Our squad has officially started its month of ministry in
Nigeria after a timely face-lift. We
spent the first six days in the country at a retreat center for our Africa
Debrief. They heavily discouraged us from
leaving the premises-plus there was no where really to go-so we spent those
days relaxing, reading, playing soccer, worship, prayer, and eating. Most of my time each day was spent in a conference
room taking part in team debriefs and meetings.
To add to the already busy nature of Debriefs for Squad Leaders, we felt
it was the right time to call up five new team leaders and completely change
teams. After months of prayer,
discussion, and counsel, our seven new teams are all over the country. It’s been exciting to see how the perception
of family on the Race has grown from the team level to now include everyone on
the squad.
After about a day in Nigeria-most of Africa actually-you’ll
learn to appreciate the things you have, and not take for granted what seem
like every day, ordinary things. The
following list of “Things Never to
Take for Granted” is not an exaggeration.
Paved Roads: Potholes that can swallow tuc-tucs (small
public transportation), and there’s little, if any, motivation to fix the
roads.
Power that stays on: Constantly the power is going off. Every place I’ve stayed in Nigeria thus far
ran off a generator a majority of the time.
Nights are hot without even fans.
Police I can
trust: Within days the sight of
police made me squirm and clutch my wallet.
Regular Internet
Access: Nigeria might be the scam
capital of the world, so internet cafes are often filled with scammers, and,
apparently, are known to be raided by police.
Most people use a USB modem stick to access the internet.
Talking on the Cell
Phone without concern of the “One minute left” woman coming on: All phones I’ve encountered use pre-paid
cards that are used up quickly. That
woman. Too many times she’s prematurely
ended calls.
McDonald’s: You might not have been to a McDonald’s in
years, but be thankful you have the option.
They don’t even have them here.
Freedom to Leave: Repeatedly our contacts emphasize us not
going anywhere without them or security.
That includes leaving the house. I
feel just as safe here as in Ghana or Togo, but they must know something I do
not. Nevertheless, if you can leave your
home-let alone by yourself-count it a blessing.
Car Lanes: Use your imagination, then add a little more
creativity and there’s typical traffic.
Opportunity for
employment: More than once I’ve
heard, “There are no jobs.”
Beard Trimmer: Mommy, if you could mail me one I would ask
you to, but you can’t, so I won’t.
Public Restrooms:
Definitely not always easy to locate.
Recently, a woman at a gas station responded to my inquiry with, “You
want to piss?” Why yes I do.
Toilet Paper in a
Public Restroom: BYOTP (Bring Your Own Toilet Paper)
Toilet Seats: Two out of three places thus far this month
have lacked this particular item.
Shower Curtains: Most bathrooms are a wet room. It all gets wet. Toilet.
Sink. Floor. Just make sure to hang your clothes and towel
somewhere dry.
Mirrors. Car windows suffice. Actually, it’s kind of nice not to see
yourself twenty times a day.
Mice Free Sleep: We are staying in a nice-by Nigerian
standards-flat this month and our trapped mice count is at 12. Oh, there goes a live one running across the room. At least the cockroaches aren’t full grown
here like they were at another place.
20. One night.
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