There is not vehicle traffic today because of the planned election. However we have learned that the election is cancelled becasue none of the election materials have been delivered to the country. The election is now scheduled for Monday. Not sure how they are going to get the required ballot boxes to all of Nigeria before thatb time but it also means that Monday will be a no travel day.
This might impact our travel on Tuesday if there is another cancelation. We do not have our travel plans to Abuja just yet but we do want to be on the plane back to Caanada on Tuesday evening.
Specail Thanks
The speed of internet has allowed us to communicate almost instantly with those at home concerning what is happening here in Nigeria. We want to extend a special thank you to all who have read our blog, followed our emails and been part of our Prayer Team. We know that people on our direct prayer team have solicited the prayers of other Canadians and also non Canadians. There are many prayer partners whom we do not know but have been told of others in their network who are praying for this mission. We extend a sincere thank you to all. Without your prayers and words of encouragement we would not have accomplished all that was intended. We are particularly grateful for the quick responses to a series of very challenging situations yesterday. (just for the record, I (Shirley) did not cry...........but was close at times)
We are not sure itf there will be another blog but keep checking and we will keep you posted about our return.......and the effect of the election stuff on this
Salama duka (Peace to all)
John anad Shirley
Saturday, 2 April 2011
continued....Friday April 1st part 3
Pastor Emmanuel met us at the back gate for a rendevous from our vehicle to his car. We had a small walkway to manouver. He was extremely happy, overjoyed and excited to see us safely back to the compound. He drove us to the guest house and we hit the bed at 3:30 ish.
In the morning John realized that he had lost his money belt. You must carry cash here...........there are no credit cards used. While at check point 1 he had removed his belt from his backpack and put it on his waist. We had no idea where it was lost. He had been in and out of the truck several times at the check point and we feared it was gone. Another possibility was that it was in Pastor B's truck or in Pastor E's car. I asked Pstor E this morning if we had left anything in his car and he said only a book. I decided to walk and retrace our path from the transfer point of the the two vehicles. I was shocked..........it was lying in plan view of people walking to go to vote. I thoought for sure that it would be empty and the money belt would be just tossed by the finder. Amazing...........truly a miracle. All of the cash was still there. Personally I saw 8-10 people walk right past it as I was walking towards this location. Our God is an awesome God!
In the morning John realized that he had lost his money belt. You must carry cash here...........there are no credit cards used. While at check point 1 he had removed his belt from his backpack and put it on his waist. We had no idea where it was lost. He had been in and out of the truck several times at the check point and we feared it was gone. Another possibility was that it was in Pastor B's truck or in Pastor E's car. I asked Pstor E this morning if we had left anything in his car and he said only a book. I decided to walk and retrace our path from the transfer point of the the two vehicles. I was shocked..........it was lying in plan view of people walking to go to vote. I thoought for sure that it would be empty and the money belt would be just tossed by the finder. Amazing...........truly a miracle. All of the cash was still there. Personally I saw 8-10 people walk right past it as I was walking towards this location. Our God is an awesome God!
continued....Friday April 1st
Although the fuel problem with our truck was solved it was overheating. We carried on with a long drive. We needed to get home to Jos because Saturday was election day and a no travel ban is in effect. We finally approaced Jos at about 1:30 am. We were rejoicing that we would soon be able to lay our bodies horizontal and get some sleep. Bitrus did all of the driving and Monica monitor for pot holes. It was very exhausting. As we approached the city limites there was evidence of a huge crash that had happened earlier. Several cars and a livestock truck were completed crashed, over turned and burned. The cattle carcasses were burned also and still evident. According to today's news one of the vehicles had brake failure. Approximately 20 people died according to reports. The police check point that is usually at that location was moved about 1/2 km closer to Jos. Our car was heating and losing power as we climbed this last hill.
