Mike made an innocent phone call to our mission leader today. He and his wife were in Abuja to pick up their first family visitor after living here for two years.  (I sure hope it doesn’t take our first visitors that long to get over here!! wink, wink.)   Mike called wondering where they were and if they would be stopping by our house.  Phil, our mission leader, talked for some teeny weeny seconds.  But quickly ended the call saying police spotted him on his cell while driving. Now they were giving him trouble.  We were left in suspense about what was going on.  Later in the day I got a text message on my phone saying “We are on the way to the airport now...we got arrested because Phil answered Mike’s call [while driving]! The police took us for a ride but now they are our friends...and we didn’t even pay!”  After driving around with Phil and Stephanie for a while, they realized these people were not going to pay so they ended the “game” and looked for their next victim of the day.  I find it easier to cope with cultural differences as long as I remind myself to just “play the game.”  Maybe someday I will acclimate being able to see it as “life,” but for now, in order to survive this real game of “Life” I need to see it as a mere game.  Neither Mike or I have been stopped by the police in Abuja yet.  But we’ve heard it’s not a matter of “if we get stopped” rather “when” we get stopped.  

 

Mike had his last meeting with the Timothy Leadership Training group he has been working with for the past six weeks.  From the six who attended the training, there are already plans to teach 21 more people the material.  It will be exciting to see this take off!  We again reflected on the beauty of God’s people coming together to seek His ways no matter what the culture, denomination, organization is. The six men who attended the training came from a Christian Reformed Church, an Evangelical Church, an independent Tower of Refuge Church, a Redeemed Christian Church of God, a Baptist Church, and an urban/sports ministry program.  It was diverse, provided for lots of discussion and growth and accountability. All necessary for the formation of leaders and friendship.

 

photo:  Today we got out the jumping bags for Kenneth and Amira.  They were handed down to us from a friend in Jos. I had never seen official “jumping bags” before (if that is what they are called)...growing up we used old potato sacks. :)   They had so much fun having hopping races!  Nico got in on the action for a few minutes as well.