Celebration Time!

It's happy days around here! Well, at least for me if not for Jim. Jim's still swamped with work and rather overwhelmed. He's meeting with a client this morning -- a Saturday, even!!

I'm celebrating because we had our first meeting with the new team of leaders for the women and there was a lot ... truly, a huge amount ... of progress. We turned a corner away from the negativity and gossip and really began to move toward unity. It's a stretch to lead such a culturally diverse group -- the language barriers are the toughest part. Fortunately, the only other woman who's native language is English is on the team. But (and she's just like me) when I really get on a role, I talk WAY TOO FAST. So, yesterday, because I was excited about getting moving forward and we had so much to do in two hours --- well, I had a gal signal me everytime I was speeding. Unfortunately, anything above a crawl is speeding!!

Imagine trying to explain synergy to women who don't speak much English!! But it worked -- math, a universal language, helped on that one!! When we worked on our cultural norms/core values, a foreign concept to them but one they appreciated very quickly, I was so thrilled! Right away words like trust, mutual support, communication, respect, ... were mentioned. Over-all, I was very pleased!! The only bummer was the varying cultural understandings of "time." Even after saying to each one, personally, that it was very important to arrive at my house at 9 a.m. because we had to end at 11 a.m. -- we had 2 women arrive at 10:30, without apologies!! (And that was even after Lucy called them at 9:30 to tell them that her Madame had a meeting going that they were missing.) "Time" was actually the first word mentioned for our norms but I listed it second so as not to blatantly offend the late arrivers. Time -- definitely something that gets a "needs to improve" on the report card. Oh well, we just keep smiling!!!

Another cause for celebration is ... (insert drum role sounds) ... OUR SHIPMENT ARRIVED!!!!! It had been delayed so many times that I had to take some serious action. So, on Wednesday I called the woman in charge and said, "I have been very patient, yes?" She said, "Yes, Madame." I said, "OK, I am now done being patient. I am now angry. You confirm that the shipment will be arriving and then you don't even let me know when the plan changes. I have changed my schedule for too many days. This is the end." I don't know if that helped but we did get the shipment the next day!!! And when the men from the port called Thursday to say that they were delayed and that it might be too late to leave the port soon I said, "no, it will never be too late. You said it would be delivered today and it must be delivered today. We will be ready for you anytime of the night. Please call when you are leaving the port." They called at 5:15. It should take, even with traffic, one hour. They arrived at 8:15. I didn't ask questions. I just cheered and clapped and shook a lot of hands and said, "THANK YOU!!!!!" And, nothing had been stolen by the customs guys and nothing was broken!! Pretty incredible!!! So, it took 2 1/2 months to get across an ocean and almost 2 months to get across a city. As they say here, "This is Nigeria."

Because I had the women coming the next morning, I wanted to have every thing put away or at least placed in the right room upstairs. Lucy insisted on staying late to help me because she was almost as excited as I was!! Jim and Moses helped down load the boxes and then Jim had to work in the office and Moses had to get to his church sooooooo Lucy and I worked liked crazy women for two hours. By 10:15 we had everything in the main part of the house taken care of and everything else distributed. Lucy was squeeling with delight with everything she pulled out!! We now have shampoo to last three years, candles to supply the entire camp if we had some emergency, books that I fear I may never have time to read, and yarn for about 20 projects!!! And, of course, I have some of my lovely tea pots and cups and saucers. It's strange how secure I now feel with my "stuff" surrounding me!!!!! Nothing necessary, but lots of things that bring joy!

The Bible Class will be here in a few hours. I will end it at 3 p.m., even if they don't get here until then!!! It'll be an adventure, for sure!

The Mango Tree Fellowship was terrific, as always. I was the only woman in a group of about 20-25 guys. Somehow, that's got to change. I was asked to teach next week. Lucy said she'd be there. Please pray as I need to speak in a way that they will understand!!!!

OK, I'm off to polish my silver -- yes, I did ship just a little bit of lovely antique silverware. Celebration time!!

Geneva

To enlarge any photo, simply click on it!

Don't Know Where to Start!

I need to load some more photos, yet. I still haven't shown you any of the Geneva shots. But, I'll do that after I post some thoughts. I really don't know where to start because so much seems to be happening!!!!