Earler in the day we had received an email from the Canadain embassy reminding us of the no travel from Sat. 8:00 am until 5:00 pm. We were aware of the approaching checkpoints but we were shocked when they told us know one could pass after 12:00 midnight and that we would be spending the night in the car. This is when we sent out our SOS for prayer. We received direct responses from our prayer partners and at the same time Bitrus received a phone call from Pastor Emmanuel (ECWA Seminary). Pastor E had been phoning frequently to check on our location and was veryy worried for our well being. He was in contact with the provost and also the State Commissioner of Public Works who attends his church. The State Commisioner contacted the General in command of the secutiry troops and we were given clearance to pass the checkpoints. The troops came looking specifically for the Canadian missionaries. Unfortunatley we did not have an escort vehicle and thus were detained at each of the next 4 chekpoints. Each time we needed to explain and ask them to call their platoon leader to verify our actions. The last check point attendant actually knew Bitrus. At the 3rd checkpoint the patrol officer had the platoon commander speaking on a phone in one ear and the commissioner speaking to him in the other ear. Very interesting. We were totally amazed at how many people were on thier phones between 1:30 and 3:30 to ensure our safe arrival at Jos guest house.
Earler in the day we had received an email from the Canadain embassy reminding us of the no travel from Sat. 8:00 am until 5:00 pm. We were aware of the approaching checkpoints but we were shocked when they told us know one could pass after 12:00 midnight and that we would be spending the night in the car. This is when we sent out our SOS for prayer. We received direct responses from our prayer partners and at the same time Bitrus received a phone call from Pastor Emmanuel (ECWA Seminary). Pastor E had been phoning frequently to check on our location and was veryy worried for our well being. He was in contact with the provost and also the State Commissioner of Public Works who attends his church. The State Commisioner contacted the General in command of the secutiry troops and we were given clearance to pass the checkpoints. The troops came looking specifically for the Canadian missionaries. Unfortunatley we did not have an escort vehicle and thus were detained at each of the next 4 chekpoints. Each time we needed to explain and ask them to call their platoon leader to verify our actions. The last check point attendant actually knew Bitrus. At the 3rd checkpoint the patrol officer had the platoon commander speaking on a phone in one ear and the commissioner speaking to him in the other ear. Very interesting. We were totally amazed at how many people were on thier phones between 1:30 and 3:30 to ensure our safe arrival at Jos guest house.
Friday April 1st
This was a driving day. We left the house at 6:00 a.m. to go to Jos, however we did make one brief stop to get introduced to aq friend of Bitrus and Monica who was seeking election to the House of Representatives. We were soon on the road but had gone less than 100 km when the truck died. We were in the middle of the road. Bitrus hiked to the village in the south (only a short distance) and found several men who accompanied him back to the truck. It was obvious to us that they were not skilled mechanics. Bitrus then flagged a motorcycle and travelled north about 30 minutes to find a mechanic who hopped on the bike and came back to the location of the truck still sitting in the middle of the road. The roads are so bad that everybody just drives wherever they can find a path, regardless of which side of the road one should be on. We thought this man was a skilled mechanic and he was an answer to prayer once again. He gathered a small group of assistants. Nigerian people are very kind and willing to help those in need. He did many things over the course of 6 hours (remove gas tank, empty fuel into jerry cans, clean the filter and put everything back). His only tools were simple wrenches and screw drivers carried in a small box about half the size of a loaf of bread. While he was working on our vehicle another car with a family (Mom, Dad and 6 kids) pulled to our location. At this point in time we had pushed the truck to the shade of a large tree. Our mechanic never left our vehicle but one of his helpers kindly spent about an hour helping this other family. A testament of their willingness to help others. The owner of the property where we were located brough out a wooden bench for us to sit on while we waited. After all of the parts were put back together we were ready to be "on the road again" but alas that was not to be. The battery was now dead. What to do? The mechanic flagged down a passing truck loaded with bags of grain and carrying 7 men. He explained the situation and they allowed him to take out their battery, install it in our truck, start our truck and return their battery to their vehicle..........would this happen in Canada ?????...........another example of the kindness of these people. Unfortunately when the battery was placed back in the grain carrying truck it would not start. The vehicles here are all very very old. Anyway, with some manouvering the truck did go and these men were on their way. We were at this road side from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm. As we continued we knew we would not get back to Jos before dark.
