Greetings from a thundery Jos!
The rains have come with plenty of wind and thunder and general dampness. I love the smells at this time of year, so fresh and filled with the promise of new life after the long, dusty dry season. I think sometimes our lives can be a bit like that, parched and dusty and desperate for living water. The challenge in those times is to remember the truth that our loving Lord Jesus is the only one with living water and he is the one we need to seek rather than trying to quench our thirst from other sources. Going to take me a lifetime to really learn that one I expect!
We have been busy since we last wrote.
Tim has been out and about across the breadth of Nigeria if not quite the length! Last time we wrote he had just gotten back from Niger and Kebbi States, in the far West of Nigeria, since then he has also been to Adamawa State in the far East of Nigeria and (more briefly) to Kaduna State, pretty much bang smack in the middle!
All these trips had as their primary purpose to spend some time with key representatives of some of the language communities that we are serving here in Nigeria. In some ways it would be really easy for us to charge in and tell them what we think they need and then just do it. But that is not really how you serve someone. I wouldn't be very impressed if I went to a restaurant and someone just plonked any old meal down in front of me, I expect to be given a menu and given the opportunity to choose what I would like to eat. Not to mention that I know best what kind of food my body likes and needs. But I might appreciate the waiter giving me some guidance, helping me to think through the options. In the same way, we expect the language communities that we are serving to tell us what their needs are, instead of us guessing or providing a one size fits all solution. We may need to give them some guidance as part of that process (as the experts) but they are the ones to make the choices.
Dan is gearing up for some key exams taking place in the next couple of weeks. He will be taking the AP Biology and AP Chemistry exams (roughly equivalent to A-levels) and also the SAT (which is used for college applications in the US and which UK Universities will also look at). Even though he still has another year to go in school, these exams are going to be very vital in terms of his University application. He is considering something science related and has been researching universities in the UK. I (Ali) have been struggling a bit with my health for the last month or so with a lot of migraine headaches. I have been able to get some medication which is helping deal with them once they start but I would love to not have so many in the first place. On the up side it has given me some beautiful times with my Father God when all I could do was sit in a darkened room and pray! We are (almost) on track to travel to the UK on the 29th of May, just need 1 small tweak to the name on 1 of our tickets! We have our 10 day arrival isolation place booked and will be booking our departure and arrival COVID-19 tests soon. I think that this trip to the UK is likely to be quite a culture shock for us as so much has changed in the UK since we were last there, especially due to COVID-19. We do hope to see as many of you as possible but realise that it is likely to be under slightly different conditions than normal. If you would like to see us and we have not yet been in touch to arrange anything, please do let us know and hopefully we will be in your area at some point during our trip and be able to meet up, however you are comfortable doing so!
Please pray for us over these next few weeks of preparations to travel.
Praise
It looks like we will be able to visit the UK, unlike last summer.
Tim has had safe, beneficial and encouraging trips to various parts of Nigeria
Prayer
Peaceful and smooth preparations for coming to the UK for a couple of months
An easing or maybe a better understanding of the migraines that I am getting
Dan's exams to go well and that he can do his best
