It's the terrorists' fault that my visa was delayed

Yesterday morning I got the email I've been waiting on for 2 months (7 months total for everything), containing the last of my missing paperwork!!!

I sat there in shock and just cried. I'm not sure why..I knew it would come eventually. I had been praying earnestly about it as I got ready for work that morning. I think it was just the realization that this was one of the last hurdles that lay between me and Nigeria and I couldn't believe that my agonizing days of waiting were over. They were tears of joy and thankfulness. I would never have sat and cried at being overwhelmed with the goodness of God had my visa came when it "should have"(my timing).

I am just in awe at God's perfect timing. Ha, again, I don't know why! Besides being able to get more involved with my church, deepen relationships, and grow in my walk with Christ during all this time, it's perfect because my friends, who's son I've been watching part time, only needed me until next week when school is out (she teaches part time) . I don't believe that was a coincidence at all!

So, as of yesterday, the Nigerian embassy (in D.C.) has everything they need from me and I'm just waiting for that stamp of approval (I won't mention how my worry about waiting has now transferred to worrying about it possibly getting denied. Will I ever learn?). I probably won't reset my departure date until I've heard it's been approved but it will probably be mid to late June.

Ok, where the title of this blog comes in is in the email I received with the scanned documents (from Nigeria): One of a few excuses he used for the delay was that the jihadist militant group, Boko Haram, was to blame for some of the delays because they were a "menace". I don't take lightly what the BH are doing in Nigeria (they actually declared a "state of emergency" in 3 Nigerian states today) and it could very well be true, but I just had to laugh.

But, if God is for me, Satan and the terrorists can't keep me out of Nigeria, right? :)

Thanks for everyone's prayers and encouragement lately. I'm praying that the visa is approved and sent to me soon! Happy day! Would you please pray along with me?

Got/get to be here to see Meghan receive her Masters, Ali her HS diploma,
and my dad his Bachelors. Aren't they precious? I'm so proud of them!

Highlights of my time at CIT

So much happened during my 2-week stay in North Carolina that I felt too overwhelmed to try to put it in words. But at the same time I can't not say anything. I'm convinced that one of the reasons my visa was delayed was so I could take this class, learn what I learned, and meet the people I met.


Here were just some of the highlights:

• On Sunday I was the first person to have arrived for the new course-there were many still there from a previous course that were staying for SLA. I was invited to worship with the other students who decided to have their own church service that day and it was a great start to the course between the awesome worship (led by a couple going to Ireland to train worship leaders) and getting to know some of the students who made me feel so welcome. I got to go out to lunch with the couple headed to Ireland and a family heading to Thailand-I had forgot what it was like to be around other people who are going through the same journey as me and it was so encouraging.

• Every morning of class began with an in-depth devotion, worship, and prayer. This was unexpected and made such an impact on learning the rest of the day. We were reminded throughout every day that we can only do this by being dependent on Christ and we were poured into and challenged on a level that I hadn't been since Bible school.  

• Meeting and living with 3 other single women-I had been nervous before going that I might not get close to anyone-2 weeks is a good amount of time but can you really bond with people in that short amount of time? God answered that prayer in the most amazing way. To be around other single ladies on the same journey, struggling with the same things, was such a God thing. By the end of the 1st week we were all cooking and eating every meal together, sharing very personal things and struggles and praying earnestly with and for each other. It was so beautiful and those ladies probably don't know how much they each impacted me. These ladies are not going to easy countries either. They are risking and sacrificing a lot to take the gospel to unreached people and I would love if you would add Alison, Joan, and Christy to your prayer lists. 

My badge for the course..so official! :)

• After classes and on weekends we had free time (although homework took up a lot of it) where we had bonfires, potluck dinners, movie nights, a day in the crazy-hip(pie) city of Asheville (where we got to go to a place called The French Broad Chocolate Lounge: it was more amazing than it sounds!) and much more! 

• All of our teachers were amazing! They had all learned multiple languages and had done some type of ministry/living in another country. So their experience, advice, and stories were invaluable. One of them was even told that she should choose a different country because she had scored so low on her linguistics aptitude tests. She went on to learn Bulgarian and Polish. She learned it because she was motivated and felt called to go to Poland...as a person without a high aptitude for language learning, this was so encouraging!             

• I got to have authentic food from: Liberia, Indonesia, Thailand, Italy, and India...just to name a few. Ya. It was awesome.

• Phonetics class, although challenging, was so beneficial! There are some ka-ra-zy sounds out there that I don't think I could ever reproduce but it made me aware of a lot that I can do and questions to ask when I come across unfamiliar sounds. Like, "where do you place your tongue when you make that sound?". Weird? Maybe, but you better believe I'll be asking! Each of us also received a chart of all the different sounds/consonants/vowels that our desired language has so I could start practicing some now...

The Blue Ridge Mountains were gorgeous!

• The teacher that taught us Phonetics was on staff at New Tribes when I attended there! This was only the second time she has taught for CIT..how awesome is that! It was so good reconnecting, hanging out, sharing meals, and times of prayer with her! 

