tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13530533626232224572024-02-20T16:35:38.721-05:00FAITH'S HEARTCrystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-69519579263649102182010-12-08T08:43:00.003-05:002010-12-08T08:56:00.021-05:00November Newsletter“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.” ~ Helen Keller<br />1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”<br /><br /><br />When I think of the work that we are involved in here in Nigeria, I think about the hundreds of tiny pushes of all the people I am privileged to work with here at Ministry of Mercy. Our aunties, our drivers, our cleaners, each of them are performing tasks daily, which to the untrained eye are humble tasks, but which are, in reality the greatest and noblest of tasks. They toil endlessly and uncomplainingly (for the most part ) for the sake of our children and to the glory of God. They are the true heroes who move this world along. <br /><br />I started this newsletter back in July! Then I got caught up in the busy-ness of hosting short-term visiting teams, adoptions, getting the new school year underway, and taking care of the six kids living with me, and time just got away. Here are some highlights from the past five months.<br /><br /><strong><br />School</strong><br />We are still understaffed, but we have had some relief this term with extra helping hands from university students home on break and my cousin Chelsea who recently graduated from Appalachian State University in North Carolina and who is volunteering with us for 6 months.<br /><br />We had a member of our teaching staff leave as Roselyn David wedded in mid-October.<br />Our three-week summer session was a busy one. As part of the focus on reading, we used the Arts and Crafts week to do a Dr. Suess theme. We had great fun with red fish, green eggs, and other such craziness The second week was a week of swimming lessons, and the third week was learning market skills. The culminating activity of the three-week session was a mini market where kids practiced their bartering skills and made practical math applications. (See pictures of our activities on http://s215.photobucket.com/home/gosnell_c)<br /><br /><strong>Kids</strong><br /><br />Our beautiful Blessing, who has had a subgaleal cyst above the anterior fontanel since birth, was able to have it removed through minor surgery a few months ago. She has completely healed now.<br /> <br />Among our new arrivals are Gideon, a 5-year-old, fatherless boy whose legs are not fully developed; Ojima, an 11 year old girl who has severe mental disabilities; and David and Blessing, premature twins who were each about 3 lbs. and not eating well. The twins have been living with me (ably assisted by Asibi and Chelsea ), and now have so many chins they hardly have necks <br /><br />Six more adoptions have been completed and six more children are now US citizens. We are so grateful that all those that were in process were able to be completed before the passage and implementation of a new law in Kogi State which now prohibits foreign adoption. I wrote a 30+ page proposal that we have submitted for review and revision of this law, but it will take time (years?) for change to be affected if our proposal is even accepted. <br /><br />Tom had a great 3rd birthday and continues to be a daily joy and constant blessing. Turning three meant he got to start Nursery School in September, and he is loving it! He brings home new random bits of knowledge (mostly in song form) every day and enjoys shouting them out throughout the day. <br /><br />We have been having serious discipline issues with one of our secondary school students and we had to pull him out of school part way through third term last year due to a serious case of theft in town. At our wits’ end, and quickly running out of options, we found a boarding school that is willing to accept him despite knowing his history. Thank God for grace, and pray with us that this young man will take advantage of this last chance.<br /><br />It was a new aunty – it was the first baby in her care. I was sitting on the steps of the orphanage when she walked briskly past with the baby wrapped in a blanket. The next thing I knew, one of our head aunties was shouting for my attention and thrusting the baby into my arms. Gesticulating wildly with her arms she was shouting that this woman had killed this baby. Well, the baby was not dead, but he was seriously dehydrated. I took the baby inside and kept him through the night. Alternating oral rehydration solution and formula in a bottle, we were able to get him stabilized. He made it through the crisis and is now thriving. His aunty learned from her experience and is now one of our best aunties. <br /><br />“I want to sell my baby.” A tense silence followed these words as the young woman kept her gaze fixed on the ground. Around 9 p.m. one Sunday evening, a young woman showed up at our gate with a story of a boyfriend, an unwanted pregnancy, and no family to go to. We explained to her that we don’t buy babies here, but we would be willing to take her in, completely free-of-charge, help her through her pregnancy, and then help make sure she and her baby were taken care of and reintegrated to her family if possible after giving birth. She agreed to take our offer; however, she grew restless within a few days and chose to leave. Please pray that Chioma and her unborn child will be safe wherever they have gone.<br /><br /><strong>Other Adventures</strong><br /><br />With adoptions, short term teams, and family, we’ve seen a steady stream of visitors over the past 6 months. Some highlights included a chance to see our Cibolo Creek family again, a first-time ever visit from my Liebenzell family when Global Ministries Director, Bill Schuitt, came and spent a week with us, and, of course, my cousin Chelsea who has devoted six months to helping out our school. We are looking forward to a visit with Chelsea’s mom (my aunt) in a few weeks, and then my mom, an aunt, and another cousin who will be coming out in January. <br /><br />After about four months, we finally got my car working again. It has been serving well. However, at the very end of September, while driving in Anyigba, we were hit by an on-coming car while making a turn into the post office. The passenger side door (where I was sitting) was bent in in a V-shape and the whole right side of the bumper was folded under so that it was rubbing against the tire. We praise God that there was no loss of life and only two minor injuries in the other car (a Golf, serving as a public taxi). We are also grateful that we were able to settle the case without impounding of the cars and a long police/court process. <br /><br />Our fish farm has started providing us with a harvest. It’s been delicious! Our fish are catfish, which are an amazingly resilient species that make amazing escape attempts. I came back to the room twice in the dark to find my catfish half-way across the kitchen floor despite my attempts to keep him contained in the bucket by placing a large piece of wood over the top! <br /><br />Recently a young man in our village died of Hepatitis B. It was a sad and drawn out affair, with the family traveling from traditional healer to prayer house to miracle worker seeking a cure. Please keep the family in prayer. It is a polygamous family, and there is blame being laid on certain members of the family for having put a curse on the young man. It is due to this belief that it was a spiritual curse that kept them from seeking modern medical treatment for the case.<br /> <br />I’m really enjoying my on-line seminary course through Eastern Mennonite Seminary called “Cross-Cultural Discipleship”, although some weeks it’s tough to stay on top of my assignments along with everything else. The opportunity to reflect on the challenges of service with others who are in the midst of it as well has been very helpful. Our class spans from Nigeria to Thailand to Israel to Ecuador to Colombia to the United States.Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-83169647588682712542010-07-13T11:47:00.002-04:002010-07-13T11:50:49.352-04:00<em>Psalm 55:22 “ Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; <br />He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”<br />I found it interesting, when I came across this verse in Psalms, that it does not say<br />Cast your burden on the Lord and He will take it away. It says rather that He will sustain us. <br />Lamentations chapter 3 carries the same message and also gives further instruction for how to stay under the burden: (v.26) It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (v.28) Let him sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him. And what is our hope and our promise? Lamentations 3:22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. (v. 23) They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (v.25) The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. <br />We all have days when we feel we just can’t take one more minute of “it” – we can’t take one more day – we can’t take one more thing. Burdens and trials are not the exclusive territory of the missionary. Each of us must pass through trials in this life. May we continue to uphold one another in prayer during these times, may we have the patience to wait on the Lord, and may we take heart in the great promise that “Through the Lord’s mercies, WE ARE NOT CONSUMED.” Thank you for upholding us in prayer – it’s not just a helpful thing, it’s the main thing!</em><br /><br /> <strong>Education</strong><br />As we are down to four teachers for the 8 classes, we have decided to run a three-hour morning session for Nursery 1-3 and Primary 1, take three-hour break, and then run a three-hour afternoon session for our Primary 2-5. While not ideal, through the dedication of the four teachers who remain with us, it is working for now. We are praying that this is a temporary situation and that our staffing needs will soon be met.<br />Praise God, work is progressing on the school building! The frame for the roof has been completed, and we have received a quotation for the roofing sheets. Once we are able to purchase and install those, the roof will be completed! Of course, the work doesn’t end there, the next step requires many things to be going on simultaneously – ceiling, plastering, electrical, and plumbing. <br />Earlier this month, a 5 year old boy with severe congenital deformities of the legs was brought to Ministry of Mercy. His family has been taking very good care of him, but they are interested in his being able to pursue his education. They plan to return to admit him next month. He is a charming little guy and seems quite bright. We look forward to his joining our family.<br /><br /> <strong>Visitors</strong><br />The summer promises to be a busy time with visitors. Already we have five different trips scheduled (some individuals and some groups) for the months of June through August. Pray for travel logistics both to and within Nigeria, safety and health while they are here, and that through their time here the Word of the Lord will go forth.<br /><br /> <strong>Kids</strong><br />Our sweet baby Anne who arrived in February and who we told you about in our last newsletter, truly was improving and gaining weight well. However, after a few weeks, it became clear that she had hydrocephalus. Her head continues to enlarge, and the intracranial pressure will most likely cause blindness and serious mental handicaps. The surgery to insert a shunt is not really available here, and even with such surgery 1 in 5 children who have a shunt die before age 7. Anne will probably only be with us for a few months to a few years. Pray that the love she is shown during her brief life may be a testimony to her family. Pray that she will not experience too much pain, but will rather feel the love of those caring for her.<br /><br />We continue to struggle with certain undesirable behaviors in our children – stealing and lying being specific areas of concern. Please pray that we will have wisdom in disciplining these behaviors, as the idea of discipline is not just punishment but also training. Pray that God will convict their hearts; for we know that it is only through that that there will be sustainable change.