Shirley had a fall while searching for a suitable outdoor washroom but we were thankful she did not get a concussion on her head and only has a few scrapes and sore spots. She fell backwards trying to descend a cement block wall.
continued....................
Shirley had a fall while searching for a suitable outdoor washroom but we were thankful she did not get a concussion on her head and only has a few scrapes and sore spots. She fell backwards trying to descend a cement block wall.
continued....................
continued....Thursday March 31st
when we returned to Peter's home in the evening we were able to check all of the equip[ment and much to our surprise everything works fine. (anwer to pray)
The drive to these remote villages was very interesting. We crossed dry river beds, some creeks with water, and for the most part drove on sandy, dusty donkey paths.
We also saw women in the fields winnowing the grain in the same manner as bible times.
We saw the "women with leaves" at a small stream but were respectful of their culture and did not take photos.
at the conclusion of the seminar we were invited to the pastor's home for food. We sat in the shade of the front porch of their mud hut. In our company were a goat, chickens and lizards (small ones). When the meal was finished we were presented with a gift..............the "live goat". He had a rope on his neck and he went in the back of the truck with several other people who were hitching a ride closer to their homes. As were are in the habit of doing we again ran out of gas. The young man in charge of the goat was sent walking for a jerry can of gas. This meant the ladies (plus a baby) were left in charge of the goat. To recieve a goat as a gift in the African culture is a very high honour. We delivered the goat to the CMO bible school where he was prepared for a meal.
On our passage out, we saw a group of nomads called the Fulani tribe. They live in collapsible straw "igloo" style huts.
The drive to these remote villages was very interesting. We crossed dry river beds, some creeks with water, and for the most part drove on sandy, dusty donkey paths.
We also saw women in the fields winnowing the grain in the same manner as bible times.
We saw the "women with leaves" at a small stream but were respectful of their culture and did not take photos.
at the conclusion of the seminar we were invited to the pastor's home for food. We sat in the shade of the front porch of their mud hut. In our company were a goat, chickens and lizards (small ones). When the meal was finished we were presented with a gift..............the "live goat". He had a rope on his neck and he went in the back of the truck with several other people who were hitching a ride closer to their homes. As were are in the habit of doing we again ran out of gas. The young man in charge of the goat was sent walking for a jerry can of gas. This meant the ladies (plus a baby) were left in charge of the goat. To recieve a goat as a gift in the African culture is a very high honour. We delivered the goat to the CMO bible school where he was prepared for a meal.
On our passage out, we saw a group of nomads called the Fulani tribe. They live in collapsible straw "igloo" style huts.
Thursday March 31st
While in Michika we were guests of Peter. This was a lovely home and not the traditional mud hut. He offers his home as a base for missionaries and is a special friend of Bitrus and Monica.
A delicacy in NE Nigeria is fried grasshopper and Peter had these available for our morning breakfast. They are called "desert shrimp" and curry is sprinkled on them............they really crunch.
On this day we travelled north towards Niger and Chad. This was another mountain area. The Cameroon Mountains in the west (previous trip) are similar to the Great Smokey Mountains in the USA. The church was in an open field and only a few homes were visible in the distance. Six mission stations had been invited to attend the seminar. About 180 people attended and they trekked from upwards to 20 km each way to come. This was their annual conference and the theme for the year was "Peace". The generator was very small and we did not seem to have enough power to run the projector or the computer. We thought there was an issue with the power cord so gave the young men setting things up our power cord and adaptor. Apparently the adaptor would not work with the generator so they "hot wired" directly to the plug-in of the extension cord. Not a good plan.............the projector appeared to have no power and the computer cable really started to smoke. We quickly pulled all of the stuff. God has a sense of humour because we realized after the fact that these people were illiterate and the power point would have been a distraction. Again Bitrus and another pastor did some interpretation..........tribal language to Hawse then to English for our benefit.
A delicacy in NE Nigeria is fried grasshopper and Peter had these available for our morning breakfast. They are called "desert shrimp" and curry is sprinkled on them............they really crunch.
