Asking…

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

In the gospel Jesus was encouraging his hearers to ask Father God for what they need… a lesson that can be difficult for us self-dependent Americans.

It seems that the Nigerians have taken Jesus at his word and then some, not only praying fervently to God for their needs, which for many are the very basic needs of life; food, health basic provision. Additionally they have learned the art of asking White Westerners, at least, for whatever they need. And I confess this take a bit of getting used to…

As I have gotten to know Jonathan, the guesthouse manager, I learned that he needs approximately 37,000Niara [about $310] for school tuition this coming year. And my heart breaks as I hear his story and I think maybe I could do that. We sponsor World Vision and SIM kids at $30/month; maybe I could take on one JETS student? I need to pray more about this. Now Jonathan has not asked me for this, it is my thought alone… a prompting from God or Western guilt is still to be determined.

But ask for other things Jonathan does simply, straightforwardly and unashamedly. It is as if he and other Nigerians I have met live by the credo “ask and it may be given to you…”

Jonathan told us about phones and how to get them. He mentioned that his phone was bought by a guesthouse guest who left it to Jonathan when he returned home. The phone is completely wrapped “scotch tape; I don’t know if the tape is to protect it or to hold it together? When we bought our phones, Jonathan said mater-of-factly, “Mike maybe when you go home you can leave the phone for me.”

Again in conversation I was asking Jonathan how he does his class writing, “When I have to type something I go to the business office and use their computers.” For a fee a student can use the computer and print pages (20N/page). I asked Jonathan how much a computer costs in Nigeria. Same price as in the US $600-800, which is equivalent to two-three years tuition! Later that day, Jonathan simply remarked, “Maybe you have an old laptop at home that you could give me…” Ask and it may be given to you.

I confess that the asking bugs me, I find myself less likely to help, not more. And it is by no means only Jonathan, many Nigerians do it. The boys at the City Ministries homes often ask for things.

Being asked is something I have to get used to… and by God’s grace to learn when God might be prompting me to give…

University…

I’ve decided (my kids don’t know it yet!?!) that I think we will send our children to University in Nigeria. The price is right!

I mentioned Jonathan in my last blog. He is a student here at JETS, yearly tuition & room cost is 46,000 Naira [$1 = 117 N]. Do the math… that’s about $393/year tuition. Now I realize that there are additional food and book expenses and a little thing called travel to and from Africa. But honestly it won’t come close to my daughter and son’s college costs which are about 5-million Naira each per year.

Like I said, university in Jos is sounding better and better every minute… Mike I hope you like Africa, either that or you better get that baseball scholarship!!!

Seniority…

One interesting custom we are observing and learning is seniority. The senior has the privilege. Here’s a story of how it works.

The guesthouse manager is Jonathan, a very nice young man. Jonathan just completed his first year at University and managing the guesthouse is a job that helps him pay for his schooling. Jonathan waits on us hand and foot, he prepares our meals, cleans up the table after us, he will do our laundry, etc. Ebere is the assistant to the Dean and the person overseeing our visit. He is Jonathan’s superior.

Last evening we chatted with Jonathan about phones, we need phones to stay in touch and to communicate with others. Jonathan explained we could buy phones fairly inexpensively in town and he would take us on Saturday. Later Ebere stopped by to check on us and phones came up and Ebere said he would take us to get phones tomorrow, Saturday. Hmmm… a potential dilemma.

Saturday came and I talked with Jonathan about phones and he offered to take us to town. As we walked across campus to the gate, Mike realized that we better check with Ebere so we don’t end up with 4 phones.

As we were tracking Ebere down, Jonathan said, “Mr. Bill (that’s what he calls me), if Ebere wants to take you to town for phones go with him and please don’t tell him I was going to take you. I don’t want to upset him, he wants to serve you and I don’t want to interfere.” I got the picture and when we met Ebere I carefully danced around the phone issue and Ebere made it clear he wanted to take me so…. Jonathan was politely excused and Ebere took us shopping!

We also observed the seniority concept between women and men…

Seniority… is an important concept here in Nigeria.

Ahhh… Nigeria!

Our first night sleep was peaceful a fan stirred the room air… it was nice. We arranged to meet at 8 am to drive to Jos. At 7:15 (fortunately I was up) a knock rattled the door. It was Danjumma. “Sorry sir, I have to get the car repaired. Hopefully we can leave by 9 or 10.” … Ahhh Nigeria!

I reset my alarm another hour-and-a half sleep! I’m tired. Again the alarm I climbed out of bed unplugged my laptop which was now fully charged and plugged in my phone… within seconds the fan stopped! NEPA (electricity) was off… Ahhh Nigeria.

A sign on the sink reads, “This water is not treated” … Ahhh Nigeria. (Fortunately I planned ahead and brought 4 quarts from Germany… we were good to go! I rushed my teeth and went to take my shower. Even through the power is out the water has heated in the morning so it was still hot and it felt good to be clean. Exiting the shower I realized, No Towels… Ahhh Nigeria!

