Hope for West Africa

A New Year

2012-01-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

I received so many inspiring and positive New Year messages from our Nigerian friends, that I wanted to share a few here with you.

Daniel M. Mwajim:
Don't End 2011 In Bitterness Against God or Man!! It Is Not Time To Pray Only !! It Is Time To Praise!!!!!! HAPPY 2012.

Sunday Simon Bakut:
2012 promises to be our year of unprecedented Divine favor. Let us all cross over with a positive start and all will be well with us. What the enemy stole in 2011, will be restored back.

Pastor Ben Ochenjele and family:
May we not be so high-minded that we miss Him at this time, for His throne though on high, He dwells low with men. The joy of Christmas is in finding Him and emptying ourselves of all for Him, that He will be made rich in us. May you find that joy today in Jesus' name. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Emanuel Abu:
As we end this challenging but insightful year...I want to advise that we should all have a clear vision for 2012. Beginning the year 2012 without a redefinition of purpose, could amount to someone becoming a subject of "abuse" by his fellow humans.

Uzoh Val Ginika:
Take control of my 2012, Lord... friends, here's to 2012.

Keep living your lives full of love, prayer and praise, my friends!
Happy 2012 to all of you and our readers.

Nigerian Bombings

2011-12-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

Please pray for peace for our friends in Nigeria. A string of bombings hit 5 Nigerian cities on Christmas day. We are glad to report that all are safe at our partners, the Anawim Home and Faith Alive Hospital. This is the second consecutive year in which Christian houses of worship in Nigeria were bombed. (click here)

Come This Christmas

2011-12-22T03:18:00.000-08:00

Here we are, as Christians, anticipating within days the coming of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. On Sunday, December 25th, we will be celebrating Christmas, which is supposed to be all about Jesus.

A lot of people say the giving that we do this season represents the joy we have in our faith. As we strive to give to others this season, let us contemplate on what true giving really is. Can we try to take the focus off of our own gratification and materialism and share with those who really have less. Jesus was full of compassion. He entered into the human condition. He experienced it. Over and over again in scripture we see how Jesus was able to "see" people. The more we can become like Jesus, the more we can see the world through our Savior's eyes. Other people's problems become our concerns. Jesus gives us new eyes. Jesus gives us new hearts. Jesus makes us new.

Come Jesus! Come this Christmas! Make us new! Break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Compel us to truly give to those in need, not only at Christmas but all year round.

Here are pictures of the Sisters and the children enjoying a wonderful Christmas celebration at the Anawim Home. Sr. Oresoa sent these pictures to the HFWA Board with a thank you for the food, supplies and Christmas clothing that we sent. The children are so grateful and happy. We want to thank our most generous benefactors who make such a joyful celebration possible.

Merry Christmas to our partners at the Anawim Home and the Faith Alive Hospital. We pray for God to bless them in the New Year.

Planting Seeds

2011-10-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

My memories are still so strong of that hot sunny August day two years ago. There we were, the six of us standing at a temporary school at a farm at Hwol Yarje, Nigeria. We were a missionary team sent by the Church of the Nativity to visit the Faith Alive Hospital. On that day we were visiting the school named the Faith Alive Community School. The school was built on land donated to Faith Alive Hospital by a former grateful patient. The funds for the school were donated by a church that cared. All these children now had a school. It was a nice school even though it was a temporary one. It did have desks, books and bright pictures. The children all came out to greet us.

Now here we were. We asked where the water supply for the farm came from. We were told from a nearby stream. Well the stream was not very nearby and it was very dirty. I remember how we all just looked at one another and we just knew we were all thinking the same thing. Our Church had been considering a clean water project for its Advent giving program. We did not know if this could be a site we could help or not. But we all felt the same way in our hearts. Our return to the site later in the week with Dr. Chris is a beautiful story. Read more here.

The site did become part of our Church's Advent fundraising project and the necessary funds were raised to fund clean water projects at the Anawim Home and Faith Alive. The Church of the Nativity then partnered with the HFWAF to get the funds safely to the partners in Nigeria and then to monitor the successful completion of the water projects.

Now two years later, while in Jos, the Nativity Nigeria team was privileged to attend the commencement ceremonies of the first graduating class of the Faith Alive Community School and the dedication of the water borehole and toilet system. Read more here.

Over 300 people attended the dedication and graduation ceremonies of 15 students. There were activities of dancing, presentations and theater. It is reported that 90,000 people are benefiting from the water supply!

