Day 58: Your Future Husband Is Waiting Downstairs!

Two people outside decided it would be a good decision to have a yelling match in the street around midnight so none of us slept incredibly well. It is so strange, a lot of the noisiest times I have experienced here have been in the middle of the night; prayer over loudspeakers, fighting, ping-pong, car alarms, it is so bizarre!

 

            Despite not sleeping through the whole night I woke up with a bit more energy the past two days and enjoyed the morning getting computer work done at the flat. Adrie finished entering data into the government book (can I get an Amen?!) before lunch so we were feeling good about that. Biana came to lunch and asked if I wanted to join her in a little excursion to the MCC office in Jos where she was having a meeting. I was able to go and meet Brenda, a woman who helped me prepare for this trip via e-mail, and hear more about what her family is doing here. Next week a group of MCC doctors from the US and Canada arrive to partner with Faith Alive for a little while. They have invited Adrie and myself to join in on their classes, ministry visits, and other cultural activities, which we eagerly jumped in on. It will be nice to have some more learning experiences here and spend some time with Mennonites! (I miss my friends...) Dr. Chris spent a good while in the car explaining that he had picked out a Nigerian man for me to marry. Not only was her a wonderful man, he told me, but this way I will have to come back to Jos permanently. He smiled really big. “Dr. Chris,” I told him, “what would you have done if I actually bought this?” He started to laugh and replied, “I guess I would have made a few phone calls.” He is such a joker! Apparently he brings up marriage with most young American women to see their reaction. “The last person I tried this with broke down in tears!” he informed me. Luckily my blonde roots only grow so deep!

 

            Back at the Clinic we caught up on e-mails and are moving closer to a final decision regarding our journey. God is making it clear what we need to do, we just need to take that peace and move forward with it. We got to sit with Dan’s son Chris for a few minutes while Dr. Ben played a cartoon with a hippo singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” four times through on his laptop to keep the little one entertained. It was precious! Since it is Halloween back home (no one here celebrates it. And what would give them reason to?) we decided to celebrate with a trip to Tamarash for groceries and chocolate bars. Treat! Baba made a delightful dinner (suna abinchi mashed dan kali: this food is called mashed potatoes. My Hausa is getting better!) and we ended our long tiring week with a movie, some chocolate, and an early bedtime.

 

            I love knowing that we serve a God who knows what we can handle. All three of us made it through this week without any feelings of hatred, confusion, or depression at the end of it! God is good!

Day 57: Your Hausa Sounds Good. Good Trying.

The girls let me sleep in for a while knowing that having a quiet morning at the flat would help me recover from the past couple of days. I woke up at eight, made myself some breakfast, and spent the rest of the time before lunch editing my article and doing some homework. It was one of the first chances I had felt free to sit and think so I got some much-needed processing of emotions underway. It is funny how life changes so rapidly and God leaves it up to us how we handle those situations. More than anything I am just confused so I spent some time talking to God; he knows best what comes next in this great adventure.

 

            We met Baba outside before lunch and he walked up to us with a serious expression. “I no make lunch today, you say yesterday you didn’t want lunch today.” Adrie and I took him at his word for a second before realizing once he started laughing that, yet again, Baba was keeping our time here entertaining. He is teaching me some Hausa and I am on my way to becoming fluent. I can say How are you, I am fine, Good morning, See you tomorrow, This food was good, and Potatoes. I am desperately hoping that one morning I can go to the market and try out all my phrases!

 

            The Clinic was much less hectic today than it was earlier this week so everyone was much more at ease. Prayer meeting was an hour-long dance party with Jesus--singing, clapping, passing around babies that moms had to bring to work with them today. It was a great time! Nigerians really know how to worship through dance; I hope that my white-girl moves don’t hinder the fullness of my praise. When the music stopped we all went back to our respective tasks around the Clinic and I found myself back at the computer making final changes and keeping in touch with people back home. It was a relaxing afternoon and I was glad to get some needed venting off my chest and back to the proper people via cyberspace. It is particularly hard to process life when a majority of the people you need to talk to are thousands of miles away...

 

            Once we felt good about our daily tasks we headed back to the flat for a round of pilates, dinner, and chat on the balcony. It was especially pretty tonight since NEPA was not around and the stars were easier to see. Adrie and I enjoyed our own dance party before catching the tail-end of Bridget Jones’s Diary and heading off to bed. Things are looking better.

Day 56: How Are You Really Doing?

I wasn’t sure how the morning would look but things started out well. I woke up to my alarm, had a good breakfast, put on a cute outfit, and even decided to wear my hair down. Things felt right as Adrie and I walked out of the flat but I have grown to learn that things change in a minute when life gets going. The lady on the corner who sells corn, Frances, brought her screaming first grader up to me as we walked past and asked if I could make sure she got to school ok. Apparently the two of them were having a rough morning and her daughter sobbed the entire walk to primary school at the church across from Faith Alive. When Adrie and I got upstairs for staff meeting we were both a little on edge. Dr. Chris told everyone that they needed to head out to department meetings and, as Adrie walked to the pharmacy, I felt it all rising inside of me. I found a good quiet spot on the second floor to sit and cry.

 

            I have grown to realize I don’t share my negative feelings well with others, which is funny since I was such a melancholy child. Sitting in the hallway by myself I wiped my tears and talked to God for a bit before wandering back upstairs. Luckily Biana spotted me first and pulled me into her office where I was able to talk things through with her and Adrie. It felt good to put into words all the things running through my head. I decided a morning in the flat would give me some room to breathe so I finished writing my article for Fresno First, watched a bit of Anchorman with Adrie, and wandered down for lunch.

 

            Right after lunch Greg took me back to Faith Alive where I sat outside of the longest meeting known to man, checking e-mails and talking with Felicia. Biana had asked me to show her my article once it was written but I realized soon after the doctors walked out of her office that she was having as crazy of a day as I was. I made a couple of phone calls, not nearly as weepy today, and was glad to see that God has already started making peace out of potentially turbulent situations. It is impossible for things to stay the same when you are in another country--life keeps going and God keeps moving people to his will! Shola wandered up to say hello and ended up staying for a good hour with my laptop looking through the past few years of my life on iphoto and choosing songs to download from itunes. It definitely cheered me up, though he had no idea I was in a distressed state.

 

            The end of the workday came almost two hours later than normal and the three of us dragged home for dinner. Amos had asked if he could come over and bring us some barbequed Nigerian fish, which Biana respectfully agreed to. None of us were in high spirits but made sure to make the most of our meal with Amos, his wife, and his daughter. The fish was pretty tasty--instead of normal “River Fish” this was tilapia--and the Nigerians voluntarily ate the heads. We washed up quickly after they left and headed upstairs to get comfortable.

 

            Not long after we got back to the flat we heard a knock at the door and were greeted by Pastor Ben, Morning Star and, after a few minutes, Doris. We sat in the living room and chatted for a bit and Ben sensed something was up. He asked me straight out how I was doing and I told him quite honestly that I was not doing well. As any good pastor would he stood up to address us, but as any good friend would he did not preach at us but instead shared his thoughts on life. He told us that it seems to be the hardest points in his life where God speaks the loudest and that we all must endure trials to make anything work. Life does not work without conflict and questioning, he said, because that would make us believe we have all the answers. Instead, God uses these times to remind us that we need to trust in him because only he knows what is best for our lives. It was very encouraging, and definitely something I needed to hear at this point in my journey. As more and more yawning appeared around the room Ben decided it was time to go. He prayed over each of us, we gave Doris and Morning Star hugs goodnight, and went to bed feeling less in control but much more at peace.

Day 55: And Cait, Even With All That Has Happened, I Still Love My Life!

