“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.
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.
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3 comments:
Joseph,
It's so awesome to hear from you. I miss you so much!I love to see all the pictures and be able to read about your time spent there this week. My favorite picture is the one to the right of Samson the lizard (which is our new background on our computer). The boys look very happy next to you. I could tell they enjoy you very much. We will come to see you very soon and hopefully have dinner with you if possible. Donut would love to be there with you for sure. Specially playing with Samson! :) I will be praying for God's direction in your life.
Loking forward to seeing you dogo baturi,
Jeannette
Wow! Awesome info and heartbreaking stories about the boys. You have come along way from when we met on a plane flight years ago! You sure have been faithful to God's Calling in your life!!
As I read your blog, I couldn't help but thinking how you are right where God's wants you using the gifting He has given you - even your height:) Your update blessed us and I know the young kids around you are being loved with the love of Christ! I hope you will live 1Thessalonians 5:16-18!
God bless and keep you:)
Steve & carolyn Van Ooteghem
Joseph, love your blog. Love the lizard samson too. Bluntz would probably like to rip his head off. Or maybe the opposite would happen. I'm glad that you arrived safely and I know that you will adjust to your surroundings slowly but surely. God is with you always. Love, Aunt Michelle
I will pray for you accordingly.
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