Chicago!!!

I LOVE CHICAGO!!

AIDS Walk with Sue and Cheri,

time with Amy and kids,

at the Bears game with Laurie...

so many wonderful memories were made.

Click here for more pictures.

If I were to move back to the States, I would want to return to Chicago. If you have never visited this incredible, beautiful, clean and friendly city - check it out! The warm months are preferable, of course :) and those are usually late May - early October.

In the States

Time is flying by and I am enjoying my time in the States. I am eating lots of Mexican food, catching up on movies, and enjoying fellowship with family and friends. This weekend I travel to the Dallas area. The ‘Crazy TX Team’ from Rockwall has been visiting Nigeria every year for 5 years. I look forward to spending lots of time with them, along with other contacts in Dallas , over the next 5 days. Please pray for safety as I will spend lots of time in the car and for all the people I am meeting with - that they will be encouraged by what the Lord is doing in Nigeria.

This pic is of my bro and me at the airport when I arrived.
To view new pics of my first month back in the States, click here.

Travelling and Speaking
On September 12th, I leave for Chicago for three weeks! God has opened lots of doors to share with many people.

Women and Girls
Praise God! I received an email that our Women and Girls Center just opened last week! There are 10 girls who have moved in. An older Nigerian woman will care for them, teach them trades, and disciple them. Because of the prevalence of male orphans and street kids, our ministry has focused on them the last 10 years. Unfortunately, more and more girls are being kicked out, abused, or orphaned. The work will never finish. God will continue to use me and use YOU as we are available to Him.

Encouragement
Mom and I were blessed with tickets to a Women of Faith conference last weekend. One thing God really taught me (nothing new, but the lights finally went on)…

The past is over. There is nothing we can do about it.
The future is not in our control. We are not promised tomorrow.
All we have is the present. Enjoy it! Embrace it! For it will not come again.


Enjoy today, friends.

On US soil

I am in America! It has been great to spend quality time with my family here in Salado, TX. Leaving Nigeria was tough. Part of me was fighting it -- I feel at home there. I know that is strange. It is a difficult place to live. Yet, I was not anxious to get out of there and have a break. I love living in Nigeria. Must be a God-thing :) Click here to see photos taken before I left.

As I prepared to leave, the boys were getting sad, too. For them, January is a LONG ways away. But they felt better knowing that I was coming to the States to raise awareness and support for them. I am excited to see you and to catch up on your lives. I also have a video and pics for presentations (large or small groups - Sunday school, children, home groups, corporate, individual, etc).

I am SO thankful for the partnership of so many of you. It is because of your prayers and support that I was able to stay in Nigeria the past 2 1/2 years. I look forward to seeing you in the coming months!

Andy

Andy is a 12 year old boy who was crippled in a motor accident 7 years ago. Since then, he has walked with a limp. We have been discussing his case with various doctors and a visiting orthopedic surgeon recommended that his leg be amputated above the knee and then a prosthetic be placed to allow for better mobility.

We discussed this with Andy and with his grandmother who lives nearby and they were both in favor of the operation. Here are some pics of Andy before the operation, with his grandmother, after the operation in the hospital. He is such a brave boy. All who know him, love him.

Leaving for furlough

God has allowed me the blessing of living in Nigeria for the last 2-1/2 years. I have loved it and am finding it difficult to prepare my heart to leave for my furlough. Yes, I do plan on coming back here in January, when my furlough ends. It is difficult for me to leave this place that I now call home. However, I am excited to see many of you and to catch up on your lives! I will arrive in the States in late July. After some serious family time, I will be notifying you of various meetings, Bible Studies and the likes where I will be sharing about these precious kids in Nigeria. For those of you in Chicago, I will be coming to visit the last three weeks in September.

Prayer for the boys
Andy had his leg amputated and is healing well, getting around quickly on his crutches, and awaiting the prosthesis to be made. Thanks so much for your prayers! Also, please keep praying for John, who has started seeing a counselor for his depression. It will be difficult for these two boys, specifically, that I am leaving, because of all the time I have spent with them and their physical needs. I need your prayers! As I finish this term in Nigeria, I am delegating a lot of medical responsibility to others. I need to let go of control, to know that I have tried the last 2-1/2 years to train the staff for this, and to trust that they will do well. The hardest part, though, is preparing my heart and the heart of the children for my leaving. Please pray for Aunty Erin’s emotional state.

Project Nutrition*** As our ministry keeps growing, we have on ongoing need for funds to help improve the nutrition of the kids. It takes just $5/kid/month to improve the food! To donate online, check out prayer and support on this site. Or mail a check to SIM, PO Box 7900 Charlotte, NC 28241. The gifts need to be designated to "Erin Rigsby - Ministry/Nutrition Plan."

