A Catalyst for Hope

I had intended to post another reflection of my trip to Nigeria last week. But my son was very sick. I have had a lot of good intentions of what I wanted to accomplish this Christmas. But some of my good intentions just aren't going to happen. There will be less cards and home made cookies this year but that is okay. I want to be in the moment more and enjoy the holiday with my children. They are growing up so fast! My son Christopher is 13 years old and my daughter Sophia is 12 years old. I miss the time when they were little children. I feel like during that time I took the preciousness of it for granted and had a hard time living in the moment.

I have come to realize how much I love young children. I love the beauty of their innocence. This is what Jesus was explaining when he said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14. I am a leader in a Children's Ministry at my church. It is a ministry for children to have their own age appropriate worship while the adults worship. For our message series in September we encouraged the children in our ministry to help us lead the adult worship by coming on the altar to sing and do hand movements to the ending song of mass. The children enjoyed it so much. I loved their honesty and ability to be free and joyful during the song. It was wonderful to have the children leading the adults!

I also appreciate how Moms are so important to young children. They want to be with us every minute! I remember how difficult this was for me but now I have sweet memories of those times. My strongest memories of Nigeria are of the mothers and children. Moms in Nigeria are with their children every minute. They carry their children on their backs on a sling. At Faith Alive Social Services they have a sewing class. All the moms in the class have their children with them while they take the class. They taught me and other women missionaries how to make the baby sling and carry a baby on our backs. Many moms and their children are alone because of the fathers dying who had AIDS. The men are ashamed to seek medical treatment. There are also many children who are abandoned due to poverty. My missionary team went to visit a state run orphanage and there was not enough help or supplies. There were so many babies just lying in their cribs with no one to hold them. This is why it is so wonderful that Sr. Oresao takes in abandoned orphans and helps young mothers with children. She makes sure they are well taken care of.

The children in Nigeria were very excited to meet us Americans. They would love to just touch us and be with us. They especially loved to touch my blond hair. The children also would raise their hands in the air begging to be picked up. I remember after one support group meeting at Faith Alive how this little boy came running after me putting his arms in the air to be picked up. I picked him up and swirled him around and he was laughing and I remember feeling a special joy of being in the moment. At the support group and prayer meetings at Faith Alive the people worship by raising their hands in the air. I was touched by this because it resembles little children raising their arms up to be held and loved.

All children should be held and loved but this is not how it is in this world, especially where there is much poverty and illness. What the staff told us at Faith Alive is that by Americans helping (either by visiting them or giving donations) we are giving them hope. When they think of how people care enough to be helping all the way across the world it helps them believe God cares, because they believe God is working through us. To them we are catalysts of hope.

Let us pray for children everywhere this Christmas to know they are loved. They ARE all loved by God. The story of Christmas is a beautiful one. Our God loved us so much that he came down to earth to be with us as a vulnerable baby. God's message was hope fulfilled in the birth of Christ and the establishment of his eternal kingdom.

For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

All of us at The Hope for West Africa Foundation would like to thank you for your support. We pray for you and for our partners in Nigeria-The Anawim Home and The Faith Alive Hospital and their families to have a Christmas of joy, hope and peace.

A Catalyst For Joy

I hope you will join us for some of my reflections of my visit to Nigeria this Advent. How can I explain the joy I experienced and the joy I saw in others when I went to Nigeria as a missionary? We usually think of joy as "happiness" that comes from external circumstances. For most of the people I met at Faith Alive Hospital and the Anawim Home, external circumstances are very bad. Yet I saw that a lot of the people there were joyful. I remember how surprised I was by this when I attended my first support group meeting of the patients at Faith Alive. The patients shared stories with one another, prayed together, and sang songs of praise to God. I will never forget the woman that stood up and shared her story thanking the Faith Alive staff for helping her. What was most surprising is that she thanked God for her illness because she said through the crisis of her illness she became closer to God.

The Greek word for joy is chara. It means rejoicing, gladness, enjoyment, bliss and to celebrate. This patient was celebrating her illness because now she felt closer to the Lord! To her being close to the Lord was the most important thing. It brought her great gladness. The patients at Faith Alive believe they are privileged just to be alive, receiving God's grace. The Greek word for grace is charis which means unmerited favor. To these people joy was an absolute assumption in grace from God. This joy did not depend on external circumstances.

