Kate Nicole McAlhaney Has Arrived!

Our little Kate is here. She was born 2/24 at 9:03am weighing in at 7lbs 10oz and 20 inches long.

She was a breech baby with the cord wrapped around her neck.  We thank God for our doctor who guided us through the decision-making process.  After two unsuccessful attempt to externally turn her, we decided to have a c-section.  Mom and baby did great!

Dad couldn’t be happier!

And Luke finally met his little sister . . . he’s gonna be a great big brother!

We will go home Monday. Thanks to Maureen’s family for taking care of Luke.

We’ve posted additional pictures of Kate’s Birth Day on SkyDrive.

Thursday/Friday/Saturday – The Drive to Abuja, Some Shopping, and a Red-Eye Flight (Nov 13, 2011 original post date)

We left Egbe around 10am on Thursday.  I truly had no idea, though, that I would feel as sad as I did.  Even though I had only been in Egbe for eleven full days, I felt a true connection.  I thank God for giving me this assurance of his calling for my family.  The drive to Abuja was long but normal . . . as normal as any drive in Nigeria.  I suppose I had gotten used to the dodging of potholes!  On the way to the Baptist Guest House we stopped by a Catholic Guest House to checkout the accommodations.  The Catholic Guest House is closer to the airport and would mean a slightly shorter drive to Egbe for future teams.  I used the evening to relax a bit, read, and begin the process of digesting all that I had experienced in the past two weeks.

Friday was spent shopping!  We visited a few grocery, appliance, and furniture stores.  I took some pictures in the grocery stores so that Maureen would have an idea of the items available in Abuja.  Our last stop was the Hilton Hotel – evidently they have a nice shopping area in the back for Nigerian items.  The prices are a bit high but the quality is good and you can still bargain.  Back at the Baptist Guest House we met up with a few other members of our team who had gone to Jos a week or so earlier.  We all sat around and rested a bit before heading to the airport.  Some checked email and others talked . . . catching up on the prior week’s events.  On our way to the airport we stopped by Mr. Biggs – a Nigerian fast food restaurant – for dinner.  We arrived at the airport early to allow for any delay that we might encounter during check in.  There was a security screening to get to the ticket counter area, followed by a baggage check, checked bag weighing, and then the actual ticket counter for our boarding passes.  I ran into a small issue at this point.  The ticket agent asked me for the last four digits of the credit card I used to purchase the flight – evidently some sort of security protocol.  Seems like I experienced this also in the Philippines.  I informed her that I did not have that card with me and could not remember the last four digits.  At first she told me that I would have to speak with someone at Lufthansa but then just kept asking for the number.  I kept explaining that I did not have the card with me and eventually she just checked me in.  There was one immigration form to complete and get cleared before we made it to the first waiting area.  We were eventually allowed to go through another security check point before entering the second waiting area.  Our flight departed around 11:15pm and I hoped to get some sleep on the way to Frankfurt.

Even though I was tired, I really didn’t sleep on the red-eye flight.  I talked with the guy next to me a while.  He was a Nigerian (Ebo) and a Christian but had lived in Germany for over fifteen years.  We talked for a bit about the lack of “progress” in Nigeria.  He seemed upset that nothing ever seemed to change and had not had a good trip visiting family.  I offered some words of encouragement but I don’t think he was swayed.  We arrived in Frankfurt around 5:30am and made our way to the McDonalds to hang out – all of us had at least a five-hour layover.  After breakfast and two cups of coffee I was feeling a bit better.  We took the opportunity to share some parting thoughts about our time in Nigeria but eventually had to say our good-byes.  I boarded my flight for Houston and began the longest leg of my journey home.  I got some rest but as I write this on Sunday evening, the jet lag is very apparent.  Immigration and Customs in Houston was relatively quick, which was good given my short layover.  I arrived at DFW just before 5pm – roughly twenty four hours after departing Abuja.  Maureen and Luke were there to meet me.  I missed them so much and have so much to share with them about my trip.  As I reflect in the coming days and weeks, I trust that God will help me process all that I saw and learned.  One thing is for certain – God is at work in Egbe!  I look forward with great anticipation to being a part of that work.

Tuesday/Wednesday – Trip to Ilorin and My Last Day in Egbe (Nov 13, 2011 original post date)

On Tuesday morning I got up around 6:45am and had a quick breakfast before we left for Ilorin just before 8am. The trip there was uneventful.  I spent some time asking Abby numerous questions about shopping in Egbe, Ilorin, and Abuja.  In other words, I went over the list of questions Maureen sent with me!   We had a nice air conditioned ride in the Toyota Tacoma.  It actually got a little cold!

