Grace. Chibeuze. Nsukka.

Well the baby has a name! Her name is Grace, she is just precious. She is one week old today. She helps in mine and my mom's room at night. She is a very quiet baby.

Chibeuze went back into the hospital on Friday night. He was very dehydrated. I spent the day in the hospital yesterday with Odi Naka, a 14 year old girl. We had fun talking. Chibeuze slept most of the time so we walked around some. The hospitals here are nuts. NUTS. I hope I never have to go there. He may get discharged sometime today. Pray that he can come home. Also be praying that he will continue to get better. This little one has a long way to go until he's considered healthy. 

A group came last week from the Starlings church. They brought a soccer ball for every kid. I wish you could have seen their faces. It was truly great. Tomorrow we start VBS at our Opi church, (the church in our town). Pray that many children kids come and hear the truth about God instead of the health and wealth gospel.

On Saturday they started digging the foundation for the boys house at the land! I just think it's so exciting! I mean the building process has started! BE EXCITED. IT'S A BIG DEAL. There needs to be a lot more money raised in order to finish the building. Please pray that the building process goes smoothly and the funds come easy. I would love if you, yes you, considered giving something to help this. Or even if you would give to help cover some of the recent unexpected medical expenses. Things are tight around here, as they always are. But for the past two weeks there has always been a child in the hospital. Guys they need some help here. Bev is currently seeing some sick people or I would ask her what website to go to in order to donate. I'll post is as soon as I can.. 

There is a church plant in Nsukka, a nearby city. A Catholic church there told people if they go to the White people church they will never receive holy communion at the Catholic church again. For those who don't know, this is a big deal. Others have been telling people who go to that church that they only go so the white people will give them something. Even though these things are happening this past Sunday 58 people came to church, more than any other week. God is moving here. Pray that people don't try to get in the way.

Okay that's all I have time for right now. Hopefully I can fill you in soon.

Update turned into new baby? and prayer!

I have a little black shadow, his name is Jonathan. If I go the field he wants to go. If I am sitting on the couch he is either in my lap or next to me. He wants to hold my hand when walking somewhere. He tells me that he will follow me to America and wants to stay there. I wish I could take him with me when I leave. The thought of leaving already tears my heart out and we just got here a week ago. I'm making plans about when I can come back.

Today we started tutoring groups with the kids for math and reading. I choose the youngest group, that don't even know their letters. I have Ugo, Noso, Kwasi, Ababy, Terry, Jonathan, and Emeka. This group has A LOT of energy. Their ages range from 5 to 15. The oldest has developmental delays. We tried just writing the alphabet so I could see what I was working with. But I quickly found out that wasn't going to fly. So I had them write their names and tell me the letters in their names. Well that didn't work either. So they would tell me the alphabet and I would write the letters down. So they would say “A” I would write “A”, and then they would say “A, B” and I wrote “B” and so on. We went through both upper case and lower case alphabet. Then we started making the letters with their bodies and taking pictures. This they really liked. Whoever wasn't in the letter would see if they had done it correctly and would move them into the right position.

Of course we went to the field today. The kids would love to always go to the field. Guys I can't stress enough how good these kids are. It's so much fun to play with them, I love just watching them. Destiny always dances and sings whenever the ball isn't near us. And he yells in his language, he is from another part of Nigeria, so not all of the kids understand him, and he just laughs and laughs. It's great to see.

We have also been bracelet making fools here. I pretty much am always making one for a kid, and most kids now know how to do it.

Well I was informed that we may be getting a new baby, like right now. The family is down stairs. I think the mother died in child birth. I'm hiding in my room with Sati, a boy who has a big ulcer thing on his leg in my room because I'm wearing the same clothes I went to the field in. He's coloring and I'm praying and frantically blogging. And we are both eating gummy bears. His dinner was just brought in, but no spoon to eat with, so his yam and beans are hanging out on the shelf. Now we are singing and dancing (quietly). I love this kid. I wish you could have just seen his face when I popped my neck. Priceless. 

PLEASE pray for this baby! I don't know the name, I don't know much at all other than it may soon be part of the A Place of Hope family. While you are praying for babies, please please pray for Chibeuze. He is about a year and a half old and is very very sick. We are worried he wont make it. We are pretty sure he has HIV, and he is so small. I thought he was just a few months old. He is so weak as well. He can barely hold his head up when you are holding him. He recently stopped throwing up his medicine, pray that continues and that God's healing hands would hold this precious baby boy.

Also pray for Sati's leg to heal, and Odi to fully recover from her surgery (she had her appendix removed.) 

Thanks for reading all this, you guys are great. 

It's Good to be Home.

 I wrote this blog on the tenth, and saved it to my computer and that didn't help much when the internet hasn't been working on my computer. I would have more blogs written, but the kids are always watching movies or playing games.

Well we got here! We should have landed 3:30 om on Sunday. Instead we landed 3 am on Monday. Our flight out of Atlanta was delayed...and delayed...and delayed. We were supposed to fly out at 10:45 Sunday (24 hours after our original flight), we fly out about 8 Monday morning. So we spent the night, not sleeping, in the airport. While we were in the airport we met some really great people. We helped one mom take care of her three children so she could get some sleep. We watched people's bags so they could go eat, or sleep. It was a LONG time to wait, but it was okay because we spent most of the time helping people.

