Nigeria Notes: Part 14; November 7, 2013, Visiting Ehime-Mbano

Christine, the Beautiful Lady, with her daughter and
my new friend, "God's Gift"

Peter, our very own body guard

Finally we boarded the plane and after a 45 minute flight we touched down in Owerri.   Oct met us at the airport, along with a tall older man whose name I can’t remember, and his tall wife, dressed in a gold and pink two piece dress with a mermaid skirt.  I think she will always be “The Beautiful Lady” when I think of her.  Her name is Christine.  We also picked up Peter, our very own personal body guard.  He’s a member of the local police force and was hired for the day to ride in the front of the van with his AK47 and keep us safe.

The market near the village of  Ehime-Mbano.

 Our first stop was the noisy, crowded market in IG’s boyhood village.  We all got out and  walked through the market, rubbing elbows with the locals.  Some sellers called out to us, trying to entice us to buy, but we only had a few minutes and then it was back in the van and on to visit IG’s childhood home.

Friends and relations in Ehime-Mbano

It was a really pleasant little place. I thing there were three little houses, all clustered very close together, practically touching each other, they were so close.  They made a kind of U shape with a spot for parking in the center.  The house IG had grown up in was on the left.  They all looked alike from the outside, smooth mud walls, painted yellow, with corrugated tin roofs and small porches.              

We were welcomed by what seemed like a sea of relatives and friends, many with their cell phone cameras clicking away.  Once again, everyone was so warm and welcoming.

Ignatius' brother, the Chief of his village.

The man that IG called his “father” is actually his older brother.  His father having passed away, his brother had now become the “father’ of the family.  He wore a special suit, like the pajamas most men wear but made from an open cutwork pattern of lattice strips with beautiful pink embroidered flowers scattered over all.  Very distinguished and rich looking.

The house Ignatius grew up in.

The house was so crowded, not everyone fit!

On our way to view the village

We were invited into the house where we were offered seats on the comfy, overstuffed couches, while as many relatives as could be squeezed into the room around us could be.  The living room walls were painted blue and hung with many family photos, pictures of Jesus and a couple of crusade posters.  It appeared that there was a kitchen behind the living room and on the right wall a door that I assume led to a bedroom.  There was electricity but no running water.  I don’t know where the privy was.

Prayers were offered up on our behalf and then some food was passed around, little buns with sausages baked into the center and small cookies with cheese melted on top, like icing.  Very nice!  

Nigeria Notes part 14: November 7, 2013 - A Day in the Capital City of Abuja

Thursday, November 7, 2013

We got to sleep in this morning.  We didn’t get up until 7:45.  The hotel room we were in was in such a shambles!  It was almost laughable!  It seems to be the general state of things in Nigeria, once good and solid and right but now falling into decay.

There was an AC unit but it didn’t work very well.  This hotel also uses low watt bulbs… to mask the conditions or conserve energy?  The bed barely fit in the room.  Penny had to sleep against the wall.  The comforter was pretty; a fluffy gray with a black floral design  on it.

But the bathroom!  The door didn’t fit the opening.  It was a little way too big, or was hung crooked so that it never could be forced shut.  There was a shower hose in the tub but it didn’t work so we used the buckets for water, conveniently placed in the tub to take bucket baths with.  There was a window just outside the enclosed tub that had a very flimsy curtain that made me feel unsafe.  But Penny wasn’t concerned and with my kind of tired, I conked out pretty quickly.

Breakfast was a delightful surprise!  On the menu they had “Cornflates”.  A welcome taste of home.  bob had bowl too.  IG had an egg and salad club sandwich, like the one Bob had had the night before.  They said it was really.  What was really good was those cornflakes!  

Corn "Flates"

We found out that our flight to Owerri was pushed back from 11:00 to 2:00.  IG was quite upset as that meant that we’ll be considerably late for the crusade.  He tried to contact as many pastors who would attend as possible but people will certainly be left waiting a long time for us.

