Joseph in Jos

Sending Forth...

2009-10-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Many years have passed since my dad signed me up for youth soccer at Eden Christian Academy. It was then, in kindergarten that I first put on a soccer jersey. I played for about 5 years after that and then hung up my cleats to retire from the game and try baseball then basketball, golf, football and then track and field. Now some 16 years later I have found myself back on the soccer field playing alongside a group of junior professionals that are called the “bad boys” or their official team name “Gabby Stars”. The “bad boys” have an interesting history in regards to how they came out of their former street lives to use their soccer skills and be taught the word of God. One man, David Audu (a former professional player in Europe) saw the need in his community to reach out to the “bad boys”. The bad boys were notorious for doing bad things and the community was very corrupted because of their influence. David, a big strong and scary man, began to approach them and tell them he wanted them to change and he offered to help them change their lives and he gave them an opportunity to play the game all Nigerians love. The bad boys began to come to training and he would challenge them and preach to them and urge them to stop living the lives they were and to come to Christ. Many, if not all, responded. Today there is now about 30 current players while many others have been changed and gone on to other careers having a relationship with Christ and no longer living for the Devil. I have had the privilege since May to be the official team “chaplain” as I have been given the opportunity to teach and pray with the players…sometimes I even laced up my cleats and trained with them. Sometimes I would be very humbled but during one practice I actually scored a goal and the onlookers went wild. I’ve quite enjoyed the opportunity to be around them and learned their broken English and just get to know Africa, Nigeria and them all better. Now that I am planning on leaving soon they decided to have a send forth game in my honor and give me the captains arm band for the match. They tried as hard as they could to let me score a goal and even the referee purposively called a penalty kick so that I could have a chance to score. I told them I did not want any handouts and I even declined the kick but we still went on to win the game 3-2. After the match I gave my shoes to the coach (picture below) and although he won’t fit them he may take them and sell them so he can have a nice pair of his own.

The pictures here are of the match. The picture of me with #5 is my best friend here, his name is Wasiu and he is an extremely good soccer player. He is also one of the first boys rescued from the streets where he once lived for 6 years. Today he is a mature young man and he wants to use soccer to minister to his own people and one day he hops to help street children in Brazil. The first picture (above) is of my last night worshiping with the boys that I’ve grown to love and cherish. In the picture the boys are dancing and singing to their African songs. Nigeria has been great and it’s getting harder each day to say goodbye.

Another Day

2009-10-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Another day

Or so it seemed

When I heard the words

I would’ve never dreamed

“He didn’t live”

Were the words I heard

They pierced my heart

Like a two-edged sword

I remember that day,

The smell of the air,

The weight of my heart,

The overwhelming despair

Trying to move on

Were the difficult years

For often my eyes

Would swell up with tears

The seasons were the worst

Because he was no longer there

The hardest part…

Seeing my mother in despair

Six feet under

But close to the heart

Memories of my brother

Never depart

The months began to pass

But him I would not let go

Until reality set in

And I realized it was so

Emotions still linger

As the years pass by

The pain grows stronger

Under the October sky

Sometimes my dreams

Try to bring him back

But when I awake

His presence I lack

Hundreds of thoughts

Often flood my mind

He was my brother, my friend,

One of a kind

And though his death

I will never forget

I believe in heaven

With him I will sit

It hurts, I won’t lie

When I think of his life

But I look to tomorrow

And the end of this strife

As I stay

Upon this earth of old

Memories of him

Will never grow cold

I often think of him

With whom I once played

My memories of him

Will never fade

On that day

When we meet again

We will dance for the Lord

And feed from his hand

But for now

As the years go by

In my heart

You will never die

O God why?

Is often the cry in my pain

But then I look at the cross

And see His Son slain

My brother?, Christ?

On a cross for us all?

Absurd! Insane!

Yet redeemed from the fall!

My brother Jesus

What a perfect loss

For His life was given

To bring me to His cross

I once lost a brother

Better than them all

I then found Christ

My All in All

“It pleased the Lord to crush Him”

That’s what the prophet said

Now I’ll live again

Even after I’m dead

Though it hurts

To wallow in pain

For the price of my sin

His own Son was slain

Believe on Christ

And you too will live

The blessings of salvation

To all He will give

The choice is yours

He is the One Who can save

Flee to Him

Before you reach your grave

A perfect gift

Is awaiting you

Run to Jesus

And be made new

It was foolish to question You

But now I know why

You opened my eyes

You allowed him to die

When we meet again

No one can say

For now I wait

For another day

In memory of Ricky, my brother and my friend.

July 18, 1981---October 6, 1999

some pictures for you all

2009-09-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

camp week

2009-08-24T01:10:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot to say so I've just given you some pictures to enjoy. This past week was camp week and this year I was assigned to the junior camp with about 120 kids or so. The week was a lot of fun but of course it was tiring and energy draining. This past Sunday I preached at EBC and then I preached yesterday(8-23-09) the second part of the message. This week I will travel and be gone for about 3-4 weeks and should be back mid-late September so I've also been preparing for what I will do when I visit the place I am going. So, with camp week, back-to-back preaching, and preparing to travel for a month all happening at the same time, I've found myself a little tired but excited about everything God is doing here in Nigeria.

Enjoy the pictures...

Pic of the week

2009-08-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

This weeks picture(s) of the week were taken out in the bush as my pastor and I traveled interior into the bush to baptize five new believers from one of our daughter churches. The road was rough all the way into the village and one point we had to just ditch the car and trek by foot to where the believers were all waiting. It was a neat experience trekking with the believers to the water where 5 of them were going to be baptized. As we trekked we sang songs along the path and then returned to the fellowship hall for communion.

My pastor could really use a nice vehicle that would enable him to go interior to where others will not go. If this interests you let me know.

Here are some pics of the day.

picture of the "weak"

2009-06-08T02:03:00.000-07:00

With three weeks to go before I return to the states I find myself laid up on my bed nursing a badly sprained ankle. The injury took place on Saturday afternoon while playing a game of ultimate frisbee with some Westerner's and a few of my Nigerian friends. I sprained my left ankle as I went up for a pass and came down on another player’s foot. The result was what you see here. As I lay in bed I’ve really enjoyed the time to read and just think. Injuries are tough because pf the pain and the lasting effects but I believe God uses them to slow you down and encourage a little introspection. Paul says “examine yourselves”, which, is exactly what I am trying to do.

"sermon on the mount"

2009-06-02T03:27:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday I had the wonderful privilege of preaching at the site where our local church formerly met for fellowship. During the Jos crisis in November of 2008 the building was tore down and left in a pile of rubble. The believers at the church are strong and committed and will not de shaken. The last Sunday of every month they go up to the mountain to worship together and hear from God’s word despite the onlookers who don’t like us being there. This past week I went up to the mountain for the first time and I preached from “Yahaya sura goma sha hudu, aya shida” which of course is “John chapter fourteen verse six”. It wasn’t exactly a “sermon on the mount” but it was a sermon on a hill. I wish I had better pictures but what you see here was taken by a 10 year old boy who I taught how to take pictures. The boy just so happens to be my pastor’s son, his name is Emmanuel.

The picture of the week is in honor of the courage and determination of the believers to press on despite the fierce persecution and tribulations that the last 8 years have presented to them.

Picture of the Week-Ibraham

2009-05-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

For those of you who remember my friend Ibraham, here is a picture of us recently. I was talking to him the other night (through a translator) and found out that he used to have a Bible but it was taken from him when he went out to farm one day. He said he would love to have another one so I asked him in which language. He said he would like one in the Hausa language. This week I will be able to present him with a Bible to replace the one that he had stolen. There are many other’s like Ibraham who hold another faith but it is my prayer that they will come to salvation. Pray along with me for Ibraham and his students. He reminds me of Nicodemus in John chapter 3 who was a teacher but still didn't know the things about Jesus Christ.

The picture of the week is of Ibraham and I sitting in front of his house...

2009-04-27T05:06:00.000-07:00

In Nigeria, if you are a father or a mother it is common and appropriate to just call you “baba” (father) or “mama” (mother). If your child’s name is Joseph, or Stephen or Bryan then you can be called “baba Joseph, or Baba Stephen” and so on. The same works for the women. My mother can be called “mama Joseph, or Mama Julia, Valerie, etc..”. My pastor, Reverend SundayGwomna, has become a Nigerian father to me so it is fine if I refer to him as “baba”. We spend a lot of time together visiting members of our church and just talking and having a cold minerals (bottle of soda) together. He has become a great friend and source of encouragement and wisdom. He is a very busy man because he is the only pastor of our local church plus he has had a lot to deal with the last 8 years with the attacks upon our church but he has handled it all marvelously and with much love and patience. I’ve really grown to love and appreciate him and his/my “family”. The picture of the week is honor of a man that has stood strong in times of persecution and hardship and of a man who is steadfast in his walk with the Lord.