It was a bright and beautiful morning and I accidentally slept through my alarm. No worries, I woke up thirty minutes later than usual but still had enough time to get ready. I was extra bubbly, listening to music while I put my somewhat frizzy hair up, and walked down to the Clinic ready to go. Thankfully I was needed in the pharmacy this morning so I counted pills and helped Grace plan which hairstyle she wants for her December wedding. Ibuprofin and wedding magazines: who knew that working with medicine could be so much fun?

 

            Biana had asked Helen earlier if she would be willing to share her testimony with me to bring back to Fresno First. She happily agreed and met me before lunchtime on the planters in front of the Clinic. Before speaking she sold me a few yards of fabric (that woman knows how to sweet talk!) for a skirt and started into her story. It was absolutely amazing. She is a strong woman in spirit and faith; and her testimony is such an encouragement looking at the darkness surrounding HIV. I jotted down notes, gave her a hug as she went back to work with Doctor Isilowe, and wandered down to the flat for some needed lunch.

 

            After filing up on mashed potatoes and veggies Adrie and I had fun with photo booth. There is something so entertaining about taking pictures on the computer! We walked back down to Faith Alive and she stopped by Blessing’s shop to ask if she could be interviewed next for our little project. I wrote part of my article in Biana’s office and took time for e-mailing. I read a particularly difficult message and had an equally difficult phone call before falling apart back in the office. Thankfully I live with two amazing women who I was able to talk with, pray with, and find joy with. God is in control of situations, not me, and it is good to remember that from time to time. Still, it took a lot of energy out of the rest of my day.

 

            Back home the three of us enjoyed dinner (Baba force-fed the last of the pineapple to Adrie!) and decided that we were in desperate need of stress relief. We had a chat while our food settled and then pulled out the cardio pilates video where we stretched and kicked our way through questions. I took a long bucket bath afterwards, called home, and talked to Adrie before collapsing from the day. Sleep is good, and God is better.

 

            I’m on the up and up...

Day 54: Why Is It That You Can Sing And Dance To These Songs With Kids But Adults Just Laugh At You?

It is getting harder to get out of bed every morning since, a) I have adjusted to the time difference and am staying up later, b) It is getting a little cooler in the mornings so being in bed feels good, and c) My dreams are so realistic that it takes a few minutes to register where I am once i open my eyes. Nonetheless I am able to finally roll out of bed with a smile ready for cereal, yogurt, and a good day ahead of me!

 

            Determined to finish The Book as quick as possible Adrie and I went to work this morning with both our original government book and a second one for the patient information that didn’t fit. It gave me a good chance to turn on my itunes to rock out to Mates of State and the Beatles while I worked. I got the overflow done by lunchtime (mind you the computer team messed up on the numbering so there were huge empty chunks) so I felt pretty good about that. Baba made his excellent fries for lunch and I was able to get a letter typed up to e-mail later in the day before heading down to the Clinic.

 

            I was hoping to catch Helen at some point to interview her for a project the three of us are working on for Fresno First but I wasn’t able to find her. Sholah had run into me yesterday afternoon and asked if I wouldn’t mind stopping by the lab when I got a chance during the week to write down the lyrics for the Mustard Seed Song. He is the children’s leader at his church and is always looking for new songs, stories, and games for his kids to enjoy. I walked in to the lab to say Hello and hand him the lyrics when he asked if I wouldn’t mind singing it for him so he could get the tune down right. It was a little strange singing and dancing while people around me did blood work in white coats, but hey, you only live once. He said his kids were going to love the song and hoped he could learn more fun songs with hand motions...Sholah was talking to the right girl. I was able to teach him Lord I Lift Your Name On High and Waves Of Mercy there at his work station and this time he agreed to stand up and try it out with me. We drew a bit of a crowd since all the others working in the lab wanted to come over and watch our performance; we even had people clapping. I reminded Sholah that I had tons of other songs in my head that we could work on later. He tried to thank me but I told him that the people who deserved the thanks are the past generations of Timber Mountain counselors who sing those crazy songs every week. (Of course, if they were in front of a group of Nigerian lab technicians it may look a little different than being in front of their normal crowd of campers covered in dirt.)

 

            After some quick e-mailing I walked back to the flat where I collapsed on my bed for a half hour, only to be woken by a huge fight going on across the street. People love to yell here--this husband and wife must have been the yelling champions. Dinner was nice and I am glad that Baba is trying to teach me more Hausa. It sounds pretty ugly coming from my mouth, but we’re making progress. “You try good!” as Baba always tells me. He wanted to know if I was staying for Christmas and when I told him I would be back home then he asked if he could make me his special Christmas dinner before leaving. That sounded delightful, so I agreed and he told me that it is a secret until it is on the table. I bet it’s something exciting...

 

            Back upstairs Adrie, Biana, and I lounged around the living room (Biana recuperating from a long typical Monday) and talked about whatever hit our minds: tattoos, camping, church, all things near and dear to my heart. We laughed a lot as we reminisced about hiding spots in our old sanctuary and boogie-boarding in Cayucos. There is something special about looking back on exciting events while you are in the midst of another. I know I will be talking to these two in a few years asking, “Remember that time in Nigeria when...”

 

            What I would give to play flashlight tag in our old sanctuary one more time.

Day 53: I Don’t See Any Need To Change Out Of Pajamas.

Missing church is not looked highly upon here. It seems that the times you miss a Sunday service require an understandable emergency, and even then people will ask you about it to verify. Biana and Adrie were not feeling very good this morning, Biana getting over a cold and Adrie having a sore back, so we thought it best not to go to church. I know we will get asked about it by everyone we work with tomorrow morning--maybe we should think of some good stories to make excuses out of.

 

            Since we didn’t leave the flat this morning I spent time with God reading through the Sermon on the Mount, thinking through the Lord’s Prayer particularly, and talking to him about what’s been going on. Sometimes I forget about God’s role when I get distracted with life events, so it’s good for me to have a quiet time every once in a while to refocus. I eventually picked up The Glass Castle to see where the Walls childhood was going and ended up finishing the entire book by lunchtime. I just love memoirs! For lunchtime I put together some potato quesadillas out of our leftovers, which turned out to be pretty tasty, and watched a movie with Adrie that was on tv.

 

            Adrie and I wandered down to the Clinic in the afternoon to check up on e-mails and do some computer work. I noticed I had three new messages in my inbox and ended up crying after opening each one. The first was Kori and Doug’s wedding invitation, which made me incredibly happy, followed by a couple pictures of Gavin he took for me last night. That one made me cry the hardest since he looks like such a grown-up with his beard--plus a big sister needs to spend time with her brother! The last was a detailed update on life from Matthew Wallace. I was so excited to read and see all that was going on (in Fresno and Sydney) and have been blessed to have family and friends who want to keep me updated when I am far from home, even if just for a few weeks.

 

            Baba cooked a good dinner and after eating Adrie and I enjoyed our second dance party/sing-a-long in her room. We concluded our time with “Part of Your World” complete with the princess-voice and synchronized twirling. Biana told us that Father of the Bride had just come on in the living room so the three of us drank hot cocoa and watched that. With all the wedding plans and recent engagements going on in my friend’s lives it made the movie seem a little more real than before! Hooray for love! NEPA has been a little bipolar today so we decided on going to bed at a time when there was no power but just recently had all the lights switch on again. I’ll turn off the lights once i am done typing this; electricity or not I am going to sleep!

Day 52: Well, So Far Today We’ve Done Absolutely Nothing...

Saturdays always come as a huge breath of fresh air in our sometimes chaotic schedules here. It’s nice to know that it is the one day where we allowed to have no plans and no fear of plans sneaking up on us. Don’t get me wrong, it is great to have crazy surprises during the week, but it is also necessary to get a chance to sit and do nothing.