In the meantime we drove into the center of Abuja to go to a branch of IG’s bank.  Nan Jankowski had money grammed him $1400.00 and he was able to get the cash in Niara.  Penny and I went into the bank with him, which was pretty culturally stunning. We parked on the road and only Penny and I went with him into the bank.  We had to go through a large metal gate that opened onto the road.  It was heavily guarded by armed officers in black uniforms.  Then, when we got to the door of the back we were confronted (I wish I could say we were greeted, but they were quite fierce looking!) by 2 more officers with more rifles. (AK47s)  The one officer looked to be about 20 years old or maybe younger and had a scary scar down his right cheek.  There was nothing friendly about them, their eyes being cold.  We each had to be wrung into the building, first going through one door that was remotely unlocked and door closing behind us before we could ring for the second door to open.  Once inside we were treated to blessed air conditioning!  There were long lines of people waiting to get to tellers.  We climbed up a flight of stairs to talk to tellers on the second floor.  It took quite a while, while IG spoke to a woman behind a counter.  Penny and I didn’t mind a bit!  We sat in the cool and enjoyed a little people watching and conversation.  Once our business was concluded we went down the stairs and out the door, which, once again had to be unlocked remotely.  I smiled at the young man with scar, thanking him for his service and although he did not smile back, his eyes did.

A Nigerian Policeman

We drove to the airport, arriving quite a bit early.  Poor Darlene!  She had to climb three flights of stairs to get to the waiting area!  Then when it was ever time to board the plane she had climb back down those three fights and up the steps to the plane door.  I think we all suffered for her.

The stairway poor Darlene had to climb up and down.

In the meantime we waited.  I bought 2 large bottles of water and box of McVitties Digestible Biscuits. (Quite nice!)  I think I got took, though, as they seemed awfully expensive.  but I didn’t haggle.  I should have!

We sat for a couple of hours.  I got some knitting done.  There was an adorable little red haired girl sitting near us, maybe 3 years old.  We wondered if her distinctive hair would make her a treasure or an outcast.  She sure seemed loved by the adults who were with her.

We also met 2 German nuns who help run an orphanage nearby.  They were on their way back to Germany.  I can’t remember why.  They both spoke good English.  We asked about their work and offered to pray with them.

Nigeria Notes Part 13: November 6, 2013 - At the Confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers

When our boat finally pulled along side the other one Darlene decided to stay seated in our boat.  Everyone else got out and we assembled on the spit.  The very point of the spit was sandy with grassy headland above and farther back, as it widened out behind us.  We could see maybe 200 yards back and 100 or so yards at its widest point.

Dancing in the joy of the Lord!

A discarded fishing net on the spit of land at the
confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers

The first thing we did was sing.  We stood in a circle and one of the pastors introduced a song that was one that I had learned many years ago, “We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord”  What a gift!  To sing in this foreign land, as foreigners with these brothers a song that I know so well and love!  After that we sang and danced, me in my orange and black caftan, with my red bandana and Bob’s solar shield sunglasses and all these distinguished looking ministers in their expensive 3 piece suits!  Next we walked and prayed over the entire sand spit, claiming for God.

participating in repentance and forgiveness.

Next we made a circle, holding hands and we began to pray for the reconciliation, repentance and forgiveness of the tribes of Nigeria.  Before too long we were all on our knees.

I’m telling you...it was at least 110F on the spit with no noticeable breeze.  I think it was the hottest I’ve ever felt and there was no shade.  Praise God I had remembered to put on #30 sunscreen!

Glorifying God in 110 degree heat!

Holy Spirit came and settled over us as we listened to each other repent for the sins of our forebears and received forgiveness.  At first it was just the representatives from the three tribes that asked for and received forgiveness.  But then I felt compelled to speak up.  I said I was an American but needed to also repent for my ancestors from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, France who had mistreated the black man and did so much to intentionally make the black man small.  I declared that the black man is not small, but mighty and straight and tall!  And great in God’s sight!

And forgiveness was freely given.

Then we all just glorified God!

