Nigeria vs. Kenya

Last month a group of us here is Jos made the 4 hour drive to Abuja to watch Nigeria take on Kenya to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.  Having never been to a professional soccer/football match my expectations were formed from the wild highlights I'd seen on TV.  So, not wanting to look like a first time spectator I went all out by wearing a Nigerian jersey, waving a Nigeria flag, and painted my face green and white (colors of the Nigerian flag) with homemade face paint. 

In a stadium designed for 60,000 people, they managed to squeeze 70,000 in to the game by not leaving a stair or aisle unoccupied.   As no good sport match is without, a small fight in the stands broke out a few rows in front of use.  Spectator activity such as this and chanting helped to keep my attention in between goals. 

Nigeria ended up walking away with a 3-0 victory and a spot in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.  Although a little more mundane than American football, I have to admit I'm really starting to enjoy the "real" football.   

Ruth & Sarah

I’ve hesitated wether or not to publicly write about the story of two sisters who have recently entered our ministry.  However, after much consideration I have realized that this blog wouldn't accurately depicted my time here if I didn't share at least some of the heartbreaking struggles we are confronted with.  Here is a prayer email I sent out last week: 

Family and Friends,

Our orphanage just rescued two sisters who are in desperate need of prayer.  Ruth (6) and Sarah (11) were lured into joining a secret witchcraft society.   To enter this evil colt they had to sacrifice something of value to them.  Brainwashed by the members, they gave permission for their mom to be murdered.  This happened last week.  The funeral took place Saturday.   

Learning what had happened, their Uncle brought them to us immediately following the funeral services.  Although finances have limited the amount of new kids we can take, we accepted these girls due to the urgency and nature of their situation.  After an all day prayer session with the girls Sunday they gave their life to Christ...Hallelujah!  

I met the girls for the first time yesterday.  Although you couldn't tell by their demeanor what the past 5 days had brought, they are in desperate need of people interceding on their behalf.  Here are some things you pray for: 
 
Protection particularly between midnight and 3 AM (6 PM to 9 PM your time).  Due to the nature of what they were involved in they are under heavy spiritual attack during the night. 
Forgiveness.  As the reality of what has taken place sinks in chances are the enemy will try and use guilt to  lure them away from their freedom in Christ.   Please pray that they grasp the concept that there sin has been paid for in full and they are blameless in the eyes of God. 
Aunty Altine.  She will be their new mother at the orphanage.  Please pray for her and the other girls living in her house.

Thanks in advance for your prayers.

Dustin

Although the story of Ruth & Sarah is extremely tragic, I pray it doesn't discourage you, but rather encourage, as you see that there is a real need in this world for individuals like you and I to be a voice for the voiceless.

Ruth & Sarah

USA...Football...?!?

When the USA football team upset Spain in the Federation Cup a week ago the boys I work with couldn't stop talking about how big of a deal this was.  Embarrassed that I was caught unaware that my home country had broken the Spaniards 36 game winning streak in the most popular sport in the world, I made it a point with the boys that I'd become knowledgeable before the championship match Sunday.  

Rearranging my priorities for the weekend, I made plans to spend the night at Gyero Sunday night.  With 25 of the boys and I surrounding a 15' TV we watch the match on the one public station available in Gyero. Going into the game expecting us to loose, I was given a sense of hope with a surprising 2-0 lead at halftime.  That hope vanished over the duration of the second half as Brazil displayed their dominance by scoring three goals to take home the Federation Cup in a 3-2 victory.

Although the Americans didn't bring home the cup, the night wasn't a total lose as relationships were strengthened thru a commonality in sports. 

Snapped right as Brazil score a goal

A Night to Remember Followed by a Day to Forget

A few weeks ago three others and I set off on a trip to Egbe (8 hours west of Jos).  The purpose of our journey was to encourage the work of a recently established school for Fulani children.

