Word of the Week: Giving

Giving is defined as "presenting voluntarily and without expecting compensation; to bestow upon." Sister Oresoa and the other Sisters at Anawim engage in unconditional giving each hour of their lives. We can all learn from them, and attempt to bestow our own kindness upon someone in need without expecting compensation. We all win when we give.
- Kathi Rogers, Anawim Home Team '11

Sister Oresoa & Dr. Chris

This video was the first in a series of showcases about some of the amazing people our teams met and worked with in Nigeria. It features Sister Oresoa Selo Ojeme and Dr. Chris Isichei, founders of Anawim Home and Faith Alive Hospital respectively. You can read more about the inspiring work they are doing in Nigeria by visiting their individual showcases on the right side of the blog.

Word of the Week: Power

Sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed, when I have too much to do, and so little time, I think back to my time in Nigeria. I think of Sr. Oresoa and the others, her constant determination and strength as she deals day in and day out with the concerns of running Anawim Home, the small communities she serves, and her goals, for example, building a new school. All of my concerns of getting a paper done or passing a test seem more achievable when I think of all these women have done for the community of Gwagwalada and everything they have given, with the limited resources they have and the daily struggles they continuously overcome. -Adrienne Brooks, Anawim Home '11

Praying for Partners

This week, members of the Nativity:Nigeria mission teams joined together in unified prayer for our partners in Jos and Abuja. We draw from their spirit and strength, and pray for God's protection and provision over their community. We Are One Body.

Bill Baird (Faith Alive Hospital, '11)

Kathi Rogers, Jess Brown, Gin Gin Diokno (Anawim Home, '11)
Lisa Hobbs (Anawim Home, '10), Kathi Rogers & Joey Barczak (Anawim Home, '11)

Anawim Home (Team '11) - Join in Prayer for Partners

Anawim Greeting

Today we received a joyous greeting and picture from our partners at Anawim Home in Abuja. The children and sisters of Anawim Home are lovingly in our prayers this lenten season.

Word of the Week: Connection

It's amazing how strong connections can become on short-term trips. What I remember most about my trip to Nigeria last year is the people we connected with. They impacted me by being light in their own communities, modeling what it's really like to be generous givers and servants of God. - Brian Crook, Faith Alive Team Leader

Faith Alive Hospital - Video Profile

Founded in 1996, by Dr. Chris Isichei, the Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria regularly serves more than 10,000 patients each month. The clinic offers a holistic approach to health care and offers all of it's services completely free of charge. The majority of the patients served are HIV positive, and the clinic currently provides anti-retroviral medications (ARV's) for over 3,000 patients, but there are an additional 10,000 on the waiting list.

Want to learn more about Nativity:Nigeria's strategic partners at Faith Alive Hospital? Check out the video below for a great profile on this amazing organization.

Jos Bombings

We have spoken to our partners at Faith Alive Hospital in Jos, and everyone is doing fine. Although no one within the Faith Alive family was directly affected by the senseless bombings last Sunday at COCIN (Church of Christ in Nigeria), the area continues to experience unrest and destruction. We join with our brothers and sisters in Nigeria to pray for the peace and stability of the region.

Word of the Week

Each week, missionaries from the 2011 Nativity:Nigeria team will be reflecting on their experience and sharing a Word of the Week, or a word which exemplifies the mission to them. Check back each week to hear more about how Christ met our N:N missionaries during their time in Nigeria.

This week, Anawim Home team leader Gin Gin Diokno shares on her experience.
Word of the Week - Heartwarming
To me, the mission was remarkably heartwarming, demonstrating time and time and again the true essence of our collective humanity. From this, I saw exactly how Christ calls us to live. Summed up best in Matthew 25:35-36, He teaches...

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of me, you did for me."

Information Sessions

After all masses during the weekend of March 10th/11th, we will be holding brief Information Sessions for all those interested in learning more about Nativity's summer missions. Whether through the Anawim Home, Faith Alive Hospital, or Home Team, we invite you to serve in this year's mission team. Come hear all about Nativity:Nigeria 2012!