Saying Good-Bye to Nicky

My dear English friend left on the 24th to return home, raise support, and come back as a long-term missionary! I am really thankful because she has been such a wonderful friend to me. In typical Nigerian style, we held a send-forth party for Nicky to celebrate her and all she has done in the past year. While I am the medical consultant, Nicky was the educational consultant and she worked mainly in our rural Care Center, Gyero. She will really be missed… but we are praying she comes back quickly!

(PS - those are bottles of soda :)

Medical Update

As the nurse for the boys, I am 'on-call' to help with various illnesses and wounds and the like. I am also training the Nigerian staff to care for the boys, so that they will not be dependent on me. A missionary is always trying to work ones self out of a job! Recently, I was asked to look at one of the boys, Caleb. As soon as I saw him, I knew he had the mumps! Now, I have never seen mumps before in my life, since the States provides the mumps vaccine. So, from the medical viewpoint, it was exciting. But poor Caleb, and then two other boys after him, were in a lot of pain. We are so thankful that the complication of sterility did not affect them!

Joseph was carrying boiling water in a bucket on his head and tripped. The water burned a portion of his back and chest. Very painful, but no infection or dehydration has resulted. We also tested all 58 of our boys in Gyero for HIV and all are negative! One of our boys was in a motorcycle accident. The witnesses told me they thought he would surely die because of the severity of the accident, but no broken bones! In the 10 years of this ministry, not one boy has died! Continue to pray for protection and wisdom for those of us caring for the boys.

Meet Christian

Age: 10 yrs old

Likes: Football, Ice Cream, Bicycles

History: "Our parents who are not true Christians brought up my seven brothers and me. I grew up in Miango but my father grew sick and so my uncle took us to a woman who called herself a herbalist. "She said we are in a secret cult and she beat us. My father agreed we are in a cult and said we must leave, so he made my brothers, my mom leave and me. "My mom had no work and could not look after all of us so some of us left to live on the streets and beg. A staff member of Gidan Bege found Sunday and me on the street, he then took to us to Gidan Bege's Transition House, where I now live with my brothers (Timothy, Sunday and Daniel) I am the youngest boy there. "I received Christ at Gidan Bege. When I grow up I want to be a Pastor."

Sponsor one of our boys for only $25/month! This covers food, education and other necessary expenses. Email john.sawyer@sim.org if you are interested in adding one of our beautiful boys to your family!

Kenya

Nigeria does not have any giraffe's, lions, or the such, except for the ones in wildlife parks.

Since I was in Kenya, one weekend at the conference, I used Christmas gifts and saved money to go on a safari.

Incredible. For more pics, click here.

In Kenya

On Sunday I arrived in Kenya to attend the Christian Medical Dental Assoc Conference for missionaries serving in Africa. It was recommended that I come to broaden my understanding and knowledge of medical care in Africa. I am really excited to connect with other missionaries who can share their wisdom, to be challenged intellectually, and to be fed spiritually. I am especially praying for a woman to bond with and share heart needs with while I am here. I return to Nigeria on the 18th.

Another friend goes to heaven

You have heard about the Musa family. I shared with you that Rebekah, mother of John and Peter, died on Jan 3rd. It is so sad to share that on Feb 3rd, one month after her mother died, Ladi also lost her battle to HIV.

Ladi loved Jesus and ended her days singing praises to Him so all in the hospital ward could hear that she was not afraid of death.... for now, she really lives, with her Savior.

She leaves behind a 5 year old, Jerry, and 10-year-old Kyauta. John, Ladi's brother, is dealing with a lot of anger at God. And what becomes of Jerry and Gift? Please cry out to God on behalf of this family!

www.juststopandthink.com

He is healed!!!

On January 13th I received one of the best calls of my life. Abner's doctor called to tell me that Abner is able to walk! He is assisted by the use of braces on his legs and crutches, but he is no longer crawling on the ground! Praise God! Abner travelled to his village to visit his family, who are missionaries. He told me later that his father was crying, he was so happy, and that many people in the village called Abner a miracle.

He returned to Jos on Jan 25th and was greeted by 100+ fellow classmates who began dancing and crying and laughing, praising God that their friend was walking! When I saw him walking towards me, I was filled with awe of our Lord's goodness and His love for this precious boy. God used many people in the States to partner financially and to pray (you!). Many others in Nigeria helped in so many ways over the months to ensure that Abner received the best care. Thank you, Lord for this team of people you used to change the life of this dear one. Abner wants to follow in the footsteps of his father and be a pastor when he grows up.

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news."

Abner, may you not only walk, but run to tell people about Jesus!

In Memory of a friend

Rebekah Musa (in blue), mother of John and Peter who live in our Care Center, passed away on January 3rd from AIDS. She was a precious friend of mine. This picture was taken just a couple days before Christmas, 2 weeks before she died. My friend Susan and I visited her and her daughter Ladi (in white, also HIV+) to bring some Christmas presents and to visit.

The day before she died, as I sat down to pray with her, she laid my head on her lap. She must have know that she was leaving soon and I am so thankful for her display of love and affection.

We do not grieve as those without hope, for Rebekah knew Jesus as her Savior and now she is healed, dancing, and is ALIVE.

