Part Tres

Okay, so I'm actually going to finish this story tonight. There's not much left, just kind of a wrap of how this story is unfinished. But before we get there, let's go back to the strange brew the woman was working on the first day I visited. It was still in the pot the next day and it looked pretty thick and gross. It's made of ground millet or guinea corn, so you can probably imagine what a grain based drink might look like. At any rate, I was taking a picture of an older woman looking out of a window onto the scene of us with the kids, when she asked me to come inside. As it would turn out, there was another woman breastfeeding a baby in there and she's the one who wanted me to come in. Even she wanted to be "snapped." So I took her picture and as I was showing it to her, and laughing about the results with them, I got offered some of the drink for 20 Nira. I respectfully declined, even though I was a little curious. Just not curious enough to risk my health on a batch of home-brew made with creek water. After that, I came out and saw some of the rest of the group heading into previously unexplored parts of the house. We went through a short hallway that led into a small (8x10') courtyard. I call it a courtyard, simply cause it was surrounded by walls, and had no roof. There were clothes hung out to dry here and 3 or 4 doorways leading off. One of them was a bedroom that had a wooden bed with no mattress and I didn't see any blankets, just maybe a sheet. One of the village elders was in the courtyard and I was a little worried that he would be upset that we were back there. You see, I thought the group members I were following had a host, but I never saw one. So I asked the elderly gentlemen if that was his bed. Actually, he didn't understand the question, but when I put my hands together and pretended to sleep on them, he pointed out of the house, indicating that he lived at one of the other complexes. So, I guess he couldn't care less about us poking around, since it wasn't his house! One of the doors must have led to a bathroom of some sort, cause there was an outlet for one near where the feeding occurred. The smell of urine and a wet patch leading from a cutout at the base of the wall was a dead giveaway. Not exactly flush it and forget it! After that little excursion into the inner part of the house, we walked down to the farmland. There was something surreal about walking on a dirt path with the sun shining on you and thinking, "I'm in Africa." It wasn't quite like the Lion King, or anything, and I never thought I was in danger or being trampled by an elephant, but it was still a neat feeling. Just the idea that the dirt getting on my feet was from a continent I'd previously only dreamed of visiting. Russ and Kay stayed back at the village and gave the kids a couple of soccer balls. They had a couple of makeshift goals set up and ball that was flat, so they were having a great time when we got back from our walk to the land.

After we left, we went to the very American feeling coffee shop in the downtown district. I was one of the few who stayed behind and was fortunate enough to hear Amos and Russ talking about the reality of building a school for those kids in the village. The church was building a new building, so they could use the existing one for a school. And Amos figured that a teacher would only cost about $120 a month. So Russ jumped on this idea and presented it to the group that evening. Most of us were not in a mindset to say "yeah, let's do it," coming from a place where schools don't just happen wherever you can find shelter and a teacher. But nevertheless, Russ was unrelenting and took the bull by the horns. And we were all happy for that. So the next Monday, Amos set up a meeting with the village elders and church leaders. And along with Dr. Chris, Russ, Kristen, and Bob went out to talk about the school. I wish I could have gone, but filming obligations prevented it. Apparently, everyone in the village, including the kids showed up dressed in their Sunday best. The meeting went well and there was excitement from the elders and the church leaders. So when we left, Amos already had a teacher in mind and Faith Alive is on the verge of having a major presence out there at the farm land. It is very possible that our chance outing to that village is now going to result in a school and lunch program. That means that we can have a lasting impact on that village that extends past one hour of lunch and fellowship.

If you are interested in learning more about the school as it develops, just shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment. I can't say for sure when it will get rolling, but Amos is the best guy we could have working on it in Nigeria, and I know that it will happen. In the meantime, thanks for reading and God be with you! Time to log some more tapes!