Its Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone.

So I thought I’d update you on the last couple of weeks, and all the shenanigans going on here. I’ve been in Jos for Christmas, traveled up on the 13^th December. It was really nice to see Abi from home, who is working in Jos for Mission Africa.

I’ve done lots since I’ve been here. Jos is like the mission capital of Nigeria, which is great because there are so many ministries and things to get involved in. but it’s also a bit strange going from Ogugu where there is 5 white people to Jos where there are like 200, part of me wants to spread them a little more evenly over the whole of Nigeria.

Some of the ministries here though are top! I visited Abi’s work which is a school for special needs students. Its such a great place. Special needs aren’t really recognized in Africa yet. Those who are born with special needs here are often neglected, abused, and don’t receive an education, so the work that the school does is really great. The students there are so happy as well! It’s seems to be really rewarding work. I was really struck by one story of a boy who was locked away by his family, for 20 years, having no contact with the outside world, because he had severe special needs. He was found by open doors and now aged 30 has the mental age of a 5 year old. It’s so sad, but makes me wonder where these people would be if it wasn’t for the school.

I also really enjoyed visiting the street orphan ministry which is running in Jos, particularly a place called Gyero, which is where kids go after coming of the streets to live and to go to school. It’s in a small village on the outskirts of Jos, but its such a cool place! There was also a team from Orange county in California which was there over Christmas for a week, and two of the guys were American college footballers, one of them was a quarterback for USC college which is apparently a pretty big deal, but he was a cool guy, and the team ran a really great program with the kids, and built a brand new set of football goals for the kids. I’m interested in coming back for a couple of weeks and running some sports programs with the Gyero kids, maybe I’ll even try and introduce them to rugby J

I’ve also been visiting a place called Transition House, which is where the guys go to live after Gyero, to make the transition back into society getting a job and a house ect. I’ve made some really good friends there and hope to return back there some time later as well.

So that’s the work stuff that I’ve visited, but there’s also been a lot of other stuff to do here. One day we went to Yankari ‘hot springs’ which was beautiful. It’s a big hot stream running out of a rock face which is situated in thick forest. It was incredible we floated down this hot river into thick forest where a tiger or elephant could of just wondered out of the trees. Apparently there are also water snakes ad alligators as well but we didn’t see anything, which was probably for the best, but then also a bit dull. 

On Christmas Eve we also visited a place called cherry hills which is a big natural rock formation, you climb up through these tiny crevices in the rocks making way to the top where you can see for miles over the whole of Jos. We stayed there to watch the sunset and it was incredible. Such a beautiful place to spend our Christmas eve.

After sunset we headed back home. This is when the MADNESS started!

I don’t know if any of you have seen on the news, but on Christmas Eve there were 3 bombs detonated at different parts of Jos, by Muslim extremists. We were running one of the guys who we were with back to Transition House, and then when returning home after dropping him the bomb was detonated on the bridge that we were approaching, and the whole place just kicked off, we were diverted down a road that we didn’t know, with cars screeching round like wacky races. And as the driver I’ve gotta say I was pretty scared, and we just started praying, asking God for protection, and for a way out of the madness because we were completely lost and didn’t know another way home apart from going over the bridge. But God answered. Ruth who has been living in Jos for a year and a half vaguely remembered a back road which took us back to Transition House. So we found the road and made our way back quickly to Transition House. It was a surreal experience, but God was so good to us and really undertook for us. So we stayed for Christmas Eve at Transition House, and had a great time with some of the boys who had no family to go home to for Christmas, and with the TH staff, before taking a safe route home in the morning. It was certainly a Christmas not to forget!

Since the bombs there has been a lot of problems in Jos, with burning of Churches and Mosques, and fights between Muslims and Christians on the streets. Because of the violence we have been told to stay in the compound for now. The guys from Ogugu (ie. Sharon, Mel, and Me) have been recommended to spend the rest of our Christmas celebrations in Abuja, so I think we will travel there tomorrow.

So all in all it’s been a pretty eventful couple of weeks. I’ve got to see more of the amazing World which God has created around us, but I’ve also seen a pinnacle of how we as mankind have just messed up, and are in need of forgiveness. It’s been amazing to speak to some Christians who have lost family or friends in Jos crisis that have happened in the past, and the way that they have not sought to justify the wrong themselves by going out in retaliation, but by putting there trust in God that he will righteously judge all the wrong that has happened and that they will receive the punishment that they deserve for the wrong that they have done.

Hope everyone is well at home, and enjoyed there Christmas!

Happy new year For Saturday.

