Laurie’s back at work today

Thank you all so much for your calls, emails and prayers. Laurie is still recovering from her surgeries, but she’s back at work today.
A week later than she planned before her two surgeries, but she said she was glad to be back.
She’s doing much better. She still has her moments when the pain gets bad but its a huge improvement over two weeks ago and even a week ago.
Again, thanks so much for all your prayers. God is good.

Nigerian’s minister of aviation sacked

After the plane accident at the Abuja airport last week, which killed 95 people, the Nigerian minister of aviation has been fired.
From the BBC:

Nigeria’s aviation minister has been sacked following the plane crash on Sunday in which the spiritual leader of Nigeria’s Muslims and 95 others died.
Babalola Borishade swaps jobs with Culture Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, according to the president’s office.
The crash of an ADC Boeing 737 into a cornfield just 2km (1.2 miles) from Abuja’s main airport was the third major airline disaster in a year.
Nigeria held three days of national mourning amid widespread anger.
Critics are sceptical that an aviation industry overhaul to improve safety announced by President Olusgeun Obasanjo several months ago will actually work.
An investigation into the cause of Sunday’s crash is already under way and ADC’s aircraft have been grounded.

First woman governor in Nigeria

Virginia Etiaba has been sworn in as Nigeria’s first female governor after Anambra state legislature impeached Peter Obi for gross misconduct.
From the BBC:

She had been deputy governor in the south-eastern state and initially refused to take the position.
Mr Obi said he would not leave office and civil rights groups have criticised the whole process as unconstitutional.
A BBC correspondent says the battle could get more volatile if supporters of the two sides take to the streets.

A King and a Kingdom

From Derek Webb’s latest work, Mockingbird:

who’s your brother, who’s your sister
you just walked passed him
i think you missed her
as we’re all migrating to the place where our father lives
’cause we married in to a family of immigrants

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it’s to a king & a kingdom

there are two great lies that i’ve heard:
“the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die”
and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican
and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him

but nothing unifies like a common enemy
and we’ve got one, sure as hell
but he may be living in your house
he may be raising up your kids
he may be sleeping with your wife
oh no, he may not look like you think

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Austin Street update

We had another great time outside the Austin Street shelter yesterday. The rain cleared before we arrived and held off till we were ready to go. Great is our God.
We emptied out three boxes of clothes in a matter of minutes and then also went through a number of Bibles, crackers, water bottles and Christian books.
I hope to post a video from yesterday up later today.
As we talked with those we were ministering to, several needs seemed to be reoccuring:

  • Reading glasses/magnifying glass
  • Warm clothes
  • Long/thermal underwear
  • Coats
  • Blankets
  • Umbrellas (specifically yesterday)
  • Bibles
  • Reading material
  • Bottled water
    We’ll be collecting goods on Nov. 19 at encounter and then we’re hoping to have a trailer to deliver the goods to the needy in downtown around Austin Street.
    If you’re interested in donating, please zip me an email or call me and I can come pick things up or arrange to meet you somewhere.
    Also, we’ll be continuing on even after the coat drive, so if you come across somethign after the drive we can still deliver it, or if you’d like, meet us and help deliver it yourself.