From Alabama to Africa

2011-02-20T11:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I don't expect to be winning any awards in blogging. Here are some pictures from the past few months. It is so strange to think that I am scheduled to leave Nigeria in about 4 months. I appreciate your prayers as I make decisions about when I will leave and what I will be doing when I get home.

Our kids had the opportunity to perform at a Christmas celebration with a local TV station. A couple of missionaries and Nigerians taught them some songs and dances. We were so proud. :)

We thought this would be a good idea for a thank you card when people give to Cornerstone. This is in class 1 (1st grade). Of course some of the kids that didn't get to hold a letter weren't so happy.

Karis and Maimaiki. Maimaiki means surprise in Hausa. She is one of our girls that lives in Gyero. I love spending time with her!

Hanging out with Nkarena and Enoch. Nkarena is a staff kid and Enoch is one of our boys.

We came to greet the girls on Christmas. They all got new dresses.

Our last night in Ghana. We had a great time relaxing and wandering around.

Canopy Walk in Ghana

cornerstone kids!

2010-08-31T11:42:00.001-05:00

cornerstone kids is the name of our school in gyero! we wanted something that would remind us of Christ and came upon the verse Ephesians 2:20 where it says that we are the building and Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. we are super busy right now trying to get things ready...uniforms, textbooks, furniture, classrooms, training teachers...so please pray over the next two weeks that God would give us direction, clarity, and energy! Please pray for our staff. We have six teachers and an additional five staff members...(including missionaries)

we covet your prayers and support! if you would like to help financially, please email me at hrlacroix@hotmail.com. hopefully sooner than later i will be writing about some of the needs that we have. we are beyond excited about doing this but realize that it is a huge undertaking and prayer is so important! love! heather

run of the bulls

2010-08-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, four friends and I set out to visit a Nigerian friend of ours at his home near Bauchi. We met Wade when we went on an outreach up north earlier this year. You say his name like wah-dah. He is a missionary as well. He has an amazing story of coming to Christ. I guess all of our stories are amazing! He is a Fulani. Fulanis are the largest nomadic people group in the world, and are about 98% Muslim.
Part of the adventure was getting there! Two of my friends have been to his home before, so we thought they would remember the way...but what should have been a 3 1/2 hour trip turned into a 5 1/2 hour trip! To their credit, Nigeria isn't the easiest place to travel in. There are not a lot of street signs, and the scenery is very different between dry and wet season. When we finally made it to their house, we ate and visited with his family a bit. He has two sons and his wife is about to have another baby. The four girls slept in the same room. We attempted to go to bed around 11, but ended up staying up until about 2 making animals on the wall because of the mosquitos!
The next morning we got up and Wade showed us around his village. Then we went to the Fulani market. We didn't really know what to expect, but it ended up being a lot of fun! They had some cool crafts and cloth. I bought a stick. Sounds weird, but it will remind me of Nigeria and the Fulanis herding their cows. Dustin wanted to get some milk, so we ended up in the section where they were selling cows. They had the cows in a fenced in area, but there were also a lot of trucks coming in and unloading cows. The market was very muddy because of wet season, so we were having to step carefully. Before we realized it, we were in a pretty tight space with hot coals and people behind us, and an angry bull in front of us! There were three guys holding ropes that were attached to the bull's nose and legs and they were having a pretty difficult time controlling it! It was one of those situations where you start to laugh, and then realize, hmm maybe this isn't the best place to be! I don't know who said what or how we decided, but we made a run for it through the mud, crowd, and cows coming in!
Now I can say it was a memorable and fun experience, but I'm pretty certain that I won't be booking my flight for the run of the bulls anytime soon!

Feeling Overwhelmed X 2

2010-07-31T16:43:00.000-05:00

I have been back in Jos for a week now. I took Karenina to the airport yesterday. It was so great to have her here. It's unbelievably special to me that she came here to see and experience my life here. I will post more on her visit soon!
While I was home I got to spend some time with lots of friends and family. It was a great encouragement to me to find that people were interested to hear about Nigeria. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support that I receive from everyone through prayer, words of encouragement, donating supplies, and money. It was special to me that people are interested in Nigeria. I think coming home helped me to realize how much I do love this place. So I was overwhelmed, in a good way, by my time at home.
While I was at home I had the opportunity to share about the school that we are starting at one of our care centers. We are starting a school in Gyero. Gyero is in a village about 15 minutes out of Jos. We house and feed over 100 kids at the care center. They currently attend the goverment school, which is often on strike. If you want to learn more about what we are doing, watch the video that I posted on my blog. We are in great need of your prayers and financial support.
After being on vacation for a month, which I am extremely grateful for, I am realizing that we have MUCH to do before school begins in September. We are currently painting the classrooms and trying to figure out issues like desks, storage, cirriculum, and teachers. We also need to discuss discipline, class placement, schedules...the list goes on!
I am asking you to please be praying for our team over the next few weeks. This is much bigger than us!
Please pray:
**for discernment and wisdom in all the decisions that need to be made.
**for the teachers...that God would prepare them and provide us with the resources to pay and train them.
**the children that will be attending the school...that we be wise about what is most important and meet their needs!

2010-07-04T19:15:00.000-05:00

Kings Kids from Dan McCain on Vimeo.

This video was made to give you a glimpse of one of our ministries in Jos. The kids you see in the video live in a village called Gyero. We will be starting an education center here in September. We are employing teachers for grades K-5. We hope that this will provide some consistent and quality education for the boys and girls. As a part of my support team, I would love for you to be involved in this project. You can do this by praying, donating school supplies, or helping financially. I will be returning to Jos on July 20. If you would like to send money or supplies back with me, please let me know! Soon I will write more about specific areas of need. We are in great need of your prayers.

Sweet Home Alabama

2010-06-17T04:59:00.034-05:00

In a couple of days I will be home for a visit! I am so excited to see my family and friends! I will be home for a month, and then return to Nigeria. My good friend Karenina is coming back with me for a visit. I told her to bring all her things just in case she decides to stay. :)

I sent this out in an email, but wanted to make sure that everyone sees it. If you would like to be added to my email list, please let me know!

