Sai Godiya! Hausa...ONLY Thanks! English

Hard to believe...we did it!! Year 1 for KITA will be in the books in less than a week! What a year it's been. What a tremendous journey. Thank you to all those that supported us in prayer, thoughts, and the pocket book.

My staff in Nigeria has been tremendous; this was like watching your first child being born...there's no handbook for this stuff :) It has been exhilarating, scary, and so deeply satisfying all at the same time! Some people do crazy stuff like sky jump, climb what seems like impossible mountains...biking across America :), and riding roller coasters. We chose to start a school in Nigeria!

I have so many people to thank: foremost is my wife who still hung with me through so many crazy phases, my mother in law (I don't know why they get such a bad rap), my colleagues and the community of Mason!! Let me digress here a bit. With all the bitterness and divisiveness we have in the states right now, Mason you have been outstanding! Continue to be a shining beacon, recognize you are not perfect but then who is? Thank you for supporting a distant place and for some of you that even entrusted and sent your kids out there with me...thank you!

To my staff in Nigeria...we are fighting an upstream battle against what has gone wrong with our beautiful country. There are so many good things if only we will recognize it. You have fought together and yes we are making a difference and we've not even started yet!! Keep up the good fight; we still have several challenges ahead of us but we must be resilient and do what is right! The future of Nigeria depends on it!

I will be returning to Nigeria shortly to prepare for our expansion to what I think will be 50-60 students next year. We will be looking to add classrooms, more beds, and lots of staff training. It will be a challenge; from financing to logistical difficulties (we are trying to build during the rainy season...think the Toto song "Rains in Africa")...crazy difficult.

Please continue to hold us in your prayer and thoughts! From the bottom of my heart, "Sai Godiya" (Great gratitude)! Look for my posts from Nigeria!!