Church -- well, we've decided to continue attending Dayspring for now. We had a great experience on Sunday. The worship was great, the people were friendly, but we especially loved the message. It was one of the most practical we've ever heard in our lives. The pastor preached from the passage in Acts 8 where Phillip was prepared to share the good news about Jesus with the Ethiopian eunich. It was a great message, not a "you should" approach like we'd heard so many times before but more of a "this is our privilege and calling; what a joy!!" approach. And then ... get this ... he sent us out in the area -- assigning various sections of the church of about 1500 of us to different roads or sections. We had 1/2 hour to share the good news of Jesus with others and then come back. Prince and Jim and I went out but we were late because the pastor wanted to visit for a bit before we left -- so -- everywhere we met people, others had been before us. It was still great, though. I know, it would be offensive in America ... it was hard for us to even consider at first ... but in Nigeria this approach was well received. When we got back, we had a great time of worship and then some people shared stories of what had happened. Many people who had been approached in the streets came back to the rest of the service, even. And some made serious choices to become followers of Jesus. Way cool!!!!!

Jim's job -- he's more busy than ever but because his office is so close to the house I get to see him very often for lunch and then we have a late dinner and relax. Tonight Jim and Prince are watching the first DVD of The Lord of the Rings. Interesting experience for Prince. Very different from anything he's ever seen. He's not familiar with the genre called "Fantasy" so he's always asking Jim, "how could that happen, Master?"

Prince's book -- not progressing very swiftly. We tried to work on it twice today but had people stop in and were unable to move forward. If only I could record his regular chatting because he's always launching into another story when I don't have my laptop handy.

Christian, the vegie guy -- I haven't said much about him of late. I've been very frustrated with him for many weeks. He lies easily and isn't very sensible about his business in general. He has lost most of his customers on the camp. Prince has tried to talk with him, to give him some advice. That hasn't worked well. So, today Christian and I had a long visit. I'm trying to get him to find work outside the camp. He's not even making any profit. Today he made -N200. That's about minus $1.40. That's a lot of loss, actually. So, I talked from every angle I could, trying to get him to comprehend some basics of business sense. He tried hard to grasp it. Then we prayed. He's such a dear but he's really in bondage and he's very simple minded. Now, in my new role as women's leader on the camp, it will fall to me to "sack" him, I fear. So, I'm trying to get him to find another job before he's lost this one. Dear guy.

My new role -- I still welcome all prayer support you have for me!! Some of these gals can get pretty nasty. Too much time on their hands, I fear. But I'm sooooooooo loving the support I have from all of the workers. They say that they have been praying for a very long time that God would send someone to help make this place a better, more positive, place to work. They see me as an answer to that prayer. Whenever they tell me that, I just beg them to keep praying!!! There's such amazing potential in this place -- consider all of the combined backgrounds, cultures, skills, training, ... phenomenal, really!! So, I trust that we can begin to have a sense of unity and cooperation.

Bible Study -- has been on hold with each of us traveling. We'll resume next Monday evening. Great potential, still.

Children's Bible Class -- we finally start this Saturday. There's a lot of interest, for sure. The multi-cultural aspects make the multi-age aspects seem simple!!!! I bought a couple of Children's Bibles in Geneva and a few little goodies to enhance the classes. I'm really looking forward to getting going with this!!!

Shipment -- well, yesterday it was confirmed that we would get it today. Now it's confirmed for tomorrow. I think that word needs to always appear in quotation marks when said in this place. As in "tomorrow" -- the answer to every WHEN question. Prince's answer to every WHY question is "Zed" as in XYZ!!! He says that this is the best answer to "why" in Nigeria because there never really is a true reason!!!!

The problem with not knowing where to start is that it means I also don't know how to stop!!!!

I'll stop now, post this, and then try to post some more photos.

More Antibes and Vicinity

Here Come Some Photos

Antibes, between Cannes and Nice. Quite the place. Originally Greek, before the time of Christ. Narrow cobbled streets. Clear water. More to come in another post.
























Paris shots. More to come soon!

The Beginnings of an Update

So, you can tell that I wasn't able to gain access to the internet in Antibes as easily as hoped. However, the place was incredible!! A highly recommended vacation stop and stay!! I will write more tomorrow. For now, I'll just say that we are safely back in Nigeria and quite happy to be back in our home and with our routines. Our time in the Mediteranean region was fantastic -- resting and sunbathing, walking and walking, shopping and eating, eating and shopping, and more walking and walking. I plan to load photos beginning tomorrow. Oh, my goodness ... photo ops abounding!

Jim was never fully able to take a break from work but it still felt like a vacation for him. So, we returned rested and ready to jump in again to life here in Nigeria. While we were gone there was an election on the camp and I am now the new coordinator for the wives on the camp and actually all employee wives in this area. The responsibilities of this position hit me fully upon return with nonstop discussions with women who are disgruntled, angry, frustrated, disturbed, ... The needs are huge, to say the least!! Please pray that God will grant me the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the boldness of Esther and the communication skills of Paul!! Grace and truth must reign as this is a tough situation with many small cliques, some racial issues and discrimination one race against another in a setting with about 25 nationalities represented, huge cultural misunderstandings, selfishness, distrust, and unrest. We will be transitioning leadership teams in the next month. The new team has great potential. I have great hope and great concerns. I must remain friendly to all but not be close friends with anyone -- neutrality is crucial.