As all the Christmas hype begins this season here at home, I pray to be joyful like my Nigerian friends. I watch reports on the news of people actually trampling over one another as they wait here in line at stores to buy merchandise for themselves or presents for others. I realize our economy is not good right now and some of the merchandise is on sale, but this makes me sad. Christmas is not supposed to be like this--to be about external things. It is not supposed to be about buying more and more things. We are supposed to be patiently and peacefully waiting during Advent for the arrival of the wonderful day of our Lord's birthday. Luke 2:10 says, "But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

The discovery of Christ brings joy! Chara is the result which comes from the glorious discovery of our Lord and Savior in every circumstance where we wish to find Him. If we chose to we can see Him all around us this season. But He will be in people not things. Our world is frantically seeking happiness in external circumstances. But this happiness never lasts and can not bring true satisfaction. This season can be crazy. Most people I know are really searching for a joy that comes from inside. But they are exhausted by running around shopping for gifts that others really do not need. They have no time to contemplate the true meaning of this holiday.

I hope that our partners at Faith Alive Hospital and the Anawim Home can continue their good work of not only helping to cure sickness, to feed and clothe the poor, but to also help people know the Lord. They do this by selflessly giving their time and talents out of love. What better gift to give at Christmas then to give of ourselves to the less fortunate.

We can not all be missionaries or to be doing the work that Dr. Chris and Sr. Oresao do. But we can HELP them do what they do, by giving only a small donation. It only takes a little to do so much there. We can choose to celebrate this Christmas in a God honoring way. We can find joy on the inside by giving to those in great need. We can buy just one less present and use that money to give to people who do not even have the necessities of life--medical supplies, clothing and food. We can choose to discover Christ in the eyes of women and children who are homeless and sick, like the Bible states truly ,"the least of the least". Let's choose not only to experience joy this Advent, but to be a catalyst for joy to the less fortunate.

God Is Near

We are entering the holiday season once again. Our church has been discussing our priorities with time and money and examining if they are aligned with God. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving next week. And we do have so much to be thankful for especially compared to other countries. Our tables will be steeped with food. I am having our family Thanksgiving celebration at my home this year. The planning has already started and the guests and menu keeps growing!

As we approach the Thanksgiving celebration this year, let's pray for those who not only do not have the material blessings we have, but who also do not have the freedoms that we enjoy in our country.

We have updates on two of our Nigerian friends, Daniel of the Poorest of the Poor and Little Chris of Faith Alive. Daniel has received the wheelchair that was brought to him by Sr. Oresoa from the Blattners. He is so happy to receive it! Little Chris has returned home with his father Daniel and he is doing great! Our God is an awesome God! He is present in our lives even if we can't see it. He is always near. He longs to be in a relationship with us. It is through us that God wants to change the world. When we let Him work through us, our lives will become a testament to Him.




"Do you believe that God is near? He wants you to. He wants you to know that He is in the midst of your world. Wherever you are as you read these words, He is present. In your car. On your plane. In your office, your bedroom, your den. He is near. And He is more than near. He is active."

Max Lucado

Blessings, Blessings, Blessings

In the past few weeks we have experienced an abundance of blessings in the form of visitors to our area. Joining Dr. Chris at the Blattners’ home are Sr. Oresoa and Sr. Felicia. After a circuitous route from Nigeria to Baltimore, the good Sisters arrived at the Blattners’ home on Tuesday (10/19).
Sr. Oresoa was persistent to start an order of nuns that devoted their time to the poorest of the poor in Africa. Her story is very similar to that of Mother Teresa. Sister came from a fairly well-to-do family (her father was a chief). Her requests to start a new order were declined by the Archdiocese of Nigeria. But then – here is blessing – she had a private audience with Pope John Paul II and he was most impressed with her vision. The Pope said to the Archdiocese, “Support this woman!”. This happened just two weeks before he died.