Abner will walk!!!

I was recently able to travel to Kano, four hours away, to visit Abner. I was able to spend a lot of time with him. He was quite surprised and happy to see me. I also met with the therapist, Sheila, who will be working with Abner everyday. She did his first therapy assessment with me there and she concluded that, yes, Abner has a good chance of walking again! They have measured him for braces that will keep his legs straight and he will need to use crutches for now... maybe they can be discarded later. Sheila said that she has seen people like Abner walk well after just a couple weeks of therapy but that each person is different. It also really depends on his own cooperation. Poor guy was in quite a bit of pain during therapy. You can pray: for Abner's left leg, which is significantly weaker than his right, for good pain management, that Abner will not get discouraged, that his parents will be able to visit him soon (it has been over a month). He is called the chief by the nurses bc he has been there so long :) He has good friends with other patients and I was so encouraged to see the good care that he has received.

For more pics of our visit, click here.

Two years!!!

On December 28th, I will celebrate TWO years here in Nigeria! Can you believe it?! So much has happened and I have learned SO much. Thank you so much to all of you who have helped me to thrive here through your prayers and support.

To get more information on my last two year in Nigeria, please go to www.webmissions.net/erinrigsby

Sponsor a child!!!

We have hundreds of boys. We need help to care for their physical, educational, and material needs. You can sponsor a boy for just $25 a month! You will be given the opportunity to communicate via mail with them, if you choose. Please prayerfully consider adding a beautiful Nigerian boy to your family! How to give: Please consider a tax-deductible donation to sponsor a child.

Send your check, made out to SIM, to: SIM USA, PO BOX 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241. Please designate it "Urban Nigeria - #85550 - Child Sponsorship."

If you would like to donate online, please visit www.sim.org/giveusa.

Baptism

Twenty-nine of our boys were recently baptized! We piled into vans and headed out to Gyero, the rural/bush area where one of our Care Centers is located. It was a beautiful day with a bright blue sky expanding across the green land and hills that make up Gyero. We drove as far as we could, and then walked a ways to a small body of water. There were about 50 of us there, the boys and then those of us who came in support to witness and worship with them. The boys carried different expressions; of excitement, of contemplation, and of shyness. I could not stop smiling or taking pictures! All of them previously accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, some of them years ago, and have shown a desire to serve and obey Him. Thank you, Lord, for your grace.

Bible Study

Every Thursday I meet with our Middle Boys (ages 12-16) for Bible Study. There are eighteen of them and we get into some really good discussions.We have recently been discussing the topic of Eternal Security. This topic has been debated among Christians for many years and it is no different in our class. I have role-played as a non-Christian, peppering them with questions about grace, forgiveness, and mercy and have learned a lot about what they believe. This is a big responsibility and blessing that God has given me to teach Truth to the boys, to expose them to the Bible, and ultimately, to draw them closer to God. Please pray that I will have adequate preparation time each week and that each Thursday afternoon, God will reveal to us Who He is and the reality of what it means to be a child of God.
Check out this link www.juststopandthink.com

Visit from team from Moody Church in Chicago

While I lived in Chicago I attended Moody Church. Last month eight people from Moody came to visit me and another Moody missionary, Claudia Long. Claudia has a camping ministry. So we combined both of our ministries by having my Senior Boys work alongside the team out at the camp, doing construction. The boys really loved this, many times stopping their work to talk and laugh with the team members. It is so good for my boys to have exposure to as many visitors as possible, to expand their knowledge of the Lord and of His world. I was blessed with the hard work of this team and their love for my boys. The boys earned money for their work, giving them such a feeling of satisfaction that they are begging me for another workday, even though the team is gone! Please pray for our Senior Boys to continue to mature spiritually and emotionally and that I will know how to encourage them as a sister in Christ.

Johnny

Johnny is a 16-year-old boy who lives in our Care Center. His father died when he was young. His mother, Mary, whom I have mentioned before, died of AIDS in June. The two weeks before she died, I spent a lot of time with her and Johnny in the hospital. When I received the call in the early morning that she had died, I wept for Johnny and I wept for the death of a young woman whose life was stolen by this awful disease. I immediately went to get Johnny at our Care Center and I held him as both of us cried. Then we went to his grandmother’s house to be with her and to make preparations for the funeral. Funerals are typically done the same day or soon after the death because embalming is so expensive. After a few hours, many of our boys came to the house to greet the family. The coffin came and in the small yard about 100 of us gathered to honor Mary’s life and to praise God that she had become a Christian just months before she died. The boys sang some beautiful songs and then we drove to the nearby graveyard for a final prayer.

Last month Johnny and John, whose story I have shared in the past, whose mom also has HIV, and I went together to the market so that they could make a cross for Mary’s gravesite. After they finished, we went and placed it at the site, along with two of our other boys. Johnny is close to his grandmother and he and I visit her often. Please pray that I will know how to love and support Johnny through his grieving process of his mom.