Tomorrow, we head back to a church we visited one other time. We really are getting ready to plant our feet in a church home. Speaking of churches --- what a great experience we had at Hillsong Paris -- a church plant from Hillsong Australia (the original) and Hillsong London. Imagine 300ish 20-somethings packed into a rented space totally celebrating Jesus!!! It's a fairly new church and already has 2 services. Pretty amazing for such a secular country. What an impact in the area!!!! Awesome worship, awesome preaching and the best interpreter we've ever heard. The speakers spoke English and this amazing gal walked along with them, gesturing, filled with life, translating everything into French. She not only translated the words, she did an amazing job translating the MEANING and HEART of each thought. Wow! I'm sure the world will hear more about this incredible ministry in this amazing city. What a privilege to be a part of it. God is so ... well, .... He's so very BIG!

Paris Shorts

(Note: my email server has been having difficulty and has been down more than up of late. For those of you emailing me, please be patient.)

fountains, everywhere; ponds, in gardens; the river, The Seine; love the gurgling sounds

gardens, strolling for hours in just one and still missing some of the beauty

bridges, a new favorite is the foot bridge near the Louvre; evenings bring groups out in mass -- small huddles of friends, musicians, ethnic dancing, ... beautiful!

a boat ride on the Seine, followed by a jazz concert in a boat that's anchored, ... ahhhhhhhh

streets start looking alike -- narrow cobblestoned roads; tall buildings with ornate sculptures and charming windows with little balconies and flowers, lots of flowers -- just another row of "concrete" from the 1500s/1600s with a little 12th century stone buildings thrown in now and then. So mundane and hum-drum.

giant department stores in buildings that are more beautiful that the things inside; six floors of men's clothing, even!

designer fashions in little shops and big -- everywhere, truly everywhere!

cafes, brassieres, restaurants -- all with outdoor seating (all with smokers, too!), some with live music, all with wine and espressos -- the two apparent drugs of choice in the city :-)

saumon fume' with toast (and an egg, if wanted); slices of tomatoes and mozzarella with basil and olive oil; shrimp cocktail; cheese plates; creme brule'; I do believe we've eaten smoked salmon (lox) at least once each day!

churches/cathedrals from the 12th centuries and up -- exquisite accoustics, stunning stained glass, organs -- real ones -- virtually empty but for the tourists; Ah, we're going to Hillsong Paris Church tonight. It's a new plant from the Hillsong London crew so they fly in here on Friday, do 2 Friday night services, fly back to London on Saturday. Soooooooooo excited!

walking, metro riding, more walking (on sunny days, who wants to be underground in a stinky subway?) -- a banged up big toe from when Jim stepped on it (he still feels pain, more than I do, even!), aches and pains from all of the walking but, hey, I've got Danskos!

The only real negative on this trip is that I had a list of "must buys" -- items for ourselves and many requests for people on the camp. So, shopping has turned into "hunting" -- I just want to make the kill and get out, so to speak. And I still can't find a couple of things after a week-long hunt. 'hope to make final conquests today.

Shopping mixed with peaceful moments is the best way to survive -- so today, I'll stroll through Le Jardin de Luxembourg -- that'll be at least 2 hours of peace!!! And when the shopping gets crazy, one can always step into a small side-street and find a charming coffee shop that serves tea.. Starbuckssssss are popping up everywhere, but I try to avoid them ... just 'cuz.

Oh ya, did I mention? -- Le Tour d'Eiffel with lights blinking on the hour every night, Notre Dame, The Louvre, L'Opera, Champs Elysee, l'Arc de Triomphe, ...

So, you can see why I haven't been sitting at a computer in a hotel room very much. I'll load photos when we get to the B&B in Antibes this weekend. Jim's meetings have gone well but he's truly ready for a slow-paced rest on the Riviera!! We plan on avoiding a lot of the "must sees," choosing to relax and stay put most of the days.

Story, ... how telling

So, I've been enjoying this amazing book, Story, by Steven James. There's a lot to ponder. It's my latest "must read" recommendation. Some of what he says are some of the very words I've said in recent teachings in Colorado. He got it into print first and said it better. But it surely meshed with what I've been thinking and sometimes verbalizing. Excerpts follow:

There's a Jewish saying: "God created man because he loves stories." I think that has a lot of truth to it. But not only does God love stores, he loves the people whose stories are being told moment by moment across the globe. And I'm amazed that the story of my choices, mistakes, regrets -- the story of my life -- actually matters to God.

