Africa Journal 2011
Tuesday January 24 my passport has been at the nigerian embassy since the 13th. I have tried calling the embassy since last Friday. I finally got through today and the guy I talked to in the visa department said he processed the visa on the 19th and sent it out on the 20th. I ran a check with the UPS store that we sent it through and he said it had not shown as picked up from the embassy by UPS at all. Since the passport is lost we started asking the passport office what to do. They made us an appointment for 8:30am tomorrow to see if there is any way they can replace the lost passport in one day so that we can overnight it back to the embassy and overnight it back to us.
Wednesday January 25 Susan and I went up to the passport office in downtown Seattle to plead our case with them to replace my passport immediately. I am so glad she was able to go with me, even though there wasn't much she could do it was nice to have her support. They agreed to replace it by 2pm today. I received my new passport and as I walked out of the office I got a call from UPS that they had found my old passport in maryland. Unfortunately now we have deactivated it. I went to the UPS store to resend everything back to the Nigerian embassy and Jon at the UPS store showed me that the old passport was scanned in minutes after we started inquiring about it. Translation, they had lost it in their warehouse and went looking for it once we called. We packaged everything up and sent it out again. Many, many people are praying that God will get the passport back to us. Also Bob does not have his yet either.
Thursday January 26 Well as if things are not confusing enough, UPS is not delivering packages in Washington DC because of snow. I called the embassy and they haven't seen anything today. One whole day wasted.
Friday January 27 I checked the status on the package on the ups tracking web site. It still says cannot deliver due to bad weather. On my way in today I listened to Charles Stanley preach on Isaiah 40:31. Those who wait on the Lord will be refreshed. I really needed to hear that. Because all I can do is wait on what the Lord will do. When I got to my office I checked the status again and found that it had been delivered! Praise the Lord! All day though I could not get through to anyone in the embassy to verify they are working on it. Finally at 3pm I got through to Mohammed and he said he checked and had not seen it. I told him that UPS has shown it delivered to them at 8am. He called back in a few minutes and said he had found it and that he would personally take it down to the UPS store and drop it off on his way home. By evening time we were able to track the package, and by bedtime it was at the airport ready to head to Seattle.
Saturday January 28 THE PASSPORT HAS ARRIVED! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! BOBS PASSPORT ARIVED TODAY ALSO! We just have a few things to round up today and we will be ready to go. Sunday january 29 today the Elders and the church body prayed for us. What a blessing. It is amazing to think of how many people are praying for Bob and I on this trip. I don't know if anyone else experiences this or not, but when I am involved in laying on hands, or having hands laid on me I have without exception had a sensation kind of like goose bumps, only on the inside of the body. It courses through kind of like smoke filling a bottle. I don't know that that is important but it's my journal and I trying to record everything I can. It is such a blessing to know that so many people are praying for Bob and I as we prepare to go on this trip.
Tuesday February 1st we got on the plane without a hitch. It always seems strange to fly off and have the sun go down behind you only to have it come up in front of you in a few hours. During this trip we saw the sun set, then rise, then set, while we were in the air before we arrived in Nigeria. Right around twenty hours of time in the air, with a four or five hour lay over in Amsterdam.
Wednesday February 2 we arrived late in the evening today in Abuja. Pastor Baba and Victor were waiting for us right on the other side of the customs booth. In fact Pastor Baba came around the guard and asked permission to greet us and help us through customs. The guard agreed to let him through. It was definitely a help. There were some addresses and things that we did not know how to fill out. They took our bags and loaded us up in a van. The ride from the airport to the place we are staying is about 30 to 40 minute car ride. They set us up in our rooms on the second floor of the mission guest house, and left us to settle in.
