Today was “team prep” day. We have a team coming in next week, and we had to clean and get the house ready for them. Of course, this means that we had to fix all of the “little” problems around the house as well…
Well, two of our “little” problems included fixing the electricity (we haven’t had power in almost 3 days), and fixing the toilets in the girls’ bathrooms. We knew the electricity would take some effort, but we assumed the toilets would be an easy fix… oh, assumptions….
I will spare you the nasty, disgusting details, but will say that fixing the plumbing involved 2 of our staff members elbow deep in sewage, reaching into pipes coming from the bathrooms. It was several hours of a crappy fiasco, which they referred to as an “M.B.” or major blockage. Hahaha No worries, though, we video-documented the whole thing and have been referring to it as “Dirty Jobs, Jos, Nigeria Edition”.
Anyway, praise God that we now have both electricity and toilets that work.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Mosquito Net Outreach - Saturday, June 25th
Today was such a joy.
We had the opportunity to go into the village today and provide mosquito nets to the widows and their children. I have to say, I had all of these expectations going into it: that the widows would be so excited and grateful for what we were doing. Of course, God quickly humbled me by showing me that it’s not about me or any satisfaction I can get from seeing people react with such gratitude and excitement. He spoke to me saying that it was about HIM. HE was the one providing the nets, and I was only there because He had given me the opportunity to fulfill this part of His plan.
Any joy and excitement, therefore, should be geared towards Him: not towards me because of some little thing that I had done. I was there to glorify God and bring Him glory, and I am glad He gently reminded me of that.
Like I said before, today was such a joy. While many of the widows were grateful, many were also not home because they were working in the fields, therefore we were not able to see their reactions. We prayed with the ones who were around and left nets for those who were not. Many times, we had to be creative with how we hung the nets since their walls and the rafters were weak or not well designed.
I was so blown away by the state of their homes. None of the beds I saw today had sheets. Most of the beds didn’t even have a mattress. Many were just a sheet of cloth on the ground of a mud-made hut. It was terribly heartbreaking at times.
Another thought from the day is that there is an interesting line separating provision from dependence: essentially, how do you supply gifts for people without creating their dependence on you? It is an interesting balance that I definitely want to give more thought to over the next few weeks.
As I process all that I saw today, I am left with one thought: to pray.
So God, thank you for today. Thank you for providing these women and their children with mosquito nets. Thank you for choosing me to help you carry out this task. I pray blessings over each of their homes. I pray health and love into their lives. And I pray that through our seemingly menial act of love, they find You. In Jesus’ most holy and precious name, Amen.
We had the opportunity to go into the village today and provide mosquito nets to the widows and their children. I have to say, I had all of these expectations going into it: that the widows would be so excited and grateful for what we were doing. Of course, God quickly humbled me by showing me that it’s not about me or any satisfaction I can get from seeing people react with such gratitude and excitement. He spoke to me saying that it was about HIM. HE was the one providing the nets, and I was only there because He had given me the opportunity to fulfill this part of His plan.
Any joy and excitement, therefore, should be geared towards Him: not towards me because of some little thing that I had done. I was there to glorify God and bring Him glory, and I am glad He gently reminded me of that.
Like I said before, today was such a joy. While many of the widows were grateful, many were also not home because they were working in the fields, therefore we were not able to see their reactions. We prayed with the ones who were around and left nets for those who were not. Many times, we had to be creative with how we hung the nets since their walls and the rafters were weak or not well designed.
I was so blown away by the state of their homes. None of the beds I saw today had sheets. Most of the beds didn’t even have a mattress. Many were just a sheet of cloth on the ground of a mud-made hut. It was terribly heartbreaking at times.
Another thought from the day is that there is an interesting line separating provision from dependence: essentially, how do you supply gifts for people without creating their dependence on you? It is an interesting balance that I definitely want to give more thought to over the next few weeks.
As I process all that I saw today, I am left with one thought: to pray.
So God, thank you for today. Thank you for providing these women and their children with mosquito nets. Thank you for choosing me to help you carry out this task. I pray blessings over each of their homes. I pray health and love into their lives. And I pray that through our seemingly menial act of love, they find You. In Jesus’ most holy and precious name, Amen.
Friday, June 24, 2011
The Deafening Rainy Season
It’s very common for days here to be bright and sunny; then, almost without warning, the sky turns dark and an absolute downpour ensues. These torrential rains last anywhere from 20min to 3 hours, and are quite the reprieve from the heat of the day.
Today’s downpour though, was unlike any other since I have been here. It started out as any other rain, but then it got louder. And louder. And louder still. It got so loud, that in order to hear each other, we literally had to scream at the person sitting right next to us. So naturally, we ran outside to witness this amazing event.
To our astonishment, it was hailing! We are what? Six degrees off of the equator, and ice is falling from the sky!? So crazy! The air was so chilly because of these ½ inch chunks of hail. It was truly something to witness.
Today’s downpour though, was unlike any other since I have been here. It started out as any other rain, but then it got louder. And louder. And louder still. It got so loud, that in order to hear each other, we literally had to scream at the person sitting right next to us. So naturally, we ran outside to witness this amazing event.
To our astonishment, it was hailing! We are what? Six degrees off of the equator, and ice is falling from the sky!? So crazy! The air was so chilly because of these ½ inch chunks of hail. It was truly something to witness.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Shinge: A Nigerian Delicacy.
In the rainy season, a unique event occurs some days after it rains. Shinge (pronounced shin-gay) flies appear, much like cicadas appear for only a short time every few years in the US. These seasonal Nigerian delicacies (yes, you heard me right), are quickly snatched up as a treat or die shortly after their wings fall off. Well, guess what we did the other night…? That’s right, folks! We interns got to experience a true Nigerian delicacy.
Ok, so I know you want to hear all about it, right? Ok, good. Well let me tell you how it works.
First, you have to catch a shinge. These bugs look similar to dragon flies, having maybe an inch long body and 2 ½ to 3in long wings. If that’s not a feat in and of itself, once you catch it, you have to pluck the wings off. Eww! Right? Yeah. Ok, so now you have this creepy, squirmy, wormlike bug wiggling in your hand, and you’re thinking, “Oh my gosh! What am I thinking!?”
