Good morning all!
It feels like everything is changing and the world will never quite be the same again. However, the seasons are not affected and our rains have just gotten started in earnest. I think this is a good reminder to me that the seasons are not the only thing that is not changing. Our God remains the same. He is still our Rock of Salvation!
Things have changed a bit in Nigeria since our last update, there have now been 276 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Nigeria with 6 deaths. There are still no cases reported from our state, Plateau, which we are thankful for. The governor of the state has however announced a total lockdown from midnight last night (Thurs 9th) until 11pm Wednesday 15th. During this time we will not leave our compound. Our office closed almost 2 weeks ago so we have already been working from home since then. We are well stocked up with food and other supplies so not anticipating any major issues with this lockdown for us. Please do pray for those who do not have the resources to stock up or who rely on daily work to earn money, they will be hit hardest by this measure.
Dan is generally doing well with virtual schooling. Thankfully he is old enough to be able to work independently and not require (too much!) chasing. He has had a large project that has taken a lot of work so it will be quite a relief when that is handed in! (Should have been by the time you read this!)
Tim has been busy with virtual meetings. He is having to work out how to compensate for the fact that when the office was closed we had to cancel some key meetings for all staff that were a vital part of the planning and budgeting process for next year. Tim has also had an informal interview with the Area leadership as the next stage in the selection process for SIL Nigeria Director. We are still not sure when the decision will be made as there are many other things demanding the Area leadership’s attention at the moment!
In the mean time, work continues in many of the language communities we work with. The Duya New Testament is almost done. As part of the finishing stages, it is required to be reviewed by the Duya community. The review committee are meeting every week not just is one location, but moving from village to village to enable wider participation. Every village they go there is great joy as people hear God’s word being read in Duya.
‘“The message in Duya is clearer than in Hausa” is what we hear in almost every village every week as we meet for review.’). Christopher, Duya Literacy Coordinator and one of the reviewers
Pretty amazing that folks engaging in the process are being impacted even before the work is done.
At home, we are also having to balance increased housework as we asked our house-help to stay home in order to reduce both our and her exposure to others. We have always appreciated all her hard work and the fact that it enables us to focus fully on our work. This time without her is really reinforcing that appreciation! If you can, please take the time to pray for us. If you have any specific prayer requests for us to pray for you, please do let us know!
Praise Starting to get into a workable routine of working from home. Tim had a good interview with Area leadership Prayer Provision for those who will be badly affected by the lockdown Peace in Plateau State and the rest of Nigeria as the situation develops A good work-life balance in our new “normal”