Any news from home would be lovely to hear J

"Enefu"

So I’ve been hear now for a week and I figure its time to write something on this blog.

My travels so far have been great. I set off last Thursday and arrived in Nigeria early Friday morning, after a very busy noisy night flight. I then stayed for a night with Billy and Linda Abwa, the mission coordinators, and their 2 extremely cute baby twins Nia and Nathaniel. Had such a lovely day just relaxing and adjusting to Nigerian life there.

Then early Saturday morning we set off for Ogugu my home for the next 6 months. Zongo who is an absolute legend, and general driving guru drove me down. The roads here are really something special. You can be driving 70mph down a dual carriage way and then next minute you are navigating your way through a puzzle of pot holes and craters at 2mph, with no warning of any road hazards. But we made it hear safely.

I received a very warm welcome from all the team here (Paula, Roddy, Mel, Sharon, and Asabe) who are all really very nice. It was such a surreal feeling actually finally being in Ogugu as I’ve been anticipating for such a long time.

Ogugu really is a beautiful place. Very rural and typically African, its not quite mud huts and totem poles, But it is very basic, with one main road which runs through it. When I look out from my house I can see picturesque thick forest, the sky hear is almost always blue, and the nights sky is really something special. As a Christian I find it hard to believe that  such beauty is just a cosmic accident, such beauty must clearly have a divine creator.

The people here are also extremely friendly, as you walk around people shout ‘white-man’ but in Igala ‘enefu’ I hear this maybe 100 times in a day... Which we might think is a bit hostile but it’s not at all people are just happy to see you and replying with a bit of Igala always goes down a treat. But it’s so nice to walk along a road greeting people who you don’t really know, which is a really bizarre thought in the UK but I think it’ll be something I’ll miss.

Another interesting side to Ogugu, which I wasn’t really expecting is the influence that Christianity and the church has on the community hear; The church runs all of the schools, all of the football teams, all of the social events, it’s really cool. Everyone here believes so resolutely in God. I was discussing with one of the older football boys; the concept of Atheism and the Big Bang theory, and he couldn’t understand it. When there is so much suffering in this part of the world, the idea that there is no God, who will bring justice and punish evil, and no hope in the afterlife, life really is not an option. These people need the hope and the promises that the Gospel message provides. Sadly I think we have become so dependant on our own comfort, wealth and material happiness, that we have replaced the need for God, and the reassurance of his promises, with the need for material and the empty promises of happiness that these things offer.

Anyway it definitely has been an eye opening experience so far.

I am also really enjoying the work here. I am coaching 3 football teams; Shining Star fc, Moving Star fc, and Ubele fc. I love football because its such a great way to connect with people and to get to know these young guys and their lives, and also just  good fun. I am also leading Bible studies with these teams which are going really well. I also have a slot in the secondary school assembly on Mon, Wed, Fri, weekly which is a great opportunity just to preach the gospel. I am also in the process of getting a regular slot in the 5 secondary schools, once a week to come a teach the Purpose Driven Youth program which covers topics such as; HIV awareness, sexual health, Gender balance ect. Which shoud hopefully be set up for the new year.

All in all I’m having a great time.

If you have any news I can receive email, so it’d be nice to hear from people and find out any interesting news from back home.

Hope your all well J

Will write again at some point.

Im Here! :)

So after 7 months of anticipating this trip I'm finally in the capital of Nigeria, Abuja, staying with Billy and Linda Abwa and their 2 beautiful twins Nathaneil, and Nia...they're amazing! I've been made to feel so welcome and had a brilliant first day. 

The flight was long, and absolutely jam packed, but I arrived safely, had no problems getting through immigration and customs. Jonny was right, a cheeky smile gets you a long way in Nigeria :)
Then I had my first experience of Nigerian driving...it's crazy...like wacky races! The concept of queing or patience isn't one which is which is well understood or practiced. Makes you realise how overly cautious we are in the UK. Turns out cars can get alot closer without crashing than I first imagined.

Abuja is a crazy place, its bustling with people, cars, bikes, and the treet are all lined with shanty markets, selling some bizzar looking foods which I'm sure I'll be trying in the not too distant future. So tonight i'm just relaxing with Billy and Linda at their apartment and discussing what sorts of things I can be getting up to over the next 6 months. Linda is quite kean for me to take the Igala language Jesus film to the more peripheral tribes which do not know much about the gospel or Christianity, which sounds INCREDIBLE! I knew I'd have the chance to do some outreach, but to be part of a team taking the gospel to groups that don't maybe understand it, is an amazing oppurtunity!