At this point, you have 2 options: (1) Catch more shinge flies, throw them in a sauté pan with a little bit of butter, and eat them as a sweet, crunchy snack, or (2) Pop the shinge in your mouth and eat it as is (yes, while it is still alive and wiggling all over the place).
While option #1 may seem like much more of a culinary adventure, we interns were looking for a true experience…. And was it! I think I downed a liter of Gatorade and a bottle of Sprite afterward. Bleh! Er, um, I mean, it was so great … let me know if you want me to bring some back for you. Mmm….
As a side note, for those of you worried about my new diet, fear not. I am actually eating quite well here – so well in fact, that I may have actually gained weight. Ok, maybe not, but whatever. They really try to keep things “Americanized” for us (Well, most nights). For example, for our first morning in Jos, the staff made pancakes for breakfast. Yum! Other menu items include spaghetti, pb&j’s, banana bread, and mango cobbler (we actually have a mango tree in our backyard, so the mangos were straight off of the tree!!).
Ok, so I know you want to hear all about it, right? Ok, good. Well let me tell you how it works.
First, you have to catch a shinge. These bugs look similar to dragon flies, having maybe an inch long body and 2 ½ to 3in long wings. If that’s not a feat in and of itself, once you catch it, you have to pluck the wings off. Eww! Right? Yeah. Ok, so now you have this creepy, squirmy, wormlike bug wiggling in your hand, and you’re thinking, “Oh my gosh! What am I thinking!?”
At this point, you have 2 options: (1) Catch more shinge flies, throw them in a sauté pan with a little bit of butter, and eat them as a sweet, crunchy snack, or (2) Pop the shinge in your mouth and eat it as is (yes, while it is still alive and wiggling all over the place).
While option #1 may seem like much more of a culinary adventure, we interns were looking for a true experience…. And was it! I think I downed a liter of Gatorade and a bottle of Sprite afterward. Bleh! Er, um, I mean, it was so great … let me know if you want me to bring some back for you. Mmm….
As a side note, for those of you worried about my new diet, fear not. I am actually eating quite well here – so well in fact, that I may have actually gained weight. Ok, maybe not, but whatever. They really try to keep things “Americanized” for us (Well, most nights). For example, for our first morning in Jos, the staff made pancakes for breakfast. Yum! Other menu items include spaghetti, pb&j’s, banana bread, and mango cobbler (we actually have a mango tree in our backyard, so the mangos were straight off of the tree!!).
Thursday, June 16, 2011
A Lesson in Hausa. – June 16, 2011
Ok, so for all of you Farm Basket folks, I have learned to say something in Hausa that you might be able to use… ready? Alright.
Ku zo ku ci abinci.
Any guesses on what it means? Ok, ok. I’ll tell you. It means “Come eat food” when speaking to more than one person.
In addition to that, we learned quite a bit during day 1 of our Hausa language crash course. I know a bunch of different greetings, pronouns, a few basic verbs and nouns, as well as a song in Hausa (don’t ask me to sing it). I also learned that the Hausa language does not contain the letters p, q, x, or v.
Here are some phrases I thought might be fun to share:
Sannu means Hello (to respond, you would say “Yauwa sannu”)
Ina kwana? Means Good morning or literally “how did you spend the night?” (to respond you would say “Lafiya” which means “well/fine/good”; you would say this whether or not your night was actually good)
Yaya aiki? Means How is work? (to respond, you would say “da godiya” which means “work is fine”)
Sai an jima means See you later
Sai gobe means See you tomorrow
Ban iya Hausa ba. means I don’t speak Hausa.
Menene wannan? Means What is this?
Ok, well that’s all for now. Be sure to practice up :)*
Ku zo ku ci abinci.
Any guesses on what it means? Ok, ok. I’ll tell you. It means “Come eat food” when speaking to more than one person.
In addition to that, we learned quite a bit during day 1 of our Hausa language crash course. I know a bunch of different greetings, pronouns, a few basic verbs and nouns, as well as a song in Hausa (don’t ask me to sing it). I also learned that the Hausa language does not contain the letters p, q, x, or v.
Here are some phrases I thought might be fun to share:
Sannu means Hello (to respond, you would say “Yauwa sannu”)
Ina kwana? Means Good morning or literally “how did you spend the night?” (to respond you would say “Lafiya” which means “well/fine/good”; you would say this whether or not your night was actually good)
Yaya aiki? Means How is work? (to respond, you would say “da godiya” which means “work is fine”)
Sai an jima means See you later
Sai gobe means See you tomorrow
Ban iya Hausa ba. means I don’t speak Hausa.
Menene wannan? Means What is this?
Ok, well that’s all for now. Be sure to practice up :)*
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Day 1… and maybe 2 and 3
Well, I made it! I am finally here in Jos and am getting ready for some much needed sleep. The flights went well – I was even given a rose when leaving the plane in Frankfurt, Germany. The food was alright. On the trip from the US, we had this amazing meal – everything was beautiful and fresh and delicious! On the way to Nigeria however… let’s just say, I’m still not certain what I ate. I know it was supposed to be chicken.
We ran into some trouble with the visa official… he was hassling us about where we were staying and who we were staying with. He kept wondering who this “Jason” character was – even said he wanted to meet him (that was a fun experience, I’m sure for the friend of Jason who actually picked us up from the airport). Of course, after stamping our visas, he told us that next time, we should come back and visit him.
We spent our first night in the country at a guest house. They gave us the speech about how we are NOT to drink the water or even brush our teeth with it … of course 15 minutes later, there I am throwing out my toothbrush because I had already failed that one vital task. No worries though for all of you out there who are worried about my dental hygiene… I brought 7 more :) Let’s see how long it takes me to go through them hahaha Any bets?
The next morning (Monday), we traveled to Jos. It was about a 4 hours drive passing through 6 checkpoints. Obviously, we made it through them just fine as well. We were greeted with a lot of new and friendly faces as well as a homemade lunch of chicken salad and watermelon.
