On Tuesday morning, January 20th, before we all went our separate ways to particular Nigerian churches, our mission team leader, Ken Ellis of North Hollywood UMC, read to us Jeremiah 1:4-10. Those of us who had not been to the UM churches in Nigeria before did not have a clue as to what God had in store for us on that day. So we listened to the scripture, prayed, ate breakfast and scattered. Some traveled to congregations close by, others as long as five and six hours away on dirt roads that made the vehicles nearly turn upside down as they traveled over bumps and into ruts of serious dimensions.

     My trip to Mutum-Biyu UMC (our sister church in Taraba West District) was about an hour and a half on pretty good roads most of the way. Of course because it was market day in that part of Taraba State, there were lots of trucks filled with food, animals and people along the way. In one pickup sized truck I saw two huge cows nestled together so that they could not possibly budge along with at least ten men and boys sitting on top of them. There were great huge lorry-style trucks piled high with sacks full of casaba flour and people all across the top.

     As we neared the church at Mutum-Biyu, our car stopped abruptly along the side of the road. Suddenly, a man with a great huge grin threw open the door to the back seat where I was. He lunged at me laughing and hugging and expressing his relief that I was there. Now, he looked sort of familiar to me so I smiled, hugged back and greeted him gladly. "I’m Rev. George Bakai, the DS!" Ahhhh yes, I knew I’d seen him somewhere; he looked just like the pictures we’ve been scrutinizing all of these long months.

     Quickly he ran around to the other side of the car and gave rapid in instructions and greetings in Hausa language to the two men in front – my driver and interpreter for the day. Just as quickly the whole car was surrounded by people smiling, waving and clamoring for a view of "Mama Taraba." That was their name for me because pastors are called "Mama" or "Baba" plus the name of the charge. Many of the young people surrounding the car were dressed in uniforms and pounding drums as they marched toward the church. Others were in typical African clothes and still others were in Western clothes – at least two thirds were children. It looked like an old fashioned Fourth of July parade with everyone from the town and surrounding villages gathering, marching, laughing and waving. "How many people are there?" I asked the DS. "Oh, probably about 4,000." he said. I have no idea if that number is right or not but you will have an opportunity in a week or two to judge for yourselves when the video of that event gets here. I found myself wondering why no one had told us to expect this sort of thing and then I quickly realized that we wouldn’t have believed it anyway.

     Once we got to the church, a couple of the women dressed me in African clothes and we worshipped together for two or so hours. There was singing, praising, praying, rejoicing, reporting, offerings and preaching. We exchanged gifts – they gave me typical African outfits (for me & Eric) from each of the churches in the District. I brought them greetings from our Bishop and our DS and from everyone of you. I gave them the fabric, calculators, pens, pencils, and medicines we collected plus a cash donation of $100 from our DS. Everyone was extremely grateful. As it happened, I’d left the letters our youth wrote to them at the Mission House in Jalingo. They were disappointed about that and wondered how I could have left such a treasure behind. The DS came twice to Jalingo and back to get the letters from me, take them to the kids of Mutum-Biyu and make sure that I brought them back here. Our communication, our relationship with them is far and away the most precious gift we have to give.

     That’s a summary of part of one day in my time in Nigeria. There is so, so much more to tell but I’ve been asked to write what’s in my heart. It is this: God has called us into relationship with people in the UMC/Nigeria because we can provide hope for each other’s children. Their children need whatever we can give in the way of educational resources – school supplies, textbooks, and teachers’ supplies. Our children need whatever Nigerians can give to them to learn to live in humility, respond to strangers with hospitality and be filled each day with the Spirit.

Nigeria Trip Page