<br />Daniel came rushing to pick me up with the car. There was a baby in trouble. A child from the village (between 1 and 2 years old) had been taken to a local health clinic because of high fever, convulsions, and restlessness. The clinic had given the boy a blood transfusion, after which he convulsed and then went limp. The health worker pronounced the boy dead (but offered to give the family a letter of referral to the hospital). The family saw no need to take a corpse to the hospital, so they backed the child and took a motorcycle back to the village with him. On the way, the aunt who was carrying him noticed that the child seemed to be breathing. That’s when they rushed him to MoM. The boy’s eyes were open, but he was unresponsive. He was still convulsing on the right side and seemed to have suffered some stroke damage to that side. His reflexes were weak if there at all. His lungs were congested. Hydrocortisone and Rocephin were administered as well as breathing treatments, and an IV drip was set. For hours there was no change. The boy seemed to be facing severe physical and mental impairments if he even lived. Late in the evening, the convulsions stopped and his reflexes improved. Over the next few days, the improvements were amazing. He now seems to have recovered normal functioning and is not even suffering any stroke damage. Time will tell if he has any lingering mental damage, but he appears to be okay at this point. Our God is an amazing physician! <br />The rainy season has begun, which means lots of runny noses and coughs and an increase in cases of malaria. Please be praying for the health of our children and staff and for strength and wisdom for Sabo, our health worker, as he handles each case.<br />In April, seven of our church members were baptized (5 of our children, one staff member, and one youth from the village) – Ruth Jonah, Yahaya Kadri, Joshua Alhassan, Freeman Edeh, Ele Ogwu, Ojonoka Attah, and Omajihofa (Ebune) Edeh. Praise the Lord for this public profession of faith and pray that they may be strengthened and encouraged in their walk with the Lord.<br />We currently have 7 families in various stages of the adoption process, but we recently ran into some hurdles which have seriously endangered the successful completion of these adoptions. Please be praying for doors to be opened and for us to have wisdom as we deal with various government officials and agencies both in the US and in Nigeria. Praise the Lord that He has cleared the way at the US Embassy. The embassy has even admitted they were wrong in not granting approval. Three families have not yet completed the Nigerian portion of the adoptions, and the hurdle on that side is that the Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development has said that she will not be signing any more adoptions since a document has been brought to her attention that says that foreign adoptions are forbidden by Nigerian law. If we can prove our case, she may sign them, but if not she will refuse. Please be in prayer with us on these sensitive issues.<br /><br /> <strong>Miscellaneous</strong><br />So they said I needed a new roof. It turns out that it’s more of a renovation than that. The changes to the roof require some structural changes at the front of the building, and we are also taking the opportunity to do some masonry repairs on one of the walls and to rewire the house. The frame for the roof has been completed, and roofing sheets are supposed to be coming this week; the masonry work is well underway and the carpenters will hopefully be able to finish up their work this week as well. Then will come the rewiring and the ceiling work. Following that, it will be time to start repainting and putting the house back in order. We are so grateful to all who have contributed to help us have a dry roof over our heads.<br />On Thursday, May 6, the president of Nigeria Alhaji Musa Umar Yar’dua died and the vice president, Jonathan Goodluck was sworn into office. Goodluck had been serving as the acting president for some time due to the president’s illness. This does not create too many changes at the moment, but national elections are in May of 2011, so this has a great impact on that race.<br /><br /><em>Random funny mispronunciation by Tom: In his attempts to start using more Igala, Tom has confused the word for poop with the word for witch. He will try to tell my helper that the baby has pooped and she thinks he is insulting her by calling her a witch!</em>Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-1595827218662689972009-12-30T09:38:00.002-05:002009-12-30T09:45:27.732-05:00December 2009<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><strong>Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean.<br />Even then your powerful arm would guide and protect me. </strong>Psalm 139:9-10 </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Tom and I have had a whirlwind 7 months in the States. We are very grateful to the many people who made it such a special time. We are especially grateful to our family who has made so many sacrifices to make sure that we have been well taken care of J As we head back home, we would like to share just a few praises and prayer requests with you. Thank you for your faithful prayers!<br /><br />Leaning on His everlasting arms,<br />Crystal and Tom J<br /><br /><strong>Praise God for:<br /></strong><br />*My dad and my cousin Nathan who will be traveling with Tom and I and keeping us company for the month of January; this will be a great transitional help for Tom, and we can always use the extra helping hands </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />*The money which has been provided for the completion of the roof for the nursery school building<br /><br />*Safety in all of our travels around the country during the past 7 months; He kept us safe when we had no rear brakes and while driving in snow.<br />His enduring faithfulness<br /><br /><strong>Pray for:</strong><br /><br />*Our new babies, one of whom is on an NG tube for feeding<br />the families affected by the horrible tractor trailer accident in Dekina, our local government headquarters; at least 100 people were killed and a number of children orphaned<br /><br />*The completion of the roof for the nursery school building<br /><br />*Families who will be pursuing adoption in February<br /><br />*Daniel’s (our director’s) health<br /><br />*Strength to catch up on all the work that will be awaiting me<br /><br /><strong>Looking for more ways to help?</strong><br /><br />We will be making available a list</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> of envelope-sized items that can be sent throughout the year, which will be helpful to the ministry.<br /><br />We have many wonderful supplies for the school and the orphanage which we will not be able to carry over with us. Shipping to Nigeria is very difficult and expensive. Our least expensive and most secure options are mailing boxes and paying for visitors to carry an extra bag or two when they come to visit. If you would be interested in sponsoring the costs for a box or a piece of luggage, you can make a donation to Liebenzell with a note indicating that the money is to help with “shipping to MoM”. A flat rate box (12”x12”x6”) costs about $50 to mail; M-bags to send books and other print materials up to 11 lbs. costs $46.75 - each additional pound or fraction of a pound costs an additional $4.25; an extra piece of luggage to be carried by a visitor can cost up to $250/bag depending on the airline.<br /><br />I was just informed this week that the roof of the house I stay in is “losing strength” and will need to be fixed before the rains come in May. I have been told that this will be a big project because we will need to buy longspan aluminum roofing sheets, and put in a new truss structural construction, which will include increasing the height of the walls. Although we have not been able to get an exact estimate yet, we have been told that it will cost at least $7,000! If you are interested in helping with the new roof for this house, donations can be made to Liebenzell with a note indicating what it is for.<br />Liebenzell USA<br />P.O. Box 66<br />Schooley’s Mt., NJ 07870</span>Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-63066562206172178962009-05-18T11:21:00.003-04:002009-05-18T11:49:35.938-04:00Hello everyone. I apologize for not getting a newsletter out recently, but as many of you have been getting email updates, you are aware that things have been extremely busy in the last few months. I will be in the U.S. in about three weeks and look forward to being able to communicate freely and frequently with all of you. Here is a quick update until then of all that has happened since December.<br />MY CHILDREN:<br /><strong>Hassan</strong> transferred to our Lokoja branch. <strong>Tyler</strong> came, under 3 lbs. a few days later. He was followed by <strong>Kendall</strong> who had septicemia and was losing weight. I (yes, I personally) inserted an NG tube for him (that's the 1st NG tube I've inserted myself!) Both boys are now fat and healthy and have been transferred to Lokoja. <strong>Zubeiru and Nejiru</strong>, two boys born with congenital problems affecting walking and limiting mental capacity ages 10 and 7 are now living with me. They are from a Muslim family and formerly did not receive schooling because it was too far to walk, teachers didn't pay attention to them and children ridiculed them.<br /><strong>Martha</strong>, a twin who was not eating well, came from our Lokoja branch. We put her on an NG tube, and she is now doing fine and back with her brother Matthew in Lokoja.<br />ADOPTIONS"<br /><strong>Hannah</strong> is now with her adoptive family in the U.S.<br /><strong>Anana, Gideon, and Iyaji</strong> to join their adoptive famil in U.S. this week.<br /><strong>Stephen's</strong> adoption is still pending.<br />HEALTH<br />We recently lost on twin baby girl to unkown illness. We were able to assist several people with corrective orthopedic surgery and one Muslim woman with reproductive issues. Malaria has been affecting many (I was down 2 days and Tom is still a bit sick). Joshua's wife almost lost her baby because of malaria. Her pregnancy is advanced, please be in prayer.<br />NEW BABIES:<br />In addition to those already mentioned, we are continually getting new babies at Lokoja. They include twin girls both under 5 lbs on feeding tubes at Otutulu and one 4 month old baby boy whos mother died last week.<br />Also, former teachers Dorcas nee James and Dorcas nee Sunday both safely delivered their first borns (Dorcas Sunday previously suffered several miscarriages and a still birth) One of my friends in the village recently delivered a still born.<br />SCHOOL:<br />The <strong>music recording project</strong> has been completed! It was definitely a learning experience, but seems to have gone well. Hopefully, the CD will be available before my visit to the States. There are still four teaching vacancies and no administravtive staff for the time of my furlough.<br /><strong>College students</strong> are finishing up their 1st terms.<br /><strong>Secondary student's</strong> schools have been on strike two full terms!<br /><strong>Nursery/primary school</strong> just finished their two week Easter/Spring break.<br />The <strong>school building project</strong>-the plan is to start the roofing before the end of this month.<br />CHURCH:<br />The <strong>young teens club</strong> led by secondary students contributed money and purchased two chairs for the church.<br />A local childless widow the church was assisting died recently and the church at Otutulu carried the brunt of the funeral responsibilities (which are many in this culture)- <strong>this is true religion.</strong><br />HOME ASSIGNMENT:<br />I plan to be in the States from mid-May through December (if I can get an extension on Tom's visa). MOst of my time will be focused in the PA/MD/VA area with at least one trip to NJ (Liebenzell) and possibly a trip to see supporters in TX (still very tentative); churches/groups wishing to hear of the work here in Nigeria during this time, please contact me with your preference of dates so that I can start working on a schedule for my time in US (some of it will be reserved for family and re-creating, too)<br />You may contact me via my email.<br />May we serve with true servant's hearts.