I think what makes us unique isn't so much our height or shape or fingerprints or eye color but our histories, our stories. We are our stories. And we only connect with other people when we know their stories. The more intimate we are, the more our stories intertwine.

When Jesus was born, the Word of God became flesh, enmeshed in a story. The storyteller entered the tale. The author stepped onto the page. The poet whose very words had written the cosmos became part of the text of this world.

It's so absurd, this king of the galaxies lying in a feed box for animals, this Creator crying in the stable. Anyone can see at this point that this story isn't man-made. Who would ever believe it? If I were making up a religion that I wanted people to believe in, I'd never insert stuff like this. Only God could tell a story this ludicrous and then claim that it is true.

Jesus, the real Jesus, is earthshaking. He will both calm your soul and send a tidal wave of truth crashing through your spirit. As soon as you try to figure him out or wrap your mind around him, you'll get lost in the mystery of this man.

child of heaven,

son of earth.
fragrance of light,
strength of eternity.
former of worlds,
shaper of souls.
storm of glory,
love of God.
tamer of tempests,
raiser of the dead.

offender of the religious,
befriender of the outcast.
lion of conquest,
lamb of sacrifice.
hero of the ages,
talebearer of eternity.
king of all kings,
servant of all servants.
calmer of consciences,
disturber of the peace.

He is the mystic, majestic, mysterious Jesus. Holiness wrapped in humanity. He sneezed, coughed, yawned, burped, and got the hiccups, and yet he could walk on water, step through walls, and raise the dead.

When you try to prod at him, he prods at you. And when you finally meet him face-to-face, he'll shake your world -- hardened criminals have been known to fall to their knees, shield their eyes, tremble, and weep at his feet. That's what happens when the veil is lifted and you finally glimpse his terrible, irresistible, glorious, soul-consuming love.

The story of God becoming man is incomprehensible. Only fools would dare to believe it. And the idea that God loves us enough to die for us? Preposterous. I'm staggered at the thought of the world-whisperer speaking my name, of the almighty breaking into song at the thought of me or coming to earth to die for me. Yet that is the truth, that is the mystery of Jesus.

Steven James, Revell Books, 2006

Way Cool!

So, I'm almost ready to take off but thought I'd blog quickly. You see, Prince needed to be leaving and so he asked if we could have a time of prayer -- Prince, Lucy, and me. So, they lead our time -- singing a few songs first, then each of us praying. Wow. They prayed powerfully and with such sincerity. I am deeply moved. They thanked God for Madame and Master and prayed that we would all be reunited safely after our travels. They especially prayed for safety for my flight and all. Each of them (Prince, Lucy, and Moses) will be traveling to their villages while Jim and I are gone. We'll be back here on May 19, Lord willing. And that day, our shipment is promised to be delivered. Yippee!

OK, heading out for the all night and next day flight!

Of English and lost languages

Our English is vanishing too quickly! Fortunately 2 Canadians have arrived on the camp so that might help us maintain some decent grammar. Jim works, mainly, with expats from other countries. So he experiences English with a twist all of the time -- and the twists are always different!

For most people on the camp, English is their second or third language so it's very poor. For the Nigerians, it's definitely their second language and it's been quite altered. After listening to it for three months, here's my basic analysis of Nigerian English: many folks have a fairly good vocabulary, but I would call it King James English. This comes from the missionaries who brought in King James Bibles and started schools and churches. Most churches still use KJs versions of the Bible, in fact. So, vocabulary includes: provoked, annoyed, disturbed, scarce, ...

After being sick last week, when I was walking a worker said, "Madame, you be scarce dees days." Translation -- I haven't seen you lately! Consistently, they never are "worried" but they are always "disturbed." Lucy talked of needing to buy clothing for her mother because she needed to "cover her mother's nakedness" -- definitely from the Old Testament, aye?

So, I can use words like marvelous or beautiful, not just "good" or "nice." But, the real struggle is the lack of grammar and syntax. Key words are missing in every sentence. "Helping verbs" truly are a help but they're rarely used. Tenses are mixed up in the same sentence. And I don't know why but everyone mixes up "he" and "she" -- for instance, sometimes calling their mother "she" and then "he" in the same sentence.

So, imagine Prince, trying to learn Chris Tomlin's song "Indescribable." I'd written out the words for him and explained most of them to him. So, I heard him sing, "non ken fattum." That's "none can fathom." I asked him if he knew what that meant. "No, Mom." Imagine the tough time I had not laughing when I explained that it meant that no one can understand/comprehend!!!

Jim's in Geneva. I fly all night tonight and join him tomorrow evening. Then it's a week in Paris and 5 days in Antibes (between Nice and Cannes). No shipment at our door, yet! 'gotta run to the gym. I'm late for my trainer. He will be annoyed or disturbed or something!