Sannu! I hope this finds you well! I cannot believe that I am coming home this weekend! I am excited to share what life has been like in Nigeria over the past year as well as hear what has been going on in your lives.

I am also excited to share about what I will be doing when I return to Nigeria. I am transitioning from teaching at Hillcrest School to City Ministries. City Ministries has care centers around Nigeria for street kids and orphans. My focus will be in a village called Gyero. We are opening an educational center for the 100 boys and girls. We will be employing six teachers to teach Preschool through 5th Grade. We realize that this is a huge project. We would love and appreciate your help in providing resources for the center. Listed on the next page are resources that are hard to find in Jos. If you would like to help by purchasing some of these items, we would be so grateful. I leave to come back on July 20, so if you could get the items to me by July 17, that would be helpful.

We also need financial help. We will be providing six teachers with a monthly salary as well as providing desks, textbooks, and materials for the boys and girls. If you are interested in giving a one time or a monthly gift to the center, you can donate it to my ministry account with a note for Gyero Education. You can give online at http://www.sim.org/giveusa. My account number is 029555. If you have any questions, please email me at hrlacroix@hotmail.com.

Most importantly, please join me in praying for the boys and girls in Gyero! They have come from many different backgrounds and have had unusual and sometimes difficult experiences. We have the opportunity to provide them with a stable and loving environment and quality education. Thank you so much for your partnership in this!

Resources for Gyero Education Center

glue sticks
scissors
cardstock
colored paper
wall stapler
marbles
dice
dry erase markers
crayons
colored pencils
pencil pouches
felt tip pens
calculators
staplers/staples
erasers
flashlights
batteries
pencil sharpeners
children’s books
coloring books
small learning games
stickers
small items for rewards
soccer balls
jump ropes
math manipulatives
educational dvds
inflatable globe
stopwatch
cubes

Pictures from Outreach

2010-05-03T13:39:00.001-05:00

Playing with the parachute!

Ladies waiting in line at the clinic

Having fun before church!

To see more pictures from our trip go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/hrlacroix/SpringBreak?feat=directlink

Spring Break Trip!!!!!

2010-04-20T08:15:00.002-05:00

Over spring break a group of us went on an outreach in northern Nigeria. I was so excited to be able to travel to some different parts of Nigeria and get a real village experience. Our team was made up of seven baturis and six Nigerians. Baturi means white person in Hausa. The first day we drove about six or seven hours. Traveling in Nigeria is quite an “adventure”. Oftentimes the roads are bumpy and the driving is erratic. It’s amazing how you adjust to these things even if they are different than anything you have ever experienced. Restroom breaks include a roll of toilet paper and a “concealed” spot in the bushes. Again, it’s funny how you adjust to new experiences. 

Before we got to the village, I had been told this would be the first time for many of the people to see a white person. When we got there, we spent some time greeting the people. I began to joke around with some of the kids. I was playing with one of the kids, but didn’t realize that there was a little boy behind him freaking out. He obviously had not seen one of me before. :)

Afterwards we spent some time playing with the kids and setting up for a film show. It was so much fun just running around with the kids and trying to think of games that don’t take much explanation. Later we showed a couple of films. It’s cool because they are films that are in their language and they share the gospel through a story.

The next day was Sunday so one of our team members preached and then we set up the medical clinic. It was organized chaos. They received a card to come into the clinic. When they came in they got their blood pressure taken and then saw one of the two nurses from our team. They interviewed them and wrote a prescription for them. Then they moved to the next station where their prescription was filled. The drugs that we had were basic things like Ibprofun, eye drops, malaria medicine, and cough syrup. But these are things that are not easily accessible for people in a village. We also provided everything for free. While some were working in the clinic the rest of us played with the kids. We had a great time trying to teach them some games and our friend Dazaan made it much easier by translating for us. It would be so cool to be able to fluently speak the Hausa language. But even those who have taken one or two classes find it difficult to communicate. I was so glad that we had some Nigerians with us so that they could translate and have some good conversations with people. They were able to pray with and for those who came to the clinic. When we finished up our day, we left and went back to Malumfashi. There is a City Ministries care center there and we stayed there for the night. It was nice to have a shower (bucket bath) and relax. We slept outside and it was perfect weather.

On Tuesday we got up and drove up to the border. We were across the street from the Niger border. We were in the desert! It was so windy and dusty, which was good for us because it kept the heat bearable. We did basically the same set up with the clinic and playing with the kids. We rotated so that we all did some of everything. Before the film show in the evening, we did a puppet show. The kids (and some of the adults) couldn’t figure it out, so they kept running back and forth, trying to see how this was happening. We were in this village for two full days. After the people went through the clinic, they had the option to have someone pray for them. Many of the people did this, and I think it was encouraging for them and for us.

The last village that we went to, was back towards Jos, outside of Kano. We stopped in Kano for a couple of hours, for a much needed shower and a meal at the Pizza Hott. It was hot pizza served in a really nice hut. :) It was good to relax a little before moving on to the next village. One of my favorite parts of the trip was getting to know the Lerosas. They are from Switzerland. They already speak three or four languages and are now busy learning English and Hausa. We had fun teaching them some of the “essential” English phrases like calling a joke cheesy or corny.

We got to the last village in time to set up our tents and go to bed.The next morning we got up had breakfast. Some of the guys went to greet the chief. Greetings are a big deal here, and they wanted to let him know what we were doing. We had a connection with a pastor at each village. The chief of this village did not want us to give out free medical care. So we prayed about it as a group and decided to spend the day playing with the kids and later that evening we had a meal for the church members. We were still able to do a puppet show and show a film.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go and visit these villages. I feel like I had the real “African” experience and I continue to be amazed at the greatness of our Lord. We are such a small part of this world, and He chooses to use us to be His vessel to carry the message of Jesus Christ to our neighborhoods and around the world. Thank you so much for being a part of this. I pray that God would bless you and keep you! I would love to hear from you!

