Nigeria Ministry

Ministry: Word Alive Church- among other
activities we are teaching Bible study classes on Tuesdays (topic- the Holy
Spirit), teaching the kids and teens on Sundays, preaching at Crusades in
surrounding villages, visiting patients in the General Hospital, visiting
prisoners in the local prison, and helping with the radio and TV shows put on
by the church. We also help out during service with various things like choir,
sermon recording, and ushering. Rev. Mike got us hooked up with the local TV
station, CRBC, on a morning talk show, where Kelsi, Annie and I got to be
interviewed live! It was pretty awkward. You’ll have to see the video to see
what I mean. 

Transportation: If Rev. Mike
doesn’t drive us, we have two vehicles that drive us usually. We have the tough
choice of deciding whether to ride in the mid-80s Benz or the ’93 BMW. They
have manual windows w/o crank handles, doors that require opening from the
outside, several panels/covers missing, and look like they’re about to head to
a body shop, or donated to a school in exchange for a tax receipt. The Benz
emits warm air after 30 mins of driving, and the “sunroof” leaks when it rains
(and it’s the rainy season). When they come to pick us up, it can mean 15 mins
or even 3 hours of waiting w/o an explanation. All they say is, “are you set?”
when they finally arrive. It does give us time to just chat while playing
cards.

Housing: We are staying in the guest
house behind the Reverend’s home. The power is only on at certain times in the
day. At first it was the mosquitoes, but now it’s fleas that bit us mostly, me
the worst. The water gets shut off sporadically. When there is water, the two
water sources leak, and now the drain is clogged. African plumbing was not
designed to handle 3 white long-haired women! The washroom has roaches, lizards
among other things. There are 3 dogs on the premises for security: 2
Rottweilers and a German Sheppard. The Sheppard is quite docile and harmless.
Obama, one of the Rottweilers, barks constantly and stays chained up most of
the time. Obama’s dad, Abdul, is the meanest, and the most dangerous. He’s kept
locked up all day and only released later at night so that he can bark through
our windows when you’re least suspecting it to freak you out just before you
sleep.