So you see a tiny number of seeds are planted that produce a much larger harvest. It all starts with giving selflessly. In a recent message series at our church we focused on how one reaps what he sows-even if many times we don't get to see it immediately. But sometimes God let's us see it quickly and it can be very powerful. Dr. Chris and the staff go above and beyond to give their time and talents to the sick and suffering people. A grateful patient donates his land to the hospital when he dies. A visiting church that cared, wanted a school to be built on that land for the farm community's many children. The school is built and now educates 250 children. Another visiting church team, that had a feeling on their hearts, took a story back to their congregation. The church had a borehole for clean water and a latrine built, that enriches the lives of 90,000 people!

The negative voice in your head will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world. That what you do does not matter. That is not God's voice. This story shows how God can work through us and one person at a time all for His good.

Thank you so much to our partner, the Church of the Nativity. To God be the glory, honor and adoration for all that He continues to do.

I Will Give You The Words

2011-09-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hello friends. It has been awhile since I have posted. I hope all of you have had a good summer. My family and I enjoyed a great vacation at the beach. The other board members have enjoyed great vacation time with their families too. There have been two weddings in our board families this summer! The son of Diane Blattner, our president, got married in August. Also, Karen Kennedy's daughter got married in June. Even though we have been celebrating and enjoying family time this summer, we still have been hard at work for our partners in Nigeria. We have a lot that we will be reporting to you. One thing I want to mention now is that the Nativity Nigeria team from The Church of Nativity arrived home safely. They had a very successful mission trip. Read about the details here. I will be posting about one of the projects that we partnered with them in the next blog.

For now I want to share with you how grateful I am to be having this relationship with you, my readers. It is an honor to be able to help in any way I can for the Hope for West Africa Foundation and those of you I met while I was a missionary in Nigeria. I do feel called and yet I have struggled with this. I came across some notes today that I took after reading a really good article a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to share it with you. The article was on introverted leaders in church by a Pastor who by his own admission is an introvert. The question was posed can an introvert be a good leader? This Pastor had long doubted his abilities as a leader. It just seemed SO hard and SO much work for him to do the part of his job that was relational.

But he makes a great point. Just because part of his work was or did not come "naturally" to him did not mean that he was not a good fit for it. He is convinced that calling, not personality type, is the determinative factor in the formation and longevity of a leader. He had always felt the calling to be a Pastor. There was the stirring in his heart and a passion to do this for God. He says God may call some people into work for which THEY ARE NOT PERFECTLY SUITED, for HIS GREATER GLORY. WOW! This really made me pause today. How true is this? Because this is such powerful testimony to God. A person's life becomes a living testimony to God not by being righteous but by being changed because you have to lean into God. Just like when you know a Pastor is shy but he gets up in front of thousands of people every weekend and gives a powerful message and he does not seem shy for a second. This is when it is obvious that people are laboring in the power of God. Sometimes we question God even though we feel called just because it seems hard. I have questioned whether I should be blogging or not because the words do not always come easily. I have always enjoyed writing but I have no experience at professional writing.

The Pastor reminds us when he calls us he is not saying to do it alone. He refers to Moses and the burning bush. Moses did not want to say yes. Moses thought he was a clumsy speaker. The Lord did not disagree telling Moses he was a wonderful speaker who inspired him. He said, "I will be your mouth and teach you what you are to speak. I will be with you. I will give you the words."

It is God's power not self power that helps us minister to others.

Summer Missions Underway

2011-08-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Our partner from Maryland, Church of the Nativity, has sent two teams to Nigeria this week. The teams arrived safely in Abuja on Sunday and settled in at the Anawim Home. They were given a most enthusiastic welcome by Sr. Oresoa, the other sisters, staff and children. On Monday, one team travelled on to Jos to meet up with Dr. Chris and the Faith Alive family. This team was treated to a welcome similar to the one in Abuja. After a short period of resting to recover from their long journey and getting acclimated to their surroundings, the teams began a week of activities that is mutually beneficial and rewarding to both the teams and the communities at Anawim Homes and Faith Alive.
Also visiting Faith Alive at this time is Erika Nossokoff from our partner in Colorado, First Presbyterian Church. Erika has been very close friend of Dr. Chris and the Faith Alive family for a few years now and she helps the Nativity team in their orientation. Her service during her visits to Faith Alive has been such a blessing to Dr. Chris and the community.

