Safety net

Living in Nigeria is certainly helping me to appreciate many of the things I take for granted in the UK.  Things we regard as basics are by no means reliable here.  Electricity comes and goes (at the time of writing it's been off for over 12 hours and I've no idea when/if it'll come back today).  Mains water is turned on and off to no pattern I've been able to discern and door to door rubbish collections just don't exist.  There's no AA or RAC and if you have a medical emergency you can't call for an ambulance but have to find your own way in to the hospital.  In some ways this is good as it's teaching us to rely on God for ordinary things far more than we ever had to in the UK and seeing the results of prayer is exciting and reassuring.

I was praying hard on Friday driving back from Jos as the temperature gauge in the car rose off the scale, hoping that it was merely a faulty connection (there are a few).  It was when I stopped at a junction and saw copious amounts of steam/smoke rising from the bonnet that I realised that perhaps the gauge was accurate and I ought to do something about it.  Thankfully there was a fuel station right beside me so I pulled in and got out of the car quickly.  A few days before I'd said to James and Ruth that we should check if the fire extinguisher was working.  Here was my chance.

If you ever want to see a group of workmen move quickly try driving up with steam pouring out of the bonnet.  They all leapt up, gesticulating wildly, pointing out the obvious (as if I hadn't noticed) and to my relief taking charge, wielding the extinguisher (which did work) and opening the bonnet.  Thankfully there was neither smoke nor flames only steam shooting out of holes in a pipe but there was no way I'd be able to take the car the rest of the way home that night.
My rescuers pushed the car to a place where it would be safe under the floodlights for the night and found me a public transport vehicle (7-seater van that takes about 14) which would take me to where I could get a keke back to TCNN.  In some ways I was glad there was only just room to squeeze me and another passenger into the van as it meant we were wedged in too tightly to roll around as we swung round corners.  It's not a method of transport I would recommend for long journeys as any padding on the seats had disappeared a long time ago.  My first journey on a keke was more fun although there were times I thought we'd tip over as we negotiated large holes in the road.  Going across the railway was a bit hairy too but I got home safely.  Be thankful that public transport in Britain doesn't feel quite so much like taking your life in your hands.
The next day Fraser went back to collect the car and nursed it gently home where it's now sitting waiting for a mechanic.

Every week we put safety in travel on our prayer requests and there have been many incidents which could have been far far worse than they were.  I am thankful there was a safe place to stop and people to help, that James and Ruth weren't with me in the car, that nothing happened to it overnight and that the mechanic has promised to come out to assess the damage this morning.  We're praying that it can be fixed today as life will be very difficult without a car to take me into BRICC in Jos and bring James and Ruth back from school.  Perhaps I should have sent them in with sleeping bags and pillows so they could sleep in a classroom until it's fixed.

UPDATE: The machanic came, took away the radiator, bought a new piece, returned and put it all back together.  By 6pm all was fixed.

Keke

Kekes are ubiquitous around Jos. The little three-wheeler vehicles swarm through the streets like green and yellow wasps, enveloping traffic from all sides, considering (like many drivers here) the rules of the road to be optional.

Kekes near BRICC office

  They all have the same paintwork, obligatory for any taxi-like vehicle, but the opportunities for interior design seem endless.  I've seen seats covered in leopard skin material, insides painted bright pink and richly decorated cloth hanging like tapestries.  One day I followed a keke with the happy face of Alex Ferguson stuck to the small rear window, flanked by two more photos of (to me unknown but presumably Manchester United) footballers.
Another method of individualising your keke is to paint slogans on the back.  Some are profound, some unintentionally amusing, some rather obscure.  Here are a few I've collected.

• Lazy man not eat
• All power to Jesus
• Hard to find (not particularly sensible for a taxi!)
• What do you say?
• The rich also cry
• Man pass man God pass all
• Nothing good come easy
• Behold I have told you before
• Cash them young
• No condition is.....
• Love thy nevor
• School fees
• Don't trust girls
• Thank God man no be God
• Money nobe everything

BRICC has its own keke the rent from which is proving invaluable in supporting our weekly expenses.  I may find them extremely annoying as I'm under and overtaken at the same time but at least they're far easier to avoid than the motorcycle taxis they've replaced.

