I praise the reason of all those who have posted so far,
>>>I am sure that subsequent postings and actions will gear us to a deserving
>>>end
>>>for our great school.
>>>In the mean time, We Should pray for our school and pray harder for Nigeria.
>>>That our plans will not be poisoned by corruption or greed, fear
>>>or faithlessness.
>>>
>>>That God will put people of integrity of moral and purpose to implement,
>>>monitor
>>>and manage the affairs of the school afterall we can do.
>>>
>>>
>>>>This is a story written by a doctor who worked in Africa .
>>>>
>>>>One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in
>>>>spite of
>>>>all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a
>>>>crying
>>>>two-year-old daughter.. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as
>>>>we
>>>>had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had
>>>>no
>>>>special feeding facilities.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous
>>>>drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the
>>>>cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in....
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came
>>>>back
>>>>shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst
>>>>(rubber
>>>>perishes easily in tropical climates)..
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is
>>>>no
>>>>good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be
>>>>considered no
>>>>good crying over burst water bottles.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest
>>>>pathways.
>>>>
>>>>'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and
>>>>sleep
>>>>between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to
>>>>keep
>>>>the baby warm.'
>>>>
>>>>The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of
>>>>the
>>>>orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters
>>>>various
>>>>suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I
>>>>explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the
>>>>hot
>>>>water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I
>>>>also
>>>>told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual
>>>>blunt
>>>>conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a
>>>>hot
>>>>water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be
>>>>dead, so
>>>>please send it this afternoon.'
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And
>>>>while You
>>>>are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll
>>>>know
>>>>You really love her?'
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly
>>>>say
>>>>'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are
>>>>limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer
>>>>would
>>>>be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for
>>>>almost
>>>>four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from
>>>>home.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water
>>>>bottle? I
>>>>lived on the equator!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training
>>>>school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the
>>>>time I
>>>>reached home, the car had gone, but there on the veranda was a large
>>>>22-pound
>>>>parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone,
>>>>so I
>>>>sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string,
>>>>carefully
>>>>undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly.
>>>>Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on
>>>>the
>>>>large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted
>>>>jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted
>>>>bandages
>>>>for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then
>>>>came a
>>>>box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the
>>>>weekend.
>>>>
>>>>Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?
>>>>
>>>>I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle.
>>>>I
>>>>cried..
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.
>>>>
>>>>Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out,
>>>>'If
>>>>God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too !'
>>>>
>>>>Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small,
>>>>beautifully-
>>>>dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to
>>>>that
>>>>little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'
>>>>
>>>>'Of course,' I replied!
>>>>
>>>>That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my
>>>>former
>>>>Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to
>>>>send a
>>>>hot water bottle, even to the equator.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child -- five months
>>>>before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it
>>>>'that
>>>>afternoon.'
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)
>>>>
>>>>When you receive this, say the prayer. That's all I ask. No strings
>>>>attached.
>>>>Just send it on to whomever you want - but do send it on.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a
>>>>lot of
>>>>rewards. Let's continue praying for one another.
>>>>
>>>>This awesome prayer takes less than a minute.
>>>>
>>>>Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this. I ask You to
>>>>minister to their spirit. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and
>>>>mercy.
>>>>Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work through
>>>>them.
>>>>Where there is tiredness or exhaustion, I ask You to give them
>>>>understanding,
>>>>guidance, and strength. Where there is fear, reveal Your love and release
>>>>to
>>>>them Your courage.. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and
>>>>raise up
>>>>leaders and friends to support and encourage them. I ask You to do these
>>>>things
>>>>in Jesus' name. Amen.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Whether we criticise each other or put our thoughts and words to rewarding
>>>>actions. We will decide by what we do or don't do,
>>>>ie either we are part of;
>>>>THOSE WHO WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED OR
>>>>THOSE WHO WATCH THINGS HAPPEN OR
>>>>THOSE WHO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN PLEASE PUT YOUR SHOULDERS TO THE WHEEL AND
>>>>PUSH
>>>>ALONG...
>>>>