 

            Since I have had the pleasure of reading real stories here (not textbooks) I was able to start the Glass Castle this morning and am already halfway through. I eat up any sort of memoir, especially bizarre ones. I just love it when people are willing to share their story. Jeanette Walls in this particular piece is reflecting on her unusual childhood of living in various desert cities while her carefree parents drove the family into poverty trying to find gold and make a career out of painting. I am always reminded how blessed I am to have grown up with the particular memories I have, with parents who didn’t expect me to start cooking my own meals at three years old or move in the middle of the night to another city to escape bill collectors.

 

            After a bit of reading (I woke up really early) I made myself some gluten-free pancakes and enjoyed some piece and quiet around the apartment. NEPA deserted us around eight so I took a bucket bath by lantern and finally felt like my hair was normal. With all the dust swirling around these days it is hard to feel particularly clean, even when you are only outside for a short amount of time. I took a quick nap before lunch to make up for waking up so early and wandered down for a good lunch with Adrie and Biana.

 

            Adrie and I took the afternoon to do some in-depth e-mailing at the Clinic. It is hard to find the time to get in touch with everyone you think about during the day simply because we only have internet access on the third floor of Faith Alive. Contacting people from the comfort of our flat is out of the question, which is where I normally remember what I need to say to people. I talked to my family for a little while, got updated on facebook, and did some browsing for travel costs at this point in time. I don’t think I will be able to afford another trip for quite some time--even if I’m just going to another part of California!

 

            Baba made us a nice dinner and the three of us headed back up to the flat when NEPA decided to come home. Biana found something interesting on tv while Adrie and I, like old times, cooped ourselves up in her room and drank hot cocoa while listening to music and telling stories. We decided it was a good time for a dance party so we each chose a few songs to play and sing along to. I think that should count as our physical activity for the day. I’ll go to bed with a million songs running through my head.

Day 51: Oh My Gosh, Someone Actually Agreed With Us!

It was one of those acousticy mornings so I got ready with the help of Rufus Wainwright and Joan Baez before walking with Adrie down to the Clinic. We are trying our best to finish The Book as quick as possible so I needed to check in with Ema about some things. It looks like we are in the home stretch, praise the Lord! We didn’t have much time to work on a project since we were being picked up in the van around 10 to head out to another area of Jos to visit a school. So we worked on the book, did a little computer time, and walked outside to wait for Greg. We waited....and waited...and finally called Naomi to discover that our ride was running behind because he was picking up food.

 

            Just after 11 Greg pulled up to the Clinic with Pam and Sally. Adrie, Joshua, Naomi, and myself all hopped in and we made a quick stop to pick up boxes of food before continuing on our journey to the school being held at St. Matthew’s Church on the outskirts of Jos. When we arrived we were directed to a small one-roomed building where 75 children sat in rows of concrete benches jutting out from the walls. An entire elementary school in one room--it reminded me of my Grandpa’s schoolhouse back in River Falls, Wisconsin. Up at the front of this classroom stood a young woman with a blackboard going over the math lesson for the day. Once we entered the kids got excited and stood up to give us their Welcome Song. It was very sweet. Naomi spoke in Hausa to the class and was able to find out that the woman leading wasn’t the teacher but actually the teacher’s daughter filling in for the day. We brought in the boxes of food and were able to distribute a small container of rice with a small piece of meat to every child plus some of the adults we found outside. The kids were grateful for a good lunch. I sat in the back with the four toddlers who found their way inside and made sure that their containers got opened and were not tipped over onto the floor. Everyone chewed and smiled. While the kids were still eating we were able to wander out the door to the temporary structure that is being built for these students. A group from Fort Collins, Colorado is helping fund this three-room school, which hopefully will be ready to use soon. This building will allow the kids to be divided into the proper age groups for learning and will hopefully provide for the salary of two more teachers. I stood for a while outside the classroom and looked out across the green countryside. It was remarkable how much the view from the school resembled the view from the hillside at Woodward Park looking towards Valley Children’s Hospital. Just more green and less cars. We said our goodbyes after a while there and headed back down the dirt road toward the center of Jos.

 

            Naomi remembered she needed to make a quick stop for the Faith Alive Administration and we pulled up to a government-funded orphanage. We all followed her inside the compound and ran into the new woman in charge, who happens to be Naomi’s aunt (neither of them had realized the other would be there). She told us a bit about the ministry, and how the hope was that they would no longer need to exist in a few months. Family members or other adults in the community believe it is their responsibility to care for children who find themselves without parents in Nigeria; it is not common for a child to be left behind. There are still nine children being cared for at the orphanage, four of them just infants. We were allowed to meet the kids and as we were walking towards the nursery a toddler darted out from a doorway and literally jumped into my arms. I immediately realized that he was wet but decided that holding on to pee-pants was going to be worth it. Adrie and Naomi found babies in the nursery who wanted some attention while Pam sat with a young boy lying on a mat who is unable to walk. There was even a puppy running around which Sally was trying to pet. Joshua spent the time taking pictures. The lady told me my friend’s name was Gabriel, and I must say that he was quite possibly my favorite child in the world. He continually tried to feed me the candy his sticky fingers were grasping but I reminded him that the peppermint was for him. He spoke to me in baby-Hausa and I listened with my English ears. Every once in a while he would tell me a great story because he would throw his head back and laugh with his eyes closed. Oh it was love! We danced a bit and he showed me how he could kick a ball (even with his lack of shoes) and I regretted that it was time to go so soon. I need to find a way to get back there and spend time with those beautiful children.

 

            We got back to the Clinic feeling tried but good. Adrie and I had a very late lunch at the flat and I enjoyed a power-nap before heading back for computer time. Pam joined us in Joshua’s office and we had a wonderful chat with her about things we struggle with being here. We all agreed that the two hardest things to cope with are, first, constantly being told what our political system looks like (Why yes, I had realized that about the American presidential election. In case you forgot I am American and vote in those very elections you are telling me all about.) and second, the tension between different people groups. Many here seem very cold towards other religions, belief groups, and even tribes. They can’t seem to understand why we always want to hear both sides the story, hear the good and bad of every situation. Pam has been doing medical research in a nearby village the past few weeks and she said it is hard to use a translator since they always want to bring their personal bias into the data (“She said ‘No’ to that question but I reminded her that God will disprove of...’). It is nice to have some other Americans here to discuss these sorts of issues with. If I were having to process these things with only a computer screen I think I would go crazy.

 

            Dinner, hot cocoa, and an itunes party in Adrie’s room were a great ending to a beautiful day. I am desperately missing the kids back home tonight and hope they aren’t doing too much growing up without me around.

Day 50: Oyibo Bye Bye.

It is really hard to believe that we have been in Nigeria for 50 days. It looks like such a long time on paper but when you are experiencing it time just seems to speed up....

 

            I woke up this morning with an angry stomach from our meal last night so I wisely chose to spend the morning at the flat. I got some work done in The Book and Adrie and I believe that they just handed us the last stack of data to be entered into it. If that is the case we should be able to be rid of it by next week! Hallelujah! Writing things in it today did not seem as awful knowing that there is a light at the end of this AIDSrelief-inflicted tunnel.

 

            Jon and Kristen got the last of their things together just before lunchtime and we enjoyed our last family meal together for a while. The Draskovics have come to the end of their three months in Jos are flying out of Abuja tomorrow to head to Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon. They have been a huge part of my experience here thus far and I have grown to know them very well. Our little group of five has spent every night processing our experiences here, sharing stories, praying together, and inviting each other into our lives. It will be very different without them around and I know it will take some adjusting. It would have been a very sad sending off as they packed their boxes into Gody’s SUV, but the truth is the next phase of their lives is starting soon after they get home. Kristen has been hired for a position with the University of Minnesota with her dietician expertise and Jon is searching for the right seminary to jump into. This should give them an excuse to travel out to California at some point and/or another Caitlin road trip to the great unknown! I am so excited to see where God is taking them.

