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)

Nigeria Notes, Part 10, DON'T EAT THE SALAD!! Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Tuesday, November 5

Woke up around 5:00 am and vomited.  Climbed back into bed and stayed there.  Everyone else left at the appointed time but I slept until 2:30 in the afternoon.  The team got back around 3:30ish, I think.  Everyone came to check on me.  I was still in my PJs and my hair was oily.  Such a sight!  But so grateful for their concern.  Ucey brought me bananas and apples!  Such kindness!  I love him so!  I ate a banana right away and felt better.  I was a little “iffy” about the apples but Penny got a table knife from the dining room and I quartered one and ate the flesh but left the skin.  I only had 1/2 an apple but it was soooo good!

Off they all went to the evening program.  I stayed in bed.  I guess that little bit of salad I had on Sunday night at Mega Chicken is what did me in.  I remembered too late that I had been told to avoid salad as sickness often comes from uncooked veggies.

Everyone was back around 10:00, and, such a pleasant surprise, Silvia came to see if I was all right!  I was so touched!

I assured my prayer journey team mates that I would be ready to go, bright and early at 4:00 am to start the “big adventure”!

Ucey

Silvia

 Ucey and Silvia are brother and sister.

Nigeria Journal: Part 9, Monday evening, Nov. 4, 2013 Prayers, Preaching and Prophecy

The worship chorus at Rescue Mission Church

Silvia (such a pretty voice and beautiful spirit!)

  

Back at the church there was music, exhortation and Brett preached about the power of the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of prophecy.  He only went on for 30 minutes because IG said he had to have his flock on the road no later than 9:00 so as to avoid street bandits.  Sheesh!

Pastor Ignatius warming up the crowd

Brett wows the crowd

  

Penny in a sea of faces, all intent on the Word of God

After Brett was done preaching we (the team) lined up and Brother Moses poured oil into our palms.  The entire congregation filed past us, one by one, we laid hands o the them, anointing them and prophesying over each one. I’ve had this done to me, not with the oil though, but I’ve never prophesied  over individuals before.  I was tentative at first but every soon I became bolder and the Spirit quickened in me and I felt such love for each person I spoke over!  About 1/2 through the line I started asking each person their name.  I felt that was really important.  IT WAS AWESOME!  Men, women, women with babies in their arms and at the very end, all the children!  I’m sorry to say that we were not done by 9:00.  I think it was closer to 10:30, but we heard no reports of robbery or violence so all was good.

Susan, prophesying over the congregation

Brett anointing the worship team

We gave a lovely girl a ride home.  She came all the way to the hotel with us.  She’s one of the girls in the worship team.  Susie thinks her name is Sea Foam, and that she might Ucey’s (one of our drivers) sister.  (I learned later that her name is Silvia.)  We talked about traditional folk songs.  She has a beautiful and simple voice and sings in the little worship chorus.  I sang her the song that Cletus Okapu taught me so many years ago.  Then Penny, Susie and I sang “Be Thou My Vision”.  I told her that tomorrow night I’d ask her to write down the words to the song she sang and that we’d talk more about folk songs.

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

Nigeria Journal: Part 7

 After we received our gifts we were entertained by lady dancers who performed several outstanding numbers for us.  They even got us up and dancing with them!

   Ignatius preached a little and then Brett preached and was well received.  After that Darlene got up and declared the prophecy of Nigeria, Queen of Africa.  We didn’t leave the church until after 2:00!  We were there for 5 hours and they just flew by!

Darlene, thanking the church for such a warm welcome
and reminding them that Nigeria is the Queen of Africa

Pastor Brett preaching to the  congregation

  

Next we drove to Ignatius and Lozie's’ home, met their sons and ate food prepared by Lozie and ladies of the the church.  We ate rice (a staple of almost every meal), something called bean cake, which I had a hard time eating and not gagging on, and 2 little pieces of tough chicken thigh. The helpings were huge!  Mostly carbs and very little protein, I guess that why.    Their living room and dining room were lovely and air conditioned.