Update on Abner

After seven years of crawling on the ground as a result of polio, Abner is on his way to walking upright! (See blog on 8/23 for background on Abner.) He is in a hospital four hours away, but I was able to visit him recently. He is very happy, making friends with the other children on the ward. The ward is a big room with lots of beds lining the walls. There are cribs, too, with babies who have had various orthopedic surgeries. I enjoyed giving him small gifts, laughing with him, and praying with him. Both of his hips are contracted as a result of the polio. He has been on traction to gently pull the muscles of his legs straight.

On the 13th, he had a surgery to straighten one of his legs and a cast put on to maintain the position. In two weeks, the same operation will be repeated on the other leg. It is estimated that he will still need another seven weeks in the hospital. Please pray that he will not be lonely, for protection for his mother who travels back and forth from the village, and for complete healing so that he will one day walk again!

Exposure

Our oldest boys are called "Senior Boys."

They have been with us the longest and will soon be leaving us, transitioning into society. Our first boy "graduated" last month and is now attending YWAM Discipleship Training School in southern Nigeria! We want to expose our boys to life outside of our Care Centers, to give them understanding of all that God can do through them in the real world. To accomplish this, we took half of the Senior Boys to the YWAM base and the other half to Abuja, the capitol of Nigeria. Each trip was amazing and God really taught the boys a lot!

Highlights for the boys:1) First boat ride!

2) First elevator ride!

3) First visit to an airport!

4) Being served by people "higher" than the boys humbled them and encouraged them to serve the younger boys at our Care Centers.

5) Spending time with a wealthy, God-fearing man who testified that God honors integrity and that it is possible to be honest in a corrupt nation.

6) First time to see an automatic hand-dryer (pic on left).

Wish you could have seen this!

1) I see many different things being carried on the back of the motorcycles here, but this one took the cake - the passenger was carrying an entire car door! I just wish you could've seen it! I laughed out loud and was so bummed I was alone in my car with no one to share the moment with.

2) One night, on a recent trip to YWAM with our boys, I was eating dinner. I could not tell what meat was on my plate, due to the lack of light. So I asked one of the guys and he said, "Well, I was not going to tell you, but it is a chicken head and foot." What!?! I proceeded to pick up what I thought was the bone of the foot and soon discovered that it was the beak of the head! I screamed and busted into laughter. Apparently, honored guests are given these pieces. And I soon honored my boys with them.

3) Some of our boys recently experienced riding in an elevator for the first time. As we started moving up, one boy fell to his knees in sincere terror, exclaiming, "the end has come!"

HIV/AIDS testing

We recently tested all of our boys in our Jos Care Center for HIV. The day started by local ministries presenting education about HIV/AIDS. A special time was when Uncle Bulus, a man in his early 30's, testified that even though he discovered in 1999 that he is positive, God is still using his life. He said that he chose to not spread the disease, but to spread the message of HIV and of Jesus Christ! This was a real encouragement for all of us to see a healthy looking man who is living each day for Jesus, even though he knows the disease will eventually take his life. We have 68 boys in this center, and I knew that it would be very possible for some to be tested HIV+. Sadly, one of our older boys, James, tested positive. It is so hard for him and for us staff. We really need your prayers in how to care for him in all aspects and that God will free him from fear and despair.

Victim of polio

Abner, 14 yrs old, was struck with polio at age seven, and has crawled on the ground ever since. Last year, a team from the States visited the school Abner attends (Evangelical Missionary Kids School, where I help with the health care). God gave them compassion on Abner and as a result, they have sent in money to sponsor a corrective surgery for him! The hope is that he will soon be able to walk with the aid of braces! He had the surgery on July 28th. Please pray for healing, the therapy, and the many long hours he spends alone in the hospital (he is 4 hrs from where I live, and even further from his parents). I will keep you posted.

What I love

1) Playing in the rain with my boys, after 6 months of dry season.

2) When little children run and jump into my arms.

3) The way Nigerians are so quick to help someone in need.

4) Going to the market and talking in Hausa, buying fabric, and bartering for the best price.

5) Packing 18 of my boys in my truck (not against the law here?)

6) Caring for two HIV+ widows, whose sons live in our Care Center

Each staff member is assigned to three boys to spend time with each week, to encourage and pray with them. My boys are Benjamin, Matthew P. and Matthew A. Each of these boys has a past of neglect and abuse. Now they are thriving at our Care Center. I love spending time with them. Recently I had them over for dinner at my house. They have never eaten at a restaurant, so we pretended that my house was one, complete with background music and a candle. I fed them Chicken Pot Pie, plantains, rice, corn, and muffins- a big change from their usual meals. They were SO thrilled! The entire meal they just exclaimed over the food and also all the way home! One even said, 'Auntie, I want you to be my mother.' Definitely the food talking, but sweet words to my soul. Times like that fills my heart with inexpressible joy and thanksgiving for being here in Nigeria.

