by Tina | Oct 15, 2014 | Devotional
It has been a good week. Tomorrow we will leave at 6:00 am to go to Jalingo. We need to get our passports stamped at the Immigration office and want to meet with FHI and get a few supplies. We will then stop in Bali on the way home Friday to see how much food is left so that we can plan accordingly.
We are getting to know the staff a bit and can recognize most people by name. There are a few names we have a hard time pronouncing however. We have also started using a “How to learn Housa” program as we would like to be able to understand some Housa and have an inkling when we hear some words.
Boaz, the male guard dog is still sick. The vet’s assistant first thought it was worms, gave him meds for that, then a urinary tract infection, gave him meds for that and he is still miserable. In my “Other Life”, I didn’t realize that guard dogs are truly part of the security team. People are afraid of them, as both Ruth and Boaz are big German Shepherds and if you are not supposed to be in the compound, they will definitely stop you. Here is a picture of Boaz, he is a wonderful guard dog and is usually very perky and jumping and barking around. He really hasn’t moved or eaten, or done anything for over a week now.
This gets me thinking about health. Physical health is easy to see and to know. Either you’re healthy or you’re not. Spiritual health is another thing. It can creep up on you. Gradually. Insidiously. Dan and I can not be effective here if we are not physically as well as spiritually in tune and healthy.
How about you? Are you just as concerned about your time with God as you are with caring for your physical body? I have to say, for a good share of my life this has not been nearly as important than it is now. Make a plan today to nurture your soul with you “Papa” God by talking with Him and hearing from Him from the Bible. Have a wonderful week Friends!
by Tina | Oct 7, 2014 | Devotional
Well, this week has been good, but challenging in a strange way. We are familiarizing ourselves with the staff here at GECHAAN, policies and procedures in place, and resources available. We have been cleaning out cupboards and closets and offices. Dan and I each have an office space now, we know what is in the pantry, and what supplies are available for ministry.
After the past 2 1/2 years of sorting and organizing our work places and home to transition into ministry here it seems like the obvious next step, we really like to know where things are when they are needed. Here in Gembu there are many resources not available or very expensive, so it is good to know what you have and where it is at.
The Mambilla Plateau is a beautiful place and yesterday as I was “making the rounds”, greeting staff and clients in the clinic, and familiarizing myself with the property a thought occurred to me as I was soaking in the beauty of our surroundings. The picture above is of a passion fruit blossom. Art and Peter the Gardener have planted many very pretty and useful plants and trees on the property. This week we have had fresh bananas, papaya, green beans, and cabbage grown right here on our property. We also have a new favorite food – fried plantain. So good!
Well, if you look at the passion fruit blossom, it is kind of prickly and odd looking, I noticed it right away because it looked different than any of the other flowers. I thought to myself, “that’s kind of like me, I have never felt like I was like other people and I used to be very “prickly”. God has been so awesome to show me that my protective walls hinder me rather than help in ministry. Over the years, He has smoothed my edges, softened my heart, and allowed me to live without fear – He has it covered!!
This is the developing fruit of the passion fruit. It is not ripe yet, it doesn’t have the wonderful flavor that it will have after it ripens. It occurred to me that right now we are kind of like that green passion fruit. We are growing, learning, opening ourselves to new experiences, people, lifestyle but we are not “ripe” yet. We will ripen as we learn, trust, and grow in ministry here.
This week it was so awesome to be able to experience people coming to thank Art for the work that he and Dorothy have done in this whole area. The person that has touched me forever is a mother. 12 years ago Art provided her with the medicine that a mother can take so that she doesn’t pass HIV on to her unborn child. She also started on the medicine, as well as the diet that Dorothy wrote down for her to keep her healthy. Today 12 years later, her meds haven’t changed and she is very healthy and still eating the diet! Her beautiful, healthy daughter was with her. She cried and said, “thank you for saving my life and my daughters’ life”. Here you need to save their physical lives before you can even begin to talk about Jesus saving their hearts. I truly hope and pray that we will ripen in the way that touches lives and the community in this way.
My prayer requests for this week are this: Please pray that God will make it clear how to proceed with ministry here in Gembu. With the US AID funding gone we have much less funds to do work here and we really feel that possibly a quality care hospital is the best way to touch the community in addition to the HIV/testing, treating, and counselling . Please pray for wisdom, funding, and relationships with staff and the community here.
by Tina | Sep 28, 2014 | Devotional
Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war
my fingers for battle. Psalm 144:1
This week has been so very exciting for us! Monday morning we arrived at the airport. We had a stopover in Newark, New Jersey, Frankfort, Germany, then finally at Abuja, Nigeria. Art and Peter (the best driver EVER!) as well as Wilson and Tiwo picked us and our ten 50 pound bins and 100 pound water heater. We got a lot of looks at the airports. In Minneapolis a few people saw the tags on our luggage and said, “Thank you for helping these people”. That was very unexpected and we were very humbled.
