New lives have begun for 38 boys!!!

A few months ago, we started to re evaluate what we were doing and who we were serving , as we had grown rapidly over the last few years. We discovered that many of the children have some family and we also looked into those who had been delivered from Occultic practices for several years to see whether they could be reconciled back into their communities. We realize it is far better in this culture if a child grows up with his family as the family and extended family unit is very strong here.

Some kids in a village where some of our boys now live.

As a part of this process, we sent home for Christmas about 100 of our boys, and the staff visited them to assess their situations . Many families stated that they had seen positive changes in their children , their behavior and their attitudes had greatly improved. Many were pleased to have them back. In some cases, though, it was confirmed that the boy needs to stay with us. We want to exist as a ministry to help those children who have no one to help them and to train and disciple them so they can function well in their society.

Some of the older ones we realize need to learn a trade alongside their education , so they can start to be independent when they leave school. So we have sent some to a Technical Boarding school and they will come back to us or family in the holidays. As a ministry we are committed to help with school fees as long as we can so the children's education does not stop, but this expensive and we continue to rely on money being brought in by God.

Last week was one of the best weeks and most difficult weeks. I have been processing a lot of emotions with all the changes we are facing. Good changes, but hard on the heart, too.

On Tuesday we took 10 to boarding school as you can see from the picture above, this was quite an undertaking as they have to go with lots of stuff.... they were excited and nervous at the same time and we were all quite emotional as we left them. We pray they will settle well and make good friends and that God protects them.

Then on Wed and Thurs we drove around several villages, taking boys to their family members. We caused quite a stir turning up in small communities with two jeeps, a car, and a minibus loaded with mattresses, bags, etc..but we took all the boys together who were in going home in the same area to see where each other lived. We greeted the families and prayed with them as we left their children with them. Mothers were crying, along with us Aunties as we gave back boys.

Daniel's father was waiting for him on front porch. A very powerful reunion. The local pastor observed Daniel's changed live when he visited over Christmas. He has invited Daniel to serve in the church.

It was awesome to see why the ministry exists happening before your very own eyes...boys whose lives had been turned around by God and who could now go home....We hope many more will follow in these first ones steps. We (staff) will be visiting each boy (in home or at school) on a regular basis to see how they are doing.

Here is a picture of Ayuba and Solomon re united with their Dad. He was so happy to see his boys back after being with us for 5 years after their mother died. He has built new rooms for them and has prepared farm land for them to be able to work and grow food. The eldest, Joseph, was among the boys who went to boarding school. During holidays, he will live with his dad and bros.


As we leave these precious children in school or in their communities we have to trust that God will look after them and that He knows the plans for their future. They were His children before they were ever ours and He knows them all by name......please pray for them as they adjust to new lifestyles.

(my pal and co-worker Nicky wrote this blog for her own update, so I figured why write another one! Thanks, Nicky. To my credit, I did at least add the pics.)

PS -
You'll notice in the pic below that Miracle and I are bundled up. It has been COLD here! In the high 40's at night. Seriously. And we have no heaters, folks. I like it, for the most part, cuz I get to wear some clothes that otherwise stay in my closet. ;)

Miracle Baby

My Nigerian parents, Reverand Haruna and 'Mommy', took care of Friday, their nephew, for seven years. Just recently Friday died from a sudden sickness at age 12, which devastated Rev. and Mommy. However, God was so good. The day before Friday passed, Mommy was at work at the community health clinic, where she stays for a few nights at a time, since it is outside of Jos. Someone brought in a newborn baby with her umbilical cord still attached. The baby had been abandoned and covered with sand. She was discovered because a dog was biting on her umbilical cord and she began to cry. The mother of the baby, of course, was nowhere to be found. The police interviewed different women in the neighborhood and decided that Mommy was the best candidate to look after the baby while they tried to find her mother. Mommy was caring for her when she received the news that Friday had died. So Mommy bundled her up and took her home with her.

In the midst of the intense grief, God provided a miracle baby to bring joy, comfort and purpose to their lives. I went to their home the day we received the sad news about Friday. When I saw the baby and heard her story I said to Mommy "You must name her Miracle, for indeed she is." She agreed and that is her name. :)

Two months have passed and Miracle continues to bring happiness and God's love into their home. They see how the Lord was so good to them and His timing was just incredible, giving Miracle to them the day before Friday passed. Rev and Mommy have been wanting to have another baby (have 2 older children), but it has not been possible. They are working on formally adopting her.

