We Can

Our NN team had our second meeting on Tuesday evening. Everything is really going well. The team is starting to get some really good ideas going and everyone is so enthusiastic. More people are involved this summer because of the implementation of a home team. It's all very exciting. It was and is the goal of NN to have more people not only aware of the program but who want to be involved in any way they can. As it has been previously stated many times, "you don't have to go to be involved...".


With that being said, I am excited to have the opportunity to return to Nigeria. Both trip teams look great this year. Ed King will be leading the Faith Alive team (the team I am on) this summer. He was part of the Anawim, "Poorest of the Poor" team last summer. Even though we were on different teams, I got to know him at the airport ( lots of waiting!) and on the very long flights. He was so helpful and kind to everyone. He will be a great team leader. Alex Sidlak is the team leader this summer for the Anawim team. He is also a returnee. He is a very nice young man. Please check out the recent posting of the pictures of all the team members - home, Faith Alive and Anawin Home.


I had a lot of response to my prior posting about "feeling like a failure". Many people have shared with me that they have felt this way or are feeling this way right now in one way or another. I want people to know that I do know how hard it is to give right now. Some people don't have enough to even take care of themselves. NN is not really about money. Of course we welcome donations to be able to help the Nigerian people in this way. Our church has an exciting idea for Advent this year. It is about water. It is about clean water. And everyone should have clean water. More about this later. But time is also a way of giving, even if it is just from home. One of the NN goals is to build a personal relationship with the people of the Faith Alive and Anawim Home communities. Whatever you can do is important - in your family, neighborhood, community and beyond. For me, it is always about a personal relationship.

It is also important to me to know I can make a difference as just one person. Don't listen to the voice in your head that tells you this is not true. This is the wrong voice. We need to remember that we are the anointed children of God. He has plans for us and they're better than the ones we come up with on our own. If we can just believe in our heart that because of Jesus Christ, we are already victors.


For anyone who is older - you are not done yet! I realize I am not going to the rocking chair just yet! All we have to do is move a little put of our own safety zone to take a step towards God. And from my experience - He will meet you there - wherever that is. God presents us with so many opportunities in our own life to follow Him, but fear keeps us from moving. Of course we will fail sometimes. It is okay. We just don't want our life decisions to be based on fear. Some of us have been told all of of our lives what we can't do. We are told by the world things like we are too quiet, too shy, too loud, too nice, not nice enough - whatever! For me now, our God is a "can do". It's about inspiration and believing that you are a child of God, not about breaking his rules. We are all part of His great master plan, like a single instrument in a large orchestra. There is a pastor I heard recently who said, "Don't die with the music still in you. You can go farther than you think - no matter what hardship you've gone through or how long. God has put seeds of greatness in you." This pastor asks us to call back the seeds inside of us - call back the relationships we have given up on - and to call back the dreams we've pushed aside.


And to the young members of our NN team - what a blessing to be doing what you are doing with your lives right now! Please keep listening to God's call.


Please pray for our church's Nigeria team - that we may realize that we are a team, and that God can work through us to help one another - just like the different parts of our body. I like learning the origins of the words in our English language, many of which are Greek. At mass Sunday, we were told how the word mass actually comes from "mission - to be sent". The word member comes from the Greek word milos - meaning "to be one part of a whole body".


"In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."
Romans 12:5



Teresa Pompa

The Home Team of Timonium, MD

Betsy Good

single mom of twins - Dan and Katlyn (23) and Tim (18)

Nativity parishioner since 2002

occupation: insurance industry

favorite ice cream flavor: chocolate chip

Pam Mercer

occupation: RN, nurse educator at GBMC

husband: Andrew

two daughters: Claire (9) and Allie (6)

Nativity parishioner for four years

enjoy golf, reading and relaxing at the pool

favorite ice cream flavor: Baskins and Robbins pralines and cream

Mary Stefanski

age: 18

school: University of Dayton

status: single, no children

I like to listen to music and going to concerts. I love to help people out.

I love watching and playing sports and meeting new people.