Meet my pastor, my friend, my baba…

2009-04-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long wait but finally I was able to buy a much needed car. Nigerian roads can be quite dangerous and often times the conditions of the roads and the other drivers can be equally as bad. Sometimes you can be driving down the road, shifting gears, honking your horn while it is storming, motorbikes are buzzing on both sides of the car, you are dodging holes, goats, people, pigs, chickens and taxi’s. It’s not as luxurious as we have it back home where the roads are smooth and the cars are under control. Sure, my Pittsburgh friends can complain because Penn-Dot always seems to fail us miserably and you too have to dodge holes as you drive from point A to point B but add the other elements and driving can be very difficult. Even as a trained school bus driver and a holder of a commercial driver’s license I still find it hard to venture out on the roads. Having lost a brother in a car accident I often times become determined to not allow the same fate to be decided for my own life and as a result I find myself trusting in the Lord more than I did when I would venture out onto the roads back home. This is Nigeria and being here has been wonderful. The challenges of driving are part of the difficulties that one has to face when they leaving the US but at the end of the day it is worth it to be here and be able to minister to such needy children. Having a “moto” (as we say here) simply makes my life a lot easier. Normally I am entering taxi’s with people and animals shoved inside (great cultural experience) and if I sit in the front the driver usually tries to get a second rider for the front seat making it three including the driver. Sometimes I find myself sitting on the gear shifter as the driver is pushing me in the backside to sit up so he can shift to the next gear. Having a car doesn’t mean everything is going to be much easier. I now have to wait in lines over a mile long for hours upon hours just to get to fill up my tank. Currently we are experiencing some sort of fuel shortage and tankers have gone on strike which makes it difficult to find someone selling gasoline. Recently I was desperate and had to pay 500 Naira ($3.33) for a gallon of gas but normally they sell it for 65 Naira a liter making it about 260 Naira for a gallon. So, I say this to let you know that you may have to wait a while for gas when you go to the pumps back home but just think about having to wait in a line that is literally over a mile long and then having to pay twice the price. It’s crazy. My picture of the week is in honor of my newly acquired automobile. I’m happy to take some proposed names for it and will let you know what I decided for a name once I hear your suggestions. The car is a Volkswagen Golf. Currently it is getting an alignment and new shocks so I’ll be back in business in a few days Lord willing.

Lastly, thanks for those who help contribute to the car fund. Sorry I couldn’t get a helicopter like I wanted but this little guy is going to have to do.

Oh, and yes I fit inside of it.

2009-04-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ahh, what a refreshing feeling it is to have a cool plateau breeze coming in through the window just after a heavy rain। The rainy season is finally here after having rain on Saturday for a short while and then a heavy thunderous down pour just about an hour ago. Having rain is much appreciated after having months of just dry, dusty air and streets. Seriously, the dust was just out of control. Having had rain twice in the past week has prompted me to post my picture of the week in honor of the much needed and long awaited for rainy season. Thank the Lord because we really needed it. Oh, I couldn’t help putting one more picture of Precious. Enjoy…

Picture of the Week (2)

2009-03-31T01:41:00.000-07:00

Nigeria is currently coming to the end of the Harmattan season which means an end of the Sahara dust and rain is on its way. In Jos everything seems to be dry, dusty and brown. Lush green plants are a thing of the past because rain is no where to be found and water supplies are drying up or else, dried up. Even one of our care centers is without water to bath the boys at night. Everyone seems to be longing for rain and I just so happen to be one of them.

The picture above was taken in Cross River State which is south of Jos and borders the country of Cameroon. This past weekend I spent 5 days up in the mountains and even did a little hiking. The weather on the mountain is cold and it rains there often. Above is a picture of an older man who was out returning from his farm and making his way back home. In the picture you can see some green hillsides and potential rain on the horizon. While the rest of Nigeria is begging for rain this particular state is enjoying cool weather and wet ground. For 5 days I felt like I was back in Papua New Guinea enjoying cool weather and delicious bananas. I was very happy to see this side of Nigeria. I hope this gives you a better look into this wonderful country.

Note: the picture is not "foggy", rather, it was taken in a cloud.

Picture of the Week

2009-03-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here is my photo of the week. In this picture is a little girl named Sandra. She was dressing up for a picture that I was preparing to take of all of the girls because one of them was celebrating a birthday. However, the girl celebrating the birthday was not one of our girls; rather, she is one of the staff girls. In Nigeria most people don’t know there actual date of birth, especially children who lived on the streets. Sandra was so happy to be dressed up for a picture that she began to twirl around the courtyard and I just so happened to catch a nice picture as I was snapping away. People wonder how I managed to take the picture from so high up, I just laugh and say “I’m 6 foot 4 inches”.

I hope this pictures makes you smile like Sandra was the other day.

My Favorite Pictures Thus Far

2009-03-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

These last 8 months have been quite eventful. There have been times of laughter and times of tears, times of frustration and times of relaxation. There have been times when I wanted to quit and come home to the USA, eat pizza with my friends and drink coffee with my family. Times when I just wanted to sit down with my grandmother and hear her share her wisdom on the subject at hand. These last 8 months have been wonderful in a lot of ways and also frustrating in other ways but at the end of the day I thank the Lord for bringing me through 1/3 of my stay here in Nigeria. I enjoy Nigeria very much and have considered it my home now for these last 8 months. I’m grateful for your encouragement, your support and your prayers.

The pictures below are my favorite pictures from my time thus far. Out of over 6,000 pictures I have picked 16 because it was too hard to pick 10 or 8. I decided to pick two for each of the 8 months that I’ve been in Nigeria.

I also want to thank my friend Michael for buying me a new camera after my former one was stolen when I was robbed in December. In other words, I don't need a new camera anymore. Thanks for those who inquired.

Here are my top 16 pictures thus far. Do you have a favorite?

BITTERSWEET

2009-02-12T01:37:00.000-08:00

I love it, yet I absolutely hate it. I look forward to it, yet I dread it. I enjoy it, yet it brings me great sorrow. What am I talking about? What is so bittersweet?

A new child is a new face, a new face is a new story, a new story is a new hope...

Welcome to Gidan Bege, the house of HOPE...

These last few months I’ve learned a lot of stories. I’ve been doing a lot of work in the area of sponsorship, which, by the way, every child in this post is in need of a sponsor. As I write the stories of each child and how they came to Gidan Bege I find it difficult to even type the words that they say. It’s bittersweet when I interview them because I am excited for the child that he/she has a new hope in the Lord but at the same time I hate it because someone was so cruel to this little innocent child.

Here is a typical interview:

What is your father’s name? “Ishaku” (Isaac)
Where is he now? “He is late” (dead)
I’m sorry, how about your mother, what is her name? “Her name is Alheri” (Grace)
Where is she? “She is late”

No father, no mother equals: O-R-P-H-A-N.

I’ll ask them “How did you find Gidan Bege, did you run to the streets?” yes, I ran to the streets after my community tried to kill me.

Why did they try to kill you? “After my father died they said that I killed my father and so they wanted to kill me”.

Where did you stay when you were on the streets? “I slept in a mango tree”.

Here are some of the replies that I have documented:
-“they tied my hands and feet together and hung me from a tree and they beat me but a pastor came and rescued me and took me to Gidan Bege”
-“they hung me from the ceiling and on the ground they cooked some pepe (small chili peppers) so that the smoke went into my eyes”.
-“they beat me very bad”
-“they said I killed my father and mother”
-“they wanted to kill me”

The list keeps on growing. Every new face is a new story and each new face is a new hope. Gidan Bege means “house of hope” in the Hausa language. It is here at Gidan Bege that the children are getting an opportunity that the never had. They are given hope despite the darkness of the past. They come beat up, battered and bruised but they receive healing, comfort and hope inside the ministry. They are given food and clothing and they are taught the scriptures. They want to become doctors, pastors and evangelists. It is bittersweet when I see a new child come into the ministry. When I learn about their story and the way they came here it breaks my heart but then I’m refreshed by the fact that those things are in the past. One boy, Clement, told me about his childhood growing up in a big city with a father who was in the military and a mother who sold produce in the market. He said “we were always having jin dadi” look familiar? “jin dadi” is enjoyment. Growing up was always joyful for Clement until both parents died and he was taken to Gidan Bege as an orphan. He said he loves Gidan bege and It made me think, which does he prefer, life with his parents or life at Gidan Bege? I asked him, “Clement, where would you rather be, at home with your parents or at Gidan Bege?”

He looked at me and said: “I would rather be with my mother and father”.

I knew his answer even before I asked it but I had to hear it for myself. These children each have a story, each have a hope, each an opportunity to erase the hurts of the past and look to the joys of tomorrow.

Each one on this post is in need of a sponsor. If that is something that you would like to do than please email me at joseph.shriver@sim.org

"To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed that the man of the earth may oppress no more" Psalm 10:18

My Mary, My Merry

2009-02-06T00:49:00.000-08:00

Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel…

Joseph and Mary.

In this case, Uncle Joseph and Mary.

The more words I write, the less likely you are to read. Pictures say a thousand words right?

