Sanu!

Hey, I took up the torch for the group blog today (faithalivejourney.blogspot.com), so here's a copy!

Hey all,
Holly's back, with more energy than the rest, but nothing exciting to report. I haven't felt up to par today, so I came back to the guest house at 9:30 this morning and slept for a good 8 hours! Something I've never done before. No worries, family, I'm okay and there's plenty of mothers to take care of me...just needed rest, and I'm feeling much better than I did this morning. On behalf of the group, that's the report from today. Wait! Chris has just come to the rescue and has decided to blog. An addendum to yesterday's report...Kristen realized after blogging last night that she forgot to let you all know that we brought our lunch to the village that we visited. Even with hungry stomachs, they made us eat first...amazing. Mary Jo has a birthday coming up and Russ suprised her with a birthday cake. They sang "Happy Birthday" in English, our version, with us to Mary Jo. They absolutely loved the cake! Ok, I'll let Chris take over and share his experience for the day.

This is my first time with a cross-blog message, as this will be on the main group blog and my personal blog. (christonigeria.blogspot.com) All in all, today was a slow day for us. If I were to list everything that I did, I'm sure most of you would say I was crazy for calling it slow, but I guess that's a sign of how entrenched we are at Faith Alive. The past few days have really opened our eyes to the issue of malnutrition in children. I confess that I haven't read Kristen's entry from yesterday yet, but I'm sure she mentioned our trip to the outlying village. Today, Bob, George, Russ, Kay, Erika, and I joined Daniel, Asham, and Ezekial for a home care visit. They normally travel by motorcylcle, but we took the van and it took about an hour each way to reach the destination village, and another half mile walk from there. The visit was for an 18 year old who they suspect contracted HIV from a rape. She looks to be in good health and the guys said her health is improving, though she has not been taking any ARV drugs, cause she is in her third month of treatment for TB. Just like yesterday, we got to see all the kids from the village and a few of them were clearly malnourished. We even got to see them getting a bath, which involved a lot of scrubbing! It was funny. But after that we stopped at Asham's village on the way out as a casual pit stop. However, we were greeted byy the moaning cries of Asham's mother who was ill. He said she was sick yesterday, but had clearly worsened. Given where the fact that we were there with a van, we decided that she should come back to FA with us. So 11 of us crammed into 9 seats and we came back. As it turns out, the doctors as FA said that she had had a stroke and needed to be admitted to the local hospital. Unfortunately, the hospital is on strike and not admitting patients. Thankfully she will be staying overnight in a mission house, but I don't know when she will receive adequate medical attention. So, please pray for Asham and his mother, and all of his family. Also, Erika delivered a great message at the afternoon staff devotional. I won't divulge much, but she said before the trip that she wanted to have her world rocked...if it hadn't been before today, it was. She did a great job!

Being here has been to9ugh on everyone. We are constantly challenged to live our faith and perhaps, even sharing it is more of a challenge. I think that I'm dealing with the pain and the suffering here by focusing less on that and more on the positives. To be able to play with a child with a bloated belly and a blank stare and actually make them smile is an incredible feeling. I know that when I leave the problems will still be here and that I will never truly leave them, as they will be engrained in my mind and heart. But my hope is that for one day, or even for one minute, that I have made a difference in their life. If I can bring joy or happiness to any single person in this 10 days, then this trip will have not been wasted. I am encouraged by the work being done and the people doing it. For those of you who contributed to this trip, and all of you at First Pres. I can assure you that this is truly a noble cause and a great learning experience for all of us here.

I hope this isn't too long! God be with you all! Say-go-bay! (Goodnight in Hausa)

You're Welcome!

So everyone here in Jos greets you with the phrase "You are welcome" to which you reply "thank you." It seems backwards at first, but when you spend any amount of time with the people, you understand that they truly mean that you are welcome in their country.

Over the past 2 days, I've sat in on HIV testing and counseling and been to a remote village on the outskirts of town that was basically a mud wall house with a dirt floor and 3-4 generations of a family living in it. I've done much more, but as time on the internet is at a premium with our group, I need to just hit the biggies.