The goal of these new people (and our staff members for the summer) was to keep us awake and active for as long as possible today (they said it was to help us adjust to the time change, but I think they were just being mean :)* ). Anyway, the day was filled with hiking, devotionals, pictures, dinner, and games.
I think it’s going to be a great summer. I am looking forward to our crash language course in Housa this week. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to post some key words and phrases for everyone back home.
Ok, well I am off to bed :) Miss you all already!
We ran into some trouble with the visa official… he was hassling us about where we were staying and who we were staying with. He kept wondering who this “Jason” character was – even said he wanted to meet him (that was a fun experience, I’m sure for the friend of Jason who actually picked us up from the airport). Of course, after stamping our visas, he told us that next time, we should come back and visit him.
We spent our first night in the country at a guest house. They gave us the speech about how we are NOT to drink the water or even brush our teeth with it … of course 15 minutes later, there I am throwing out my toothbrush because I had already failed that one vital task. No worries though for all of you out there who are worried about my dental hygiene… I brought 7 more :) Let’s see how long it takes me to go through them hahaha Any bets?
The next morning (Monday), we traveled to Jos. It was about a 4 hours drive passing through 6 checkpoints. Obviously, we made it through them just fine as well. We were greeted with a lot of new and friendly faces as well as a homemade lunch of chicken salad and watermelon.
The goal of these new people (and our staff members for the summer) was to keep us awake and active for as long as possible today (they said it was to help us adjust to the time change, but I think they were just being mean :)* ). Anyway, the day was filled with hiking, devotionals, pictures, dinner, and games.
I think it’s going to be a great summer. I am looking forward to our crash language course in Housa this week. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to post some key words and phrases for everyone back home.
Ok, well I am off to bed :) Miss you all already!
Monday, May 2, 2011
God is SO good!
Last Monday, I sat down and looked over finances – I needed $1300 by Friday!
I had already sold off some of my clothes, some paintings that I had done, and pulled all the tips that I had made from work. I also looked at all the support checks that had come in. Well, by Wednesday, I was down to needing $972. This was so encouraging! The next morning (Thursday), my fiancé called to let me know that one of his friends wanted to donate $100 to the trip! It was so cool to see God moving.
Of course, I still knew that I needed a lot of money to come in one day’s time. I had received a larger tax refund this year than I was expecting, so I was beginning to think that perhaps God was providing for my trip through that. If I used my entire tax refund, and a large chunk of my savings (which I had already been planning on using towards my wedding), I figured I could still go on the trip, but would be flat broke by the time I left for the trip, and especially when I got back to the States.
I figure that when God calls you somewhere, you have to drop everything and go. Sometimes it means making sacrifices. If this was the sacrifice He was calling me to make, it would be worth it, and I would trust Him to provide for the wedding in another way.
So here I am, resigned to the notion that I am going to Africa and that God is calling me to sacrifice literally everything to be there. I had already taken many of my clothes to a consignment store to sell, set up a yard sale to sell my furniture, and done some more paintings to raise money.
Then…. I get an email from the director of the mission trip. He says that one of my team members has raised excess funds and wants to use them to help fund my trip. I was in complete disbelief! It was a huge rush of emotions. Disbelief. Excitement. Relief. Joy. I was in shock.
This suddenly meant that not only was the cost of my trip covered, but I could use the cash that I had received from selling off my clothes and from selling my paintings, tips, my birthday money, any Christmas money, etc to fund my immunizations, visa fees, etc. Not only that, but I could once again use my savings towards my wedding. It was an enormous blessing!!
The way God provided is amazing. It was provided in a way so huge, that only God could orchestrate it. Based on the things God has already been doing, I would say that we should expect to see Him move in some AMAZING ways this summer! :)
Thank you to everyone who contributed. I cannot wait to share in this adventure with you.
There's just over a month to go!!
I had already sold off some of my clothes, some paintings that I had done, and pulled all the tips that I had made from work. I also looked at all the support checks that had come in. Well, by Wednesday, I was down to needing $972. This was so encouraging! The next morning (Thursday), my fiancé called to let me know that one of his friends wanted to donate $100 to the trip! It was so cool to see God moving.
Of course, I still knew that I needed a lot of money to come in one day’s time. I had received a larger tax refund this year than I was expecting, so I was beginning to think that perhaps God was providing for my trip through that. If I used my entire tax refund, and a large chunk of my savings (which I had already been planning on using towards my wedding), I figured I could still go on the trip, but would be flat broke by the time I left for the trip, and especially when I got back to the States.
I figure that when God calls you somewhere, you have to drop everything and go. Sometimes it means making sacrifices. If this was the sacrifice He was calling me to make, it would be worth it, and I would trust Him to provide for the wedding in another way.
So here I am, resigned to the notion that I am going to Africa and that God is calling me to sacrifice literally everything to be there. I had already taken many of my clothes to a consignment store to sell, set up a yard sale to sell my furniture, and done some more paintings to raise money.
Then…. I get an email from the director of the mission trip. He says that one of my team members has raised excess funds and wants to use them to help fund my trip. I was in complete disbelief! It was a huge rush of emotions. Disbelief. Excitement. Relief. Joy. I was in shock.
This suddenly meant that not only was the cost of my trip covered, but I could use the cash that I had received from selling off my clothes and from selling my paintings, tips, my birthday money, any Christmas money, etc to fund my immunizations, visa fees, etc. Not only that, but I could once again use my savings towards my wedding. It was an enormous blessing!!
The way God provided is amazing. It was provided in a way so huge, that only God could orchestrate it. Based on the things God has already been doing, I would say that we should expect to see Him move in some AMAZING ways this summer! :)
Thank you to everyone who contributed. I cannot wait to share in this adventure with you.
There's just over a month to go!!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Woohoo!
God is so good!
The money came in just in time to book the flight. Thank you to everyone who has contributed their prayers and financial support thus far!
At this point, I still need to raise about $900. Please continue to pray that this need is met :)
In other news, I'm engaged!!! Wedding planning from Nigeria should be quite an exciting challenge, wouldn't you say? hehehe
Alright, thanks again! I just wanted to post a quick update on things.
