Go for the Gold

 We've been streaming the Olympics here, and my daughters' favorite sport changes every half hour. Today they were going to be gymnists, high jumpers, tennis stars, and sprinters.  Since I spent so much time running and training in college, I can imagine the stress and the hard work that has gone into arriving at a competition where you represent your country, being the best of the best! Sometimes I break into a sweat as I watch the muscles straining at the start line, and my heart races as they sweep toward the finish line. 

Although I'm in no shape to run the 100 meter now, I find the race I'm in still sets my heart beating, sweat beading on my brow.  Tomorrow we start the summer program at the Orange Hat.  Although the Orange Hat is a side ministry that happens year round three afternoons a week, for the month of August, the 150-200 children that are entrusted to me by their parents draw my energy, resources, and time, leaving me exhausted by 2pm when we all head home for the day.  

After sending a video of what we're doing at the Orange Hat to my family, my sister wrote, "It feels like all your experiences previously have led to this, using all of your strengths."  That's how I would feel at the end of the long jump runway.  All the training had lead to this.  And that IS how I feel about this work with the Orange Hat.  From the curriculum writing, songwriting, skills training that we offer three days a week, arts two days a week, Nigerian history and geography that we teach, and most importantly, the worship and Biblical truths that hold it all together is a compilation of the loves God has given me over the years.  He has also provided an absolutely fabulous and passionate team.  When we were preparing for this early July, I asked them what the Orange Hat is, and they said things like, "A place where children are transformed, where children who can't pay for what we offer get it anyway, where they are loved, free to make mistakes, meet Jesus, get a boost, learn to read..."  They have caught the vision!  It thrills me that God has brought this team to me and all of us to each other. 

Please pray that all of these beautiful words continue to be true.  Pray for the children, the teachers, the professionals that will come alongside to teach skills, and all of our families as we make this sacrifice that Jesus might be made known, and that these children will gain skills that will make them more successful in the plans God has for them!

I think that in all this striving, I have a deep conviction that this is the gold worth running for; to grasp the hands of little ones that need to be uplifted, to love Jesus by loving them, to remind them they are beautifully and wonderfully made, treasured by their Creator.  I see the joy tremor through the whole being of the Olympians when they overcome and years of grueling work meets victory... I know they have honored their country and families.  I believe the joy that we all get from this sprint of the Holiday Orange Hat carries a similar overwhelming joy that expresses itself more quietly through a child finally learning the sound of a letter or understanding for the first time they have the ability to create something extraordinary, reflecting their Maker.  We pray we do the same and make him smile too.

All in a Days Work

Days seem to pass in a blur.  Oh, but what a colorful blur they are!  Here are some snippets. 

 Wednesday:  

 

After a tournament of pickle ball with this birthday boy, we celebrated him breaking out of his teens into the big 20!  I've known him since he was 7. What a privilege to watch him grow into the athletic, caring, humorous person he is. 

Thursday: 

 

We went to the zoo!  We carried 45 kids to the zoo in piggyback trips! I had never seen a porcupine so close up!

We harvested some of our field corn.  I had serious nostalgia lifting my little girls up and teaching them how to twist their wrist just right to pick the ears off the stalk.  

 

 

Friday: 

 

The twins class in the Orange Hat are learning about insects.  I walked up to find them observing the ants and how they make holes in the ground. 

 

The Ministry of Women's Affairs for our state visited the Rooted House (a residential community established by the Orange Hat to help young women find wholeness).  We walked into a room with five girls concentrating on learning to sew. It was so joyful and beautiful!

 

 The Orange Hat Childcare Foundation was established initially as a place where children could come and read.  This year it has expanded to include: 

• The Lovin' Oven - A bakery for young women to be empowered as they learn to bake and grow in community. 
• Hwolemen- A mentorship initiative for young men
• The Rooted House- A residential community for young women currently with 11 residents. 
• Holiday Orange hat - Five weeks of super fun with 200 children exploring and learning 
• After School Lessons- For secondary school students the Orange hat sponsors in school. 
• After school lessons- For primary school students from local schools  

Any given day, I get to visit and experience the joy of at least two of these initiatives in full swing.  It makes life so full and joyful! Not to mention my own 6 lovely ladies +2 until they go to school, and one hard working husband.  Please do pray for these many initiatives and our family as we get to experience God working in powerful ways in the lives of so many.  

The Orange Hat

Trip one.

Unloading

Opening Day!

The Orange Hat, a library and resource center for families in our area is officially open!  This is a dream come true!  The prayers at the opening reminded me that when you invest in the life of a child, it's an eternal investment. The name comes from two books that my partner in crime, Mary Jane, and I love, A Hat for Ivan and The Orange Splot.  In a Hat for Ivan, Ivan is asked by his father, the hatmaker, "What do you really love to do?"  and in The Orange Splot, Mr. Plumbean says, "My house is me, and I am it.  My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams." May the Orange Hat be a place where:

1. Children discover what they love and are good at
2. They come to know how build their "house" on Christ so that it looks beautiful like their dreams

Orange Hat Holiday

 "I'm made in God's image and so are you, 

The Bible says that this is true! 

