Send Off & Blessing

Please join us at 10:30AM Mass at Church of the Nativity on Sunday August 1st as we pray for the NATIVITY:NIGERIA team that will depart on the morning of August 2nd. The team will receive a blessing from the parish and we will pray together for our work over the next few weeks.

Bringing Vitamins to Faith Alive Hospital

This week, the NATIVITY:NIGERIA teams sorted and packaged over 300 lbs of vitamins and pain relievers for Faith Alive Hospital in Jos. These were collected by Church of the Nativity parishoners over the last two weeks and will be delivered to Dr. Chris Isichei at the airport in Abuja. Each summer, Church of the Nativity parishoners have generously donated vitamins for this hospital. NATIVITY:NIGERIA has donated over 1,500 lbs of vitamins over the last few summers, providing necessary medication for those recovering from treatment at Faith Alive Hospital. The vitamins are distributed by the hospital staff to those who are malnourished or whose immune systems have been weakened by treatment. Thank you for your continued generosity!

Reflections

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reset on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

All NATIVITY:NIGERIA team members have been given a Reflection Journal, which they will be using in the days leading up to their departure to Nigeria, during their time there, and upon their return. This will also facilitate a daily group discussion and reflection based on the following topics:

• What did you see today?
  
• Where did you see God today?
• What did you personally reflect on using your Reflection Journal last night?

The scripture and questions used in the Reflection Journal will also be posted on the Reflections page daily as a way for friends and family to join in the reflection and study being done by our team members in Nigeria.

Vitamin Drive for Faith Alive Hospital

As in past years, NATIVITY:NIGERIA will be transporting multivitamins collected by the parish to assist patients at Faith Alive Hospital in Jos. Dr. Chris has described this as one of the hospital's greatest needs. The vitamins provide patients with weakened immune systems additional nutrients they may not have in their diets. NATIVITY:NIGERIA has over 1,200 lbs of vitamins to Faith Alive Hospital over the past few summers and will send hundreds more this August.

If you wish to participate, please bring your vitamins to Church of the Nativity during the weekends of July 17-18 and July 24-25 and look for a team member in a NATIVITY:NIGERIA shirt. Please note the guidelines below:

• All vitamins must be factory sealed.
• All vitamins must be over the counter. No prescription medications.
• No children's vitamins.
  
• No gummy vitamins.
• No liquids.
• Expiration date January 2011 or later.

Children Reaching Around the World

As in past years, the kids at Church of the Nativity's Vacation Bible School created a craft for the children at Anawim Home in Abuja. In the past, the children have made small stuffed animals to be distributed to children at Anawim and in the community. This year, the kids decorated reusable cups for everyone at Anawim Home and those served by the Sisters throughout Gwagwalada. Throughout the past year, Nativity has partnered with Anawim Home to provide clean, fresh drinking water to all of their residents and at satellite locations. The children also made small fleece blankets for the children and infants. This gives the children attending Vacation Bible School an opportunity to participate in Nativity's international mission as well as reach out directly to the children at Anawim and continues to be a popular part of kids' week.