HIV testing and miracle

HIV TestingWe have decided to test all of the boys in our Care Centers for HIV. Although none are showing signs of the virus and many are not in the age range of expected infection, we decided it is best to not distinguish between them. Testing all of them also allows for pre-test education about HIV/AIDS. If they test negative, then we can use that as a platform to encourage them to continue to live a safe and pure lifestyle to remain negative. If they are positive, then we will be able to better care for their physical and emotional needs. I recently traveled to one of our Care Centers in Makurdi, a town four hours from Jos. This was the first round of our testing and all 22 boys are negative! Praise God! However, two of the volunteers and one of their babies are positive. We are now providing medicine and education on how to prolong their lives. The leader is an amazing man who will be able to counsel and encourage them. We have more than 100 more boys to test, so please pray for the pre-test counseling and if any of our boys are positive, how to discreetly and compassionately handle the situation.

Miracle! Last August when I visited Makurdi, I visited a woman who had been bedridden for two years. Apparently, she had received an injection and for some reason, became immobile due to stiffness and intense pain in her legs and back. No one had been able to help her. God gave me the opportunity to pray over her. When I visited Makurdi a couple weeks ago, she WALKED to visit me at the Care Center!!!! God has healed her! She said that nothing specific happened. Just one day, she could walk. What a blessing to see how powerful our God and the name of Jesus is! She still has some stiffness and pain, so please pray for complete healing! See pics of this miracle!

Off to the Theatre!!

Not to watch a movie, but to have surgery! "Theatre" is the term used for operating room. About a month ago I was at our Care Center and I saw Bola, a man whom I had only met briefly. I greeted him and reintroduced myself and told him I serve the boys as a nurse. Bola got really excited because he is the director of Christian Medical Fellowship in Nigeria and he wanted to see if we had any boys that needed surgery! Talk about a Divine Appointment! Over the next couple weeks, I assessed the boys and had a list of them to be seen by a surgeon. This resulted in four of our boys having surgeries to repair hernias and to remove cysts. Mama Kaka is a widow who lives with and cares for our boys, and she also had a cyst removed… one that caused pain for over 20 years!! All this was done completely free, thanks to God and Christian Medical Fellowship.

Off to the bush!!

I recently traveled to a village, where there are few Christians. However, there is a new church being built and the Believers grew from one last year to thirteen now! We received the blessings of the local chief to be in the area and we showed the Jesus Film and had drama and music that was very clear in the Gospel. During the day on Saturday, Dr. Cindy and I gave immunizations and saw patients. Last year, seven children died of measles. We praise the Lord for the ability to immunize against measles and also polio and tetanus. While we were doing the clinic, our Nigerian colleagues were visiting all the nearby villages, sharing the Gospel with them and inviting them to come to church in the new building. God has provided a pastor and a Nigerian missionary in the area, allowing for continued evangelism and follow-up.

A Village Experience – Amenities Include:

•cold bucket bath in three-sided stall made of straw

• freedom-of- the-bush bathroom

• a 6ftx6ft tent to be shared by you and your equally filthy colleague

• wet-ones galore

• early morning wake-up call by local roosters

• a guaranteed audience at all times

For more pics, click here

Meet DanLadi

Dan Ladi is a ten-year-old boy who has lived at Transition House (TH) for a couple years. He used to be involved in the occult, which caused his family to fear him and want to endanger him to protect themselves. God rescued Dan Ladi and brought him to Gidan Bege, where he began to be freed from the occult and showed a desire to change his life. In June 2004, Dan Ladi and the other boys in my Family Group (seventeen boys I spend time with each month), watched the "Jesus Film for Kids". He was really affected by it and the next day he prayed to receive Christ! Talk about coming from the darkness to the light!

One day recently I noticed Dan Ladi was sitting by himself with his head in his hands. I sat next to him and discovered he was sobbing. Once he calmed down, he was able to tell me that he was crying for his Father, because he was not a Christian. Dan Ladi, who is now experiencing life free from the occult, faithfully intercedes for his family. Join Dan Ladi in praying for his family, especially his dad who is an alcoholic. And pray that Dan Ladi's faith will continue to grow and that he will be strong and resist sin.

Meet the Musa family

John, 17 and Peter, 12, are brothers who live in one of our Care Centers. Their father died four years ago, leaving their mom, Rebekah, to care for five children. Her two daughters turned to prostitution and her oldest son became an alcoholic. John and Peter both began working to help their mom with the income. One of her daughters has two children, Jerry and Blessing, and she left him with Rebekah to care for. Rebekah became sick often and she worried about the futures of John, Peter and Jerry. Rebekah and John and Peter visited Gidan Bege and decided it was best for the boys came to live at Gidan Bege to ensure that their spiritual, physical, and educational needs were met. In November last year, we discovered that Rebekah is HIV+. I connected her to Spring of Life, a local HIV/AIDS ministry, who is caring for her in her home. I recently went with the boys to visit Rebekah. It was a fun time as we sang songs together and the boys told her about what they are learning in school. However, Rebekah is not getting better and the boys could sense it. Please pray for the Musa family and for me, that God will give increased grace and wisdom. Also pray for Jerry and Blessing, that a loving Nigerian home will be found for them.

