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 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!

Nigeria Journal Part 5: Dinner in Lagos and Dressing Like the Natives.

 I don’t remember how long we rode in the cars but by the time we got to the fast food joint where we ate dinner it was dark.  The place was called “Mega Chicken.”       

Ezekial, pastor Brett, and Pastors Ignatius and Lozie at
Mega Chicken

It was a 2 story building.  The bottom floor was split between a side where traditional foods could be bought and eaten.  The other side offered different kinds of rice dishes, pounded yam, chicken and beef dishes, some salads and refreshments.  I had some beef, joloff rice, which was white rice in a red spicy sauce, sticks of pounded yam and a coke.  Pounded yam is not like sweet potatoes that we think of as yams.  They are extremely large tubers that taste more like white potatoes.  They're very high in starch but not sweet at all.

piles of yams, at the market in Owerri

   Next we went to the DeMordent Hotel, where we would be staying while we were in Lagos.  By the time we got here it was around 10:30 at night.  It's quite an opulent hotel, with marble sided walls, deluxe bathrooms, a lovely dining room/lounge and lovely staff.

The Demordent Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria

We were met by Sister Esther, who had sewn outfits for each of us.  We each received 2 outfits. 

Susie, Rod and Darlene in the outfits made for us by Sister Esther

I'm all decked out in my Nigerian finery.

 The men’s were like pajamas; pull up pants with elastic waist lines and pullover tops with embroidery around the vented neckline.  One set was white with a blue design and the other was white with a pink and purple design.  We women each received a loose fitting muumuu kind of dress that was pink and white and grey and had elaborate appliqué at the neckline.   The other was a tight fitting two piece dress.  The top was tailored tight at the waist with short puffed sleeves and a square cut neckline.  It zippered up the back.  The skirt had elastic at the waist but also zippered up the back.  It was tight to right above the knees and then flared out like a mermaid skirt.  It was green with white and red lozenge shapes on it, with black trim at the neckline and sleeves.  I have to say, that although I don’t normally wear tight fitting clothes, it was the perfect size and looked good on me!  But, oh!  It was hard getting in and out of the SUV in it!

   Finally, around 11:30 we dropped into bed!

Nigeria Journey, Part 4

Saturday, November 2

The Nigeria team from Shore Vineyard Church

I'm the one in the bandana.

   We left the church yesterday in plenty of time to get to the airport.  We all divvied up the bibles, reading material and bottles of vitamins, as well as the watches for the orphans, to stow in our suitcases before we left the church.  Then we held hands and prayed and took some photos and we were off!

   We got to Newark Airport around 2:30 for our 4:00 flight to Houston.  The time flew!  I took my dramamine before we boarded and I did just fine.

My view of the Mississippi River, flying west to Houston
so we fly east to Lagos, Nigeria.

  It still seems silly to fly west so that we could board a plane to fly to Africa.  But just as the sun was setting we flew right over the Mississippi River, which was an unbelievable sight!

Houston International Airport

  When we got to Houston, we checked in our bags and the man who assisted us was from Lagos!  That was really neat!  Then we had quite a walk to the gate that we would leave from  and a transport vehicle drove up along side of us and offered us a lift.  Darlene, Richard and I climbed aboard and we discovered that the driver is from Owerri!  He’s a christian and prayed and prophesied over us.  How cool!  The flight to Lagos was 14 hours long!  I’m grateful that most of if was overnight.  I watched a movie, but I really can’t remember  what it was.  I must have been very tired.  I do know that I slept for a few hours, so that was very good.

   The sun came up and we flew into Lagos International Airport in the early afternoon.  I took a photo out of the plane window of the grass along the runway.  My first glimpse of Africa!  After I’d gathered my carry on and moved off the plane I stepped onto the floor of the airport and thought to myself, “I’m standing in Africa!”  We went down a set of stairs and through some doors to a waiting room that was packed with people, all waiting to get through customs.  There must have been a couple of hundred people waiting in that long narrow room with no AC and very few windows.  We shuffled forward every few minutes but it seemed as if we would be there for hours!  Then, suddenly, Pastor Ignatius was standing by our side and he had some men who looked liked guards with him.  He took our passports and told us to stay in line.  We continued to move forward, but now, instead of feeling like we might never get out we worried that Ignatius would not get back to us before we reached the customs counter.  Just in the nick of time, it seemed, he handed us back our passports, just as we got up to the counter.  The agent went through all our paper work and handed everything back and we were through and standing in baggage claim.  And there was Lozie!  Such a relief to see her smiling face!  As we waited for our luggage to come around, some of us made pit stops in the lavatory.  After a few minutes Rod started asking who had his passport!  No one had his passport!  We all looked through our own papers but his was not to be found.  Suddenly a white man, (imagine that!) came out of the lavatory and asked if there was a Rod Conover among us.  He had Rod’s passport!  Rod had dropped it on the floor in the men’s room!  Yet another miracle!

  We finally got our luggage loaded onto large carts and headed out the doors to the outside world.  As I stepped onto the sidewalk I thought to myself, “I’m walking in Africa!”  We didn’t have to go through a baggage search.  That must have been what Ignatius was doing with our passports.  What a relief!  Not that we had anything to worry about!

   We climbed into a couple of SUVs and headed out of the airport.  We had been warned not to take any photos at the airport but I had to get just one of the outside so I brought my camera down low and pointed it up to take a picture of the outside.

Lagos International Airport.  No photos allowed  

Next week, the adventure really begins!

Nigeria Journal Part 3; 2013

Here's the 3rd installment of my Nigeria Journal from 2013.



Thursday, October 31

   Tom’s birthday.

   Richard travels to Washington DC this morning to meet with the Nigerian consulate there.  I hope to know by noon if we are going tomorrow or not.  I still feel confident that we will.

   (Later today we received the news that the visas are stamped and ready to go.  We’ll be ready to go tomorrow.  Richard did not have to pay a bribe but he did have to pay the fees, again that we had already paid up in NYC.

Richard and Darlene, who valiantly traveled to Washington DC
with less than 24 hours to take off to ensure that our visas were in order!

Friday, November 1, 2013

   Thank you, Lord for the faith you gave me that we would leave for Nigeria today!  Thank you for all the brothers and sisters who were and will continue to pray for all of us while we are gone.

   Thank you for Jack Thall, who will drive me to the church today so that I don’t have to hire a taxi!

   Be with my children while I am gone and keep Tom safe.  Please don’t let anyone pass away while I’m away.

hubby

BFF

Dear Daughter

Dear Son