This picture was taken on Sunday, Miracle's 2 month birthday. She was dedicated at church, which is why she has some eye makeup on - something the Nigerians put on baby girls for special occasions.

Allah ya ba mu godiya kowace rana. Ku kwallo masu! = God gives us blessings every day! Watch for them!

Whew

Whew - we made it. The past month for me, as for many of you I am sure, was a whirlwind of parties, guests, food, music, work, traveling, kids, kids and more kids. It was one of my favorite Christmas' EVER. Dee and Tilly came from Chicago and we had a blast being together and spending every waking moment with our boys and girls. Many of our boys went to a relatives house for Christmas (as part of our reconciliation process - getting kids back into a home environment), but many kiddos were 'left behind'. So we took it upon ourselves to shower love onto them. I will post pics soon.

ALSO, I turned the big 3-0 on January 5th!! I was not so sure how I would feel about leaving the 20's behind, but now I am feeling comfortable with this new season in my life. A few people have reminded me that Jesus started his ministry when He was 30 - my first thought is - HOW did He live so long without sin? Second thought - WHY would He leave heaven to spend such a long time on earth? 100% man. 100% God. Cannot wrap my head around it. But, thank You, Jesus.

Update - Ladi, the young woman in a recent blog of mine, returned to her family in the village on Christmas day!! She is recovering well and Gay Lynn and I hope to visit her next week. Again, pics to come....

Holiday Hike

Early morning picnic with the girls. How early? Well, the village church bell rings at 5am. Then the dog starts to bark. So after some dozing, it is time to get up for 6am devotions with the girls. Yep, these girls have devotions together every morning. That is part of the Christian culture in Nigeria. When the lesson has been taught and prayers have been said, the girls come and curtsy in front of me and whatever other leader is present and say "Good morning, Aunty". That is the point when I start to wake up :) I will never tire of being called Aunty. Love it.

So Nicky has this fantastic idea to pack our bags with food and take the girls hiking. Now, Aunty Erin loves this kind of thing, but my lungs have not been in top shape recently. But I said, if 5 year old Faith is going, I am going. Plus I miss wearing pants and this was a great excuse to wear them! (Have to wear skirts all the time otherwise).


Faith insisted on carrying this backpack, for about ten minutes. Check
out the diva pose. The crocs (shoes) were a great gift to the kids by a visiting team.

Yeah, this picture is pretty cool. We are in dry season now, obviously.

Faith and I decided to stick together during this
hike. I ended up carrying her quite a bit. Funny
how Nicky, whose great idea it was to do this,
never carried her... hmm....

So we get to the top and are eating our snacks and I said to Nicky, "That was great! Halfway done." She died laughing and said, "Oh no! We still have lots more ahead!"Folks, I had a great time and these pics to boot, but dang I was feeling old.

Farmland - handmade borders dug by the owners.

The green trees that look like are painted in are Mango trees.

I just get a kick out of the beauty and vividness of God's creations. And I love how the bottom of the leaves and branches go across in a straight line.

Other News - Dee and Tilly arrived from Chicago today! They will be staying with me until they leave on the 1st. I am so blessed to have friends who love me and the kids so much to spend Christmas with us!

Merry Christmas from Nigeria !!!!!

Helping Ladi

Last week, GayLynn and I went out to a village to visit Ladi. She is a niece of one of our good friends, Danjuma, and she recently fell into a fire during a seizure. She has a history of seizures and the family believes that when a seizure happens, that she is possessed by demons. So, they concluded that medicine cannot help her. Now, I do believe that Satan can manifest himself in a seizure, but the most likely reason for seizures over a long period of time would be epilepsy.



Soon after she was burned, Danjuma went the village, pleading them to bring her into Jos for medical treatment, but they refused. GayLynn and I were really burdened for her, so we decided to travel there (about an hour away) and see if God would use us. GayLynn is an occupational therapist and has cared for many burn patients whose joints have been affected, so I was really glad she was there.