So testing and counseling....basically patients are given pre and post test counseling and we got to sit in with them in the post test as their results are revealed. Talk about feeling uncomfortable. In the five patients who I sat in with, only 1 (thank God) was positive, but for others in our group there were higher rates. And this happens daily. It's not like this cilnic just opened its doors and people are just having a chance to be tested.

And the other big thing was the village. I want to hold comment on it for the most part because there is talk of us taking and sharing lunch with them tomorrow, and I'll have much more to say after that. At any rate, I've been doing a whole lot on a little sleep and I'm exhausted! It's a little after 9:00 and I've been up since about 5:30. But it's hard to slow down and rest. I've been trying to pace myself, so this afternoon I just hung out with some patients/clients in the social services sector where they are taught trades that they can use to make money. Okay, now off to bed! Thanks for reading and God be with you! As hard as it may be to imagine, God is here....I am certain of that.

Greetings from Africa!

We made it indeed. It was a LONG trip to get here, but tonight we are enjoying the comforts of our apartment and a home-cooked meal. Our apartment is nice and the people are absolutely the most welcoming I've ever met. London was brief but fun and yes I did get fish and chips. Between the two flights of 8 and 6 hours I only slept a total of about 5 hours. I took a nap this afternoon and then we went to the afternoon support group. It was amazing. I wasn't prepared for it, being sat in the very front facing everyone (over 100 patients easily) and then being asked to share a little about ourselves. We were then asked to speak some words of encouragement if we wanted, and I actually felt inspired to do so. Maybe it was because the woman who was translating what we said in our intros told the crowd that I looked like Jesus, or maybe it was that the guy who asked for the inspirational words was looking me dead in the eye almost the whole time he was talking. At any rate, I basically said that although they were honoring us that we were very appreciative of the opportunity that they were giving us to be there and that even though we're Americans and they're African, we are all brothers and sisters. I know it's super cliche, but there was a very strong sense of community and family in that room. It quickly turned from being nervous about looking out at them all to looking them in the eye and sharing a smile. It was pretty darn powerful. I didn't take the camera for that leg of the journey, but I've gotten shots of lots of other stuff from London to the drive up. I wanted to experience this first hand without the distraction and I'm very glad I did it that way. I can't even imagine how the rest of the week will be! I feel kind of weird being on the internet, so I'm going to close this out. Thank you all for your prayers and support! God be with you!

The Time Has Come

Well, this is my last night in the Choice City for a while. We're meeting at 1:30 tomorrow and should be on the road to DIA by 2:00. I confess that I'm not sure what time my flight is tomorrow night, but I know it's going to be long. Okay, I just checked and it appears the flight is at 6:30. So in less than 24 hours I'll be airborne. In just three days I will have been on three continents! It's funny to think about it like that. It's been a rough week for me between work and trip preparations, so I'm anxious to finally get this thing underway. I'm pretty exhausted today, so this probably won't be very long. Maybe I'll feel inspired tomorrow and write more...if I have time. But since that isn't guaranteed, I want to take a minute to thank y'all for your support and prayers. A lot has happened since I decided to make this trip, but things have consistently worked in a manner that makes me think I am indeed doing the right thing. As I said, I'm anxious to get going and I can't wait to share my experiences with you. I hope to update this often, and we also have a group blog that we'll try to update. We may even get to add pictures, but don't hold me to that. www.faithalivejourney.blogspot.com

I do have one point that I want to touch on that I just realized today. Yes, just today. I was trying to imagine what preconceived notions I had about HIV/AIDS and those who suffer from it. And I realized that I don't think I've ever met someone who's had AIDS. Well, at least not anyone that I was aware of. And that throws into sharp relief the cultural differences of our country and the rest of the world. I imagine that the majority of the folks I'll be interacting with in Jos, will be either HIV positive or in some way affected by the disease. So to say that my world view will change is probably an understatement.

So, thank you all for reading and I'll be in touch! God be with you!