InReach

The heart of God is love.

Because he loves mankind he sent his only Son to die for us so that all who believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).  Unfortunately the words and actions of many who call themselves followers of Jesus do not reflect this love and often send out a message of exclusion and intolerance instead.  InReach is an attempt to get Christians to start examining Jesus' call upon their lives, attitudes and actions.  How can the love of God be shown in the community, especially communities around Jos which have been torn apart by violence and where hatred and fear are more apparent than love and trust?  How would these neighbourhoods be changed if all who called themselves followers of Christ displayed his love actively and indiscriminately?

We are taking lessons learned from BRICC (Building Relationships In City Centre: www.briccjos.com) to develop a six week programme aimed at getting Christians to start asking questions and considering what they can do; what God wants them to do.  Our pioneers are a group of five students at JETS Bible college but we hope the message will spread and the face of Nigeria will be changed.


 

Snake

I know there are plenty of snakes in Nigeria.  There's been the corpse of one hanging in the cashew tree from before we moved into TCNN; James and Ruth often see them at school before the groundsmen take care of them; a friend found a decent sized cobra in his veranda, but I haven't seen a live one myself before yesterday when I moved a large bin on our porch and there it was. 

I rather like snakes and usually wouldn't harm one but unfortunately ignorance breeds fear.  I didn't know enough to allow this one to slither off.  It was small but those can be the most deadly so I picked up a handy piece of wood and bashed it before finishing it off with a trowel.  Thankfully both dogs were otherwise occupied and didn't come along to help.  I couldn't allow the prospect of it getting into the house, being surprised by human or dog and biting.
If anyone can identify what it is and whether it is indeed dangerous I would be grateful.  It has stripes going around its head but lengthways on its tail.  In between there are leopardlike spots and its belly is pale yellow.  If it's harmless the next one will live.  If I'm still ignorant the trowel's coming out again.

A walk round the garden

I love sitting out in the garden and still haven't got used to the fact that the weather is pretty predictable here, unlike in the UK, but there are some hazards.  Recently we've had an army of black hairy caterpillars descend upon us, or rather they're ascending every surface, inside and out.  I leaned against the house wall before realising I should've checked for beasties and now have an itchy caterpillar shaped mark on my arm and a black smear on the outside wall.  I'm hoping they'll all turn into beautiful butterflies, not boring white ones so they are being allowed a lot of leeway.

Last Sunday I opened the curtains to discover one of our bathroom soakaways had collapsed in the night. Thankfully it's not the one that drains the toilet.

Then I turned over an empty upside down jug to discover that it wasn't empty after all.

Finally, does anyone have any tips for getting rid of a barking dog?  Our neighbours' dog, a nice enough animal, has decided that right outside our gate is the place to be throughout the night.  He's done it several times now and my patience is wearing a little thin as last night he started at 1:20am, went on for a long time, had a rest as he seemed to be losing his voice (hooray!), then started up again at 5am.  I went out to let him know he wasn't appreciated and he glared at me in a most aggrieved manner as he slunk off.  I need to put him off before Luach decides that barking though the night is what big boys do and joins in himself.

What they wrote

Here are some of the testimonies from Tuesday's BRICC lunch.  I've left the unmistakable Nigerian voices to speak as they were written.  The overwhelming theme is love.

I am very happy that BRICC is in my life because in BRICC I learn many things like education, peace and also I learn how to speak English.  I teach people about loving each other.  BRICC is doing a good job, also bringing peace and happiness to my family and community.  Many people have learned peace education, maths and English who in our community have not done anything in the community.

Thanks very much.

Alhaji Jakubu Ibrahim

I first of all am enjoying the visit to my sister’s home.

I wish BRICC long life and progress throughout Nigeria and I wish BRICC would extend its programme through the Unity Fitness Centre.  Thank you.

Baba Saidu Abdullah

BRICC is a wonderful organisation.  BRICC forward ever and backward never.

Please try to market our programme, especially the skills for women’s empowerment.