When we got there, Ladi was sitting in the doorway of the mud house, without a shirt on and flies buzzing all around her. GayLynn and I realized that it was not lack of love from the family, but lack of education. We spent time explaining to them all the reasons she really needed medical attention. God showed us favor, and His love for Ladi, and the parents agreed that she could come for help. This is a big commitment for her mom, as she has to stay with Ladi in the hospital. In Nigeria, each patient must have a family member present at all times to cook, to clean the patient, and care for them.



Ladi's wounds have been cleaned and GayLynn is working on helping Ladi to straighten her arms and fingers. Ladi's mind has been affected, perhaps by all the seizures, and so she has not been too cooperative. Please pray that she will understand the need to receive help. She looks young, but she has a one year old son waiting in the village for her.

This is the correct address to check out the pics!

http://webmissions.net/erinrigsby/media.htm

NEW PICS POSTED!!!

I spent hours getting all these new pics posted. So you have to look at them, ok?

The internet here in Nigeria has much to be desired, but I am still grateful because it allows me to share with you what's going on in my life.

Check 'em out at:

http://webmissions.net/erinrigsby/media.htm

On Tuesday I went to see the girls. I had not seen them in almost three weeks, due to my trip to Israel. When I pulled up, most of them were waiting for me and chanting "Aunty Erin, Aunty Erin" and tackled me as a I got out of the truck. I was told later that one of them even cried, she was so happy I am back. Crazy, huh, I mean, I am here to bless them and BAM they bless my socks off with their welcome!



Before I went to Israel, I met with them and encouraged them to look for a girl at school who needs a friend. On Tuesday, Kyauta runs up to me, holding a tattered letter. 'Aunty, this is from my friend.' Kyauta had befriended this girl, Veronica, and now they are friends! The tattered shape of the letter told me that this is a treasured possession for Kyauta. Three other girls alsoshowed me notes from their friends. :)

Faith, the cutie on the left of this pic, has a Muslim friend at school. At five years old, God can and will use the faith of a child!

Promise - Israel pics are coming!

Love from Israel

Tonight is my last night in Israel. It has been quite a ride in this Holy Land. God has rocked my world and taken me to a deeper understanding of His covenant love for me. I am just beginning to grasp how much He desperately loves me and passionately and jealously desires ALL of me. Every last dirty bit.

Selah.

I am excited to get back to my kids in Nigeria and pour out His love that He has poured into me.

More to come....

Shalom.

Birthdays and Braids

It is common for people in Nigeria to not know their birthdays. I have not completely figured out why - but one reason is that most families do not have money to celebrate birthdays and so, over the years, the actual date is forgotten. Because of the difficult backgrounds of many of our children, they do not know their birthdays. SO - the Crazy Texas Team, who come every October, started an annual tradition awhile back of having a general birthday party for all the kids. The team throws a party for the kids, complete with cake, ice cream and gifts.

Our girls were so delighted with their gift bags

Cutting of the Cake (look at the girls happy faces)

I also recently had my hair 'plaited', as we say here. I asked two of my Nigerian neighbors to do it for me. Because white folks hair is so silky, attachments have to be braided into the real hair so that the braids will last. It only took 4 hours! I say 'only' because I once had it done with really small, tight braids and it took 13 hours - for real. These mug shots are just so you can see the final product. :) I kept the braids in for two weeks.

The Other Kind of Tree

My last entry was about the planting of my tree in Gyero. The baby tree is struggling, thanks to the village goats who come by and eat the leaves. The girls assured me that they are chasing away the goats anytime they see them coming.

I just have to share with you about another kind of tree in Gyero. First, I have to say that lots of folks say the word s**t instead of 'poop' or '#2', as we say in the States. Not sure why, but that is how it is and it is acceptable. So, the other day Nicky was walking with a kid in the village and they were looking for a place to sit down. She saw a tree and said they should sit under it. "No Aunty!," the boy replied, 'that is the s**t tree!!!" Apparently, lots of kids do their business under the tree! :) And you can bet there is lots of grass growing under it, too.

Oh, village life. Nigerian life. I still find myself thinking 'is this for real?' or 'pinch me' - even after almost four years!