Mary is the daughter of one of the staff in our care centers. She is about 2 yrs. Old and has an adorable voice. She can’t really speak much English and I can’t speak much Hausa but, somehow, we find a way to communicate. She loves when I come to Gyero because it usually entails “sweets” coming her way or maybe a balloon or an orange. Sometimes I make a bowl of rice and red stew and guess who is there to help me eat it. If I am shaving, guess who is there? If I am reading, guess who is always there? If I leave, she will cry. When I come, she is always happy to see me. Other times I just want to trek to the top of a mountain with all of the kids but guess who seems to find her way onto my back. Mary and I are inseparable as she is always at my side.

The feeling of being appreciated (though it may be for sweets) some how makes life in Nigeria a lot easier and interesting. I appreciate lil’ Mary and she appreciates me.

Meet Mary…

Honeymoon's over

2009-01-19T04:21:00.000-08:00

The killing, the crisis, the military, the unrest in Jos, the destruction of my church, the 7PM-6AM curfew, the armed robbery, the threat of being killed, the police and military checkpoints, evacuation, sicknesses, the holidays away from home and the daily pressures of trying to minister cross culturally have brought me to a point in which the honeymoon is over.

Nigeria is a wonderful place and full of kind and loving people. It seems like everyone wants to spend time with the white man and talk about the day’s events. The Nigerians are dear to my heart, these children, even more so. This has been my home for the last 7 months and will remain that way until June 2010 if the Lord permits. I’ve come to love this place and appreciate everything about it. Sure, there are things that are difficult; being away from family and familiar things while adjusting to life in Africa has been hard. There is the constant threat of disease, sickness, malaria and motor vehicle accidents. There are demands of the ministry, demands at home for a bachelor to survive and demands in the local church. There is the constant pressure of being equivalent to a celebrity simply because my skin is white and the constant pressure to make everyone happy. There are times when you want to just “go hide thyself” (as God told Elijah--- 1 Kings 17:3) and escape all of the demands and anxiety that comes with being a missionary. There are times when you want to be back home, sitting by a fire with a box of pretzels and a cold crème soda with no one to bother you and nothing to do but meditate upon the Lord. There are those days in which I look up and see an airplane and think “those are my people” and other times when I watch the sun set and think what my mother is doing right now, my professor from Bible college and of course, my siblings. Sometimes I think “right now my dad is brewing a pot of coffee and probably outside loading ladders onto his van”. There are those times and then there are these…

…no matter how difficult things get, the problems are always alleviated when I see our kids in the ministry. There is something about them, something about children that fascinates me. Maybe it is there carefree spirit or there simple faith. Maybe it is there innocence and the thought of how they got here. I’m not sure exactly what it is but, whatever it is, they make my time here worthwhile. I love to spend time with the kids, we trek, we swim, we play and we read together. I always have one of these little ones come to greet me in my room in one of the care centers. They are always at my door, always at my side, always reaching for my hand. The pressures, anxieties and demands all seem to float off into space and I find myself to be perfectly content. Sure, they are not my own, but they may as well be. There is still that longing in my heart to have my own children and to not have to say goodbye to them. There are times when I read through the scriptures and find this character that no one ever mentions and I immediately write his or her name in the back of my Bible. Why? Because I just may name my son or daughter that one day. The kids here are wonderful and I wish you all could meet these precious little children.

The honeymoon is over in one sense but a new and exciting season always seems to replace the previous one. This is Nigeria, a land of adventure and my home for at least two years.

I could use you prayers, I could use them a lot.

My Refuge

2008-12-13T05:16:00.000-08:00

My former place of corporate worship...destroyed

After a long two weeks of unexpected events, it's finally time to return to normal. The fighting in Jos has ceased, military presence is strong in the city and I'm going back to the kids I love. This past week I returned to our main care center and spent a few nights with our boys and girls. They were all relieved and happy to see "uncle Joseph" show up. Many weren't sure of my whereabouts because I wasn't allowed to venture outside of my compound until it was "safe". It was quite a relief to know they were all safe and sound as well, still counting down the days for their Christmas celebration and festivities. Spending time with the kids is a lot of fun, especially during the holidays because they are the only family I have here. They keep asking me if I'll spend Christmas in Nigeria, I just say "ofcourse, I came to this country for you, do you think I am going to leave and go back to my people and miss Christmas with you?, no way!"

With 12 days to go until Christmas, the shadows of the atrocities that took place just a few weeks back still linger. People are still on edge, tensions are still high, Jos is at peace but we still need your prayers. I was able to visit the site of my local church this week but kinda wish I didn't. It was a sobering event, seeing the place of our corporate worship flattened to the ground, walls tore down, everything burned and ripped to pieces. It was the first time I really seen what man is capable of doing. You and I are capable of the worst atrocities. I'm reminded of one tyrant who said "I want to raise a generation of young people, devoid of a conscience, relentless, inferious and cruel", his name was Aldolf Hitler and he nearly succeeded. Apart from the grace of God, we too are capable of the same evil acts of cruelty and wickedness, not very exciting to read huh!

I was greatly encouraged by the words of king David this morning, he always says it so well. Here is what he said:

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in Whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior<>

My refuge, what simple yet wonderful words. Is He your refuge?

Spurgeon

2008-11-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

Meet “Spurgeon” whom I named after the “prince of Preachers” Charles Haddon Spurgeon, or CH Spurgeon. I figured I’d make my two years here easier by having a companion. I’m not sure what I’ll do with him when I return stateside, I’ll either bring him to the states or keep him with a friend if I plan on returning to Nigerian soil, which, at this point, what do you think I want to do?

HARMATTAN

2008-11-16T23:42:00.000-08:00

Compare these two pictures below. On the right you can see the mountains off in the distance, on the left you can't...Harmattan.

The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March (winter).[1]
On its passage over the desert it picks up fine dust particles (between 0.5 and 10 micrometres). When the Harmattan blows hard, it can push dust and sand all the way to North America.

In some countries in West Africa, the heavy amount of dust in the air can severely limit visibility and block the sun for several days, comparable to a heavy fog. The effect caused by the dust and sand stirred by these winds is known as the Harmattan haze, and costs airlines millions of dollars in cancelled and diverted flights each year. The interaction of the Harmattan with monsoon winds can cause tornadoes.

In Niger, people say that men and animals become increasingly irritable when this wind has been blowing for a while, giving it a bad reputation. However, the cool wind brings relief from the oppressive heat, which is why the Harmattan has earned the nickname "The Doctor".---Wikipedia.

“A picture says a thousand words”. Have you ever heard that saying before? If you look at these pictures you can see just how bad the dust has gotten. Compare the two pictures that appear to be the same. In the one you can see the mountains off in the distance, in the other all you can see is thick dust. Even my Bible, which I read every day, gathered a significant amount of dust over night.

It’s actually not that bad of a thing, you get used to it from what I hear. I’ve just noticed that my eyes have bothered me a lot lately but not my breathing; Praise the Lord.

That’s all for now, stay tuned next week for my stock market watch.

"TO THIS END I LABOR"

2008-11-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, so maybe I’ve “copped out” of writing a long and exhausting story this past month but I have an excuse, I really do. You see, this last month I’ve finally found some sort of a groove, some sort of a “niche” that has occupied all of my time and most of my energy. Throughout the month of October I’ve become a man of many different hats. Not “Joseph and his coat of many colors” or “Joseph and his hat of many colors” but Uncle Joseph and his many different hats. Let me explain…

As I mentioned in a former post, my father, my dad, papa, baba, daddy, whatever term you use, is a man of many different trades. He can fix anything, well; at least I think he can. Whether it is a car, a toilet, a sink, a hole in the wall, a radio, a game, a toy, or a tool, I assure you, he can fix it. You may as well call him “Mr. fix it” or a “jack of all trades” because he can fix anything.

This past month I’ve worn many different hats but often times I didn’t know I would need to put on a particular hat. Let me tell you about my different hats that have gotten much use recently.

Dr. Joseph Hat
In one of our care centers we have a bunch of little girls. Recently, Comfort, Simei and Patience all came to me with some minor wounds. Comfort’s was the worse, hers was infected but Patience and Simei just wanted a “plaster” (band-aid). I couldn’t say no to Patience and Simei so I babied them and cleaned their “wounds” (or should I say scratches?) and sent them on their way. Comforts’ was actually pretty bad and I cleaned it then dressed it. Dr. Joseph gave her some Neosporin and a few “plaster’s” to last the weekend and then sent her on her way. When I returned on Monday, walla, all better. I was pleased, so was Comfort.

Reverend, Preacher, Pastor Hat
This past week I was asked to preach. I was given plenty of notice to prepare (6 days) and was asked to speak on true love. Turns out the service was supposed to be a special message geared to the young ladies and guess who they wanted as a guest speaker? Answer: Rev. Joseph M. Shriver II. So, I prayed and studied all throughout the week and finally came up with just the right words that I wanted to say but guess what happened next? I got sick, very sick, with some sort of viral infection. Vomiting, pain throughout my body and joints, sick stomach and fever, all of these were my symptoms. Sunday I could not go and preach, I couldn’t do anything except try to sleep. I was upset that I couldn’t deliver the message that I prepared all week to deliver but I’m thankful. I learned a few things during the sickness. I’ll share one with you. When you are sick, the thing that you want most is not medicine, a doctor or any particular food, but the thing you want most is your mother. That’s all I wanted, my mommy. It’s embarrassing, 25 yrs Old and you want your mother to comfort you when you are sick. I don’t care if it is embarrassing or not, it’s true and YOU KNOW IT!!!

