Traffic

Driving in Nigeria is an interesting experience.  

Some weeks ago there was a major crash on the Bukuru-Jos expressway.  The holdups lasted all afternoon and were still bad when it was time for me to take James and Ruth home from school.  We sat in the traffic jam, torn between turning the engine off and slowly suffocating in the heat and fumes or shutting the windows, leaving it on and using the air conditioning whilst adding to the pollution.

Occasionally our hopes of getting home grew when we inched forwards.  Sadly this was not because the blockage was being cleared but happened as others reached the point where they could do a u-turn and head back.  We got to that point and had to make the vital decision, escape or stick it out, but decided to go onwards – there seemed to be a rescue operation going on.  The large lorry skewed across the road was being moved.  The solitary traffic police officer was doing what he could, enthusiastically assisted by many stranded motorists.  This is one of the things in Nigeria.  Inside every man walking down the road is a traffic policeman longing to get out.  At the slightest opportunity (and there are many snarl-ups) a stray pedestrian will march authoritatively into the road and start directing traffic.  Amazingly, drivers take heed.  Last time I was shopping in town it was a very small boy who stopped the cars to let me reverse out; they start young out here.

Back to our traffic jam. 

The lorry which had been blocking all lanes of the dual carriageway was slowly moved out of the way.  In the UK this would reveal a line of cars waiting patiently on their own side of the road and two empty lanes on the other, thus enabling the traffic to start flowing again.  It doesn’t work like that in Nigeria.  What side of the road do Nigerians drive on?  Whichever is fastest.  If there’s a queue of traffic, whether that’s at a roundabout in the morning rush hour or after an accident, instead of waiting in turn many Nigerian drivers can’t resist the temptation of the empty carriageway on the other side of the road.  They zoom up in the face of the oncoming traffic and expect to be allowed into the queue before they’re hit by cars coming the other way.  Some mornings I can be waiting on a single lane road before a roundabout on the way to school with cars coming past me on the left and also on the dirt on my right where the road ends.  It requires a lot of grace to allow them back in to the queue and I only do it to avoid accidents.

When the road was cleared four lanes of solid traffic were revealed ahead of us, all facing the same direction and all starting to move at once.  There was nowhere for us to go.  The traffic police man gave up and sat and watched as the chaos deepened.  The two lanes going in our direction edged forwards to fill the gap left by the accident, the four lanes in the other direction did likewise and tried to squeeze into the two they were supposed to fill.  If it hadn’t been for a couple of amateur traffic directors who did a far better job than the professional, I have no idea how the gridlock would have been resolved or how many more hours we’d have been stuck there.  Slowly they guided cars off the road so we could drive along the dirt until we’d passed the vehicles on the wrong side.  Thankfully at this point there wasn’t the foot high drop off the edge that there often is.  Our 30 minute journey took us nearly three hours.  I was glad to get home before dark.  (That’s another thing: cars here have headlights (mostly) but everything is either off or on full strength.  The dipped headlight is a sign of weakness,  just as an amplifier not turned up to its loudest is a sign of lack of commitment.)

There are however very few traffic cones in Nigeria.  Drivers are trusted to see men at work and respect them.  If there’s an obstacle in the road a line of leafy branches warns oncoming traffic to proceed with caution.  Probably more environmentally friendly than plastic cones but the first few times I came across them I just thought a tree had been blown about.

March on Peace Poetry

The second BRICC poetry event at Oceans 11 happened on Saturday, full of energy and rhythm and with more than twice as many attending as last time.  The style is somewhat different from the poems I usually lean towards but there's no doubting the passion behind this performance poetry.  It's alive and kicking.

As well as the performances we split into four discussion groups to muse on such words as peace, faith, hope.  Discussion is a big part of Nigerian life.  In BRICC it's good to see some of the words turned into actions.

We were also reviewed by a local website.  Go to www.josfinest.com to see photos of the event.

I didn't hear all the poetry as local jewellery-maker Hussain and I were quietly discussing the state of Nigeria.  The corruption among the leaders here is deplorable.  So many projects are started (after being given to those who bribe most) but then abandoned as the money is siphoned off.  Major roads are left to fall prey to the most appalling potholes whilst insignificant villages have perfect new ones, barely used but leading to the tribal home of a local bigwig.  How can ordinary people be expected to live honestly when set such an example by their leaders?

We always have a choice.  Perhaps people get the leaders they deserve.  If there was a grassroots movement towards honesty in small things maybe that attitude would spread up the ladder and affect those in power.  Is there any real difference between the stallholder hiding rotten fruit at the bottom of the pile he gives you and the politician creaming off as much as he can for himself?  It's merely a matter of scale.  However the stallholder, if caught cheating his customers, will most likely pay a heavier price than the politician whose friends make sure he gets an easy ride.

Retreat

Before Christmas an email came round from Sonia saying it had been five years since the last women's retreat, would anyone be willing to plan another?  Being new in Nigeria, with no experience of planning retreats or attending them and having an aversion to being on committees, of course I volunteered to help.  We had the best committee meetings I've ever come across.  Most took place sitting under trees in someone's garden, drinking coffee, eating cake and having fun whilst still actually getting things done - we started as we meant to go on.