Sr. Oresoa is the founder of the Anawim Homes (three different locations) which provides help in many forms to the poor , the elderly, the orphans and the homeless in her local community in Nigeria. Sr. Felicia leads one of the Anawim Homes. Both Sisters arrived in New Orleans (with limited funds) for the first stop on their American trip. The limit to the funds was a conscious decision by Sr. Oresoa. Her philosophy is that virtually all of the resources that are made available to her should go to the benefit of her programs at the Anawim Homes. The next stop on the American adventure was Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Sr. Oresoa attended college.. Consistent with her frugal approach to financial management, the Sisters chose to drive to Milwaukee, a trip of approximately 1,500 miles! As one could imagine, this drive took its toll on the Sisters. While their stay in Milwaukee was most joyful and restful, the prospect of continuing the adventure to Timonium, Maryland by car was most daunting. The budget allowed and remaining funds for this leg of the trip was only a few hundred dollars. A phone call one evening by Sr. Oresoa to a member of one of the missionaries from the Church of the Nativity in 2009 resulted in a pair of complimentary tickets to a flight to Timonium. Another blessing! One catch, the flight was departing from Chicago the next day and another drive of approximately 140 miles was now in order. Well they survived the last drive and arrived in Timonium none the worse for wear.

Having both Sr. Oresoa and Dr. Chris (the HFWA most treasured partners) together is really a cause for celebration! In fact there were a few. At one of the gatherings, it was most inspiring to hear them discuss a partnership between Anawim Home and Faith Alive Hospital to provide medical care for children at the Anawim Home orphanage facilitated through the Faith Alive Children Fund.

One of the children growing up at the Anawim Home is Daniel, a child born with spina bifida and is a paraplegic. As the other children run out to play, he tells Sr. Oresoa, “I am left behind because I have no legs”. Now 5 years old, he has become too heavy for the sisters to carry around. There is a blessing in this case also but the way in which God worked on this one is awesome. You will see in the words of Diane Blattner which follow:
“Saturday morning I drove into the driveway of my home and see my husband Bill lifting a child size wheel chair from the back of the minivan. He found it at the Goodwill for $50! This was the third wheel chair brought home for our son John who is recovering from a long illness and was planning to walk in the Light the Night Lymphoma Leukemia Society fundraising event that evening. The other two chairs loaned to us both had problems. This one was perfect for Daniel and John.! It was "so God working behind the scene" because Bill was unaware of Daniel's need.
John walked nearly a mile at the event and was grateful to rest in Daniel's chair to the finish line. This wonderful chair is now traveling with Sister Oresoa and Sister Felicia to Nigeria to bring joy to a child whose heart's desire is to be with his peers.” Again, a blessing!

While here, Srs. Oresoa and Felicia visited and worshipped at the Church of the Nativity. Sr. Oresoa was happy to see some old friends and meet everyone. After mass, the Sisters joyfully handed out cards about the Anawim Home to all the parishioners. The sisters have now left here to go to other places in the U.S. before returning home to Nigeria. Our partners from Nigeria have generated many blessings while here. It was an honor to spend time with them.


Pictures:

1. Sr. Oresoa, Dr.Chris, Sr. Felicia in front of the Church of the Nativity
2. Sr. Felicia, Brian Crook - the Director of Missions for the Church of the Nativity, Sr. Oresoa

Do Something Before You Die

Erika Nossokoff & Teresa Pompa













Kristin Costanza, Dr. Chris & Brian Crook



While Dr. Chris is in town, he has been coming to worship at the Church of the Nativity (where I am a parishioner)with the Blattners. Our church has a cafe. So after mass, Dr. Chris has been stopping by the cafe to visit with parishioners, Nativity staff and former missionaries who have been to Faith Alive Hospital.

It has been so wonderful to have him in town. Dr. Chris was originally scheduled to visit a church in Colorado, but he was unable to go. So people have come from Colorado to visit with him and have also come to worship at the Church of the Nativity. Erika Nossokoff, the author of Notes From Nigeria blog, Dr. Chris's niece - Naomi (who also served at Faith Alive Hospital) who is going to school in Colorado and others have stopped by. It has been like a family reunion of Faith Alive at the Church of the Nativity lately! Sr. Oresoa has also arrived from the Anawim Home and is joining Dr. Chris at the Blattners. I'll post more on her visit later.