Coach Musa

I really don’t know how to say this but first of all I thank God for BRICC.  I like what they are doing in Jos and for us.  May God give them the strength to do more than this.  I am very happy working for BRICC and my family are happy for me.  God bless BRICC and everybody in BRICC.  Peace to Jos.  Peace to Plateau State.  Peace to BRICC.

 Naomi Zang

BRICC has done a lot in my life. 

BRICC has made me know who I am.

BRICC has brought out of me what I didn’t know I had inside.

BRICC has brought happiness into my life and family.

BRICC has made me know what I didn’t know.

BRICC has made me meet different people.

I don’t know what to say but one thing I always say is, God bless BRICC and I thank God for bringing me to BRICC and the people of BRICC.  God bless you all.

 Veronica

BRICC is a one in a million organisation, NGO built on genuine love for human cohabitation.  It embodies people from all races and countries across the globe.  I am most appreciative of being part and parcel of the organisation in that it brings to mind the limitations of human differences.  BRICC has given me reasons to look beyond myself, my disturbances, to look beyond “me” and transplant these values to my neighbour to bring peace to Jos as a whole.

I love the people in BRICC.  I love BRICC.

 Thompson Onazi 

BRICC has taught me love in action, not just a verbal proclamation of it.  Through BRICC I have eschewed the mutual suspicion I formerly had.  BRICC has taught me that people deserve to be loved regardless of their religion, ethnic and racial background.  I don’t need anybody’s permission to love them.

Ponsah

 

BRICC has really touched lives, especially those at the grass roots.  Some of the young participants in the sports academy programme said they never thought they could come together to shake hands, play, laugh and even do activities together but through BRICC they have achieved all that.  Sometimes the kids call and ask why the sports department is not functioning which I have to answer that it’s due to the lack of funds.  You won’t believe what they say.  They wish the eyes of the Nigerian and Plateau State government would open to support the sports programme.

 Monday

  

Coming in contact with BRICC has made so much difference in me.  It has given me a platform to explore my talents further and express myself.

I’ve also met wonderful people: Vero, Ponsah, Yilgi, Coach, Monday, Alhaji, Thompson, Joseph, Dawn, Ruth, Saddiq, everybody including Toby!  I am a happy person!

 Iliyasu

If anyone feels inspired to support the work of BRICC, perhaps sponsoring the women's or education programmes or supplying funds to restart the sports academy please do get in touch.  We'd also love to hear from anyone feeling particularly generous who'd like to help us buy our own building so all the programmes could be housed together.  "BRICC forward ever, backwards never!"

BRICC trip

Yesterday we invited the BRICC co-ordinators and stalwarts to come over to TCNN for lunch and just to "hang out" together away from the office.  Sadly bereavement and illness meant that three couldn't come but despite these gaps in our family we had a good time.  I was encouraged from the start that our convoy of three cars from Jos to Bukuru went through two Christian compounds without any trouble.  Some security men would be very wary of allowing Muslims beyond the gates without subjecting their car to a thorough search but as I explained they were my guests we were waved on.

I made my debut welcome speech in Hausa, admittedly written down first and then read but received well.   However, people are so kind and encouraging that I'm sure they'd have received it well however badly written and pronounced so I said it all over again in English just to make sure it was understood.

We took the opportunity of having everyone captive to encourage them to write down thoughts about what BRICC's done and how we can develop in the future.  These will appear at a later date on the BRICC website (www.briccjos.com) but the overwhelming theme is how BRICC has touched people, showing love in action, removing fear and suspicion and helping in practical ways to improve and rebuild lives.
It wasn't all BRICC business.  We wandered round the garden before lunch arrived courtesy of the TCNN cafe - an easy way of entertaining and very tasty too.  After that the conversation got really useful.  We're now aware of a certain tree in Africa that'll kill you if you sleep under it although no one could tell us what it was called in English or what it looked like but they did assure me that we didn't have any in the garden.  Then we got onto survival methods in the desert which is encroaching on northern Nigeria.  You can't outrun a sandstorm so what you need to do is lie down and roll, you'll move faster.  Remember this.  With global warming you never know when desert survival tips might come in handy.

Coach Musa, "I'll be back."