Christmas andd New Year's memories

Although this was the first time I was not with my family on Christmas Day, I had a very memorable First Christmas in Nigeria! We had parties at our Care Centers, where each boy received a new outfit! They were so excited and thankful! I spent Christmas Eve and Day at our missions retreat center, Miango. On Christmas morning, a small group of us met at 6am and drove to two nearby extinct volcanoes. As the sun rose and painted the sky all shades of oranges and pinks, we hiked up the volcanoes, pushing through the grass that was taller than us. As we hiked, I stopped along the way to take pictures, attempting to capture the majestic artwork of our Creator. We were surrounding by flat plains stretching far into the horizon, scattered palm trees, and the silence of the early morning. I could imagine people in the nearby villages waking up, building fires, and celebrating the birth of Christ in their very special, simple and reverent way. The knowledge that Jesus' life was being celebrated all over the world that day sent peace and joy into my soul. It was a moment etched in my memory forever.

New Year's Eve was also memorable as I arrived at TH at 11 p.m. and joined the kids in praise and worship. We also had a time of confession so that the kids could go into the New Year with a clean heart before God. The kids confessed to stealing, anger, and lying. It touched my heart when one of our youngest confessed to stealing from three of his friends and asked them for forgiveness. We had a powerful prayer time and then more praising and dancing!

The next day 40 of our young boys were invited to a program in a garden/park run by a local Nigerian lady. Her generosity blessed us so much! I got so much joy watching 'my boys' playing on the playground, eating good food and competing in a dancing contest! It was the best New Year's of my life!

As time has progressed, so has my understanding about the ministry. Basically, I am in a pioneer ministry, attempting to establish a health care system for the children in our care. I am not necessarily equipped medically to do this, but God has provided two missionary physicians to help me. At Transition House (one of our Care Centers where 68 boys live), I now have an office/clinic. It is my goal that when the boys enter my office, they feel safe and loved. I practice my Hausa (and they usually laugh at me), I try to learn something about them, and we pray together… oh! and I dispense medicine and care as needed? I have recently started teaching a Health Education class to the boys on a weekly basis. I also began teaching a Bible Study with the same group each Thursday. I am a first-time teacher on both accounts, so please pray for me!

In August Gene Martin (missions pastor) and Lee Hoffer (elder), from Temple Bible Church in TX, visited Jos and spent time with me, learning first-hand about the ministry. It was a very encouraging time and I was so thankful for their wisdom and support! Last month my mom came to visit! She really appreciated seeing where I live and work because she is now able to picture my life in Nigeria. We had some good mother-daughter talks, allowing me to process what I have learned in the past 10 months.

Off the streets and into my heart

Gidan Bege, meaning "House of Hope" in Hausa, is living up to its name. God has blessed us with the opportunity to care for street boys who have decided they want to change their lives and, as a result, many have become Christians. On Thursdays, boys are invited to come to Gidan Bege to learn English, to eat, and to receive medical attention. If a child expresses a desire to leave the streets, he stays at Gidan Bege center for a time of counseling and observation. After weeks or months, depending on each child, he is moved to a Care Center. We have four Care Centers right now, where the children live, holding a total of 124 boys from the ages of six to twenty years old.

Last week we took the 68 boys from our Jos Center to Miango for a week of camp! The theme was "Armed in God's Love," focusing on the armor of God and the victory available to His children. This truth is vital for the children to understand, since they have been held in bondage of fear and deceit for so long. The boys were assigned to a Bible Study group, which met every morning, studying being a warrior of the King. Each afternoon, the staff taught electives such as "Injury and Prevention," "Music," and "Hiking." We also held our own Olympics, had a Treasure Hunt, played lots of football and spent quality time with each other.

Every night during camp we met for praise and worship. Man, do these boys know how to dance! I absolutely love to join in with them, praising God together, in sincerity and freedom. From the youngest to the oldest, they sing at the top of their lungs, some with eyes closed and hands raised, praising their Redeemer. They know what it is like to be in chains, and now they are free! Their innocence in worship brings laughter to my lips because I see them as they are… children. They have seen and done things in the past that would cause some of us to shudder. Yet, God knows they are simply children, and He invites them to come and worship Him.