I also love to read.

favorite ice cream flavor: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

Tina Borden

I am married with no kids and three dogs, flat coated retrievers

I work in Healthcare IT for a company in Towson

my hobbies are my dogs, agility and yoga

I love frozen yogurt - chocolate

Ken Tesi

age: 67

I have three daughters and five grandkids (three boys,two girls all in single digits two in months)

I am retired from the insurance industry

I currently teach Spanish at the Community College of Baltimore County.

My work took me all over the world and I have lived in seven different countries.

I cannot make the trip to Nigeria this time, but I'm willing to support the traveling members in any way I can.

This team of ministers will be helping run lots of things from here in Timonium, Maryland. There are some more ministers on this team and their pictures will be added soon!

Sisters of the Poorest of the Poor in Abjua, Nigeria Team

Becky Zawodny

Sarah Zawodny

Charles Daugherty

Danny Zawodny

Rob Devereux

age:27

single

server at the Dogwood Restaurant in Hampden

will be attending the University of Baltimore in the fall

interests: playing sports, living and loving life and serving God

favorite ice cream flavor: banana walnut chip from Sylvan Beach

Alex Sidlak

Faith Alive Hospital in Jos, Nigeria Team

Gin Gin Diokno

age:42

single

no kids but lots of nephews and nieces

sports medicine physician/pediatrician

besides sports, love to scuba dive, run, quilt and cook

favorite ice cream flavor is purple yam and coconut

Teresa Pompa

occupation: started out as an accountant; ended up as an accounting supervisor for the City of Baltimore Commission on Aging. I decided to be a stay at home mom and have been one ever since

married; husband - Anthony

children: Christopher (12) and Sophia (11)

love being a minister for the Church of the Nativity

enjoy reading, the ocean and any celebration

favorite ice cream flavor: Rita's gelati

Marina Lynch

age: I am 37 years old (yikes!!)

I have been a member of Nativity for four years and serve as the Children's Liturgy Emcee for the 10:30 and 12 noon masses

I am the mother of three amazing kids, Kevin, Nathaniel and Charlotte Lynch,who I love more than life itself

I am an esthetician, make-up artist, spokes model and former nursery school teacher

My interests include: creative writing, competitive running, hiking, nature and music

My passion in life, above all things is Jesus...to know Him, understand Him and serve Him in every area of my life

favorite ice cream flavor: Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia

Rob Douglas

age:40

software engineer at the Space Telescope Science Institute

married; no kids; cats Cassie and Obie

spend free time running; training for marathons

favorite ice cream flavor - anything with nuts and fudge

Greg Strouse

Ed King

I'm returning to Nigeria this year in answer to the call to once again serve God’s Poor. I am particularly looking forward to working along side Dr Chris and the dedicated staff at Faith Alive hospital in their ministry in Jos, and can't wait to see Sister Oresoa with whom I had the distinct privilege and pleasure to serve last year at Anawim Home in Gwagwalada.

Age: 66 (just a number)
Occ: retired US Government (Medicare) Program Manager and Retired US Army Officer.
Married for 44 years to my wonderful wife Mary. We have three grown daughters and nine grandkids, ages 5 to 14.
Interests: Volunteering, serving in Nativity ministries, working out at the MAC, fishin', spoiling G-kids, and dodging Mary's to-do lists. Favorite Ice Cream: Cherry Garcia

The Real Me

The 2009 Nativity Nigeria team met for the first time Monday evening. There will be 12 of us going this year around the first two weeks of August. There are also 6 people who will be helping the team domestically this summer. They are not going on the trip, but will be helping the team by performing many tasks from home.

There was a lot of excitement in the meeting! Everyone is looking forward to their experience. There are different age groups going on the trip as well as helping from home. I met some great people Monday night. I also recognized people from other Nativity ministries, as well as some others' last names. Hi Regina! I did not know your daughter was helping NN out this summer. Sorry, I couldn't resist doing that :-)

The trip destinations are the same as last summer. Half of the trip team will be going to Abuja to the Anawim Home (Poorest of the Poor) run by Sister Oreseo. The other half -including myself - will be going to Faith Alive Hospital and Community Services run by Dr. Chris.