 

            After waving them down the street Adrie and I spent some time with The Book while we talked and listened to music. When we decided my stomach could handle an out-of-the-apartment excursion we went down to the Clinic. It must have been a pretty relaxed day because there were hardly any people around. We went upstairs to check our e-mail and had the joy of sharing the afternoon with Joshua, sharing what life was going to look like when we got home. He thought it was particularly funny that both Adrie and I, after two years out of the house, are moving back in with our parents. Apparently that is not done here. Ever. Cultural differences are so interesting, especially since many are not obvious and are only discovered through conversation.

 

            We lost track of time talking with Joshua so we hurried home before it got too dark and walked in the door just as NEPA abandoned us. Finding food by lantern we fixed some leftover curry and plopped ourselves in front of one of my least favorite inventions: the television. I have watched triple the amount of tv here than I do back home, but most of that is due to the fact we aren’t allowed to go outside after dark. When the sun goes down at six that is quite a bit of time to kill! Two Weeks Notice is fairly entertaining so the three girls enjoyed our little love story before deciding we were tired enough to get ready for bed.

 

            It will be really strange to not see Team D around tomorrow. I guess all that is left is Team ABC.

Day 49: No Need To Thank Me, I’m Just Doing My Job.

I woke up today with some extra energy, so I figured God had some interesting things in store for me. Those are always the best! Staff meeting started as usual, but with Jon and Kristen leaving tomorrow the staff wanted to give them a final chance to speak. The two of them had decided a few days ago to leave the staff with a song--a song that the Fresno First trio had taught them about a little seed of mustard. So the five of us got up in front of the staff, made everyone stand up, and taught them how to move those mountains! (No, we didn’t sing it in Spanish. Y la montaña se movera...) I have never seen a group of people laugh so hard in my life. We spent a good part of ten minutes pushing our neighbor into the wall and waving around an invisible mustard seed. What a way to start a morning!

 

            With some of my extra energy already put to good use I figured I would be helpful in the pharmacy. It’s been two whole days since I was there so we were all excited about this reunion. Matthew told me to stop leaving but I tried my best to explain to him that I was involved in many different aspects of Faith Alive. I was able to blast through five full bottles while I enjoyed the loud conversation going on around me about the dos and don’ts of marriage. Grace is getting married in December (after I leave, dang it!) so Matthew, the only married pharmacist, thought it would be a good idea to share his wealth of knowledge with all of us. It was quite entertaining. Bride prices, legal documents, traveling to your home village, it all sounds fairly complicated to me!

 

            After a good lunch we agreed for the second day in a row on the blessing of a communal naptime (are we starting to look like Spain?) so I revved up my energy level even more once I woke up. Adrie and I watched the end of 50 First Dates before heading back to the Clinic where, to all of our surprise, almost all the patients had cleared out! Apparently everyone was working quickly today. Without much to do Adrie and I caught up with life in Fresno via facebook while the Draskovics called potential apartment candidates in St. Paul, where they will be moving in just over two weeks! They heard good things from a few receptionists and I was blessed to receive lots of good news from various people back home. Yay!

 

            We didn’t have much time when we got back to the flat to get ourselves looking nice for Jon and Kristen’s final dinner in Jos. The heads of department from Faith Alive take all their volunteers out to a nice Lebanese restaurant nearby as a way to say Thank You. Adrie and I were excited to join the dozen other staff members and had a fabulous (though gluten-filled) family-style meal. Rice, chicken, hummus, salad, meat pies, it was delicious. As we were talking and eating I took a drink of my pineapple-coconut juice and realized there was something red dripping down my glass: blood. As if I didn’t look out-of-place enough at a nice Lebanese sit-down dining room in Jos, I had one of the most massive bloody noses of my lifetime. Luckily I was sitting across from a doctor so without hesitation Old School grabbed my hand and led me to the restroom while I bled all over a white linen napkin. It was quite a memorable experience, me sitting by the sink while Old School tenderly held some ice in a washcloth against my nose. He made sure I was all cleaned up before walking back out to finish my food. When I tried to thank him for helping me out he shook his head and told me, “Cait, my dear, no need to thank me. I am just doing my job.” What a Grandpa! The rest of the meal went smoothly and everyone had a nice time. We were all very full by the end of it.

 

            Back at the flat the five of us took our family portraits before the three upstairs enjoyed some chocolate out on the balcony. It was a dusty night (which my nose already informed me) but still quiet and beautiful. It was nice to have a few minutes to breathe before heading off to bed. 

Day 48: Is It Seriously Only 8:30?

This morning was Jon and Kristen’s last discipleship class so they decided to bring up a topic we have all avoided since we got here: African mysticism in Christianity. It is a touchy subject because so many people here, mostly the older generation, have developed allowed myths and superstition to become a huge part of their faith. Jon said he wanted to face the issue head-on, so he did! The women in class shared what beliefs were floating around regarding bad lack, demonic powers, and omens. Jon was able to bring up many passages of Scripture dealing directly with God speaking out against witchcraft and various cursing, reminding Israel that He is the only force that can change the course of history. A couple of the women had questions (which is always the best way to learn!) and they seemed relieved to have finally been told that they don’t need to worry about people planting curses in the ground or feel afraid when they see a cockroach enter a room. God is bigger than any human words or actions!

 

            Adrie and I headed to the Clinic after our morning class and Biana told us she was going home early to get some rest. None of us have been feeling particularly good since the dust started settling in. We did some computer work, watched an Abba music video, and listened to the reggae Shagan was playing loudly from his desktop. There were quite a few things we needed to respond to from home so we took the rest of the morning replying to e-mails before walking to lunch.

 

            A man named Iyo was talking to Biana when we got there and told us that he used to be an administrator at Faith Alive before he took a medical job. It was nice to hear him catch Biana up on life for a little bit, but we were all starving once he left for the library. We devoured our lunch and decided that we were in need of a lazy day. While Jon and Kristen continued packing up their things, Biana took a nap, Adrie found CSI to help her get along in the Book, and I got caught up on my Practicum assignments. It was crazy to log all my hours over the past six weeks, we put in quite a bit of time helping out here! Adrie came in to my room after we had gotten further in our projects and we made room for some girl talk. It’s nice to have a friend here who has been a part of my life since i can remember, it makes for some great conversation and processing. We talked about things that are coming up at home, how things are going to look different once we get back to Fresno, and what we hope to do over the next few weeks.

 

            Dinner was quiet. Jon was falling asleep in his potatoes and the girls didn’t have the energy to start any sort of discussion topic so we just ate. We decided it was a movie night so once Jon went off to bed we headed upstairs and watched The Darjeeling Limited. I have never had a particular desire spend much time in India, but it does look like an interesting place to visit. Robert has told me horror stories about the train rides he endured there but the guys in the movie seem to do pretty well. There was no sense in trying to stay up much later after the credits rolled so at 8:30 we all sleepily said Good Night and went to bed after a good but particularly uneventful day.

Day 47: This Was Actually A Pretty Tame Monday.

It was very hard to get up this morning after such a draining night but I knew I had to get myself together to head over to the sewing school. Today was my first chance to lead discussion with this group of women and I was excited, and a little nervous, to do so. Getting everything together I walked outside into a nice breezy day and said Hello to all my neighbors on the way to the Social Services Center. Class started a little behind schedule (or on Nigerian time) seeing as we had a few crying babies to tend to before opening in song. God has been reminding me of what His family looks like while I am here so I shared what it means to be a child of God and sisters in Christ. Teaching on subjects that hit close to home ends up helping the leader grow and learn even more than the students. It is always a good reminder, especially far from your biological family, to realize that wherever you go there are kindred spirits to take you in as a child, sibling, a member of the family. There are some here who have done a particularly good job at that and I hope to act the same way once I become the one at home to reach out to other traveling brothers and sisters.