One task I had been given by Maureen was to find out the availability of baby items for our new little girl.  So, I looked for diapers, formula, etc.  Our first stop was a little grocery store – emphasis on little. Found some diapers here and took a few pictures of other items.  Next we stopped by the outdoor market.  This thing seemed to go on and on.  Think of it like an outdoor Costco where you get a better price if you buy in bulk.  Found diapers and formula here.  The most prevalent formula brand appears to be SMA – made in Ireland.  Prices vary between the grocery store and the market for items.  The stores probably purchase in bulk from the market, so seeing the set price in the store is a good place to begin when negotiating at the market.  Abby suggested that I buy some formula to take back – great idea!  Our next stop was an appliance store where we priced out various kitchen items that will be needed as houses on the hospital compound are renovated.

We then met Dr. Agaja and took a tour of his home and the teaching hospital where he works.  He is an orthopedic surgeon who is connected to Egbe – he helped start George Campion Academy 25 years ago.  This is a government hospital but has pretty good equipment.  It would be good look into building a relationship of some sort with the hospital in Egbe. After the hospital tour we went back to Dr. Abaja’s house for a small meal, met his family (government holiday so all were there – they also live in the same compound as his clinic), and then headed out to find some cucumbers.  We stopped for gas on the way out of Ilorin and headed home – made it home just before dark.  Enok made sure that we left in time and Pastor Babawarun called twice to make sure we would be here before dark.  We had dinner just after we arrived and I then headed to the computer room to get some work done.

On Wednesday morning I got up around 7am and headed over for coffee and breakfast.  Following breakfast I helped measure the operating room area.  Detailed building layouts with measurement are being made to have on record as work is done.  From 11am until lunch I worked on a few blog postings.  After lunch I headed over to Titcombe College on a motorcycle taxi to speak with Principal Dada about getting additional copies of the history of the college that they gave to us earlier – several on our team (including myself) wanted more copies.  Dada was in a meeting but I spoke with him briefly and he said to come back in an hour and that he wanted to make the additional copies a gift – even though I said we wanted to buy the books.  So, I headed back to the compound and did some more engraving for just over an hour – decided to make it a Nigerian hour.  Our drive Enok joked about the difference in set times.  When we were running late in Ilorin the prior day and someone said they wanted to stop and shop for 10 minutes, he asked if it would be an American or Nigerian 10 minutes.  Anyway, for this trip to Titcombe College I decided to borrow the keys to the Tacoma and drove over – yep, my first drive in Nigeria.  Okay, it was a really short drive – took about 3 minutes!  Principal Dada was ready with twenty copies and again said he wanted it to be a gift from him to us.  I then asked if he would allow me to make a donation to the school.  After a bit of coaxing he agreed and we said our good-byes.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon engraving everything tool in the workshop that I could grab.  After dinner I took my clothes out of the dryer and folded them – Ronke usually leaves around 4pm but she made sure to let me know that my clothes were not dry yet.  I assured her that it was okay . . . that I knew how to fold clothes.  She is a really nice lady and has been working at or in the hospital compound for many years now.  After folding I decided to go ahead and pack up to see what it would look like.  I had already set aside the stuff I would be leaving a few days ago – extra food, bed sheets, towel, razors and shaving cream, etc.  I had already given the books I brought to Femi, and without the other items I could easily pack one suitcase inside another as planned.  I spent a little time in the computer room tying up some loose ends.  I went to sleep looking forward to beginning the trip home, but also knowing that I would miss Egbe.

Monday – Meetings and House Shopping (Nov 10, 2011 original post date)

Got up around 6:45am and headed down to see if anyone was awake.  The other guest house (where we eat) was lock and there was no NEPA.  Read some in my room and headed back down around 7:15am.  After a quick breakfast Betsie and I went over to the chapel to catch Pastor Emmanuel (one of the chaplains) after the morning devotion with the nursing students.  We established a time for me to meet with him later that morning – just after he finished devotion in the OPD (Outpatient  Department).

I met with Pastors Emmanuel and Solomon from 8:30 until about 9:45.  It was a good meeting. We discussed the daily chaplain schedule, yearly hospital schedule, and their vision for the future.  I was able to get a feel for what needs they have and how I might be able to help.  Pastor Emmanuel had prepared some material and has promised to make copies before I leave on Thursday.  During the meeting, Femi from the World School of Missions came over to find me.  We had talked earlier in the previous week about meeting sometime this week.  It was decided that Pastor Emmanuel would call Femi once our meeting was over, so once our meeting ended I headed back to the guest house to get a few things for my meeting with Femi.