The money came in just in time to book the flight. Thank you to everyone who has contributed their prayers and financial support thus far!
At this point, I still need to raise about $900. Please continue to pray that this need is met :)
In other news, I'm engaged!!! Wedding planning from Nigeria should be quite an exciting challenge, wouldn't you say? hehehe
Alright, thanks again! I just wanted to post a quick update on things.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Just a Quick Update
Well, 3 months and 2 weeks to go!
We book our plane tickets in the next two weeks, then start the Visa application process. So exciting! haha :)
I wanted to post a quick update on fund raising. Right now, I have raised $595 towards the cost of the trip. Thank you SO much to everyone who has provided financial support! It is truly appreciated, and I am excited to be going on this adventure with you.
But, that also means, in the next week and a half, I will need to raise the remaining $1300 for airfare alone (then an additional $1275 for living expenses, outreach, etc). At this point, I would like to say three things.
1. I am not worried about the money. God has all the money in the world, and He will take care of me - that's all I need to know.
2. It's not too early to offer prayer support. Please be praying for me and the team as we wrap up our fund raising time. Additionally, please be praying for the people we will meet and the lives we have the opportunity to impact during our time in Nigeria - ask God that he prepares the hearts of all involved. :)
3. I am exciting to see how God moves! And don't worry, I will let you know all about it! :)
Also, as a semi-unrelated side note, please be praying for the team we have traveling to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in 2 weeks. There will be 9 of us on the team. Our hope is to use dance to cross the language barrier and show God's love through that art. In addition, we will be serving in the colonials by providing prayer and support. Finally, we will be teaching dance to some amazing kids at a local orphanage as well as the attendees of a few local churches. :)
We book our plane tickets in the next two weeks, then start the Visa application process. So exciting! haha :)
I wanted to post a quick update on fund raising. Right now, I have raised $595 towards the cost of the trip. Thank you SO much to everyone who has provided financial support! It is truly appreciated, and I am excited to be going on this adventure with you.
But, that also means, in the next week and a half, I will need to raise the remaining $1300 for airfare alone (then an additional $1275 for living expenses, outreach, etc). At this point, I would like to say three things.
1. I am not worried about the money. God has all the money in the world, and He will take care of me - that's all I need to know.
2. It's not too early to offer prayer support. Please be praying for me and the team as we wrap up our fund raising time. Additionally, please be praying for the people we will meet and the lives we have the opportunity to impact during our time in Nigeria - ask God that he prepares the hearts of all involved. :)
3. I am exciting to see how God moves! And don't worry, I will let you know all about it! :)
Also, as a semi-unrelated side note, please be praying for the team we have traveling to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in 2 weeks. There will be 9 of us on the team. Our hope is to use dance to cross the language barrier and show God's love through that art. In addition, we will be serving in the colonials by providing prayer and support. Finally, we will be teaching dance to some amazing kids at a local orphanage as well as the attendees of a few local churches. :)
Monday, December 27, 2010
It's Official!
It's been a year and a half since I returned from Nigeria. In that time, I have moved to VA, bought my first car, found a job, and completed all but 1 semester of grad school (I graduate in May!!). Well, I just recently found out that I have the opportunity to return to Nigeria as an intern this summer! I am so excited! :)
The internship will run from June 11-July 31, 2011, in Jos, Nigeria. I will have the opportunity to work with the missionaries already living in Jos to help serve the people of the Kisayhip village and the children and workers of a local orphanage. I can't wait to go back and see what's changed, and what's stayed the same. :)
So, the next 6 months will be filled with fund-raising, getting some booster shots, packing, and obtaining my visa. Please pray that all of this goes smoothly and that God prepares the hearts of me and my team members, the missionaries already serving, and the people we will reach while we are there.
I will keep this updated with all my adventures leading up to and during the trip.
Happy Holidays! :)
Amanda
The internship will run from June 11-July 31, 2011, in Jos, Nigeria. I will have the opportunity to work with the missionaries already living in Jos to help serve the people of the Kisayhip village and the children and workers of a local orphanage. I can't wait to go back and see what's changed, and what's stayed the same. :)
So, the next 6 months will be filled with fund-raising, getting some booster shots, packing, and obtaining my visa. Please pray that all of this goes smoothly and that God prepares the hearts of me and my team members, the missionaries already serving, and the people we will reach while we are there.
I will keep this updated with all my adventures leading up to and during the trip.
Happy Holidays! :)
Amanda
Saturday, July 4, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Another Overdue Post
I've apparently been a tad bit lazy in my blogging over the past week, so I'll try to keep this brief while updating what's been going on as much as possible.
Our big task this week was teaching school at the CLAPAI house. I was in charge of Math class and taught Pre-K through 3rd graders. The first day was insanely frustrating. We seemed a bit out of place and the kids were simultaneously further ahead and further behind than we imagined. Joe (one of the other interns) and I created a math assessment sheet to figure out where they were at in their education. Well, the amazing thing was that the first graders were learning division, the sad thing was that they had nothing memorized and relied on tally-mark counting for every single problem.
After that day, we took some time to revamp our lesson plans and decided they would be much better served if we focused on memorizing certain math. By the end of the week, I think we were able to accomplish a lot. The third graders had memorized their 2 times table, 2nd grade knew about fractions of a whole, and the first graders knew how to count using the number line instead of tally marks. I was really proud of them and all they learned throughout our time there.
On Tuesday, we took the CLAPAI kids on a field trip to the library - which they loved!
Afterwards, we took off for Kissayip A, a much larger section of the Village than what we distributed food to the other week. We met up with the Chairman of Village B, who went with us to explore the “new” territory. Very few B2B people have been their before. On our way to meet up with Ibro to drop off our passports for renewal, we happened to see the Chief of the village, who then decided he wanted to meet with us. Chris debriefed us in the car about proper etiquette when around the chief, including don’t make eye contact, don’t speak unless spoken to, and bow if you are acknowledged.