Chef Hat
This one is tough to wear and I don’t prefer to wear it. I’d much rather have my mother’s cooking any day, who wouldn’t? However, I’ve had to experiment with a few different foods recently and truthfully; they actually came out pretty well. It’s difficult here because the ingredients are hard to find, things need cleaned with bleached water and sometimes the electricity goes off and the food you worked hard to make, SPOILS!!! I made a delicious pot of spaghetti recently. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was doing but I remember enough of my mothers to do a decent job. A fried some onions, minced meat and then added some tomatoes and some paste. I added a little water and some spices (parsley, oregano, pepper, onion salt, basil, salt and sugar) and 45 minutes later I couldn’t believe it, I actually made spaghetti! I took off my chef’s hat and ate some food because the next day I need the strength to wear my next hat.

Daddy Hat
You fathers know this hat better than I do so I’m not going to pretend as if I’ve figured it out. I will raise an important question though, how many children do you have? 1, 2,3 5,10, 50, 100? These may seem like crazy numbers but let’s think about this. In the ministry that I’m currently involved in, there are many little children and they don’t have their mommy’s and daddy’s to care for them, to teach them and provide for them. When they get a “boo-boo” guess who they come running to? When they want someone to teach them how to read, guess who they run to? When they want to show their parents the grades they received in school and the sticker that the teacher gave them, guess who they run to? When they need help telling time guess who they run to? Normally they would run to their parents but since they don’t have parents, guess who they run to? Me “Uncle Joseph, see my sticker, teach me how to read, teach me how to see time, teach me how to add”. The term “Uncle Joseph” doesn’t seem like a fitting title, “daddy” seems more fitting if you ask me. Now that they’ve become like children, when I go and see the kids I walk into their rooms and their courtyards and say “how are my boys? How are my girls?” When you see them as your own children it makes you want to see them safe, secure and protected even more. I love these kids, they’re wonderful.

Teacher Hat
In school teachers were Mr. and Mrs. “So and So” (no, they weren’t Chinese). Their job was to teach me how to read, write, add and subtract. Recently I was given a new hat as a teacher. My class has 12 little boys and girls who cannot even identify each letter of the alphabet. I enjoy teaching but I wish their parents would step up to the plate and do it themselves, but wait, they don’t have parents. Since they don’t have parents to teach them, I get the privilege of teaching these children how to add and subtract, and how to eventually read. Just think, one day they will be able to read and study the scriptures. It will be amazing to see young men studying the Bible and teaching their families. What a day it will be to see them grow up into adulthood and to think that I was able to teach them the elementary things of arithmetic and writing.

I’ve only mentioned a few of the hats that I’ve put on recently. There are others, like the hat’s of a professor, evangelist, missionary, public relationist, photographer, journalist, artist, potter, electrician, carpenter and mechanic. I love it. It’s exciting and sometimes very tiring but well worth it. There is a major motivation for me that I’d like to share with you, one thing that I continually think about and press towards that compels me to pour my life into these children and here it is:

“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, to this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily” Colossians 1:28-29

To see these young boys and girls grow up to be Godly young men and women, faithful men and virtuous young ladies is something that I think about every day. You can pray accordingly, pray for me as I wear these different hats. Pray for these kids as they grow into young men and women. Its fun, it truly is, but it’s tiring and I need the strength to operate. Thank you for your continual prayers and support. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, let me know.

"ya jin dadi?"

2008-10-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here in Nigeria I have a friend who always asks me “Joseph, ya jin dadi?”, which means “how is the enjoyment?”
My question for you is the same, “reader, ya jin dadi?”

For some people, when they are taking a walk with a loved one on a cool evening or sitting with a friend over a hot drink, it is at that moment in which they can say they are doing that which they enjoy the most. For some people it is a matter of having a heart to heart conversation in order for them to be in their most enjoyable mood. Others have to be cooking, running, playing, eating, reading, or singing in order for them to say; “this is what I enjoy doing the most”.

For me, when I am sitting with my Gramma and talking with her about spiritual things, I am doing something that I enjoy very much. However,(sorry Gramma) when I have a child in my arms or else a group of children swarming around me like bees around a hive, that is when I am doing that which I enjoy the most. When I have a group of children listening to me teach from the word of God that is when I am equally as happy. When I hear children pray, it amazes me and makes me happy, I enjoy that very much.

This past week has been full of “jin dadi”…enjoyment. It’s been tiring, it always is when being with the kids because they have too much energy, but it has been enjoyable for sure. I figured I would save you the trouble again of reading a long post and save me the trouble of writing one so I have just posted a bunch of pictures fro your, uh? enjoyment?.

I hope you “jin dadi” them, here is my enjoyment…

from left to right (Joseph, Joseph, me, Joseph, and Joseph)

Here is Precious with the bandana on

Mygeria, West Africa

2008-10-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

I didn't feel like "monkeying around" on another long dramatic blog post so I decided to just post a bunch of pictures for your enjoyment. You should be able to click on each individual photo to view them in a larger window. If you choose to save them, just send $10.00 US for each photo.(i'm kidding!)

Here are some pictures of the country in which I now live, a country full of all sorts of interesting things, places and people.

This is Nigeria, West Africa...

Our Day of Sadness

2008-10-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

To my family,

Nine years seems like yesterday gone by. On this day, nine years ago, we all entered into a day of sadness that was felt in our bones and even in the deepest parts of our marrow. We can remember the day we learned of the tragedy; we can remember the sorrow, the hurt, the pain and the confusion. For me, these last nine years have been full of all sorts of things, new beginnings, and different seasons of my life full of sorrows, joys, and challenges. There have been times when I cried, times when I laughed, times when I mourned and times when I rejoiced. I’ve had many dreams, many memories, and many longings to see him again. I’ve had times when I cried myself to sleep and times when I laughed as I remembered something he did or said. There have been times when I felt the feelings of my family, their sadness, their joys and their memories.

I can remember writing his name on my track shoes to think of him before every attempt at my events. I can remember finding one of his old shirts or jackets and putting it to my nose to grab some sort of memory of him, something to savor for a second, some thing that brought him back again. I still find times when I smell the fragrance of his cologne or the hair gel that he wore. Everything seems to bring some memory of him back again but it doesn’t bring him back.

Today marks the nine year anniversary of our great day of sadness. On this day, nine years ago, we lost our brother, our son, our cousin, our grandson.

We lost Ricky.

He Giveth More Grace
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow'r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

As for God, His way is perfect...Psalm 18:30

Simon Says: "will you laugh???"

2008-09-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Simon says: “stand up”
Simon says: “sit down”
Simon says: “touch your back”
Simon says: “touch your head”
Simon says: “will you laugh???”

This past week has been a very difficult week for me. At times I’ve been very frustrated, angry and sad. I’m not sure if it’s just getting over the “honeymoon” stage or if I’m just going through a valley. Last week on the eighteenth I turned 25 yrs old and I received numerous e-mails, 3 packages, and was able to talk to my family and friends on skype. This week was not the same. There were frustrating times. There were times when I missed my family and friends. There were times when I got sick of people saying “bature” (white man) and not calling me “Joseph”. There were times when I was taken advantage of and there were times when I felt God wasn’t listening to my prayers or the concerns of my heart. There was also a time when I missed the autumn leaves and the cool breeze. The fall is usually tough for me because in October of 1999, my brother Ricky died in a car accident. So, whatever the reasons, this week was difficult and depressing at times. I write this so that you will remember me in your prayers. I also write this because there was a happy ending to this week.

On Thursday night I stayed with our boys at Gidan Bege and slept in one of their beds. During the night, the mosquitoes had a field day on my exposed skin and the unventilated room robbed me of much needed sleep. I was exhausted from a long day and I should have done the wise thing and slept in my own bed in the comfort of my own house (and mosquito net). I told the boys I would come Thursday evening, I would read them a Bible story and then I’ll “pass the night”. On Thursday I spent the first part of my day trekking into the “bush” with my pastor (reverend Sunday Gomna) in an attempt to visit a member of the church who had a difficult pregnancy and gave birth to a premature little baby girl. It turns out she was in a different village recovering and we hiked 3 hours for nothing. We crossed a dirty river full of garbage for nothing, and I cancelled my plans for nothing. These all added to my already frustrating week.

After hiking across Africa (I’m being facetious) we then came back to pastor Sunday’s house for my favorite food, fish and rice (I’m being facetious again), I do not like fish, but I ate it anyway. I spent an hour or so with Pastor Sunday, his wife Esther and his 4 of his kids (Emmanuel, Ryrom, Anita, and Sandra). Being with his family and playing with his kids were the very medicine I needed to fix my week gone bad.