2010-03-06T14:33:00.001-06:00

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:5-6

~What an encouragement these verses have been to me. He is enough for us and we have a beautiful inheritance with Him!~

I was able to spend just a few minutes with these boys. I met them when we were helping do relief work. SIM partnered with Global Relief to help 250 families affected by the crisis. Relief work is an amazing task. I was thankful to be a small part of the work that day.

With all that has occurred over the past two months, I find myself needing a fresh perspective on life here in Nigeria. When I think of my time with these boys, it is a great reminder of why I am here. We talked about what heaven will be like and how there will be no more fighting. Please continue to pray for peace in Jos.

Science Fair

Each of the classes in the elementary school had the opportunity to do a science project. The students shared their projects with other classes.

Selnan did research to find the most fertile soil in his area.

David told some first graders about his science fair project.

Praise and Prayers

Praisefor God’s protection

Praisefor God working in the lives of my students -They have been asking some great questions lately.

Pray for peace in Jos. Pray for the leaders of the city, state, and country.

Pray for the church of Nigeria.

Pray for the next three months of school. We have a lot of material to cover. Pray that the students and I would be focused.

Prayfor my transition from teaching at Hillcrest International School to working with CityMinistriesin an educational capacity next year. (City Ministries operates several orphanages I was privileged to be involved with over the Christmas holidays.)

Thank you for partnering with me. Please let me know how I can be praying for you.

Love in Christ, Heather

How you can help

2010-02-07T15:47:00.001-06:00

My friend Ruth and I had the opportunity to go to one of the refugee camps not long after the crisis. It was a good experience because we were able to hear their stories and how the crisis had affected them. While normalcy is returning to the city of Jos, there still are those who are without basic needs. SIM has set up a relief fund. The immediate needs are food and clothing, and as time goes on, rebuilding homes and churches will become the focus. The relief money will go towards helping Christians and Muslims affected by the crisis, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like to give towards relief efforts here in Jos, go to www.sim.org/giveusa and the project name is Nigeria Relief Fund. The project number is 96038. Thanks!

pray without ceasing

2010-01-23T01:50:00.001-06:00

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement. What a testimony to the body of Christ. The last two days have been a lot quieter. The curfew was lifted till 5 pm. There is still a heavy presence of police and military. My heart is sad for the people here. There is reported to be between 300-500 people killed and over 1,000 injured. There are said to be approximately 25,000 displaced people in camps around the city. We hope to be able to get out and help with relief efforts soon. Many people here live day to day. With this lasting almost a week, they are out of money, food, and water.
Hopefully school will start back on Tuesday or Wednesday. I am anxious about how to process this with my students. Many of them experienced the riots of 2008. Please pray for wisdom as we all return to our ministries. Pray that God would use this as an opportunity to proclaim His faithfulness in this fallen world.
Please pray:
for the displaced people. Pray that they would have access to basic living needs and that they would be reunited with family members.
for those who lost loved ones.
for the church of Nigeria. Pray for wisdom for the pastors and that the body of Christ would unite and boldy proclaim Jesus Christ to this city.
for spiritual awakening in the city of Jos. There are many who don't know the truth of the gospel. Please pray that somehow through this, they would come to know Christ as their Savior.

I am reminded of the urgency of the gospel. I pray that we would all live out our faith. Thank you so much for your prayers. God is faithful and He is everlasting.

Please Pray for Jos

2010-01-20T10:20:00.003-06:00

It's hard to know what to write. I can't tell you what exactly is happening in Jos, because I don't know. For the third day in a row, we have been restricted to our compounds. On Sunday, some violence broke in the city. There are many rumors as to what started it, but we don't know for sure. There is a large population of Muslims and Christians that coexist in the city of Jos. It seems that when given the opportunity, the tension that is between them erupts into violence. News articles are saying that over 200 people have been killed. I think what hits home the most, is that some of the kids in the care centers around the city are close to some of the violence. My friends that live on my compound work closely with these kids. Please pray for peace to return to the city of Jos. I will give you more details when I know more. Please pray that the Christians here would live out their faith.
As for me, I feel safe. We are all together on our compound. We are sharing meals and spending time together. I appreciate your prayers for the city of Jos!
Here is an article from the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012000542.html

I'll fly away....I mean drive away!

2010-01-05T15:06:00.003-06:00

Yes it's true! I finally have a car! In one of my newsletters, I wrote about the need for a car. Someone generously donated towards a vehicle, and I got my car on Christmas Eve! The process was a little different here. I didn't go to a car lot or test drive the car. I put in an order and it only took about 2 months and wala. Driving is an adventure here. It's like a video game. Dunu dunu dunu.

Christmas!!

2009-12-30T15:07:00.005-06:00

Christmas in Nigeria was a lot different from what I am used to-in that despite no cold weather, only a few decorations, and missing my friends and family-it was a memorable experience. I live in an apartment complex with other missionaries who work with orphans here in Jos. They thought that it would be cool to spend the week with the kids. The week started with the 40 boys and 40 girls doing a Nativity play in the village.

The next day, we had a morning of games planned for the boys. Dustin and I thought it would be fun to create a boot camp. Dustin was able to pull off the military role a little better than I was. It was a lot of fun. I think the boys really enjoyed it.

Dustin and I...aka Major Pain and GI Jane

wheelbarrow race

waiting in line for chin chin - reward for finishing boot camp

Later that night, we took all 40 boys to my friend Emma-Louise's house. We ate dinner, watched a movie and they all piled in the living room.

The next day we did some fun activities with them before they headed back to Gyero.

making paper chains with the boys
Karis helping some of the boys make Christmas cookies.

40 boys + 2 SUVs = good picturescactus Christmas treeHanging out on Christmas day! One of the families here had us all over. It was so nice to just chill out.

Christmas was different this year. But it was still celebrated for the same reason. I'm so thankful that Jesus Christ came into this world to give us a hope and life. May you be blessed in the new year!

December!!!