By this time everyone was back on their feet except me.  I had rolled over into a sitting position.  I knew the sun was too hot for me to remain standing.  I raised my voice in worship, sometimes in English and sometimes in my heavenly language.  It was as if the air around me became white, and then whiter and all around me fell golden rain!  Never, in my whole life have ever felt such a heaven coming down to earth!  I was sitting in the Shekinah Glory!  I will remember those moments for the rest of eternity.  At one point I heard a “click” and looked up to see the photographer snapping me.  It didn’t interfere with my worship and I’d love to have a copy of that image.  I think I may try to paint it.

Well, our time in Heaven passed and we hugged each other.  (I even hugged one of the officers with an AK47!)  We got back into our boats and flew across the surface of the of the Niger toward the police station.  But not before I filled a water bottle 1/2 with water from the Niger and 1/2 with water from Benue!  They are a beautiful shade of blue green, completely blended!

Racing back to the station.

On our way back to the police station

Poor Penny nearly fainted from the heat and I had trouble getting my legs to move when I finally got out of the boat.  Bob had to help me up the bank to the bench under the tree.

As we sat discussing what we had just experienced someone pointed the significance of the location of the the police station.  The building, 200 years ago had been the holding place for slaves that were captured inland and were waiting to be loaded onto bigger boats to be taken to the sea and far away to the new world.

The Marine Police Station in Lokoja
before the 2012 floods

When we heard this we went into the police chief’s office and asked if we could pray for him, his staff and building.  When he said yes we began to bind evil spirits and cast them out.  Then we repented for all the atrocities that happened at the hands of white people and black people alike.  We prayed for the well being of the chief and all his staff.  He actually got down on his knees as we laid hands on him.  He was so humble and ready to forgive and accept our blessings over him!

We came away feeling very full indeed!  Curses and strongholds had definitely been broken.  (Two weeks after we returned home a police station in Lokoja was attacked muslim terrorists and more than a dozen people, including police men were murdered.  But not the marine police.  They were protected by our mighty and loving God.)

My bottle of Benue/Niger River water

Nigeria Notes Part 12: November 6, 2013 - Lokoja

We arrived at the Lokoja marine police station in the  early afternoon.  I think it was the hottest day yet!  We were given our life vests and sat on bench under a wonderful ancient tree.  There were cunning little lizards (8 inches long?) that ran up and down it trunk.  A lady officer came out with a spackle bucket of water and plopped hte cutest little toddler boy into it!  He was adorable!  He just sat and played in that bucket, splashing away, until finally his mother came and took him out and led him back inside.  And he never uttered a word or a sound!

While all this was happening, other men were arriving and joining us on the benches.  Some were dressed in traditional clothes.  Others were wearing beautiful expensive looking suits. That’s not to say that the traditional outfits were not beautiful!  They were lovely!  But there was such a contrast between the two!  The men in the suits were certainly much, much warmer than those in cotton.  

Underneath the giant tree outside the
Marine Police Station in
Lokoja, Kenji State,
Nigeria

James and Kingsley, from IG’s church were there in their “PJs”.  Two of the men in suits were pastors who work in the Governor’s houses of their states.  One was from Koji State.  Once as a representative of the Housa tribe region in the north.  One represented the Ebo tribe, and one represented the Yoruba tribe.  There was also a photo journalist who came with us and took lots of photos.

Big boat! (the one in front)

The Marine Police boats were quite large
and each had an outboard motor.

But just in case, they each had a groovy paddle
that looked like it had been hand carved!

On our way to the sand spit

The sand spit was probably about a mile away.  We couldn’t see it from the police station but as we approached, it came clearly into view.  

This is where we were going.  This sand spit divides the Benue and Niger Rivers, splitting Nigeria in two.

In this arial view, you can see that the Niger River is brown and the Benue River is green.  And very strangely, when they reach the confluence, they do not mingle, but continue to run side by side.
This is seen as a symbol of the division among the people groups
who reside in Nigeria, the reason we came all this way;
To pray for unity.

