Kathy O’s blog

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to let you know that this may be my last post for the trip. Becca and I will be traveling around the Gwaten District tomorrow and then on Friday we travel to Jalingo to begin our journey back. We hope to hit the market in Jalingo (shopping, yea!) on Saturday. I’m preaching in a church there on Sunday, and then the first of the week we begin the travel home…it’s a looonnnggg trip! We’re to thankful for all of your prayers, and can’t wait to share our stories! Hope that all is well with you — God bless!

Belated Happy Father’s Day to all of you for whom that applies! We’ve been away from the internet for awhile! Becca and I have now been in Bambur almost a week. Brooke and Katie are still in Zing at the clinic and we haven’t been able to communicate (it’s a ways away). I’m sorry (to their families) but I don’t know if they have internet access or not, and of course…no cell phones for us here…though many, many Nigerians have them. Becca is doin’ a great job teaching about computers and is much loved. They’ve give her a Nigerian name…Penisum (one who cares). Very cool! After working at the school and seminary last week, we had free time this weekend and went to the local market with John Pena and Milka who helped us navigate and negotiate — very fun! I preached at a big UM church in Mutandaya yesterday — scary and wonderful all at the same time! God is so good, though and things went very well! We’re both teaching again this week and will head back to Jalingo probably Friday where we’ll hook up with Brooke and Katie and the rest of the Iowa-Nigeria team (Linda, Jim, Angela, Rachel, Anne, Sandy, Carolyn). Three members of our team were supposed to be heading home today so we’re praying that all is well with them. I’m sorry but I’m not going to be able to add pictures until later as the computers here are very slow. But we have tons of ’em so look out! They’ll be coming! Becca and I hope that all is well with you — we love you and can’t wait to see you again.
Nigeria is an amazing place….and oh, so beautiful! It’s going to be a challenge for us to get used to not being celebrities though…everywhere we go here, children run alongside and shout “Baturi! Baturi!” (white people), and they wave and smile like crazy! And they are so much fun…language isn’t a barrier when it comes to kids!

OK…first of all, for all of you English majors (like me) who noticed that I misspelled “their” (should have been “there”) in my last post, mea culpa. I noticed it after I sent it but these computers are so slow that I knew it would take a loonnnggg time to correct and I didn’t have that much time! I’m pretty amazed that I’m able to get at the computer again today, but Becca is still teaching a class here at the seminary so I have a little time — yea! Today I traveled with John Wesley (African name) and Warren and Verna Thompson from Akron to two villages to visit the people there and hear about their needs (which are huge). You cannot imagine the roads here…10 times worse than our most pot-holed roads — we got stuck three times and people from the nearby villages had to come out and help us! I have pictures…when I have more time I’ll add them. We met the nicest people who sang to us, visited with us, showed us their churches, and pitiful dispensaries, their broken water pumps, fed us and treated us like royalty. It was very humbling…We also waved to hundreds of children who would yell out “Baturi! Baturi!” (white people) as we drove by. And they love touching our skin, though some of the little ones are afraid. In the last village, the lay leader of the church gave us two chickens as a gift for our visit…and John Wesley told us it would be rude to refuse them, so they’re in the back of the vehicle. For you Jesus-people, think “the least coin”…truly blessed we are. Anyway, I don’t want to hog the computer…there are lots of people here waiting to get online. I’ll send more soon!

And yup, we’ve been here since last Friday…but haven’t been near the internet. Nigeria is NOT Iowa! 🙂 But we’re all safe and happy and having the time of our lives! Saturday night we went “camping” — went to a village 5 miles from a paved road, spent the night in the church their, danced under the stars with the most amazing people!! Taught ’em the electric slide! On Saturday, we all tasted termites! And no, they don’t taste like chicken but they’re not bad! Katie and Brooke are in Zing bein’ nurses, and Becca and I arrived in Bambur this afternoon. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some pictures up here soon! Hope that you’re all well! We love you!

Here we are at the Atlanta airport! Lagos here we come! (Sorry for the BIG picture!)

All the piles of stuff are in the suitcases, it’s 11 hours till take-off, and we’re headed for Omaha.  Can’t wait to meet up with Katie and Brooke in Atlanta!  (Kathy and Becca)

Hey Friends!  It’s Monday, June 8th and I haven’t left for Nigeria yet, but I’m packin’!  Katie McGuire, Brooke Pottorff (Nurse Pottorff — she passed her boards — woot!), Becca Anderson and I leave on Thursday, the 11th.  We’re excited as all get-out, and a little nervous too, so yeah, prayers will be welcomed!  I’ve never blogged before but will do my best to keep you all in-the-know about what’s happenin’ in Nigeria for the next three weeks.