<br />Crystal GosnellCrystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-6903095277045248452009-01-03T07:52:00.001-05:002009-01-03T07:53:54.858-05:00The word that is uppermost in my mind at this time of year is JOY! The author of Hebrews encourages us to look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” Jesus is the only man who ever experienced heaven before earth. He knew the overwhelming joy that awaited him upon His return, a joy so incredible that it made it possible for Him to endure the cross when He had the power to call ten thousand angels to come and remove the nails from His hands and feet. He knew, too, that that was the only way we also could partake of that joy, so he stayed there on the cross. What seemed foolishness – to willingly endure that type of torture – became a glorious victory. We have not seen heaven (yet J), but we too can endure for the joy that is set before us, for if we are in Christ (what a wonderful phrase!), we will partake of that same joy that kept Christ going even in the face of pain, betrayal, loneliness, and despair. May we learn to sing at midnight the same song we sing at noon – a song that comes from a place deeper than the fickle emotion of happiness<br /> – a song springing from the joy of what is to come. <br /><div align="center"><br /> We like to quote Job in times of trouble - “The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away,” but we often forget the second part of the verse, “May the name of the Lord be praised!” Job 1:21b I find, in some situations, such a phrase may only be uttered through my tears, but there is a healing power in praising the Lord in all things. It keeps things in their proper perspective by acknowledging that His ways are higher than mine, and that there will come a day when all tears will be wiped away and we will know only joy.<br />“Oh come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come, ye! O come, ye! O come let us adore Him!”<br /><br />It’s a BOY!<br /> After taking care of more than 20 children in my home over the past three and a half years, I have taken the steps to make one my own. On November 26, I was granted legal custody of Thomas Emmanuel through the process of adoption here in Nigeria, and on November 30, I, as his parent, dedicated him to the Lord before our local assembly. Tom has been in my care since July 26, 2007. Please be in prayer that things will work out with the US Embassy to allow Tom to travel with me when I plan to come home on furlough in 2009.<br /><br />It’s a BOY and a GIRL!!<br /> The day after being granted official motherhood of Tom, a set of twins came into my life. Hassan (4.5 lbs.) and Husseina (3.3 lbs.) Abdul were brought to MoM by their father, despite all his family’s attempts to prevent him from doing so. A staunch Muslim family, they tried everything in their power, including deception (telling him that we were no longer in existence, that when the children get older we take them away somewhere, etc.) to keep him from bringing the babies to a Christian home. Realizing that their malnutrition and dehydration, after 10 days, was getting to the point of being fatal, he came anyway with his first-born children, whose mother died, never having woken up after undergoing a C-section. A visiting nurse and her daughter from the States helped us with the twins, who both had to be put on feeding tubes, the first two days, but on Saturday when they returned to the States, the babies were moved to my house. Sadly, the stress of her first ten days of life was too hard on little Husseina’s body, and although she had appeared to be improving steadily, on December 3, she died of necrosis of the bowel. Hassan, however, has not shown any signs of a similar problem, and is now off of the feeding tube, eating greedily, and gaining weight and strength daily (He’s over 7 lbs. now). The father is very involved, and seems to have a softness of heart. Please pray that through this whole ordeal, he will see the truth of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />It’s a BOX OFFICE HIT!<br /> A Christian Igala film company recently produced a story of a boy who spends a part of his childhood in an orphanage. And guess where they chose to do their on-site filming? That’s right, MoM – Otutulu! Our children and staff (including yours truly) were used as actors and extras in the film, which recently went on sale in Anyigba. Pray that God will continue to provide the finances for this group as they seek to provide quality films that spread the Word of God.<br /><br /> In the same vein, we are planning to record a CD with Christian, Igala recording artist, Joe Ifah in early February of our children singing. Please pray for wisdom for me in preparing them for this project and that God will be glorified as we boast in Christ alone.<br /><br />It’s PECULIAR!<br /> Albino Peculiarity is the name of a new group started by a young albino man in Anyigba. His vision is to educate albinos, parents of albino children, and the general public on the condition of albinism, how to properly care for their peculiar health issues regarding skin and eyes, and to dispel myths about their condition (i.e. that cooking with salt will cause skin ulcers, that albinism is a curse, etc.). I was recently asked to speak at one of their meetings, and I took our 8 albino children with me. They were so excited by the end of the meeting that they were begging me to get membership forms so that they could join; our 4 albino aunties have signed up as well. What impresses me most about this young man, apart from his ability to dream big is his practicality and initiative. He’s not looking for hand-outs, he wants to educate. He doesn’t want free resources given to them, he wants necessary resources made available on the market so that they can learn to provide for and care for themselves. Please pray for this young man (Shedrach – a half-brother to three of our children), that God will strengthen and sustain him as he seeks to change cultural perceptions. This group has already been an encouragement to our children as they see affirmed the truth of Psalm 139:14 - that they are wonderfully made, marvelous works of God.<br /><br />It’s BACK TO SCHOOL!<br /> There are several staffing issues facing our school in the next term. One of our teachers has recently gained admission to university for further studies and will be leaving us in January. Three other teachers have applied for positions with the government and are awaiting the results of their interviews. That means that we may have as many as four vacancies next term with no potential candidates to fill them. In addition, our volunteer school supervisor has left to pursue his master’s degree. All of this, with my furlough pending in less than 6 months, is not a comfortable situation for me to be in, as I face the prospect of leaving the school understaffed and with no administration. Pray that the Lord will raise up workers for these specific staffing needs.<br /><br />The progress of the new nursery school building is amazing! The walls are up and iron access doors are in place. If we can get a roof on the building, we can start using it, even though there will still be a lot of work to be done (doors and windows, flooring, plastering, painting, ceiling, etc.). We would like to have the building roofed before the rains come again. Please pray that God will provide the resources needed so that the work can continue. <br /><br />It’s an EPIDEMIC!<br /><br /> Recently 11 of our 23 babies at our Lokoja branch were hospitalized with diarrhea and vomiting. We are not sure what caused this recent outbreak, but we are looking into alternative water sources for drinking water to eliminate contaminated water as a possible cause. All but one have been released from the hospital. Please pray for Umi, who is still on admission. <br /><br />Other health concerns: <br />A number of our children at Otutulu have been suffering from undernourishment, but they are responding well to special diets and intensified care.<br />Eneojo has suffered a multiple fracture in his thigh after falling from his caretaker’s grip after being bathed. Due to his multiple handicaps and general physical condition, treatment has been difficult.<br />Spencer, one of our 2-year-olds, recently suffered a serious fall and had to have some teeth removed.<br />Taking our children to hospital is sometimes as much of a gamble as keeping them on the compound for treatment. We recently lost one of our new arrivals in such a situation. She was taken to the hospital because of diarrhea and vomiting. She was there for almost a week and seemed to be improving, when the doctor determined that she was anemic and prescribed a blood transfusion. As her biological father was there, they took blood from him. Shortly after receiving the transfusion, the baby died. We suspect that they did not check the father’s blood type but just assumed it was the same and killed the baby by giving her the wrong blood type. Please pray that we will have wisdom in each situation as to what the correct course of action should be.<br />Boniface, a 38-year-old man in a nearby village experienced partial paralysis below the waist in September 2006. By January 2008 he could not walk at all. Although there is every indication he may be permanently handicapped, his situation should not be fatal. However, his condition is treated by his people as a terminal one, and with lack of exercise his arm muscles have atrophied to the point that he cannot feed himself. He has also developed two large, deep bed sores. The family has wasted a lot of money on local “cures” and traditional medicines. We are trying now to get him proper medical help and to train the family on how to manage his condition and reintegrate him as a functioning member of the community despite his changed physical status.<br /><br />Praise for:<br />- a new car for the ministry provided by one of our supporter’s churches. <br />- admission to higher institutions for three of our staff.<br />- my son!<br />- co-workers in the Lord’s vineyard who love<br />- and to the Joy of the world!<br /><br />Pray for:<br />- our recent secondary school and community college graduates who are seeking admission to higher institutions and employment<br />- adequate finances – with lots of unexpected medical bills and rising costs it is sometimes difficult to afford to pay staff salaries and to buy food and formula<br />- God to provide called and committed servants to join us in the work here<br />- patience with technology. We have been having a lot of trouble with our cameras, computers and printers, and without internet access and computer experts, even the simplest dilemmas can seriously interfere with our ability to communicate and carry out our administrative duties.<br /><br />Random Funny Driving Experience: Twice in the past month, I’ve been in vehicles whose drivers suddenly and seemingly for no reason stopped and reversed quickly before zooming forward and veering erratically. At first I was a little concerned, until I realized that they had seen a large, good-for-eating snake crossing the bush road and were trying to kill it with the car to take it back for dinner. The first driver was successful. The second only managed to crush a few cassava plants J<br /><br />Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Find out more at <a href="http://www.faithsheartnigeria.blogspot.com/">www.faithsheartnigeria.blogspot.com</a>. See pictures at <a href="http://s215.photobucket.com/albums/cc304/gosnell_c">http://s215.photobucket.com/albums/cc304/gosnell_c</a> . <br />E-mail me at <a href="mailto:gosnell_c@yahoo.com">gosnell_c@yahoo.com</a></div>Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-27667639700447303722008-09-14T17:10:00.000-04:002008-09-14T17:11:12.810-04:00September Special EditionWe had such a great time with our field trips during summer school that we just had to write and tell you about it! Thank you so much for your prayers for this program – it was very successful! Each class went to a different institution, but each got to go to a restaurant afterwards to order whatever they wanted, and then each class visited Mama (Caroline) Gross at her home before returning to Otutulu. <br />Thank you for your prayers for safety, too. The day before our field trips began, I<br />traveled to Anyigba to make last minute preparations. On the way home, around 5 p.m., the rear, driver’s-side tire had a big blow-out. I immediately pulled to the side of the road, looked for a motorcycle to carry me and the tire back to Anyigba (about a ten-minute drive). So, holding the tire on my lap, we went to look for a tire shop. The size tire needed for a Land Cruiser is difficult to find in Anyigba, but the Lord provided a used one for only 8,000 naira. The problem is that they are tubeless tires. They put the tire on the rim, sealed it with cassava food, and discovered it was leaking. They removed it from the rim, fixed the leak, put it back on the rim…and discovered another leak. This time, after taking it off of the rim, we put a tube in it before trying again. The third time was successful. It was now almost 8 o’clock at night. The man asked me how I was going to get the tire back to my car. “The same way I brought it here,” I answered, “by motorcycle.” “How did you tie the tire?” they asked. “No,” I answered, “I fit carry ‘em for leg.” (meaning I’m can hold it on my lap). Once back at the car, we were able to replace the tire without further trouble. I was so happy that this mishap happened while I was out by myself and not with a carload of antsy kids! No one was hurt, and we had safe travels the rest of the summer.