2009-12-14T13:17:00.002-06:00

Wow. I cannot believe how close it is to Christmas! We have 2 1/2 days and then we are out for Christmas break! My kids and I are definately counting down. Hillcrest has been crazy busy lately with Christmas programs. This past Friday, the elementary school had the opportunity to present City Ministries with all the items that we bought for them. The elementary classes held fundraisers to buy things like toothbrushes, flip flops, material for clothes, candy, and food. We were able to raise over 190,000 Naira, which is close to $1,500! It was so cool. Some of the kids from the care centers here in Jos were able to come and receive the gifts. Each group did a song and a memory verse and then some of of their stories were told. I think that it was awesome for the kids at Hillcrest to be able to raise money for these children, and then to be able to see them and hear some of their stories. Many of the kids from the care centers come from difficult and sad situations. It's so cool that they are being taken care of by people who love the Lord and are sharing that love with the children.
Sunday night was 9 lessons and carols. It was a sweet time of Scripture reading and hymns. This Wednesday night is the elementary music concert. I'm excited to see it. They are pretty cute.
I am expecting to get my car by the weekend! I'm so excited! I think it will make a big difference. I'm getting a Nissian Pathfinder. It will be good for driving around here. You can be praying for patience and courage. :)
I hope to do a better job with this over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for reading and thanks for praying. Merry Christmas!

It's been awhile

2009-11-09T11:21:00.004-06:00

Last Friday we had Multicultural Day. The students were encouraged to dress in their traditional dress as we celebrated the different cultures that are represented at Hillcrest. As you can see, I didn't really go all out, but I am supposed to be a "country girl". I think I was pretty excited about being able to wear jeans to school. :) Miss those casual Fridays.

We started the morning with a program and some of the other classes did a song or a skit. Afterwards there were some Tev (tribe in Nigeria) dancers that did a dance.

Then we had lunch together as a class. The parents brought food that represents their home culture. It was a fun day with and for the kids. It's pretty cool to think about the diversity in our class and know that we serve the God who made us all and brought us all here to Jos, Nigeria for this season of our lives.

So I've been here for over three months now. I miss everyone a lot, but I'm pretty sure that God is using this to stretch me and teach me that I need Him. I thought I'd share some interesting and entertaining things that come with living in Nigeria. Hope you enjoy! :)

--Walking downtown is always an adventure. You never know who you will meet or what you will see. Baturi is the word for white person, and you hear it called at you as you walk down the street. It's not meant as an insult, it's just more of an observation.

--The market. Live chickens, the inner parts of cow, some sort of black fish in a circle that smells delightful. The market is lined with shops where you can buy cloth for clothes, basic food shops, and in the middle are stands, kiosks if you will with loads of things like sandals, handbags, pots and pans, etc.

--Motorcycles otherwise known as achabas are everywhere. They weave in and out of traffic, drive on side of the ride, on the wrong side of the road and anywhere else that there is a bit of space. Most of them do not wear helmets. The traffic here is ridiculous, but somehow there is order to the chaos. Not much, but there is some. Even with all this, I am ready to get a car. It will be nice to have the independence again.

Oh yea! I want to share some fantastic news with you. Last month I wrote in my newsletter about the need for a car. I wrote that I would need around $7,000. I found out that someone anonomously donated $7,000!!! I'm so thankful for God's faithfulness. I will let you know when and what I get. It's quiet a long process here, but hopefully I'll have one by January.

Final story for now -- We now have a pet pig on our compound. Long story, but we got it as a gift for our friend Lisa who just got back from a visit home. So we are thinking of keeping it for Christmas dinner. :) mmm bacon.

Hope you are all doing well. I love hearing from you.

Isn't it Cool?

2009-10-21T15:58:00.002-05:00

Isn't it cool how God works? We have praise and worship night on Wednesday nights. Someone usually shares their testimony and we sing and have time of fellowship together. Tonight, my friend Rachel shared and so much of what she said was what I needed to hear. She was talking about the difference between a faith that is dead and faith that is alive. So often I get caught up in my daily needs and desires. I want to grow and go deeper. She shared this poem and I want to share it with you.
"I Will Not Die an Unlived Life"
I will not die an unlived life
I will not live in fear of falling
Or of catching fire
I choose to inhabit my days
To allow my living to open me
Making me less afraid,
More accessible
To loosen my heart,
So that it becomes a wing, a torck, a promise
I choose to risk my significance.

--Donna Markova

My prayer is that God would grow me and that I would make the conscience effort to live in the day that He has set for me. I pray this for you as well.

OBUDU!

2009-10-18T14:42:00.021-05:00

Hello! The first nine weeks has come and gone. I spent all day last Friday conferencing with parents, and then we had a much needed week off for October break. A group of us went to Obudu, which is in Cross River State south of here. The trip was about seven hours, but went very smoothly thanks to Baba, our driver. We were able to have three days of relaxation and fun. It was good to be in a different setting. It was quiet and there was an abundance of fresh air, two things we don't have much of in Jos. We spent two days at the pool and one day of hiking.

School started back today. It was good to seek the kids again. Please pray for wisdom in teaching and that I would point them to Christ daily. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Not sure if you can see what is being carried on this truck. Inside, are cows and up top are donkeys. As well as a few Nigerians.

Our first night there...we ate at "The Ultimate Restaurant" in the village.

Just wanted to make sure that you see how awesome it is. :)

This was our view from the pool. No complaints.

Just a normal day in the village...:)

This is the view from Holy Mountain. There were only a few opportunities to take pictures because of all the fog.

View from our hike. The amazing thing is, is that there are people that live out here. They farm on this land. A bunch of teenage boys from the village came along on our hike. They were wearing normal flip flops and were running all over the place. They helped us by carrying our backpacks and showing us where to step. I was very thankful for them!

We hiked to this waterfall. It was quiet a slippery hike. But it was also quiet a nice view.

View from the President's villa. It was so cool to be above the clouds.

Dee and I on the cable car. Dee is from Texas and she is here to do discipleship with the kids at the care centers here in Jos.

View of a village from the cable car.

The view from the cable car. Amazing view!

Claudia, Karis, and I at dinner on our last night. These two kept me laughing most of the weekend.

Pictures!!