Anyway, thats it for now. I travel to Ogugu tomorrow which Im really looking forward to. Speak soon.

Packing is hard!

So I have finally got a visa sat on my desk a ticket printing as we speak (or as I write) and my bags sort of packed...

Thank you for all those who were praying for my visa to come through, the visa arrived on Friday which was a huge relief, recently a few people have found it really tough to get hold of a visa, so I'm really happy that it came through.

The office have booked my flights today, so I leave at 10.00pm thursday night...and I can't wait!

Packing for 6 months traveling, in an area where there isn't a Tesco at the end of every street, or even home delivery... is proving quite a tricky one. Plus, I have to some how find room for the mountain of Football shirts that are lining my bedroom floor at the moment :) not a bad problem to have, I know!

So I thought I'd give you a quick update as to what my plans are for the six months, or at least what I think I'm going to be doing, in reality it could be quite different.
I'm going to be working for mission Africa, and I will hopefully have 2 main roles in the Advance charity, which is a charity to support those who are HIV positive:

What will I be doing?

Purpose driven youth:

A program of talks, discussion groups and work shops focusing on 4 main areas:

General Health and wellbeing

Sexual Health

Bible studies on caring for the sick 

Gender issues ie roles of men and women

The information which is given through the PDY is so important as there is still alot of misunderstanding and false ideas surrounding Aids, so it's important that its spoken about openly and people get a good understanding of how HIV is contracted, and how the spread can be further prevented.

Sports ministry: 

The aim of sports ministry is to connect with children and teenagers through sport as a way to bring them into the Advance centre, where they can speak to councilors, receive basic medical care, learn more about HIV & Aids, and most importantly to speak to Christians and hear the good news of the Gospel!

So thats my 6 months summed up very simply, but I'm sure that there will be so so so much more more to it than just that....and it starts on Thursday night...BRING IT ON! :)

FOOTBALL SHIRTS!!!

So about 2 weeks ago I sent out a request to my old school, my church, and work, for any old second hand football shirts which I could take out for gifs for the kids and to play matches in.


This is the response...

...

I don't have a clue how I'm going to fit all of these in a suit case last time I counted there were 55, but I'm sure I'll find a way round it. 

Anyway I just wanted to say a big thank you to anyone who's given away a shirt, I know that these are going to be so appreciated, and will be a real good gift to help make contact and friendship with the kids. 

2 WEEKS 5 DAYS TO GO (hopefully, if the visa comes through)

Not long to go now :)

So its roughly a month until I leave! (scary stuff ) But I figured its time for me to get this blog set up. I hope the blog is going to all be ok and not bore you all to death. Also this is my first blog so i don't have a clue how to do anything on here but I'm giving it a shot haha.

So yeah I'm in the process of applying for my Nigerian visa  but experienced a few problems, as I need my passport to travel over to N Ireland next week for the training, Ryan Air seem to be the only airline that requires a passport to travel in the UK which is pretty annoying but hey. So yeah visa is currently delayed till after training, which will hopefully mean I'll be leaving mid November (12th 13th).

'Africa Night'
Last friday I organized a special 'Mission Africa' night at the youth group at my home church. It was such a great night! had so much fun.
Started of with a few African games such as 'Mamba' and 'Catch the tail' which were absolutely mental, we had about 30 teenagers running round chasing each other in our tiny church hall but I think everyone survived and seemed to revel in the mayhem.
After the games we had a great skype conversation with Abi Ainscough who is already out in Nigeria in the city of Jos, so it was awesome for everyone to speak with her and ask a few questions.
After this was the highlight of the evening for me. I had asked my super chef Mum if she could try a few traditional Nigerian recipes. So I had been helping all week to prepare Okra curry's, fried plantain, Pumpkin chips, and black eyed bean stew. It was INCREDIBLE, all tasted so good, and if i'm going to be eating food like that for 6 months then bring it on :) Everybody tucked in and tried a bit of everything.
At the end of the night we had Barry and Judy Lakeman, the England representatives to do a short talk on Nigeria and the work that mission Africa do out there, I think everyone learnt a little more about Mission Africa and what myself ad Abi are doing. Finally I just showed a short slideshow which I called 'The Facts' which showed a list of facts about HIV and Aids, (I will try to get it on here if i can) But yeah everybody watched carefully and there was a stunned silence afterwards as I think people were really struck by the impacts that Aids is having in Africa. And finally I just explained a little more about what I will be doing particularly bout the aids awareness and education side of things.

So all in all it was a great night. Big thanks to everyone :)

Over and Out