Nigeria

Agba or Hello from Africa.

This is intense. I do not have the time I thought I would have to blog. I will give you a brief update.

- I have never seen smiles like this.

- We have now done 2 clinics which lasted two full days. One for kids at the orphanage and one for the village of Otutulu.

- Myself, Matt, Eric, & Doug took a journey to purchase a cow in a village we could not begin to pronounce. Myself & Doug had a brief run in with the law which is a long story for another day. The cow was slaughtered today and we used some of the meat for a picnic with all the kids tonight. I am so proud of the kids of Adventureland and the kids at Trinity for partnering together to help provide protein for these kids.

- I am learning kids names. It is very difficult to understand them. Their language is tonal which means I CANNOT SPEAK IT! You have to try to talk with an accent for them to understand you.

- God is good. God is good to these people. God provides for them in ways I have never experienced. I believe there are big implications based on what I have seen...not sure exactly what yet.

I have to go. Sorry this is short. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Continue to pray for us.

-pray for safety

-pray for remaining clinics

-pray for God sovereignty to reign over what we are doing

-pray for the children's activities (camp) we will do tomorrow

Nothing but love.
Stu

Christ Calls

(Nigerian Flag)

Well, it's 11:30pm and I am wide awake with my mind racing. On Friday, we leave for Nigeria and although my mind is racing about all the things left to be done, I am surprisingly content. I would expect to be a little nervous about such a big trip...but I'm not. What our team will be doing in Nigeria is so blatantly biblical and I think this is what calms my nerves. Christ calls us to go us to go make disciples. Christ calls us to care for the poor and the needy. Christ calls us to love kids. I pray God's name is glorified through this trip.

Recently, I was directed to a blog that highlights 10 pre-departure thoughts prior to going on a mission trip to Haiti. Most of the thoughts resonated with me and I have slightly modified them for you...

1. I am going to miss my family. Asa is learning more and more everyday and the thought that I will miss something kills me (He now says Donut or "No Nut"). Also, I hate leaving Dev for overnight trips. I love her company.
2. I am anxious (not nervous). I've never been on a trip like this. The unknown is coming quick.
3. I will be heartbroken. I’m going to come across some devastation and grief. I’m going to witness the ramifications of injustice, poverty and trauma. I am going to meet orphans. That alone will kill me.
4. I am going to get frustrated. I anticipate at times feeling like my hands are tied behind my back at what I will see and experience. I will want to help but will be very limited.
5. I will fall in love. I’m going to meet some wonderful and humble people. I’m a sucker for those who struggle and don’t or can’t hide it. I will fall in love with people remarkably free of much of our baggage.
6. I will see the depravity of my own life. This usually happens to people who come from more affluent societies. My complaints will fade in comparison to theirs, and my self-centeredness will become painfully obvious to me.
7. I will meet some amazing people. The underlying unity of the human race will impress itself upon me, and I will be driven deeper into my love for the world-wide community.
8. I will be changed. I feel like I’m going into surgery. It is not elective, but urgent. I have this gut-wrenching sense that something remarkable is going to happen to me that will transform me forever.
9. I will receive more than I give. I don’t feel at all like I am coming with something to offer. I guarantee the stories of faith I have been told about the kids in Otutulu that I now get to witness will fill me up.
10. I will be inspired. Not sure how yet but I know it will happen.

I will attempt to continue to update this blog and twitter while there. However, nothing is guaranteed.

You prayers will be greatly appreciated.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for quick travel recovery.
• Pray for safety.
• Pray for the Doctors going.
• Pray for energy.
• Pray for our interactions with the Fulani Tribe.
• Pray for our Boys Small Group Bible Study.
• Pray for our Children's Programs.
• Pray for our medical clinics

Nigeria

First off, thank you. Thanks for showering our team in prayer and for financially supporting me to travel to Nigeria.

We are in the final stage of preparing for our trip. There is one more team meeting on Monday and on Tuesday, we pack our luggage full of supplies to be distributed to folks in Nigeria. The time to leave is quickly approaching.

I have been told that we MAY have internet access while at the orphanage and if that is the case, there is a great chance that I will be able to update this blog. However, we will only have 3 hours of electricity in the evenings and it would need to take place in those three hours. This is assuming the generators are working.

Prayer Requests

1. Pray for safety during travel.
2. Pray for the young men's small group focusing on character.
3. Pray for the Children's Program that I will be leading.
4. Pray for a chance to safely purchase a cow or some other form of protein.

This is a video we made for Adventureland to show the kids what life is like at the Orphanage. Let me know if you have any questions.