I must admit, I was a bit frightened. Well, everything turned out just fine. He invited us into his home, shook all our hands and had a great, lighthearted conversation with us, letting us know how glad he is that we are here. It was fun and encouraging.
When we left his house, it was out to the village. We were met by plenty of eager kids. Among our activities included an American vs. Nigerian soccer (football) game, bubbles (total hit!), nail painting with the girls, and handing out lollipops. It was a ton of fun. They are amazing at soccer! I did my best …
Wednesday, we were able to go back to OLA (the orphanage that is also at a hospital). It was fun to see the kids again, but also very sad. It's really hard to see kids struggling with the basics such as clothing - some of them don't even have clothes that fit, let alone clothes that are the proper gender.
There were 2 kids there that really stood out to me. First was Clay. He was in a crib when I met him; I thought he was about 2 years old. It was evident that he had a developmental disorder, but I wasn't sure what. Upon asking about him, I learned that he is seven years old! All I could think was about how his life could have been different if he had been born in the
The second child was still an infant. She was about 4 months old. Her mother didn’t want her and threw her in a gutter after she was born. Luckily, she was found by a man and taken to the orphanage. Sadly though, she is covered in scars from the abuse, and it is simply heart wrenching.
Thursday after teaching, we took a trip out to the future B2B campus and hiked up one of the mountains. Upon reaching the top, Mark (another one of the interns) led us in some amazing worship time. It was absolutely beautiful! Afterwards, we spent some time in prayer – it was just so peaceful and refreshing, just what my spirit needed. It’s hard for me to think that moments like that aren’t going to happen weekly when I go home….
Friday was spent finishing out our week of teaching and spending a relaxing afternoon at the pool. Unlike what you may think, we are all very pale. Because of the culture, very little of our skin actually sees the sun on a daily basis.
That brings us up to today. Today was our day off, so 4 of the interns decided to tag along with the Gucks to go back to
So now, I’m left reflecting, apologizing for such a long post, but really glad I got to write everything down. It’s so hard to think that there’s only a week left for me here – it would have been incredible to stay for the whole summer.
I do miss you all, and once again, really appreciate the support and emails – they keep me feeling connected.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Market, Safari, and Teaching Prep
06/22/09
Sorry for the lack of posts lately … I’ve spent the last week not feeling too great and we haven’t had the most consistent electricity.
Here are a few highlights; I’ll try to post a little more later:
6-15-09
Today was one of those days that I had to stand back and say, “Wow. I’m totally in
We started off by circling the market several times merely looking for a parking space. Once we found it, we ventured into the market. Now, the market is outside, crowded, and it had just rained. Being in flip flops, not only were my feet all the way up to my ankles covered in mud (at least, I hope it was just mud), but the back of my skirt and shirt were covered as well.
After being yelled at in various languages for going the wrong way and blocking traffic flow, we found a spot to divide up into teams to go look for the items on our list. I ended up with Joe, Corrie, and Tina while Angela took Sara, Mark, and Stephanie to go look for vegetables. Amazingly enough, we found most of the stuff we needed at the first “store” we stopped at. Now, these stores are literal holes in the wall. The shops are made out of tin and wood and appear as though they will collapse at any second. After bargaining for the things we wanted, we settled on a price and told the man we would be back later to pick it up.
As we walked further down the “street” we realized we probably wouldn’t be able to find the rest of the stuff we needed there. Well, someone (no names will be mentioned) said that if we took a certain alley, it would take us one street over. Well, little did we know that the “alley” was really a dead end. As soon as the four of us walked in and realized this, we heard the door slam behind us, followed closely by uproarious laughter. Finally, someone took pity on us and opened the door. We walked out, of course, ignoring the fact that we had just been laughed at and were the only white people within eye shot. I think we played it off well …. Ha ha
At this point, we decided we were done, hired a boy with a wheelbarrow to haul our stuff to the car, and played chicken with traffic on the way back. It was quite the exhausting and adventurous African experience.
6-17-09
Today, we were up before the sun. At 5:30am, we set out to make sandwiches and pack our bags for the day. Then it was off for a 3 hour bus ride to Yankari for our much awaited SAFARI!!!!
We didn’t see anything too exciting – just some baboons, warthogs, lizards, antelope, deer-ish animals, etc. No elephants or lions or hippos , but it was still fun nonetheless.
After that, we threw on our swimsuits and headed to the
So zip back to the present, since then, we’ve spent most of our time preparing for “animal week” at CLAPAI. We’re giving the teachers a week off by teaching all the kids. I’m one of 2 interns in charge of math, so I will be teaching math to grades pre-K through 3rd all week – who would have seen that coming!? Lol We’re also planning games and Bible stories for them: should be exciting!!
I also can’t believe I’m down to my last 2 weeks here. I can’t help but look back at all that we’ve done, and just wish I could stay longer to take part in more of it. It all just makes me feel so ALIVE.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Past 2 Days In Review...
6-13-09
Today was our last day with the EKU group. The morning was spent shopping for souvenirs in the market. I can’t wait to go back! Bartering is very common here, so it was fun to try to see what kind of “deals” we could get. Apparently, it’s also common for vendors to say that they will offer a “special baturi (white person – not in a derogatory way) price” which tends to be double of the actual price, so our driver stayed with us to keep us informed of what was, in fact, a good price and what was outrageous.
We also went to a Fair Trade store where bartering doesn’t happen. Basically, people from surrounding villages make things to sell at the store and then the money goes back to them. The prices were really reasonable, and I think we all found some great things.
6-14-09
Today we went to church in the Village. Most of the service was in Hausa, with a bit of English scattered throughout. It was such a neat service though. They had some really cool instruments that they used and did a ton of singing! I’m not sure if the instruments were real instruments, or just really creative ways of making music. Either way, I wish I could have recorded it.