Reading the daily postings from each of these partners makes me reflect on my visits to our friends in Nigeria. How unforgettable those memories are! Our friends at both Anawim and Faith Alive are so expressive in their appreciation for what the teams do for them. But it was my experience, and I am sure it is shared by those there now, that I was blessed more by knowing them. Let us pray for both our African and American partners and that the mission trips bear much fruit for the glory of God.

The Summer Storm

2011-07-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

In north Baltimore County on Monday evening there was a powerful thunderstorm. There was an enormous sound light show courtesy of Mother Nature. It was an awesome display of the power and beauty of God’s creation. Just as the show was about to end (@8:30) the electric power in our house went out. We assumed that this would be a short outage and disruption to the family’s lazy summer night routine. But as the minutes and then hours passed the realization set in that this was going to possibly go well into the next day and we were in for a tough night. I must admit that for a long time (longer than I care to admit) we were downright miserable because all of our comforts and conveniences were gone. We were feeling so sorry for ourselves. Then all of a sudden I got a flashback to my trips to Jos in 2008 and 2009. On each trip I spent approximately 17 days in Nigeria. In Nigeria the lack of electricity is the norm rather than the exception. Many Nigerians are impoverished to the point where they cannot even pay for electricity. And even the few who do have the ability to pay, do without because the electricity service delivery system (owned and run by the national government) is extremely dysfunctional. Electricity is available on an irregular and unpredictable basis. Remembering this made the wait for the return of our electricity, even if it was for more than 24 hours, so much more bearable.

I will never forget what it was like not having electricity in Nigeria. Both times my trips were in August. Most of my time was spent at Faith Alive Hospital which is located in Jos which is on a plateau so it gets slightly cooler weather-high 80's,low 90's. I also visited The Anawim Home in Abuja which is hotter-high 90's. At both places our team spent much of our time sweating. Of course no air conditioning or fans. Windows are kept open and often there are no screens or the screens are broken. There is a mosquito problem and many people suffer from Malaria. Two Faith Alive staff people had Malaria while we were there in 2009. It is common there so even though they were sick they kept working. Having your windows open all the time can lead to another problem we never thought of for people living in the city or village. There was lots of loud sound coming in those windows! And the sound did not stop at night! There was a restaurant across the street from Faith Alive Hospital that played loud music. I guess they had a generator! Anyway, with no electricity darkness comes when it comes. We would sit around our sitting room quarters at night with our flashlight and take flashlights with us when we needed to go from room to room. Faith Alive does have generators for the hospital and the guest house so they can help the visitors and serve us meals. But as you travel around Jos you will see many of the people cooking their meals by fire. There is a lot of air pollution due to all the fires.

Nigerians deal with misfortune or adversity so much better than we do. It is what they are used to. We are used to being pampered. One thing I learned there is how to have better quality time with people. While my team member's and I sat around in the dark with our flashlights we had some great times--great stories and laughs shared. Monday night when the power outage happened my kids went for their games. Games and flashlights! What's this I thought? Wasn't this nice? We need to stop all this technology stuff and go back to quality family time and play games like we used to. I have 13 yr. old girl and a 14 yr. old boy. I suggested to them that we have a family game night 3 times a week. They said in unison,"3 times a week! MOM REALLY!" We settled on one. It is still progress.

Thank you to the Nigerian people for the time spent with you and for all that you taught me and for your never ending courage.

U.S. HIV/AIDS Funding Cuts

2011-06-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

The following is a message on the status of the HIV/AIDS program at Faith Alive Hospital, from Dr. Chris Isichei, founder. As government funding decreases for HIV/AIDS, it becomes increasingly more important for private contributions to increase to fill this funding gap. Please pray with us for the Faith Alive patients.

I returned from a trip [for training at the Haggai Institute] and met with our team yesterday over a decision to halt fresh enrollment of newly diagnosed HIV cases into our program whether ARVs [Anti-Retrovirals] or Care [due to U.S. funding cuts]. We were however advised to refer to certain sites that still have vacancies.

On my first day back to work, we had about 15 new cases most insisting they will not go anywhere but rather die in Faith Alive. We had no choice but to accompany them to the various places we referred them to and assured them that they will continue to be part of Faith Alive family. We will follow them up to the end wherever they may be. This helped to some extent. I have insisted that pregnant women and children be excluded while I work out something for them….

It has dawned on me with bleeding heart that with this God given vision, I will have to watch and see some persons turned back from specifically ART [Anti-Retroviral Treatment] services but I pray that the follow up program instituted by the U.S. government will still allow us impact them for Christ. God bless."