 

            I walked back to the Clinic and up to Biana’s office where she had a few things for me to write. Adrie and I are going to sit down with a few people on staff and listen to their stories to share with our congregation for Advent. It takes me a while to put my thoughts into words (well, words that form cohesive English phrases) so by the time I was done lunch had rolled around. We walked back to the flat and discussed how much we missed the beach as the Jos wind blew around us. I guess this is the closest we can get to an ocean breeze for a while. Lunch filled us up and reminded all five of us how tired we were so we decided on a communal nap. Communal in the sense we were all resting, but we thought it best to find our own rooms to lie down in.

 

 

            After a rejuvenating power nap Biana and I headed back to the Clinic where we saw things had quieted down a great deal from the normal morning rush. There was not much for me to do besides computer work so I spent some needed time planning my school schedule for next semester, replying to family and friends e-mails, and stalking those who I miss on facebook. Oh the joys of technology when you are far from home! I wandered into the office where Team D was working and spent the time before dinner discussing African superstitions with Jon while Kristen yelled at the computer for not allowing her to attach photos to an e-mail for her church. It has been very strange to come across various myths and delusions that many Christians have bought into here. Jon has been reading articles regarding this topic over the past few weeks and shared with me that many African pastors blame this problem on early missionaries allowing old wive’s tales to remain in the Church in order to make the transformation from animism to Christianity easier for the tribes they encountered. I want to talk to Pastor Ben about this more; it’s so crazy!

 

            Dinner was on Baba-time so we were very hungry when food made it to the table. Luckily there were fried plantains so I was ok with the delay. A friend of Dr. Chris is spending the night at the downstairs apartment after proctoring an exam at Juth Medical today. He seemed like a nice guy, but only wanted to talk about American politics. Discussions on the election and the NRA just get really tiring after the fiftieth person comes up to tell you all they know about your county’s policies. After eating we needed some mindless activity to keep us occupied (going to bed is not an option at 7:30) and found the movie Red Eye on our favorite Arabic channel. It was much more suspenseful than it should have been because of our tired brains so we decided that would have to do for the night. Biana made some vanilla pudding from one of our boxes in the cupboard so we shared dessert before bed. It was good, but I think what was missing was Jesse’s pudding song and Missy dancing with a giant spoon. That’s the best way to eat pudding.

 

Day 46: Turn To Your Neighbor And, If Needed, Turn Their Sleep Into Slap!

I did not realize when I woke up early this morning refreshed and ready to go that this would be one of the longest days of my life. Not one of those melodramatic Everything-Is-Going-Wrong longest days, instead an If-This-Lasts-Another-Minute-I-Will-Go-Crazy longest days.

 

            My internal alarm clock woke me up before the one sitting on my nightstand so I took the opportunity to enjoy a slow breakfast, a bucket bath, and two chapters from Three Cups of Tea. I am used to rushing around on Sunday mornings in Fresno (and I guess at Camp, too) so it was nice to take my time before putting on my Nigerian church clothes and walking down to meet up with Jon and Kristen. The three of us walked down the street to Latter Glory Church, an hour into a service that was still going strong with music and dancing, and took our seats. We enjoyed the time of joyful praise that led into the Pastor’s message on God being our fortress. He spent a lot of time in the Psalms, going over how we as humans will never know or feel true security until we put our trust in the Lord. He related our struggle with feeling insecure without Christ with the world’s attempts to create manmade security for protection. “Why do our countries spend so much money on creating weapons and tightening surveillance on each other and neglect our duty to the people who are more worried about getting food on their table?” I’m going to have to chew on that one for a while. After a great talk that resonated well with everyone in the room the three oyibos thought things were over for the service. Next thing we knew Jon and Kristen were being called on-stage to announce that it was their final Sunday in Nigeria and take the time to thank and pray for them. It was a nice send-off for the couple who has worshipped here their whole three-month stay in Jos. Communion was wheeled out to the front of the room, which we all took part in, and I realized it was already 12:15, a little past the normal schedule. The pastor walked back onto the stage for what I presumed was the closing prayer, but it turned out to be his speech regarding an honorary doctorate he just received.

 

            *Side Note: Honorary doctorate? This man went away for a couple weeks to Lagos to a university there and was given the title of “Doctor Reverand” for some reason I could not quite pick up on. He went on and on about how proud he was to have worked so hard for this, but in truth he did nothing except pay a little cash to attend a short class. Apparently this happens quite a bit here and, as Ben has told me, leads to the problem of ill-equipped pastors leading congregations with twisted doctrine.

 

            He brought his certificate and plaque to church with him and asked Dr. Simon (a true grad-school hard-working psychologist) to present it to him. Once it was all read the place erupted and we had a massive dance party to congratulate the new “Doctor” on his title. I must admit the dancing was fun, but everyone was expected at some point during this celebration to go up to the front and slip some naira into a basket the pastor was holding. I was ushered forward and shook his hand since I had already given my offering (but if I had any money I don’t think that would be the wisest choice)...hopefully not the most offensive moment of his day! By this point it was 12:45 and a man was called forward to share a song. He gave a short testimony and sang, followed by the Pastor telling the congregation that he believed Jon and Kristen would be this man’s passage into America. Good Lord your service is getting crazier. A few more songs, a closing prayer, and a mandatory time of refreshments to celebrate the pastor’s achievements. I staggered out of Church at 1:27.

 

            Walking back to the flat I hoped that the rest of the day would go smoother than this morning. A quick lunch remedied my lethargic mood and I had a few minutes to finish Three Cups of Tea (it was fabulous!) before heading to Support Group meeting. Jon and Kristen were supposed to be sharing this afternoon and I was excited to hear what they had to say. Biana, Adrie, and I ran into Sally Barlow, the US coordinator who helped get us all here, at the Clinic. She is on a short trip to Jos meeting up with her partner Pam, whom I have gotten to spend some time with over the past few weeks. They are both lovely women. Sally was also asked to speak at Support Group so she started off the session teaching us all some useful stretches for people who’s bodies are not as strong as they used to be. Once she was done and the singing and announcements were completed, Team D only had five minutes to talk before we ran to our next outing. They gave a short spiel on what their trip looked like before we ran to Greg and the van to take us to our final event of the night.

 

            The African Godly Mothers is a group of Nigerian women who are working on strengthening and empowering females across the country to share the love of God effectively and spread the Gospel. Pastor Ben is connected with their organization and invited the five of us to one of their seasonal banquets. We got there just after 4:00 and were seated right away. The program began a little late but the small room was filled when it started. The first part of the night consisted of some short testimonies (Biana got the chance to speak on having a mission-mindset), a time of intercessory prayer, and a jellof rice dinner while they ran a short documentary on Bible translation in Northern Kaduna State. Pastor Ben got up to speak/scream and went on for a good hour about spoken prophecies from world prayer meetings over the past few years saying Nigeria has been chosen by God as the true place to send out the Gospel. It was really bizarre and my ears hurt from his constant yelling into the microphone. I was definitely feeling the itch to leave once he was done at 6:30 but gave up all hope when he handed the microphone to another man sitting at the head table. I started praying that no one else would be given permission to speak after this man and another woman took up 45 minutes sharing stories completely unrelated to the banquet’s purpose. There was then a cake-cutting, award giving, more prayer, more thanking of people,...I was actually going crazy. I could not keep my feet still and the four others around the table were either zoning out into space or trying hard not to make the person sitting next to them laugh by rolling their eyes. We finally got in the van to head home at 8:20. I was ready to run a marathon.