Let me see you!

Woop, yup it's true!" 

The children at the Orange Hat marched around the room, each having their moment in the door for us to see the reflected beauty of God in them. 

From the floor and indoor bathroom that was completed by a VBS in the states, to the 12 volunteers that commit their time to the children in our community, I have seen God's hand in the Orange Hat Holiday program.  

Speaking of hands, our first week we learned that each of us are written on God's hand, and we wrote our hands on the palm of a huge hand on the wall.  So precious to have our local artist saying to each child, "God has written your name on the palms of his hand.  He won't ever forget you," before painting their name onto the huge hand. 

Each has a place on His hand.

Making a community map.

 

This week we are focusing on our community, Hwolshe. Please do pray for these young people as they learn about their own potential, part, and purpose in their communities.  We will have a closing program on Saturday, September 2.

A Vapor in the Wind

The Bible refers to our lives as a "vapor." (James 4:14)  My fragility, the limited time to make impact for the eternal, my wisping weakness whispers to me from this verse every time.  Nate and Kirstin were but a vapor, their two weeks with us rushing by, like the steam escaping from a kettle, yet their impact was immense. They were more like the fragrant vapor that rises from an essential oil ring; healing, pure, refreshing, remembered with joy.  They ministered the Nigerian missionaries in our group by staying in their homes, seeing their ministries on the field, and participating in every day events, affirming their calling and reminding them of the unity in God's family, of the global church.

This fact takes my mind off of the littleness of man and places it on the biggness of God to take but a vapor and allow it to have the impact of a strong wind.  What a God! This is the first time that this verse has not made me want to crumble into the arms of God, but to glorify him for making our vaporous lives so full of blessing, meaning, and impact. 

Today, Nate and Kirstin left for Abuja with Zach. 
Here are some highlights of their time with us.

I have had a dream of recording some of the many Scripture songs.  Our Vernacular Media Services team allowed 7 children to come in and record.  Kirstin got to witness the patience and perseverance this kind of work takes!

The Orange Hat, a library and resource center for children and families opened on the 31st with a prayer and singing! God renewed our vision for this ministry as we prayed together that this would be a place where children can find themselves and take their community down a new road!

Nigeria has a lot of internally displaced people.  Here some children who have recently be relocated from the IDP camp are writing a Scripture song.

Nate and Kirstin, along with Zach and other colleagues made it to the top of Gog and Maigog, not an easy thing to do.

We had a "love feast" where our Nigerian missionaries came with their families for a time of fellowship with Kirstin and Nate. What a joy it was.

Lydia enjoyed the fellowship too with Aunty who is practicing funny faces for her own little one coming soon!

Nate and Kirstin participated in a 5k run in our neighborhood.  The top 3 boy and the top 3 girls will be going with me to market to buy new shoes!

Zach celebrated 35 years with a pinata made by Daso, me, and Mariama. (It was supposed to be for Daso's party in May)

It was decorated with painted paper from pendulum painting which we created at Mariama's birthday in July!

The first day of The Orange Hat brought over 40 children who had registered.

Bye auntie!  We'll miss you.  Tonight when they called to say "bye" from the airport in Abuja, Mariama said, "I want to talk to Uncle Nate." and she told him all about the night we'd had. Such a sweet connection. They will be missed. 

Please pray for Kirstin and Nate as they travel through the night to return to the US by Saturday. Pray that they will be able to process all they've learned and have joy in it all.
Please pray that their first sharing time, on Wednesday evening at World Gospel Church, will be a blessing for all who come and also bear fruit for the Kingdom as they share the stories of our Nigerian missionaries!

Created and Chosen

"For it is by grace, you have been saved..."  sing Auntie Blessing and the 70 children in the afternoon group with their hands raised.  I breath a prayer that they believe and comprehend those sacred words, that the Holy Spirit gives them understanding that they are created in Christ and chosen in him before the creation of the world. That is our theme, "Created and Chosen." 

Lately I've been challenged to think about what we are chosen to.  I can't imagine after God invited us all to be his, that the goodness of the invitation starts when we die and go to heaven.  There is too much beauty here that declares his majesty.  We are invited to walk, be transformed, and a part of the unity had by the Trinity that spoke creation into existence. That is what I want these souls to understand.

How, in four weeks (it was supposed to be five), can we communicate all of that? So, my prayer continues, as we round up this year's holiday Orange Hat, that truth spoken would sink deeply into their hearts, that they are invited to be recreated in Christ and chosen for a purpose. 