•  I mentioned prayer being a big part of this time, but the highlight would be when us single girls, the single guys (we lived in adjoining dorms while the marrieds lived across the road), and two of our teachers got together several night in a row to pray specifically for and lay hands on each person. This is one of (sadly) few times where I felt God's presence in a group of people in a very powerful way. Maybe it was just me, but God really spoke to me during those times and even gave one man some words to say specifically to me that  I know could only have been from Him (this guy barely knew me). 

• As a way to get hands-on-practice for the methods we were learning (to learn a language), we were split into groups on the first day and assigned a language and Language Helper that we would be with the rest of the course. I was with 3 other people and we were assigned the Tagalog (Filipino) language(others learned Russian and Cebuano). Our LH grew up in the Philippines but had moved to N.C. with her American husband. We learned how to make our own lesson plans and teach our LH how to teach us (in this method, we are the ones in charge of our language learning). It was good, challenging, frustrating, and encouraging. We all absolutely LOVED our LH! She was hysterical, so full of energy, and so sweet. It's very neat that CIT uses these people from the community that benefits them and the students.   

Outside the classroom and offices

• Leaving this course full of motivation, a deeper faith in Christ, confident that I can learn another language fluently, and with new friends, soon to be scattered across the globe taking the gospel to the lost, was more than I set out to gain!

I apologize, I made it as brief as I could! 

I'm so grateful to my supporters who made it possible
and so thankful that God orchestrated the perfect timing of this and that He didn't answer my prayers
 (at least in the way I wanted Him to) 

and allow me to be in Nigeria when I was supposed to have been. 

Once again proving to this selfish girl: His plans are better than mine!

*Unfortunately I can't post any pictures of people because of the sensitive areas they are heading to

killing chickens, driving motorcycles, & a trip to the east coast..

Since having all of this time of "limbo" with not knowing when I'll be able to go back to Nigeria, I've had some time to think..well a lot of time to think, and I thought it would be fun to make some goals for myself (not completely related to ministry), some fun some not so much, for when I'm back. And I'm purposefully taking the risk that one of you will ask me about them by posting on here. So here goes...

My goal is to:

-kill, pluck, and dismember a chicken. I just feel like I'm not a real missionary/expatriate living in a third world country until this happens. Mind over matter, mind over matter...

EVERY part is used

-be able to cook perfect rice. This shouldn't be that hard. But I suck at it! I can't live in West Africa and not be able to cook rice!

Jollof rice is a very popular spicy dish

-learn how to drive a motorcycle. Not gonna lie, this one totally scares me but it needs to happen! And that doesn't mean I'm intending to drive in the ridiculously horrible African traffic, but if I have to in order to save someone's life or something, I'll know how.

See why I'm hesitant? Safety isn't a huge concern. 

-find someone to help me (more formally) learn Igbo (the language of the area I'll be living in). It sounds easier said than done. I need to find someone who is willing, has the time and patience, is consistent, and can help me learn in the way I need to learn.

-not be intimidated to speak the local language, even when I know I'll get it wrong. One thing I never anticipated was how humiliated and intimidated I would be to use their language. The nationals don't make me feel like that, in fact they are really encouraging and pleased when you try to speak their language, even when you do mess up. I really have no idea why..I guess I'm more self conscious than I thought. Boo.

Igbo is a tonal language with over 20 dialects

-learn the most effective way of washing clothes by hand, getting them clean, without rubbing my hands raw. If you have any useful tips, please let me know.

talk about a workout! 

I'm sure I will add to this list in the near future. Wish me luck! :)

Center for Intercultural Training     

                                              

Through a great opportunity and some fast work, I'm heading to the tiny town of Union Mills, North Carolina  this Saturday. I'll be taking a 2 week long, Second Language Acquisition course. 

Here is the course description:

"This course introduces a wide variety of skills for successful language learning. Participants will learn principles of effective language learning, practice language learning activities, and train the ears to hear and the mouth to reproduce sounds in other languages. They will learn to become pro-active in language learning and acquire resources to help master language learning. Participants will practice language learning methods with native speakers and receive planning guidelines on how best to approach language learning when on the field."

I'm really excited that all the details for this came together so quickly and I'll be able to use some of my extra time here to gain some skills and resources and meet some people that will be serving in places all around the world. And as an added bonus, I found out after registering that a former teacher from Bible school is teaching the Phonetics course as a guest teacher! It will be cool to see her and know someone there. 

I'd appreciate you keeping me in your prayers during my time away. Pray that I would get as much as possible out of the course and that it would be a refreshing and encouraging time away. 

Thank you for your part in my ministry and for letting me be a part of your life!

When is she leaving already!?

I'm laughing at my last post from 2 months ago with the title: "Visa Progress!"

Haha.