Our flight from Lagos to Enugu was delayed 30 minutes, and it couldn't land the first try. But we landed! We went to a grocery store, guys this is a big deal. It was almost like a Wal Mart, be impressed. Then we were on our way!

We pulled up to A Place of Hope about 3pm. On the road to the orphanage we saw a few of the kids. And let me just say my heart jumped at the sight of Swardat! And then when I saw Mesoma sitting with some people. Oh goodness I was even more excited to get there. Pulling up a group of kids was outside the gate waving and such. When the door opened inside I saw Simdat's beautiful smile and he said “Good afternoon Brie.” Then I heard lots of yelling, and there were so many hugs. I almost cried every time a new child turned the corner to say hello. I met the new children, who are also just the sweetest things ever. We hugged, exchanged greetings. I went upstairs to take my things and when I started down the stairs I heard some of the older girls running up screaming “BRIE!” We stood on the stairs hugging. Then some of the women staff came up. It was the best welcome I could have asked for.

I spent a good deal of time asking everyone how they are, catching up on things I missed. We played 'Mother May I?', Little Sally Walker. Then I took a two hour nap. I was woken up by Ugo and Mom coming in my room. I talked some more, played some more. It's been a great day.

I can't put into words how great it is to be home.

My day. This one is for the record books.

This morning I woke up at 8:30 am. Got ready to go, and such. went to lunch at Taco Cabana, went to the airport. And then the fun started...


So found out my bag was slightly over weight. While shifting things around I found the security tag still on my rain jacket I bought sometime in June. We go through security, Mom got her hands checks for chemicals. Got to our gate with plenty of time. 


Then they tell us our flight was delayed due to weather. Then it gets delayed again. And again. And just one more time. So now our 5:15 flight is leaving at 7:24. That means we are landing in Atlanta at about 10:20 to catch our 10:45 flight to Nigeria.


While on the plane a flight attendant said they normally hold international flights if it's the last one for the night and a connecting flight was delayed. Well this was not the case.

We arrive at 10:20 pm. Get off the plane at about 10:30. RAN through the Atlanta airport to the shuttle, RAN from shuttle to our gate. I turn the corner to see the door to our gate closing. The flight attendants all look at me like I was a poor lost puppy and say "Awwwwww. You just missed it."

Yep. We missed our flight.

So we go to the desk. They tell us they can't help us because our flight was delayed for weather. So my mom books a hotel. Then we are told they will get us a free hotel. We can't cancel our reservation. The next flight to Lagos Nigeria is at 10:45 pm the next day. A full 24 hours later. So then we take our time getting to the shuttle because we did a lot of running around. We get to the place where all the shuttles for hotels are, and they tell us  our shuttle just left. And guess what? He didn't come back.

So another driver comes goes twice. So he offers to take us on his next round. We go with him. Well this guys gas light was on, so we were just waiting for the van to break down. That didn't happen. But he did run three, yes three, red lights. The first two while others cars were driving around. The third Mom, Allison and I were the only ones in the van. He asked "Do you see any cops? These lights keep getting longer and longer..." Then proceeds to run the light.

We get to our hotel and the shuttle driver is in the lobby and asked why we didn't ride with him. We explain. We get checked in, I realize I my toothbrush is in my checked bags. Get a toothbrush from the desk guy. Wee get to our room, and our key doesn't work. Why? Because the hotel key maker doesn't work of course.

FINALLY make it in our room about 12. I call my dear friend Jesse who is in Atlanta with Go Tell to see if he is free tomorrow to spend time with us, to find out he left Atlanta this morning and is now in Texas. My mom realizes she left her phone charger in her suit case. Allison realized she left her camera. My mom gets ready for bed and wants to take an advil for her knee and found that all of her pills had spilled in her purse.

It's just one of those days.

Tomorrow we are going to find somewhere to take the security sensor off my jacket. And we may do some exploring of Atlanta. But you better believe we will be at the airport early in case anything else happens.

I'm currently waiting for our hotel to catch fire, or for the zombie apocalypse or something along those lines.

Throughout most of this long crazy day the song I've had stick in my head is "Love You Sworn" by John Mark McMilan. The part I keep singing is "Harbor me in the eye of the storm. I'm holding on to the love You sworn." I love it. God is so nice. He reminded me all day long that I am in the eye of the storm, and He has sworn to love me. How great? He knew this was going to be a long day and I would need to be reminded. Don't try to tell me my God isn't a personal God.




Just to add, I went to check my grades from summer school. The website is down for maintenance.

TODAY.

I apologize for my lack for writing the past few months. I've been doing all kinds of things, blogging not being one of them.

Lately I've been in summer school. I've determined the devil himself created it. Yes I dislike it that much. But it's okay because it's done! Hallelujah!

I leave in 5 hours, and 41 minutes. It's so close I can taste it. I can't wait to see those sweet sweet faces I miss so much. And I'll see them all on Monday!

This week was dedicated to finish summer school, pack, and eat things I'll miss over there. I had Chinese food from my favorite place, pizza, bbq,  Tex-Mex, and I'm drinking a chai tea frap right now. Oh goodness life is good, but it's about to get better.

Please be praying for my mom, Allison, and I as we are traveling and while we there! I promise to do my best with blogging so you know all about everything! I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post, internet isn't always reliable. But when it's working I'll hopefully be posting!

Well Darby and I are leaving the house in about an hour so I better so I better go do something. I just love and appreciate all of you!