<br /><br />Class 1 – Hospitals<br /><br />On August 12, our class one pupils took tours of Blue House Hospital and Kogi Diagnostic and Reasearch Hospital, both in Anyigba. They got to see an ambulance, an operating room, x-ray and ultrasound machines, and all the other rooms and offices in a hospital. The matron at KDRH even showed them how vaccines are kept cold in the refrigerator by giving them each some cold water from the fridge. They were so excited, but kept moving the containers from hand to hand because their first experience with fridge temperature water made their hands feel as if they were burning! Before leaving, each child distributed the two care packages (toiletries and gift) they’d made to patients in the hospital. On the trip to and from town, it was as if the children didn’t have enough eyes in their heads to see everything they wanted to see. Their little heads kept swiveling around as they exclaimed in excitement over everything from big trucks to bank structures.<br /><br />Class 2 – Post Office and Onuh’s Palace<br /><br />On August 14, class two pupils first went to the Anyigba Post Office, where they were shown how a post office works and enlightened on how a letter travels from one place to another. The counter officer then helped them to buy stamps and mail their own letters to friends in U.S. Licking the stamps was exciting, but there is such a thing as too much saliva J They were also impressed by the vault, which the man assured them could withstand burning flames and the guns of armed robbers. We then drove out to Egume to see Ministry of Mercy’s own post office box. Before leaving Egume, we paid a visit to the king of Egume who greeted all of them, treated them to soda and cookies, and then had pictures taken of them with his son. When we went to the restaurant to eat, and I asked them what they wanted to order, they all said, “Meat!” They had heard from their friends in class 1 about the meat they’d had with their meal. Laughing, I promised they would all get meat, but I needed to know what they wanted with their meat.<br /><br />Class 3 – Police Station<br /><br />On August 19, we loaded twelve children and their teacher into the car and headed to the police station. The deputy police officer of Anyigba spent more than an hour explaining the training and duties of a police officer and showing the children around the offices and the court building. The children were most impressed with the holding cell for prisoners. The one small plastic bucket for toileting is a great crime deterrent! Our children then presented gift bags and condolence letters, that they’d put together themselves, to the families of the officers who were killed in the line of duty during an armed robbery at First Bank. Each family received some toiletries, picture frames, rice, and a Bible. The children then got to ride in the motorized, three-wheeled machines that provide public transport in the town.<br /><br />Class 4 – Orphanage Home and Bank<br /><br />On August 21, our class four students went through the boxes of gift items I usually save to use for their prizes for school activities and their Christmas gifts and packed up two boxes full of toys, clothes, baby supplies, jewelry, school supplies, and sports equipment to share with the children of God’s Will Orphanage Home in Anyigba. We spent two hours visiting with the children there; holding babies, sharing songs and stories and playing together. Before leaving, the students handed out the gifts they’d brought. It was neat to see them getting such joy from giving. From there we went to First Bank, where they learned how a bank runs, how to open and run an account, and how to detect counterfeit money. They continued their giving by learning how to make a deposit as they deposited their offering money into God’s Will Orphanage Home’s account.<br /><br />Class 5 – Kogi State University<br /><br />On August 26, class five students as class five students and I were headed to the university, we met Joshua Omonoji (Pastor) headed to Otutulu from the hospital where one of our babies was on admission. “Did Daniel or Unekwu send you any message for me?” he asked. “No.” He said he had sent about 10 text messages in hopes that we’d get one; the baby needed a blood transfusion, and they needed a donor. In order not to waste any more time, and as I’m O+, I told him I could stop by and donate before continuing to Anyigba, so that’s what we did. At KSU, they spent the bulk of the time showing us the Faculty of Agriculture, as there is so much to see there. The labs were great – soil testing, food testing, nutrition, and tailoring – as well as a farm with everything from fish to rabbits to cows. Many students’ interests were piqued to enter the sciences, and even I started to consider registering for a degree in Home Sciences! While there we learned how to preserve and make better use of cashew fruit and mango. Before leaving the university, the students presented to the campus pastor the care packages of school supplies and Bibles they had put together for needy students.<br /><br /><br />Class 6 – Internet Cafè<br /><br />On August 28, in a heavy downpour, class 6 rushed to the shelter of the car and we headed out to learn about the internet. They were given a brief tour of the computers and servers, and then they received a brief (but interesting!) lecture on how a network works, how a server works, how information travels electronically (including a fax machine), what viruses are, and an encouragement to learn how to use computers as a necessary skill for any future employment. Each child was given a computer to use, and after setting up their own e-mail account, they sent e-mail messages to friends in the States and then learned how to browse for information on the internet. Despite the fact that we “tied-up” three of their computers for more than two hours, the proprietors of the cafè wouldn’t allow us to pay for the computer time – amounting to almost 1,000 naira – that we owed.<br /><br />Praise for:<br />a successful summer program<br />safety during our field trips (even when passing stalled cars on muddy embankments)<br />the generous hearts of our children as they learned about sharing in practical ways<br />renewed health and strength that enabled me to facilitate the field trips<br />seeds planted by the good emissaries our children were for Christ as we interacted with many Muslims during our outings<br /><br />Pray for:<br />our Class 6 students who will be entering secondary school this month – as they must board away from the ministry, it is a new experience that can take some adjustment<br />our four secondary students who have completed their high school and are taking exams for their O-level certificates<br />our nine other graduates (2 secondary school, 6 college of education, 1 university) who will be commissioned this month as we encourage them to go into the world and look for jobs – their own mission fields<br />Mark Samuel who has applied for a position with MoM and will be going to our Lokoja branch to serve as Director of Personnel there<br />our four university students who have started their semesters already<br />our nursery, primary, and secondary students who will be resuming their studies this monthCrystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-86076867193229509682008-05-11T20:36:00.000-04:002008-05-11T20:37:15.537-04:00April 2008Matthew 28:19a “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”<br /><br />Did you know that the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is part of the Easter story!– I’m sure in the history of Biblical exegesis it’s been discovered before, but I had never noticed it before. Jesus’ first words to His disciples after His resurrection were to go and preach repentance and remission of sin in His name. Go and preach the gospel – the work of atonement is finished – don’t keep it to yourself; go and tell the good news!<br /><br />Ezekiel 2:3a, 3:7a “And He said to me: ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel…But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me…’”<br /><br />But the work is not always easy; people are not always willing to hear this message of incredibly good news. Before he went out on “the mission field,” the prophet Ezekiel was told by the Lord that the people he was being sent to would not listen to him. Ezekiel went anyway. Why? Why bother? Obedience. God calls us to obey. I cannot change anyone’s heart; I cannot save anyone; I cannot do anything by my own power. I can only be available and obedient – a vessel for the Lord to use. This is what pleases God; “for I desire faithfulness and not sacrifice...” Hosea 6:6 As Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” I Corinthians 3:6<br /><br />Let us thrill in the joy of His resurrection; let us labor together in obedience in His vineyard; let us boast in Christ alone. <br /> <br /><br />What’s Been Happening?<br /><br />Education:<br /><br />Ah yes, April, the beginning of a new season…of exam malpractice. Students in their final year of secondary schooling must take at least one of two exams (WAEC and NECO) to qualify for their O-level certificates. (That’s like a high school diploma.) In many cases, students have not been taught enough to pass the exams even if they did try, and teachers and school supervisors see an easy way to make extra money. They charge a “logistics” fee to each student and then provide the students with the answers for the exams – often writing them on the board to be copied down. We have five students currently taking these exams. We pray that they will study well and maintain their integrity by completing the exams without engaging in the cheating around them. Sometimes if a testing centers exams are cancelled because of malpractice, but there is evidence that a specific individual did not cheat, that student’s scores are allowed to stand.<br /><br />“How many of you would like one million naira?” All hands shot up. A white woman was talking about money, suddenly everyone was interested. Thus began an outreach to a local government school. One of my teachers was burdened with the lack of direction and focus he saw among the secondary students in his hometown and asked me to come and speak to them about their futures. We left each of them with a handout giving them Biblical examples of young people who stood strong against peer pressure and an invitation to follow Christ. <br /><br />Another outreach the education department was able to be a part of was through the distribution to local primary schools of a booklet promoting both Igala literacy and Bible truth. An organization called Mannah Publications made available a book called “The Powerful Lantern”, written in the local language and illustrating how the word of God is a lamp unto our feet. In the process of learning to read this booklet, each child gets to color and keep their own copy. Students gain valuable reading skills, the priceless truth about God’s word, and the exciting gift of their very own book. <br /><br />Church:<br /><br />After finishing our series on the Holy Spirit in Sunday School, we practiced how to study not just read the Bible. We are continuing to use those skills as we learn to follow in Jesus’ footsteps with a series of lessons on Jesus and his growing up years – growing in stature, wisdom, favor with God, and favor with man. Please pray that they would be attuned to the direction of the Holy Spirit as we go through this series. We are having some serious problems with some of our children’s behaviors. Several have become masters of stealing and lying, others are involved in destruction of property. Pray that we will have wisdom in how to discipline and guide them.