Femi and I had been in contact by email prior to this trip and I’m working with him to build a library for the School of Missions.  I managed to bring about twenty five books this trip but will ship more via the container coming over with the Egbe Project.  Femi returned around 10:40 and we put the books in his truck and made the very short drive to the School of Missions.  We had a nice meeting – met for about 45 minutes or so. He shared his calling and vision for the school and we talked about how I could contribute.  I could serve as a Facilitator/Lecturer and also be a resource to the adjunct facilitators they use.  From what I could gather, there is an administrator and two facilitators there now in preparation for their first module which begins soon.  Along with missions courses, they are offering French and Arabic.  Eventually, they will have a hostel (being built) for students.  He plans on having a two-week module every month.  So two weeks on and two weeks off.  Initially, only one course would be offered during each module but that would change as they grow.  Femi was very adamant about focusing on quality over content and does not want the school simply to grow but wants to train missionaries.  That is the goal as he sees it – missionaries for North Africa and the Middle East.

I returned to the compound around 11:45 and just waited for lunch.  I sat in my room and made some additional notes from my meetings.  I had about an hour break after lunch so I went over my notes and added some more before meeting Betsie, Abby, Sueanne, and Kirby for a house tour.  They were actually in the process of measuring all the rooms in all the houses. So, I took a look at the Campion House (where the Shaibo’s live now), Mark’s and Abby’s house, and the Pharmacist House.   Houses are named by the last person who lived there.  I took pictures of all, but they will all be renovated before we move in.  We need to decide where we would like to live so that renovation can begin and hopefully be completed before we arrive.

After house shopping, I went back to engraving for a bit before Betsie and Sueanne showed up to take me by the HELP compound. We took motorbikes – kinda like another tour. We went to two grocery stores (one we had attempted to see the other day) – both are really small but you can pick up a few essentials if necessary.  Items in town are more expensive than in Ilorn.  We also stopped by several furniture making shops to get contact info and see their work. A guy had stopped  by earlier in the day and Betsie, Sueanne, Abby, and Kirby spent time figuring out what he could make and got some prices.  They are looking at couches (wood frame with cushions) and table and chairs for the kitchen/dining room.  Also talked about chester drawers.  The houses will have some built-in closets and drawers but more will probably be needed.

After dinner I headed to the computer room to send email and do a little work.  The internet was pretty slow, so mostly just chatted with Maureen.

Sunday – Worship in Nigeria and the Oyinbo Tour (Nov 9, 2011 original post date)

After breakfast we went to church at the chapel on the compound today – they call it the Chapel of Blessing.  The service was like those I had attended in Jos in 2004 – singing from SS&S (Sankey’s Sacred Songs), dancing to give the offering, etc.  The offering bowl was on the front table and row and row would walk/dance to the front to give their offering.  The service here is in English and this is where Mark and Abby attend.  The service ran about an hour and a half but Abby says that they typically run about 2 hours.  The music at the beginning was a little hard to get into, but later it was better.  There will definitely be a cultural adjustment here for me as I really love the music portion of worship.

After the service we came back and had a little time before lunch, so we just hung out and chatted.  After lunch I read some and then took a short nap before the Oyinbo Tour scheduled for 3pm.  Don’t recall if I’ve explained this Yoruba word before.  It means “peeled skin” and is the name the Yoruba use for white people.  Everywhere you go in town you are greeted with “Oyinbo, you are welcome” or a slight variation.  “Well done is also another phrase commonly heard.  Enok (one of the drivers) says that “well done” is just a way of saying hello.

The Oyinbo tour was a motor bike tour of Ebge.  Five of us went – it was fun.  Abby’s helper Ronke sets this us and warned the drivers not to hurt the Oyinbos.  We drove around to various parts of the town.   We ended up on a back road that makes a big circle that goes by the HELP compound, by the reservoirs, and then back to the hospital.  This took about 45 minutes or so.  Motorcycles are used for taxis here in Egbe, so they are everywhere.  Got some great pictures and video during the tour.

After this we went down to hang out with the HELP boys who typically come over on Sunday afternoons to play basketball and soccer on the hospital compound.  They have a tennis court here as well, but it needs some work.  The sand gnats were pretty bad down there – had to spray with some bug spray that Mark had with him – had sprayed earlier but I guess it wore off.  The gnats are mean little things!  The boys eventually left and I made my way back up to the guest  house.

