November 22, 2009
Written on November 11, 2009
One of the nights during the crisis workshop a few of the participants watched Déjà Vu starring Denzel Washington. This movie spurred some thoughts about other déjà vu-like experiences that happened this week facilitating the workshop.
The first experience was a man that was a not a part of the workshop, but stayed at the same facility at which we lodged. When he drove up I thought I recognized him and a little later my suspicions were confirmed. He was a Bible translator who taught us during our Wycliffe training a little over two years ago. I find it continually amazing to meet people in different contexts, different worlds.
The second wasn’t so much a déjà vu experience as it was a figuring out that a workshop participant and I were in the same place at the same time in 1999 (I didn’t try to make that rhyme, if you’re wondering). She was a worker with New Missions in Haiti in 1999 and probably facilitated our youth team that a friend and I led. This was also the place that Tywonn and I met. Very confounding, amazing, and interesting.
November 20, 2009
One of the mainstream Christian guys I’m a fan of is Shane Claiborne. He is a part of a community in Philly called the Simple Way. He also has a way of wording things so that they make sense, at least to me. Here a recent article he wrote for Esquire apologizing to all those who have been hurt by Christians. Enjoy!
November 16, 2009
Rock formations on the Plateau
Written on November 8, 2009
I’ve been living on the Plateau of Nigeria for about a week and a half. Nigeria is broken into states much like the U.S. In fact, I looked at an old map that dated back to the 1940’s and saw that originally there were only a few states. Now there are many states that work together to make Nigeria better.
One of the facilitators with whom I am working said one day that living in Nigeria is living the tropics. Now, I’ve lived in Florida, which is sub-tropical, and been to the Caribbean a few times, which is tropical. Nigeria’s climate this time of year more resembles Florida. Actually, I think it is a mixture of Florida and Idaho, with its undulating hills, stacked boulders, acres of African corn, and orange and palm trees.
Others aspects of living on the Plateau include loud bass filled music (I’m sure a Nigerian would say it wasn’t loud, but I’m still acquiring my Nigerian ears), intermittent electricity, and sketchy internet. One thing I am very happy about Nigeria is that the water problems are at a minimum and I’ve even had a couple of hot showers.
November 14, 2009
Written on November 1, 2009. The next few posts were written while I was in Nigeria.
Imagine, if you will, going home from a long day at the office only to find that your electricity is cut off. You have been having this problem for days and the electric company is saying that they are working on the problem. Imagine just as you are going to bed the electricity comes on. Thinking that the problem is fixed you jump in the shower only to have it go off again. Standing in the shower all soaped up you begin to think about sitting on a beach in the Caribbean because it must be better than here.
That is how most of the missionaries live in Jos, Nigeria. They don’t have consistent power and there is nothing they can do about it. Their only recourse is to go buy a generator to give their house some electricity. But the gas to power the gen (as they call it; my theory is if you have a nickname for something you are probably pretty familiar with it) costs money. In fact, Nigeria is known as the gen capital of the world. That is how much they rely on gens in Jos.
I was out at a mission hospital in Jos the other day and the doctor there said that the hospital would be making a profit if it weren’t for the gas expenditure on the gens. The missionaries and Nigerians have adjusted to the lack of consistent power, but can you imagine the frustration and stress this adds to their life. I’m frustrated with it and I’ve only been here a few days.
October 31, 2009
Written on October 30, 2009
My two colleagues and I left from our homes in Ghana at 5am to get to the airport. All of us got up much earlier than that to put the finishing touches on our packing. I packed pretty light for this trip because I find it easier to pack light and wash than to pack heavy. Our departing plane on Virgin Nigeria was on time and we landed in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, about 20 minutes late because of a VIP landing (they closed the airport; it’s a whole other story).
From here everything looked the same but different. It felt like I had been in Nigeria before because the buildings had a similar look to Ghanaian buildings. But then some of the architecture was, I guess, strictly Nigerian. The roads in Abuja were smooth and relaxing like Accra, but there were very little street vendors.
When we arrived at our first destination, Jos (which incidentally got its name from when it was first settled by missionaries and stands for Jesus Our Savior), the streets were congested and looked the same as Ghanaian streets, but they were different because Nigerian police had stands in the center of intersections to direct traffic. There were many Nigerians zooming by on machines (their word for motorcycles) like Ghana, but Nigerians were bundled up because it was in the high 60’s. I was and am cold, like the Nigerians. I guess Ghana has made me weak and thinned my blood.
Africa is strange like that. Everything is the same, but different.
October 27, 2009
One day I took 3 children from the orphanage to the doctor for a checkup. This can sometimes be an ordeal. They see a pediatrician at the hospital, but you don’t make an appointment. You just wait your turn like the 20 other mothers. Two of the children had used the bathroom before arriving at the hospital, but the third had declined. Finally, we were up next; I knew this, because we were the only ones left in the waiting room. Suddenly, the third child jumped up, holding himself and crying. It was obvious he needed to go, immediately. I awoke an employee to ask directions to the nearest restroom; the employee just pointed. Not being able to find the right door, we went downstairs to the information desk to ask.
We must have been quite a sight, me with 3 children in tow, all holding hands so no one would be left behind. We were then directed to another building. We stopped and asked again in the cafeteria and were given vague directions to follow the guy who just went around the corner. Unfortunately, not a single door was marked with a sign identifying it as a bathroom, and I wasn’t about to just open a door into an examination room. I finally gave up and took the children to a small grassy area where they all relieved themselves. Although this is usual practice here in Ghana, I flushed in embarrassment. Unfortunately, when we returned to the waiting room, we had to wait again, this time for the doctor to return from his break.
October 20, 2009
On the way back down south from Parakou, we again stopped in Cotonou, like we did when we came into Benin. This time we had a little more time to kill and had some friends who knew friends on the Mercy Ship docked in the Cotonou harbor. (Its always nice to have friends of friends. The adage about who you know might be more important in Africa.) So, we made our way on over there to get the grand tour. And a grand tour it was.
I felt like I was going through a bit of temporary culture shock as the ship was very nice from the operating room to the Starbucks cafe. Wow! They have about 15 Toyota Landcruisers (which is loaded onto the ship each time they move from port to port) sitting outside the ship for teams to go on village medical trips. They currently have six surgeons on board who perform tons of surgery each day.
I wish Tywonn had been available to see it. We are hoping that Tywonn might be able to take a break to make a trip there next year as it will be docked in Togo, which is right next to Ghana. We’re on an amazing journey! We’ll see…
October 18, 2009
A pie that was gone by the end of the night.
Part of traveling the world is that you are introduced to other cultures and traditions. And of course, we meet African culture head on most every day, from the eating of various ethnic foods to the varying types of transportation and traffic rules (and guidelines). But we also meet other cultures that accompany missionaries who serve with us. Take for example the interpersonal skills course I did in Senegal in May. There were 13 cultures represented from the missionary community. Talk about a wide range of traditions in this group.
Here in Benin there is a large contingency of Canadians. And luck would have it that I arrived during the time that Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving in the U.S. is my favorite holiday and I think it might be in Africa, also. We were able to get most of the same foods that we have been deprived of since we came: cranberry sauce, ham, rolls, pumpkin pie, and green beans. By the end of the night I was full beyond measure and feeling a little Canadian. O Canada…
One of the nights during the crisis workshop a few of the participants watched Déjà Vu starring Denzel Washington. This movie spurred some thoughts about other déjà vu-like experiences that happened this week facilitating the workshop.
