January Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope everyone had a Blessed Christmas and I pray you will all have a Blessed 2007.

 

A dearest Jesus, Holy Child

Make Thee a bed soft undefiled,

Within my heart that it may be

A quite chamber kept for Thee.

 

Christmas here was very different but interesting.  We had some wonderful Christmas music programs with the true Christmas message.  Nigerians love to sing! We had a faculty Christmas party,an  LCMS Missionaries progressive dinner on the LCN (Luth. Ch. of Nigeria)

Compound, an LCMS Ladies Bible Study Special Candle light devotions with party, a Mashiah Christmas party with gift excange,(I gave a basket of eggs and a bag of Spritz cookies),  a Mashiah Staff party.  We had " 9 Lessons and Carols"," Messiah Cantata".  Jennifer's family was involved with a lot of the music  We went to LCN on Sun. and to Christmas Eve. at HillCrest.  We then went to the Rasch with the Erbers ( LCMS pastor) for Christmas Dinner.  Jennifer had made a tasty ham by soaking a chunk of pork in a brine for about a week, Teri made a roasted chicken that she had put in a brine overnight. It was a feast when all the food was put together.

We went to LCN on Sun. but did not go to New Years Eve.  That service was from 9pm to 12pm. Ivan and Jennifer Rasch came here for snacks and fellowship.  Our neighbors also stopped by.

 

At the Mashiah Christmas Party 12 tredle sewing machines were given to 12 ladies to take to their home so they could also sew from home.  These ladies did not know who would get the machines.   The  machines were brought out and the ladies who got them were so happy they danced and sang  and cried.
The machines were purchased with gift money from the US and also from Nigeria.  Michael Rasch had saved up some of his tutoring money for this so 2 machines were given by Michael.  He had sent it with me when I went to Nigeria.

For the 70 Nigerian workers at Hillcrest (guards, ground keepers etc.) they slaugtered 2 beef on the compound and divided that up and then took a gift offering from Hillcrest people to purchase 100 -ten pound bags of rice for their Christmas Dinners.--
 

Deborah and her friend made a Christmas tree.  It really turned out nicely.  They made it out of sheets of tyoing paper.  They made a tube, colored it brown, about 4 feet tall and then made circles, colored green and cut to resemble pine trees along the edge and put 7 circles over the tube with a foil star at the top.

 

Nathaniel  bought some rabbits and rabbit hutches from a teacher, who is leaving,to use for meat instead of chicken.  The chicken is good but very expensive.  The pork is pretty good but it isn't cut up very well, the beef is tough, I  have a hard time chewing it.   Nathaniel already has a new litter of 7 baby rabbits.  Zachariah and Deborah each have a white rabbit for a pet that will not be used for food.  They are in a separate cage and in the house sometimes.  You are supposed to able to litter box train them.  We haven't succeeded as yet.

 

 I have 3 weeks off of work, we worked so hard before Christmas and I added a day each week to my work schedule I was glad to have some time off.

 

We go to the LCN  National Convention in Obot Idom  next Thurs.  We will atay for about 4 days.

 

It is so dry here but really a bit cool.  Nathaniel started the fireplace the last 3 evenings so we were cozy warm.Most people don't have heat.  It is jacket weather here in Jos on the mountain plateau but the Nigerians bring out their stocking caps, heavy coats and mittens.

.To quote Timmy Rasch when the clock showed midnight he said, "2007, I just can't believe it's 2007!"

May God be with you all and bless you.  Love Lois Watt

--
Lois Watt.