She said Yes!! :)

Although I am home from Nigeria, the adventure hasn't ended, it has just changed a bit. The adventure no longer involves driving down muddy roads, or navigating the busy market place, hiking mountains with orphans kids, or living with constant political tension. Instead, it now involves learning how to communicate clearly, learning how to make decisions with another person, learning how to put someone elses needs way before your own, navigating the commercialism of our society and seeking God's direction for the next steps in my life . . . Preparing for marriage is definetely an adventure of it's own!!

Sean and I are now offically engaged!! Yay!! :) This is a huge adventure, and one that I am so excited for (even with it's huge challenges)! Each day I wake up and am so thankful that God has put this amazing man into my life. A man who loves me so unconditionally, who supports me no matter what, who is so patient and kind, who is full of life and energy and fun, and a man who is has such a humble heart. I know that it is God loving me through Sean, and I am so grateful for that love.

Now, we had talked about getting married for awhile, but decided that it was best if we waited until I got back from Nigeria to get engaged, to see how God directed us individually for the six months apart and see what God did our relationship during that time apart. As difficult as those six months were, neither one of us would trade them for anything. Our relationship was challenged and strengthened in ways that it wouldn't have been otherwise. We learned to communicate more clearly and in new ways, and were challenged to give all control over our future to God, hard lessons, but good ones. So we waited until I got back to make that committment . . . a whole 3 days after I got home :) (I think somone was excited! :)

Sean proposed the Saturday after Christmas during a hiking trip up Rattle Snake Ridge, one of our first date spots. We hiked to the top of the ridge, in the snow and the rain . . . and boy were were soaked and cold when we arrived at the top! So after getting down on his knee and proposing, we took a photo and ran down the hill as fast as we could to warm up!! :) It was fun, and a good Sean and Jamie story!! Here are a few pictures from that day . . . as you can see we were pretty wet!! We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we embark on this adventure of marriage togther!

Home . . . is where the heart is?!?!?

If it’s true that home is where the heart is, then I have a lot of homes. My heart isn’t just in Seattle anymore; a huge part of it is definitely in Nigeria. Although I have really enjoyed my time at home so far, especially the time I have been able to spend with my family and friends I really miss my family and friends in Nigeria. I spent a few hours sorting through photos today, trying to pick out which ones I am going to print and boy that is a challenging task. I love all of my photos, because each photo is so much more than a photo to me, it is a memory of someone and some place that I deeply love.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in a steal. Store your treasures in Heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there you heart and thoughts will also be.”
– Matthew 6:19-21

On the way home . . .

Friends and Family,

I apologize for my delay in updating my blog . . . I have had many people asking if I am going to keep my blog update even though I am home and the answer to that is YES! Although it seems like I have been home for a long time already (since so much has happened), I have only been home for a week and a half . . . that is CRAZY to realize . . . so in short I am still slowly adjusting to life back home. I have plenty more to say about adjusting back into this western culture and believe me that will all come soon, but I have left out a very important part of my trip home . . . my time in Bosnia!! So before I update you on my adjustment and how things are at home and what my future plans are and all of that good stuff, I need to share with you a bit about my time in Bosina . . .

As most of you know, before heading back to the states I flew through Europe and met up with one of my best friends Jessica who is doing two years of mission work in Bosnia . . . Bosnia?!? You might say . . . well yes, Bosnia. Jessica has always had an interest in this area of the World and during college she had the opportunity to travel to Bosnia several times. During these trips, God developed a deep passion and love for this country and the people, and now God has called her back to minister to college students.

Similarly to Nigeria, Bosnia is a country of contrasts. Sitting in a nice warm coffee shop, decorated with Christmas lights and sipping on a cup of coffee (what EVERYONE in Bosnia does) you can look out the window and see a bombed out abandoned building left from the war. Although life goes on normally each day, walking down the street you have to avoid the holes in the sidewalk that were left from when the city was shelled . . . Despite the tangible reminders of the horrible things that happened to the people of this beautiful city, the people keep right on living.

I so enjoyed getting to meet the students in the English classes Jessica is helping with and meeting the students at the church Jessica is working with. They are all full of life, funny and thoughtful. I loved getting to go to coffee with all of them and trying out all of the wonderful Bosnian food with them! I ate a lot of great food! J Besides eating a lot and drinking a lot of coffee, we also went up to the mountains where the Olympics were held and explored the very culturally diverse city. The city is beautiful, with all the cobblestone streets and little coffee shops and restaurants tucked away in the corners.

What a gift it was from God to have the opportunity to go and visit Jessica. It was a good transitional period for me. It was really helpful to have a friend who knew me so well asking me questions and helping me process my time in Nigeria, especially after such an intense ending. It was also great to have a first hand experience of what Jessica is doing so that I can pray for her better and support her better from far away. I would have NEVER in my life thought I would ever fly to Bosnia . . . but God always has different plans! And I am ever glad that he does because his plans are so much greater than mine would be!

Please be praying for Jessica that God would continue to encourage her and direct her ministry, and also be praying that the Holy Spirit would light a fire in the hearts of the people in the Church of Bosnia!

