Nigeria Journal, part 8

Monday, November 4, 2013

   I got up this morning feeling good but it didn’t last long.  

   I wore my beige skirt with red and green, a beige T shirt and a red bandana.  By the time we got to the church I was feeling bloated and a little stomach crampy.  

  This was the first day of the Recovery Workshops.  Bill Macinski, Susie Rapp, and Rod all got up and talked about recovery from their own personal points of view.

Bill Muciunski

Susan Rapp

Rod Conover

   Somewhere in that time I began to have diarrhea.  I felt terrible that I clogged the toilet but I was too embarrassed to say anything.  I lay down for a while in the office and rested, hoping I would gain strength and that I would begin to feel better.

   After Rod was done speaking everyone there split up into 3 groups.  There were pastors from other churches as well as people who need to be in recovery.  I was in a group with Rod and Bob.  I couldn’t really pay attention because I really wasn’t feeling well and I kept falling asleep.  Finally I got up and moved to a chair in the middle of the room, away from all the groups and slept for about 15 minutes.  I felt a little better when I woke up and was going to rejoin my group but the Lord told me to stay put and pray for each group so I did.

Recovery small group during
the training workshop

Recovery small group during
the training workshop

  

  When the workshop was over each person was given a hot lunch of rice and plantains.  I didn’t have any but was so grateful to God for the Coke, in a glass bottle that was handed to me!  I tried to get the bottle cap off but it wouldn’t unscrew.  Paul,  the young man sitting next to me took it and pried the lid off with his teeth!  I said, “Oh!  Don’t do that!”  But it was too late.  Grinning, he handed me back the bottle and the cap, which was now crimped in the center with his lovely teeth marks.  I put it in my fanny pack and told him I would keep it to remember him by.   He asked me what I would give him to remember me by.  I gave him the bag of trail mix I had.  I wished it hadn’t been opened yet, but he didn’t seem to mind.

Just then the team was called to the “Upper Room” for a lunch all our own.  Thankfully I can’t remember what it was. I’m sure I didn’t eat much of it.  But the air conditioning was  wonderful!  And we were waited on by Lozie and Elizabeth, a lady from the church who is a nurse.

The "Upper Room"
that was built especially built for our comfort.
It was air conditioned!

After lunch we were driven back to the hotel through a heavy downpour.  We tried to stop for gas but too many people were crowded up under the gas pump canopy and they just wouldn’t budge!  By the time we got to the hotel the rain had stopped.  We were to find that most days have at least one downpour, this being the rainy season.  

The first of our daily downpours.

No gas for you!  No one will move out from under the canopy!

It was mid afternoon and the SUVs would be back around 5:00 to take us back for the evening meeting.  I was really looking forward to a rest, maybe even a nap in the couple of hours we had but Susie came knocking.  She was in a hotel room by herself.  She wanted to talk about what happened that morning.  She was so excited!  Then, right after Susie left there was a knock on the door and, to Penny’s surprise, in walked a lovely black man, Pastor Dan.  They had been at the same Bible school in Benin City 20 years ago!  So I sat up on the edge of the bed where he sat also and we talked while Penny carried on a lengthy phone call ti Deacon Osiobe.  Dan is incredibly nice and we talked about him and Penny all those years ago, and about his wife, who is from the Hausa tribe (mostly muslim) but she was raised a Christian.  By the time the visit was over it was time to get back in the cars and go back to the church.  I admit that  I was resentful, losing my resttime, feeling like I had to entertain Pastor Dan while Penny was on the phone, but I repented, figuring that God had his hand in it and would keep me safe, no matter how tired I became.

Keigi, a local pastor who runs an
inpatient rehab facility 

a couple of local pastors

Flores, a member of Rescue Mission Church, with Penny and
several participants.

Some people there for healing