The Church of the Nativity has been an active partner in helping the Faith Alive Hospital and the Anawim Home. For Advent last year, the Church promoted the Advent Conspiracy, where money was raised to provide clean water at both sites. To date, three sites at the Anawim Home have been completed (Anawim Home - well fixed, Anawim Home for Unwed Mothers - borehole drilled, a satellite site in Kaduna for the mentally ill - borehole drilled). The Faith Alive Hospital has two sites completed (the Faith Alive Hospital - well fixed, a satellite clinic in Bakin Kogi - borehole drilled). God has been at work through the Church of the Nativity! The next site to receive a bore hole for clean water is the Hwol Yarje Farm Community, where the Faith Alive Community School is located. See the postings at the Nativity Nigeria blog.

Dr. Chris's visit ends soon (10/18). We will be sad to see him leave. I will remember my time serving in Nigeria for the rest of my life. The HFWA Foundation has now given me an opportunity to further serve the Anawim Home and Faith Alive Hospital. It is a blessing in my life. In a report from the drilling company in Bakin Kogi, for Faith Alive, the consultant tells of meeting a woman nicknamed "Do Something Before You Die". She said she wants to do something that positively touches peoples' lives before she dies. She preaches this philosophy to anyone she meets in life. A pretty good philosophy! I learned so much from the people in Nigeria. These people who have so little in the way of material things, have so much spiritual wealth. When we allow God to shape our hearts, we discover purpose and meaning to our lives. It is a joyful thought to realize we can be a chosen vessel for God.

Farewell dear friend Dr. Chris and give our love to your family and the Faith Alive Community. Let us all pray for him to have safe voyage home.

"For God so loved your broken heart that He died to give a reason for the world. Lift your sorrows to the One. A plan for you has just begun. Rest here in the hands that hold the world". Matthew West.

To Be A Giver

I always pray to God like the St. Francis of Assisi prayer. "Please God, I want to be a giver. Please let me be giving. For it is in giving that we receive". And not to be a giver of just of things, although sometimes that is necessary, but to be a giver of hope, encouragement or just a few kind words. I also need to remember that sharing my faith is giving. The Faith Alive Hospital staff and community understand this and give on a daily basis. A HFWA Foundation new program, "The Faith Alive Children's Fund" will allow for us to give to especially vulnerable children. This program benefits children who need specialized surgery, rehabilitation, emergency care, special referrals, etc. beyond the capacity of the Faith Alive Hospital. Children are referred to the program through Dr. Chris Isichei, the Faith Alive Director.

Chris Mwajim (shown in the photo), better known in the Faith Alive community as "Little Chris" is the first recipient of this new fund. He is a sweet 4 yr. old boy. Little Chris was born with a complicated and life threatening heart condition. Treatment is not available in Nigeria, so his only hope to survive was to travel outside his own country. He traveled to Bangalore, India to Apollos Hospital for the required high quality surgery at an affordable cost. He was named after Dr. Chris. He is the son of a Faith Alive staff person Daniel Mwajim (in the photo with Little Chris).

Little Chris's surgery, which lasted 7 hours, was successfully completed on Monday, September 27. This was a very risky procedure, but all went well. Praise God! The first two days following this type of surgery are the most critical. It is during this time that the surgeons will see whether or not his heart can adapt to the changes. So far God is answering our prayers. Thank you to all who give to the fund. This surgery is just the first step in the full treatment of Little Chris's heart condition.

I first met "Dad" - Daniel when I traveled to Nigeria as a missionary in August 2008. He left a strong impression on me. He was always so upbeat and full of joy. He wanted so much to share his strong faith with those of us from America. "Please come and visit me!", he exclaimed. And we did. He told us about Faith Alive and how much he appreciated us for just being there. But he never told us of his personal problems. We did not know he had a son who was born with a "sick heart" and would probably not be able to receive life saving surgery. Daniel, like so many Faith Alive staff, just wanted to give to us. He wanted to know us. He made sure we each wrote down our email addresses for him before leaving. Not long after returning home, Daniel's email came. He called me "sister".

Will all of you please pray for my "brother", his son Little Chris and his wife. Please pray for Little Chris's full recovery, for whatever future surgeries are needed and for this beautiful young boy to live a long, healthy life. I'm sure he will be just like his Dad - a GIVER.