Check out Jessica's blog at www.jessicainbosnia.wordpress.com

Stay tuned for more!!

Saying Goodbye . . .

This is a blog I wrote right after I left Nigeria, but was unable to post until now . . . enjoy :)

Kai! I had to say goodbye yesterday . . . well actually this week has been a process of saying goodbye . . .

Thursday night I was able to spend the night in Gyero for the last time and go to worship night with all the kids! God is so good, because I couldn’t have imagined a better night – all of the kids and staff in one room singing, dancing and praising god! It was amazing – i couldn’t help but have tears of joy, thankfulness and sadness run down my face the entire time. I played tag with my girls after worship . . . they love it when I pretend I’m a grizzly bear and chase them around . . . it was good fun! J

Friday I was able to visit our staff at Gidan Bege and TH and say goodbye to them . . . sadly this was the first time I had been at either of these places since the crisis, so it was a hello/goodbye. Much of the fighting that took place during the crisis was very near TH, so it was really my first exposure to see first hand the damage done – it is heartbreaking. I listened to story after story from the uncles about what happened during the crisis and it was incredible. It’s a miracle that TH wasn’t touched. It made me sad to know that I was leaving and won’t be able to help people continue to process through what happened, but it’s another step in trusting the Lord and his plan.

Saturday Lisa and I took the girls on a picnic as my last goodbye. It was a blast! Little Favor had never eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her life . . . after she figured out how to eat it she ended up enjoying it! We all had a great time eating our PB&J, banana muffins and oranges on the rock behind our mountain . . . a good memory to say the least. We escaped a tearful goodbye, by slipping out the back when some visitors came to meet the girls . . . probably for the best after a tearful Thursday evening . . . I don’t think I could have handled much more . . .

Sunday was filled with packing, and repacking and repacking some more and saying goodbye to my missionary family. Nicky and Lisa made some great pizza for lunch and then it was off . . . it was hard to say goodbye to these friends who have become my family over the past six months . . . I will miss each of them SOO much! But God reminded me that we will all meet again face to face, when we go to see him – how cool is that!

I feel so blessed that in my short life I have been able to be a part of things like what I’ve been a part of in Nigeria . . . It keeps getting better and better – God is Good.

Although it might be time for me to leave Nigeria for now, I know that God has more planned for me and the relationships he has helped build there. So this is not the end . . .

Thoughts and More Thoughts . . .

So, I have left Nigeria . . . I am now in Bosnia visiting my best friend Jessica who is doing college Ministry here in Sarajevo. I have much to say about actually saying goodbye to my Nigerian friends and family, but that is going to have to wait for another day. I am simply going to post a few passages of scripture that have really stood out to me during the past few months and even the past few days . . . No fear I still have plenty to share about my time in Nigeria and PLENTY more pictures to share with you, so this is in no way the end of my blogging! :)

"And God, in his MIGHTY power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him." - 1 Peter 1:5

"I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will make the darkness bright before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do those things; i will not forsake them." -Isaiah 42:16

"When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor." - James 4:10

"How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog- it is here a little while, then it is gone. What you ought to say is, 'if the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.'" - James 4:14

How to say goodbye?

I’m not exactly sure where to start, except with, I don’t know how I even begin so say goodbye to these children, the staff and the missionaries who have become my kids, my friends and my family over the past six months.

In the beginning six months seems like such a long time! Now that it’s almost over, it seems so small. Although there were days that were hard and days that were long, the time has flown by and I can’t believe it’s time to say goodbye already.

As most of you know, things have been a bit crazy in Jos over the past two weeks. Rioting and fighting broke out in the city after unfavorable (well actually before, unfavorable) election results were announced. Much of the northern part of the city was burned; homes, churches and schools. People lost lives and fear and tension has been planted in the city. For a few days us missionaries were relocated to a smaller village an hour or so outside of Jos, just as a precaution in case the fighting broke out again. Although I was torn about leaving Jos, my kids, friends and more than frustrated that this relocation meant five less days I was able to spend with my kids a week before I left, I was thankful for the space we had to go hiking, play frisbee, play WAY too many games of Settlers of Catan (at one point we had 4 or 5 different games of Settlers going on at the same time!). I was also nice to have a break from the tension in the city.

Now that I am back in Jos, it’s time to say goodbye. Saturday will be my last time at Gyero before I leave on Sunday afternoon. The girls are already talking about it, and saying that I can’t leave and they don’t want me to go. I am stressing about packing up my apartment (it’s quite a mess . . .), and trying to fit all of my last minute meetings and lunches and visits in before I go.

Nicky has returned from visiting Erin in the US. A group of us had dinner tonight and we got to hear stories from America! It’s funny what people from other countries notice about your own country that you would never think strange – for example: drive up ATMs . . . . apparently they don’t have those in England and Nicky just thought it was the funniest thing ever . . . and I am learning that people from England don’t eat sweet and savory (a word we don’t use often) things together, so the idea of having sugary popcorn and cheesy popcorn in the same tin together, threw her mind! J I’m glad Nicky is back and that I am able to say goodbye before I leave, but I’m sad that I only have three days, which are already full to see her in . . . and I’m sad that she had to come back to Nigeria in such a state that it’s in.

