It was one of those instances where I woke up knowing that it was going to be an exciting day. A healthy breakfast of pineapple yogurt and a banana with Nutella gave way to a nice morning walk down to the Clinic. Uncle Thomas spoke this morning about the disciples who left Jesus because they couldn’t understand what he was saying. It was a pretty relevant message for any culture: we as humans can’t ever fully understand our Maker but it is our choice to deny or accept his message to the world. Thomas claimed that all of us will at one point or another face the challenge of wanting to walk away, and I think he’s right. Sometimes it is hard to follow Jesus. Sometimes we don’t really want to live out what he has to say. It gave me some things to think about as I worked in the pharmacy.
I had the pleasure of meeting Fatima, a university student who volunteers at Faith Alive during her school breaks, and getting to know her. It was nice to finally talk to a Nigerian at the same point of life that I am in! After counting out four bottles of vitamins (with the help of Isaiah) I was told that I needed a break. With more than an hour before Baba would be serving lunch Tima invited me to her home. It was quite a walk, but she insisted on buying me a Fanta to beat the heat and grabbed my hand while we crossed the street so I wouldn’t get run over by one of the hundreds of speeding motorbikes. It was pretty funny, I felt like I was walking with my babysitter. When we reached her complex she apologized in advance for the mess in her flat and invited me inside. I tried hard not to react as I walked into the room. A mattress in the far corner doubled as bed and nightstand while a desk accompanied by a single plastic chair held her school notes and small radio. The table on the other side of the room surrounded by buckets was set with cooking utensils, a small kerosene stove, and a kettle. Underneath the table were a few bags of groceries and two suitcases and few bags nearby stored all her clothes. A floral-printed sheet closed off her small bathroom from the rest of the living space. Her entire house is the size of my bedroom. She offered me the plastic chair and I drank my orange present while we chatted about school, family, and work. She pulled out her school laptop and asked me to read the start of a novel she has been writing. When she has a hard time falling asleep she writes, which is turning into a beautifully composed story of a mother’s love for her ill child. When it was time for lunch we walked back to the Clinic together and as we said See You Later I realized I had just walked into a real Nigerian experience.
After lunch we headed back to the Clinic for a bit but first stopped at the sewing school to say hello to Blessing and the girls there. I found that I am completely incapable of stopping somewhere for less than a couple of minutes so I spent the hour chatting with them. I had my first experience with sugar cane (chewing it tastes good, but I feel weird spitting my nasty wad onto the ground) and thumbed through a Nigerian fashion magazine that Loretta was choosing a style from. Loretta and Blessing hounded me about my personal life in America (poor Josh always ends up coming into conversation with women that I work with) and tried pressuring me into staying in Jos for “at least a year.” They are so funny! I finally made it down to the Clinic and, once realizing there was not much else for Adrie and myself to do, walked back to our flat.
It was time for another book so I started Three Cups of Tea just in time for a magnificent thunderstorm to roll in...and turn off all the power. Adrie and I had a good rainy-day conversation and once Biana got back for dinner were very hungry. Meat and potatoes filled us all up, but there was enough energy left to work on learning Grano De Mostaza on the guitar. (We are sharing a song with the staff next week. The mountains will move in English rather than Spanish though.) Biana went upstairs to relax and the four kids realized there was still a bit of energy left in us. Jon started singing and dancing to my itunes and we agreed it was time for the video camera to come out. We shot two dynamic videos; the first of Jon living up to “You Sexy Thing” followed by the girls proving “There Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” for these videos not to get onto facebook. It was a classic rock dance party until NEPA decided to shut us down for the night. All I’m asking is for a little respect, just a little bit, just a little bit.
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