What happened next was strange and the only frightening thing that happened in our whole time in Nigeria. The other boat made it safely to the point of the sand spit but our boat kept on going, heading for the far shore on the Benue River side.  It was eerie, as we passed from the brown Niger to the blue green Benue.  That was when we noticed what we had been told; that the two rivers do not mix, but flow side by side, brown up against blue green without mingling.

We couldn’t understand why the other boat had landed on the spit but we were continuing on to the other shore.  As our boat acame to rest on the bank, and the police officer jumped out, grabbed the rope and stared hauling us in, Darlene loudly asked, “Why are we separated from the other boat?”  The officer said not one word.  Again Darlene spoke up, “Why are we not with the other boat??”  Still the officer was silent.  He continued to haul our boat in.  Everyone else was silent too.

Our friendly, AK47 bearing police man who
scared the daylights out of us!

I can only imagine what was going on inside Penny, Darlene and Bob’s minds, but my stomach was sinking.  There was a scraggly looking village on the top of the bluff above us and I began to think that we were being kidnapped.  This was more of an adventure than I had bargained for!  Then, suddenly, the officer threw the rope back in the boat, jumped in and started to pole us back out into the current.  Bob grabbed a paddle and helped and we were once again headed to the sand spit.

Darlene, grateful, indeed to back on track!

And there were Richard, IG and the rest waiting us.

We found out later that it was an innocent mistake.  When our police man heard that we were going to pray he automatically assumed we were going to the church in the village on the top of the bluff!  Those were an incredibly scary three or four minutes!

What's an adventure without a little heart stopping action, after all!

Nigeria Notes, Part 11, Wednesday, November 6, 2013

THIS IS WHERE MY ADVENTURE REALLY BEGINS!

Up at 4:00 am!  Dressed and sitting the lobby by 5:00.  The hotel has this silly floral arrangement in the lobby - dried twigs, maybe 4 1/2 feet tall with round balls that light up in  bright spots of color.  Psychedelic, man!

Sometimes one light was lit.
Sometimes they were all lit.
Sometimes they blinked!

Deacon Andrew arrived around 5:30 and picked us up.  We rendezvoused with IG after a heated phone conversation about why IG wasn’t ready yet, and headed for the Lagos National Airport.

That's our little plane to Abuja, the capitol of
Nigeria, right behind us. (Penny, Darlene, Bob, IG and Richard)

Abuja, Nigeria, from the air.

By the time we got on our plane the sun was up.  It was only an hour flight but we were served breakfast - an omelet, and Nes Cafe.  When we got off the plane in Abuja it was a bright sunny day.  Ocey picked us up and we drove to the Lokoja.  There were Richard and Darlene, Penny, Bob, IG and me.  As we pulled out of the airport and onto the main road I started seeing very impressive mountains.  They weren’t like our mountings, all in a range, but singular monolithic looking things that just stuck up out of the ground.  If I were going to compare them to anything in particular I would say they reminded me of pictures I have seen of the mountains of southern China.

The lumpy, bumpy mountains of Nigeria

We must have driven for about 3 hours, going through villages and towns, all with the shacks and low buildings made from cement along the roads.  People everywhere were selling things along the side of the road, from packages of cashews to bottles of water to spicy banana chips.  It was so dusty!  We stopped at a place that was very much like Mega Chicken for lunch.  It had AC as well.  The fare was just the same, chicken, rice, pounded yam.  But there was an ice cream case and Darlene enjoyed a popsicle.  She said she felt “fathered” by IG, who treated her.  It made her feel special, the way she had when she was little girl and her father had bought her ice cream.

So many of the roads are lined by these little shacks where people are selling anything they can find to sell.

We drove along a road that skirted the mighty Niger river.  So beautiful!  It felt a little familiar, like driving by the Navesink.  The only boats we saw were like dug out  canoes.  Some had one man, some two.  They were all fishing with nets.  The water of the Niger is brown.

My Navsesink, Fair Haven, NJ
(Credit Caroline Delaney Tardiff)