Rested for a bit in my room before dinner.  After dinner we sat around and talked some but I eventually decided to head down to the computer room.   I got up, went to the guest house to get my computer, and was going to go down to the computer room when Abby said – “Is it time for crepes?”  They had cooked some crepes and frozen a batch a while back but had defrosted some that morning. They put nutella and bananas in them – very good!

Headed down to the computer room to check email and do a little work

Saturday – Out and About Hiking and Shopping in Egbe (Nov 9, 2011 original post date)

Slept in a bit on Saturday.  I awoke just in time for a quick breakfast at 7:45 followed by a two-hour hike up a nearby mountain.  This was the hike we had planned early on Thursday morning but did not have time to make.  There really is no trail, but we began just behind reservoir number one with the lead person hacking away with a machete at the tall grass.  The area is also farmed, so now and then we came across patches of various plants – mostly cassava.  We eventually made it to the base of the mountain and began our trek upward.  The mountain is basically one big rock/boulder so at time we had to navigate steep inclines without anything to hold on to.  Going down the one steep area was quite fun.  Some still walked, other scooted along on their back side, and I opted for a crab walk.  From the top (and various spots along the way) we had nice views of the surrounding mountains, town of Egbe, and the reservoirs.  This really is a beautiful area!

After the hike we headed back to the hospital compound for a snack and then were off to the market.  The market evidently moves around in this region and is in Egbe every eight days.  This week is was on Saturday, so next week it will be on Sunday, etc.  I took lots of pictures – being sure to avoid Muslims or at least their not seeing me.  They had small electronics (radios, flashlights, etc.), tomatoes, yams, onions, fresh meat (well somewhat fresh), clothes (pants, shoes, shirts, cloth, etc.), jewelry, live chickens and goats, and some packaged foods/snacks. You can also buy rice (expensive in comparison to Ilorin), pampers (small assortment), and they have beef and chicken bouillon cubes.

We came back to the compound for lunch – ended up eating around 1pm.  After that we broke to do some more work.  I ended up beginning the engraving process on the tools.  They have this little tool with a stencil and vibrates away metal or plastic to essentially carve letters – we are putting EHR (Egbe Hospital Revitalization).  Abby came by after a while and asked if I wanted to go into town to get minerals (soft drinks) and to see the one grocery store in town.  Minerals come in glass bottles (although can are available).  You put a deposit on the bottles initially and then just get the same ones the next time you go back. So, if you have a case of 24, you return the empty bottles and then just purchase another 24 drinks.  The deposit is returned only when you return the empty bottles for the last time.   We went by the grocery store but it was closed – probably since the market is in town.  Back to the compound I did some more engraving and we eventually stopped to rest a bit before dinner.

After dinner I headed over to the computer lab to do a few things.  Showered and read some before bed – actually dozed off while reading!

Thursday/Friday: Igbaja Seminary, the Nail Boys, and Some Needed Rest (Nov 5, 2011 original post date)

Thursday morning began around 5am with an attempt to wake up for a two-hour hike up one of the hills/mountains near the compound.  I managed to pull myself out of bed by 5:15am.  We had a few problems getting a guide but eventually left around 8:15am or so – yep several hours later.  Spent the time eating breakfast and reading some.  We opted for the hill just behind the compound since it would be a shorter hike.  A few of us had a meeting with the local ECWA leaders at 10am and would need time to clean up.  We made it to the meeting a bit late, but were able to get some  insight into how the local ECWA setup works.  Immediately following the meeting, Gregg Bryce and I hopped in the van and headed to Igbaja to visit the seminary.  The road to Igbaja is the same direction as Ilorin (where we will get many of our supplies).  The trip is about a 2 hour drive but the road is pretty bad for well over an hour.

The trip there was a little eventful.  We had been through a few police check points and came to a really bad area in the road – there was an 18-wheeler on the right, a huge mud hole, and a fuel tanker on its side leaking fuel.  There was just a gap on the left side wide enough for vehicles.  We had the windows rolled up and the AC on at this point and did not see anyone official or hear anything, but evidently this was a government checkpoint – they wanted to check our papers for travel.  As we passed through a guy walked in front of our van and dropped a board with nails in it  which we ran over.  The nails were hammered partially in and bent over – the sharp side not pointing out.  The guy picked up the board, ran past our van, and dropped the board again. We again drove over it and kept going.  Our driver, Azi, is from Jos and not familiar with this road, so Moses who is on the Project team and originally from Egbe went with us.   Moses may have dozed off and missed the beginning but evidently he knew this was a legit stopping place and told the driver he should have stopped.  The van was still okay so we drove on.  At a police check point about half a mile away we were stopped and told to wait for guys from the other checkpoint – they were claiming that one of them was hurt when we drove through.  They showed up and the police, our driver, and Moses all talked with them.  Evidently, these “nail boys” are known and do this for money – whether they are legit or not.  I learned later that they let missionary vehicles go through without question as long as the vehicle says missionary on it somewhere.  Our vehicle had no such markings.  Moses was able to get us on our way by “pulling rank.”  We lost 15 to 20 minutes here but were on our way.