For the first meeting we were just given some brief basic facts about the trip and what we will be doing. I will share more as we go along! There will be pictures of the new team members posted shortly.

Of course I am very excited to be given the opportunity to return to Faith Alive. I am hoping and praying that on this second trip, I will be able not only to learn more, but to help more. I want to be a better servant to the Nigerian people. The first trip was an overwhelming experience. It was almost an explosion of sensations. I needed the processing time before I could even think of blogging, let alone do it. I will strive this August to be able to take more in for the purpose of expressing my thoughts in this blog. I would like to post more personal stories of the Nigerian people. I will pray that I will begin my postings after our return much sooner than I did last year. I also strive to be a better servant in all ways. I want to see, hear and act as a disciple of Jesus Christ not only for the Nigerian people, but for our new team. I want to help our new team. I want to be there for them - not just for information - but to help them through the experience.

I want to share with you today how I felt like a failure to NN when I first returned from Nigeria last August. "What did I do to help?", I thought. I messed it up. We, as a team, were being looked at as the 'guinea pigs' for the future of the ministry. "What did I do or bring back of any use to our church?" My poor communication upon my return only confused matters more. Did anyone ever feel like the bumbling idiot? I'm not sharing this for any personal reasons. There's a real story in here.

After time and prayers, I thought different on this. Some of it has to do with being recognized in the NN blog. Most of it has to do with my friends' prayers. I know some people think of this as positive thinking and hindsight is 20/20. But I'm not a student of that school of thought. Mini-miracles really do happen in our own life if only we can see it or feel it. When we can feel some kind of connection with our God-given purpose - it's like when you get goose bumps for no reason. It's when we admit to feeling like failures and surrender ourselves to Him that we can really grow. We keep going over this lesson as human beings. It is not about us. We hope for more God and less of ourselves as we go on in our life.

It is important for us to see our real reflection in Him.I love this song.It hit home for me. I love these songs because they are like prayers you can meditate on (or even exercise to). Keep reading this blog and you will have a large inventory!

The Real Me
by Natalie Grant

Foolish heart
looks like we're here again
Same old game of plastic smile
don't let anybody in
Hiding my heartache
Will this glass house break?
How much will they take
before I'm empty?
Do I let it show?
Does anybody know?

But you see - the real me
Hiding in my skin
Broken from within
Unveil me, completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There is no need to mask - my frailty
because you see - the real me

Most of life is living behind a mask
so convinced to be the circus clown
I'm tired of the same old song and dance
living a charade, always on the raid,
what a mess I've made
of my existence, that You can love me even now
and still I see - somehow
that You love me just as I am
You're turning the tide of my life
into a perfect tapestry

Wonderful - Beautiful - is what you see
When You look at me.

Please pray for me and everyone on our team as we venture into this new experience together.

Teresa Pompa

From Rescued to Rescuers

Hello again NN blog followers. I'm so glad some of you are following and reading this blog. All glory goes to Him. I did not want to do this at first (as usual!). Then right before Lent, I felt "compelled" to post stories to the NN blog. This is not "Teresa's" blog. It is the NN blog. I don't know about Teresa's blog yet. Right now I hear Him telling me "Focus on this for now".

What a beautiful Mothers Day we were all blessed with. I feel like my children are my heart walking outside of my body. How I prayed so long to be a mother. As many of you know, my children are adopted from Russia. They are a daily challenge :-) and an inspiration to me.

Which brings to mind my past story about the parents who chose to leave their daughter out in the village to die. These were not mothers I met at Faith Alive. The Faith Alive mothers I met were wonderful. I've gotten several questions on it - especially about the mother. The questions were "How could any mother do that?" "There is instinct to motherhood and that story is just horrifying."

