Some Final Thoughts

I was trying to figure out what to write to summarize how I'm feeling. Today is my last full day in Nigeria, and I catch a flight home tomorrow night.

Naturally, I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I'm really excited to see everyone again, eat food that is familiar, have consistent electricity, and warm water. On the other side of that, I hate that I'm leaving a place where I feel there is a lot of need for love. The people here are beautiful, and I wish I had more time to spend with them.

To recap the past week a bit, we spent a majority of our time at the Oasis house in the village by the new property (sorry, that was a lot of prepositions). We cut re-bar, made forms, mixed concrete, and poured covers for the septic tank. It was absolutely exhausting, but I am really proud of our team. We also had a few medical pitfalls this week - it seemed at least one person from our group was always sick in some way. I suppose that's expected in a third world country though. We also found a caterpillar in our salad one night - ick!

Let me explain that a little more ... when we buy produce, we have to make sure it is fully cleaned and safe to eat. So we will bring it home, cut the lettuce, wash it leaf by leaf in bleach water, and then leaf by leaf in purified water before drying it and spinning it. So the fact that this little caterpillar made it all the way through that process and into our dinner time is beyond me. Needless to say, we all checked each and every leaf of lettuce before eating it for the rest of the week.

Finally, and perhaps the most eventful part of the week was Thursday night. In the afternoon, we went to say good-bye to the CLAPAI kids. It was harder than I expected. There are a few kids there that it just crushes me to leave. All they seek is love and affection. I pray they will find nothing but those things in the future...

After returning home, however, we were on a mission. What was that, you ask? Well, we decided it was time we learned to kill, pluck, clean, cut, and cook our own chickens. Thus enters 2 feathered friends. It was quite the experience.... for those more interested in this feat, there are pictures and video. For the rest of you, or those with weak stomachs, I do not see it fit to expound now.

Today wrapped up with the remainder of souvenir shopping. Corrie is perhaps the best negotiator I have seen thus far, and I am super excited about the painting that I bought today.

Some final thoughts: life here is significantly slower than it is at home. Water is crucial: the church's biggest request for the week was that we pray for rain. At the oasis house, the well went dry and it was almost impossible to complete all of our tasks - I couldn't imagine having to rely on that for my source of life. I know it's something so simple to us, but it is so very profound to the people here. I'm slightly afraid of hitting culture shock upon returning to the fast-paced life. I'm excited not to have to check all of my sheets and pillows for spiders or lizards after tonight. I'm slightly afraid of my first trip back to a grocery store. I feel like that may be slightly terrifying. I hope God allows me to use what I have learned here to bless people back home.

Anyway, that's perhaps all I have for now. I hope you are all doing well and I wish you a happy 4th of July! (Happy Birthday to Mom - if you see her, give her a hug for me)

Please pray for safe travels. My phone will be back on as soon as I'm in Chicago on Monday.