It is now 10:30 and no sign of Danjumma yet… Ahhh Nigeria. Power is back on, the fan is funning and I’m going to take a nap… Ahhh Nigeria!

Danjumma came just as I lay down, so off to Jos we drove. Four hours later we arrived at JETS, connected with friends from last year and were shown to our room in the Guest House, the power was out… Ahhh Nigeria.

During a tour of the campus we learned that the wireless network is down… Ahhh Nigeria!
We unpacked eat a snack and headed to the campus Internet Café, which is working well, to post our blog and send some email.

We have met many people already and everyone here is so kind and friendly... Ahhh Nigeria!

A Friendly Face…

Thursday June 25. Much of the time we take for granted a smile and a friendly face… after what seemed like an eternity in a coach seats and “cat-napping” on airport benches we landed in Abuja. Having been there before it didn’t have that strange what do I do feel. We cued up in the immigration line behind a tall Caucasian (being the minority is worth another blog someday). He was out of his element; smiles were exchanged and soon we struck up a guarded conversation.
Where are you from… (both from the US). I think I detected a bit more peace entering his countenance.
What brings you to Nigeria, “visiting friends” I responded guardedly. And before long we were connecting. Joe, it seems was headed to Jos to work with SIM. We shared names we knew of people we knew and it turns out he was going to work with City Ministries and the Fretheims… small world!

We waited in line with Joe and walked with him through immigration and getting our luggage. Funny I felt like the veteran helping the rookie and maybe that was so. At one point Joe said, it feels good standing with other Christians, I can leave my bag and know it will be safe!

A smile, a friendly face and then some connections… ahh peace comes in interesting packages.

After getting all of our luggage we parted with Joe as he looked for his contact and we ours. Out in the lobby, we scanned the faces… who would meet us. Soon a voice called our name (a “white” father and son were pretty easy to spot). It was Danjumma, my JETS driver from last summer… a smiling face and a connection… peace arrived again, this time in my heart!

PS. We spent the night at the ECWA Guest House and who did we meet in the lobby… Joe! I offered to have him send a text home to his family saying he had arrived safely, which he did. I’m guessing that peace filled his family’s heart when they received his text. I know it filled Susan’s when she received mine!

Packing List...

What you pack says a lot about the trip you are taking... here are a few not-normally-packed items set to go in our suitcases for our Nigeria Adventure.

Malarone pills: malaria is a very real threat in Africa. Despite the best efforts of Bill Gates and his foundation to eradicate malaria, malaria continues to thrive. Malarone is our best defense. Say a prayer for the millions in Africa with no such defense!

Water purifier: I am uncertain about our living situation, talking with our hosts they hope to provide filtered water, but since we have a portable filter with our camping supplies we thought it best to bring it. This way we know we can have safe drinking water! (We tossed in some iodine pills just in case!)

Printer, paper, and ink: Basically I have to bring my office with me. If I want to be able to print something, I need a printer. I have learned that what we take for granted in our offices or homes for that matter is anything but a sure bet; so I bring what I need. Two suitcases fill up fast when you take a printer and supplies!

Stapler and staples: I listed this separately on purpose. Last year I spent 30-minutes finding someone with a stapler I could borrow. For $5.83 at Staples I bought one which came with 1250 staples and a staple remover! I will leave with one of the secretaries when I come home. I suspect it will be an appreciated treasure.

Two jars of peanut butter: yes this is heavy and we only have 2 50lb bags each but peanut butter is a good source of protein and it keeps well and can be spread on virtually anything or even eaten plain.

Umbrellas and easy dry pants and sandals: July is the rainy season. Last year we took rain jackets but honestly all they did was direct the torrential rains down to my pants! Umbrellas work better. Hiking pants which look relatively nice yet dry quickly -- forget jeans they may never dry. And shoes, they better dry well also. Last year we were caught in a couple of downpours that resulted in the roads we were walking flooding... I mean I was in water over my ankles! Sandals worked great, sneakers did not... they were wet for days.

Flashlights: with electricity iffy, it is best to have a flashlight handy if you need to get somewhere after dark, and somewhere could be your bathroom!

A Suit and Tie: I have the opportunity to preach one weekend at at a church's 10th anniversary. I am excited. And the dress is formal. The church is hoping to have a traditional Nigerian outfit made for me, in which case I will wear that. But just in case I asked about their dress code; my pastor friend said people would expect a western suit and tie... so in goes my grey suit.

Well these are just a few of the items we are taking with us to Nigeria... I wish you could come along too.

Providence, Prayers and Favor... the Visa Process

Getting visas can be daunting, especially when you only have less than 2-weeks until you leave. Here is our story.

