The Trip Part 2

Well it has been some time since the return of my husband and daughter from their trip to Nigeria.  Life lately has been at full speed and has hardly provided me a chance to update you on the rest of the trip.  Barnabas and Amara took a domestic flight to the village.  They made it safely which is huge since the track record for aviation safety is not so great in Nigeria.  Amara got to meet her cousins, aunts, uncles and most importantly her grandmother.  This reunion was bittersweet as the hugs from Amara brought joy, but the ones from Barnabas brought the tears.  Amara brought much joy to everyone as she loudly sang with her cousins teaching them all the "Frozen" songs. She played and played and played.  She ate the native food more often than the food I packed for her in the suitcase.  She fit right in.  Barnabas had the opportunity to bond with his family, to follow up on his late brother Jude's children and wife (Chinyere), to work on updating some maintenance on the water well system, to pass out all of the donations that you all gave, and to support the family during this time of loss.  God was faithful.  He allowed the family to have that sweet time together to grieve, love, and heal from so much heartache as they have lost two family members in the last few years.  As their time together wrapped up, Barnabas made sure to bring Amara home looking a little more African.  She definitely got a tan but her hair was too cute for words.  She was a real trooper and traveled like a pro.

As a mommy, I read the Nigerian news every night while they were away.  The news was very daunting. Gods hand of protection surely was upon my family.  Nigeria is currently suffering from major terrorists attacks which heated up just about the same time as this trip.  We made some decisions as to which city to fly into and which mode of transportation they would take from the city to the village.  We considered one option that would have placed Barnabas and Amara directly in the path of the first major event which was a suicide bomber at a bus station in Abuja.  This blast killed over 70 people.  I thank God for his intervention from putting my family near that situation.  Our hearts ache for the girls who have been kidnapped and for the families that are suffering.  When we spent a year living in Nigeria we lived in the northern region and have friends who have been directly impacted by this terror.  We ask you to pray for the safety of the people of Nigeria and that God would protect our family there.  The future is uncertain but we are committed to loving the people and doing all that we are called to do.  I am so thankful my husband and daughter made it home safe and sound and am so thankful that God did great things.  Enjoy a few pictures below.  I will do a separate post on the funeral.

Barnabas and his Mama enjoying a good laugh

Amara and Grandma taking selfies :)

Barnabas' Uncle...he was excited to get a pic!

Family and friends came to greet the family as they paid their respects for Rose

This is where Amara slept.  

Amara and her cousins while in church

Barnabas' Mom, Aunt, Sister, and Uncle

Cousins

Look at Olanna's eyes...so happy to see her daddy

They made it!!

sisters reunited

What a team!

You all are AWESOME!!!!

Wow!  What an amazing day today has been!  Over and over I am reminded of how important it is to be the body of Christ.  Maybe you are reading this and don't know Jesus.  I want to testify that He is Alive!  It is through experiencing His faithfulness and goodness that I know that He loves us and cares for us even in the midst of our sorrows.

Over the past few months we have been sharing openly our story, Rose's story.  We have asked you for help, for prayers, for support, for advice, for encouragement etc... You all have been utterly amazing!  It is one of the hardest things to do to be on the side of "asking."  It is much more fun to be the "giver!" God has shown us through this experience that this is not about us.  It is not about my feelings, not about my pride, not about my image, not about me in any way.  After getting over that, my husband and I have put ourselves and Rose's story out there. We opened it up so that you could also be a part of the story... and that.you.are!!!!

I have been overjoyed with tears as so many of you have been doing so much for us and more importantly for the children and families in Nigeria.  I am really capturing a picture of what the body of Christ really is and what it ought to be.  No gift is too small.  Some have been the hands that have given, some have been the feet that have literally taken our passports to the Embassy for visas, or walked the stores to find bookbags, some have been the mouth of encouragement, advise, prayer, some have been the mind of wisdom, some have been the heart of love...each gift that you have given and role that you have played has been exactly what it needed to be!  They are all important so for that we say thank you!!!!

God is working!  Rose's body has been released from the hospital and will be prepared for her funeral.  This is a huge answer to prayer as the hospital had Grace upon Rose and our family and has kindly worked with us to remedy her HUGE hospital bill.  God is Alive!

We have also been working on another project looking for a hearing aid for a 5 year old little girl (my niece).  It was a far fetched request to find one in the matter of days but God did it.  We were able to get in touch with an amazing doctor that was recommended by many of you and He graciously donated one which will be picked up tomorrow morning.  I am so thrilled that for the first time this little girl will have a shot at being able to hear and talk and progress in her life. I am also so excited for my sister in law (the mommy) to be graced with this gift. What a gift. Can you imagine how blessed she is going to be that she will now be able to help her little girl. Amazing, just amazing ! This is HUGE!!!! Thank you!  God is surely Alive!