Partners Prepare for Nigeria

2011-06-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last summer, Faith Alive determined that the civil unrest in Jos presented risks that were too great for them to host their missionary partners. Since the election of Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck, our partners in Nigeria are accepting visitors. A wonderful church that we partner with here in Timonium, The Church of Nativity is glad to be getting ready again for another missionary trip in August. This is the church that I am a member of and the missionary team that I traveled to Nigeria with in both 2008 and 2009. This post is from Brian Crook, the Director of Missions at Nativity:

The 2011 Nativity:Nigeria teams are about a month away from their departure date for a two-week mission trip to Nigeria. Church of the Nativity sends mission teams each summer to support and share life with their Nigerian partners, the Faith Alive Hospital and the Sisters of the Poorest of the Poor.
To ensure each missionary has a full experience, the mission teams engage in months of preparation that includes everything from shots and vaccinations to team building, prayer, and a half-day retreat. The focus of the short-term mission trips is on building relationships. By sending teams that are bonded and well connected, they have a tremendous opportunity to connect with the people in the communities of Jos and Abuja, to listen to and learn from them, and to share their experiences when they return home. By sending groups each year, Church of the Nativity stays closely connected with their partner communities and hopes to be ever-strengthening their long-term partnerships.
In addition to building relationships, in the weeks leading up to their departure, Nativity:Nigeria also hosts a Vitamin Drive. The teams will haul hundreds of pounds of vitamins with them that the partners will use to serve their local communities. Church of the Nativity is immensely grateful for its partnership with HFWAF and looks forward to working together on many future projects.

Photos:
top-Anawim team
bottom - Faith Alive team

Easter Photos from The Anawim Home

2011-05-13T17:33:00.002-07:00

Here are some photos of Sr. Oresoa, sisters at the Anawim Home and the orphans that they help celebrating Easter. As you can see there is so much one on one attention and nurturing. The family atmosphere is so obvious. What a blessing to be an orphan at the Anawim Home, where the children get such loving care, compared to state run orphanages.

God bless the sisters for their selfless devotion to the well being of the children. Sr. Oresoa believes it is a privilege and a gift to be able to serve the poor. Not all of us can do the kind of work the sisters do, but we can support and encourage those who do. If we would start showing more love and compassion to the world, others will notice and many will begin to do so also.

A quote from Mother Teresa:

"I called you by your name," Jesus said. "You are mine. You are precious in my sight. I love you." If you love Christ, it will be easy for you to fully belong to Jesus and to give Jesus to everyone you find. God loves me. I'm not here just to fill a place, just to be a number. He has chosen me for a purpose. I know it.

An Easter Prayer from the Anawim Home

2011-04-21T03:05:00.000-07:00

Below is an Easter prayer from the Anawim Home. Please join us in praying for our partners in Nigeria at Faith Alive Hospital and the Anawim Home to have peace and prosperity. At this time of year, let us remember the great gift that God gave us all, when His Son Jesus Christ died on the Cross and was resurrected to bring us new life.

A Little Prayer for Easter

For all our friends and partners at Hope for West Africa:
May the Joy & Love of Easter fill your souls and bring you peace!
May Christ, the risen King of Kings, fill all your days with blessings... and may God Almighty Himself reward your labor of love which you have shown towards us a hundredfold!
God bless you all at Easter and Always.
We love you!

from the Anawims

"Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives."

Romans 6:4

Photos:
Sr. Oresoa and the children
Anawim Home Chapel
The Singing Sisters

Easter Greetings From the Isichei and Faith Alive Families

2011-04-12T03:20:00.000-07:00

The following is a message from Dr. Chris, his family and the Faith Alive community to our community of readers, for those of us celebrating Easter (and if not, it is still an inclusive message of love). Faith Alive Hospital focuses on different topics of scripture every month and how appropriate that this month the topic is the interest of others. Here is Dr. Chris' beautiful message to us:

The focus at Faith Alive Foundation Hospitals for the resurrection month of April is INTERESTS OF OTHERS—Philippians 2; 4.
At Easter, we are reminded that our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ left all the glory in Heaven and came down for wretches like you and me. He had our interests and did not desire us going through eternal condemnation.
It also reminds us of many persons all over the world who are through His grace having THIS SAME MIND OF JESUS CHRIST in many ways.
They have not allowed race, distance, color or different qualities/barriers in preventing them in MAKING GREAT DIFFERENCES IN THE LIVES OF MANY ESPECIALLY THE LESS PRIVILEGED AND PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS.
“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, And a great many people were added to the Lord”-Acts 11; 24.
Having the interests of others can be a great way of making disciples and thus fulfilling the great commission. In the same book of Acts, a follower of Christ was well known for his care and concern /interests towards others. His name was Joseph, but in the early church, the Apostles called him Barnabas—“son of encouragement”. It was Barnabas who vouched for the newly converted Saul when others doubted the sincerity of his faith .Later, Barnabas brought Saul from Tarsus to teach the believers in Antioch. And it was Barnabas who wanted to give John Mark a second chance after his failure on a previous missionary journey. Dorcas came back to life for the same reason—her generosity and interests of others. Let this be our daily uniform.
The brethren at Church of Nativity under the exemplary leadership of Rev. Fr. White, Hope For West African Foundation under the great directional leadership of Mrs. Diane Blattner, other organizations, churches and individuals immediately come to mind. I have personally tasted their love and will say that they have taught me how to have and show that having the interest of others has eternal value and reward.
We send our Easter greetings to you all. May the resurrection power continue in our lives, homes and careers to His glory through great interests in others that will lead and sustain them in our journey to Heaven.

Pictures:
1. Women from the Faith Alive Social Services Counseling Staff and Sewing Class
2. Faith Alive Community Children
3. The Isichei family - Drs. Chris and Mercy and their children

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

2011-03-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

The children at the Anawim Home were so happy to receive new mattresses. They were made possible by one of our donors, Marjorie Forrester who recently visited the Anawim Home, through the HFWA Anawim Operating Supplies Project.

The mattresses were much needed at the Anawim Home. The previous mattresses were old and thin. Now finally the children can sleep comfortably. When they say their prayers at night,"now I lay me down to sleep," the Lord hears the prayers of the Anawim children. Somehow God continually works through the kindness of people who give donations and their time to the Anawim Home. This helps Sr. Oresoa keep her dream alive to help the poorest of the poor.

The children at the Anawim Home are mostly orphans that Sr. Oresoa has found abandoned in the streets. Some young mothers and their children who have nowhere else to go also stay there. Sr. Oresoa and the other Sisters feed, clothe, and educate the children. The children at the Anawim Home are joyful children and thankful for what they have. The say a daily prayer for their benefactors.

If you would like to help Sr. Oresoa in her mission and donate supplies for her children contact:

dblattner@hopeforwestafrica.org
or donate online www.hopeforwestafrica.org/donate/

LET ME GIVE

I do not know how long I will live,
but while I live, Lord, let me give
some comfort to someone in need
by my smile, a good deed or kind word
and let me do whatever I can to ease
things for my neighbor. I want
nothing but to do my part to lift a
tired or weary heart to change people,
frowns to smiles than I will not have
lived in vain. And I will not care,
how long I will live if only I can
give and give-and-give.

ORESOA

Enfolded in His Peace

2011-02-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

I haven't known what to write about for awhile. We do not have any new approved projects right now at HFWA foundation but some are in the process, so we will be sharing news of these soon. I have also had a hard time trying to think of what reflections I might want to share with you. However someone had spoke at an event that left a strong impression on my mind for some time. I was not sure whether I should share it or not. So I have been praying about it. Today because of the beautiful 70 degree weather we are having here in Baltimore I got in the mood to do some early spring cleaning. As I was going through some old papers I came across an old story I had written about Nigeria but never posted and it made me think of Tim Blattner's eulogy for his brother John. This was what had left the impression that has been on my mind. So I took this as an answer from God to share this story.

The Blattner family (Diane Blattner is the President of the HFWA foundation) suffered the tragic loss of their son John in early January. He had been suffering from a rare form of lymphoma for the past 3 1/2 years. He was only 27 years old with a lovely wife and young son. He fought his battle bravely and gracefully. In the end he was able to be peaceful with his family lovingly surrounding him. With all he had suffered he wanted his family to know that God was merciful. The Blattners have such a strong faith. Yes they were in pain that most of us can not even imagine. But I want to share with you about peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. And about how we can help people have peace in a time of adversity. In their great loss the Blattners still had a peace. The pastor of our church said that how we handle great adversity is the strongest testimony we can ever give as Christians. Also being there for others who are going through great adversity is another strong testimony we can give as Christians.