On this day we travelled north towards Niger and Chad. This was another mountain area. The Cameroon Mountains in the west (previous trip) are similar to the Great Smokey Mountains in the USA. The church was in an open field and only a few homes were visible in the distance. Six mission stations had been invited to attend the seminar. About 180 people attended and they trekked from upwards to 20 km each way to come. This was their annual conference and the theme for the year was "Peace". The generator was very small and we did not seem to have enough power to run the projector or the computer. We thought there was an issue with the power cord so gave the young men setting things up our power cord and adaptor. Apparently the adaptor would not work with the generator so they "hot wired" directly to the plug-in of the extension cord. Not a good plan.............the projector appeared to have no power and the computer cable really started to smoke. We quickly pulled all of the stuff. God has a sense of humour because we realized after the fact that these people were illiterate and the power point would have been a distraction. Again Bitrus and another pastor did some interpretation..........tribal language to Hawse then to English for our benefit.
Wednesday continued....
The name of the village was Karasude and it was situated in the valley surrounded by rocky mountains. When we left we had several men in the back who needed a ride back to town. Our truck again had insufficient power for the hills and so everyone got out to push. Monica and I chose to walk up the hill and let the men do the pushing.
Pastor B was the interpretor for this seminar. Some spoke English, many spoke Hawse, the local language. The people really grasped the concept and we were blessed to hear their own reflections of how they could apply the teaching in their own personal situations.
Pastor B was the interpretor for this seminar. Some spoke English, many spoke Hawse, the local language. The people really grasped the concept and we were blessed to hear their own reflections of how they could apply the teaching in their own personal situations.
Wednesday March 30th
We travelled two hours to reach a very remote tribal village surrounded by mountains, very close to the Cameroon border. This was the main mission station where Biturs and Monica lived for 6 years. They started a school, pastored a church and trained people in basic literacy. Bitrus and Monica are very pleased with the ongoing growth of this mission station. Some of the original children have gone on the attend the bible school and have now returned to the station to be teachers at the primary school. We visited grades 1-6. The children in grades 5 and 6 are taught in English. Some of the children walk long distances to get to school. Two tiny girls, ages 7-8, walk 4 km each way (up and down the rugged mountain) to attend school. Many girls are not supported by their families but CMO has a support program for girls who desire to have an education. Even some very young children will take menial tasks to support themselves with school fees. The fees are about 4oo naira paid three times per year. This is about 8 dollars per year.
Pastor Bitrus asked the classes if they had seen a white person before and about half of the children had not seen a Caucasian before. They certainly did look at us very intently.
About 200 villagers are attending the local church........many parents are illiterate so the oral tradition of learning is very important.
At this location we also saw a well which had been dug by hand to a depth of 90 feet. A man was lowered down and filled a bucket with mud........very tedious work.
This was also the location of another seminar with about 200 people attending. This was more than the capacity of the church but everyone just crammed in. Outside temp was 43-45 degrees and the inside temp was HOT!
continued...............................
Pastor Bitrus asked the classes if they had seen a white person before and about half of the children had not seen a Caucasian before. They certainly did look at us very intently.
About 200 villagers are attending the local church........many parents are illiterate so the oral tradition of learning is very important.
At this location we also saw a well which had been dug by hand to a depth of 90 feet. A man was lowered down and filled a bucket with mud........very tedious work.
This was also the location of another seminar with about 200 people attending. This was more than the capacity of the church but everyone just crammed in. Outside temp was 43-45 degrees and the inside temp was HOT!
continued...............................
Tuesday March 29th
We travelled to see some rural villages and to see the work of CMO (Christ Missionary Outreach) which was founded by Pastor Bitrus Audu and his wife Monica. We visited a remote settlement of about 500 people. We visited with the local Pastor and his wife and their 8 children. They looked very young to have so many children. They were a lovely couple and we have some interesting pictures from their setting. We visited his church.............the church is growing. The church pews are concrete forms with no back. We also visited the local school. I was able to teach the children an action song. Many parents came to watch what was happening so re sang some of this new song for their enjoyment. They laughed heartily at the singing.