"Lord, make me an instrument...
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive..."

St. Francis of Assisi

Dr.Chris Inspires and Impacts Students

While visiting this area, Dr. Chris has enjoyed interacting with the students at Hopkins School of Public Health and the University of Maryland Christian Medical Society. He has enjoyed lecturing and lunch meetings two days this week. During these visits he has inspired many students.

One of these students is Sara Kennedy who introduced Dr. Chris at a lecture at Hopkins. Sara is the daughter of HFWA Foundation Board member Karen Kennedy. Sara also serves as a volunteer for the Founbdation Board. She has been a missionary to the sites of both of the HFWA partners - Anawim Home and Faith Alive Hospital many times. Sara is now pursuing a masters degree in Public Health at Hopkins. In her introduction, Sara told the audience how Dr. Chris has inspired her and explains how he greatly impacted her life.

Here is Sara's introduction:

Dr Chris Isichei is the reason I work in public health. He is the reason I’m at Hopkins. My experiences with Dr. Chris and the Faith Alive Foundation Hospital are the reason I first decided to live in Nigeria and work in HIV/AIDS. The man can be rather persuasive.

I first met Dr. Chris in 2007 as a college senior traveling to Nigeria to volunteer at the Faith Alive Hospital. What I found was a newly completed three-story building, giving shelter to constant activity. Clinicians, set up in task sharing teams of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals,were seeing hundreds of patients per day. People lined up for free medical care, ranging from emergency services to antenatal to HIV and TB. Churches and Mosques alike bussed in their pregnant women for testing and other services. Volunteers mobilized each day for home-based care, counselors sat with shaking individuals as they awaited their test results. Patients received instruction in sewing, knitting, computers and other marketable skills. A food bank was there to provide free nutrition for people in hard times. Patients and doctors took turns leading support group and fellowship meetings. And at its center of all the activity was this one soft-spoken, unassuming man.

From humble beginnings himself, Dr. Chris worked his way through medical school to a position at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital. But Dr. Chris was ever conscious of the needs of his neighbors and the inequality of health systems. Doing what he could he started providing free medical consulting and counseling in his home after work hours. Eventually, a friend lent him an office space in which to continue his work. So, in 1996, armed with an empty office, a table and a chair, Dr. Chris started the Faith Alive Foundation. Fourteen years later, after continuous trials and setbacks, periods without access to medication, a burnt clinic, destroyed building, civil unrest and violence, Dr. Chris, with the help of his amazing wife, a surgeon in her own right, and dedicated clinicians and donors, has transformed his vision into a full, yet still growing, hospital. All this is complete with satellite clinics, surgery theatres, and a leader who still knows the names and stories of the individual patients.

Fellowship & Feasting with Dr. Chris

There was plenty of fellowship, feasting and praising God at the reception for Dr. Chris held at the Blattners' home on Sunday, 9/19. It was a beautiful afternoon. Everyone enjoyed wonderful appetizers, desserts and conversation with Dr. Chris Isichei, who is visiting from Faith Alive Hospital, our partner in Jos, Nigeria. People from all different parts of our community and different churches came together for the purpose of helping the plight of the Nigerian people. Amazing stories were shared. Ordinary people are doing extraordinary things as God is working through them. Connections were made to help serve our partners Anawim Home and Faith Alive Hospital. Moms from the same schools, missionaries from churches and hospitals and people planning to be missionaries all came together to discuss and plan how to help in the future.

The HFWA Foundation is celebrating its 5th year of operation. A presentation was made by the Foundation Board that shared its mission statement, vision for the future and updates on current projects. We sadly said goodbye to Joyce Johnson, who stepped down from the Board as its Secretary and Treasurer. She was a co-founder of the HFWA Foundation and has been instrumental in its success. Ellen Johnson will succeed her as Treasurer and Alison DeMartin will succeed her as Secretary. You can visit the Foundation website for more information on the new Board members and updates on current projects. Diane and Bill Blattner spoke on the challenges and daily hardships that are faced by the Faith Alive community. The environment in which Dr. Chris cares for the Faith Alive community is rather primitive compared to what we are accustomed to here in this country. The amount of resources available to Dr. Chris is alarmingly limited. These circumstances do not deter him from his mission. This same environment allows him to "take his time" and treat the whole patient. Unlike health care providers in this country, he does not have to worry about insurance companies, HIPPA requirements/constraints, co-pays, referrals, the "bottom line". What he focuses on is the individual as a whole human being, a child of God.