<br /><br />Through a Christian bookstore in Jos, I am able to find many books written specifically for and about Christians in an African context. I keep these on display in a bookshelf in my house and frequently get requests to borrow the books. YEAH! The most popular topics are relationships/sexuality, HIV/AIDS, puberty – topics that everybody wants to know about, but no one wants to talk about. These books offer an opening to conversation. The current is a novel called, Hello, Sweet Baby and deals with the issue of sex outside of marriage and unwanted pregnancy. One boy asked me to photocopy the whole book for him so that he could share it with his friends because he wanted them to be warned as he now was about the consequences of teen sex. I told him to keep the book and I’d buy another copy J<br /><br />Medical:<br /><br />In February we had an epidemic of vomiting and diarrhea that claimed the life of one of our teacher’s twin baby girl. More than 20 of our children were affected and more than 10 required hospitalization, including my Tom. I spent four days in the hospital with him before he was released. We still do not know the exact cause of the outbreak, but we thank God the rest of the babies are doing well now.<br /><br /><br />I had an oozing, painful sore on the big toe of my right foot. We had unsuccessfully tried cleaning, bandaging, and pressing it. It turns out my toenail was severely in-grown. In mid-April I went to a nearby Christian hospital run by some missionary friends where they did a quick out-patient surgery to excise the offending segment of nail. Everything has healed up nicely and they refused to let me pay for “trimming my toenail.”<br /><br />Hellos and Goodbyes:<br /><br />Mohammed Alih, our little fighter – born with multiple handicaps, his Muslim parents separated when he was born 17 years ago because of his condition. He died of unknown causes in February.<br /><br />Abigail was a healthy 17-year-old, attending secondary school and making plans for her future three years ago when she was inexplicably struck with paralysis of her lower body. There was no precipitating illness or trauma that is known. She is now confined to a wheelchair and must use a catheter. After years of going to prayer houses, she has come to Ministry of Mercy for help. She is being given some strengthening exercises, school lessons, and encouragement to accept her condition and to learn to be independent.<br /><br />Three new staff joined us in February: Rachel, an Ibo student from KSU who is awaiting entrance into law school; Joseph Onalo, our new class 3 teacher; and Martha, a new auntie-in-training.<br /><br />We have admitted and transferred to our Lokoja branch two baby boys, twin girls, and an abandoned baby girl. We also welcomed Abraham Victory Yunusa, the first-born baby boy of our health worker, Sabo and his wife, Hannah.<br /><br />And then there’s Rafiki, the newest member to my household. He’s an orphaned baby monkey. His mother was shot out of a tree, and his leg was injured by the bullet. Have you ever tried getting a monkey to take his medicine? He loves to be held, and even got out of his cage one night and came to my bed looking for me. He and Tom seem to get along well, though, eating together, playing together, napping together and following me around the house. Of course, he doesn’t like when Tom gets a hold of that tempting tail! <br /><br />Looking Forward<br /><br />Our children have been working hard, and have almost completed the filling of the foundation. Now that the cashew harvest is in and the new crops have been planted, we will be able to see workers again to dig gravel so that we can begin the flooring and walls of the school building. <br /><br />We have seen an increase in participation of the youth in the church, both from the ministry and the village. I am hoping to collaborate with them on a film outreach to the local villages at the end of May using The Passion of the Christ and The End of the Spear. Please pray that the Truth of Jesus Christ will be made clear to unbelievers and the Truth of the transforming power of Christ in our lives will become real to believers.<br /><br />We are seeing a high rate of recidivism in our nursery school program. This is merely a sign of a deeper, underlying problem in the way our nursery program is run. I am working to revamp some things, but I can’t do it alone. My prayer is for at least three teachers or retired teachers trained in Early Childhood Education and with some years of experience to come and join us for three months (preferably September-November) and help to train my nursery teachers. Please share this request with anyone you know who may be interested or who may know people who would be interested and willing.<br /><br />Spotlight on…<br /><br />Iko and Chubiyo. “They have been starving these babies to death,” said Daniel on the admission of twin girls in early February. The babies were about three months old and weighed less than 5 lbs. each. They were nothing but skin and bones and attitude! Praise God for their fighting spirit. After less than 2 months at Ministry of Mercy, they are almost unrecognizable for their squeezable cheeks and round bellies J Their father died in a car accident while returning from visiting their mother at a prayer house in November. The mother died at the prayer house in December.<br /><br /><br />Praise for:<br />a set of wheels – after more than a year without a car, the Lord provided, through you all, a 1991 Toyota Land Cruiser for less than 80% of the price that was quoted me<br />safety during the gubernatorial re-elections – I was present during a political shooting<br />the recovery of our children from the epidemic that threatened them<br />the successful wedding of our administrative secretary, Joshua Omonoji<br />God’s protection over Unekwu during a bank robbery while he was there on business for the ministry<br />a Risen Savior!<br /><br />Pray for:<br />continued progress on the school building<br />the hearts of our children<br />healing for Stephen who fell from a mango tree, hitting his face on some wood window frames below the tree – his nose is severely broken and he needed stitches above one eye among other things – we thank God his life was spared<br />the father of one of my teachers who has been imprisoned for a crime he did not commit – the police have admitted as much but are determined to punish someone<br />people to answer the call to help with our nursery school program<br />an easing of tribal tensions between Igalas and Fulanis – there have been some terrible cases of killings recently, which spark indiscriminate retaliation<br />hearts to be open to the One who came to save us from our sins, and boldness to proclaim the Good News<br /><br />Random Week of Random Happenings: In one week I collected five baby rats from a nest in my cupboard, had worms dropping from the ceiling in my kitchen, cleaned more than ten 5-gallon buckets of bat poop and dirt out of my ceiling, and prepared against a rumored Fulani attack (it didn’t happen).Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-37184388672371380152008-04-16T14:23:00.001-04:002008-04-16T14:23:59.275-04:00January 2008Matthew 1:21 “And [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”<br /><br /> If Christmas were only about the birth of a baby, it wouldn’t be a very compelling or meaningful story. What gives this historical account its power and its significance is that it was the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecies found in Isaiah chapters 7 and 9. <br />“…for He will save His people from their sins.” God’s view on time and the course of human events is a much longer view than ours. Before Christ was even in the manger, He already had His eyes on the cross. <br />At this time of year, we sing, Joy to the World. Why? Not because of the baby, but because of the promise of His death and resurrection to come. We rejoice not because He came but because of the reason He came. He came to save us from sin. “No more let sin and sorrow reign, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.” The fulfillment of His joy in us (John 17:13) is the reversal of the curse. His blessings flow far as the curse is found. There is no nook or cranny of this dark planet that His Truth cannot penetrate. <br />May our resolution this New Year be to have the boldness to enter the dark, closed spiritual houses of our family, friends, and neighbors and help them to throw open all the doors and windows to “the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love.” <br /><br />What’s Been Happening?<br /><br />Education:<br /><br />Our students rounded-up their first term with exams from December 12-18. For our visually-impaired students, we must read the exams out loud and then transcribe their answers. It was great to have Aminu, my administrative assistant to help me with that this time. The exam process was very informative as I was able to discover that our two new students, coming to us from 4th grade in other Nigerian public schools need some extra help. They cannot write their alphabet and struggle with shape and color names. I have met with their caregivers to explain to them ways they can help their children catch-up. I will also be working more closely with their classroom teachers to make sure they don’t get overlooked. School resumes on January 7, 2008.<br /><br />Starting on December 16 and continuing through December 24, our children met on the field at 8 p.m. for Christmas “caroling”. They would sometimes start by walking through the village and singing Christmas songs. Once on the field, the singing would continue, along with dancing, preaching, and impromptu dramas. This special time is enjoyed by our children, but this year some of the evening festivities ended early as it was too cold for people to be outside – about 65º F!<br /><br />Two of our students at Trinity Bible College, Moses Abraham and Agnes James, completed their certificate program and had their send-forth (similar to a graduation) recently. Moses plans to pursue his pastoral degree at JETS, a seminary in Jos. Agnes plans to continue her education at Kogi State University. Please keep them in your prayers as they submit their futures into God’s hands.<br /><br />What a blessing to have our students home from secondary schools and colleges! It’s always wonderful to spend time with them, and the ministry always benefits from the extra hands. It was a particular help to me this time, as they spent a full week molding both earthcrete and sandcrete blocks for the school building project. While not complete, it’s enough to give us a good start. We were also able to buy about 100 pieces of good timber for the project and begin negotiations with the builder so that excavation can begin. <br /><br />Church:<br /><br />Our Sunday School lessons on the Holy Spirit have been going well. We are learning about the nature of the Holy Spirit, and we have studied the evidence of the Holy Spirit in both the Old and New Testaments. After the holidays, we will explore how the Holy Spirit indwells us today, and we will learn about the different symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and what they mean. Pray that the outcome of these lessons will be more evidence of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives as we learn to listen to that still small voice within us.<br /><br />CMML Church, Otutulu had the distinct privilege of hosting the CMML annual conference this year. This was a huge undertaking, which involved the building of a large “shade” (a network of sticks and bamboo poles covered with palm branches) and benches for all our visitors to sit on. There were no official numbers of those attending (some estimate that there were about 2,000). Needless to say, the number of conference attendees far exceeded the total population of Ministry of Mercy and Otutulu village combined! There were messages on forgiveness, giving, evangelism, godly families, and the church’s responsibility to those with HIV/AIDS, interspersed with singing and testimonies. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and learning for all involved.<br /><br />There have also been some recent opportunities for evangelism in the village. Over the past month, four deaths have directly affected our village. Of the four, only one was a Christian, but times like these cause people to reflect on their own mortality and what comes after this world. Spending time with people in their grief not only builds relationships, but it puts one in direct contact with the questions people ask as they seek reassurance and comfort. There was also opportunity to once again share the message of Christ with the families in the village through the sharing of Christmas gifts, each of which comes with an account of Christ’s birth in the local language of Igala.<br /><br />Medical:<br /><br />Sabo and Benjamin, our two medical workers have been keeping busy with runny noses and runny bottoms, but most cases have not been too serious.