Changes from Crisis

The Jos crisis brought many changes for us in the month of January.

The SIM office was closed for a week due to a tense situation in and around the city of Jos so Brenda did not go it to work. When she returned after three weeks of Christmas break and one week added there was a lot of catching up to do for travelers and immigration. It is now good to be back on a regular schedule.

School was postponed. The governor of Plateau State called for all schools to postpone the start of classes until Feb. 4 due to the tensions here and to give residents the opportunity to register for voting in the upcoming elections. Voter registration was taking place at schools and other locations around the city. Hillcrest school did petition to allow our upper classmen to return on Jan. 17. They were granted this exception and Jacob was happy to return after a very long Christmas break. He also enjoyed the shorter days and quieter campus. Other students returned on Feb. 1 so all is back to a normal schedule at school.

Jacob's senior class trip to Egypt was cancelled due to the crisis there. This was a disappointment for the class and they are now making plans to go to South Africa.

Rick is now in MN undergoing many medical tests. He began experiencing shortness of breath and extreme fatigue early in January and the cause could not be determined here. Our medical staff thought it was best for him to travel back to the States to get this checked out and taken care of. So he is there and enjoying his time with family amid many Doctor appointments.