Tears of grief

I met "Emmanuel," a 7-year-old, about a week after I arrived in Nigeria. He had been falsely accused of being in the Secret Society. Nevertheless, his relatives wanted to kill him in order to protect themselves. God intervened, and Emmanuel was rescued by one of our volunteers and brought to Gidan Bege. Emmanuel is one of our most joyful boys, always singing and playing. One day at camp he was very downcast, but he would not tell me what was wrong. Then he suddenly broke down in tears, sobbing. I sat down with him and held him, waiting until he could speak. "My grandmother said I cannot go home. She said Uncle Elisha (our leader) is now my father. My mother is dead. My father is dead. I am alone. It is only me. And I cannot go home." And then he broke down and wept. After talking with him, I learned that he last saw his grandmother seven months ago, before being brought to Gidan Bege. Emmanuel had become homesick while at camp and wanted to be with his grandmother. I was reminded that these boys are hurting and lonely, and many of them do not know how or choose not to share their feelings. I thank the Lord that Emmanuel trusted me with his pain.

Baboons, elephants, and flat tires

Recently a group of singles went to Yankari National Park. We had a blast! It is known for its warm springs. I have come to absolutely LOVE palm trees. We had the gift of seeing elephants up close. For some reason they were hanging around the camp. As four of us swam in the water, a family of elephants stood about 100 feet from us, eating! Since we were swimming, no picture to act as evidence, but it really happened! They hung around for a good 45 minutes. A baby was among them, no bigger than a german shepherd. Yankari is known for the baboons that hang around… many of them. I had heard that if you threw food on the roof of the small rooms we stayed in, that they would jump onto the roof and wake the people up. So, one morning, Mary and I snuck over to the boys' house. I saw a mama baboon and her cute baby about 15 feet away so I threw a piece of bread at her, to get her attention. Yikes! I also got the attention of about 5 other baboons, who were just outta sight and who came running around the corner right at me! I screamed at them and chunked the bread (real tough, right). Just as this happened, Ben came out of his room and had a good laugh. Wouldn't you know that the next morning baboons jumping on our roof waked us girls up! I looked out the window and there was my good Nigerian bud Makoji, with a huge grin, throwing the food. He later told me the baboons did not run at him because he is black. Whatever. One baboon also came into our room, since the door was open and all, and took our bag of marshmallows! And you cannot buy those here. Check out this pic of a baboon enjoying himself on top of our roof.

The entire trip was an adventure. On the way home we had FOUR flat tires! It was actually quite funny and God protected us. Makoji was along and did all the work.

Well, not all. In this pic, you can see the tough white missy's lifting up the truck. On our next to last flat, we had to pile out and wait for a while for Makoji and Ben to go to a town and get the tires fixed. So all of us ladies had a good nap under a tree, as a few curious farmers stared at us.

This pic shows our final flat -- we decided we needed to maybe not try for number five, so we all piled out and waited for Makoji to go get us a van taxi. It was a great weekend, flats and all!

From Tragedy to Triumph

“Auntie Erin, my mother would like to meet you,” David said to me a couple weeks ago. David is a 12 year-old boy who has lived at Transition House for one year. Unlike many of the boys, David comes from a loving family. He has nine siblings, two of them who also live at Transition House. His story begins sadly, but has an ending that proves God is in control. David’s father was an officer in the Nigerian Army. He was a very good soldier and had earned the respect of many. He fought in a battle last year and did very well, earning a bonus payment from the military. He planned on building a house for his family. He went to visit his extended family in his village. His brother found out about the money and poisoned David’s father. David’s mother, Maria, found out and went to the village. When she arrived, he had become paralyzed from the poisoning. She took him back home, where David and his siblings saw their father in this condition.



One morning David went into his parents’ bedroom. His father was lying in bed and his head, according to David, was completely turned around on his neck, facing the back. Maria was trying to move it back in place, but was not successful. Soon after this, says David, his father’s legs began ‘slapping’ and then he passed away. This was in March 2003. Shortly before this happened, one of David’s elder brothers, Paul, ran away from home. While he was living on the streets, he heard about Gidan Bege (House of Hope) and began attending the program for street boys, where they are taught English, the Bible, are fed, and are able to been seen by me or another medical person. He decided to stay at Gidan Bege and sent a message home to his family that he wanted to live there because he would receive an education.



Maria desperately wants her children to be educated, and without her husband’s income, she cannot afford the school fees for all of them. So, she decided to allow Paul to stay at Gidan Bege, and she also requested that David and another brother, Emmanuel, be allowed to stay. All three brothers live at Gidan Bege’s Transition House. David is one of the smartest boys there. He can read advanced books, is fluent in Hausa, English, and his tribal language, and is doing well in the school.



I asked David what he liked about his father and he said the following, “He always corrected me if I was wrong. He always wanted me to be reading books. My father always made sure I had what I needed and if I did not, he did whatever he could to give it to me. He was very kind. He never fought with my mother.” I traveled with David to visit his mother and his siblings. When we arrived at the gate of the army barracks (I was not aware his mother still lived there), we were told I could not enter because I am a foreigner. David went to get his mother so I could meet her. I asked her how I can pray for her and she said that she has been trying to get the money back that was stolen from her husband, but has been unsuccessful. She wants to move her family out of the barracks and into a house, as was the plan of her husband, but she cannot because lack of funds. Please pray that the Lord will provide a miracle! I praise the Lord for this testimony of His faithfulness. Even though it was a tragic thing that David’s father died and Paul ran away, God directed Paul to Gidan Bege, and now these three boys are thriving in their education and walk with the Lord.