2009-10-04T16:23:00.008-05:00

My class on Independence Celebration Day.

Lisa and I. I am so thankful for her friendship. She's lovely. (I say lovely because she is from England and they say that. It's funny that I didn't really anticipate learning more about other cultures besides Nigerian, but it's been so fun and funny as well!)

Fun night of dinner and fellowship. Thankful for these friends.

Somewhat of a pyramid. My favorite part is the pile of chacos to the left side.

Tara and I (Tara is the first grade teacher. She is an encouragement to me!)

My sweet friend Grace and her husband Musa with their two girls, Jemimah and Sophie.

Experiences

2009-09-29T16:09:00.002-05:00

Over this past weekend, I had the opportunity to stay with a Nigerian family. Their two daughters attend Hillcrest. Here are some experiences and thoughts from the weekend. Hope you enjoy!

--I got to eat lots and lots of Nigerian food. One of the main highlights of living in Nigeria is experiencing superb hospitality. Here are some of the foods that I got to eat: red stew, moi moi, plaintains and rice, pop (corn but in a custard texture), and much more.
--Bucket baths. When you don't have running water, you heat up the water and take a bath with a bucket and a bowl. Thankful for hot water :)
--Got to meet their kaka (grandmother) and grandfather on the other side. What a neat experience that was. I guess it's because you know they hold so much wisdom. They were both very sweet.
--Talent Show Friday night. The older of the two girls was in the talent show. She did a fantastic job. She danced with a friend to a song by Superchick. The song was about needing a mean boy like needing a bowling bowl dropped on your head. :) There was some amazing break dancing as well. Hillcrest is full of talented kids.
--I got to spend time with the girls and hear about their interests. The younger sister wants to be a writer. She is writing a book. Amazing. The older wants to be a missionary. :)
--Cooking lessons from the mom. :) She even taught me to make pancakes from scratch.
--The mom also spoke to me in Hausa some of the time. Great way to learn. Mun gode Allah. :)

There was much more, but I need to rest for school tomorrow. Thursday is Independence Day, so we are celebrating tomorrow. I will post some pictures soon. Love you all and miss you very much. Hopefully I'll be sending out a newsletter this week, and I'll try to post it on here as well. Love in Christ ~ Heather

Recently

2009-09-15T12:49:00.003-05:00

So I want so much for you to be able to visualize what life is like here. The best way that I can think to do that is to describe typical experiences here and hope that it gives you a glimpse of life in Jos, Nigeria. On a schoolday, I wake up and get ready for school. This includes on most days using the 12 volt light system that my parents so generously ordered and paid for. Power here is unpredictable and limited. I imagine that there is a man by a switchboard determined not to follow a schedule. But with the 12 volt system, there is nothing to complain about. But it doesn't power the fridge or the washing machine. So you learn what things to keep in the freezer and to be flexible with the laundry. The school that I work at, Hillcrest, has provided a driver in the mornings and afternoons for the teachers that do not live on campus and need a ride. This has been such a blessing. Especially since I have such great luck with taxi rides. :) I get to school about 7:30,which is nice because the second bell doesn't ring until 8:30. We start with Bible, and then do a whole group reading lesson. At 10 the kids have recess. Nice, right? Then, we finish reading and do math till noon. The kids eat from 12-12:15 and then go play. There is no lunchroom, so most of the time they bring their own lunch. Or someone brings it for them. They can also buy stick of suya (chicken on a stick) or chips (french fries). After lunch we do science, grammar, and writing. On Mondays the kids get out at 2:30. We sometimes have a staff meeting or professional development. On Tuesdays-Fridays they get out at 3:10. On Tuesdays I help with a 9th grade girls discipleship group. I'm leading it with another teacher which is nice. We are leading them through a study on how to be a godly woman. I did a Bible study with some friends last year on Proverbs 31. It was so good, I had my mom scan some of it to me and we are using it with them. They are fifteen lively, opinionated girls, so it's a challenge to plan things that will keep their attention and help them to grow. On Thursdays I take tennis lessons after school. Why not? One thing that the elementary teachers have the opportunity to do is to go on home visits. So I visit each of my students' homes. While it is taking a long time, and it takes up some of my afternoons, I am appreciative of the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their lives. It helps to understand them and their parents better. I have eleven boys and six girls in my class. Five are missionary kids, one is Lebanese, and the rest are Nigerian. The staff at Hillcrest is supportive and encouraging. On Wednesdays during recess the elementary staff get together and pray. On Wednesday nights we have praise and worship with some of the single missionaries around Jos. We have compound prayer on Thursday nights. I don't think I have had two similar weekends yet. Last weekend a group of us went to Styre. Styre is in Bauchi state. It's an old trucking company...I think. Anyway, they had a pool, which was nice. Once you get off the plateau, it gets warmer. We went to a giraffe park on Saturday. We saw a few giraffes and some zebras. Yes, they were enclosed in a fence. But I say it is two steps up from the zoo. 1. Because you are in Africa. 2. Because you get to walk around in the fence. This weekend we have a four day weekend because Monday and Tuesday are Muslim holidays. Shallah I think is what it is called. So I'm hoping to see some of the different ministries here in Jos. I will write more later and try to describe more of what it is like in Jos and what the culture is like. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. I praise the Lord for his hand in each of our lives. God Bless.

First weekend away...

2009-08-30T15:42:00.010-05:00

This past weekend we went on a staff retreat to Miango. It was great to get to know everyone better. We had some great time of praise and worship as well as the opportunity to hear some awesome testimonies. On Saturday we got to go on a hike. It was so refreshing and beautiful. Here are a few pictures.

This is the view at the end of our hike!

One of the many beautiful views on our hike.

These girls are great!

Jayne, Zoe, Grace, me, and Tara.