Since I'm moving to Africa and have already spent 8 months there, I should expect this kind of...time frame. For lack of a better term. "Hurry up and wait" would accurately describe my last 4 months. *Sigh*

If you read my last email update or talked to me a few weeks ago, you probably know that I was really struggling with what to do about my visa situation. At that time we weren't hearing any encouraging news that  the requirements for my visa were even being worked on at all or would be in the near future or at all. So in my fervent prayer on the issue I decided that I would wait one more week to see if we heard that they were working on my resident visa and if not, I would apply for a tourist visa (not ideal at all but would allow me to be there soon) and in 6-8 months I would be able to apply for a resident visa through APOH.

Such a headache over this little piece of paper!

 During the week's time I prayed that God would make it clear one way or another. Some of you prayed with me and I am so thankful to you. I got my answer just a few days later when we got an email from the president of the organization in charge of my visa stuff saying that he had instructed someone to start working on it right away (never mind the fact that we started this process in November! moving on..). So God answered my prayer: Wait here for your resident visa. Be patient and trust that this isn't a surprise to me and you'll still get there. Make the most of this time!

So, what's a person to do when they already quit their job in anticipation of leaving when they were supposed to?

It's hard to make out but my sweet co-workers did this on a huge window
at the coffee shop with the shape of Africa. They're the best!

Well first off, since I went through a travel agency there is no extra expense for me to change my travel dates. HUGE relief! (www.ministrytravel.com in case you're interested. I've gone through them many times and they are wonderful.)

At the end of January I spent 4 days in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area where I got to see many good friends. One friend even drove up from Austin to meet me there. I stayed with the Starlings where I got to catch up with a few people who share a love for APOH and it was such a fun time of reminiscing, sharing dreams, concerns, ideas, and encouragement. I attempted to help with organizing and packing the many many donations from sweet people in the states to take back to Nigeria.

How do I choose which books to take in my 150 lbs?

The rest of the time I've been intermittently packing, organizing, buying supplies, moving stuff to storage, reading, and  my favorite part, getting to spend quality time with so many friends that I definitely wouldn't have had the time for if I had left on my original date.

God's also been using this time to challenge me in many areas and encourage me in so many ways and through many people. He's used this time to show me that He's taking care of me through a couple difficult things and to increase my financial support. So all in all, although it's hard not to be there already, I can already see how God is using this limbo time for good. And so I wouldn't change it if I could. 

Thank you everyone for your prayers, encouragement, giving, and concerns. It's so felt and appreciated. I'm reminded that we are all a team. A team with the same goal: that the world will know Christ and that He will be glorified. No matter what part we have in that, God is getting the glory and I am just so in awe that He even chooses to use us at all!

*Since I will be here until the visa comes in (3 weeks minimum), I still have time to see you! Let me know if you would like to have dinner, get a coffee, have me babysit, whatever! :)

Visa progress!

I just wanted to quickly let you guys know that there is progress on the Visa front...finally!!

I would go into more detail but I should probably be sensitive to the fact that I'm at the mercy of a certain country's decision if I can live there or not and this is a public blog:) 

So, I'll just say that I'm so relieved that progress is being made!

Apparently I have been approved by the Convention to be "invited" by them and I'm just waiting to hear the rest of the documents and info they need. Today I got a whole bunch of things (certificates and the like) notarized and scanned that we will be sending to them and eventually I'll have to mail in all the actual documents to the embassy. 

Thank you for the prayers and I'd appreciate that you continue to pray that everything will be processed and communicated quickly, especially with the Holidays coming up. 

Thank you so much!

Prayer card rejects

So last week me and my dear friend Lindsey, who is leaving for PNG as a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators next month, decided to have an amateur "photo shoot" to hopefully get some good pictures of each other for our prayer cards.

Let's just say that I am:
a. not photogenic
b. really bad at posing (somehow I can make every picture look like those horrid pictures we had to take in middle school..you know the ones with your arms folded and your back against a prop?), and,
c. not able to take it seriously when people are taking pictures of me

So needless to say, we had a blast. And I thought it would be funny to post some of the rejects (which were many. not due to Lindsey's photography skills but because of the previously mentioned reasons). So here ya go!

           

This one is mostly funny because of our creeper in the background who offered to
take a picture of the both of us right after this...thanks man!

Oh ya, remember when I said I was bad at posing??


I wasn't kidding.

Lindsey is really funny

"I'm moving over there..to Nigeria!"

Well I won't torture you with more (so many more!)

I will just say that I'm thankful for Lindsey's patience and her friendship!

Now Lindsey is most definitely photogenic!:)

Burdened to pray for YOU

I have been convicted for a long time now about my prayer life. I believe in the power of prayer and know that it is a HUGE part of our walk with God yet it has been lacking so much in my life. 

At least the "pray without ceasing" kind. 

For some reason, I have been extremely burdened today to pray for people. Some God has just put on my mind, some I had already promised to be praying for and others have asked me to pray for specific things.

All this to say, if you have anything that I can be praying about (and not just today) I would really love to take it to our Heavenly Father. It can be the smallest thing or something really huge. He cares about them all and no matter what we're praying for or about it is bringing us closer to Him and building our faith. If you would feel more comfortable emailing it to me, please feel free to send it to:

 2.20gal@gmail.com or Brittni.Poore@urmyhope.org