Introducing...My Class!

Such a large part of what I do here in Nigeria revolves around my class, so let's get acquainted!

Don't be mislead, most days the kids wear what every other kid in the US wears, jeans and t-shirts, but this was a special occasion, so they wore their ethnic clothes.

Even I now have an onkara dress to wear!

So let me introduce the kids, starting with the girls...

Yuvasri: (pronounced something like you-wash-ree) from Indian and is such an incredibly sweet girl with a servants heart. She is always doing the small acts of service...the kind of things that no one pays attention to, like cleaning the board at the end of the day, or making sure the lights are out.

Tolu: short for Toluwanimi. Was born in London, but has grown up in Ibadan. Tolu is blessed with an amazing voice!

Subomi: (pronounced shu-bo-mee) she is fun-loving and always has great ideas.

Issraa: sweetest, quietest girl in my class. She came straight from Lebenon at the beginning of the year, and even though she struggles with the language, she's one of the hardest workers I have. Also, she loves to write poetry.

Tomi B: My sweet Tomi. She always starts the day with a hug and ends the day with a hug. Although she is Nigerian by blood, Tomi grew up in Italy and still struggles some with the language. Today, she was just voted as our class president!

Eli: (pronounced like Elly, short for Elizabeth) is half Nigerian and Half Japanese. She came last year to Nigeria to get to know her Nigerian roots and her dad's side of the family better. She is still learning English, but I know she'll learn it through the interaction with all of her friends.

Karen: sweet Karen. She's gentle and soft-spoken.

Favour: Favour is another sweet loving student. I know I've said that of all of them, but it's true, I have some pretty great kids!

Himanshu: is fun loving. He came from India several years ago and although he speaks well, he's still getting a handle onthe  English language.

Eni: (short for Enioluwafe) is the brain. He loves learning and is a joy to teach. He's new this year to the school and has been such a great fit.

Benji:(short for Benjamin) is South African who has been living in Nigeria for most of his life, however, he will be heading back to live in SA after Christmas. We'll be sad to see him go!

Tade:(short for Omitade) is best friends with Yoel. He might like to show his "tough guy" attitude, but he's also soft at heart.

Javeeth: is from India and has one of the most beautiful smiles that lights up a room(not sure why he's not smiling more in te picture). He is always kind and looks out for others

Yoel: is half Israeli and half Nigerian. Also another fun living student. As I said, he's best friends with Tade. Somehow the two of them are like magnets, no matter where I've placed their seats in the classroom, they always seem to gravitate towards each other.

Tomi A: Tomi is from Nigeria and an excellent student. I can always rely on Tomi to give an answer in class 

And that's my class!

God of this City

This morning I went running. My least favorite part of my run is towards the end when I'm slowing down and I'm hot and sweaty. At this point I have to leave the nice quiet side road and go back to the crowded dust covered gravely road with the petrol fumes getting in my lungs as I try to breathe.

Anyway, the point is, it's usually not my favorite part of the run. This morning was a little different. Just as I was passing by all of the lizards sunning on the pavement, scampering into the overgrown grasses and ready to hit the major road again, a song by Chris Tomlin came on my iPod, "God of This City." I know I quoted him last week, but he really does have some great songs!

The song came on with perfect timing. I had a hazy(ahem...polluted) view of Ibadan this city I live in, and I was reminded again of God's faithfulness. He is the God of this city! Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city.

God of this City

You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city

-Chris Tomlin

Eid al Adha

In the mornings I have about 10 minutes with my 6 grade class to make any announcements, lead a short devotion with them and pray before the day gets started. Because I have such an eclectic group of students with Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu backgrounds, I thought I would teach the gospel story by going through the Bible. We started in the beginning and have just made it to Abraham. We've been looking at God's promise to Abraham of both a son in his old age and  also that he would be the father of many nations. 

Today we got to the passage in Genesis 22 where God tests Abraham's faithfulness in being willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. I tried to point out the parallels to the kids of the Son  who was sacrificed for us. God provided a ram that was the replacent sacrifice, but because if Abraham's faithfulness, he is blessed richly. God want our complete trust in Him, but it took the death of his only Son for that to work. 

I thought it was really interesting to note that several times in the passage, God tells Abraham to take his only son (Gen.22:2) this is reiterated again in verse 16 "your son, your only son.." Again there is the parallel to God and the sacrifice if His one and only son Jesus Christ, but what confused me was the fact that Abraham already had another son, Ishmael.

God's promise to Abreham of making him a mighty nation was not through Ishmael, but through the son of his promise, Isaac.  If you go back to Genesis 21:12, God says to Abraham, "through Isaac shall your offspring be named. "

This Bible lesson could not have been planned for better timing because this past week Muslims around the world  celebrated the holiday, Eid al Adha (aka Id el Kabir).  Islam claims Abraham as their forefather, but unlike the Christians and Jews, it is not through Isaac, but through Ishmael. This particular holiday celebrates God providing a ram right as Abraham is about to kill Ishmael. Talk about crazy and backwards. (Evidently the angel Gabriel told Muhammad to change some things in the ancient scripts)

Muslims throughout the world still make a yearly sacrifice in remembrance. On the one hand, I feel as if I've been privileged to have just a glimpse of what it would have been like in Jerusalem during Jesus's time as people came to bring their sacrifices of atonement. On the other hand, my heart has been so burdened by the thought that these people still live in bondage. It is a works based religion where they must make this yearly sacrifice, when the one, true sacrifice has already come once and for all! 