I attended John's funeral service. The whole family gave such beautiful, touching eulogies for John. I was especially touched by Tim Blattner's eulogy, who is John's younger brother. Tim shared a story of his and John's journey to Nigeria and their visit at Faith Alive. Tim, like many of us who went to serve there felt so overwhelmed by the great need of the people. He did not know what he could possibly do to help. He was scared. He so wanted to help the people at Faith Alive but he was scared at failure. But there was his big brother John as usual. Tim shared how John had always been there for him as they grew up together. He always helped Tim whenever he was afraid. So John came up to Tim when he was feeling really bad one day and put his hand on his shoulder and said it will be alright Tim. Don't be afraid. You can do this. We will do this together. We will do whatever we can. God is with us.

I heard such love in this story of the relationship of an older and younger brother. As Tim was telling the story of how his brother John was always there for him telling him not to be afraid; I saw John as being the light of Jesus Christ for Tim. I also saw John being the light in helping Tim getting over the feeling of failing. Who hasn't felt this way at times? I was just so touched by Tim's honesty and courage to share that he was afraid and worried. This is not always easy for us to share. Then to hear how John just always stepped up for his younger brother. Siblings do not always do this for one another. It is something we all should do for everyone not just siblings.

I thought what would Jesus do? Did he not always step up to help those who were afraid, sick or troubled? Jesus is there for us now. He is our strength when we are weak. He is our peace when we are troubled. Jesus wants to work through us to help others. John let Jesus Christ work through him to show strength and peace during a time of adversity for Tim. How beautiful!

When I went to Faith Alive to serve I was also overwhelmed at first. I also thought what could I possibly do to help. It was Dr. Chris who helped me understand that anything I could do would be of help. Dr. Chris showed the love of Jesus Christ to me by sharing strength and peace during my time of adversity at Faith Alive. His words to me were, "Have confidence in Jesus Christ, Teresa!."

We have to trust in God. Let Him enfold us! God will help us to help others when we are in types of service that seems overwhelming like mission service. We all have gifts that God has given us that are meant to be used to minister to others. Then there are those times when it is not overwhelming and it is actually quite simple. When a sibling, friend, or co-worker is afraid, or troubled, can we not take the time to put our arm on their shoulder or put our arms around them and tell them that we care and that God is with them?

Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me...I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.

John 14:1,27 NLT

Praying for Peace

2011-01-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

There has been civil unrest in Jos, Nigeria again and now even in Abuja which is the city where the Anawim Home is located. Christmas Eve bombings occurred in Jos and New Years Eve bombings occurred in Abuja. There have also been subsequent attacks on roads and villages. People do not feel safe anymore. This leads to very serious consequences for HIV patients at Faith Alive Hospital. The following is a prayer request we recently received from Faith Alive.

"Please pray with urgency that Save A Life (a program for HIV) patients will be able to access their lifesaving ARV's (anti-retro viral medications) during this season of political unrest and violence in Jos, Nigeria. It has been and will remain challenging for people to roam freely about the city doing their normal routines like working, banking, shopping, picking up their medications and seeing their doctors. A lapse in getting, and thus taking, their daily ARV's is dangerous because their bodies will most likely develop a resistance to the only type of ARV's that we have available for them. When this happens, their immune systems begin a downward spiral that leads to death. Your prayers for God to remain faithful and intervene are appreciated at least through May, when the next (or existing) Nigerian President is scheduled to be inaugurated and we look forward to a more peaceful atmosphere. The Faith Alive management is making efforts to ease these difficulties and Dr. Chris, his family, patients and Faith Alive staff send their appreciation for your support, concerns and prayers."

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Pass It On

2011-01-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

The Anawim Home had a wonderful celebration for Christmas. They send their best wishes to all of us. They are grateful for all the support that has been given them and say that they are praying for us. That is Daniel in the picture that Sr. Oresao is holding. He is so happy with his new wheelchair.

Dr. Chris also sends his best to us. He wants us to know he has been able to give his walker to a patient at Faith Alive. He says,"Pictures that are attached are for a patient I visited at home who was sent back from Lagos to Jos to come die but we are currently treating her for TB and will soon commence ARVs. Unable to walk a few weeks ago, she can now attempt walking with the walker God graciously provided for me through all your efforts while receiving treatment in the U.S. She has remarkably improved with some hope of life. I APPRECIATE EVERYONE OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. Wishing you all a blessed 2011. Chris"

It is so wonderful to know how good can be passed on to others. Two small gifts have been able to be passed on that have made life changes for the two recipients. Happy New Year to everyone. May we pass good on in 2011 and may the Anawim Home and the Faith Alive Community have a year full of blessings.

A Catalyst for Hope

2010-12-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-18T06:12:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-13T02:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-30T03:04:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

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.

"With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible."

Mark 10:27 NKJV

WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

2010-09-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

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)