Well yes, it is a horrifying story. And I believe there is a true instinct given to us by God to be mothers. But there is evil and there is free will. I think even though these parents were absolutely desperate and starving, they chose an evil solution. Any of us would die to save our children's' lives. What caused this evil choice? No food? Or no knowledge of Jesus Christ?

It would have been a temporary solution to give them more food. Believe me I DO believe in this! I just finished reading a book by Gary A. Haugen entitled "Just Courage" and it explains this so much better than I ever could. He is the CEO of International Justice Mission (IJM) that believes that the fight for justice should be at the heart of all Christians. The author says its understanding that evil is the root of all injustice in the world. All of the points of view he expresses are supported by Scripture. It is hard not to agree with what he is saying. The author calls for all Christians to get out of our "safe havens" and step into the adventure and truth that Jesus called us when He said "Follow Me". The author says this was a call to action! So for the author, the call was to other countries that do not have our democratic form of government. He reminds the reader that there is still horrifying corruption going on in other places around our world. This book helped me so much to define what I already felt inside. Would I be willing to risk danger even though I am a mother? Would I risk danger for a neighbor? Love thy neighbor as yourself !? I won't get on a soapbox. The author says it all too well. Please don't refrain from reading it if your call is not in the missions area. I think the author explains our faith better than almost any other scripture based book I've ever read.

Here's an example. "In different times and in different ways,our heavenly Father offers us a simple proposition. Follow me beyond where your own strength and competencies can take you, and beyond what is affirmed or risked by the crowd - and you will experience Me and My power and My wisdom and My love... He says His power is made perfect in my weakness, not in my strength. And that when we get this when we know we have been rescued out of the darkness so that we can be the light of the world...we can move from being rescued to being the rescuers."

I sometimes saw the desperate need in the eyes of the Nigerian people as they looked at me. There is nothing else like this look. The children ran up to me sometimes just because they could tell I was an American. They think the United States will save them. They think so much of our country. We have helped them. But we are not to give the honor and glory to the United States. Even though this is a great country and it is a blessing to be born here - we are not the saviors of the world. Jesus Christ is. He works through us as individuals to be the light of the world. As rescuers , we are to give the honor and glory to Jesus Christ. To me, this is what helping others is about - it is what missionary work is about. It is not about imposing our faith on others. It is about transforming the life of others and our own as we know our strength comes from Him. As we serve the needy and suffering, we recognize we are all God's children, even if they do not know it yet. When those you are helping (and even people who just observe) see your actions and you claim who your real savior is, it transforms lives.

Everyone who applied to NN is still waiting to hear if we were accepted and what the new trip team formations will be. I'll keep you posted!

Teresa Pompa

Here's My Life

A memory came back very strong today about last year's trip because of our church's courage discussion. The first week, a few of us who went to Jos got sick ("traveler's stomach"). It's no big deal. It lasts no more than 24 hours! Not to scare anybody, but this came back to me.

Midway in the first week we were there, me and Molly (another member of our team) started to get sick. Dr. Chris was so nice to take us back to our own guesthouse, so we could rest. Dr. Blattner prescribes a medicine for us before the trip, that treats this problem.

The next day Molly felt better to leave in the morning for Faith Alive. I felt worse! Jason said I should stay and rest more (we had our own private bathrooms at our guesthouse) :-) Sorry. Anyway, he left me his cell phone in case of an emergency. It's strange about my trip to Africa - just how I wasn't afraid and just concentrated on being there while I there. It's like Tom said from the book. I had tunnel vision. My husband is always kidding me about this "Why can't you do this? You went to Africa!"

This one day was different. This day turned out to be surreal. Here I was alone in another country, feeling very sick. It is temperate weather in August, in Jos, so the windows were open. It was strange to hear the different sounds of the country like roosters, goats and some actually strange sounds. A light breeze was blowing through the windows. The beds were actually comfortable and we had nice blankets. I slept most of the day. When I woke up, I had this intense homesick feeling. I never had felt so alone before in my life. I had a strong feeling come over me.