The beautiful home and wonderful hospitality of
Lozie and Ignatius Umunna

   After lunch Ignatius decided to take us on a ride to the wealthier part of Lagos.  We left his apartment around 5:00, in 2 vans.  We were trying to get to a section called “The Island” but it was beginning to get dark.  Suddenly we got a phone call from U C in the other van that he’d been stopped by the police for talking on his cell phone while driving.  By the time we located them it was totally dark.  U C had to pay a bribe to not have his car impounded.  Then we drove to Mega Chicken, where we were bought dinner.  I just had a little garden salad with hard boiled egg.  It was mostly cabbage.  We sure are going through the bottled water!  I bet I drank a gallon today!

   We finally got back to the hotel around 9:00 at night.  After being in those tight dresses all day we were so sticky and hot!  So, shower and bed.  Last night we slept with the AC on and poor Penny nearly froze.  So tonight we decided to cool the room off and sleep with with AC off.

This is the banner that was on the wall at the back of the church,
with all of our "mug shots"

The Hotel Demordent, our home base while in Lagos

This is Pastor Steven
(Doesn't he look just a wee bit like Elmer Fudd?)

Nigeria Journal Part 6: Sunday Service at the Rescue Mission Church

Sunday, November 3

   Up at 7:00 with Penny’s cheerful phone alarm and then having difficulty getting ourselves out of bed.  Dressed in our form fitting dresses we ate breakfast downstairs.  We each ordered scrambled eggs with tomato, peppers and spices with fried plantains.  Only instant coffee available.  They don’t call it coffee.  They call it Nescafe.  Better than nothing!  Tea is not tea, it’s Lip TON.  If you ask for tea or coffee they will bring you cocoa mix.  They just don’t know what you mean!  There was some confusion about whether we were supposed to eat then or not because Deacon Andrew and U C came for us before our meals were served.  We ate quickly but were still a little late for the church service at Ignatius’ church, the Rescue Mission Church.  

I wish I could describe to you the level of poverty we witnessed as we drove along the streets of Lagos.  It’s appalling, exciting, colorful, life affirming, all at the same time!  Every street seems lined with little one room shacks that serve as little shops.  Some people seem more prosperous and sell local fruits and vegetables or sundries.  Others look like they are selling whatever they can scrounge up or steal.  some are dressed in rags, others seem better dressed.  It they have electricity there may be a bare lightbulb.  More often there is none.  I don’t know where they get their water.  All streets are lined on both sides with open sewers.  Most little shops have a wooden board gang plank to get from the street, across the open sewer and to the shack.  Everyone dumps all their refuse into the sewer but honestly, I did not notice any foul smell.

Lagos motorcycle taxis

All of the streets in the part of Lagos we were staying in were dirt roads.

Almost every little building was some kind of shop selling something.

   The only things I mostly smelled were gas fumes (no unleaded gas here.), dust, mud, BO and cooking smells.  Of course, our car windows were closed almost all the  time, but when we did step out of the the vans I found no “sewer odors”.

The women danced traditional dances for us

The worship team singers

 When we stepped out of the van that morning the Rescue Mission Church was already booming!  Before we could even straighten our dresses eager faces were smiling and saying, “You are welcome here!”   Eager arms reached out to embrace us.  Such a wonderful welcome!  As we made our way down the isles of the church arms constantly reached out to shake our hands or enfold us in hugs.  We went into Ignatius’ office first to get a rundown on the game plan.  Then we were taken to seats perpendicular to the congregation.

 The group of ladies and one man who served as the worship team, accompanied by keyboard, guitar and  bass were led by a lovely lady who stood on the stage.  I learned later that her name was Silvia and she is U C’s sister.  They were LOUD!  And they were GOOD!  And they were JOYFUL!

Getting settled for the Sunday morning service.
Lozie is lovely in her Sunday dress and hat.

Here we are receiving our gifts.

My wonderful painting on my kitchen wall!

  Ignatius welcomed us and called each of us up on the stage individually and gave us all amazing gifts!  The men received incredible cow hide fans (the sign of a chief) and necklaces and bracelets of large red beads. (signifying power in the community)  The women got white oxtail fly switches (signifying the bride of a chief) and the red beads as well as earrings.  Each of us was also given a painting of a village scene done by a local artist.  I love them all!