February 14-15, 2013

 Valentines Day was a wonderful day!  There was such a fun and exciting spirit in the air.  Everyone was excited and happy all day.  We knew there was a General Authority coming to speak to the saints in Lagos.  People were encouraged to take time off work to be there.  The fireside was scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m.   It was fun to anticipate Elder and Sister Clayton's arrival to the chapel.  So much work went into the preperation for the visit.  The picture above was taken of the Ibe family right after the fireside.  Tim and I work very closely with Ike.  He is a great young man with a beautiful and nice wife and three adorable little boys.
 After the fireside we got to go out to eat with Elder and Sister Clayton, Elder and Sister Sitati, Elder and Sister Ojideran, Elder and Sister Madu, Elder and Sister Inyon, Elder and Sister Ekong, Three Stake Presidents and their wives, President and Sister Adebayo (baby Fayi) and the missionary couples.  This is a picture of baby Fayi and her three adopted grandmothers.

 The next day we had a meeting with all the missionaries in the area and the General Authorities and then another meeting a few minutes later with all the service center employees. Personally, I loved meeting Sister Clayton the very most.  She is a warm and enthusiastic woman.  She makes all feel like they could be her best friend!  They were wonderful days.

Peeling Paint...Lekki Market

We heard there was a General Authority making a visit to Lagos, Nigeria.  With that announcement the cleaning and painting and spricing up began.  It was decided that our office needed a coat of paint.  As we pulled off a dry erase board we could see a bubble of paint.  As we pulled on it we got a whole bunch of old paint to peel.  It was so fun to peel paint in preparation of the painting to begin.

 I went to Lekki market with Elder and Sister Brown one day.  I had to take a picture of the market place road leading to the parking lot and shops.  This looks a lot nicer than it really is.  You just have to be here to believe it.  I am getting more use to it the more often I go.

 Elder Ojideran (Man on the left) came in to our office to talk to us.  Wlder Ojideran is the area seventy over the Lagos, Nigeria area.  We work closely with him to keep the PEF program moving the way it should.  As we were talking to him President Adebayo (our mission president) came into the office also.  It was so fun to be involved with their conversation.  They have known each other since they were young.  They could laugh about the past and tell us how much they care about each other.  This is two powerful young men to help lead the country of Nigeria, and the gospel to spread.

Miracles in Nigeria

 "God does notice us, and he watches over us.  But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs." President Spencer W. Kimball
Tim and I experienced this personally. We came on our mission to help others and serve them.  Not the other way around.   One day we went to the mall to go grocery shopping and out to lunch with the other missionary couples.  To make a long story really short, the other couples were in the grocery store and Tim and I were in the food court.  While there Tim passed out (with me trying to catch him), and, as he was going down he pulled over a fake plant on my head, cutting it.  The miracle is this: A young man we know, Phillip, was in the area of the mall.  He has never been in the mall.  He felt impressed to go.  He fought the feeling and eventually went.  He stepped inside the mall. He started down the hallway just in time to help me try to catch Tim.  He helped revive Tim.  Drove us back to our apartment, helped Pres. Adebayo give Tim a blessing.  Pres. Adebayo took Tim and I to the Dr. to check Tim out and to put a stitch in my head.  When they cleaned the wound the doctor just  let the watery blood just run down my neck onto my white shirt.  We are fine.  Phillip has checked on us often.  He feels he saved Tim's life.  Maybe he did.  I am so grateful.  This has taught us so many lessons...Life is fragile...appreciation for my husband...miracles happen...Heavenly Father is watching over us...etc...

Top picture is my shirt I was wearing.  With many washes it came clean.  Next picture is of Tim and Phillip.

Birthday celebration, rain storms, and cross-stitch lessons

 We got to help our friend, Andrew, celebrate his birthday.  His birthday was the day after Tims so we got birthday cake two days in a row.  Although, on Tims birthday we ran out of cake before Tim got any cake.  Saved us some calories.  Andrew brought his girlfriend to share his cake, too!