Aunty Erin's Tree

The staff and kids in Gyero, our rural Care Center, recently came up with the idea of planting a tree in honor of each missionary serving them. Last week it was Aunty Erin's turn to have her tree planting ceremony. :)


Baba Sati, one of the leaders, had a few baby trees for me to pick from and I told him that I wanted one that would provide a lot of shade in the years to come. The girls ended up picking an avocado tree, which I think is very fitting, since this Texas gal loves her guacamole!

I am so blessed, so happy, so fulfilled. In the midst of challenges, heartache, cultural differences, and feelings of complete inadequacy, the Lord's joy surrounds me. Do I really get to live here? Is this really my life? I am so thankful, Father, for the honor to serve You and to serve your beautiful children in Nigeria. May YOU receive all the praise, all the glory, all the adoration. May YOUR name be lifted up. It is all about You, because of You and for You.

Tidbits

Tidbits from the past week:
1) Bad news - my computer crashed and burned on hursday evening. Good news - I did not freak out! Ok, so am a little anxious, but nowhere NEAR how I would have responded before coming to Nigeria. Life here is always full of surprises and setbacks and either you gotta go with the flow or die. :) Pray for Dan, The Computer Man, to wiggle his fingers and heal my computer.

2) I was interviewed by a missionary in Mexico, via the phone, and it is now posted on the website http://www.missionarytalks.com/ A great tool to spread the Word!

3) One of our boys, 12 yr old Augustine, fell yesterday. I thought he needed stitches, so I called our new missionary doc, Dr. Don. He is my 'on call' doctor now, and I am thrilled! So we went to Dr. Don's house and Augustine was shaking, he was so afraid about the stitches. At camp they memorized Joshua 1:9, so he and I said it out loud together: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Within a minute, his shaking stopped. :)

4) I started Hausa studies, AGAIN, with two lovely Nigerian ladies. It is 2 hrs each afternoon and boy, am I tired after class. But, God really convicted me that I need to get fluent in Hausa, to show the Nigerians love and respect. I am not very disciplined in this area, but am determined to learn.

"Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it". James 4:17


God bless you guys, ER

On Tuesday I went to Abuja, the capitol of Nigeria. It is reported to be the fastest growing city in Africa. Yep, the fastest in the whole continent! Wow. I noticed a lot of changes since I was last there in July 2006. Nigeria is actually a rich country in resources and this is reflected in the modern buildings and city structures in Abuja.

Thanks to some supporters gifts, I was able to spend a couple days in a nice hotel, relaxing and sleeping a lot. I really enjoyed it, yet part of me struggled with all the wealth I was seeing. I did not feel guilty for my own ability to relax. However, it was difficult to see that there is such wealth here and yet, only for a select few. Since I work with the poor on a daily basis, I guess it just stands out more.

BUT - I am so thankful for the rest and the ability to not be available to anyone, even if just for a couple days!!! :)

GREAT NEWS - I picked up my dear friend Nicky from the airport today! In 2005, Nicky came to spend a year in Jos. At then end of her time, though, she realized that God was asking her to return as a long-term missionary. And now she has!!! I am really blessed by her friendship. I am constantly learning from her and seeing God through her.

"Aunty, I have seen the world, but I have never be out in the world," Alheri said.

Selah (contemplate)

Today I was with my little princesses. They love to hear stories, so I shared with them about how God took me to Zimbabwe and to China before He brought me to Nigeria. As I shared, I realized that they did not have a clue how to picture where I was talking about. I told them I will bring a map of the world so that they can understand.

All they know is what they have seen. Like most of us, whatever is in front of them is what they focus on. But if that is how we live, are we really living? And yet, if we don't see what is right in front of us, we will miss God at work.

Selah

The whole world is out there, crying, starving, hurting, unforgiving, performing, striving, trying.... dying.

So when Alheri said she has never been out in the world, it made me think. Today they were all dressed up because they were going on a field trip to the city. My eyes were opened to the fact that every day all they see is their little village, except for the occasional trip out.

Yes, dear girls, the world seems small, but there are many people in America who love you, who are praying for you - Alheri, specifically, is on the Prayer Calendar for tomorrow. Please pray for Alheri and the other girls, that they will learn how to love, how to trust, how to believe, how to hope.... and how to share this with others in their world.