The Nigerian visa process is 2 stages: Internet and embassy. Step one requires an Internet application and payment. I have the best administrator, Lisa, who plowed through the Internet application for me and Mike. Completing the application is one thing, getting the confirmed reply is another. Mine was posted about 11:00 and within 20 minutes my email confirmation arrived... yeah. Mike's was posted about 12:05 and we waited and we waited... no reply. It'll come I kept telling myself.

Meanwhile a Nigerian friend Gloria, who graciously volunteered to travel with me to the NYC Embassy for visa application part 2, called and we tentatively planned our NYC trip for Monday at 7:00 am and would check in with each other Sunday afternoon.

All afternoon we waited for the email confirmation... nothing. Lisa even called the credit card company, yes two charges were made to the Google posting agency (no one wants credit card info going to Nigeria), but still not confirmation email. The credit card agent said posts can take up to 72 hours!

Texts throughout the weekend from Lisa let me know the confirmation still had not arrived. Sunday evening my friend Gloria and I decided to go Monday hoping the confirmation would come, plus we had a written confirmation from the credit card company saying the two posts had been placed.

Monday came, still no confirmation. Susan drove me to the rendezvous point and we waited, no Gloria. 20 minutes later she called I95 was a parking lot so we both returned home to try again the next day. In my email inbox when I got home was the confirmation, tomorrow would be a much better day.

Tuesday morning came and although traffic was bad it was better than Monday's. Gloria arrived a bit late but all in all we were heading down I95 the the Nigerian Consulate by 8:00 am. We arrived with little frustration at 9:30. Before walking to the Consulate we prayed and asked for God favor and blessing. The visa/passport office opens at 10, so they let us in the waiting room, we were #3. the room continued to fill up. By the time the Consulate worker arrived (3 minutes before 10) there were some 20 people in the waiting room.

After explaining that their passport machine was broken and passports had to be issued through the Washington Office until it was fixed, there was a audible grown in the office and a number of disgruntled Nigerians left. By 10:05 I was at her desk. she was incredibly gracious and kind. Everything looked in order, except I needed money orders for my final $40 payment (they don't take cash(?), which was not explained anywhere in the visa information process), plus if I preferred they would Express Mail my passports to me, otherwise I would have to return Thursday afternoon to pick them up. A quick walk to a Post Office 2 blocks away seemed in order.

By now it was close to 100 degrees outside and 90+ humidity, so dripping with perspiration we arrived at the Post Office and purchased the necessary money orders and Express Mail envelope. Before we knew it we were back at the Consulate and if all went well we could be at a corner diner for some breakfast by 11 am.

Unfortunately, the Post Office sold me the wrong Express Mail envelope (??), so I had to make a return trip. Gloria remained in the waiting room rather than brave the heat again. Not that the waiting room was much better, with no noticeable A/C or fans it was a bit stuffy. But Gloria made the best of it befriending the Consulate employee and exchanging cell numbers.

I dutifully returned with the correct envelope and was called immediately up front, handed it in and after courtesy thank you Gloria and I headed out for breakfast quickly becoming lunch at 11:45.

As we were crossing the street, we heard something. turning around we saw the woman Consulate worker running after us! My heart sunk... let me tell you. Escorting us through security she explained that my profession as a clergy and the letter of invitation from a seminary professor would surely kick off some red flags and I would likely not get a visa. She thrust a new application in my hand and said fill it out, meanwhile she instructed Gloria, my Nigerian friend, to write me a new letter of invitation. Heart beating, quiet prayers flying I filled out a new application. Gloria scribbled a letter. When it came to occupation, she suggest "counselor."

Now it was Gloria's time to disappear, searching the NYC streets for a photocopy machine. The consulate does not have one for public use. (The process was all to reminiscent of my days in Nigeria, machines that don't work, few services, no A/C and gracious, friendly people.)

Almost a half hour later Gloria returned dripping wet with a photocopy in hand. Smiles handshakes and profuse thank yous and we left again... my watch read 12:10. I turned to Gloria and said, "Hey Gloria, they are supposed to serve authentic Nigerian lunches beginning at noon, can I buy you a lunch?" "Yes," she smiled. Unfortunately the guard standing near us said, "Sorry, lunch isn't set up yet, maybe by 12:30?"

Gloria and I glanced at each other and said politely to him, maybe another day. We bought cold drinks at a street vendor and drove to Riverside for lunch.

I prayed a lot the next couple of days, then Friday the Express Mail envelope arrived with our passports and visas ... now for certain the trip is on.

I've thought quite a bit about the visa process... God is good and when He calls He provides:

• God answers prayers...
• Had we gone to the Consulate Monday, we would have had a different Clerk. The woman who was so helped for us was filling in for the regular person who was out on Tuesday... hmmm, that delayed email confirmation was part of God's plan all along...
• Gloria's offer to ride along with me, turned out to be a God-gift. Had she not been with me I may not have my visa...

After this beginning... I wonder what God has in store for us throughout the trip. Keep reading and find out.