Hi Friends and Family!
I n t h ink ing b ac k o n o u r w edding and f riends b ac k h o me in N ig eria and M arq u et t e, w e
t h o u g h t it w as t ime t o b eg in an annu al “ T h o mp so n Family N ew slet t er” . (K eep in mind
Family = N at + J enn… no b ab y yet !)
W e h av en’ t sp o k en t o o r h eard f ro m a nu mb er o f yo u sinc e o u r w edding in J u ly o f 2 0 0 3 . Fo r
t h at , if it ’ s lac k o f c o mmu nic at io n o n o u r p art – w e ap o lo g iz e. L if e h as c ert ainly b een b u sy!
Here’ s t h e lo ng and sh o rt (o r no t so sh o rt ) o f it .
Af t er t h e w edding , N at and I made o u r residenc e in C o lu mb u s, O h io . A lo t o f yo u already
k new t h at N at h ad c o mp let ed h is f irst year in t h e D o c t o r o f P h armac y p ro g ram at T h e O h io
S t at e U niv ersit y at t h e t ime o f t h e w edding . I t h en b eg an my M ast er’ s D eg ree in S p eec h and
Hearing S c ienc e at O S U (a 2 year p ro g ram) . I n D ec emb er 2 0 0 3 , w e t rav eled t o J o s, N ig eria t o
h av e a “ W edding B lessing ” . W h at a b eau t if u l and w o nderf u l ex p erienc e! M o m and D ad
T h o mp so n p u t in a lo t o f h ard w o rk in c o o rdinat ing ev eryt h ing – as did t h e p eo p le o f
R edeemed P eo p les’ M issio n (t h e c h u rc h t h at D ad T h o mp so n p ast o rs) . M o m and D ad M o t t a
and B et h any c ame w it h u s. O u r c eremo ny w as o f f ic iat ed b y t h e B ish o p o f J o s o n a S u nday
mo rning and it w as t elev ised t h ro u g h o u t P lat eau st at e as p art o f D ad’ s reg u larly t elev ised
p ro g ram. T h e c eremo ny w as mu c h lik e an Americ an w edding – I w o re my w edding dress! a
sec o nd t ime and N at w as in a su it . Ho w ev er, b o t h set s o f p arent s w o re t radit io nal c lo t h ing .
T h e amaz ing c h u rc h c h o ir sang a f ew so ng s – yo u c an o nly imag ine h o w b eau t if u l and
w o rsh ip f u l it w as. W e h ad o v er 1 , 5 0 0 p eo p le in at t endanc e at t h e rec ep t io n. T h e inv it at io n
w as p o st ed o n T V and t h e g eneral p u b lic w as w elc o me. T h e w o men o f t h e c h u rc h slav ed o v er
f o o d f o r all o f t h e g u est s – w h at a sp ec ial g if t ! As t radit io n, t h e b ride and g ro o m danc e as t h e
g u est s sp ray t h em w it h mo ney. O f c o u rse – t h is w h it e g irl w as c o nc erned ab o u t danc ing in
f ro nt o f a rat h er larg e g at h ering o f indiv idu als w it h rh yt h m and so u l in t h eir ro o t s! I t t u rned
o u t t o b e inc redib ly f u n and I w asn’ t c o nc erned ab o u t w at c h f u l eyes.
T h ank yo u t o t h o se o f yo u w h o sh ared in o u r w edding in M arq u et t e. I t w as a b lessing t o h av e
so many o f yo u t h ere. W e are a b lessed c o u p le – simp ly said. W e are c o nst ant ly amaz ed at t h e
su p p o rt syst em w e h av e in f riends and f amily.
With all of that said, please allow Nat and me to take the time to thank our parents
(thank you!!!!) for all the sacrifice, selflessness, love and financial blessing they
provided us for both weddings. We truly feel unworthy of the incredible favor our
God showed us in giving us 2 unbelievable sets of parents committed to God and
each other. We love you so much!!!! Philippians 1:3.
B et h any, my c lo sest sib ling in ag e, married a N ig erian man o ne w eek f o llo w ing o u r w edding in
N ig eria (C h u k w u di O h anele) . T h ey w ere in c o mmu nic at io n o v er t h e p h o ne and t h e int ernet
t h ro u g h o u t t h e year p rec eding o u r f irst w edding . C h u k s is lik e a b ro t h er t o N at and h is
sib ling s. S o – o ne w eek f o llo w ing t h eir f irst u nio n, t h ey w ed. All o f t h is w as p lanned –
t h ey’ re no t c o mp let ely c raz y. T h ey’ re no w in L o ndo n and h av e a so n… Z io n J idec h u k w u .
K at e (N at ’ s b ro t h er) is no w married t o N u nso E k b o . J o e (N at ’ s b ro t h er) c o nt inu es t o w o rk
h ard o n h is B ac h elo r’ s o f N u rsing at N M U . S h anno n and M iah (J enn’ s sist er and h er
h u sb and) no w h av e ano t h er c h ild – K aino a R ic h ard. J o n and J u lie (J enn’ s b ro t h er and h is
w if e) are in P eo ria, I llino is w o rk ing h ard and raising t w o w o nderf u l g irls. M o m and D ad
M o t t a are g reat – D ad j u st p u rc h ased a mo t o r sc o o t er and M o m’ s new nic k name w it h t h e
f amily is “ B ik er B ab e” ☺ M o m and D ad T h o mp so n c o nt inu e t o k eep b u sy w it h t h e minist ry
in N ig eria. T h ey’ v e j u st b ro k en g ro u nd o u t in D ad’ s h o me v illag e f o r t h eir v ac at io n h o me.
