"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! :)