When Dr. Chris spoke, he expressed much gratitude, thanking everyone for all they have done. He wanted us to know that nothing he did was done alone. It is God who is at work through us. He said "All glory and honor goes to God". May we realize this and ask for God's blessings as HFWA moves forward in the future to continue serving.

WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

Hi - HWFA Foundation friends. My name is Teresa Pompa and I will be posting to this new blog on a weekly basis. I hope you will join me on this journey. I will be sharing news about HFWA Foundation projects and updates on how our partners in Africa (Faith Alive in Jos and the Anawim Home in Abuja) are doing. I also hope to include and share some of my and others' stories of serving in Nigeria as missionaries.

I am a parishioner of The Church of the Nativity. In the spring of 2008, I felt a call from God to go on a mission trip to Nigeria that our church was organizing. I went to Faith Alive in 2008 and returned in 2009. I was also blessed to spend a day at the Anawim Home during my 2009 trip. During this time I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Bill and Diane Blattner, who were the first among us to travel to Nigeria. Their love of Nigeria and their mission to serve ignited what today is the HFWA Foundation.

Earlier this summer, Diane (co-founder of the HFWA Foundation) asked me to join its Board as the Communications Director. I met the Blattners' son Matt, who serves as the HFWA Foundation website administrator. A photo taken at that initial meeting is posted. We discussed the HFWA future blog and the Foundation Facebook page that I also direct.

I can tell you that I have agonized over what to write for this first post. There are many new exciting projects that I will be telling you about. To catch up on some of them, please see the Facebook page. I wrote for the Nativity Nigeria blog in the past. I thought that journey was behind me...but I guess God has another plan.

Part of me missed going back to Nigeria this year. Just at the time when the Nativity team was there this past August, I was asked to attend Fr. Abel's last mass celebration at St. Cecilia's. I knew Fr. Abel, who is from Nigeria, from the times he helped serve at Nativity. I did not know that the St. Cecilia community is largely Nigerian. What a wonderful celebration! Many of the women were dressed in full African wardrobe. The choir sang, the young people danced and three children were baptized! The church was filled with the Holy Spirit. Fr. Abel is a very gifted speaker. He spoke of how we must answer God's call when we hear it. We know when we are called. We know when we feel that pinch, but sometimes we we say no out of fear. He told of how four years earlier he did not want to leave Nigeria to come to the U.S. He did not want to leave his family. But he knew he was being called. And now four years later he was sad to leave this country! He told us all of what he learned. He learned that we will be blessed when we answer God's call and that blessing will come when we least expect it. We know this because suddenly there we are, surrounded by God's love and grace, and we can feel it.

The HFWA Board is busy now preparing for Dr. Chris's visit to the U.S. this week. We are all very excited to see him again. He usually visits the U.S. in the spring, but the civil unrest in Nigeria postponed his visit until now. I am honored to be on the HFWA Board. It is a blessing to serve such wonderful people as Dr. Chris, Faith Alive and all the staff and patients there and also Sr. Oreseo at the Anawim Home and all of those children and young moms. I would like to tell you more about these places and give you some personal insight in future stories. I know I can speak for all of us on the Board who have served there when I say we were blessed in many ways by our experiences and yes it was when we least expected it. We all went there yearning to serve. But we received so much more than we could possibly give from the Nigerian people. They are extraordinary people who live in extraordinarily difficult circumstances every day of their lives. Yet they live their lives with hope and dignity. Our brochure states "God alone can provide hope. God works through you".

Thanks to all who support our efforts. God is working through you. You are helping to save lives - whether it is helping to feed and clothe the poor or helping with medical and social needs.

"Training your body helps you in some ways, but serving God helps you in every way, by bringing you blessings in this life and in the future life, too."

1 Timothy 4:8 (NCV)