The seminary in Igbaja began as a bible college in the 1930s but became a seminary in 1941.  They have a very nice campus and 400 plus students in everything from certificates, diplomas, undergrad, grad, and also a Doctor of Ministry degree.  The provost has a BA degree from Boston University, a Masters from Gordon Conwell, and a PhD from Trinity.  We talked a lot about programs and the school’s goals – they seem to have a clear vision and are doing many things right.  We talked about my teaching there if possible and they are open, even suggesting that I could drive down and teach two classes one day a week.  Each class would be two hours which should give me time to drive there and return.  The road is in pretty bad shape, but this could be a possibility.  The seminary in Igbaja is also connected to the World School of Missions here in Egbe.  The School of Missions offers modular courses to pastors. I will meet with the director next week to find out more.

Several guys from the team left for Abuja and/or Jos on Friday.  I attended a patient devotional at 8am following breakfast and then hung some security lights in various areas of the compound.  Started to feel a little sick to my stomach just before lunch and have mostly rested this afternoon.  I did take a walking tour of the housing options for us as well.

Wednesday: Theological Education Near Egbe (Nov 4, 2011 original post date)

Abby’s family went to Ilorin to catch their flight and since there was a special service scheduled at 1^st ECWA at 4pm, I opted not to make the trip this time.  We started the day with devotions in the chapel with the nursing students, followed by breakfast, and then Jason and I got back to that tree that needed to be cut down.  We had some issues with the hardness of the wood and perhaps the chainsaw but eventually it did come down. While Jason dealt with the chainsaw, I ended up talking to a driver named Azi.  He is from Jos and somehow ended up bringing us the van that had broken down in  Abuja.  We talked about Jos and religious tension between Christians and Muslims as well as about American politics – would Obama get reelected?  Had lunch around 12:15am and left for Oyi – ECWA Theological College Oyo River or E. T. C. O. R.  Gregg and Stephen went as well since Gregg lived on the campus as a kid for about 4 years.  The campus used to be a leprosarium and his Gregg’s was a nurse and dad a preacher/evangelist.  The school has only been on the site since 1998.  The buildings are in poor condition.  Their transformer that supplies electricity for the compound blew a few years ago and they were without power for a year and a half before someone donated the funds to change the transformer.  They have recently broken ground on a new library and want to increase the size from 4 to 5 thousand to 10 thousand to be accredited to grant bachelor degrees.  Now their degrees are technically granted by JETS in Jos – like an extension campus.

The event at 1s ECWA was another service honoring the memory of Tommie Titcombe and the team.   They went all out since Rick Bradford (SIM Regional Director and elder at Philpot Memorial Church) is here on this team.  There was singing, welcomes from various individuals, a message, and a reading of a brief history of Egbe since Titcombe.  They gave us our outfits for which we had been measured, ushered us out to change into them, and then we went back in as a group. Don suggested that we dance in – well, we took three slow steps and then all turned around once.  It went over well!  Don, Gregg, and Rick all made comments in response and then we left.

Dinner and computer lab rounded out the day!

Tuesday: Manual Labor and Finding Water (Nov 4, 2011 original post date)

Tuesday was supposed to be a trip to Ilorin with Abby, her parents, and sister – they were to catch a flight to Abuja and then connect with their flight back to the US.  Abby’s dad Jim, though, had not been feeling well for days (malaria) and the trip ended up being postponed.  During the morning I graded some papers, checked email (attempted), and checked back in often to see if we might make the trip to Ilorin.  Many of our supplies will come from Ilorin, so it would be a good idea to take a look at what is available.  By 11:30am the trip had been canceled, so I began looking around for something to do.  Jason was attempting to take down a dead tree but was having some issues with the chainsaw.  He had managed to cut off several big branches, so I stacked the wood against a nearby tree.