Just call me Julia

I have a better appreciation for celebrities (such as Julia Roberts) who are followed everywhere, with everyone watching them. Being a Bature (white person) instantly puts me in this category. There are always eyes following me: people watching to see my reaction to things, what I am buying, how I am worshipping God, etc. Even I do a double take when I see a Bature, as there are so few of us around!

It is tempting to become quite tired of all the attention, and even more so to sometimes want to turn around and stare at them right back. ? It helps to say to myself “Pretend you are Gwyneth Paltrow and smile!”. Seriously, the attention should not be on Erin, but on God and how He shines through me. It definitely provides accountability and opportunities to show kindness, patience and love…which is witnessed by many, who assume that because I am white, I am a missionary.

This is a journal entry I wrote last month about this:

“I continually deal with the stressor of always being watched, of people asking me for help, money, medicine, etc. Jesus lived this way: always being watched, under scrutiny, people begging for his help. Matthew 15:23+ says that ‘great crowds’ came to You. You did not turn them away. Instead, You healed them “and they praised the God of Israel.” You called to Your disciples and said “I have compassion for these people. They have been with me for three days.” I can’t imagine that You rolled Your eyes, or became impatient with these people who did not leave your side for three days. You were 100% human, but even when You were physically tired, You were available. Jesus, help me to be like You.”

Pray that all of the attention received will turn the spotlight onto God.

The following is what is now normal to me as I travel down the road:
1) Children digging through the trash
2) Pigs, goats, cows and sheep walking across the road, in the middle of the city
3) Cars upside down as a result of an accident
4) Five year-old children, in school uniforms, walking home alone
5) Being stopped by army officers many times, who are helping decrease crime by randomly checking vehicles
6) Lines fifty cars deep to buy petrol (gasoline)
7) Adults and childreb with various handicaps begging. Many times they, or their family, refuse curative treatment because begging provides money for the family.

Into the Jungle

The morning of our journey we all piled into vans to travel to the base of the mountain. Pastor had rounded up kids to help us carry our things. From the look of all the mountains surrounding us, I knew I could not carry my backpack, so I made sure that someone had it. A few kids carried generators and other heavy equipment. Unreal. The weather was perfect. It was drizzling and cool. We started the trek and I hung back to take a pic. Then caught up, then took another pic as we started our ascent. Doing these put me at the end of the line. We had about 50 in our group. As we started up what my friend later named 'Death Mountain', I was like 'Oh boy'. Straight up. No nice winding trail. Straight up. I had three small bags around my shoulders which became heavier and heavier. Two great guys from Gidan Bege, Victor and Yats, stayed with me, encouraging me and helping me. Then Pastor Matthias came and literally pulled me up the mountain, stopping patiently when I could not breathe:) And then pulling some more. Eventually 2 of the bags were taken from me, leaving me only with my water and my wet clothes to lug up the mountain.

When I rested, I would turn around and it was such an amazing sight. We were above the clouds! Mountains everywhere. Rainforest surrounded us. God provided rain and clouds. If it would have been hot and sunny- we all would have been in trouble. Although it was so tough we 4 enjoyed each others company. I say 'tough'- but the men were barely breaking a sweat! Even Pastor, who was literally pulling me up the mountain! Eventually, a couple others had slowed down from exhaustion and the 6 of us continued on. Finally we got to the top of the mountain. What goes up must come down. The rain had caused the mud to be slippery, so this was quite a challenge. Also, I had opted to wear my Teva sandals and not my boots bc they are so heavy and not so comfortable. The sandals are open toed, so bc of the slippery surface, going down a mountain, my feet kept sliding right out of my shoes! Eventually I just took them off and went barefoot, because otherwise I was going to twist my ankles.

I fell many times, yet never hurt myself! Amazingly, my feet did not even get scratched. I know why. At the beginning of the climb, God reminded me of the verse "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."Ps 91:11&12. I was assured that I would sustain injury and I did not. Even though I fell many times. The people with me could not understand why I did not break a bone or have a dislocation, they said, bc they were seeing how I was falling and slipping. Yats even took pics of me falling :) We all laughed alot and really had a great time.

The descent was really into the jungle! It was so incredible. There was one spot where we could see the mountains of Cameroon. Our last 45 min or so was travelled in the dark with flashlights- again, I did not get hurt! We arrived to the camp to the cheers of all who had made it before us. My friend ran up to me and gave me a big hug. She had been worried bc we were travelling in the dark. The whole journey was only a little over 3 hrs.

We spent 4 days camped in one village. We slept in tents, surrounded by mountains and palm trees. During the days we split up into 14 teams. My team conducted the clinic and the other teams trekked to other villages in the mountains to share the Gospel. At night we showed the Jesus Film. It was an incredible week, one that I will never forget.