May 22, 2006
Dear Family and Friends,
This first month living and serving in Nigeria has been full of amazing and wonderful experiences: making new friends, visiting churches, learning how to help manage a clinic in an environment lacking most basic resources, caring for the sick, playing with children, sharing from the Word of God, teaching nutrition and health classes, doing HIV/AIDS education at a mosque, praying with those who are suffering, and rejoicing with the joyful.
Thank you for continuing to pray for the construction of the new Faith Alive Hospital building. God is blessing both the work and the workers everyday. Some of the treatment teams began seeing patients in the first floor this morning, which is a big improvement.
There will be six university students from Berkeley arriving next week to spend two months volunteering in the clinic. Some will be living with me and some downstairs with Adam. Pray for us, as we seek to share the good news of God’s love with these visitors.
The Skills Acquisition Ministry began a new set of sewing, knitting, and computer classes last week and is quickly outgrowing their space. Dr. Isichei has located a bigger building near the clinic for the classes and the transitional living housing. He is currently negotiating with the owner and arranging funding to purchase the property. Pray for God’s guidance and provision as we seek to meet the needs of this expanding outreach ministry.
Final preparations are underway for Faith Alive’s 10th Anniversary Celebration June 23rd to 25th, which includes a skills class’s graduation ceremony, a concert with 4 Nigerian contemporary Christian groups, presentation of a medical research paper, and two special worship services. Many visitors will be joining us to celebrate God’s blessings together.
Thank you again for supporting us with your prayers and gifts.
Your sister in Christ, Biana.