If you're like I was, you probably don't have a clue who or what a Fulani is.  Fulanies are the largest nomadic people group in the world.  With 99% of the Fulanies being Muslims, they're also the largest un-reached people group in Nigeria.  Fulanies live in mud huts and typically move yearly as their lives are dominated by the needs of their herds.  So, as you can image, I jumped on the opportunity to visit one of these remote villages.

The construction of this school has been an amazing window into building relationships with this very close knit people group.  The very nature of their on-the-move lifestyle makes developing relationships close to impossible.  The husband and wife team that run the school are Christ-professing Fulanies themselves, who have given their life to try and tell their own people the good news of Christ through education.

After sitting in on one of the classes, some of the kids invited us to come visit their village less than a mile away.  Although slightly apprehensive, being Christian in a Muslim dominated culture, we couldn't say no to the opportunity to get a peek into this very secluded lifestyle.

After taking a short walk through the thick bush, all of a sudden we looked up to see 10 or 12 mud huts with people, mostly women and children, scattered throughout a small village.  It was the image that every westerner gets in their head at some point when they try to picture Africa.  Completely surrounded by plant life was a small village with no electricity that created everything you see with raw materials found within a 500 feet radius.

As custom would have it, our first obligation was to meet with the chief of the village.  Without his approval, our presence was not welcome.  After getting the ok from him, the afternoon was spent touring and meeting people in the village (thru a translator), playing with kids, and watching the herd come in after a full day of grazing.

As we were about to leave the chief extended an invitation to spend the night.  Thinking this was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity we took him up on it. We trekked back to the car, grab some simple sleeping gear and lights, and returned shortly after dusk.

When we got back, all of the children had gathered around a small fire for their nightly Koran reading/memorization.  We joined the chief on a large mat as he instructed the children.  With the chief's attention distracted by the kids, I took the time to make myself comfortable by getting horizontal and using my backpack as a pillow.  Gazing up at the stars, the moment was surreal.  I remember thinking how I could have never imagined when I was in college that at 25 years old I'd be spending the night halfway around the world in a remote Muslim village attempting to share the gospel.  It's amazing the things God does when you give Him control.

Once the kids finished their nightly readings, the chief and another village member gave us their full attention.  We spent the following 2 hours dialoging about one another's culture.  Afterwards, we crawled, literally, into the chief's hut for the night.  There we unrolled our sleeping mats on dirt floor next to his bed.  Falling asleep wasn't the easiest thing to do.  With no windows the mud hut acted more like an oven than a shelter.  After an hour or so I finally managed to drift off.

I was abruptly awakened somewhere between the hours of 4 and 5 by the chief's out loud morning prayer which was taking place about five feet from my head.  Feeling a little uncomfortable, I started doing some praying myself...not out loud of course.  Around 6 one of the boys brought us some breakfast, goat's milk and some stuff that looked like soggy granola.  Not wanting to offend our host I didn't refuse.  This proved to be a mistake in the hours to come.

Upon finishing our breakfast we said our goodbye and thanked them for their hospitality.  With a long car ride in front of us, we wanted to be sure and get an early start.  Less than an hour or two into the trip home I got terribly sick.  The unpasteurized goat milk that tasted so sweet going down early that morning didn't taste quite as good coming up.  That 8 hour ride home ended up being one of the longest in my life.

Sitting here writing this now I can tell you that it was all worth it.  Now had you asked me that during the ride home you might have gotten a different answer.

Always Ready

I can't believe I haven't blogged yet about my first Nigerian church experience. The first Sunday I was here I visited a church with a friend that lives in my compound. Like many things here in Africa, it was quite different than what I was used to, let me explain... 