We stayed at the Abuja house for two days while we went to the bank, tried to get a bank account, and can’t right now because of our Visa status. Shopped for some items that we needed in Gembu, and I discovered that most Nigerian food is very spicy hot! The girl at the restaurant had a very hard time understanding that I wanted spaghetti with no sauce, no meat, just margarine. We have had time visiting with Art about how things are going at GECHAAN, what we need to consider for future as well as many other cultural tips and facts.
We left Abuja and arrived at Boko Friday night around 6:30 pm. We met with Art and discussed more questions that we had. We left Saturday morning at 6am. We arrived at the spot in Bali where we were ambushed and Peter asked if we remembered where the incident happened. Dan said, “I think right around here”. Peter shook his head affirmatively and we talked a bit about that time when his hand was shot and he showed me how his pinkie finger still doesn’t work and yet the rest of his hand works well. I though I might have issues as this is the first time we have been there since the shooting. I thanked the Lord for the healing, friends, and process that we have gone through the past 2 1/2 years. Shortly after we passed that spot, we saw the other vehicle traveling with us broken down beside the road. Peter went and hired a mechanic, bought a fuel pump, and tools, and the mechanic and Wilson changed the fuel pump right there on the road. We must have been an unusual sight, because we had a few children peeking out from the bushes watching us the entire time. We arrived a couple of hours late to Gembu because of the repair. Courage had a wonderful supper waiting for us and we unpacked our trunks and started to get settled.
This morning was church! We went to the Mambilla Baptist Church and had a wonderful 4 hour service. They weren’t done before we left, but we left at an appropriate time. I loved the music, the drums, and the colorful clothing everyone wore. Art introduced us to the church and we got to visit with the Village Chiefs wife. We will be going to the Chief’s Palace tomorrow!
We had a lovely lunch of canned soup and Christopher’s wonderful bread. We had some wonderful visits this afternoon from people from the church and I was excited to get to meet women that are teachers and active in church life and the community here in Gembu.
My requests for today is to ask for prayer in funding for different areas here at GECHAAN. With the USAID grant ending and not renewed it cuts ways we can help the community in so many ways. Pray for wisdom for Dan and I and that we make the connections we need to to continue God’s work here.
by Tina | Sep 22, 2014 | Devotional
Today I would like to share with you our very exciting news! We have our Visas in hand and leave tomorrow morning for Nigeria!
We are so excited to be FINALLY leaving! We know that God has had a purpose for our delay, and are thankful that He knows what’s best and has it all under control!
Here is what our schedule is like for this week:
We land in Abuja Tuesday afternoon, will spend the night in Abuja, go to Jalingo to pick up paperwork for our work quota, then head up to Gembu. We will not not have internet or contact for a week or so. Do not be concerned if you do not have contact with us. No news is good news here!
We will be working on transition and learning what’s going on at the ministry until October 7 when we bring Art back to Abuja to go home. We get to be in Gembu until we leave December 16 to return to the states because of the elections there and the turmoil that ensues. We will return to Nigeria after things have calmed down and Art will join us to finish the transition training.
Here is what I would like to request prayer for: Safety for all in the ministry as we travel and clarity of mind and wisdom as we have the first 2 weeks with Art, then 10 without. That we have no trouble getting our STR visa and avoid any more delays there. That we will hear and understand God plan for GECHAAN’s future.
My point for today is this: God is faithful and true. That’s all we need to know and we are excited to get to share that with you in weeks to come!
I look forward to blogging the next time from Gembu!!
by Tina | Apr 17, 2014 | Devotional
I have been thinking lately how very blessed I am. During this whole process of the last two years of activity Dan and I have been blessed with being on the same page and truly loving and respecting each other. We have loved talking with people about what God is doing in Nigeria and how he is leading us to be there soon. I do not know many couples who are able to raise support and work full-time until all of their funds are raised. God has truly blessed us!
Yesterday Dan was making me laugh hysterically. I realized once again, how very blessed I am to be married to my best friend, father of my children, and life partner. I am so excited to see how God is going to use us as a couple and individually as we work in Nigeria.
We have been through rough times, and I have told you in past blogs how I was ready to throw the life I knew away and leave Dan and everything behind. What if I would have done that? Think of the joy and blessing I would be missing out on and the privilege of serving my Savior to reach unreached people groups and dying people for Him? I’m so thankful for the God of grace and peace who rules my life and loves me unconditionally!
My point for today is this: God has a plan, a big plan for your life. What will you miss out on because you are holding on to anger, bitterness, grief? Dan, in his empathetic way tells me occasionally, “I have one word for you, lettergo!” I hate to sound cliche, but let go and truly let God use you!
Recent Comments