Let me tell you being here during “The Crisis” as we call it (and I think it needs to be capitalized, the way we use it), has really opened my eyes to understand a glimpse of what it must be like for people who are living in places with constant waring. The tension in this city is absolutely incredible. Today, a crowd of people and a ton of cars came screaming up the street in front of our compound. When some of them stopped and we asked what was happening, no one actually knew why they were running. People were running simple because they saw other people running . . . come to find out this afternoon, ALL of the running that started on the opposite side of town, was caused by a woman who was being chased by a bee . . . yes a bumble bee . . . talk about tension.

I can’t tell you how thankful I have been for the people on my compound. Praise the Lord for Joseph aka. . . . “Batman” and Matt aka . . . “Robin” and for Lisa . . . aka Lisa . . . J The four of us STA’s have really bonded together during The Crisis . . . but I guess that’s what staying up until all hours of the night watching Plant Earth together while you listen to gun shots in the city will do. I have been so thankful for Joseph’s humor and ability to keep things light-hearted and fun and for Matthew’s attention to detail and sense of responsibility for our safety. Lisa and I have hardly been separated since The Crisis started and have become great friends – I am really going to miss her . . .

Needless to say this is a bit of a strange note to leave on. I know this is a bit of a scattered Blog, but I feel a bit scattered . . . I’m not exactly sure how to begin to say goodbye . . .

With a thankful heart . . .

Here is a blog entry that I wrote a few days ago, but wasn't able to post. Sorry for the lack of pictures . . . I will post some pictures in the next few days . . . Thank you for your prayers and support over the past few days. Please keep praying for our city . . .


“Do you miss being with your family today?” I asked Joseph, a two year short-termer as we drove to our big Thanksgiving dinner including all the American missionaries in Jos. “Well yes, but the moment I drive into Gyero and all the children coming running out greeting me and hugging me, I remember why I’m here” was his response. As our conversation continued we discussed what a strange thing it is for someone to leave everything, their friends, family, modern living conviences to move to somewhere like Africa for a few months or a few years. It is a bit of an odd and counter-cultural idea from an outsiders perspective, but Joseph and I both agreed that we are abundantly thankful for this opportunity we have had to live in Nigeria. Our lives have forever been changed by the people we have met and we have had the opportunity to see a new face of God. God is so much bigger than we ever give him credit for!

I made a list of things that I’m thankful for this morning. The thing I love most about doing this is that every time I make a list of things I’m thankful for it’s always mostly comprised of names of people . . . my friends and family (and of course coffee and sunshine J). The list of people who God has used in my life keeps getting longer and longer and now includes people from all over the World. If I have this many brothers and sisters in Christ now, while I’m living in this World, I can’t imagine how joyful it will be when we all reach Heaven to be with our Father together! What a party!

Over the past few days, as God has been teaching me to have a more thankful and content heart and has been showing me what it means to be at peace with him by trusting in him, I woke up with one very tangible lesson about thankfulness and peace.

Yesterday was a local election day in Jos. This meant that we weren’t allowed to travel, well at least until 4:00pm . . . so a few of the girls and I decided that we would stay with our kids in Gyero, since we wouldn’t be able to travel around. That was about the extent of how we were affected and about the extent to which I even thought about it until this morning. I woke up this morning at 6:00am and carried out my normal morning routine, reading my Bible, emailing and actually getting to talk to Sean on the phone!

Just as I was about to jump in the shower to get started on the busy day I had planned ahead of me, Chris our compound dad, came by knocking on my door. He proceeded to inform me that there is a lot of political unrest due to yesterday’s election and schools and houses are being burned and all of the firework sounding noise I had been hearing were actually gun shots going off. . . so needless to say we aren’t allowed to go anywhere today. The sky is filled with black smoke and the air smells of fire and although the streets are incredibly quite, not a motorbike or car in sight, the sound of gunfire ringing through the city is a loud enough reminder that this is not a city at peace at the moment.

What a reminder to be thankful for what we have at home. Although our elections at home seem to get heated, with nasty commercials and long political debates, our houses aren’t in danger of being burned and we don’t have to listen to gunfire breaking through the peace of our cities. We all have so much to be thankful for.

Even in the midst of this current chaos, God has reminded me that each step of everyday is a gift from him, and we are called to trust in him for each of those steps we take. As we trust in him our hearts are filled with his peace. We don’t have to, or need to know what’s coming next, we just need to trust that God knows and that he is good. We don’t even have to thank him for the circumstances we presently find ourselves in, we have to trust him and thank him for who he is, in spite of those circumstances, an almighty, powerful and ever present God.

Please keep our city Jos in your prayers today. Pray for the people whose homes have been burned, and please pray for those who have been injured by gunfire. Please pray that God’s peace would reign in Nigeria today.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7