It was also really sweet to see how they take offering. They give out of joy and not out of obligation. Offering is taken about 4 times each service, and it’s this big thing where people sing and dance all the way to the front of their church to give their money. At the end of the service today, the preacher announced that there was a man present who was in dire need, so a special offering would be taken just for him. Even though these villagers had given already, they were able to sacrifice a little more just to help out this man. It showed a true sense of community that I feel is rarely seen in the
Hut-to-Hut Provisions and Prayer
6-12-09
This morning was spent preparing measures of beans, corn, and cooking oil to distribute to people in the village. Afterwards, we packed in the car and drove to the future B2B property site. We were able to take the group up to the top of the mountain and show them an overview of what is to come and the vision of B2B. It is such an amazing and beautiful place! I wish pictures could do it justice. We had to climb down quickly, however, as a storm was rolling in.
When we finally got to the village, we split up into 3 teams and went door-to-door, or hut-to-hut, whatever the case may be. We gave each family 2 measures of beans and corn as well as a water bottle full of oil. Afterwards, we would ask if they had any prayer requests and then offer to pray with them. I was impacted by how many people were asking for prayer over sickness. Honestly, looking at their conditions, it’s a believable circumstance, but sad and unfortunate, nonetheless.
What struck me more than that, however, was the prayer requests for better spiritual walks. So many people wanted to “get right with God” or turn back to Him. They felt that void in their life and wanted prayer in seeking Him. It astounds me how there may be an ocean, a language barrier, and income levels all separating me from these people, but we seek the same thing. It truly amazes me that no matter the location, income level, or background we shared a heart’s pursuit. It just makes the world that much smaller. They are no longer people a world away with different issues. I’ve met them, heard their stories, and have found common ground. I don’t know if I’m explaining this feeling well or not, but it made a rather large impact on me.
One lady, in particular, really struck me with her story. Her name was Teresa, but her story reminded me of Ruth. She lost both her husband and her son, and just felt distant from God, like he didn’t care about her very much. I wanted to pray with her, but circumstances didn’t seem to allow it. Of course, maybe that was me being a chicken or not acting quick enough or spiritual warfare taking place. I just don’t know. Whatever it was, I wasn’t able to pray, and that left a significant conviction on my spirit. I wanted to tell her, with every ounce of my being, that she is loved and cared for, and that her story is that of legend. That God has such a huge plan for her and her life, she just can’t see it yet. I’m ashamed I never said it.
When we went to another section of the village, we were met by more children who just wanted to be with us. I stood back and had a moment where all the pictures I’ve ever seen of African children really struck me. These kids did have the puffed out bellies from malnutrition and inadequate amounts of food. They did have deformities and cuts and scrapes that weren’t taken care of. They all had snot running down their noses and were dirty. Some didn’t even have enough clothes. It was one of those moments that you stand back and take it all in. Then in a moment, all you want to do is tell the world. These things are all solvable. If more people saw, and if more people took an interest, maybe things would be different and these kids’ lives would be changed. Pictures don’t even begin to convey the feelings you experience when witnessing this first hand.
I’m also impacted by the amount of spiritual warfare going on here. It’s just so present in everyday life. I don’t know how to describe it much beyond that – just that it’s here and it’s rough and I feel like I take part in a battle every single day. It reminds me how imperative it is for me to gain strength from my Jesus daily and to lean on Him through it all. That’s so much easier said than done though, and I hope to integrate it more pervasively throughout my everyday “routine.”
On a lighter note, it never ceases to amaze me how transfixed the kids here are with white skin. They LOVE to pinch it to see it change colors. It’s so funny to watch!
Some Amazing New Friends, New Food, and a Party
6-11-09
Today we went to the Village with the goal of building them a couple benches and desks to be used in their school. When we got there, the kids were so excited, the teachers decided to cancel school for the rest of the day! Some people worked, while others played with the kids. And though we ended up only making 1 bench, 1 desk, and 1 teacher’s desk, I think we can all agree that our time was well spent.
A couple of us tried to get the kids to play duck, duck, goose – which was hilarious in and of itself. Most of them didn’t know English, so the language barrier was hard to get over. Eventually, we settled on a game of “red light, green light.” In the end, since I was the one giving the “go’s” and “stop’s”, I was completely tackled to the ground by all the kids. It was insane! And they completely loved all the attention they got.
One of the most interesting things that happened that day came through a little boy that lived in the village. He wanted to see what all the commotion was about and so he was hanging out close by. Another one of the interns noticed him and went to go pick him up. Well, as soon as she touched him, he screamed and ran to our driver crying! So then I went over to see what was wrong, and as soon as I got close to him, he screamed again and buried his face in the driver’s legs! It turns out, from our best guess, that this kid had never seen white people before. He was so intensely afraid of us! For the rest of the day, anytime he saw one of us, he would scream and then run to the nearest African for support, whether or not he knew them.
I feel like, as funny as that is, it is such a foreign concept to me. I can’t imagine the fear he must have had in seeing us for the first time. It makes me sit back and realize how different our world views truly are.
When we got home, it was time to prep for the night’s festivities. We invited the CLAPAI kids, their matrons, and staff over, as well as a bunch of other people we knew in the area for dinner. Dinner consisted of Suya (thin pieces of grilled meat on a stick), irish potatoes, and puff puffs (think doughnut holes but without the sugar or sweetness; so, fried dough). It was all delicious and very new.
We also brought in a group of dancers who performed some tribal and local dances. People could join in as well. So no worries, once again, I have pictures and video of not only the group, but me looking ridiculous and uncoordinated as well. It was an absolute blast!
Some Amazing New Friends, New Food, and a Party
6-11-09
Today we went to the Village with the goal of building them a couple benches and desks to be used in their school. When we got there, the kids were so excited, the teachers decided to cancel school for the rest of the day! Some people worked, while others played with the kids. And though we ended up only making 1 bench, 1 desk, and 1 teacher’s desk, I think we can all agree that our time was well spent.
A couple of us tried to get the kids to play duck, duck, goose – which was hilarious in and of itself. Most of them didn’t know English, so the language barrier was hard to get over. Eventually, we settled on a game of “red light, green light.” In the end, since I was the one giving the “go’s” and “stop’s”, I was completely tackled to the ground by all the kids. It was insane! And they completely loved all the attention they got.
