Thanks to my Writers' Group

Thanks to the Broad Horizons writers' group that's been with me every step of the way--from writing the first chapter to now publishing and marketing the Faith Alive book. Honestly, they have been my lifeline by walking me through first drafts, characterization, dialogue, flow, correct comma usage, strong verbs, and multiple rewrites. The best thing that they've offered me, though, is encouragement. 

This morning we celebrated that more than 770 books have already been sold (and that's before the publisher's official release date next month). I'm getting ready for my fifth speaking engagement later this week and would love to schedule a time to speak in person or via Skype with groups of any size.If you are part of a group that wants to hear how the powerful stories at Faith Alive can encourage your own life stories, please contact me via my author website (http://erikanossokoff.tateauthor.com). Come to think of it, my talented writers' group gave me some editing suggestions for that site, so I'd better get to work. 

(Not pictured are Marie Burghard and former Broad Horizons members Heidi Windmiller and Joe McKeon. Broad Horizons--part of Northern Colorado Writers--you're awesome!)

Faith Alive Book: Be Among First to Buy One…

…or as my husband would say, why stop at just one? 100% of the profit from book sales benefits the Faith Alive hospital in Jos, Nigeria.

Paperback copies of the book are en route to my house so that I can start selling them this Sunday. In the next few months, the books will be available in paperback and e-book format at the Tate Publishing website, Barnes and Noble.com, and Amazon.com, but right now they’re only available in the United States through me. Be one of the first people to read the book.

Faith Alive: Storiesof Hope and Healing from an African Doctor and His Hospital gives you a behind-the-scenes look at our inspiring Dr. Chris Isichei who rose from extreme poverty to start Faith Alive. As one Nigerian brother told me yesterday, “This is going to be our second Bible!” That might seem a bit much, but I do pray that reading these powerful, dramatic stories will ignite your faith to come alive in new and exciting ways.

I’ll sell books at First Presbyterian Church, 531 S. College Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado this Sunday and next from 9:30-10:00 am. Paperbacks sell for $15 and I’ll take pre-orders for $11 e-books. I’ll also sell beautiful, African-fabric “cup cozies” made by some ladies at the Faith Alive sewing school. The cozies are great to keep in your purse or car to use at coffee shops. People who buy a cozy from me this month will receive a free specialty drink at the church’s coffee cart. Xaris, the coffee cart, is also offering all of their profit this month to the hospital.

Thanks to First Presbyterian Church for your long-term support of both Faith Alive and me as the church’s “Champion” to the hospital. Your partnership is making a major difference in and through Dr. Chris and the hospital to touch thousands of lives. 

Faith Alive Trip Presentation this Sunday

Find out about the 15 lb. baby, why that little girl held Austin Nossokoff's hand, what the Austins learned about cervical cancer prevention, why a cow was in the children's park,and whose graveside I visited.

Join the Austins (Nossokoff and Pierce) and me this Sunday, February 17 for our trip presentation: "What's Next?" We'll be in room 204 from 10 - 11 am and repeat the presentation from 11 am - noon.

We'll talk about ways that our congregation (and others) can help the Faith Alive hospital in Jos, Nigeria. Projects can include renovating the former brothel, children's recreation center, village school, or church; offering special programs for Kiddies Club and/or school students; ministering to commercial sex workers; or training staff and other professionals.

I hope to see you there! Also, be one of the first people to buy copies of the book, Faith Alive: Stories of Hope and Healing from an African Doctor and His Hospital. Cost is $15 and 100% of the profit from book sales benefits the hospital. Watch my next blog post for more details.

Africa Day at Webber Middle School

What little girl doesn't want to be like her big sister? Not me. I adored my senior sister, Charlotte, who grew up to become a music teacher (among other wonderful things). Yesterday I got my chance to be like her, although my teaching didn't include leading six-year-olds in a chorus of "Ten Galloping Ponies."

I taught to about 100 amazing seventh graders about the Faith Alive hospital in Jos, Nigeria. Their school hosted "Africa Day" as part of their interdisciplinary study on all-things African. Based on the video we watched about the hospital, my main points were:

1.  HIV/AIDS in Africa comes with a host of other problems
2.  The solutions need to be holistic
3.  You can make a difference (in Africa or elsewhere) because there are so many ways to use your unique talents to help

I don't know how much they'll remember about those three points, but I'm pretty sure that they've already told at least someone else about the 15 lb baby or the donated cow that was in 150 pieces on Faith Alive's basketball court in the recreation center.