Later that afternoon we taught a seminar at the CMO bible school with about 65-70 participants. Students attend this bible school for one year of training if they can read and write. If the students lack basic literacy they first learn to read and write and may then spend 2-3 years of training.
Daily life is very challenging. Women spend huge amounts of time getting water, finding sticks for cooking, everything is very labour intensive. There is a lot of unemployment and many men simply congregate in groups under a shade tree while the women look after the needs of the family.
There are many children who do not attend school. Some are looking after the goats or cows and take them for long treks in search of food. Others cannot afford the school uniform or books and for some school is simply not a priority. There is no legislation making school mandatory.
We inadvertenly locked the keys in the car/truck after dinner. This was a major concern (no such thing as CAA)..........we were dependent upon the local folks coming to our rescue. When it was finally decided that the only alternative was to break the back window a small boy said he knew a man who could help. None of the adults knew this man but the little boy took them to his house. He was an autobody repair man and did have proper tools and was able to fish the wire to hook the latch.
We were blessed to meet so many people and to be welcomed into their homes/village. Prayers have been answered.
Later that afternoon we taught a seminar at the CMO bible school with about 65-70 participants. Students attend this bible school for one year of training if they can read and write. If the students lack basic literacy they first learn to read and write and may then spend 2-3 years of training.
Daily life is very challenging. Women spend huge amounts of time getting water, finding sticks for cooking, everything is very labour intensive. There is a lot of unemployment and many men simply congregate in groups under a shade tree while the women look after the needs of the family.
There are many children who do not attend school. Some are looking after the goats or cows and take them for long treks in search of food. Others cannot afford the school uniform or books and for some school is simply not a priority. There is no legislation making school mandatory.
We inadvertenly locked the keys in the car/truck after dinner. This was a major concern (no such thing as CAA)..........we were dependent upon the local folks coming to our rescue. When it was finally decided that the only alternative was to break the back window a small boy said he knew a man who could help. None of the adults knew this man but the little boy took them to his house. He was an autobody repair man and did have proper tools and was able to fish the wire to hook the latch.
We were blessed to meet so many people and to be welcomed into their homes/village. Prayers have been answered.
Mopnday March 28th
MONDAY
We left early in the morning because the temperatures are cooler at that time. The drive was 600km to Michika and we passed through 5 states (Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno and Adamawa). Initially the road was good but it got progressively worse. After about 300 km it was bone crushing, teeth rattling bad. It was like being on a roller coaster with massive bumps and hollows in the road. Many people choose to drive in the ditch, which is dry at this time of year. We cannot think of anything that compares in Canada.
We began to have car trouble after we ran out of gas.........at times there was no power to manouver the hills. We were stopped for one reason or another three times, so arrived later than planned. In total the journey took 13 hours.
The scenery was beautiful and very hot. We saw a variety of topography changes from mountainous, grasslands to Florida palm trees. The villages and towns were interesting. Most homes were built of mud mixed with dry grass or cement blocks. Each family has their own enclosed compound with a small building for crops, another for chickens and goats, plus living quarters and cooking area.
We left early in the morning because the temperatures are cooler at that time. The drive was 600km to Michika and we passed through 5 states (Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno and Adamawa). Initially the road was good but it got progressively worse. After about 300 km it was bone crushing, teeth rattling bad. It was like being on a roller coaster with massive bumps and hollows in the road. Many people choose to drive in the ditch, which is dry at this time of year. We cannot think of anything that compares in Canada.
We began to have car trouble after we ran out of gas.........at times there was no power to manouver the hills. We were stopped for one reason or another three times, so arrived later than planned. In total the journey took 13 hours.
The scenery was beautiful and very hot. We saw a variety of topography changes from mountainous, grasslands to Florida palm trees. The villages and towns were interesting. Most homes were built of mud mixed with dry grass or cement blocks. Each family has their own enclosed compound with a small building for crops, another for chickens and goats, plus living quarters and cooking area.
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