Chicken, chicken, yum yum!

This has been a great last week. It is only going to get harder each day before I leave because I have fallen in love with this place. Nigeria will forever be on my heart. It is neat to make relationships with people here and know that they care for you being a world away. This week has been very work demanding so far. We have been working at the new Back2Back property where they have purchased a new home for the CLAPAI kids. The house is called the OASIS house. Its just beautiful but not in condition for kids to move in yet so we have been doing a lot of work to prepare for that. One of the first problems that we have to fix is the septic tanks. Gross. This has probably been the nastiest thing I've done ever. We had to dig up old poles and watch the lovely stuff come out. We then had to dig out an old existing septic tank and oh yes there was poop still there. We then made concrete by hand. I had to do this in Mexico a while back and did not realize the pain on your back that it puts on it. It was hard work. And of course Jos decided to be hott that day. So we worked very hard making concrete, filling up holes, tieing re-bar, and playing with kids. The kids at the house(that live in the area where B2B future property is) are from two different families but in the same area. One set of kids are from the village community and the other are tribal. It was sad to see the village kids throwing rocks at the tribal kids because they didn't want them there however we told them everyone was welcome. (which they didn't understand because they don't speak English but they got the idea) I'm excited to come back to Nigeria one day and see this house with the kids inside of it. It is exciting to know these kids have a better future.
Last night was also very exciting. One of the girl interns had an asthma attack. Funny enough, I was in the room when she told me and I had to piggy back her out to the living room so we could take care of her. One of the guy interns is a med-student so we were able to take care of her. But pretty scary because today we went to the hospital where Mark(med-student;intern for B2b) gave us a tour. This was the best hospital in the area and it was no where close to our standards. It had most of all the areas and I even got to see the ultra sound area(my future career). Families sit there and cook food for their loved ones. It was interesting seeing an African hospital and made me not ever want to get sick and go there. I was asking Mark what the cost of surgery was here in Jos and he said around 200-300 dollars. also, med students here are in school for the regular undergrad 4 and then 7 or 8 more years in medical school. The reason it takes forever to get your MD is that teachers here are always on strike and school is cancelled. But, one of the other interns who wants to enter nursing was asking me if I could picture myself working in this hops ital here and I so could. Now, I have in the back of my head of all the diseases I could get but I know that working there would full fill my passion even more than America.
Today, I also got to say goodbye to all the CLAPAI kids. It was pretty sad. I do usually cry but I started tearing up when one of the young girls starting praying for myself and another girl leaving. She was praying that God blesses us in America. And then one of the other kids I had gotten close with started to cry and made me loose all control. Its hard leaving these kids.
Just a few minutes to writing this I helped slice the throat of a chicken. Pretty interesting experience. I do, however, prefer to buy them frozen from now on.
The next 3 days will probably be the hardest because I have to say goodbye but in my mind its not goodbye..its "see you later"
This has been an incredible experience. I am so blessed to have God put me here to serve, to learn, to praise, to make life-long relationships, and to continue to understand the bigger picture that God has in store for me.

Check out the website of the children's home we have been working with this month:
www.clafinternational.org

Ill be home Monday night. Id love to see anyone and share everything. Give me a call!

in bible study we are studying Ephesians and in one chapter its a prayer I wish I could recite for everyone in my life:

Ephesians 3
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.


Can't wait to get a real bowl of cereal in 4 days! :)