Thanks to Diane Fromme for connecting me with Webber Middle School and her daughter Amy who watched with rapt attention. Amy's in the yellow shirt (photo above). You might also notice that I'm eating a sandwich in the background while watching the video; at least my husband didn't snap me while my mouth was open!

Blessing

If you've been to the Faith Alive hospital in Jos, Nigeria, chances are high that you've met and are now friends with Blessing. Her name reflects her spirit--and her strikingly beautiful appearance.

After learning how to sew at Faith Alive’s skills-acquisition school nearly nine years ago, Blessing opened her own shop. She now teaches some of the hospital’s patients how to sew so that they, too, can start their own businesses. Elisha, a tailor, recently joined her business and together they design clothing and accessories for men and women.

If you happen to be on Zik Avenue in Jos, stop by for a custom design consultation!

Way to go, Blessing and Elisha, and way to go, Faith Alive, for providing holistic services to thousands of people like Blessing.

Brothers

What is a brother? I think it’s more than somebody who both puts you in a headlock for power of the remote control and yet fiercely protects you from bullies.

Merriam-Webster defines a brother as: 1) a male who has the same parents as another or one parent in common with another; 2) one related to another by common ties or interests; 3) a fellow member—used as a title for ministers in some evangelical denominations; and 4) one of a type similar to another.

Given the various definitions, I think that my 22-year-old son Austin and six-year-old little Chris qualify as brothers. Many of you remember little Chris, the delightful Nigerian boy many of you helped send to India for lifesaving heart surgery two years ago. Praise God, he's doing great both physically and academically. Austin and little Chris met and instantly bonded earlier this month when Austin and I visited Jos, Nigeria. 

Enjoy the snap of Austin and little Chris. No headlocks or bullies. Just laughter, games, and paper airlines.

. 

Home from Africa: Packing in Place of Guilt

Praise God for an awesome (and safe) trip to and from Jos, Nigeria. Over the next few months, I plan to post dozens of Faith Alive hospital updates and tidbits ranging from a 15 lb. newborn to brothel transformation ideas to a donated cow slaughtered on the rec center's basketball court. For now, however, I just want to rest after the 38-hour door to door (or bed to bed) travel. 

I'll share with everyone some wise words adapted from my friend Don Simmons about what to bring home from a mission trip experience. 

PACKING IN PLACE OF GUILT

Don says, "When I returned from living in Papua New Guinea for a while, along with my clothes and cool souvenirs of my trip, I also packed a lot of guilt—guilt about the way I had previously thought, guilt about the way I had looked at the world before, guilt about having SO much, and guilt about “those people” having so little. The guilt was a motivator—for a very short time—but once the guilt wore off, I wanted to go to the beach and live my privileged American Christian life. So, as you’re packing, what are you going to place IN PLACE of guilt?

Here are some suggestions:

RESOLVE. The deep gut strength/feeling to DO something about poverty in the world and where you live.

ARTICULATION. We can often miscommunicate our message because we "feel" it more than we can express it.

REALISTIC STRATEGY. You will need to be thinking of a realistic strategy to educate, engage, and equip others on what you have learned.

HOPE. You know it now: God loves and cares for people in developing countries just as much (and possibly more because they are poor) as he loves and cares for people in developed countries. If you focus on the helplessness and not the HOPE, you'll miss the point. If you focus on the poverty and not the richness of God's promises, you won't be able to do much about poverty. As a Missouri poet puts it, "Gaze at god, glance at everything else."

DESIRE. Pack some desire to go to other lands, other cultures, other neighborhoods. Let your trip be an "appetizer" for the buffet of God's world and his people. Pack that desire to take others with you and open their eyes as well.

Don continues by saying, "The amazing thing about travel that I love is that it is the one activity that allows us to get a good look at how BIG God is, and how BIG our family is. Pack away all those new friendships—teachers, principals, students, doctors, nurses, etc. Tuck away those treasures and pull them out often: pray for them, think of them, and remember what you learned from them. Isn’t it amazing that you went to be the giver and yet you returned very much the student?"

(Don’s website is http://www.creativepotentialconsulting.org.)