I took the scenic route

2009-08-24T16:56:00.002-05:00

So I already feel behind in writing on here. I had an interesting and funny experience on my very first day of school. I think I mentioned the crazy traffic here. There are no stop lights or stop signs. Sometimes the traffic people are at the post, sometimes they aren't. So I was excited and anxious for the first day of school. I left in plenty of time because I was taking a taxi and I wanted to get to school extra early so I could be ready to greet me students. It didn't take long to get a taxi, and when I told the driver Hillcrest School, he nodded. To me this meant that this would be the place where he would drop me off. Logical. After we drove past Hillcrest, I began to wonder what just happened and what should I do. There were two other people in the taxi, so I thought that maybe he was taking one or both of them up the road, and then would turn around. I wasn't sure of all the taxi rules yet, so I decided to wait patiently. After about 15 minutes of driving away from Hillcrest I figured I should ask the driver if he would be turning around sometime soon. He nodded. By this point it's about 7:25 and school starts at 8:00. When he finally does turn around, he periodically pulls over to try to pick up new fares. It's now 7:35. I told him that if he would keep going to Hillcrest, I would pay extra. When we pull up to Hillcrest at approximately 7:55, I remind him to pull over, pull out N1,000 (1,000 naira) get out of the car and give it to him, and rush to my classroom. Now, if you are unfamiliar with how much things cost in Nigeria, I'll tell you. A taxi ride from my apartment to Hillcrest is N30. So I gave him a N970 tip. I'm not sure why I did this, but I was so ready to get to the school, I didn't give it much thought. My more seasoned missionary friends thought it was crazy that I paid so much. But they also enjoyed the story. So, two lessons learned before the first day of school. You are supposed to tell the taxi driver when to pull over. Logical. And, living in Nigeria is completely unpredictable. FYI N1,000 is $6. Not a bad price for a good story. You may ask why didn't the taxi driver say something about getting off at Hillcrest. I think there are two possible answers to that. 1. Maybe he didn't understand me. (Quiet possible) 2. Nigerians do not like conflict. He might not have wanted to ask me or embarrass me. Who knows. Thanks for reading!

Saturday

2009-08-15T15:47:00.008-05:00

My friend Grace and I out shopping.

Downtown Jos

Sweet friends. Met at SIM in 2008

Shopping for fabric at the market.

These are pictures from my day of shopping. I am so excited to get some Nigerian clothes made! Hopefully they will be ready in about a week, and I'll post pictures...as long as they look ok!

School has been in session for a week and half. I have seventeen sweet, energetic third graders! They keep me on my toes. Hillcrest School has done a great job at making the new staff feel welcome. They had two huge laundry baskets full of groceries and household items. It was such a blessing. Shopping and cooking here takes a lot more time and planning than at home. You can't just run to Walmart and pick up something. I'm adjusting to instant coffee. Yum. I'll be ready for a latte when I get home. Back to school. I'm still adjusting to the fact that I teach in a Christian school. We pray during the day and I teach Bible every day. In third grade they begin with Genesis. The other day I was surprised and excited by all the questions they were asking. It challenges me to study more and find the answers to their questions. Please pray for their hearts that they would be soft and receptive to the gospel.

My apartment was furnished when I came here. I also got a brand new table and coffee table. They are so nice! I look forward to getting some things to decorate, but it's so great to not have to worry about it.

I have signed up to do a discipleship group on Tuesdays after school. Another teacher and I will be leading it together. I believe that we are going to be doing the ninth and tenth graders. It will be a coed group and we will do topical studies. I hope that this will be a great way for me to be more involved at Hillcrest and invest in other students. I enjoyed working with the high schoolers the past couple of years at Briarwood and I hope that I can be some encouragement to these kids. Please pray for wisdom in planning and that we would find favor with them.

This morning I am getting ready to go the Plateau church. This will be my third church to visit since I've been here. Please pray that I would find a church soon where I can be fed and also be invested in the church. I look forward to finding a "church home". I'll write more later. Please let me know if there is anything you want to know and please let me know how I can be praying for you! Love in Christ

2009-08-01T13:11:00.003-05:00

Observe. Think. Pray. Appreciate. Learn. Repeat.

I am extremely grateful for all the training that I went through before coming to Jos, but nothing can fully prepare you. I guess you just have to experience something to know what it is like, and then somehow process it even when you don't fully understand everything. Pretty clear, right?

I've been in Nigeria for almost a week now. I'm slowly adjusting to the crazy traffic, the different noises and smells, a new language, a new school, new friends...the list goes on.

The traveling here was long and for lack of a better word, interesting. The Lord was gracious and everything was smooth at the airport. My friend Kim and I spent the night in Abuja at the Baptist guesthouse since we arrived at night. We left the next morning for Jos. The best way that I can describe the traffic in Nigeria is that it is like I am in a video game. It's amazing how there seem to be no rules, but people follow rather loosely some sort of rules. I think I'll wait on the purchase of a car...and try to learn those rules :)

I live in an apartment complex with other missionaries. It's great to have a support group around. There are quiet a few other missionaries in Jos, which is nice. I've also met some great people that work at Hillcrest.

I spent the morning in my classroom. I have a pretty good setup. I'm teaching third grade for a year in place of a missionary that is on home assignment. She has left the classroom in great shape for me. However, after teaching in the states for three years, I realize what a great amount of resources we are given back home. It's kind of hard to process. The question comes to mind, why do we have so much when others have so little? How am I using what the Lord has blessed me with the bless others? How can I make a difference here? I pray that the Lord would provide guidance and opportunities to proclaim His name. It's different here. People are really watching you to see if you practice what you preach. The white skin has a little to do with that. :)

I'll write more later. I need your prayers and want to know how I can be praying for you. Love in Christ

It's Here

2009-07-24T22:32:00.004-05:00

The time is finally here. After over a year of preparation, I am leaving tomorrow for Nigeria. It's a little surreal. Even thought it's not easy to leave family, friends, and familiar things, I am looking forward to my time in Jos. I would appreciate your prayers as I travel tomorrow. Please pray that my bags are not too heavy, that customs would go smoothly, and that somewhere in all the time that I spend traveling, that God would use me. Please pray for my short transition into teaching and living overseas. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement, and I look forward to updating you very soon. May the Lord receive all the glory in this.