Thursday February 3 Bob knocked on my door at 6:30am. I was already mostly awake. The shower was nice and "room temperature" but it was good to get cleaned up. When I sat down to do my quiet time it reminded me to contact the engineer that designed the seat cushions for Airbus and thank him for his superior design. You would probably have to stretch burlap over a granite slab to exceed the comfort afforded by these miracles of ingenuity. Bob and I had breakfast in the little restaurant below the mission guest house with Steve VanHorn, and Brad Pixley (a pastor from Torrance California). Bob and Brad ordered eggs and sausage (which was really hot dogs) and I just had bread, and coffee. I tried out the new Starbucks instant coffee that I brought along it was very good. We loaded up in the van, which the locals call a bus (pronounced boss) and drove a few miles to the church facility that the conference is held at. While I was picking out where to sit and arranging my things someone came up and stood in front of me. It was Joel. It was so good to see him. We hugged for a long time. Steve and Brad did the lessons today while Bob and I got our heads screwed on straight. Pastor Baba told us that he would find churches for all of us to preach in on Sunday. I told Bob to let him know that I would prefer to just teach a Sunday school class, or do a devotional, but apparently Pastor Baba didn't really care what my preferences were. I am scheduled to preach on Sunday at a church about one hour outside of town. God must be enjoying Himself right about now. Kind of reminds me of learning to swim with my Dad. Let's keep them water wings kinda close. We made arrangements for Joel to come over to my room and get started learning the Logos software. He is picking it up very nicely. He was moved to tears by the gifts from our church body. I never thought that when I started praying a couple years ago for God to open a door for us to send Joel some study materials that He would bless me with being the one to have the privilege of putting these things in his hand. We had dinner at the little restaurant with Steve, and Brad. It was pretty comical. They wanted to "eat lite". Whatever. I can think of a lot better ways to martyr myself than eating water and grass for dinner. They ordered soup and Bob and I ordered roasted beef and french fries. The beef was a little like strips of inner tube with gristle added for flavor, but it was very tasty. The soup on the other hand was pathetic. It might have been a half cup serving at best. I tried not to laugh out loud while Steve tried to convince the restaurant manager that he was getting ripped off. I felt like telling him "hey dude if you want to be satisfied with your meal order with the fat guy next time". We turned in right after dinner I'm going to try not taking a sleeping pill tonight and see if my body is acclimated enough to sleep through the night.
Friday February 4 3am... nope not acclimated yet. Oh well I needed more time to worry over my sermon. I don't know why I am fretting about it, I am basically ripping off one of Frank's old sermons. I just have to take out all the old guy speak and hop it up a little.
I wish it was that easy.... Actually as I read through the notes from one of Frank's old sermons I am reminded how blessed I am to have such a pastor. To have sat under the teaching of such a teacher for almost thirty years. And to be personally discipled by him has truly been something to cherish. I got some bad news from Joel today. His son Devon has chicken pox. I think that is pretty serious over here.
The seminar is wrapping up today and we will start meetings with the area pastors that can become regional directors with their network abilities here on the continent.
It's probably time to make an attempt to give a mental picture of my room. First off it has AC which is totally awesome. We also have private rooms which is also awesome. The bathroom is...well, the toilet is...well it's all broken to pieces. What kind of punishment this poor toilet has gone through I do not wish to let my thoughts wander. The lid is broken off, the seat is totally broken off, it just stands there looking like a scene from a tornado ravaged trailer park. I finally remembered that hot water tanks in Africa have a switch that needs to be turned on a few hours before you use it. Of course that knowledge does you no good if you keep forgetting to turn on the switch. The electrical outlets remind me of the ones in The Christmas Story movie. With the amount of wires coming out of this thing it looks as if it will blow up just by touching it.
I just met pastor Khirims Elisha. Elisha is the first name. He is the pastor of the church that I will be preaching at on Sunday. I asked him how large his church is, he said 200 people. I asked him how long he had been the pastor there, he said two years. What an honor to have someone give up their pulpit to you. I don't know if we would be quite so gracious if a group of African pastors come to our towns.
Bob and I attended a meeting where Steve is attempting to identify and brain storm with leaders from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Liberia. A very big plan that God will have to make clear.
We were invited to dinner with a retired general from the Nigerian army tonight. He took us to a local restaurant and ordered for us (to Steve's horror). He cannot eat spicy food. But actually the spice was on the side and it was an incredible meal. Roasted lamb shoulders, and roasted lamb ribs, with garlic nan (an Indian flat bread). Very delicious. We had an unseasonal lightening thunder and rain storm during dinner. The lights flickered a few times and then went off completely leaving us in pitch blackness. The funny thing is, none of the conversation in the restaurant changed in content or volume. We listened for our host to say something and after two or three seconds he said in his deep baritone voice "Welcome to Africa" (pronounced well-comb to a-frika). Dickson gave us a ride back to our rooms and I turned in pretty early. After no sleep for the plane ride over and very little sleep last night, it felt good to hit the hay.