Moses was involved in the occult and his life was in danger. In Nigeria, if someone is in the Secret Society, then they may get possessed by evil and kill people. As a result, the people in Moses' village became afraid of him and threatened to kill him, so his mother brought him to Gidan Bege about 4 years ago. Moses is now a kind-hearted, patient, and obedient boy. He loves Jesus and wants to be a pastor when he grows up.

Yesterday he came to me because he really wants to see his mom. One of the boys, DanLadi, was going to visit his own mother and Moses wanted to join him, because they are in the same village. However, Moses' mom has said that his life is still in danger and that he cannot go and visit her right now. When Uncle Alex was explaining this to him, tears fell down his cheeks. Not being able to visit his mom? Because people are afraid of him? What? It is difficult to understand. And yet, that is reality for him.

He is now part of our family. Moses is loved by everyone and strives to follow Christ. But, a child needs his mother. Pray for us as we are the mothers and fathers to these precious children.

Seeking Him

The Chicago Team from Moody Church left yesterday. We had an amazing two weeks together. God definitely hand-picked the six special folks that made up the team. Each of them brought unique gifts into the time with the boys, specifically during camp. I have posted 31 pics HERE .

The pics above are of us at the Miango Falls and of me sharing my testimony at Camp, with our theme verse in background - Psalm 139:23-24

Our older boys sometimes get the shaft, so to speak, because we have to 'dumb-down' things sometimes, to accomodate the younger ones who live in the Care Centers, too. Our goal at Camp was to dig deep into the Word with the boys, to expose them to intimate encounters with God. To facilitate this, each Chicago team member had a small group of boys that they met with three times a day during Camp. As they spent time going through the study "Seeking Him" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom, they addressed humility, obedience, honesty, repentance, and having a personal devotional life.

We saw immediately that the boys were clinging onto every word and were thirsty for more. This really shows us as leaders in the ministry how we need to improve on meeting the spiritual needs of all the boys, in creative and diligent ways.

I had never been a camp director before, so it was a new experience, but I loved it! I worked alongside Elisha and Bob, two Nigerian staff, and God really helped us to communicate well and to be a team all week.

I have more to share, but am also trying to catch up on a lot, so will stop here.

There is nothing remotely spiritual about this blog today. It is camp-related, in a way, though. The amazing God stuff from camp will be posted soon, along with lots of pics.

Our camp was in Jos, the city I live in, so I just drove home every night. However, last night was the final night of camp and it is not safe to drive late at night here, so I opted to sleep in the house where the Nigerian staff were sleeping. I had assumed I would have a bed. Well, you know what assuming does to you. I found out too late that I was going to have to sleep on the floor. Now, I had a mattress, so you may ask why was this a problem? Well, I have stayed in this house before and I have seen the rats and mice that abide in the home. So sleeping on the floor was not cool, but it had to be done.

I wrapped my sheet all around me and even covered my head, thinking that this would protect me from Stuart Little and his giant friends. I was in that state of sleep when I was aware of my vulnerability, yet still trying to be asleep. Unfortunately, my foot escaped the safety and shelter of the sheet. And, yes, the rat rubbed against my foot and I was immediately awake and kicking like mad. I kept my eyes focused on the ceiling because I did not want to actually see my visitor. After a few seconds, I high-tailed it to the living room and crashed on the couch. Of course, sleep alluded me all night, for I was very aware of the presence of the visitors.

Still makes me squirm.

Mid-Camp

Camp is halfway over!!! It has been incredible. The theme of the camp is "Joy of Personal Revival" Psalm 137:23-24 and we are using a study called "Seeking Him" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom. Because we have the older boys, we realize the need they have to dig deep into the Word. All 6 of the team members from Chicago have a small group that they do the study with. They have noticed, as I have in the past, that there are boys who are confused about eternal security, what is forgiveness and confession all about, etc. Please be praying for God's spirit to open eyes and surrender hearts.

The pics above show the ladies on the team chatting with the boys during free time and one of Victoria and me. My best idea of the camp was to hire a nurse to take care of the boys medical needs. As camp director, I have been able to focus on the many administration needs of the camp, thanks to Victoria.