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27 January 2005
Hello to all of you!!!
Happy New Year to all. I hear that the winter has hit the U.S! I am amazed how little we hear of anything outside our area. We huddled around the TV in town to hear and watch the rescue from the Tsunami, but besides that, we are pretty isolated here.
Where do I start? I hope to send you all the best news and stories, pictures and prayer needs for the upcoming year as I greet you and ask for the same from you.
Let me start here by letting you know that I am trying to get help with my lost address book and the way mail goes out of here so that I can keep in contact with you. I need a computer tutor!!!!!! Even our missionary friend is stumped as to why my address list continues to get lost in the computer most days. So I am trying to start over with all my entries. Please bear with me and pray for my communication needs to be met soon.
Our Mission here in Jos is everything and more that we talked about together. We are watching as the young teen girls make daily progress in their vocational training and academic lessons. The greatest progress is their spiritual and social advances. We see very shy and inexperienced young teen girls acquire understanding, courage, patience, dignity, and joy and hope as we carefully take them through life’s lessons every day. I will have progress reports and stories coming soon. The orphans we take in, we will get 6 more this week, are no longer orphans. They have a family here, brothers and sisters, mommies and aunties and uncles and a great Heavenly Father. They too come to us without language skills, social skills or often times even the ability to use their limbs as they often come malnourished and badly neglected, yet within months, they develop miraculously and are showing signs of bonding and healthy responses in all areas. The work here is non stop and my favorite part of it is that we have so many children in need who respond to love and attention, discipline and stimulation. We have mommies, women from the local villages, who have dedicated their lives to become the national, real mommies to these kids and we are beginning to seek mentors from the community for our teens that will soon move into the working world.
This is real, “hands on” satisfying work and our team of co-workers, Missionaries and Nationals, are full of purpose and diligence. I have a lot to learn to meet the demands of daily life here, yet I know that I already fit in and serve a great need.
Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts and if you can, drop a letter in mail [If interested in mailing Judy a Letter, please leave a comment for this entry with your name and email so that you can get her mailing address]. I sure would love to hear from you and hear all about your comings and goings. On Tuesday, just like in the service, we have mail call. I sure need to get called.
If you are inclined to send any news clippings from the paper, interesting pictures of yourself or of the family, please do so.
If you are one who would consider sending tapes of weekly sermons, music or even movies, they too would be most welcome. We share them between ourselves here. They could be sent to the same address with the following ideas for safe arrival.
Mail in a padded manila envelope average letter size or legal size rarely requires us to pay any duty. No food stuff at this time. I would rather, at this time, just get some good news and pictures and music. (I have heard that rats in the local post office nibble on anything with a pleasing taste, so some have said that if you put scented dryer sheets in the envelope, the rats stay away.) That is why I won’t ask for any food stuff yet. If you have questions, let me know.
I am just beginning my third month here with Rafiki. My ears are beginning to hear Nigerian English much better and I find myself singing a lot more than I ever did. Singing and work go together here. When we sing worship songs from the hymn book each morning, I know the girls cannot read the music, so where does all the harmony come from? It is a natural talent. I noticed the same thing with the choir at church. All they have are the words. No notes to follow. And yet, I hear 3-4 harmonies.
I praise God for the way He works this all out for the good of those he brings here. For providing for our needs as we work each day’s details out. For keeping me healthy and strong.
Please continue to pray for the new orphans to arrive and for their adjustments as they begin their new lives here.
For our spiritual and emotional and social growth and adjustments as we learn a new way of life and service with all new people and situations.
And please pray for more people to answer yes to the call on their hearts to inquire about how they too can help through the Rafiki Foundation. www.rafiki-foundation.org
Until later, I am joyfully serving in Jos,
Judy Stokes
Posted by libbystokes at February 6, 2005 09:37 PM