Saturday February 5 the power went off several times during the night. Bob woke me at 6:30 as usual and we got ready for the day. Today we will go down to use the Internet at a hotel down the road after breakfast, then pastor Baba will pick us up around 10:00 (Africa time) to take us to the market. I hope to find a few things to bring home for the family. While we were at the Internet place I found out an interesting weakness of Steve's ( I like to call it kryptonite) . Apparently he cannot stand gum chewing. So naturally when I see a big red button on a persons chest that says "Do Not Push" I have to start pushing it. I think I will use a stick to push this one, or trick Bob into pushing it though, Steve is skinny but I think he can probably bite pretty good.
I have been asking the Lord to give me a good story example to start off the sermon with and He really impressed the story of Marge Saint on me this morning as I was waking up. What a picture of God's peace granted to someone in the midst of a humanly hopeless situation. I had the pleasure of meeting Marge a few years back and even after knowing here sweet spirit, I cannot imagine what it must have been like for her to sit there with her children and try to make sense of the fact that her husband had just been hacked to pieces by the people that they were there to minister to. Bob pointed out that according to 2 Thessalonians 3:16 God Himself distributes this peace. He does not delegate this task to angles like He does some things. God also impressed on me the peace that Paul and Silas had when they were thrown in the inner prison, and they were singing hymns in praise to the Lord. I remember seeing the inner prison to an ancient roman prison in Nuremberg. The inner prison was where the 6 or 8 cells were just around the dungeon. No outside light, very little chance you would be set free. The dungeon was a hole in the floor where a pit lied underneath. When a person was sentenced to death they might be executed, if the judge was lenient, or he may order them to be thrown in the dungeon. This pit was about 20 feet deep and there was no way out. If you were in shackles at the edge of this thing, the last thing you would want to do is sing.
I noticed another interesting thing about my room last night. I have a ceiling fan. It makes a loud sound kind of like a Canadian goose with each revolution. Kind of neat, but it doesn't have the lulling effect you might think it would, for putting you to sleep.
Baba came to pick us up at about 1pm, that's 10am Africa time. Joel was planning to come over to spend some time figuring out the Logos software about 1pm so I was glad to see that he was with them. Joel went with us on our trip around Abuja and he was a big help negotiating a price on the last thing that I bought. It was a carving of the continent of Africa about two feet across and the guy wouldn't budge any lower than 6,000 Naira ($40). While Baba and Peter were working over this young lady that was selling these hand bags that I wanted for Susan and Hannah, Joel was over putting the hurt on the guy selling the Africa carving. It is quite entertaining to go shopping with these guys as they have as much fun bartering as we do bringing these things home. It is fun to hear them switch in and out of English and a native dialect which is called "Hausa" as they talk. It would be impossible for an African to get along here without speaking four languages. Most people here speak a minimum of six to eight and frequently use two or three. I have had a migraine working on me all day (I don't think the strobing computer screen at the Internet cafe helped). I took an imatrex, and vicodin with lunch to try and ward it off but it was too much medicine and I ended up throwing up all over the side of Peter's van. We had just stopped at a shopping mall to try and find some black sneakers for Steve and I stayed in the van. Everyone come back licking ice cream cones. As soon as the van started moving I was ready to release the chicken and rice prisoner that was serving time next to the imatrex and vicodin in the recesses of my body. At the last second I was able to get the driver to pull over. I slid open the side widow and let fly. While I am sure my African friends were concerned for my welfare it was not a powerful enough conviction to overcome the reality that they had an ice cream cone in their hand. While I barfed the equivalent of a fifty gallon drum of chicken, rice, and bottled water out the side of the van they just sat there licking their ice cream. Hey, you never know when you will get another ice cream cone in Africa. If I never eat chicken and rice again it will be too soon.
They brought me back to my room and I laid on the bed while Bob and Joel packed up his things. God provided a new lap top, Logos software, a complete new testament commentary set from John MacAurther, an older version of bIble software from a lady in the church, a chord less lapel mic, copies of The Shepherd Leader for Joel, Boneventure, Patrick, and Paul, gifts from Susan and Judy to Joel's wife and children, and some miscellaneous gifts for women in the church (book marks made by Debbie Welch), all packed into two large suit cases. While I laid back on my bed too dizzy to lift up my head Joel brought over a piece of paper to show me. It was there church budget and actual expenditures for last year. He told me that when the children from our church raised money and sent it to his church it had a deep impact with the members. Not only did it make them consider their own giving more seriously, but it has caused him as the pastor to so careful not to squander the money. He also gave me pictures of what was built with the two thousand dollars that we sent over. The first phase of the building project is the pastors house and study because they had to tear down the old pastors house to start the children's church foundations. They built the entire pastors house for the money we sent, plus what the money that the church was inspired to give. I am so impressed that Joel would give such disclosure of their spending. I sat up on the edge of my bed. As I sat on the edge of my bed Joel sat in a chair in front of me. I asked him if we could pray together and he held his hands out palm down in front of me. I reached out and squeezed his fingers in my hands. He has a two day bus ride to get back to Bamenda, so I prayed with him that he would have safe travel and that these materials would be used to glorify God as His servant teaches deeper, and richer into His word through them.