Balancing Acts

Balance. We all deal with it everyday. I for one have been trying to balance multiple projects at work this past week, all the while facing my upcoming departure for 2 weeks. But that's not the balance I want to talk about. My concern is balancing my role as a videographer and that of a person who wants to be hands-on. You see, I like to be involved in things like helping others. I am not the kind of person to serve on the board of a non-profit or just talk about how we can make a difference, then pat myself on the back for being a good, caring individual. Clearly there is a place for people like that, but I'm not in that crowd. I want to get my hands dirty. So, I'm trying to imagine what it will be like in Jos when I feel like my primary role is to be an observer through the lens of a camera. I kind of had the same feeling when I visited Mississippi and New Orleans a week after Katrina with representatives from United Way and the Community Foundation of Fort Collins. I went with a video camera to document them dispersing money that had been raised in the FC community. It was great to be a part of that, but I really didn't feel like I was doing much. I think that's why I really enjoyed our mission trip to Gulfport, MS that following spring. Finally, I wasn't just an observer, I was a contributer. So for this trip I have to find a balance. I think the trick will be to be conscious of this and not allow myself to slip too far in either direction. Let's face it, if I make a really good video that gets shown across the country and raises lots of money and attention for Faith Alive, then I will be making a very big impact. On the other hand, if I travel all the way to Africa and hide behind my camera the whole time, then I think I'll be missing out on connecting with the local people.

Am I worried about the balance issue? Not really. I feel like I have been called to go on this trip to make a video, but I'm not just a video guy. I think having a camera and the need to interview people will give me ample opportunity to connect with and learn about people while I'm there. I also think having the desire to pitch in and help will provide me with a nice break from looking through a viewfinder, and probably open my eyes to things I might otherwise have missed. So rather than those two facets of my trip being independent, I think that they can actually be complementary and improve my experience.

I hope this makes sense. I'm kind of writing in a stream of consciousness fashion, and I don't feel like proofreading. So welcome to my brain and some of what goes on it there!

Only one more day! Thanks for reading and God be with you!

Time Crunch

So how restful do you think 2 weeks in Nigeria will be? I have a couple of projects at work that I'd like to wrap up before I leave and I was told of another one that I may have to shoot and edit before Friday as well. AND to add to the fun, I have a second interview with the school district on Thursday afternoon. Oh, and I'm going to have to get my second hepatitis vaccine on Friday since the health dept. was closed yesterday and they only do walk-ins on Mondays and Fridays. Yay! Nothing like a nice relaxing week to prepare for an international mission trip! Oh well, such is life and I should be thankful that I have a job to keep me busy.

Oh yeah, Russ isplanning on all of us going into London on Saturday for lunch, which means I'll get my fish and chips! And hopefully no one will mind if I have a pint of some English beer to go with it!

Happy Tuesday!

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

To borrow the words of Mr. John Denver, and anyone else who's sung Leaving on a Jet Plane through the years. My bags are packed and I am ready to go. Well, mostly. I got all my stuff into one bag and that bag is now in a U-Haul box with another trip-goers' stuff. It's Bob's stuff to be exact. Since there are still a few days left, I may find a couple of last minute items I need to pack or stash in my camera/carry-on bag, but for the most part I am done packing.

We met tonight to go over some final details and pack the stuff we had into boxes. There are 14 boxes of meds being stored at a refrigerated foods warehouse in town, 8 boxes on their way to us from another Faith Alive person, and 5 boxes of supplies in the office. That leaves 3 pieces of luggage that we can check. Russ and Kay are sharing a bag, Bob & I are sharing a box, and KJ has some room in a duffel bag she's packed. Everyone else is packing their stuff in their carry-on.

Oh well, there's more to say, but it's late. And besides, I need to have something to say the next few days. Thanks for reading!

The Great Commissioning

Yesterday was our last Sunday in church before we leave, so there was a commisioning/blessing and laying on of hands at the 11:00 service. It was really nice to have not just the pastors, but about a dozen or so members of the congregation come up for the prayer to show support. Afterwards I did a short on-camera interview with everyone about their pre-trip thoughts. I plan to use it as an intro for the video I want to make that is First Pres specific. It was pretty neat to learn why everyone has decided to go and what they're expecting to take away from the trip. I even did an interview with Russ being my interviewer. I must say, I am much more comfortable behind the camera. I felt kind of awkward, but I suppose that's how most people feel in that situation.

I also packed last night. I didn't start until 10:00, so I hope I wasn't too tired to get what I need. I'm actually impressed with the size of my pile of clothes. If I weren't carrying on the video camera, I'd be able to fit all my stuff in a carry-on with ease! It certainly helps that we'll be able to get clothes washed while we're there. I probably need to pack an extra bag or something so I can bring back some gifts. After all, we'll be taking 2-3 boxes of meds apiece on the way over, but nothing is coming back except our personal belongings.