<br /><br />Baby Jordan is still struggling, so please keep him in your prayers. He’s about 2 ½ months old and due to lingering illness has really lost a lot of weight since he came. He gave us a scare in the middle of the night about two weeks ago, but he’s still hanging in there. <br /><br />My most recent baby, Tom (5 ½ months), and I have spent two weeks at Jos for the holidays, but our secondary motivation in coming to Jos was for Tom’s much-needed hernia surgery. They decided to circumcise him at the same time. The surgery took place at Evangel Hospital (a mission hospital) on December 27 at 8:15 in the morning. By 4 p.m. that same day, we were discharged. Tom is recovering well and we’re almost sleeping through the night again. Praise God for a successful surgery.<br /><br />Hellos and Goodbyes:<br /><br />On December 1st we said good-bye to our dear friends, the Wilsons, a missionary family in a nearby town who have gone home on an extended furlough. Please pray for them as they re-adjust to life in the States and seek God’s guidance in the next phase of their lives and ministry.<br /><br />December 1st also brought a special kind of hello with the opening of a branch of Ministry of Mercy in the state capital of Lokoja. This branch is currently housed in an old hotel. There are a lot of logistical and administrative details that need to be worked out, but for now we have two aunties, a manager, and five children there. Four of the children are babies we transferred from Otutulu, and the fifth is a newly-admitted 6-month-old boy whose mother died after a prolonged illness.<br /><br />Looking Forward<br /><br />I am currently working on curriculum guides for dental hygiene, a safety program, and a character-development program to be integrated into our health and Bible classes, as well as revising our timetable so that it allows for more effective teaching. I hope to have this completed before the end of this school year.<br /><br />I am also in the process of planning for a Junior Secondary School program for next year. This requires staffing, scheduling, and curriculum decisions. My greatest need right now is for a strong English teacher. Please also pray for understanding among the teaching staff as I propose to extend the school day and make other changes, which I hope will improve the quality of education we offer. <br /><br />As always, the school building project continues. We would like to be to the roofing stage by the end of February, but there’s a lot of work to be done before then. Please keep the project and the safety of the workers in prayer.<br /><br />Finally, as some of you may have heard, I have decided to buy a car. It has been a year now since I have had a vehicle, so aside from the normal hassles of travel in this country, just arranging a ride has been an added stress. Unreliable vehicles, walking for miles when no commercial vehicle can be found, and feeding a baby while traveling on a motorcycle are just a few of the challenges lack of a vehicle presents. Not that I don’t enjoy the adventure, but… A car fund has been opened at Liebenzell, and I’m praying to be able to have a reliable, rugged car by the end of January.<br /><br />Spotlight on…<br /><br />Silas “Oyibo” Paul, one of our albino children. Though he has been with us for a long time, just this year his mother died. Silas is in class 4, and he’s a very special young man. He loves to help out with babies and young children and often helps me when I need someone to watch my baby. He is also very creative. He loves to build, and fix, and he’s really got an ear for music. He’s teaching himself to play tunes on the keyboard. He loves listening to Bible stories and songs on CD as well as the groups Sweet Honey in the Rock and Caedmon’s Call. He still accepts hugs and kisses and likes to be told that he’s loved. Oyibo has incredible energy and will, but sometimes it doesn’t get channeled in the right direction. He struggles with angry outbursts and insulting others. He’s also recently had trouble with stealing and lying. He loves the Lord. Please pray that He will grow more and more attuned to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />Praise for:<br />friends who opened their homes to me and my baby for the holidays<br />the relative good health of our kids<br />a successful first term of the school year<br />forward progress on the school building<br />the joy of the Lord, whose birth we celebrate this time of year, that is our strength<br />successful surgery and recovery for Tom<br /><br />Pray for:<br />continued progress on the school building<br />Baby Jordan’s health<br />the Abebefes and Crocketts who are in the process of trying to adopt from MoM<br />wisdom, understanding, and flexibility as we continue to adapt, expand, and improve our education programs<br />hearts to be open to the One who came to save us from our sins, and boldness to proclaim the Good News<br /><br />Random Funny Laundry Lesson: If you leave your clothes soaking too long in river water, you can breed colonies of at least three different types of larva-parasite type critters, and you’ll spend a good part of an afternoon killing them with bleach and picking them off before actually getting down to washing the clothes.Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-29544053757843953862008-04-16T14:22:00.000-04:002008-04-16T14:23:24.917-04:00November 2007I like the Psalms. They are very real. When I read them, I feel like I’m in the company of a real person – another human being struggling to make sense of a fallen world. The psalms of depression and self-pity are right next to ones of exuberant joy, which are right next to the ones asking God to bash in the heads of all his enemies. It looks a bit like my own journal – (well, maybe not the bashing in heads part) J<br /> For a period of about two months I experienced several severe anxiety attacks (I call them that for lack of anything better to call them). Leaving the compound seemed just too overwhelming. When I would try to plan a trip to town (or when I actually made it into a vehicle), my body would start shaking and I would have to fight back tears and the urge to jump from the vehicle and walk back home. I had never experienced anything like it before, and, praise God, they’ve stopped and things are back to normal again.<br /> During that time, God offered me two supports. One is a faithful friend who listened to me non-judgmentally and encouraged me but also pushed me to face what I didn’t want to face and would not allow me to fall into self-pity. The second support was in the form of the Psalms. I could lament with David:<br /> “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and sorrow in my heart day after day?” Psalm 13:1-2a<br />I could plead: “Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and provide me with a spirit of willing obedience.” Psalm 15:12<br />and then later testify that:<br />“I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry for help. He pulled me out of a horrible pit, out of the mud and clay. He set my feet on a rock and made my steps secure. He placed a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:1-3a<br /> May our prayer be that which Mark Buchanan includes at the end of the second chapter in his book, Hidden in Plain Sight.<br />“Help us, each and all, to see and believe more deeply what God is up to in the thickness and thinness of our fallen lives, the awkwardness and messiness of broken people living together. Help us find the Spirit in the midst of our tiredness and testiness, our heartbreak and disappointment. Come fresh to us and renew us in God’s grace when all our natural good will gets buried beneath our hurt and anger. What life calls for is not, first and foremost, more cunning, more skill, more resources. It calls for more faith. O Lord, increase our faith.”<br /><br />What’s Been Happening:<br /><br />School/Church/Evangelism:<br /><br />The last time I wrote I spoke of being understaffed in the education department. Well, thank you all for your prayers. We started this school year with a total of 13 teachers! This enables us to have a teacher for each class and even two sections of Nursery classes 1-3, keeping the number of students in each class under 20! I also have a teacher exclusively for P.E. and library, thus improving these programs and enabling us to provide for the students based on their developmental levels.<br /><br />So, there we were, just beginning the last swimming class for the day when the madaki (local village leader) came down to the stream carrying a broom and a bag. A bit strange, but I didn’t give it too much though – until the madaki asked to speak to me. He was informing me that we should leave because he wanted to use the stream for something and we couldn’t be there, when two more men came down the path. The first one was leading a small goat on a rope and carrying a bird and a knife in his other hand; the second one was holding red and black feathers used in traditional worship. They had come to do animal sacrifice. What a strange interruption to swimming lessons, but traditional beliefs and practices still have a strong hold on people here. Many of the fears of the water that we work to overcome in our classes are based on the fear of water spirits that are believed to steal people away. Please pray that those who are still in darkness will see the great light of Christ.<br /><br />The work on the school building continues in fits and starts. We have begun molding blocks and cutting wood for the foundation. We need about 2,000 blocks for the foundation – that takes approximately 80 bags of cement and a lot of work. We only have one block mold, so we can only make one block at a time. Praise God that we now have the means to quickly, easily, and safely transfer the funds here for the project work. Thanks to Jane Galley for all of her work on this. We also had a prayer and commissioning of the site in July.<br /><br />During my parents’ visit in July, my father not only shared his flannelgraph lessons with our children at MoM, but he was able to share these lessons on the life of David in the village in the evenings as well. Many who attended were Muslims and those in traditional religion. Pray that the seeds that were planted will bear fruit. One young man has been asking me about becoming a Christian and about how he can tell his family if he decides to convert; a local mallam (Islamic teacher) is also open to dialogue.<br /><br />Speaking of Islam, the end of Ramadan was officially signaled by the two-day Sallah celebration. Out of deference to our Muslim friends and neighbors, our school does observe this holiday, as the Muslim schools observe Christmas and Easter holidays. However, we assembled our students for an hour each morning and prayed for family members, friends, and neighbors who are blinded by Islam and for God to raise up and protect those who would witness to Muslims. The children prayed that we may be driven back to the Bible to find ways to relate the truth of Jesus to Muslims in ways they can understand and that through our loving relationships we may win the right to witness of Christ’s love.<br /><br />Of course, a lot of the most important discussions come up from just sitting and talking with people For example, last week I was talking with two Christian youth from the village: Somehow, the question of killing in self-defense came up. As we discussed its various implications, one of them said, “but if you shoot them, they can’t go to hell because all their sin will come on you.” I responded by talking about how each person must give an account before God for what he/she has done: we can’t stand in for any other person. The only one who can stand in as a substitute for anyone’s sin is Christ. Finally, this young man looked at me and asked, “Are you saying this from your head or from the Bible?” I told him that it was in the Bible. He replied, “Can you write down the verses for me so that I can study it, because my own idea about it is just from my head.” Pray that we would be faithful (and accurate) stewards of the Truth that has been entrusted to us. <br /><br />Health:<br /><br />After much effort on the part of our health staff and some of our visiting medical personnel, Juliana, the mentally disabled teenage daughter of one of our staff (I.P.), died in late July. Her father has already suffered the loss of his first wife, and his new wife gave birth to a stillborn baby about a year ago. Please keep the family in prayer.