FIELD OF DREAMS...FSD

 Tim and I, along with President Adebayo, Ike Ibe (pronounced E-Bay) Sister Winget and Elder Winget went to Field of Dreams or called FSD to talk to the owner (woman in black) of ideas to help her educate more people and more skills.  She is very excited to think of the possibilities.  Not to make herself richer.  She is interested in helping her country grow and prosper.  She is a woman of high integrity and intelligence and vision.  It is always an honor to work with her.  Hopefully I will have more to post when we work out the details.  If it works, it will be thrilling!

Catch up time

I haven't been posting for a while because I couldn't get any pictures to attach to my blog.  I was able to get a few pictures to attach, so, here is a few notes.  

We have many students and friends who think we need traditional African clothes.  I have a dress made out of the same cloth that Elder Jennings has this outfit from.  It is beautiful.  There is one small problem.  The seamstress made it too small.  I had her take the seams out and it is still too small.  I will try once more to get it the correct size.

We have gone shopping 3 times to Balogun.  Twice we have been rained on.  The first time it rained very hard on us.  It was an adventure for sure.  First you walk very carefully through the water puddles and then you get so wet, it really doesn't matter.

 

We have had a few water issues in the entire building.  When the building was built the plumbers put in too small and inferior pipes.  This is a 4 year old building with water pipes breaking.  We had issues with water leaking out of a wall.  We were moved out of our apartment for them to fix it.  Our two day project turned into two weeks.  We are back in now.

On one day of adventures we got into a car to leave and noticed we didn't have enough gas.  Our driver found some gas and poured it into the car.  We have been having some serious gas shortages in Nigeria.  It looks like it may be ending.   There for a while most gas stations were closed...out of gas.

Rings and Rainstorms

 Every day is something new and interesting.  Some days betterthan others, but, when it involves the students and people who we meet it is always interesting and fun.  Monday we went to Balogun which is a huge wholesale market.  The only problem was, as soon as we got to the market it began to rain...and rain...and rain.  The market is outdoors and stops the shopability.  Sister Karkari (the Mission President's wife) needed to get some items for missionary apartments so we dashed deep into the market and grabbed those items.  Then some women were hired to carry the items out to the car.  The 2 women with things on their heads were carrying all the items.  It is amazing to see women carry things on their heads.

 A week ago I had a ring making class given by Evelyn.  Sister Winget joined in on the class.  Evelyn made a ring and when we are all able to, Evelyn is giving us lesson number 2 where we will be making a ring ourselves.  Esther joined in to give us encouragement.  Esther in the red and Evelyn in the black.

Nigerian 2nd Month End

 Every day in Nigeria is an event.  I can't think of any two days that have been the same.  Just when we think things are going to be okay something new is given to challenge us.  That is where real growth seems to come in.  I may have blogged about birthdays before, but, I feel I need to say again that birthdays are celebrated in the Service Center.  If it is your birthday you are responsible to bring enough cake to share with everyone.  The picture above is only a small amount of the people in the service center.  Friday I counted either 60 or 70 people.  I need to recount.  At lunch time we all gather at the birthday persons desk, present the cake and sing happy birthday.  It has many verses here.  I don't have them all figured out.  This week Paul, our finance man, enjoyed his birthday.  The cake that was brought in for his birthday was beautiful!  It had chocolate and fruit on it!  Way pretty.  It tasted quite good, too.

On Wednesday Tim and I, Elder and Sister Winget, and our favorite driver, Rufus, went to Victoria Island for two reasons.  #1 To go shopping at a store called Games.  It is kind of like a Target store.  Just not the selection we are use to there.  We found two cookie sheets which we have been looking for so we could replace the ones already here.  Then we drove to look at a school to see if it was a possibility of being a school to consider for sending students to.  It has to meet several qualifications.  When we drove up to this school my first reaction was, no way!  We went in and talked to the person over the school and asked for credentials, cost, student enrollment, etc. Tim asked most of the questions.  They were good questions.  What we didn't hear, we had to listen to the spirit to see what we felt.  While talking to these men, I felt reminded to take a second look.  This is a third world country we are looking at.  As such, we need to see it for the value it has and not compare it to things I know from home.  I believe we are going to allow a student to attend.

 

We attended Stake Choir practice tonight.  It is the first one we have attended.  If I had only known what we were getting ourselves in to.  The practice is 3 hours long. It is grueling, hot and way out of my comfort zone.  They use a method of learning the songs using do-re-mi.  Each note is sung by the tone.  We learn the song first using do-re-mi and then we learn the words.  While learning the first song we were divided into our parts.  First off, the basses were sent to the back of the chapel and Brother Jennings you will lead and teach them."  I was so glad it was Tim given the responsibility and not me.  The altos were sent to another section of the chapel and we sat there waiting for someone to direct us.  We were also looking at our music and wrote in the do-re-mi letters.  The choir director eventually came over and told me that I was to direct the altos.  My mouth flew open to sputter out, "but I don't know this song, I have never directed a choir" and sweat poured down my back and armpits.  I was in huge trouble.  But, I did my best.  Thank heavens we had a girl who had a good voice and great pitch.  My troubles weren't over.  After choir practice the pianist asked me if I would learn how to play one of the pieces! Say, what?  Leading the altos was difficult enough.  I have been giving it a lot of thought for the last few hours.  How can I possibly say no?  How can I possibly say yes? I agreed to meet the pianist tomorrow.  I think once he sees my abilities he will agree I shouldn't play for the choir.                                                                                                                                  

Pizza night and Elder Ghunney

Today one of our favorite Elders leaves to go home to Ghana.  We wish him all the best.  He is a young man full of laughter, spiritual, and intelligent.  The Wingets and the Jennings invited the three office Elders to pizza night every Friday night.  Talk about laughter!  You have to love Elder Jennings and Elder Winget wearing the aprons.
Elder Ghunney (the favorite Elder shown here) is planning on attending BYU-I.  He will have to be there before Christmas.  We keep telling him he is going to freeze!
Best wishes to Elder Ghunney.  Hope we see him when we get home.

This and that on the mission

Each day we serve on our mission is different from the last.  Most days we begin in the office.  Some days we process loans all day.  That means we are calling people applying for loans.  We need more information or they need to make a payment or they need to talk to their institute director, etc.  Some days we talk to people who work at the Service Center, or we go shopping for our outing for the week, or some days we prepare for Leadership Training, which means we talk about PEF during the training meetings.  Esther is one of our students.  We have grown to really love and appreciate her.  She tells us a lot about life in Nigeria.  From customs, to foods, to traditions.
              

 

Tonight we said good-bye to 17 missionaries.  Elder Ghunney will be especially missed.  We have enjoyed pizza dinners, chats in the office, gospel discussions, and good laughter.
Today I had the opportunity to give out 2 copies of the Book of Mormon.  One to a guard that works here.  He was reading the Book of Mormon which is a copy that is in the guard house.  I asked if he would like his own copy to read, mark and enjoy and the other was a man who came to our office to give us some information for a student.  He asked what PEF is and then asked me about the church.  After giving a brief overview I asked if he would like a Book of Mormon.

 

Field of Dreams Graduation

We got to attend a graduation of the school that is across the street from the service center.  We had several students graduate in a variety of degrees.   The fun cake was made by one of the students. The picture of the flowers is actually fondant flowers.  The young girl in the picture modeling actually made the wedding dress in three days.  You can't see it very well, but it is a beautiful dress, very finely made.