The Promotion

Greetings Everyone! I hope and pray that all of you are doing well =)

The past two days have been alot of fun! Tuesday morning when I got to the school... only my second day helping mind you... the person who had been teaching sent me a text saying they were sick and they weren't going to make it that day. So starting yesterday, and again today, I was promoted to the teacher of the class, hah! It's been a blast. The class is so rowdy and I finally understand what all the substitute teachers I've ever had have felt like. All the students try to trick you and get away with things they normally couldn't because your the new guy. I've seen through most of their plots and gotten some work done with them. I've been getting to know Chalida a little bit better and I've gotten to share a little bit of wisdom with him. God has also put another young boy on my heart named Malachi. He is probably the smallest and quietest boy in the class but is very bright. He gets picked on alot by the bigger kids and never really defends himself. I've been watching his back and keeping the other kids off of him. I also got to give him some individual help with one of the math assignments because he got a really low score, but I saw that he knew what he was doing. He was just making the same small mistake on every problem and it was costing him alot of points. I encouraged him and let him know that he was doing a great job, he just needed to look at his work closely. It has been fun to make him smile whenever I see him by poking him or giving him high fives and I can tell it is encouraging to him. So please pray for both Chalida and Malachi over the next few days and that I might be able to encourage them and influence them in a great way for Christ.

My Nigerian outfit is going to be ready on Friday... which I am interested to see, haha. I went to the market last weekend and picked out the material, its a bright green color with patterns on the cloth. The shirt for the outfit is pretty much a long sleeve dress... and then there are very basic pants under it. I got the shortest shirt possible, but it will still be alot longer than I am used to.. but it will be fun to rock out some Nigerian wears.

I have met one of the most amazing people while I've been here at JETS. His name is Jonathan and he is the attendant at our guest house. He is one of the most humble and hardworking servants of God that I have ever seen. He insists on serving us in absolutely ever last aspect of anything we might need. He refuses to let us do our own laundry, he prepares meals when we don't even ask him to, he runs errands for us, he cleans our rooms and the rest of the house... (he reminds me alot of my mother and how lovingly she has served me in these ways for all of my life). I know all these things are part of his job being the attendant at the guest house, but he does them all with such joy and willingness. He lost his mother just last year and his father is a drunk who could care less about it all. He has told us that serving others is what has made it all bearable and that his entire life is based around service and impacting lives for Christ. He is such an inspiration and joy to be around, I've been looking at my own life alot just after seeing him live out his every day for God. He is so open with his testimony and constantly speaks about the joy he finds in Christ. Him and his older brother are both Christians, but he has a younger brother who is a drug addict. Please Please Please pray for Jonathan as well as his younger brother and father. He is finishing his degree at JETS right now and is praying and hoping to be able to attend Asbury in our very own KY for his masters degree. He has no way of funding himself and will struggle through the corruption of the government to get a visa and a passport and all the required things. He is so faithful that if God wills it, he will provide the money and the way for him to get to Asbury. His entire goal for going and getting his masters degree is so that he can return to his Country and make real impact. He doesn't like the hypocrisy he sees in the leaders of Nigeria, and even those in the church. He sees that many of them are fixed on their comfortable ways of doing things and that they care more about processes and paperwork that people. He has a passion that you can see in his eyes to change things in his country and make a difference for his generation and the next. I hope you have gotten a small glimpse of Jonathan from my description, as I said PLEASE pray for him and his journey in life. He would ask nothing more of you!

I would also ask for your continued prayer. Please pray that my view of this world is widened to an eternal perspective so that everything I do will be centered on the will of the eternal God above. Please pray that God grants me his very own wisdom and strength each day I am here so I may fulfill every purpose he has for me. Pray that my ears are opened and that I make time daily to listen and search for the very will of God that I am trying to follow. Pray that my mind is opened to the possibilities that an all powerful and infinite God presents to his people and pray that I don't ever limit God and the work he wants to do. Sorry for the long list, haha!

Please feel free to send any prayer requests you would have me pray for to r.colinw@gmail.com. I would be more than happy to pray for them and get an insight at whats going on in your lives. Until next time... God bless you all!

Grace and Peace from the Comforter and Healer