<br /><br />One of our teachers, Olive, suffered a miscarriage following a motorcycle accident with her husband, our school supervisor. Pray for physical and emotional healing.<br /><br />A little over a year old, Elizabeth has been failing to thrive and suffering bouts of diarrhea and fever. No tests were conclusive or covered all of the symptoms (which recently included swelling of the limbs and a persistent cough) until recently. She was tested and found to have sickle cell and possibly tuberculosis. The medicines seem to be helping, but the sores in her mouth still make eating difficult, and unfortunately, there is no cure for sickle cell. Please pray for wisdom as our health workers seek to manage her condition.<br /><br />New Arrivals:<br /><br />· Benjamin Samuel has recently joined our health staff. What a blessing to have a second health worker to help handle the job of providing for the health needs of almost 200 people.<br /><br />· Mary Joseph and her son Daniel have also joined us. Mary has been a big help in keeping the orphanage clean. Washing the floors everyday is a great help as this is where our babies crawl and play.<br /><br />· A young lady with multiple physical disabilities, Ojoma, was abandoned by her parents to a traditional healer in a local town. This man is the only father she has ever known, but he is very aged and is worried about what will happen to this delightful young lady if he should die. She is now at MoM, attending school and is a great help with our babies.<br /><br />· Welcome to our new teachers – Jeremiah Musa, Stephen Ochala, Lawrence Simon, Aminu Ameh, and Shedrach Ahiaba. Welcome back to Yakubu Akibo. Please keep these young men in prayer as they adjust to the demands of teaching here, and pray that they will be strong, godly role models for our boys.<br /><br />· And babies, babies, babies – Baby Tom, who is living with me, came in July at 8 days of age, weighing less than 3 lbs. He’s now 3 months old and weighs over 8 lbs.; Aishat was next. She was three months old when she came and tested positive for HIV/AIDS. However, she is asymptomatic and has a great chance of reverting to negative status by 18 months of age; then came Ejura and an Ibo baby girl abandoned by her mother; these were followed by Jordan. In the meantime, one of our teachers on maternity leave, Lydia, gave birth to twins two months prematurely, and we were informed of a woman who had given birth to quadruplets who needed help giving them a healthy start. All are doing well.<br /><br />Looking Ahead:<br /><br />· I am planning lessons on the Holy Spirit for my 4th, 5th, and 6th grade Sunday School class. Please pray that God will give me the words to say so that it will be understandable to them. Pray that they may begin to let the Holy Spirit help them apply the Bible truths they learn to their daily lives.<br /><br />· We are praying to begin a junior high school next year. This means we need to start working on registering our school, selecting curriculum, and staffing. I still need a strong English teacher. <br /><br />· Elections in our state, Kogi, have been nullified due to election fraud. Please pray for peace and safety as the political campaigning, posturing, and fighting heats up again. Did you know that the price of machetes, the murder weapon of choice for political thugs, more than tripled during the last elections? A number of politically-motivated killings have already taken place, including one man who was beheaded and dismembered – it is rumored that he had a magic that protected him from bullets, causing his attackers to use such horrific measures. Some of the fighting is taking place within parties, not just between parties.<br /><br />Spotlight on…<br /><br />Helene Simon. Helene is one of our primary school children. She is about 9 years old and is a delightful spitfire J Helene loves snuggling and baking cakes with me. She is a bright but strong-willed girl. When her aunty left, she moved down to stay with Daniel and Esther. One day, having been caught stealing, she was told to pack her things to go back up to an aunty. On checking her bag before sending her up, they found some packets of spaghetti on the bottom. She was told to unpack her things. She would continue to stay where she was. Please pray that she would learn obedience and that the hold of the habit of stealing would be broken. Pray that her sharp mind will be a gift cultivated and used for the Lord.<br /><br />Praise for:<br />- our new school staff!<br />- progress on the school building!<br />- the time of fellowship with all our short-term visitors since April.<br />- safety on the road – my trip to and from Abuja as my parents were leaving was quite “exciting” – more than 20 hours at various mechanics, a new timing belt, three new throttle cables, a new accelerator, a stalled vehicle on a bad road in the dark, police harassment, a cramped taxi ride to the airport, and a broken shoe (among other things)<br />- the health of our babies; especially the preemies who beat all odds to make it this far<br />- the ministering of Christ’s physical body through the hands and feet of His people<br /><br />Pray for:<br />- the continuing work on the school building project.<br />- those of our students and staff who are struggling for admission to higher education.<br />- our students at secondary schools and universities – for safety and that their hearts and minds would be guarded against the temptations of the world.<br />- healing for Elizabeth<br />- an increasing desire to pursue an increasing measure of faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love so that we will not be ineffective or unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1-9)<br />- Jason Jordan, one of my former students, who was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison at his recent trial. He is still writing letters and reaching out. Pray that God would send people to Jason who can speak the love of Christ in a way that he can understand. <br />- the church to preach a clear message of the Gospel and the truths of the Bible, and for more discipleship.<br /><br />Random Funny Printer Problem: For two days I couldn’t print anything because there was a gecko inside my printer. There was no way to get him out and no way to print anything without smooshing him all over the insides of the printer.Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-20489296861936407752008-04-16T14:21:00.000-04:002008-04-16T14:22:40.752-04:00May 20078“So I am praying while not knowing how to pray. I am resting while feeling restless, at peace while tempted, safe while still anxious, surrounded by a cloud of light while still in darkness, in love while still doubting.” ~Henri Nouwen<br /><br />This is the beautiful paradox of a sinner living by grace. And I am comforted by the story of Elijah. Immediately after being used in one of God’s most amazing displays of power, he prays that the Lord would let him die because his work is fruitless. God ministers to Elijah’s physical needs and then says, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah says “I’ve eagerly served you, and there’s nothing to show for it.” God says, “Go to the mountain and wait for me.” There Elijah learns to listen for the still small voice of the Lord speaking to his heart. He is then asked to go back out and serve the Lord again – with the promise that God will make all things right in His time. What a reassurance that the God of Elijah is the same God I serve. <br /><br />Since we are surrounded by so many examples of faith, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. Think about Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners, so that you don’t become tired and give up. Hebrews 12:1-2a, 3<br /> <br />What’s been happening<br /><br />School/Church: <br /><br />We are again understaffed in the education department. In March, Dorcas Sunday was married and left the ministry. Then in April, after a difficult situation between one of our teachers and the director, the teacher resigned. A third teacher, Roselyn David, is on study leave to take her WAEC exams. However, one of our Federal College of Education graduates who originally wanted to pursue secretarial studies has decided to enter the classroom instead. We praise God for Unekwu Isah as she joins our teaching staff.<br /><br />It’s “Agbanyoji” time again! Those are the little green books of memory verses outlining church doctrine which students can complete to earn a Bible. As a new crop of students has reached the age where they can read and memorize, they are eagerly begging for their own memory verse booklets so that they too can proudly carry their own Bible to church. I have hidden Your word in my heart so that I might not sin against thee.<br /><br />Health: <br /><br />With the money from some of our donors we have been buying eggs once every other week to serve to our children. It is a big help. We also received a donation of a live cow from the governor! We look forward to eating him on Children’s National Holiday (May 27) J If the money is there, the administration has decided that they would like to try and provide a cow a month. <br /><br />All of our new baby boys were recently circumcised. Medugu developed severe bleeding after a few hours, but we were able to get it to stop before the next morning and all are recovering well.<br /><br />Of the 4-month-old twins, Haruna was the smaller and more sickly. He was given to a missionary nurse in Anyigba to care for. It was then discovered that he had a hernia that would need surgery. He was sent to Evangel Mission Hospital in Jos. While all of this was going on, Adukwu, the healthy one, developed a serious condition. He was not passing any stools, his stomach was swelling, he was dehydrated, and he even stopped passing any urine. I sat up with him for 26 hours, and then on Sunday evening he was taken to the hospital. The doctor suspected a bowel blockage and did surgery, finding nothing. Two days later he died. Meanwhile, Haruna was recovering well from his own surgery. He has returned to us at Otutulu and is currently staying with me. He is a fat, happy, talkative little man.<br /><br />Please keep one of our little ones, Aaron Shehu (3 years, 9 months) in prayer. Our suspicions of sickle cell were confirmed by blood tests at the hospital today. This explains the recent pain in his hands and leg – he is in “sickle cell crisis”. There is no cure for sickle cell, you can only try to prevent the child from going into crisis, which can lead to death, by avoiding malaria, infections, and exposure to cold.<br /><br />Sharing diagnosis and treatment with patients is not a priority for doctors/hospitals here. In fact, if you dare to ask what you or your child are ill with and what the medicines are that they are giving you, you are likely to be yelled at and left untreated or poorly treated in the future as you have dared to “question” the doctor. It is very frustrating, because we don’t then know how to prevent similar illness and/or death in the future. A sad case in point, Nefisetu (Crystal), who lived with me for 4 months was a healthy 10-month-old girl, developmentally on track, who fell sick with fever and vomiting. Two days later, after on-site treatment didn’t seem to be helping, we took her to the hospital – she sounded as if she may have been in respiratory distress. At the hospital they transfused her. The next day she died. There is no explanation as to why this otherwise healthy baby suddenly died.<br /><br /><br />New Arrivals: <br /><br />Welcome to two new staff members and two new babies:<br /><br />· Rhoda recently joined us as a cook. What a blessing this helping hand is to Fitumi, the 20-year-old young lady who was the sole cook for the entire ministry for the past few months.<br /><br />· Hannah Yunusa is the lovely bride of our health worker, Sabo Yunusa. They wed on March 28th.<br /><br />· One of our staff members, Mary Sunday, recently gave birth to her third baby boy. Surgery was necessary for the mother, but after a lengthy hospital stay, we are happy to have her back with us. Please also keep the baby in prayer as his left arm was broken during the delivery process.<br /><br />· Our other new baby came to us after a close friend of many here in the ministry as well as a teacher to many of our secondary school students at CMML Special School, Iyale, died during her third C-section birth. The baby girl survived and has joined us as one of our motherless babies. Please keep the father, also a teacher at Special School, in your prayers as he takes on the raising of the first two children (both boys) as a single father.