For the past several weeks the city has been overrun with male sheep and goats. All the throughout the city you would see herds of these animals on the side of the roads, while small tents have been pitched for the shepherds or people overseeing the animals. 

Being a country with a high Muslim population, on Tuesday and Wednesday, we had a national holiday which meant no work or school for most people. 

So we took advantage of the break and headed to the beach. On our way to Lagos on Tuesday, we got to drive past villages where half of the people were dressed up in there finest onkara and were headed to the local mosque. Later, as we were driving home, I could see barbecues set up with the goat meat roasting over the coals. 

Goat kebab anyone?

Face to Face

Chris Thomlin has a really great song titled, "Your Heart," about the life of King David.  

The refrain goes like this...

"At the end of the day, I wanna hear people say
My heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart
When the world looks at me, let them agree
That my heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart"

The thing I love about David was the fact that He did things wholeheartedly for God and not for his own selfish ambitions. In fact, he would not have succeeded if he had done things for himself. He trusted God so completely that when he was faced with much bigger and more powerful enemies, failure is not even a thought in his head. 

In Acts 13:22 the Bible days that "...God testified concerning him: I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart..."

Wow, how amazing would it be if God said to me, "Liz, I have found you to be a woman after my own heart!" What does this even look like? 

My prayer has often been that I would be a mirror to reflect the face of The Son. When Moses came down from the mount after talking with The Lord, the people of Isreal couldn't even look at his face because it was shining so bright. How apt is it that the Son(sun) is the source of our light?

The thing is, right now we can only be spotty mirrors that give a poor reflection. If you've ever seen an old mirror, or been to the hall of mirrors in Versailles, you know that you cannot see a clear or very accurate reflection because the mirror is old, foggy and worn. The glass is wavy and as much as we try to see the reflection, it's not as clear as the actual object being reflected. 

Our lives are being built to the ultimate climax - CHRIST'S RETURN! At that time, the Bible sad that we are going to be transformed into the likeness of Christ!!

For the time being we are but a dull reflection of God. 

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. "

-I Corinthians 13:12

After the incredible climax is the ultimate resolution. The mirror will be shattered and standing there will be our new bodies, transformed into the likeness of God!

"Now The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of The Lord is there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding  the glory of The Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another."

-II Corinthians 3:17-18

Farthest Oceans

"You have examined my heart and know everything about me... You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do... If I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me and your strength will support me. "

- Psalm 143:1,3,10

These verses have been a guide for me for the past several months. To know that God is the same sovereign Lord here in Nigeria that He is in South Carolina or wherever I may live, is such a comfort. 

Yesterday I got the chance to visit the beach for the first time here in Nigeria and the verse kept running through my head, "If I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me and your strength support me. "

I need this reminder so much right now. Yes, I know in my heart that God has called me here, but there are days that I struggle with missing my family, friends and church back home. Also, the days that I feel most overworked and exhausted are the days that I also feel most dissatisfied. 

This past weekend I got the chance to FaceTime with my two year old niece, Allie Grace. As I was saying goodbye, she leaned in to kiss me through the screen and then said,

"Yiz, I miss you!"

"Oh baby, I miss you too," I replied. 

She leaned in closer, "Yiz, I miss you."

"Well, I miss you too!"

"Yiz... I MISS you!" She said even louder. 

Just as I was saying, "Ok you're going to make me start crying if you say it again." 

She responded by saying even louder, "YIZ I MISS YOU!!"

I didn't realize how much this affected me, but it really did. This conversation with a two year old has made me miss home and my nieces like crazy. 

Even though I may miss the ones I love, God's promises hold fast. He is my comfort and support. The Lord promises to give strength to the weary. 

Just when my weariness was threaghtening to overwhelm me, we were blessed with a two day holiday in the middle of the week!

To take advantage of our time off, my housemates and I took a road trip down to the beach near Lagos. 

What started out as an overcast rainy day, turned out to be the most beautiful day that I've seen yet. 

It rained for the entire two hour drive from Ibadan to Lekke Beach. By the time we parked the car, there was only a slight drizzle and the rain stopped very soon after we got out to the beach. 

We checked into a room at the Hermitage, so that we could have a bathroom and place to rinse off after playing in the saltwater and sand.

There is something special about the ocean. Somehow the sound of the waves and saltwater just seemed to restore my soul and wash away my weariness. 

Several of us took a walk along the beach.  The spots that would be prime real-estate in the US were filled with thatched huts. Debri littered the beach, yet past the rubbish, there was beauty. 

My student, Eli joined us for the day

Even as I walked along, God was still sending subtle reminders to trust in Him. When I get overwhelmed, I want to handle things my way, but as the name of the boat says, it's not my will, but "God's Way. "

While we were walking, the clouds completely cleared and the view became stunning.

Several things that are different about Nigerian Beaches:

1. I've never seen kids completely strip down to play in the waves. 

2. It was the first time a herd of cattle has ever walked past my beach towel. 

3. Never realized really how white I am or how easily I burn, until getting so close to the equator. 

Overall, I had such an enjoyable time! The ride home was also pleasant and provided the opportunity to people watch and observe the natives. 

Blessings!

-Liz