I eventually returned home with a burnt neck, a sick stomach from the fish, a sore back from trekking, stinky arm pits and to make matters worse; there was no NEPA (electricity). I only had 45 minutes before I needed to go to Gidan Bege for Bible teaching and to spend the night. I packed my bag, breathed a simple prayer for help and I made my way to 12 boys anxiously awaiting “Uncle Joseph”.

I arrived on time at 5 pm and from out of the wood work the boys began to run and attack me. “Uncle Joseph’s here, Uncle Joseph’s here”. Hearing the excitement in the boys and feeling wanted somehow brings a joy to me. I too was excited to see them because it was time to be a kid again, something I love to do. They could tell by the sleeping bag that I was staying the night (something that white people just don’t do) and they were so happy. I put my stuff away and joined them in games until it was time to settle down and continue our Bible story of Satan’s rebellion and Adam and Eve’s fall. The sun was setting and there was no electricity so I had to make haste. They all wanted to see the pictures but it was hard because every new page was getting darker and darker as the sun went down. We finished our story, knelt on the cement and prayed.

After the story we all went into the bedroom and to their surprise, I pulled out my laptop. They were so happy that we were going to watch a film; tonight’s movie is “Bambi”. It was a toss up between Lion King and Bambi but the boys chose Bambi because they didn’t like the part in the Lion King when Simba’s father died…Go figure, they’re mostly orphaned. We watched the movie and they all laughed at the part when Bambi is trying to stand on ice and his legs keep giving out. I too was laughing but not at the movie, I was laughing at them. It felt good to laugh; it felt very good to laugh.

The movie ended and I heard 12 boys say “good night Uncle Joseph”, it was music to my ears and it made me forget about the events of the week.

The night was hot and I was feeling tired from a long day of trekking and being with people. I turned to face the window and felt an ounce of cool air come through the screen, it was nice and soothing but it wasn’t enough to neutralize the heat. I laid down on a rickety metal bunk bed with one boy above me and one below me. As I lay there in the quiet of the night I could hear Simon sing a song about wanting a father and mother, I couldn’t understand everything but I got the jist of it. I began to fall asleep to his singing but then woke up to the silhouette of a 10 year old Nigerian boy staring me in the face. Guess who it was. It was Simon!

He came over to me to try to startle me but then he hid himself and I couldn’t see him. I could hear him laughing and giggling but I couldn’t see him. Then I felt these fingers on the bottom of my feet and I jerked my feet away from him. He disappeared again until I felt fingers in my sides and heard Simon laughing as he tortured me with his tickling. In the previous week Simon somehow learned that I was ticklish and now he was taking advantage of the opportunity to tickle me. He eventually stopped and came to a place where I could see him and said he would not tickle me anymore (to my relief). He then put his hands in my hair and started to play with my soft hair. He ran his fingers through my hair several times and then began scratch my back but I was skeptical because I thought he was going to tickle me again. He said “Uncle Joseph, are you sleeping?” I replied, “no but if you scratch my back I’ll be sleeping any second”. He said “I will scratch your back until you fall asleep”. So, I turned over to my window where I could feel a small breeze coming through on my face. On my head I could feel a little hand petting me and on my back I could feel the other hand scratching me. Simon kept asking if I was sleeping and then he said “uncle, if I scratch you here (by my arm pit), will you laugh?”
“yes” I said.
“Uncle, if I do like this, will you laugh?”
“Yes” I replied.
“Uncle, if I scratch you here, will you laugh?”
“Yes, I will laugh”.

Those were the last words until I slipped into unconsciousness. I fell asleep to a 10 year old boy scratching my back and playing with my hair. It was one of those things that erased the memories of the difficult week I had. It was the turning point of my frustrations and highlight of my time here in Nigeria. Our God is always faithful to bring us out of the valley’s we are in. It’s as if Satan said to me all week:

Satan says: be angry
Satan says: be frustrated
Satan says: be sad, but God says: LAUGH, laugh my son, laugh.

Simon says: Uncle, will you laugh?

Yes, I will laugh.

meet Simon

and the rest of the Gidan Bege boys.

Simon and Uncle Joseph(both green shirts)

check out the height of this corn

Falling in Love

2008-09-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

Before I came to Nigeria many people said that God may have a significant other for me here. Whether that proves to be true or not, these last few months I’ve begun to fall in love with a young lady. To me, she’s wonderful. She’s innocent and absolutely perfect. She’s so lovable and sweet, so kind and charming that maybe if I choose one word to accurately describe her, that word would be: Precious.

Everything about her is precious, her smile, her voice, her cheeks and her laugh make her precious to me. From the first day I seen her I asked someone who she was and they replied, “precious”. I quickly thought, “anyone can see she is precious” but “what’s her name?”

“Precious! Her name is Precious”

Her missing two front teeth, her braided hair, little feet and the way she says “uncle Joseph” makes her even more precious to me. She’s so small, so innocent, so lovable and cute that the word “precious” seems to sum up her entire being. It’s as if God put aside day seven to determine how He would go about making this little girl. The evidence of intelligent design and of a loving creator is for sure seen in her. She, like her name, is Precious.

My father is a carpenter. He gets paid to take a pile of wood and make it into something beautiful. I’ve personally assisted in wonderful works of wooden art while at my father’s side. He never ceases to amaze me with what his hands can create.

My heavenly Father is also quite the craftsman. When I look at Precious I can’t help but look up and smile. It amazes me; it really does, of how wonderful and precious this little girl is. I’m literally holding back this force that just wants to swoop down and grab her with my arms and hold her tighter than she’s ever been held. When I see her and the other’s, inside of me seems to illuminate and prance for joy. It’s as if I’m right smack in the center of God’s will for my life when I’m with the boys and girls of the ministry. Sure, I admit, I’m not crazy about the food and the roads. I’m not a big fan of trying dog meat and about sitting in a 5 passenger car with 7 people. However, the little boys and girls that I’m able to love, teach, and play with make my stay in Nigeria wonderful and my memories….hmm? …Precious!

This week is girls’ camp week and I was asked to spend some time with them organizing sports and activities for one day. The day I was given was Monday but on that day it rained very hard. In turn, we spent some times on the swings at a local school and I was given the tiring job of pushing 8 girls in unison on a swing set. They don’t know how to swing their legs to go higher so they usually have me push them and then call me when the swinging ceases. For over an hour all I heard was laughing, giggling and “Uncle Joseph, swing me, push me stronger and make me higher”. Little did they know I was having the time of my life?

In the ministry, we have 15 girls and about the same amount of staff girls. This week they are learning about their relationship with God and how they are the daughter of the king. Hopefully when the week ends and they go back to their homes they will better understand just how much God loves them and how they are the daughter of the King. Hopefully they see how wonderful He is and how wonderful are all of His creations. Hopefully they know He loves them as a caring father loves his children. Hopefully when they return to their houses and settle back in after a long week of camp, they lay down in their beds as the cool plateau air moves throughout the room and they begin to reminisce of the week gone by. Hopefully, or just maybe, the girls will lay down in the quiet of the night and just think upon the glory of God and His affection and protection towards them. Maybe they will think to themselves “God loves me, He created me to glorify Him, when He sees me He is delighted. As far as He is concerned…to Him, I’m Precious!”

^^^^Above: "her name is Precious"^^^^

LIONS!!!

2008-08-31T01:01:00.000-07:00

Lion’s are big scary animals with big teeth and big claws. They are agile and very strong; they could easily rip someone to pieces in a matter of moments. Africa is full of them and I never wanted to meet one face to face in the wild. I’ve already had my first encounter with a lion and I’ll tell you about it but first let me ask you some off the subject questions…

When you think back to your childhood, do you have good memories?
What type of memories do you have?
Do you enjoy thinking about the years past and the days ahead?

For me, the good memories far outweigh the bad. I remember spending many summer days playing with my brothers, my cousins and my dad. I remember the Saturday fishing trips to Neville Island. I even remember when Ricky, Stephen, Bryan, my dad, and I caught 48 fish. I remember the day my dad took us out of school to go skiing at Boyce Park with my cousins. I remember my parents reading to me, teaching me how to read, to draw, and to tell time. I remember the times my mother and I would have a cup of Lipton tea with a bowl of Wheaties (no milk) and we would play crazy 8’s together. I remember shopping with her and she would always buy me provolone cheese and my favorite cereal. I remember evening Bible studies with my family, Christmas morning, Easter morning, and long summer days swimming in our pool. I even remember the bump on the way to church which would make your stomach drop…it would tickle all of us kids, we all would laugh and sometimes my dad would turn around so we could do it again!

What does all of this have to do with encountering a lion?