Reflections and some other stuff

2009-07-11T14:02:00.005-05:00

I arrived in Charlotte today. Awaiting me were five out of ten shots to prepare me for living overseas. I'm glad that my calling is sure.

I wanted to share some more about my time at Pre-Field Orientation. One of the best parts of the training was getting a chance to be around others with a similar mindset. It's amazing and exciting to see what God is doing in their lives. I appreciate their encouragement and I look forward to seeing how the Lord uses them.

Most of our sessions were taught in a lecture hall with uncomfortable plastic chairs, but they were worth it. We learned a lot about TCKs and what their life is like. TCKs are considered third cultured kids because they do not own their host culture, and they do not own their passport culture. So in an international school, there is a third culture that is created. I realized the huge responsibility and opportunity I have ahead of me. As with any child, they crave consistency, which as you can imagine is hard to have when are often in transition. We also had the neat opportunity to hear from a TCK panel made up of kids who grew up overseas. Even though some of the participants had some hard stories to tell, it was so sweet to see the Lord working in their lives and using their experiences to go and share the gospel.

We talked a lot about making a smooth transition. It was so comforting to hear about some of the emotions that occur during different stages of transition. It's encouraging and a relief to identify those different stages and pray through them. I plan on referring back to the different transition models regularly. I also learned so much about my personality. I know that sounds strange. I learned some of the best ways for me, as an introvert to process stressful and new situations. I learned that I need to consciously make an effort to journal, spend time in the Word and prayer, and also sharing my struggles and praises with other believers.

I am leaving from Charlotte to go to Nigeria. Before I left home, the Lord used my friends and family to give me sweet encouragement and time in prayer. I feel so blessed when I think of all the godly people the Lord has allowed me to spend time with. I have learned so much from them and I will be forever grateful for their love and support. We are not meant to walk this journey alone, and while I will be far away from them, I feel their prayers and support. Praise the Lord for the body of Christ and how we are all working together to bring honor and glory to His name, no matter where we are.

One more thing that we talked about at PFO was how important it is for us to have a heart of gratitude. My prayer for you is that the Lord would give you a heart of gratitude and that it would be evident in your life. Please email me with your praises and prayer requests. My email is hrlacroix@hotmail.com. Love y'all!

I didn't know how much I didn't know

2009-07-02T15:23:00.007-05:00

My time at Houghton College is coming to an end. I've been here for the past two weeks for PFO (Pre Field Orientation). Most of the sessions have been focused on how best to relate to TCKs (Third Culture Kids), teaching in an international school, and how to adjust well to a new culture. The training has been rich with content. I am grateful for all that I have learned and look forward to processing it all and applying it very soon! I will update with some of the things that I learned later, but thought I could go ahead and share some pictures from my time here. Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement!

We got to go to Niagara Falls! It was lots of fun! It rained most of the day, but that didn't ruin it. We were wet anyway.

Hanging out at a state park. We saw a deer hanging out on the side of a cliff. Crazy!

Hanging out with some girls at Citgo!

"This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you."

Do you remember...

2009-06-17T18:24:00.004-05:00

Do you remember the TV show, Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? I used to love that show. Just wanted to let you know what's going on over the next month or so! I know I'm not as cool as Carmen, but that's ok. Humor me.
On Saturday I leave to go to Houghton College in New York. I've been telling people that it is in Buffalo, but that's not the whole truth. I think it's about an hour from Buffalo aka in the middle of nowhere. I'm excited though. I think I will be learning a lot about how to teach in an international school. I hope to learn a lot!
I'll be back on July 3. So I'll be in Jasper, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Cullman and who knows where else that week. I will try to let you know when I'll be where as it gets closer. I think I might have a day where whoever wants can come to Jasper and hang out at the lake. :) That will probably be best for people with flexible jobs! Let me know if you are interested!
Then, I go to Charlotte on July 11. That's for two weeks of training with SIM.
Finally, I leave to go to Nigeria!! I hope to be flying out on July 25 and arrive sometime on the 26 because training at my new school starts on July 29! I'll be sending out an update through email this week. Let me know if you are not on my list and would like to be!

Oh yea. Support update. As of now, I'm at about 97%. That's right. You read it right. Thank you Lord for providing! Look forward to hearing from you!

No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly

2009-05-25T14:28:00.004-05:00

I don't have the words to express how grateful I am. Thank you so much for your prayers. Over the past couple of days, my support has gone from about 57% to 75%. I find myself in some sort of shock, and then remember that this is what I and you have been praying for. We have prayed for the Lord to provide and to bring in support so that I can go and live and serve in Nigeria. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement and I look forward to updating you soon!

Lesson Learned

2009-05-19T10:53:00.005-05:00

You know when the Lord is teaching you something, and it shows up in all different areas of life? He is teaching me that Christ is enough. He is more than enough. He can calm my biggest fear, lead me in the darkest place, forgive me of my greatest sin. There is an unmatchable peace when I put all of my trust in Him, and allow Him to lead me. I pray that this would be a pattern in my life and yours. I constantly revert back to old habits, but Christ is always there to redirect my steps. In Isaiah 26:3 it says You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you; because he trusts in you. It's right there. The answer is right in front of us. We long for peace in our lives. For things to work out in a good way. In Romans 8:28 it says "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." There is something we have to do though. We have to believe, trust, and walk with Him. I pray that you find peace in Christ alone, because He is enough!

Support Event!

2009-05-10T09:17:00.000-05:00

Some of the teachers that I work with are putting this together. This will most likely be my last event before I leave. I would love for you to come if you can and you can invite others as well. You can come and go between 7-10 and enjoy dessert and fellowship. I would love to know if you will be there, so they can know an approximate number to plan for.

Right now, I am at 50% of my monthly support! Praise the Lord! Please be praying. I need to start the Visa process soon, and in order to do that, I need to be at 80-85%. Then, before I leave, I need to be at 100% of my support. Please pray that I would not be anxious or pessimistic, but trust that the Lord is at work and will provide in His timing.

Alabama to Africa…

Please join us for a night of fun and fellowship

as we help raise support for

Heather LaCroix’s trip from Alabama to Africa.