They left me to rest. As I laid there the thought hit me that I may never see Joel face to face again. I did not go to dinner with the guys tonight. About six o'clock I got up and started to go through my sermon for tomorr ow.
Sunday February 6 I got up early, got ready, and went over my sermon one more time. I doubt I will have time to look at it again once Elisha comes to get me. As I was getting ready Bob knocked on the door asking for help with his medicine bag. Yes Bob has a medicine bag. Not one with chicken bones, and elk teeth though, just a little bag with some medicine in it. He was having trouble because he was fairly delirious from being sick all night he needed help opening the bag. Someone had the good sense to put a nylon zip tie through the zipper so that thieves could not break in and steal the valuable aspirin, and tums that were inside. Bob was desperately trying to get at the imodium that was inside. We were just about ready to cut the bag apart when I remembered that I had some imodium in my stuff. I pulled it out and was holding it up in front of my face to read what it said on the box when Bob snatched it out of my hand like a goose going after a slug. "Thanks this is what need I will see you in a little bit gotta go". It was like he was in a hurry or something. His door slammed and I didn't see him till it was time to go. I went in to check on him and he told me that he would not be able to preach today and that I should get a hold of someone to make arrangements for another preacher. I was beginning to worry about him as he had just told us a story about when he got food poisoning years ago and ended up in intensive care because if his diabetic condition. I was to be ready at 7am. Right around eight the van showed up for the rest of the guys. I asked Peter if he had heard anything about Elisha, he said he thought that he was over at the church with the others. As I was climbing in to the van, Elisha showed up. (close call) We drove through several towns on the way to the village where Elisha's church is located. The village is called Karshi. It was good to be assigned to this church instead of one in the city. Karshi is located in the bush. There is nothing out there but bushes, modest homes, goats, chickens, and people. The church is pretty new. Planted four years ago and Elisha has been pastoring there for two years. When the service started there was almost no one in the building. The building is four brick walls, dirt floor, and a metal roof. From inside looking up at the stick frame structure made of hand cut boards, it was amazing to me that It would stay up. There were so many construction "never do's" that I will just name a few. The hand built roof joists bottom rails had splices everywhere. (with no sandwich cleats) Most of them had already popped apart. The stringers from the rails to the roof were in no particular mathematical sequence, and most of them were either separated from the rail, or putting so much pressure on the rail it looked like they were ready to snap. I took a picture of a similar building that was under construction. Pastor Elisha ordered the music team to start playing some music, and people started coming from out of their houses, and off of motorcycles, and walking out of the grass to come and worship. By the time they had gotten in to the third or fourth song the chairs were all full. It was an hour and a half before it was time for the message. During that time I sat and looked at my Bible and the notes for my sermon that were folded over inside it. I couldn't stop the thought that was rolling around in my head "Who are you to stand up and speak Gods word"? And it's a valid question. Truth is I am just a man with a wretched heart. I am so glad people were praying for me at home because by the time I was introduced I was pretty well convinced that I would bomb. When I first started the ladies all started giggling. In case you're wondering it's not the confidence booster you would think. (Elisha told me later "day hav neva hud a wite mon speek beefo. Yo ak sent ees vedy fonny to dem".) After a little bit they started paying attention and I could see God at work in their hearts. They were nodding their heads in agreement and saying amen when it was appropriate. About five minutes into it I could kind of see and hear myself preaching almost like looking over someones shoulder. I have that happen to me when I play music sometimes. You kind of have a millisecond thought like "Hey this guy is doing pretty good". Just before your brain tells you "it's YOU you idiot". Usually I notice Africans nodding off after sitting for so long, but I didn't notice this at all. After the service was over Elisha and three of his elders took me to his house for some refreshment. In front of each man they set a bottle of water (each one a different brand) and a beer. When they noticed that I only drank the water they did the same. Elisha apologized saying that "I am sadi dat my wife ees not he-a, da kitchen ees dry". His newlywed wife is currently in