My first encounter with a lion took place many years ago. I was a small boy (maybe 10) and my dad decided to take my brothers and sisters to the Pittsburgh Zoo for the day. My brothers, sisters and I had a great day seeing all of the animals, the fish, the lions!, the snakes, the monkeys, the birds and the alligators. My dad bought us soft pretzels, Pepsi, and ice cream. The goal was to eat the ice cream before it melted down your forearm and dripped off of your elbow. It was a hot day, humid and sticky, but, to me, it was one of the greatest days and memories that I have ever had. My good memories definitely outweigh the bad. I hope this is true for you as well.

For the boys and girls here, their bad memories far outweigh the good. Their memories would rather be forgotten, placed in a steel box and launched to the moon. To relive them would be cruel torture and would border on the edge of insanity. Their memories of their parents are bittersweet. Some have lost one parent, other’s both or none. Some have lost a parent and then been accused of killing them. Some have had to flee from their families because they were accused of being in a secret cult. Some have been physically beaten, tied by their feet, hung from the roof and burned. Their memories are dark spots, deep in the recesses of their minds. They are areas that they would rather forget, move on and continue their lives. For some, they have been healed of the hurt, the pain, and the sadness. For others, our newer ones, many years of counseling and prayer will be needed.

How are they bittersweet?
Some of our boys have great memories of their childhood. They remember times with their father’s and mother’s and brothers and sisters. They remember learning how to work on vehicles and how to farm. They remember spending quality time with their families. Tragedy struck for many of our boys when one or both of their parents died. Even more tragedy struck when their uncles and aunts or remaining parent accused them of being the culprit. Can you imagine? Your father or mother dies of malaria or some other disease and you are accused of putting some sort of curse on them. Someone has to be blamed so they blame you. Can you imagine?

Fortunately our boys (and girls) are receiving love and protection. Our kids are being taught scripture, education and basic life skills. Our boys are receiving hope again and love. We have over 100 boys in Jos, and 15 girls. I’m personally witnessing a transformation in their lives. I’ve seen one boy who rarely smiled, after a month he felt safe enough to smile again. Another boy doesn’t stop singing. Another doesn’t stop smiling.

There is a flip side to the tragedy that has struck in their lives; I hope you gather that from this post. Africa, Nigeria in particular, is not a country full of lions, malaria, HIV and orphans. We actually have amazing men and women, boys and girls here. We have future missionaries, pastors, doctors, Godly fathers and virtuous mothers. We have over 100 boys and 15 girls that I like to look at as gold mines. To have more men and women involved in their care, praying for them and coming to see them would be incredible. Our smaller boys love balloons and bubble gum. They love drawing pictures, singing songs and playing football (soccer). They have a hope now despite the darkness of their pasts. They have good memories that are beginning to push out the bad. They have a joy that they never dreamed they would ever have again. This is Nigeria, a land of opportunity. These are the boys and girls of City Ministries Nigeria. These are the kids I came to Nigeria for; these are the ones that are giving me more good memories that will last a lifetime.

Guess what? You are making this possible…praise the Lord and thank you for your faithfulness to God, towards these kids and towards me.

Pray for these kids, God knows their hurts and their futures. Pray for them, pray for the staff and pray for me.

SHOTS FIRED!

2008-08-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Shots were fired at an American man this past week. He ended up making most of the saves but Nigeria still won the game 2-1 over the USA to advance to the next round of the Olympic soccer championship. With the Olympics taking place in Beijing, Nigeria is watching closely their beloved soccer team. Today the team won again to advance to the gold medal game. When they won the gold in 96’ there was rioting in the streets and people were going crazy all over Nigeria. I’m excited to see what happens this weekend when the game takes place.

This week was also junior and senior camp week. For 2 weeks I was under the impression that I was going to the junior camp but at the last minute they told me I would be at senior camp. I felt bad because I told all of the junior boys that I would be at their camp. I approached senior camp with a bad attitude and with bitterness. I really wanted to be with the smaller boys because I feel more appreciated and they are more fun to play with. After camp started and we were assigned to our study groups, I had to repent of my bad attitude...

I was put in a group with a man named “uncle Bobby” from Chicago. His church sponsored the camp and he came to take part in it. From day one I began to love this guy and appreciate him very much. We ended up having an incredible time together and I feel we were very effective in ministering and teaching the boys. The theme for the week was "walk worthy". this is taking from Ephesians ch. 4:1 which says "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called".

Monday through Saturday we covered different characteristics of what it means to walk worthy.

Monday started with "walk with courage",

Tuesday, "walk with discipline"

Wednesday, "walk with vision"

Thursday, "walk with endurance"

Friday, "walk with compassion"

and Saturday, "walk with self-sacrifice"

At the then of the week the boys each expressed areas in which they grew and they were very excited that I would be around for the next two years. During the week I began to see more and more of the need that the senior boys have. Many of them are very immature in their walks with the Lord. There are others who are very strong and who are growing daily. I believe God put me with Uncle Bobby and the senior camp so that I could be encouraged by him and so that I could see the need the senior boys have. Needless to say, I’ll be spending a lot of time with our senior boys. The camp ended on Saturday and then I was finally able to go home and get some much needed rest.

in other news,

Last Sunday I was officially welcomed as the newest member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. This Sunday I visited one of the daughter churches of EBC, after the service I had pounded yam with the pastor and his family. He said I was the first white man to ever eat with his family at his house, a great honor.

Other than that, this Thursday will be 8 weeks for me since I came to Nigeria. There have been days when I wanted to quit and go home but these last few weeks I have been having an incredible time here. Sometimes I wonder how I’ll ever be able to leave this place. Nigeria is my home and I absolutely love my time here in this wonderful country. There are so many great things here; the weather, the sound of the rain on my roof, the people, the mountains, the boys, and of course, the soccer team. I’m not only the newest member of EBC, I’m also the newest fan of Nigerian soccer. I’m having a great time with the boys following their team, correction….our team!

To conclude, I just want to say thank you for all that you are doing on your side of the ocean. May the Lord richly bless you for your faithfulness, kindness and generosity.

THANK YOU!

update from the last 2 weeks

2008-08-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

I apologize to everyone who has e-mailed me and has not heard back from me. I’ve been very busy with my church family showing them around Nigeria for the last two weeks. I didn’t even stay at my house and I barely had a chance to get home to check e-mails. When I did write I mainly wanted to give you an update on Nathan and let you know that he needed your prayers.

Now I’m resting after a tiring two weeks. When teams come they usually want to jam a bunch of things in a short amount of time. When my team was here i found myself doing a lot of running around but I was able to enjoy them and see other facets of the ministry. My assignment was to be with my church wherever they went and assist in any way I could. I met them in Abuja and then we traveled to Jos the following morning. When we arrived in Jos I was given a box that my family packed for me. In it were all sorts of exciting items; M&M’s, Oreo’s, pretzels, Heinz Ketchup, Franks Red Hot Sauce, Fig Newtons, cake mixes, brownie mixes and plenty of seasonings and spices. They also brought me many books for personal study and for teaching to the boys. I had a great time opening and enjoying the gifts that they brought for me.

The first day did not have a happy ending. In the evening is when Nathan broke both of his legs. Here in Nigeria we don’t have a 911 service or ambulances so we had to take him on a stretcher in the back of a van to the local hospital. 72 hours later he was evacuated to South Africa. The team maintained their composure very well and was able to continue on with the scheduled events. The main thing they did was washing the boys’ feet and giving them a new pair of shoes. We also did 3 medical outreaches, 1 prison “inreach”, spent 7 hours on Sunday leading a church service(2 actually), and visited the different care centers.

The team left on Thursday at 1 PM and arrived safely back in the United States. Many on the team were talking about future opportunities to do long term missions. I’m excited because I may see some of them back here next summer…we’ll see!

As for me, I’m resting and relaxing. Friday I spent all day in my house and ate some of the junk food that they brought my way. I journaled, prayed and read. I had a great time alone. This week the boys go to summer camp. I’m not sure what it will be like but I’m looking forward to it. I’m being sent to the senior camp so I’ll have older and more mature boys. It ought to be an exciting week. Pray that there are boys who commit their lives to Christ.

If there are certain things that you’d like for me to write about then please e-mail me your topics at joeshriver18@gmail.com

pics of nathan

2008-08-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

this is the doctor who operated on Nathan. he "just so happened to be there". he is an orthopedic surgeon who visits nigeria once every 2 years. God orchestrated everything perfectly and we can rejoice that Dr. Zurske was available and that he did an incredible job on Nathan's legs.
this is the structure that Nathan was climbing when it came out of the ground. the structure lannded on him and sandwiched him between the cement and the tower. Praise the Lord that his head did not get hurt.

here are some pics of nathan. i've only added three because i figured they best tell his story. he is a strong young man and was an encouragement to everyone here. i did not see him cry once, he dealt with his injuries very bravely. he flew to S. africa on thursday morning and was welcomed by his father upon arrival. his family could really use our prayers, nathan's grandmother just passed away, he is in a hospital in south africa with two broken legs, his sister is moving to the philippines in a week for two years and his family are all scattered.

personally, (call it morbid) i am rejoicing with them. God is at work even during difficult times and circumstances. it may not make a lot of sense on this side of eternity but He tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God". in other words, "He is well aware of what is going on...thank HIM".

so, i just wanted to briefly add some pictures, i'm swamped with things to do but i think it's important that you are able to see Nathan and his smile. please pray for the Wuerffel family

uncle Joseph

2008-07-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

I believe there is a longing in the hearts of many men to be a father. Some may never have that privilege but maybe they will be able to be an uncle. Personally, I long to be a father and raise up a Godly heritage of warrior boys and virtuous young women. I’ve always wanted to have a large family and to raise my children to honor the Lord and to give their lives as a living sacrifice. Oh what a joyful day that will be when I’m blessed enough to welcome a child into my family and become a daddy. That day seems so far away yet, today, this very day, I am a daddy to many young children.