May 15, 2009

7:00-10:00

The fun will include live music, refreshments, and relaxing.

Bring fishing poles and lawn chairs, if you are interested.

$5.00 donation per person (kids free)

Sharon Rogers’ Home
101 Twelve Oaks Circle
Chelsea, AL 35043

Thankful

2009-04-05T10:45:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about all the recent things I have to be grateful for. I’m extremely grateful. I was reading in The Valley of Vision the other day, which by the way, if you have never heard of it or read it, you should! It’s a book of Puritan prayers. I think that they are my thoughts and sentiments that I’m unable to express. They do it so much better and much more eloquently. One of the prayers is titled Living By Prayer and part of it says: “I can only succeed when I pray according to thy precept and promise, and to be done with it as it pleases thee, according to they sovereign will.” I know this is true, because I see it being worked out in my life and in the lives of other believers.
There is much to be joyful about. On Tuesday my Papa had a stroke. In just a few days the Lord has been so gracious to him and he is doing much better.
My sister and her husband Finally closed on a house.
Matt (my sister’s husband) did my taxes for me the second year in a row. That’s one of those things that you don’t know how to do or want to do by yourself.
I have sold enough of my t-shirts to pay back the production cost and made $275 profit towards my support.
I was able to speak at a Sunday School class last week at First Baptist Columbiana. I work in Columbiana and they were so sweet to have me and so interested in hearing about what I’m doing.
I am approaching my one time needs. Praise the Lord.
I registered for PFO training. PFO stands for Pre-Field Orientation and it is a two week training for teaching Third Culture Kids. This is in Buffalo, New York. I’m excited about learning how communicate and understand the kids I’ll be teaching. TCKs or Third Culture Kids are kids who spend significant time in one or more cultures that is not their own, in turn integrating that culture into their own, creating a third culture.
My friends and family encourage me consistently through this preparation period.
Approaching Easter, I'm reminded of what Christ did for us. Everyone is searching for freedom and we have it with Christ. It's by grace that we are saved and we have hope because of Christ.
Please pray! Pray for my Papa, for my support to continue to come in, for God to be glorified in all of this. If you would like to be added to my email list, or are interested in joining my support team, please email me! Thanks for your prayers and support. I'm so grateful.

Beautiful Day

2009-03-02T22:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was beautiful. For those of you who frequently receive those white flakes from the sky, you may not get as excited about less than an inch of snow. As soon as I could yesterday I went outside with Karenina and played in the snow. We made a snowman that turned out to look more like a snow blob and had a snowball fight. Karenina beat me hands down. I laughed so hard.

My support party on the 20th was great. My sweet friends did a fantastic job and I had so much help getting things together. My friend Katie was able to fly in from Texas and surprise me, which was such a blessing and a lot of fun. We were able to raise around $500 in support. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness.

I keep being reminded of the fact that it's all about Jesus. He is the reason we have any kind of hope and in that hope we can somehow turn our mess of a life into something that can bring him honor. He is "our wisdom and our righteousness and santification and redemption" 1 Cor 1:30

Please join me in praying that 100% of my financial needs would be met. Please consider joining my support team. Pray for Hillcrest School and for the missionaries serving now in Jos, Nigeria. Pray for my school here -- Elvin Hill Elementary. Please let me know how I can be praying for you. Grace and peace.

Support Party!

2009-02-16T15:53:00.000-06:00

It's official. I have the BEST friends. God has been gracious to me in many ways, especially in my friendships. He has surrounded me with godly women that I am constantly learning from. A few of these friends have volunteered to help throw a party to help me raise support. Like I mentioned in my last post, I am raising support to go and teach at Hillcrest School in Jos, Nigeria. The party is THIS Friday, February 20. (Happy Birthday Holly!) There will be Bingo, dessert, coffee, live music, and prizes. It will be at Vineyard Community Church in Tuscaloosa, AL from 6:30-9:00. There is a $5 cover. I would love for you to come!

Update

2009-01-30T16:02:00.000-06:00

It's been a few days since my last entry...well a few months. I am going to be updating this more often! I don't think that's too high of a goal!
There have been some changes to my plans since I last wrote. I am now going to be teaching 3rd grade at Hillcrest School in Jos, Nigeria. I will need to be there by the end of July to be ready to start school in August. When I think of all that needs to be accomplished, I have to take a deep breath. But then, I remember who we serve. We serve the one and only true God. He is the author of Life and I trust that He will provide.
Before I leave in July, I need approximately $10,000 in my account. The rest of my support can be promised through monthly donations. My monthly needs total $2,133. Please consider making a one-time gift or joining my team and supporting me monthly. I also ask for your prayers during this time of preparation.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to meet or have a phone conversation. I would love to talk with you!

Have a fantastic week!

"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6

My Vision

2008-07-03T09:55:00.000-05:00

I thought maybe it would be a good idea to give a background of how I have gotten to this point. I became a Christian when I was 8 years old at GA Camp. Since then the road has definately been bumpy, but good. I am sure of my salvation in Jesus Christ. I am also very aware of how if I depend on myself instead of the Lord for anything, I tend to fail. I am thankful that I was raised in a church where missions was emphasized. I have been interested in missions for as long as I can remember. I think it's because missions is so opposite of what the world tells us is good and successful. But from a Biblical perspective, it is what we as Christians are called to. While, we may not all be called to overseas missions, we are called to live a life worthy of the calling and to tell others about Christ. Why would we want to keep the greatest news ever as a secret? I rejoice in looking back at the past few years and seeing the Lord's hand on my life. For the past four years, I have felt a pull towards missions and missions in Africa. In college, I was able to go on a short term trip to Durban, South Africa. It was an amazing trip. It opened my eyes to how small I am and how big God is. It also placed a desire in my heart to return. I know that it may seem odd for a girl from Alabama to go live in Nigeria. But I am trusting that the Lord's plan is good. I know one thing is for sure. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Praise the Lord that He has saved me and praise the Lord for the opportunity to share this wonderful news with the people in Nigeria.