Oh well, I'm actually at work right now, but wanted to get an entry in for yesterday's events. Thanks for checking in!

One Week Left!

I don't have much new to report, but figured I should at least check in since we leave in a week! In fact, in one week I'll be on a plane bound for London at this time. Wow.

I picked up the camera from Bryan today, so I get to play with it this weekend and make sure I know everything I need to about it.

Good night!

10 days and counting

10 days! That's it! I still don't think it's completely sunk in. Maybe when I'm on a bus from Abuja to Jos I'll finally believe it. In the midst of my disbelief, I still have to act like I'm really going to Nigeria at the end of next week. We're meeting on Monday to pack our boxes of medications and we're supposed to bring along what we're planning to take with us. We're allowed 3 pieces of checked luggage each and a carry-on. Other folks are probably going to be able to put their clothes in their carry-on, but I'm out of luck. I need to carry on my camera so that it's handled with care, so my clothes are either going in a shared suit case or in a box with meds. Honestly, I'm not sure how much to take. We can have our laundry done while we're there, so I can go on the light side. Plus, it's going to be 80 so shorts are going to be a mainstay. I guess I'll end up packing very light and doing my best to stay clean!

So like I said last night, I am looking forward to one thing in particular when we're in London. What you ask? Fish and chips. Yep, good ole fried fish and french fries. It makes me hungry just thinking of it. I was in London for a couple of days in 2002, but it was near the end of my trip and I was definitely on a budget. I cooked most of my food myself. In fact, my one memory of food in London was swiping some dipping sauce from a McDonald's to put on a sandwich I'd put together from a trip to the grocery store. I don't know if I'll get my chance this time either, but I'm going to mention it to Russ on Monday. Seems like those fish and chip stands were pretty common, so as long as I can get into London, I can clog my arteries!

Thanks for reading! God be with you!

Put it on my visa...

My visa finally came yesterday! I've never applied for a visa before, but it really seems like it's a way for the country your visiting to get a sort of "entry tax." It seemed like much more of a formality than a screening process. With that said, I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes of the Nigerian consulate and they may have done a background search on me for all I know. But I think it's much more probable that they just wanted my money.

And that brings me to some exciting news. I spoke to Russ on the phone today and he says that by his latest count we've actually raised $9,000 more than we needed for our trip! That means that the 7 or 8 (I keep forgetting how many) of us have raised around $14,000!!!! I take no credit in this and I applaud those of you who made a donation of any amount! It is truly a blessing for Faith Alive and for our little group. Just so you know, all of that excess money is going to Faith Alive. And that is in addition to the half-million dollars in medication we're delivering!

I knew that this trip would have a lasting impact on those of us who are going, but I never imagined how much more our trip could give just by us showing up!

Thanks for reading! I'll be posting more and more as the trip closes in, and maybe even while I'm in Jos. Next time, I'll reveal what I'm looking forward to in London....

Happy New Year!

I'm now less than 1 month from departing on my trip. Actually, I leave in a little more than 2. January 25, to be exact. I got all my vaccinations about 3 weeks ago, so I'm now resistant to Hepatitis A & B, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, Typhoid, and Polio. I also should be getting a visa issued from the Nigerian government sometime soon.

Things are coming together for our trip, but it still doesn't seem real. I've been through a bit of an ordeal with securing a camera for this adventure, but I have one lined up that should do a great job. That's the one problem with being a professional videographer...it's really hard to be satisfied with "cheaper" cameras when you're used to shooting on really nice equipment. After purchasing and returning a camera, I will now be borrowing one from another member of our church, Dr. Bryan Willson. I actually helped him pick out this camera a few years ago when he was looking for something that was easy to use, small for travel, and somewhat inconspicuous. Who knew that I'd need a camera with those same qualities? I think my chance run-in with Bryan at church and his volunteering the camera (before I even asked) is just another way that God is involved in this crazy adventure of mine.

I have much more to say, but I need to save something so that I actually come back to this and update it more often. Thanks for stopping by!!!