I’m grateful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to be here in Nigeria and to act as a father to these children. It’s easy to feel so inadequate and so unworthy to be able to be a part of their lives. What do you say to them? How do you treat them? How can I relate to them? What can I possibly do to help them?

I have no idea what it’s like to be an orphan. I don’t know what it is like to have my life in danger by my own family. I’ve never lived under a bridge or on the streets. I’ve always had running water, electricity, a comfortable bed and a loving family. I’ve never even entertained the thought of my parents getting rid of me. I’ve never had to go days without food or water. I’ve never had to beg for money. I’ve never cried myself to sleep for days and days and days. I don’t know what its like to lose my mother AND my father. I’ve never been in the shoes of these boys, I’ve never had to face life the way they have.

It all boils down to the fact that; I’ve never been a street boy in the streets on Nigeria…have you?

As much as I long to be a father, I’m excited to be “Uncle Joseph” to 63 boys and 15 girls. The kids call the staff “Auntie and Uncle_______”. I’m probably there tallest uncle they’ve seen in Nigeria. I’m beginning to develop some great relationships with the Nigerian staff and with the boys. This week I spent Tuesday and Thursday night with the boys in their rooms. I walked the 1 hour trek with them to their school. We also piled in a vehicle on the Thursday because someone was going our way. They love it when I try their food and practice my Hausa. They love it when I dive for the soccer ball and run around with them. These boys are beginning to open up more and more each day. They wait to see if I’m for real or not. They’ve already been burned more than once; will I do the same thing to them? Will I leave them, will I hurt them, and can we trust Uncle Joseph?

These are the questions that seem to be running through the minds of my newest nephews and nieces. Hopefully they see that I love them and I came to Nigeria for them.

There seems to be a gap between hope and despair. I’m confident in the fact that only Christ can give them hope; only He can give you hope. Yes, our backgrounds are vastly different but inside we are all the same. We were all created in the image of God. God’s image is on them. God’s image is on you, His image is on me. What a joy it is to be able to see God working in their lives. I hope you can share in this joy as you read this from your homes. Pray that these boys will hope only in the Lord Jesus and nothing else.

robbed!

2008-07-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

Corruption in Nigeria seems to never cease. It’s not uncommon for people to be confronted by an armed robber. Many people even live inside of gated fences with guards patrolling their houses. Earlier this week I received a taste of what it means to be robbed. It may surprise you in regards to whom and how I was robbed but let me give you a little background before I tell you how it all went down.

The week started off with a cultural orientation review with the Nigerian staff with whom I am partnering.

Tuesday morning I met with my “boss” to discuss my plans thus far. I’m still trying to figure out where I’ll best serve. So far it seems like Gyero and Transition House will be the two main areas of focus. Gyero is roughly an hour away, or 12 miles! The roads are so bad that it takes 1 hour to travel something like 12 miles. I will probably spend a lot of time in Gyero with the boys out there. They also have a farm and given my farming experience, Gyero seems to be a perfect fit for me. There are also needs in regards to maintenance and for Bible teaching and mentoring.

On Tuesday I went to Gyero to spend the day and the night. When I arrived I was given an official tour of the farm that needs much work. It started to rain when we walked to the farm so I gave my rain jacket to Sunday (one of the boys) because I didn’t want him to get sick. It turns out that I got wet and in turn I was sick that night and for the last few days. On Tuesday night I read the boys the “Pineapple Story” and they were all very attentive and excited. At the climax of the story I jokingly said “okay, I’ll read the rest of the story tomorrow”. They were all surprised and pleaded with me to keep reading…so I did. These boys love stories and they long for attention.

Now, how did I get robbed? I told you it may surprise you in regards to how and whom the robbery took place.

Do you remember what I said about getting wet and sick? When I went to see the farm I was wearing a t-shirt and I got very wet. When I returned from the walk I hung my shirt on a bed post so that it would dry out but when I went to take the shirt back to where I was staying, one of the boys offered to carry it for me. His name is Joseph Danladi(see picture and shirt over his shoulder), he is an orphan and he’s been in the ministry for a few years. Later on in the evening, I forgot about my shirt and when I asked Joseph where it was he said that he had it with him.
I said, Joseph, do you have my shirt?
He said “yes, I have it”
I said “can I have it back?”
He shook his head “no”
I said “why not?”
He said “because I want to sleep with it tonight”
At this point I said, “Okay, Joseph, you can have it tonight but tomorrow please give it back to me”.
Joseph came to me armed with a heart longing for a father and affection. These boys have been robbed of paternal care and love. They’ve spent a large portion of their lives trying to survive on the streets of Nigeria. When I came to Gyero Joseph was quick to welcome me and show his longing for affection. Joseph did not steal my shirt, he simply borrowed it for the night. He wanted anything he could to remind him of me. My shirt carries my scent and it is a part of me. As far as I know, Joseph wanted to be near his father. My shirt was the closest thing to having a father close to him when he slept.

These boys are starving for affection. Some of them have been through atrocious acts and abuse. Others have been without a male or female influence for the majority of their lives. Joseph has no father and he has no mother. As far as he is concerned, I am his father until I leave and return to the U.S. In two years, I too will abandon him.

While I was in Gyero I told the boys about my friends and family in the U.S. I told them about my friend Sarah who gave me the pineapple story. I told them that she is their age and that she wants to start a business selling bread to her neighbors to help sponsor orphans. They were very interested to know more about her and about sponsors in the U.S.

I would like you to consider sponsoring orphans and contributing to the ministry here. These boys need food, clothing, shoes and school supplies. These are simply material items. Above all, they need love, they need people like you and me to come and spend time with them, to read them Bible stories and teach them about Jesus. Consider visiting Nigeria, consider these boys and girls in your prayers. Before you eat breakfast tomorrow, consider the wonderful food that is in front of you. Consider the comfort of your bed and of the wonderful family God has given to you. Consider these boys who have been robbed of their rights to simply be loved.

If you are interested in finding out more about this then please write back or visit the following link…

http://www.cityministriesnigeria.org/

I’m sorry that this post was very long. I hope that you read it all and you can get a better look into the ministry that I’m involved with.

Here are some Prayer requests:
1. For direction in regards to where to serve
2. I’ll be in Kano(99.9% muslim) from the 20th-28th. Pray for effectiveness in outreach.
3. Pray that I’ll find a cheap car to get me to and from ministry locations.

Other than that, thank you all again and again for giving me the privilege of serving the church in Nigeria. I praise the Lord for all that you’ve done to make this possible. Please continue to stay in touch…I love hearing from you.

Oh and Bryan, e-mail me soon

a week in review

2008-07-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

“Na gajia”---I’m tired!

This week has been very busy. I finished my cultural orientation on Tuesday and then Wednesday, Thurs and Friday I finally made my rounds exploring the city ministries and determining where I would fit the best.

Monday and Tuesday where spent doing things like:
-Filling out immigration papers
-Learning how finances work here
-Learning how to avoid offending a Nigerian
-Signing my will
-and shopping in the market

Wednesday was spent at Gidan Bege. This is where the boys are first cared for to determine why they came to GB. The goal is to reconcile these kids with there families but often times this is not the possible. The boys spend at least 6 months being cared for, loved, fed and counseled. Their cases are usually pretty drastic and sad but it’s important to remember that we can actually help them now. No matter what happened in the past, through the love of Christ, these boys are loved and taught scripture. I spent Wednesday with them playing soccer, cards, eating, napping, and I even had a Bible study from Luke 15. At the end we all prayed, each boy knelt on the cement and they all began to pray. I knelt with them and was so caught up in their sincerity that I barely prayed. I just listened; I didn’t understand what they were saying because they were praying in Hausa. But I did know that they were speaking to their Father, a Father they never knew they had.

After I left GB I went with a group of Nigerians to “bad boys” for an outreach. This is a small town where people go to do bad things…go figure! We went for a different reason. We went to share Christ with these Nigerians. Many were keen to listen to the “baturi”(white person). I was able to have many conversations with these men, women and children. We were there for roughly an hour and the rain started to POUR! More on this later.

Thursday was spent visiting Transition House(TH). This is the location in which the boys transition out of the ministry and back to their families or into the workplace. My only involvement in TH will probably be in the area of Bible studies and Bible classes. I’m still not sure how much time I’ll be spending at TH…we’ll see.