 

            Back at the flat I made a promise not to do much in particular but was reminded by Jon and Kristen that tomorrow morning is my first time to lead Discipleship Class. God, keep me awake to get ready tonight. And please don’t allow me to speak for too long or scream at the women I am discussing with tomorrow. Because as much as I love the pastors here, I don’t want to preach like them.

Day 45: Draw 2?! No Breakfast For You Tomorrow!

Our cupboards have been nicely stocked with no-bake desserts, cereals, breads, mixes of many kinds, and various spices and seasonings the entire time Adrie and I have been here. Biana decided that it was time to put all those into use. So this morning she made us gluten-free pancakes (delicious) and went to work getting together peanut-butter chocolate no-bake cookies and preparing for our big dinner tonight. I realized right away it was going to be a nice relaxing day at home.

 

            Taking the advantage of having no set plans I enjoyed reading more of my book and got some homework assignments further along before lunch. After eating Adrie, Kristen, and I enjoyed some girl talk around the kitchen table and spent a lot of time laughing over sibling stories. I was brought back to a time in my life where I peeked inside boxes hiding Christmas gifts and was always willing to be the sick patient playing doctor because I knew Erin was always right! Kristen and Jon have definitely become part of our family and it is going to be really tough to see them leave on Thursday. I still can’t quite picture what life in Nigeria is going to be like without them around, they have been here every day of our trip thus far!

 

            A nice pilates session in the middle of the day prepared us for the food coming later and gave us all a good stretch. I wandered down to the Clinic to make some important phone calls (making sure I stopped by Sonny’s booth to say Hello) and was glad to talk to my family and my boy. As rustic and adaptable as I would like to seem, I don’t know how I would survive being this far away from home without the convenience of the internet and phone lines. Sometimes you just need to hear certain people’s voices to remind you of what life normally looks like. After hanging up I rushed back to the flat to see what else needed to get done before our party started.

 

            At 5:45 I walked into the kitchen where Naomi, Biana, Kristen, and Adrie were all working quickly to get our dinner on the table. Frying, dicing, mixing, arranging. Another body would have made things a little chaotic in such a small space so Jon and I decided to be mature adults and help out by sitting in the living room watching Eight Legged Freaks until someone acknowledged we were needed. Once everything was out on the table Joshua and his family arrived so we could get things started. We gathered around for prayer and then Biana reviewed what we had: chicken tacos (thanks to Sally’s corn tortilla contribution), creamed corn, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, homemade guacamole (well done Adrie!), peanut-butter chocolate cookies, and a Jello cheescake. I was able to demonstrate how a taco is put together for the Nigerians who were trying them for the first time, after which we all dug in. It may not have been Super Burro quality, but it was darn near close! After not eating anything remotely resembling Mexican food since the day before I left on my flight this meal was exceptionally wonderful. We ate in the living room and enjoyed each other’s company, a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Once we were done, Joshua’s children JJ (age 6) and Jonelle (age 2) became our entertainment as they jumped rope, ran around the room, and found new uses out of a piece of cardboard lying around. The adults decided to play Uno when the kids stopped caring if we were watching them. I was able to teach Joshua how to shuffle cards like an American (he did a great job) and he in return showed me how to deal like a Nigerian (I was not so good). Our first round of Uno went quickly with all of us laughing, trying to see how many cards we could make the person next to us draw.  Joelle would come up periodically and throw all the cards to draw onto the floor so we had to keep an eye on her sneaky hand coming in. Joshua and his wife Vicky made the mistake of sitting next to each other (they were out to make the other person lose!) and we continually modified the rules to make the game more exciting. We decided on a second game but after an hour of people saying “Uno” and then picking up ten cards we all cheered with delight when Joshua placed his winning blue 0 down on the stack. By then it was 9:00, past the kids (and Kristen’s) bedtime so we thanked them for coming, picked up the cards, and headed off to another restful night. 

Day 44: I’m Very Glad To Be Alive Today!

There isn’t a better feeling than waking up to a new day and being ready for it! After the stress that was finally realized and released yesterday I know that God is going to keep me moving forward. So I got out of bed ready to see what the day brought! This morning I spent back in the pharmacy after three full days of not stepping a foot inside. Isaiah and Peju said that they were all going crazy without me helping there and I admitted that I was going crazy without being there. It is nice to feel needed; not needed because pills weren’t being counted but needed because a piece was missing from a little group of friends. It was a pretty hectic day in there (as always) so instead of much conversation I had the time to think while I worked. I am already starting to realize how my perception of life has changed over the past 43 days...

 

            Adrie came and got me right before 11 to head out to the van. Kristen needed to be driven out to Elim Primary School to speak with the principal there about sponsorship issues and said we could tag along. I am discovering on this trip just how much I love new experiences! It was quite a drive through Jos along the main city streets and ending on bumpy dirt roads heading up some rocky hills on the outskirts of the larger population. Greg stopped in front of a modest metal gate with “Elim School” painted across it so we got out and pushed it open. The minute we walked into the little courtyard we were surrounded by kids. I was immediately taken back to Timber Mountain and felt right at home with all the nine-year-old hugs. Francisca, a sixth-grader in a bright blue uniform with matching beret, transferred my giant purse from my shoulder to her own and took my hand to escort me around her school. We met with the lady who started this school three years ago, another Kate, and she shared with us her vision for this little place. She told us that this part of Jos, because it is far removed from the hustle and bustle, was neglected a public school because of lack of government funding. The parents in the neighborhood were told they would need to send their children to different parts of the city to learn. With the unreasonable cost of transportation, uniforms, and other school fees the children of this neighborhood were left uneducated. When Kate realized this problem so asked the nearby Baptist church for permission to use some of their unused small buildings and started Elim School. There are now close to one hundred children learning in the four pink buildings. We were able to visit with the kindergarteners, who sang us a lovely song, and some of the upper-level children who welcomed us to Jos. We were sad to need to leave after just a short amount of time but were invited to return whenever we have the chance. I have to get back to this school before I leave Nigeria.

           

            Greg brought us back into town in time for lunch and Team D invited Adrie and I to head over to the museum shops where they needed to complete their final shopping needs. Adrie went the other day so opted to stay home, but I was up for another new and exciting adventure! It was a good walk, just under two kilometers, but crossing crazy motorbike traffic always stresses me out. The shops are in an area of Jos that includes history museums, the school, and more oyibo tourists than other parts of the city. It was nice to see some trees! We wandered around the little artisan shops for a good hour or so looking and bartering. There are so many beautiful paintings, wood carvings, funky pieces of jewelry, and odd trinkets. Jon and Kristen bought a really nice painting and I spent most of my time talking with Elizabeth, the owner of one of the shops, while we chose necklaces that would look good on each other. She talked me into buying the one she chose for me. Walking back to the flat was a little warmer than before but we were able to spot some lizards, rams, and two donkeys to add to our knowledge of Jos wildlife. Of course we also saw the dozens of motorbike drivers peeing on walls or into gutters. Some things are just not a huge issue here.

 

            Getting back I decided to take the rest of the day easy so Adrie and I headed to the Clinic for our daily e-mailing before dinner. Baba made baked potatoes tonight (oh gluten-free goodness!) and we decided to ditch the kitchen table in order to eat in front of the tv; Heavyweights was on! Again it brought me back to so many great memories of Sugar Pine... After our movie I decided for a quiet evening with Mae, my computer, and Three Cups of Tea before dozing off. Thank God it’s Friday

Day 43: Who Has Been Able To Say They Sat On A Balcony In Nigeria Under A Full Moon And Watched A Lightning Storm?

Waking up this morning was a difficult task seeing as I was struggling to breathe through my nose. This crazy dust is trying to get the best of me! Adrie and I both weren’t feeling the greatest and were not sure who wanted to stay home more this morning and work on The Book. We came to the agreement that she would be at the flat while I went to discipleship class and the pharmacy, then switch in the afternoon. So after a quick scrub with a bucket bath I made my way down to the sewing school and played with the babies for a few minutes before things got started. I wasn’t feeling the greatest, but good enough to stand and sing, when Adrie appeared in the door telling me we were given a new assignment.