I got right down on my knees and began to intensely pray. I felt like I got re-baptized. In Acts I, Jesus told his disciples "Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before, John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come upon you."
Acts 1:4-5, 7-8

I listened to this song today on a CD I had not played in a while. It is by Barlow Girls. The words say it better than I can on how I felt when I was afraid, but I surrendered it. Of course, I felt much better the next day. Everyone was so caring, repeatedly asking "Are you well today?" I went back to serving, which is why we were there. Here's the song:

Here's My Life

Once again I said my goodbyes
To those I love the most
My heart feels that familiar pain
As I long for home
Because this road is hard
When I feel so far

So God I'm crying out tonight
Because I've given you my life
But I'm tired and I'm missing what's behind
So once more Here's My Life

On the day you called my name
All that I knew changed
I found witness that yes
I'd never be the same
Though the call is hard
You are worth it all

Even when the tears are falling
When I find out fears are calling
You remind me of the
Words you've spoken over me
Promises I've yet to see
But I know you've come for me
You've come for me.

Teresa Pompa

Turning Point

Here is the beginning of my Nativity Nigeria (NN) posting on the forming of our church's new team for this summer. Already!

On Sunday, all who applied for the trip were interviewed by the NN leaders. I am so excited! It is nerve wracking at the same time too. If you feel the strong pull in your heart to go you just have to pray. It's about surrendering to God again. Like the recent homily on faith, we have to step aside when we feel anxious and just pray with thanksgiving in our hearts for what He has already given us. Yesterday's homily was on courage. A friend who is interested in NN said to me, "How did you have the courage to go last year?" I answered that I really didn't have courage. It was Him. He pulled me to go, carried me while I was there and held me upon my return. I guess this is what Fr. White is trying to teach us. We must not think or act on our fears. We must turn it over to Him. He gives us courage.

I feel so blessed just to have the opportunity to apply again. I've gone through a lot of life changes after returning from Nigeria last summer. I know changes are scary (again courage!?). But I know now that changes, even though hard, are good when God inspired. How do we know God inspired? Well, I'm working on discernment. But for me - He doesn't leave me alone when He's calling me. It's a deep down feeling and it is a peaceful and joyful feeling when I surrender to Him. No one has perfect discernment. No one is perfect but God. We are all works in progress.

I have a strong pull for global compassion. It is where I am called. I also have a strong pull toward women and children - the world's vulnerable population. The Bible mentions many times about "widows and orphans". I feel this is true of Africa which has a lot to do with the AIDS disease. Women and children are left alone to suffer when the men die of the disease.

Whomever would have thought this to be me? A woman of my age with two younger children? Not I ! My fear voice has told me no. It has been trying to tell me that I'm too old - too ungifted - basically not worthy. My trip to Faith Alive helped me with discernment on this as well as the spiritual warfare series our church just finished. This fear voice of unworthiness is never about Jesus Christ.

The message series we just finished on Victory/Courage was awesome! Tom, thank you for the book recommendation in the small group DVD. For any of you who do not know, it talks about how women and children resort to prostitution in third world countries. I saw this in Africa with my own eyes. It is done out of desperation and starvation. On one of our home care visits, the young girl we came to help was already gone. she contracted the AIDS virus from prostitution. Her parents forced her into this to come up with money for food. When Faith Alive tried to help this young girl and gave the parents money to get her to a hospital, they chose to take the money and use it to buy their own food. They put their daughter in the open village and left her to die. Their thinking was she would never get better; she would never survive. They were starving.

I also read a daily devotional by Rick Warren, the author of "The Purpose Driven Life". This is the book that our church read together three years ago. It just happened to be sent to me right after my NN postings ended for the last series. It was the devotional for 4/18, if anyone would like to read it in its entirety. I would like to share a part of it with you:

"There is no substitute for hands-on, real life experience in another culture. Quit studying and discussing your mission and just do it! I dare you to dive in the deep end. It will enlarge your heart, expand your vision, stretch your faith, deepen your compassion and fill you with a kind of joy you've never experienced. It could be the turning point of your life."

Teresa Pompa