We have asked for donations of bookbags, clothing, school supplies etc....and in the matter of a few days we have more than enough!  Thank you!!! What a blessing it is going to be to give these to the people back home and see how the small things that we have access to on a daily basis will bless their heart and will be useful and helpful to them in so many ways!  Thank you!  God has provided and is truly Alive!

Just a few of the donations that have been given this past week.

Your monetary gifts have also made so many things possible.  We have seen so many of you take part in investing in what we are a part of.  If we were millionaires we would do it ourselves, but God has decided that it is best to allow others to join us in His work!  We appreciate and value you so much.  No gift is too small.  We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving.  This is what I call IMPACT giving!  It has eternal rewards! Thank you!  God is soooo Alive!

We hope you join us for this ride and see what else God has in store.  We are His mobilizers being obedient to do all that He has asked us to do.  We cannot do it without the rest of the body!  Thank you so much, we truly love and appreciate EACH and EVERY ONE of YOU!!!!

Late Jude's wife and Children. Your gifts have kept food on their table,clothes on their backs, and an education to give them hope for a future!

If you would like to join us in what we do please subscribe to our blog for updates.  If you would like to give towards any of our causes such as Jude's Children's Education, Maintaining the Water Well, or Helping Rose's Children with Education and basic needs please consider giving a donation that is tax deductible. 100% of it goes to these causes!


1. Checks made payable to: "Jacob's Well Foundation" 
(You can attach a sticky note with the name Agwuocha on it to designate your donation) 
Mail checks to:  

Jacob's Well Foundation                         
177 Hausman Road                            
Lenhartsville, PA 19534     

2. Wire Money Transfer 
To wire money into the Jacob's Well account; Account Number:  8033254249 Routing Number: 031207607 Account Holder: Jacob's Well Foundation Bank Name: PNC NA Bank Address: 431 County Road 513, Califon, NJ 07830 

3. Click on the donate button at the top of our blog to give directly through paypal to Jacobs Well Foundation.  The account is set up for just our causes so your donations will go directly towards what we do.

Year End Tax Deductable Giving!

An Opportunity for a REAL GIFT GIVING OPPORTUNITY

We fortunately have been able to partner up with a nonprofit organization, Jacob’s Well Foundation.   Through this organization we are able to receive your financial gifts that 100% benefit our projects while also benefiting you with a tax deduction.

Some projects that are on the table which are also outlined on the blog with several updates are:

Restoring Rose: Of most URGENT NEED! Restoring Rose is our most urgent project which involves my sister Rose who is suffering from a tumor in her spine which has left her to progressively become paralyzed. She has been given less than a year to live if left untreated.  Our prayer is to raise $8500 in addition to the $2500 that we have already raised to help fund her surgery and recovery.   This situation is critical and is in need of your urgent attention and prayer.

Chinyere and Children of Late Jude: Chinyere was left behind 2 years ago by her beloved husband Jude. He is also my husbands brother who was very instrumental to us and the family in taking care of family matters.  He has left behind 4 young children.  My husband and I have vowed to take care of them and to make sure they have the essentials needed in life. Your giving goes towards their Educational, Medical, and Nutritional Needs.  Many of you have pledge to give yearly towards this project.  At the start of the year tuition for the children will be due.  Your giving will help us to stay on track with this. Amount Needed: $5200

Barnabas Well Project: Maintenance.  Last year we were able to restore the well and to get it working but unfortunately the tank that holds the water has gone bad and is in need of replacement. This was a result of the tank sitting dry for so long in the African heat.  We have tried patching the holes but the tank is still cracking and leaking water.   Amount needed: $2000

Any and all donations will go towards these projects. (you can specify a project if you desire)

You can make a donation in these ways:

1.      Checks made payable to: "Jacob's Well Foundation"

 (You can attach a sticky note with the name Agwuocha on it to designate your donation)

Mail checks to: 

Jacob's Well Foundation                        

177 Hausman Road                           

 Lenhartsville, PA 19534    

2.      Wire Money Transfer

To wire money into the Jacob's Well account;

Account Number: 8033254249
Routing Number: 031207607
Account Holder: Jacob's Well Foundation
Bank Name: PNC NA
Bank Address: 431 County Road 513, Califon, NJ 07830

3.      Online Giving is available on our blog at www.agwuochafamily.blogspot.com Click on the Donate button.  You will need to have a PayPal account or set one up to be able to use this option.  Once you are signed in with PayPal, you will have the option to leave us a note to designate your donation towards one of these benevolent causes.

Jacob’s Well Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide support for the families of terminally ill or recently deceased providers.  The organization was begun in 2006 in response to the needs of a family of eight children who were losing their father to malignant melanoma.  Since then JWF has continued to provide support for this family as well as a number of other deserving and needy families.  Our administrative needs and expenses are met by volunteers allowing us to send one hundred percent of donations to the supported families.  As a 501(c)(3) organization we provide year end donation receipts for tax purposes.

Gratefully Yours,

The Agwuocha’s