One of the most interesting things that happened that day came through a little boy that lived in the village. He wanted to see what all the commotion was about and so he was hanging out close by. Another one of the interns noticed him and went to go pick him up. Well, as soon as she touched him, he screamed and ran to our driver crying! So then I went over to see what was wrong, and as soon as I got close to him, he screamed again and buried his face in the driver’s legs! It turns out, from our best guess, that this kid had never seen white people before. He was so intensely afraid of us! For the rest of the day, anytime he saw one of us, he would scream and then run to the nearest African for support, whether or not he knew them.
I feel like, as funny as that is, it is such a foreign concept to me. I can’t imagine the fear he must have had in seeing us for the first time. It makes me sit back and realize how different our world views truly are.
When we got home, it was time to prep for the night’s festivities. We invited the CLAPAI kids, their matrons, and staff over, as well as a bunch of other people we knew in the area for dinner. Dinner consisted of Suya (thin pieces of grilled meat on a stick), irish potatoes, and puff puffs (think doughnut holes but without the sugar or sweetness; so, fried dough). It was all delicious and very new.
We also brought in a group of dancers who performed some tribal and local dances. People could join in as well. So no worries, once again, I have pictures and video of not only the group, but me looking ridiculous and uncoordinated as well. It was an absolute blast!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A Bit Overdue....
6-10-09
This entry might be kind of long, so I apologize in advance. I’ve been trying to make separate posts since so much has been happening over the past couple of days, but have been deterred by the fact that the internet has been inaccessible. I’ll try to narrow it down to the highlights.
Tuesday, we spent a lot of time at the CLAPAI house. I was so excited because I got to draw water from a well for the first time today! I know that’s incredibly ridiculous and somewhat silly to say, but it was such a highlight of my day. I mean, we’re talking about throwing a black plasticky bag attached to a rope down into this deep hole, letting it sink, and then pulling it up as fast as possible because there were holes in the bag! Haha Oh, I wish I had taken a picture!
One of the other projects of the day was to fill in a giant hole in their “yard.” Most of the team worked on that for a majority of the morning, and to celebrate, decided to start a game of football (soccer). Holy wow are some of these kids good at soccer! I can’t get over how quick and coordinated they are, or how they play barefoot! It was a blast!
That night, I also had to take a shower by the light of a flashlight since, once again, we had no electricity… It was a wind-up flashlight, so it kept dying. It really was the most awkward shower of my life.
Yay for Tuesday!
On to Wednesday….
Our theme this summer is “Shelter” as I may have mentioned before. Well, today, God showed me His shelter firsthand. I was so frazzled this morning and just feeling pulled in 7 different directions. I couldn’t seem to find a quiet moment to just gather my thoughts and ask God to give me strength for the day. At our meeting this morning, I was really blown away by the statement our staff made. They told us that today was going to be trying and wear on us. So if we hadn’t spent any quiet time with God, tell the other interns, drop everything we were supposed to be doing, and go do that first. It was THAT important to them.
Of course, though, I didn’t do that…. I’m so stubborn. Instead, I took 2 minutes out (while making water) to send up a prayer that God would quiet me and just fill me with Him. Well, that’s about all the “me time” I had before getting on the bus to go pick up the kids. So I was feeling drained and tired even before the day really started. Well, one thing about me: I feel that God tends to use music to speak to me. That’s just one of the ways that I get to connect to Him and feel renewed. So, we picked up the kids (we had 3 buses), and I was trying to figure out ways to entertain the 10 in our car for the full hour drive. Well, god decided I wouldn’t have to. As soon as we started rolling away from their house, they started singing. They sang the whole way! It was amazing. God was able to turn my whole day around by providing me shelter with all those moments.
Our day with the kids consisted of a 2 and a half hour hike, with lunch somewhere in the middle. It was a beautiful, slow-paced hike. I was walking across this rickety bridge at one point with the kids, and Teyei, one of the girls I was holding hands with, was apparently afraid of heights. As we crossed she kept gripping on tighter and tighter until we reached the other side. When she let go of my hand, I could still see the marks from where it had been! It was just so crazy to me how much she trusted me in those moments and how scary it must have been to her.
When we got back from our hike, we realized we had some extra orange slices. After handing some out to the kids, we decided to offer the rest up to the villagers who so graciously allowed us to park our buses there to go on our hike. It’s so amazing how love spans the boundary of language. I don’t think either side understood the other, but the looks on their faces spoke so loudly. What was just “scraps” to us, was like treasure to them. The joy on their faces captures a moment and a hope my heart wishes it could capture and recreate forever.
Finally, we said goodbye to the kids. On our way over to the Oasis house (their new home just recently purchased), we took a shortcut through the Jos Army division, including the barracks and weapons area. Well, we got stopped by a security guard who told us that white people were not allowed to cross there…. Did we look that threatening?? Things worked out alright, no worries. It was just an odd situation.
When we got to the house, I worked with Tina, Jenny, and Marybeth to cut rebar with a grinder – never done that before! I was so excited. Don’t worry, there are pictures and video. There were sparks everywhere! We went through all four batteries before resorting to a hack saw. Haha Oh it was so much fun! Big picture: we were working to build a form to cover the septic tank. Once we finished, we helped the other teams tie together the rebar frames until it was time to leave. Just before leaving, we were certain to pray over the house. We (Tina and I paired up) went from room to room, laying hands on the walls and praying blessings over the future residents of the house. I hope the kids find a home there, a place they really feel that they belong.
Debrief also went well. I’m surprised how much I look forward to them and how much my attitude has changed about them since high school. Corrie told a story about chickens tonight. In
Corrie related this to us and asked what we thought we were holding onto as our “pipe” when it could be so much easier (and quicker) to fly. What has God been asking us to let go of or what do we use as a crutch or what is holding us back? I think mine is believing the lie that I have nothing good to offer. I feel that holds me back from so much. I sell myself short all the time because I lack confidence in my abilities. I pray that God uses that realization to make a change in my life and begin transforming me in that area. Though it will be painful, I know it’s worth it. I think he calls us to put ourselves out there and always offer our best. My problem seems to be that I don’t know what that is in relation to me. Anyway, it’s something to think and pray over.