Attempting to fit into the culture as good as possible, I put on my best (only) Sunday kaftan. We attended a church that was held in an abandoned building on the edge of town. They were forced to move there because their original building was burned down in the November crisis. ( http://allafrica.com/stories/200811300001.html ) 

 

As service began, I,the newcomer, was asked to standup and introduce myself...not that unusual. So I stood up, and in my best Nigerian English simply said my name, where I was from, and what I was doing here. Thinking that was more than enough for an introduction, I took a seat only to have the pastor ask me to come up onstage and give the morning greeting. Come up on stage?...give a greeting? You can image the shock and confusion on my face. Let me remind you that this was my first week here. So, not wanting to offend anyone by refusing, I proceeded to the podium to "greet" the congregation. After basically repeating what I had just said, I handed the microphone back to the pastor. Thinking I was in the clear of the unwanted spotlight, I started to head back to my seat only to have the pastor this time insist that I stay and sit on stage with him for the duration of the service. So, without an appropriate “escape route” out of this situation, I spend the rest of the service facing the congregation with a point-blank view of the pastor’s backside. Needless to say, I didn't comprehend much that was preached that Sunday as most of my thought and energy was focused on not 'looking' distracted or scratching at my kaftan in a way that was inappropriate for someone in front of an audience of 60.

While I am appreciative of the honor I was being shown, it was just quite different than the standard welcoming of first time visitors I've become so accustom to back in the states. Since then I have visited another church in which I was asked to stand, give my name and state where I was from, but was not invited on stage...and, I didn't feel nearly as welcomed! 

Since this quick indoctrination into my new surroundings, I have since been reminded of scripture from the Apostle Peter that speaks to situations like the one I found myself in where he simply states: …always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you… (1 Peter 3:15). 

Evil for Good

God used a stolen Ipod to change someone's destiny forever.  Let me explain...

Two weeks ago was my first time to spend the night with the kids at our orphanage in Gyero (20 mins outside of Jos).  Right before going to bed I realized my Ipod had gone missing.  After looking for it a great deal of time, we concluded that it was stolen.  With no way to search 60 kids at 10 o'clock at night, and thinking the culprit would sell it first thing the next day at the market, I was content on being Ipodless.

So, you can image how surprised I was to got a call from one of the house parents the following day informing me they found the Ipod on one of the kids.  Unfortunately, the kid who took it was Simon, one the boys I went hiking with the previous day.

Simon is a 12 year old boy who I'd formed a quick bond with in the small amount of time we'd gotten to spend together.  He was brought to the orphanage after both of his parents were killed in June of last year and his uncle didn't have the resources to take care of him.

After talking with his house parent I knew he'd be apologizing the next time we met.  Knowing that he'd already receive punishment, I really sought out what I'd say to him at this time.  I felt that God was telling me that above all, just tell him that He loves him no matter what.

The following week I went back out to Gyero to spend the night. During worship that evening Simon came up to me and said he like to talk with me.  After everyone left, I pulled a chair up beside him and ask what did he want to talk to me about.  Too ashamed to look at me, he stared at the floor and said he was sorry for taking my Ipod.  I told him that I'd already forgiven him and that no matter what, I'd always love him but more importantly God loves him and there was nothing he's done or will do to escape that love.  Informing him of that brought about a sigh of relief on his face.  It continues to amaze me how His ways are not my own--but always so much better!

After talking for about 10 to 15 minutes, I asked Simon if he'd ever accepted Christ into his life and if he knew what that meant.  He informed me that he'd thought about it a few months ago, but never did.  I briefly explained to him once again what it meant to accept the free gift of eternal salvation given to everyone, and told him that I'd love to pray with him if he ever wanted to give his life to Christ.  To my surprise, he was ready then and there!  So that night, I had the amazing opportunity to pray with Simon as he admitted that his sins separated him from God, he believed that Christ died in his place to pay for those sins, and he invited Christ to come into his life.

Simon and I

Only In Africa

After being here for 3 weeks now, I've started to observe many things that I find to be unique to Africa.  So, in an attempt to share these with you, I've decide to start a monthly picture series entitled "Only In Africa".  I hope you enjoy it.

This makes me smile every time I drive by.  For those of you who've heard my business idea on funeral services, I think the business may have just gotten a new name.

Sunrise at Gyero orphanage

Maybe they have these is NY, but I've never seen one in Austin

It tasted just as bad as you'd imagine