Friday was the highlight of my week even though there was still no electricity. Friday I went to Gyero to explore the ministry and to take one of our new girls to live with the other 13 orphan girls. Let me explain better…

City ministries does not just bring in orphan boys, we also bring in girls(though not the norm). generally girls are more valuable at home and boys are not. The boys usually are the ones who are sent to the streets to beg. Some are forced, others have no other choice to survive. On Friday we took a new orphan girl to Gyero, her name is Mary and she is nine yrs. Old. She became an orphan over the weekend when her mother died. We took Mary to live out with the other 13 girls. I went to Gyero to visit the boys and see where I may fit the best. The boys received me well and all of them kept saying “dogo baturi”(tall white person). They couldn’t believe my height. The boys showed me around the ministry. We walked out into the farm area, met some Fulani’s (nomad’s) and explored the living quarters. At one point I could here the praying of Muslims in the distance. Friday is their Sunday, the day to worship and pray in the mosque. I can see myself spending a lot of time in Gyero. The boys want me to move in with them…I just may…we’ll see.

This week we had all sorts of storms. At one point I thought the roof was going to blow off and rain was going to cover my bed...the storms here are crazy. This is the rainy season and believe me, it rains hard here.

I hope that gives you a good look into my last week. On Friday night I made myself some dinner. It was not a normal dinner. This was a candle light dinner! The only bad part about the meal was that I was all alone, me, myself, and I. brighter days will come…family as well.

PRAY

Here are some things you can pray for:
Direction on where to serve
My health
Pray also for Mary, the new orphan girl.

Ps. The lizards name is Samson. The more yellow they have, the tougher they are. The more battles they won.

a weekend in Jos

2008-06-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

home depot/lowes^^^

having arrived on thursday night in Abuja and Jos on Friday morning, i was assigned "rest" for the first few days. this allowed me the chance to explore jos, talk to the missionaries, eat w/ them (they say hi erin), visit church and even attend a basketball game. i'm in the honeymoon stage right now. this means everything is perfect and peachy...supposively the same way when people get married. after the honeymoon stage ends(probably in a few months), reality sets in and it's time to deal with the fact that you're here and not going anywhere for a long time. after that stage ends(by God's grace) then comes the "it's not so bad here after all" stage. this, i'm yet to see...stay in tune.

friday, saturday and sunday were opportunities to explore. today(monday) i started orientation.

saturday i explored the market and met some nationals. the Nigerians are wonderful and friendly people. they make up 1/4 of Africa's population and they have the capability to lead all of Africa (economically, politically, socially, and SPIRITUALLY). i'm yet to learn a lot about this in a "hands on" type of way but from what i have observed and what i hear, Nigeria has golden potential. there is a lot of corruption here, but i don't want to write a lot about this because it's not safe to do so. just know that they need the love of Christ in their hearts and lives or else they will continue to be a corrupt nation.

yesterday i went to a professional basketball game(for free) to see a friend of one of the missionaries play. maybe you can tell by the look of the pictures, their facilities were next to pathetic.

the highlite of the day was visiting an African church. i had a wonderful time hearing the Word of God preached from a man that was formally in the muslim faith. the African songs and worship was interesting, the sights, smells, and sounds were all together intriguing. reality set in yesterday...I'M IN AFRICA!

the rest of this week will be orientation to SIM/ECWA, the culture, and city ministries. later on this week i'll finally visit the boys in Gidan Bege and Gyero.

Pleasy pray that God will lead me into an area of ministry here. there are so many needs here in Nigeria.

pray also that i will be able to learn the Hausa language.

pray also for my transition into this country and culture.

i hope these pictures will whet your appetite.

yauwa, sai anjima---okay, see you later

welcome to Nigeria

2008-06-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

i'm here! i arrived safely on Thursday evening in Abuja Nigeria. i made it through customs fine and found my driver(Danjuma) to take me to the ECWA guest house(more on ECWA[Evangelical Church of West Africa] later). God has been so faithful in every step of the way.

for starters, my visa came in on time and i was able to leave as planned. when i left for the airport on wednesday, i stopped by the SIM HQ's to pick up my tickets, visa and immigration papers and had no problems at all during travel

at the airport the ticketing personnel did not even touch my boxes. the lady said "put them on the belt and i'll put a sticker on them so they arrive in Nigeria"(hopefully). i did as they wished, said good bye to Bryan and was on my way.

my first flight took me to Boston and then to Frankfurt over night. i sat beside a 16yr. old German girl named Valerie(just like my lil' sister!). she was very helpful in Frankfurt finding my way to my connecting flight to Abuja. i took off from Frankfurt at 12 and flew over Malta, the Sahara desert and Nigeria before i arrived in Abuja at 8 pm on time.

the sahara desert>>>

the next morning i was driven to my new home in Jos in where i'll live in the challenge apartments. i've attached some pictures of my new apartment. notice how short everything is and don't forget i'm tall. not a good combination...but i'm thankful.

last night i slept 10 hrs which is pretty good for someone who is supposed to be having major jet lag. i'm still experiencing some jet lag but God has been faithful to give me adequate rest.

so, now i'm here. i finally found internet and i hope this is of some help for you all.
some observations so far are:
-drving here is crazy
-the lizards are 12 inches long(my dog would have loved them)
-the driving here is really bad
-when it rains...it pours!
-the driving here is horrible
-the people are very friendly and warm hearted
-the driving here is atrocious
-Nigeria reminds me of Papua New Guinea
-the drivers here are insane
-there are no walmarts
and heinz ketchup is $9.36 US

well, i hope this gives you a good look into Nigeria. did i mention the driving here is horrendous?

in the weeks to come i'll write more about the real reason i came to Nigeria: namely Children's ministries

stay in touch,
joseph

last days before Nigeria

2008-06-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

i'm getting better at this "blog" thing. this post should tell you a little about my last month here in the states. i'm at my desk right now, tuesday June 24th and i'm supposed to leave tomorrow at 4:15 pm. the problem i'm facing is somewhat severe...I HAVE NO VISA!...that's right, i do not have my visa as of tuesday morning. i can't seem to get any answers other than it may be shipped tonight and received tomorrow morning. as of right now, it is on a desk in washington d.c. please pray that it will come in tomorrow. "not my will but Thy will de done".

this last month has been refreshing and stressful. trying to say goodbye to everyone while i'm trying to pack my bags has been difficult. it's easy to get to caught up in the work of the Lord that you forget the Lord of the work. i'm trying to get my priorities straight. if i don't start my day out in the word of God, i've already failed.

i'm trying to maintain a good attitude as i prepare to leave. moving is difficult, moving to another country is even more difficult, moving to a third world country is very difficult. i coulduse some patience as i prepare to cross the pond and live in Nigeria for two years.

one of my concerns while gone was "will people forget about me? will they forget to pray and write? will they even be interested int he work the Lord is doing in NIgeria?" this concern was met with much encouragement...

on june 20th my church had a going away party for me at the Stelzl's house. i had a great time playing with the kids and saying goodbye to all of my church family. the highlight, besides the "chocolate deliciousness" was the prayer at the end. all of the men laid hans on me and prayed for me. they prayed for all sorts of things as they were led by the Holy Spirit. they prayed for wisdom, patience, my visa, encouragment, support, peace and for companionship. a friend of mine took pictures during the prayer and we could'nt believe what she captured in the photo. look below at the picture of them praying for me. what do you see in the sky?

i see a cross.

God seems to show up in the most unique ways. coincidence you say. maybe. however, given the circumstance at hand and the heart that needed it, i can't help but glorify God for the wonderful work He did on that cross 2,000 years ago.

the sweet savor of wisconsin

2008-05-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

this is my first blog entry and i'm not really sure what you all may want to know about. i thought i'd give it a whirl and see if it interests you at all or not. i hope to keep this up and running during the duration of my stay in Jos, Nigeria and i'd like for you to all be able to see what's happening there and be able to pray accordingly. here is my first post...

...on may 15th i flew from charlotte to atlanta to meet my friend michael and connect a flight up to milwaukee. i flew to wisconsin so could attend the new tribes bible institute graduation and also to see friends that i won't be able to see until the summer of 2010.

my time there was great and i was able to spend a good bit of time doing the things i love...fellowship, playing w/ kids, ultimate frisbee and spending time talking over a cup of hot coffee! saying goodbye was not as difficult as i anticipated. i've grown accustomed to saying goodbye these last 6 years or so and often times i find myself not getting too attached to people because i fear i'll lose them at any given time. this time however, i know i'm not losing these friends, rather, i'm simply saying goodbye for a few years. i hope we can keep in contact as i head to Nigeria. ultimately, my time in wisconsin was well spent and i savored every minute of it. i've lived in pennsylvania, florida, washington, north carolina, south carolina and wisconsin. my favorite, for sure, is wisconsin.

as far as deprature dates are concerned...june 25th is the potential date. pray that the consulate in washington dc receives my visa and approves of it. pray also for the planning that i need to do before i leave.

that's the end of my first blog posts...hope you enjoyed reading about my life...i'd rather hear about yours.

-joseph