seminary in Abuja. Even though it is only an hour car ride away they do not have a car, and she has to stay in the city to go into school. She is on her way to get her Christian education degree. I gave Elisha my Jerry Garcia tie as a gift. His face lit up like the sun. Before I left his house he said "I hav a geeft fo yo wife". He gave me a bolt of beautiful African material. Susan and Hannah will love it. On the way back to my room I asked Elisha if we could stop for some bananas for Bob. They stopped at a couple places to look at the fruit. Every time he and I stayed in the car while the two elders did the shopping. The sight of a white man doubles the price. While we waited in the car Elisha told me that he was so pleased that his congregation got to hear a white man preach. He went on to comment that white people have so much to share. I am not quite sure how to take that. I wanted to tell him that he could teach Gods word just the same as anyone from America, but I just sat there trying to take in what he had said. One of the elders named Andrew kept saying "I am note pleased weeth da quality of da bananas here. Dey a note to my liking". (as he talked he would wag his index finger back and forth) And we would go off to another fruit stand. They eventually brought back two bunches of bananas, a bag of apples, and a pineapple. Unfortunately the pineapple was already cut up so we thought we better not eat that. (I gave it to the manager of the restaurant). We got back and prayed for Bob and then they left. It is likely I will never see them again. It always is kind of a shock to me that we can be so far from home and have an immediate connection with brothers in Christ. I spent most of the rest of the day resting. Dinner was more of the same. Chicken and rice. Not bad tasting I am just getting sick of it. I ordered chicken and French fries but the waiter knows how much I like chicken and rice so he switched it. When he brought it I pointed out that there were no French fries. (which is futile after waiting an hour and a half to get it in the first place). He said "yes, ees french rice". Whatever. I ate a little bit and went to bed. I took an ambien tonight.
Monday February 7 got up a little later today. I had an egg on some bread that Bob got at the store a couple days ago and some star bucks instant coffee. We checked out and I got about 4500 Naira refunded back to me. (about 30 bucks). If we have time I might pick up a little folding wood table that I saw at the market on the way to the airport. We have had the afternoon to be at the church where we have Internet (Africa Internet) so that we can check email and such. Unfortunately the Internet wouldn't hook up very good. We hope to leave the church and head for the airport around 3:30pm.
I gave all of my stash of crackers, cookies, batteries, etc...to Peter the guy who has been driving us around all week. He looked very happy to get the things. The guys came back around 3:30 with Bob so we will have to go straight to the airport. Traffic was pretty heavy on the way, it was good that Dickson told us to leave so early.
Tuesday February 8 we arrived in Amsterdam on time and Bob and I spent some time shopping and I had my first normal food in a week. I had French bread roll with ham and cheese grilled in the panini with some sliced strawberries and grapes and a coke ON ICE! It is amazing how you miss a simple thing like ice so much. Our flight was late leaving. There was some trouble with one of the engines. I really want to get home to my family, but let's get it right guys. Several hour of our flight is over the north atlantic. You know the place where everyone on the Titanic got introduced to the elements.
As I reflect on what God has done this last week and the part that I have played, it makes me wonder if I will ever go back to Africa. My main objective was to support Bob, and secondly to follow up with my last trip and bring study materials to Joel. Both of those things were accomplished, and much more. Steve has connected a network of men that I believe will work together in the future to work beyond the boundaries set by lines on maps and languages of villages. I have been given an even deeper sense of confidence in our brother Joel, and the integrity that he has to use Gods resources wisely. The in flight meal is coming up the isle. I can hear the stewardesses talking that there is only one choice of entrée left. Chicken and rice? Are you kidding me? Hold on for a second while I turn on my noise canceling head phones so I can't hear myself scream. I am looking around for something like a stick to bite on. I might be squeezing the guys hand really hard that is sitting next to me I can't tell, I'm too delirious. I'm trying to remember those breathing exercises from lamaze classes. The guy next to me doesn't know why he feels sorry for me, he just does. The look on his face says "I wish I could do something for you man". Or maybe it's "I wish I could sit somewhere else". It's hard to tell. CopiedImage.png
Leavenworth 2012
13 years ago