After lunch, we looked over the water tanks that feed the compound.  Basically, they have two really large concrete tanks up the hill a bit that are filled by bore holes.  These tanks then feed compound.   So, each house does not have its own tank like I’ve seen in Jos.  We then went out to see the three reservoirs.  The first was built for the compound by SIM.  There is a pumping station there that is supposed to also fill the two big concrete tanks I previously mentioned – the reservoir is about 2 kilometers away. Something is either wrong with the pump or with the pipes that feed the tanks.  The second reservoir is a backup to feed the first and was a joint project with community since the third reservoir is for the city of Egbe.  The second also could feed the third.  It’s a very nice setup.   Over the years, though, equipment has deteriorated and now these three reservoirs are just sitting there inaccessible.  At one time it was easy to drive to the reservoirs, but the area is now covered with tall grass.  We had difficulty located the pumping house for the second reservoir.  The hope is to get the pump for reservoir one working.  Water should not be a problem here but for now it is.

We returned to the hospital complex around 3pm and all went back to work.  I worked with Gregg (SIM Canada Director) and Stephen Bryce (son) for the remainder of the afternoon in Dr. Shaibo’s house that is being remodeled. We tore out portions of old shelving used for dressers and closets. It was pretty dusty and dirty work, but I’m much better at destroying than building cabinets!

Dinner was at 6:15, followed by time in the computer lab posting grades for Liberty, and chatting with Maureen.

Greetings from Egbe, Nigeria (Oct 31, 2011 original post date)

Sorry I haven’t gotten out a blog sooner!  I arrived this past Friday around 5pm local time in Abuja.  Immigration went smoothly but we were about the get our bags searched by Customs when a government official in immigration showed up (a good friend of one of our group) and we sailed through without being checked.  We stayed the night at the Baptist Guest House and had some fried chicken from a local chicken place.  We also took a ride in our van to a back alley somewhere and exchanged some dollars for Naira.  The following day started with a nice breakfast prepared by Chuck and Judy Brod and a 7  hours van ride to Egbe. One of our vans broke down after arriving at the guest house, so we piled into one for the tip.  Thankfully we fit perfectly in the van – although there was some danger of the luggage falling on the heads of those in the back row.  The last two hours were extremely bumpy – the road is in serious need of repair.  The main damage appears to be due to rain damage.  We arrived in Egbe  to a warm welcome.  At the edge of town a group met us and we had a mini-parade all the way to the hospital compound.  After greetings, singing, and prayer, we went to settle in for dinner and some rest.

Sunday was amazing – we visiting five ECWA (Evangelical Churches Winning All) in Egbe and were introduced at each.  Everywhere we went the pioneer missionary Tommie Titcombe and his wife Ethel we remembered fondly.  The story of their lives serving the people of Yagbaland is inspiring – Tread Upon the Lion. There was wonderful singing and just a warm welcoming spirit everywhere we went. The night before as we arrive at the hospital I could already tell that there was something special about this place and the people of Egbe – Sunday only confirmed what I saw a glimpse of on Saturday.  These people love Christ, each other, and even though most of us are strangers . . . us as well!  We also met the king of Egbe on Sunday afternoon and toured a new Centenary building completed recently.  This building now houses a School of Missions. Basically, the people of Egbe built the building, turned it over to ECWA, who decided that it would be the School of Missions.  After the tour there was a ceremony honoring all guests and a catered meal.  By email I had already met the guy over the missions school – actually brought the school a suitcase full of books.  He explained the purpose of the school during the program and I could not help from praise God – what he said connected with me and how I’ve come to see my role in Egbe.  God is truly amazing . . . he is preparing both us and Egbe for each other!

Monday (today) has been good. We toured Titcombe College and George Campion Academy – both secondary schools.  I went into town with a businessman from Canada (Jason Lee) to check out cell phones.

He ended up buying a phone and SIM cards for the two cell networks here. Very interesting to see him set things up – they not only got his name, etc. but also his finger prints (digitally) as part of the registration.  After lunch we had a tour of the hospital.  There is much work to be done here – we need teams to come and repair or rebuild buildings. There are also equipment issues.  There is so much potential here – not just the hospital, but the people of Egbe.  The future of Christianity and missions work lies in the hearts of people like the believers we’ve met here.  The School of Missions is focused on sending out Nigerians to reach Africa and the Middle East.  I am humbled so very much that God has called us to be a part of this work.

Yes, it is hot, the water does not always run, and NEPA (electricity) seems to almost never be on . . . but I am so glad to be here!

Tim