What is God Saying?

Jesus loves the children, all the children of the world. Red, Yellow, black, and white, Jesus loves the children of the world. The youth in Nigeria are included. Nigeria is full of youth! Oh, so many youth. That is why I am doing what I am doing for the cause of Christ to know they have a future and calling in lIfe. They need to know about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. What does that look like? Youth need direction, guidance and peace of mind that only Jesus can fill completely, even though they don't know it . Jos since last December 26 has been in crisis once again. Nigerian youth need ministry. Youth have been involved with a lot of the fighting, and many are put up to doing this at some leader's beckoning. Things have been happening! What do youth think of all this? How do they feel in a city under attack with bombs, fighting and killing. What do they fear? What is their future? What is their hope? Where do they turn for help? What did it accomplish in the aftermath... dead mothers, brothers, sisters, Uncles, Fathers, and... friends. It will never be the same.

Here it goes for another try, after a long blogspot silence. Can you guess why? ECYA is growing and the office of four is hopping with ideas, requests, and doing their parts; vehicle and campsite repairs (house); travels in fund-raising for Jos campsite development; ECWA Christian Education Department meeting and seminars, keeping up with my house help, ECYA meetings, ECYA Newsletters, finances, ordering t-shirts, checking the food market, crafts, rounding up the cooks for camp or week-end retreats, inquirers for using the campsite and follow-up, SIM-Nigeria meetings and SIM Missionary Fellowship Get-Togethers, with our annual conferences in January, visits with camp staff and campers (they find my house), visitors to see the campsite, ECWA (Evangelical Churches Winning All) General Church Council annual and quarterly meetings, ECWA District Church Council visits for ECYA preparations and supporting their invitational programs, attending Women's Fellowship Conferences, a-h-h Muslim holiday...a chance to breathe and catch-up, ECWA Church ECYA awareness every Sunday in Jos 5-DCCs and many others, calling locally Nigerian monthly ECYA supporters in their committment, and following up ECWA churches in support of the year's camp, rumors of political/social rumbling of something to happen cautious movement calling for attiude of prayer, opportunity of seeking local funding for ECYA from a Nigerian Foundation, campsite bookings and all this spells for successful annual ECWA Camp Youth Alives!

It's not mentioned that electricity is on, and off a lot of the time, just when you want to print it out and have it done! Water scarcity (and petro), too, is a problem at times, and you fill all the containers from your compound for a Nigerian family on the mountain to have some water for their family for cooking and bathing when all their sources are dried up or drive round and round using a whole day to fill your vehicle's tank. Waiting for the electrician to come to the house, taking time from the office and he doesn't come. The Christian Education Department generator engine blows up, and it is not available to use when you most need it to get ready for your meeting or camp! Campers, camp staff, and others drop in the office sharing, talking and presenting ideas or their needs. Need to get this office work done. Noisy office atmosphere of the department talking and laughing or when all the Women Fellowship leaders come in waiting to see the accountant and pick-up their uniforms while you are trying to talk with someone in the office. You arrive home in the evening to work on getting your prayer letter out, and internet service is down or experiencing "browning" light to do laundry and can't. Evening just sitting and relaxing doing nothing. A visitor comes to your house, and tells you about their dire need for help and you are having no money in hand to give.

Youth is what it is all about! In the midst of all this, are struggles in work relationships, figuring out in juggling how to get those to the campsite, while shopping and finishing stuff in the office for camp opening, running errands for the office, Christian Education Department challenges, personal computer blacked-out.. loosing all my e-mail addresses and set-up, adjusting to a new laptop and Windows 7 after using a 6" laptop for six months (thankful); travels to Lagos by luxury bus (interesting trip), and learning about my truck in Jos had been in an accident (no one hurt), campsite guard's health issues or happenings, funerals, weddings, and.... strangers who come to the campsite causing alarm to Akim and his family and guards... The Lord is sovereign and protective.

In the midst of it all is "the joy of the Lord is my strength." My solitude is having early morning times with God and in His word (never enough time). Reading devotionals that direct my heart on Him and just being quiet in His presence. Singing songs of praise with my cassette tape while driving to the office in the morning and praying. Seeing lives changed in camp and hearing reports from pastors, parents and friends of their joy in their member, son/daughter or friend's change serving God. Camp staff sharing how camp grew them, and annouce they are graduating university, got a job, or getting married. Having opportunities to pray one on one with each who come to the office. Monthly Camp staff Discipleship meeting and outings. Meeting the women weekly worshipping and praying together; sharing in their lives, and receiving encouragement and counsel. Sunday worship at Plateau Church and Mid-Week Prayer meetings and fellowship afterwards with the members. Getting a call/text from a friend with words of encouragement. Visiting my Nigerian family and being called "Granny," with a little girl and all her cousins all running welcoming me with a hug. Yes, it is worth it all. God works in a willing heart and He does the rest. I trust Him to do more in the days ahead! "Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it." II Thess 5: 23.