 

            Task: Archived File Sorting. Motivation Level: 0. Adrie and I were given keys to the archived file closest (which we put together a few weeks ago) and told to look through every file and pull out any patient that had been misplaced, meaning they were seen in 2008. The job had already been done a week or two before we arrived in Jos, but Dr. Chris was positive that some were missed and the hundreds of files needed to be looked at again. In the stuffy room we opened the paper files and read their patient history checking for dates before sticking them back in the correct placement in the box. I have been getting more frustrated with being told what to do with the added line of “...even though no one will look at this again” before we begin. Do they even want us here? With the amount of files we knew it would take us at least two full days to get it done. It was hot, we were tired, and for the first time since I have been in Jos I started to feel really bad. Not bad as in angry, bad as in discouraged and sick and sad and...maybe overwhelmed is a better word. So I looked at Adrie and started to cry.

 

            It is interesting when you have those moments in life where everything hits you at once. Today, sitting in the archived file room, I hit the wall. I have been holding in a lot of feelings about things going on back at home and new experiences here piling up within me. With my Aunt being sick, and missing my family and friends, and tedious tasks at the Clinic, and hearing exciting news about engagements and pregnancies, and spending time with people dying or imprisoned or confused, it suddenly all became too much to handle. I was feeling very far removed from my normal life and, on top of that, not enjoying my current state. My head was swimming, and my heart was starting to drown.

 

            Adrie gave me the room to cry and listened to my frustrations with great tenderness. She made the executive decision to head back for lunch early, which gave me a little time to lie down and talk to God. When lunch came around Jon and Kristen picked up that we had a tough morning. They spent the meal asking questions, listening, and giving some wise advice. Their three-month period is coming to a close and they admitted to having the same feelings at multiple times during their stay. But, they reminded me, God doesn’t call people to do things that are pointless. We are here for a reason and he will bless us for following his will. Kristen handed me a letter from a woman I talked to at the Clinic yesterday who wanted to thank me for taking to time to sit and chat before leaving for her daily walk. Of course.

 

            I was feeling a little better before prayer meeting and enjoyed Team D’s message on prayer. Jon and Kristen have done a wonderful job of approaching controversial topics here in a loving way with lots of Scriptural support. They talked about how people believe if they ask hard enough and with enough faith that God will answer their prayers, when really God wants to answer requests that are going to help the person grow. Prayer for wealth and physical healing are major parts of Christian life here, so it was a bold statement to say that maybe God doesn’t want a person to gain more money. We looked at the Lord’s Prayer and had a time of talking to the Lord together. When they were done sharing Uncle Thomas got up and seriously addressed that it was that it was almost the dreaded “ember” months (Nov-ember, Dec-ember). He told the crowd that these two months were the most deadly of the year because the “demons have a low blood bank” so they attack Christians. He said we needed to pray for the 1,700 people they were planning to kill in Nigeria over that amount of time. Whoa. I was really confused. Thankfully Pastor Ben got up to tell the staff that we need to rid of African superstition in our Christian lives and reminded us that these two months were the same as any other out of the year. It was the first time I had seen two Nigerian pastors disagree openly, and was glad to see that most seemed to side with Ben’s rationale.

 

            After prayer meeting I was still recovering from this morning. After e-mails I was blessed to have a skype conversation with one Miss Louisa Gee, which brought such Scottish joy to my American heart! It was wonderful to see and talk to one of my best friends and our conversation really cheered me up. I went to dinner feeling much better and enjoyed our table talk about social issues in the States. Biana helped out my mood even more by letting Adrie and I know that a) She wasn’t going to let us finish the archived file project because it was not worth it, b) Saturday night we are attempting Mexican food, and c) The three of us should have hot cocoa before going to sleep.

 

            As poorly as this day began there is no way to compare to how wonderfully it came to a close. Adrie, Biana, and I got ourselves mugs of hot cocoa and cinnamon rice cakes and set ourselves up out on the balcony. It was a full moon tonight and just as we sat down a lightning storm started in the distance. We spent over an hour sitting and sipping our hot chocolate in the cool breeze and talking about life. It was so nice to have girl talk, and even more nice to sit in silence and watch the clouds light up just above the rooftops to the east. It will be a wonderful day when one of us will look at the other two and say, Remember that time we chatted about this over cocoa during a Nigerian storm?

 

            “With quiet words I’ll lead you in and out of the dark...”

            Thanks God.

Day 42: Me? I May Be Here The Rest Of My Life.

Wednesday mornings are either hit or miss. Staff meetings can fluctuate for any organization, but I feel that Faith Alive has even more loud personalities that make it a lively event. Today’s meeting was much more quiet than normal. Shegan sharing his thoughts on unity (taken from Philippians 2:1-11) and Dan gave everyone the quick overview of Saturday’s football match. No one had anything to argue about so our gathering ended early and with people in good spirits. I’m glad we have learned our past lessons about proper toilet care, electricity saving, and addressing people by their correct names. Onward and upward!

 

            I thought I was working back in the pharmacy today but Greg came and got me right after our meeting to tell me I was needed back at the prison. He drove me across town and I had the task of trying to get inside with no Nigerian aid. The five burly uniformed men in front of the locked entrance gave me a bit of a tough time when they found out why I was there (“Will you take my blood, bature?”) but thankfully let me in without any further questioning. I didn’t even need to sign in with the official. I was warmly greeted by Simon, Esther, and Emmanuel setting up for testing but even more excited to see me were my registration friends. Nigerians have a tendency to do things at the last minute so we were worried about having a mad rush today, but those who hadn’t been tested earlier this week came in a nicely timed stream. Things died down considerably around ten and I found myself sitting with Prince, Ogolu, Lawrence, and Godspower with nothing else to do. We spent the next three hours in conversation and I realized exactly why God brought me back for another day.

 

            Most Nigerians want to talk about America, but this group of men wanted to talk about Nigeria! Thank the Lord! I got a detailed history lesson and was able to hear much more about the three main tribal groups of this country; the Ibo, Yoruba, and Hausa. I was told that in the North there is constant battling over oil (something I hear in the news quite frequently) but a suppressed native tribe is causing even more tension. They explained to me how their justice system works and I filled them in on how the American government punishes criminal offenders. Admittedly I have not spent much time in prison, but I can clearly see the differences in the Jos Main Prison and the tall cement building in downtown Fresno. I was too shy to ask any of the men why they were in Jos Prison but was surprised when Prince opened up about his story:

 

            Prince is from a northern state of Nigeria and trained in school to be a government official. He moved into a nice job after the required year of service and was serving with the peacekeeping forces of the police system in his community. As a young man, he admits, he was not terribly sensible and wanted more power. He became wrapped up in a plot with four other men from his unit to get another police officer fired. I didn’t quite understand all the intricate details, but the police officer was killed because of their scheme. None of the five men were the murderer, but when word leaked of their original plan all five were tried. Prince looked me square in the eye and said, “I have been here eight years so far. But eight years out of a lifelong sentence is not very long.” So there was the system at work. All five men were sentenced to life in prison for government conspiracy. And the craziest part? I have met all five of them. They all got sent to Jos Main Prison. Ogolu jumped in at this point and revealed he is part of that story, but his case is still in trial. He has a better chance of getting out before the other men because of the role he played.