<br /><br /><br /><br />Looking Ahead<br /><br />Our Children’s Day celebration is coming up on May 27. We have invited the Vice Chancellor of Kogi State University – a strong proponent of education and integrity – to join us on that day. Preparations are underway – the field rings with calls of “left, right, left, right” and children lope from goalpost to goalpost with their legs tied together in all manner of scrap materials in training for the three-legged race J<br /><br />With the clearing of the land well underway for the school building project, we hope to begin digging the foundation and start molding blocks soon.<br /><br />It’s family reunion time J My uncle and his family will be coming for a visit in June, and my parents will be coming out with two of my other cousins in July. I look forward to seeing them. My father is planning on bringing his flannelgraph materials. Please pray that a proposed outreach in the local village(s) will be fruitful. There are so many children there who are very dear to me who have never heard the gospel of Christ. Because of their Muslim and traditional religion backgrounds, they won’t be attending Sunday School, but if someone is telling a story, they (along with their parents) will come and listen out of curiosity. <br /><br />After what some are calling the most corrupt elections ever in Nigeria, the handover of power is set to take place on May 29. During the two weekends of elections, few dared to travel. While most of the killings took place before and between elections, the election days themselves were marked by hired thugs stealing ballot boxes and marking ballots for their own party, etc. Please pray that the handover will go smoothly and peacefully.<br /><br /><br />Spotlight on…<br /><br />Udu and Ekwo. These two young men are friends of mine from the village. I got to know them when my bougainvillea tree blew over in the wind last year. They were walking past, noticed it, and asked if they could fix it for me. I said, “Sure.” They have become an encouragement to me in so many ways. They are always there to lend a helping hand, they are faithful prayer partners, they have given me an introduction into their families – one of which is Muslim, one of which is traditional religion providing a rapport from which to begin witnessing, and they help me maneuver through different culture questions. Both are also recipients of the Bibles many of you have helped provide through our scripture memory program. Udo was just telling me the other day how much having his own Bible has helped him. “Before when you go home from the church you can forget what they talk about, but now I can come home and read it myself. It helps me a lot.” Both young men are working to pay their way through secondary school on their own. Please pray that they would see the means to continue their education and that their hunger for God’s Word would continue to grow and be satisfied by fellowship with the Holy Spirit.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Praise For:<br /><br />- Anibe who has continued to gain strength. She is even able to attend our evening classes now.<br />- Comfort who has recovered completely from her illness in January.<br />- CERI, the Eskridge’s and Crockett’s, and Paul Welle’s team from Canada who have all provided encouragement, assistance, and blessings through their visits.<br />- the privilege of being part of a Christian community that upholds and supports one another through difficult times.<br />- the renewal of my quota position and visa – despite the two-day wait I endured because I didn’t understand that “we’ve lost your file” means “we want money”. I eventually got everything without having to pay any bribes. <br />- a God whose strength is made complete in our weakness.<br /><br /><br />Pray For:<br /><br />- strength, wisdom, and a deepening hunger and thirst for God<br />- the various building projects in their various stages<br />- our students at secondary schools and universities – for safety and that their hearts and minds would be guarded against the temptations of the world<br />- staff – we need more staff in every department<br />- patience and understanding as we grow as an organization<br />- several of my students from US who are facing state and federal drug, gun, and gang charges.<br /><br /><br /><br />Random Funny Kitchen Sight: Monkey sitting on top of the oven waiting to be cooked while anteater boils in a pot on the front burner. (Yep, that would be in my kitchen.)Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353053362623222457.post-39626150713282097562008-04-14T19:14:00.001-04:002008-04-14T19:14:24.034-04:00June 2006I was sitting in the parlor with some children a few weeks ago, when one of the boys looked out the window and said, “Crystal, Mohammed is bringing your Jesus.” “My Jesus?” I asked. “Oh, your scissors,” he corrected. An amusing confusion of words, and yet there is something to be taken from it. In our world today, many people want to believe that “all roads lead to the same god.” In the name of cultural tolerance, we become religiously pluralistic. We see that many times here in Nigeria, too, that those who are Christians are still enslaved by the fears and teachings of their former or traditional religious teachings and beliefs. But Christ tells us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way. My good works, my money, my medicines – these cannot bring my Jesus to me any more than Mohammed can. Jesus chose to come to us, out of His great love for us, and He’s already done all the work of reconciliation. All we have to do is accept that – believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. John 6:28-29 “Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.’”<br /><br />What’s been happening?<br /><br />Education<br /><br />One of our teachers received an appointment in a government school leaving us with a vacancy in Class 1. The Lord provided us with a number of different candidates, enabling us to hire someone with the qualifications we desired. We are happy to have Mr. Paul Ochala join our teaching staff – he is the first to come in under the new interview and exam procedure we have implemented to help us hire qualified staff. <br /><br />“Aunty Crystal, how much is 40 in 9 places?” The boys are running the grinder for Daniel but can’t seem to figure out how much money people should be paying them or how much they should end up with total. We really need to address this. We have begun an evening math class for our Class 5 and 6 students who have been struggling. We are praying that this extra emphasis will prepare them for their Secondary School entrance exams, and that all of our Class 6 students will see admittance to secondary schools next year.<br /><br />Unekwu was home from university for a month break, and we were able to solidify some plans for the proposed school building. We are excited to announce that we have an estimate for the first phase of work, which will be the nursery building, and we hope to begin clearing land at the end of September. <br /><br />Health<br /><br />Ojonoka’s surgery to allow her to have a full-head of hair instead of a large wound covering ¾ of her head has gone very successfully. Please pray for her continued recovery. We miss her.<br /><br />Bethany, our baby with spina bifida, has had a shunt put in place and the opening in her back closed, but she is not doing well. The courage of her young mother is amazing. Her family was demanding that she come back to the village and dispose of “that thing,” but she has stuck by her baby girl. Praise God for a mother’s fierce love that recognizes the value of this precious life.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Church<br /><br />We have been reading Pilgrim’s Progress in daily devotions with Classes 4, 5, and 6. I wasn’t sure how the kids would respond to it, but they are loving it! They whine every time I stop reading J Pray that God will use this very vivid image of the Christian journey to encourage and challenge the children in their own relationship with Christ.<br /><br />Construction<br /><br />MOM has been blessed with some monetary donations for the building of a male hostel, and work has been really moving along. “Look, Mom, I can hot wire a car!” Yep, I’m picking up lots of new skills as a missionary. Our pick-up, in its deplorable condition is our “workhorse”, and I’ve gotten to drive it a few times. Hot-wiring is the only way to start it J<br /><br />New Arrivals<br />Babies, babies everywhere. The past few months have seen the arrival of lots of little boys. First was Donald, followed by Harold; then came Adam and twin boys, Goodness and Godwin. These five were soon joined by another set of twins, Timothy and Titus. We are thankful for the relative good health of all the babies. Timothy struggled at the beginning, but is really improving.<br /><br />Looking Ahead<br />The garden is really starting to flourish, so we hope to have a nice harvest in a few months. I’d love to be able to help out by supplying some vegetables and yams to the kitchen for the kids. We actually planted quite a few yams, even though I can’t eat them (they don’t digest, and I get sick no matter how they’re cooked), so I’ll be able to give those away freely.<br /><br />In Februrary, Yakubu Akibo (one of our teachers) and I attended a conference on Learners with Special Needs, sponsored by the Education Trust Fund of Nigeria. One of the best parts was the mashed potatoes with cheese…just kidding (kind of J)! One of the best things to come out of that conference was contact made with an area coordinator for Special Olympics ( I didn’t even know they held it in this country)! Please pray that God will prepare several workers to be coaches so that the mentally disabled members of our family here will have the opportunity to participate. <br /><br />In the Spotlight…<br />Esther Anibe Edeh. Anibe is our mommy – a gentle and indispensable part of what makes this ministry run smoothly. However, she has been struggling with some health issues over the past few years, and since the birth of her last child in March, she has been very sick and weak. She has been in and out of the hospital three or four times since then and is even in hospital now. No one seems to be able to figure out what is wrong or how to help her. Please lift her up in prayer as the situation is becoming quite serious. <br /><br />Pray for…<br />continued funds for Bibles as we open up our memory verse program to some of the villagers – some showing interest in Bibles are Muslims.<br />a number of organizations in the United States are showing a strong interest in MOM. Please be in prayer with us as we seek wisdom as we develop new relationships.<br />staff! We are understaffed at the moment. We need people who are dedicated to serve and to stick it out even when times are tough. Please pray especially for nannies so that we can reduce the number of times children have to change caregivers.<br />the children of Stuanton, VA. Many of you know that I taught in Virginia before coming here – the kids there are still near and dear to my heart. There has been a big increase in gang activity in the Staunton area over the past year, and some of my kids are getting caught up in it. Please pray for these precious lives that Satan is seeking to destroy.<br /><br />Praise God for…<br />a keyboard! God provided a very nice and affordable keyboard for our music program.<br />new converts and newly baptized believers. We had two baptisms in late February, and about 8 decisions for Christ this month.<br />short term mission teams. Zoya Ministries (a group of 28) was here for a week and helped out in many, many ways. Ashley Ross, Shannon Picazo, and Chelsea DiLoreto from Maryland and North Carolina are currently here working with us. They are a great help and encouragement.<br />continued good health and safety. I still have not had malaria! and even when I punched a huge hole in the front of the oil pan on a bush road at 5 in the morning, God provided one of our own boys to help me. I continued with my journey by public transport and the car was repaired by the time I returned.<br />the recent graduation at Lee High in Staunton, VA. All of the kids we were working with and praying for as they struggled to pass the state-mandated standardized tests made it and are the proud new owners of a high school diploma – all in that group have also been accepted to colleges!<br /><br />Random foods: crickets and termites…yum!yum!Crystal Gosnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042233341847128006noreply@blogger.com