday afternoon Bible Study that Crist has been a part of for several months. It started out with Crist and Jason and three or four young men and gradually it went down to maybe two young men. But Emmanual (I've blogged about him before) has a heart for the men he works with at the carwash and he's been witnessing to them and over the past few weeks, more and more of them are beginning to come. On Tuesday there were 11 at the Bible Study. They just finished Romans and now will begin II Timothy, which will get them up to Christmas. Bibles have been given to the latest newcomers, but Crist is beginning to realize that there is a possibility that one or two of them might not be able to read. Crist took a picture of the young men and it's one of the first pictures in this blog. They're all eager to learn. Please pray that they will have ears to hear and hearts that are open to the Gospel message.
Tomorrow, Corrie and I will be going to OLA to visit the kids there and on Saturday morning, we're going to our first Nigerian wedding. One of the Elders at our village church we attend is getting married (after a ten-year courtship) and his mother has passed away and he asked if I would be the "Honorary Mother" at the wedding. I have to give "words of encouragement" at the reception. (Yikes! what to say, what to say!!) A neighbor made a special Nigerian hat for me to wear - I'll show pictures in the next blog. It sure is BIG, but that's what they all look like here. I bet you can't wait to see it - grin!
In-joy,
Eileen and Crist
A ten year courtship? That should give you a spot to start from! In the states, right now, most marriages do not make it to the ten year mark! What a blessing they have been to each other... and what a blessing they are to those of us looking in... bless them Eileen. (Bobby)
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