 

            I had a lot of questions for the men but didn’t need to ask any of them, they seemed to pick up on what I wanted to know. They told me about how God is using them in prison. “Life comes in stages,” Ogolu told me, “and what matters is how we handle the stage God puts us in.” They all are involved in the Prison Fellowship Ministry and are growing in the Lord in a strange secluded place of life. All acknowledged that they deserve being in prison, but all shared an equal desire to someday be let out. “Everyone makes mistakes,” Prince said, “but some of us choose to make mistakes that rob us of the rest of our normal lives.” He spoke a lot about hoping the judges who continue to evaluate their case and their sentence realize that people can change over time. It was quite an experience for me, a fairly well-behaved young white woman from California to be sharing life with four Nigerian convicts. I’m glad God brings us to places we never thought we would be. I was sad to leave but was extended an invitation to share in Sunday morning fellowship from Ezekiel, the prison’s pastor. I told him I wasn’t sure how that would work out, me being a foreign visitor to a group of inmates, but we’ll see what the Lord does with that.

 

            I got back for lunch a little before 2:45 so I was hungry, exhausted, but very glad to have been blessed with the morning I did. Baba kept some food ready for me and after eating I made the wise decision of taking time for a short nap. After a bit of drooling on my pillow I woke up to head down to the Clinic with Adrie to check e-mails and say Hi to the people we had missed all day (Adrie is beating down Das Book). Dinner came shortly after we got back to the flat and the five of us decided we were too tired to try and do anything together tonight. Jon and Kristen went to bed and the three of us upstairs enjoyed some pilates before calling it a day. A very good day.

Day 41: ...You’re Going Where Now?

Biana informed me last night that if I wanted to I could devote the first half of this day to helping with HIV testing at the Jos prison. I jumped at the chance to see something new and help out in a way that I didn’t realize was a possibility. I met Simon in front of the Clinic after breakfast and we hopped in the van for a short ride across Jos. We pulled up to the prison and met with Esther (a young woman from the lab) before walking through a large metal gate escorted by uniformed guards. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I braced myself for the worst. Metal bars, mean armed guards, sickly looking prisoners, I thought I would be walking into a concentration camp. Thankfully that is not what met me behind the entrance. What my surroundings instead turned out to be looked much more like a college campus than a jail. A large green was surrounded by six or seven large run-down dormitories with a large letter of the alphabet painted on the side. To one side of the lawn sat a row of classrooms, a small garden, and a chapel. To the other side were some poorly made wooden buildings where food was being prepared in bulk in the traditional Nigerian style--with lots of fresh air. Simon led us to the classroom area where they set up a small testing center (one table with the proper swabs and needles) and the men filed in immediately. I was sent next door to the chapel where I would be helping out with registration. I walked in to a room with 75 Nigerian men and realized that this was the first (and possibly only) time in my life where I would be the only white AND female contribution to a crowd. What a feeling.

 

            The man with the paperwork introduced himself as Prince before we quickly developed a system of patient information processing. Simon told me that I was the authorized Faith Alive staff for the day, which I found out meant I gave my signature on every person’s paper next to “Doctor Presiding.” Never again in my life will I enjoy that level of prestige. Two others jumped in to help and for the next five hours the quartet of writers took information, copied data, and got prisoners on their way to free HIV testing. It is really cool to be working for an organization that, with as little resources as it has, believes in the power of free services. Most of the men that got tested today would never be able to afford this important step of their medical life, even if it looks very cheap to the developed world.

 

            It was truly an amazing experience as I spoke with prisoners and realized how happy they were with life. None of them looked depressed or angry or hungry. They looked like people I would run into on the street in my neighborhood. I did not get a chance to discuss the Nigerian penal system much today, but Prince did inform me that most prisoners are only serving sentences for a few months. There are virtually no women at this particular prison (although I assume it resembles demographics all over Nigeria) and most of the men we registered today were in their early twenties. It was strange talking to a prisoner who said he was 20, my age, and realizing just how different our years have looked. When we had a lull in the almost-constant traffic Prince asked me geography questions that he has been trying to figure out. I was able to explain some of Great Britian’s makeup as well as help him out with learning country capitals, something he has worked on for a while. In return, he helped me in his area of expertise; the Nigerian states and tribes. You can learn so much from former strangers if you take the time to listen.

 

            Around 1:30 we packed up our things, prayed with the staff that helped us, and went back through the checkpoints. Greg was nowhere to be seen outside so Simon put his hand on my shoulder and, with big eyes asked me, “Cait, are you able to walk more than a kilometer?” I realized he was worried about me so I suppressed a laugh and told him that I was a fine walker, even wearing a skirt. It was hot but we knew it was going to be our only option when Simon spotted the red Faith Alive van down the street. I think he was much more relieved than Esther and I. I made it home for a late lunch and declined the invite of the trio to go to the Museum Shops in order to get a needed nap. Some days you just need the extra sleep!

 

            E-mailing at the Clinic was followed by a nice Baba dinner. We weren’t sure what our activity for the night should be so Jon suggested turning on the television where, on our favorite Arabic channel, The Life Aquatic was just starting. Oh Wes Anderson. So our day ended with a wonderfully bizarre movie and, because NEPA has neglected us for an entire 24 hours now, we got ready for bed without the need for any other entertainment.  

Day 40: Baby No Cry.

I endured my first sleepless night in Nigeria. With all the dust settling in our neighborhood I knew I was having some sinus problems but the biggest problem ended up being my never-stopping-to-catch-a-breath brain. Thinking too much is a bad combo when you can’t breathe well, so between ten last night and six this morning there was little sleeping to be had. Sometimes I think God wants you to take extra time to really think through things happening in your life so I took the opportunity to pray and process events happening here in Jos, around the world, and the lives I am connected to back home. I have to say for being tired in the morning I think it was worth it.

 

            Breakfast came a little earlier than normal (since I was awake to turn off my alarm before it sounded) and I enjoyed my bowl of cereal with an extra treat of Dayquil. Bring on Monday! Adrie and I decided it was a good day to try out our Nigerian attire before walking down to the sewing school for discipleship class. Kristen led today’s topic of the need for grace and it was interesting to hear the ladies’ perspective on what God’s forgiveness really looks like. Many said they have a constant feel of guilt looming about them because they are told again and again in church that when you sin it is hard to make it up with God. They believe that sins exist on different levels (some are more forgivable than others) and that the Lord wants to punish you for your wrongdoings in order to teach you a lesson. It was neat to see some of the women begin to understand that we serve a God who doesn’t like it when we mess up but understands it is human nature and is always ready to receive us with open arms. I bet that is a freeing feeling for the few people who has been taught you can never be good enough for God to want to be near you, or for the woman sitting behind me who thought we served a God who sat on his throne in Heaven and refused to step foot on this sinful earth. “The Word became flesh...” had a new meaning to those ears.

 

            We stopped by the Clinic for a little pharmacy action and were complimented by everyone we ran into that we were looking very Nigerian. Grace told me that my body was made for these styles...and that I need to wear them all the time back in the States. I think Americans need to look into trying out some traditional ethnic clothing, its really fun! Counting pills led to lunch, which led to checking e-mails and, soon afterwards, a nap for Caitlin. How cool is it to work at a place where they tell you to take the afternoon off to get some needed rest? Timber Mountain and Faith Alive share a lot of commonalities--long meaningful days, lots of activity, and constant care of staff members. When I awoke I set a little time aside for The Book until dinner was ready. Baba has gotten into the habit of reminding us he doesn’t want any help (he physically shoos us out of the kitchen) but is starting to follow up his dismissals with “Baby no cry.” That makes me feel a lot better about life in general. After-dinner conversation revolved around New Year’s parties, over-parented children, and the life-long process of your Dad and Mom revealing their pre-parent lives to you. (Gavin and I are still trying to figure out Dad. ‘One day as I was backpacking the Alps with the Dalai Lama...’) I hope my kids will have an endless supply of crazy life stories that their dad and I can share with them. I bet some will be about Nigeria.