My specific job was to organise the worship sessions.  Everyday living in Nigeria in many ways is not as easy as in the UK or USA.  Most women are overstretched and in need of a time of refreshment and recharging so simplicity was the watchword of the worship: I wanted to offer different ways to encounter God and especially to contrast with the loud, busy services in so many churches here. 

Taize

Friday night started with a Taize service.  I'm sure there were a few dubious looks when people came into the chapel to see a huge cross marked out in tealights on the floor and it took the first song for them to get into the swing of harmonising but once started the voices combined beautifully in the intricate simplicity of the Taize songs as the threads of our worship rose up to heaven.  I'm glad that took place on the first day as once the harmonising started there was no stopping it.  The songs in every meeting afterwards were most beautifully elaborated.

Saturday's meeting was outside under the canopy where we had our meals (another highlight of the

Celtic Worship outside

weekend with all sorts of treats we don't usually get here - real refreshment for the body and no need to think about what to cook.)  This was Celtic-style worship and the woman who prepared the prayers read from Christians through the centuries; there was a strong feeling of unity with those who had served God before and it was awesome.

What was especially awesome were the obvious ways God made his presence felt.  In the preparation of the meetings I had tried to be a conduit, listening and recording.  We had decided against a speaker for the retreat, instead we asked three women to give the testimonies of how God has worked in their lives.  They had no advance knowledge of what readings there would be or what form the worship would take but every time there were references and resonances of what they said in the Bible readings or themes of the services.  It was as if Someone had had a hand in the whole organising.
Niffer spoke on Saturday afternoon and quoted the passage about to be read.  It was pretty striking that as she was talking about Jesus sleeping in the boat as the storm rose and threatened to swamp it the wind strengthened suddenly as if the special effects man had flicked a switch only to die down again as she spoke about how he calmed the sea with a word.

Sunday's worship was to be the culmination of the sessions as we shared communion.  Yet again the readings related closely to what Linda was telling us about the faithfulness of God in her life.  Our retreat theme involved sunflowers so our communion cup was a lovely bright yellow beaker.  As it was passed in silence around the circle one woman was involved in an intense conversation with the Lord.  "Sing." "I can't." "Sing."  "My voice isn't strong enough." "Sing." "OK then, if you insist."  All we knew was that the most atmospheric solo rose from the circle, deepening and enhancing the experience of unity, recommitment and closeness to God.  He knows what's best.  Our final song was in complete contrast - Jesus put this song into our hearts - a lively Jewish-style tune that inspired some energetic dancing.

One of the most encouraging things about the worship sessions was the freedom women felt to respond to God in their own ways whether by singing acapella, kneeling, dancing, harmonising  or just sitting quietly.  The testimonies from Beka, Niffer and Linda, three women in different stages of life were very different accounts of loss, fulfilment and learning but with the constant thread of God's great love and faithfulness through all circumstances, joyful, sorrowful, difficult.  Our final email sums them up.

Linda encouraged us that we can choose to bear sweet fruit in every season of our lives, that God can redeem every situation we go through and also that He takes away, but He also gives;
Beka shared with us that the Lord can use pain and sorrow in our lives to expand out hearts for joy;
And Niffer challenged us in our faith, not to look at the waves, but at the one who made them ~ and to walk out onto the water.

It was a great weekend and much needed.  Having this time to pause made several women realise they were on the edge of burnout and if they carried on the way they were doing they would probably come to a breakdown and have to leave Nigeria.  We thank God for his graciousness, for the food, the

Footspa

foot spa, eating ouside, the amazingly inventive singing and dancing graces, the fun and games, the time to get to know and be encouraged by other women living for God around Jos and the most amazing sense of his presence in it all.  How awesome it is that the Creator of the universe takes time to make his children happy.

Retreat Planning Committee

You can tell when I don't have much to say as that's when I post photos.

The cow at the bottom of the garden

 

Our blooming refuse heap

Amazing views from around TCNN

 

Giant's fingerprints

Cost of Living

When people think of living in Africa they assume everything is really inexpensive.  Admittedly some things are (if you live off yams and sweet potatoes) but providing a balanced diet (very necessary to help fight off all the bugs trying to make us ill) costs about the same as in the UK.  I was shopping in Jos this morning and thought it might be interesting to list a few of the things I bought with the price in sterling.

One 200g tin tuna £1.57 (and there's no buy one get one free or bulk packs of four on special offer as in Tescos); 1l fruit juice £1; 500g oats £1; cereal  - about £4 for a packet of cornflakes or £1.40 for 300g of the Nigerian cardboard edition; sliced bread £1.40; bleach £2 a bottle.

We do get a good variety of fruit in season with pineapples between £1.20-£2; mangos about 40p at the moment (or free from our trees); apples 60p each; meat £3.57-£4.40/kilo (although there are no handy butcher's shops to get it ready packed).  It also depends on where you buy things.  A large measure of brown beans at the market will be about £1.50; buying 50kg flour works out about 65p/kg; carbohydrates are relatively cheap but don't make a balanced diet.  Fraser's favourite is the 20p glass bottle of Coca Cola - it helps stave off the withdrawal pangs caused by lack of Irn Bru and the fact a 50g bar of Dairy Milk costs £1.

I'm waiting to get photos of the ladies retreat last weekend then I'll post some.  It was a great time even though I feel I need another retreat to recover.  God showed his presence many times and many women benefitted just from being able to rest with him.  A weekend full of fun, worship and excellent food.  We're already looking forward to the next one!