 We are in the middle of the hot and dry season.  It does not rain at this time of the year...yeah, right. We got 4 days of rain.  It was wonderful!  One morning we got rain before we got up and it cooled things down a bit.  We went out to exercise at sunrise and it felt a lot cooler as we ran.  We didn't get nearly as sweaty as we normally get.

 We found another place to eat.  It is more of a southwest American cuisine.  They even serve milkshakes.  Tim and I shared one with our meals.

Today two of our favorite young students came in to say hello.  When they stepped in I was cross- stitching.  They showed an interest on learning how to do it.  I gave them a quick lesson and here they are, trying to do it.  I may need to get them a hoop, a decent pattern, more Aida cloth, and floss.
 
This was the end of a trying week.  We are trying to learn some new ropes.  Program is changing and it is unclear how it is going to change.  We had another water leak in the apartment, and other great events.  Really, we do work.  It just looks like we only play all our days.  Pictures of phones and calling lists and computers really doesn't lend to enjoyable viewing.  Our week ended much better.  We helped make pizza for dinner tonight and ate with Pres. Adebayo and his family, Elder and Sister Winget and Elder and Sister Brown.  Then we sat around the table and talked for quite a while.  We have a mission president who is quite amazing.  He has been given many challenges and deals with them with great faith and determination. 

Day on the Farms

Traveling through the city from one place to the other is difficult but if you keep your eyes open it can be quite entertaining. The picture above is a sample of the furniture stores we see.  We have seen furniture stores directly by goat farms or it could be the meat market.  I am not sure which.  I don't think I want to know.

 I just saw this rooster strutting on the top of the pig pen and thought it was cute.

 Look how clean these pig pens are!  There were about 90 pigs at this farm.  The farmer was very kind to us in showing us his farm.

 This is what we see all over the place.  Unfinished homes...they are built as time and finances allow.

We were driven around by a man who works at the service center in the mail department.  He is also in charge of the service center vehicles.  The shop in the following picture is owned by his wife.  This is his niece.

 A papaya tree.

 Cletus and his wife.  They were so happy to have us in their home.  You felt like it was an honor for us to be there. 

 This is a pumpkin.  It just doesn't look like any pumpkins I have ever seen.  They don't use the pumpkin, they use the leaves for their soup.

 One of Cletus' sons.  Such a cute little boy.

 Another one of his sons.  I love looking at the little one that was asleep on the desk.

Christmas in Nigeria 2012

Here it is, the day after Christmas, or Boxing Day here.  We had a wonderful Christmas with many events.  Elder and Sister Brown, Elder and Sister Winget and Tim and I, made a Christmas basket for Pres. and Sister Adebayo and gave it to him a couple of days before Christmas.  We went to the Ukorebi's home on Christmas Eve to eat dinner, sing and enjoy the Nativity story, put on by the children.  The donkey was the father, Bro. Ukorebi.  All the missionary couples have adopted the Ukorebi children as our grandchildren here.  They run up to us at church and other events and want us to be near by them.  It is pretty awesome! 
Christmas day Tim and I made some food for the guards who would be on duty all day and then helped make brunch with the Wingets and Browns.  We ate with them, the Adebayo's and 5 of the Elders.  It was a wonderful day. Merry Christmas from Nigeria, Africa!

Ward Christmas Party Nigerian Style

 We went to the ward Christmas Party.  It was announced to begin at 2:00.  We went at 2:00 and no one was there.  So we went back to the apartment and came back 45 minutes later and that is when most of the people came.  There was a program first.  The Primary Children Sang, there was a skit or two, a family sang and then came Santa Claus...at least one of his helpers! 

 We know Santa and his helpers to be a little on the chubby side.  Not this one!

 I just thought this little girl was so cute with these balloons.  I asked if I could take her picture.  She was good to let me.  Here, you don't take a picture, you "snap" the picture.

Looking into the eyes of a child.  Mailyn  looking deep into my eyes.  She is a cutie!