T h ey’ re o b v io u sly ex c it ed ab o u t t h is! G randp a M o t t a j u st h ad h is 9 4 th b irt h day and c o nt inu es
in g o o d h ealt h . W e t h ank t h e L o rd f o r t h is! G randma and G randp a I sh ek u (M o m
T h o mp so n’ s p arent s) j u st mo v ed t o M o m and D ad T h o mp so n’ s neig h b o rh o o d and are t h riv ing
t h ere. W e t h ank G o d f o r t h at p ro v isio n!
An u p dat e o n N at :
N at is in h is f inal year o f P h armac y S c h o o l and w ill b e a p h armac ist in M ay 2 0 0 6 . T h e end o f
t h e t h ird year mark ed t h e c o nc lu sio n o f c lass w o rk , t est t ak ing , st u dying , et c . and t h e f o u rt h
year is st ric t ly ro t at io ns. O ne w o u ld t h ink t h at my h u sb and w o u ld b e ex c it ed ab o u t no mo re
st u dying , b u t h e t ru ly misses it . I admire h is amb it io n and driv e! He’ s manag ed t o f ind a w ay
t o c o nt inu e in t h e researc h realms, h o w ev er. He, t o g et h er w it h t w o o f h is p ro f esso rs, is in t h e
p ro c ess o f c o mp let ing researc h o n ant ic h o lest ero l dru g s in relat io n t o p o st -k idney t ransp lant
p at ient s. He h as sp ent so many h o u rs o n researc h f o r t h is p ro j ec t and w ill c o nc lu de t h is st u dy
w it h su b missio n o f an art ic le. He is also w o rk ing at v ario u s p h armac ies du ring t h e w eek ends.
!
An u p dat e o n J enn:
I g radu at ed w it h my M ast er’ s o f Art s in S p eec h and Hearing S c ienc e f ro m O S U at t h e end o f
Au g u st . I am no w a C linic al V o ic e P at h o lo g ist w it h T h e O h io S t at e U niv ersit y’ s V o ic e and
S w allo w ing C linic . I ’ m f o rt u nat e t o b e w o rk ing w it h so me inc redib le V o ic e P at h o lo g ist s and
D o c t o rs and t ru ly enj o y my j o b . I p art ic u larly assess and t reat indiv idu als w it h v o ic e
c o mp laint s b e it h o arseness, c h ro nic c o u g h , t h ro at c learing , et c . T h is also inc lu des f o lk s w it h
v o c al no du les, p o lyp s and c yst s. I c o mp let e laryng eal endo sc o p ies t o v iew t h e c o ndit io n o f t h e
v o c al f o lds/ c o rds and v o ic e b o x / larynx . I f t reat ment is w arrant ed, I c o mp let e t reat ment w it h
t h e indiv idu als. I also w o rk w it h f o lk s w it h sw allo w ing diso rders and laryng ec t o mee (remo v al
o f t h e larynx ) p at ient s. I ’ v e b een ab le t o serv ic e so me o f my f amily memb ers.
Ab o u t 5 -6 t imes/ w eek , N at and I are at t h e g ym w o rk ing o u t . N at ’ s made many w o rk o u t
b u ddies b u t st ill f inds t ime t o g u ide me in my w o rk o u t . He’ s b ec o me my p erso nal t rainer.
Af t er a lo ng searc h , w e f o u nd a c h u rc h t h at is p ret t y w o nderf u l – G rac e B ret h ren. G o d h as
b lessed u s in p ro v iding f ello w sh ip w it h q u it e a f ew c o u p les in o u r c h u rc h . T h e f irst c o u p le w e
met is mu c h lik e a p arent al, ment o ring c o u p le t o u s and t h ro u g h t h em, w e met a new ly-w ed
c o u p le t h at w e’ v e b eg u n a B ib le st u dy w it h . W e h av e ab so lu t ely b een b lessed in f ello w sh ip
and f riendsh ip w it h t h e f o lk s w e’ v e met at G rac e. W e also at t end a N ig erian c h u rc h in t o w n
ev ery o t h er w eek o r so . W h en w e’ re ab le t o at t end, t h ey alw ays h av e t h e b ass av ailab le f o r
N at t o p lay du ring t h eir p raise and w o rsh ip t ime. T h e p ast o r (P ast o r N elso n) and h is w if e
(Au nt ie E u nic e) h av e v est ed a g reat amo u nt o f at t ent io n in u s and w e w ere ab le t o sp end
T h ank sg iv ing ’ 0 4 w it h t h em and t h eir c h ildren.
W e h o p e t o see a nu mb er o f yo u so o n in t h e u p -c o ming C h rist mas seaso n. W e are u nab le t o g o
t o N ig eria t h is year so w e w ill b e in M arq u et t e du ring o u r t ime o f f . W e w o u ld lo v e t o h ear
f ro m yo u all and g et u p dat ed o n t h e “ g o ing s-o n” in yo u r lif e/ liv es
(b rac k ent h o mp so n@ yah o o .c o m) . I f w e are u nab le t o see o r sp eak t o yo u – w e p ray t h at yo u r
C h rist mas seaso n is f illed w it h j o y and b lessing s. Alt h o u g h it ’ s imp o ssib le t o p ray f o r yo u all
indiv idu ally, p lease k no w t h at yo u all are in o u r t h o u g h t s and p rayers in o ne w ay o r ano t h er.
W it h mu c h lo v e –
J enn & N at T h o mp so n
D ec emb er 1 5 , 2 0 0 5