In other news, we have (well, as of 5 seconds ago, had) electricity!
I promise I’ll get the rest of the updates up as soon as possible. Thanks so much for reading (I know it’s long…). I also really appreciate the emails – they are such an encouragement here!
Monday, June 8, 2009
No Electricty or Water, but Infinite Joy Abounds :)
I’ve spent the last few days sick and not feeling well. Luckily, I finally decided to take some cipro last night and am feeling so much better!
Yesterday was the craziest as far as power goes thus far. We lost power in the morning, gained it back for about 2 hours, and then lost it again. We weren’t able to get the generator working for a while either – it’s funny how little it affected us. Life continued on as usual, though with a few struggles like not being able to see in the bathroom without a flashlight or being careful not to open the refrigerator too often. Finally, power came back on at 1am – haha. But then went back off at 6am. As of this morning, we also had no water. Fun times. That was a little harder to deal with. So the guys (once they got back with the EKU group) set off to fix what was going on. Currently, it’s about 6:15pm and we just got power back! Yay! We’ll see how long it lasts….
Today was an amazing day though, in spite of electrical and plumbing issues. Yesterday, we (the girls) made a bet with John that if we were able to put together an entire 1000 piece puzzle before they returned, he would have to buy us ice cream; otherwise, we would have to buy all the kids ice cream. Well, we completed the puzzle with just over an hour to spare! So, ice cream is in our near future. *smiles* So once the group got here, we ate lunch and took off for Gidan Bege again. The girls got fitted for Nigerian dresses and we all looked at bags and skirts. I might buy something else later, but I don’t know for now.
After that, we took the group to the CLAPAI house to hang out with the kids for a few hours. It was one of the best times I’ve had since being here. We taught them sardines and the junior bird man games (which they absolutely LOVED) – it was SO funny to watch!! Then we sat around and colored and read some books and just loved on the kids. Whether that meant playing football (soccer), pushing them on the swings, taking pictures of them, or just giving them a hug, they really enjoyed us being there. I wish I could better describe the looks on their faces – they really are very precious.
This is the group of kids who are all in some way affected by HIV. They don’t fit in elsewhere and may have been picked on or misunderstood all their lives. But they are all beautiful! They just love being found captivating and worthwhile in other people’s eyes. We’ll be going back the next two days, and I can’t wait to see them again!
Even though today was really tiring and busy, I somehow felt energized after hanging out with the kids. They have such innocent hearts and it’s refreshing to my spirit to see.
For now, I’m glad we have the power back on. It’s nice to be home and able to rest after such a full, intense day. I’m glad the group arrived safely and with all their baggage. I can’t wait to get to know them more and help them have an amazing week here!
Yesterday was the craziest as far as power goes thus far. We lost power in the morning, gained it back for about 2 hours, and then lost it again. We weren’t able to get the generator working for a while either – it’s funny how little it affected us. Life continued on as usual, though with a few struggles like not being able to see in the bathroom without a flashlight or being careful not to open the refrigerator too often. Finally, power came back on at 1am – haha. But then went back off at 6am. As of this morning, we also had no water. Fun times. That was a little harder to deal with. So the guys (once they got back with the EKU group) set off to fix what was going on. Currently, it’s about 6:15pm and we just got power back! Yay! We’ll see how long it lasts….
Today was an amazing day though, in spite of electrical and plumbing issues. Yesterday, we (the girls) made a bet with John that if we were able to put together an entire 1000 piece puzzle before they returned, he would have to buy us ice cream; otherwise, we would have to buy all the kids ice cream. Well, we completed the puzzle with just over an hour to spare! So, ice cream is in our near future. *smiles* So once the group got here, we ate lunch and took off for Gidan Bege again. The girls got fitted for Nigerian dresses and we all looked at bags and skirts. I might buy something else later, but I don’t know for now.
After that, we took the group to the CLAPAI house to hang out with the kids for a few hours. It was one of the best times I’ve had since being here. We taught them sardines and the junior bird man games (which they absolutely LOVED) – it was SO funny to watch!! Then we sat around and colored and read some books and just loved on the kids. Whether that meant playing football (soccer), pushing them on the swings, taking pictures of them, or just giving them a hug, they really enjoyed us being there. I wish I could better describe the looks on their faces – they really are very precious.
This is the group of kids who are all in some way affected by HIV. They don’t fit in elsewhere and may have been picked on or misunderstood all their lives. But they are all beautiful! They just love being found captivating and worthwhile in other people’s eyes. We’ll be going back the next two days, and I can’t wait to see them again!
Even though today was really tiring and busy, I somehow felt energized after hanging out with the kids. They have such innocent hearts and it’s refreshing to my spirit to see.
For now, I’m glad we have the power back on. It’s nice to be home and able to rest after such a full, intense day. I’m glad the group arrived safely and with all their baggage. I can’t wait to get to know them more and help them have an amazing week here!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Finding Shelter on the Mountain
Today was another rather adventurous day! The staff took us to
At one point, we had to jump from one rock to another over top of a small river with maybe a 5 foot drop underneath. The jump wasn’t too bad, but it was a great team building exercise as people were helping us across.
We saw a dead snake at one point – I was SO glad it was dead. Ew! And walked past some construction workers who apparently yelled at us “I want to marry a white woman!” in either Rakuba or Hausa (not sure which it was – we were told about this later).
But the craziest part about the hike, hands down, was when we have to go through this really narrow passageway, wedged between rocks in order to continue on our hike. I was carrying a backpack, and at one point ended up getting stuck because combined, myself and the backpack were too big. I’m really proud though of how everyone helped everyone else out – with trying to get footing to boosting someone up onto a rock to pulling each other up on the climb. It was impressive and I think we all felt really accomplished when we finally made it to the top.
Once up their, we continued our discussion on our community values and God’s shelter. How would we define shelter? God’s shelter? Would our view of His shelter change if our biggest fear came true? What does His shelter look like? How can we shelter our fellow group members? Where in our life do we need to see a “good work” and avoid legalism to set in?
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