On Saturday we'll have our final program to present our songs, dramas, art, Scripture, Nigeria States rap, and dances.  May God be lifted high in it all and may they go out in the joy that we all experienced together. 

Thank you for praying with us! 

The Carpentry group making a tippy tap. 

Learning to care for animals in the animal group.

 

Learning basic computer skills and painting our "doors" for  the drama "Big Orange Splot"

Opening where we learn Ephesians 2:!-10

Labeling the map of beautiful Nigeria

Learning how beautiful Nigeria is. 

What's It All For?

This one I wrote in August as well! It does give a peak into what I've been up to...but it's a little out of date. 

My life couldn't be MORE FULL WITH MEANINGFUL ACTIVITY! I feel like my life is one run-on sentence in bold, caps, and ending in exclamation points!!!!! Since we got back from our family trip to Lagos, there has been one sprint after another. 

Zach had an AC (Advisory Commitee) meeting, requiring late nights and lots of important decisions. 

I started drama practice 3 days a week for the month of July with 20 young people to perform a children's book "Babushka Baba Yaga." 

 

I was choreographing, together with a couple of friends, my life story. Yes, I danced my way through my life.  It was part of the rememberance journey I've been on. 

 

My back had a big issue and I got some serious boils. 

A many year prayer for a boys Bible study got going...all I had to do was basically suggest it and lay down some ground rules and drive people around!  

Performed our play and my life choreography on the same day.  

 

I started the hunt for a place for my summer library...and found one!  

We left for a weeklong change of pace and scenery at Miango, leaving Zach to work and rest at home. 

The boys Bible study went for a retreat the next day, the same day Zach left for Ethiopia. 

 The library (The Orange Hat) is up and running.  About 150 kids registered our first week. 

 Thinking about homeschooling my girls and what that needs to look like, and meeting with another mom to plan together. 

These are the big things, but we still have the little joys too with lots of giggles, cuddles, learnings daily with my girls.  I have a daily exercise time with a group of ladies where we dance and pray and laugh together. We have our weekly Bible study at the church with 50-80 kids weekly.  Zach is under constant pressure at the office to do more.  He faithfully seeks God's face early in the morning before the business begins.  

Amid all the exclamation points and one sentence cramming itself into another, I have been wapped upside the head with a floofin tundrunus, and realised that if it's not all in the power of the Spirit of the Lord of Heaven's Armies, then I'm not acheiving what is possible, at best, and wasting my time, energy, and lift at worst.  So what if people are entertained, children engaged, children learning to read, family fed if I'm not making the most of the opportunities presented to me because I'm not in tune with the Holy Spirit!  SOOOOO,  with this conviction splatting against my heart, I am seeking God more actively than I ha...

 

Hustle!

I was a runner.  A sprinter. A long jumper in high school and college.
My husband and I joke about how my life reveals years of running fast, and hard, then clutching burning muscles at the end of the race.  I marvel at how the quick run up to the line and then the big thrust to lift my body off the ground and get as far as I could out of that one big push is still reflected in my life!

From the time my older brother and I on the hay wagon outside the barn raced my sister inside the barn stacking the hay bales that dropped from the roof, I have a timer in my head that says "hustle!"  It has kept me going when I was tired but the finish line of a project is in view, and kept me focused when so many options tugged at my heart.  But these days, I wish my mind would make a switch.  I wish I had a little more of that distance runner in me.  You can pray that for me.

In the mean time, as I learn how to go the distance in order to be more fruitful, here's what the hustle over these last few weeks has looked like!

Working with two language helpers and new field staff (6, including children) to get them going learning Hausa!

Presenting shoes after the sports camp Carol and Adams lead

Going to get shoes with girls who still needed shoes after Carol left!

Arranging a sleepover

Hosting the sports camp on our compound

Enjoying the Aunties visit!

Helping direct the 24 children doing two plays in a local outdoor theatre.

Empowering 40 girls with Scripture and wisdom that will help them guard their hearts and bodies.

Providing the necessary drinks and foods for my family!

Organizing and MCing a cultural day at our church with my husband and our pastor.

 Loving and delighting in these beauties. Daso is on break, so we are doing fun lessons to teach extra fun things!

Keeping up with this cutie!

Discipling children with a GREAT team of teachers at our Thursday Bible study for kids!

This week I'm working with a curriculum to prepare it for an organization that will be using it next year!  What a big job it is! 

On Friday the DD kids (Dance and Drama kids) from the Orange Hat will be presenting their dramas at two local schools!

Friday we will be doing a mini training and Scripture sharing at a local theological college (where I taught last week on two different topics before rushing to staff conference Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.)

Thank you for praying for us in the hustle and please pray that we'll continue to seek God and hear him clearly for direction.