Am I in a movie? Tonight I felt as if I was looking at myself through the lens of a camera. Some would call it an out-of-body experience. In this movie I see a green pick-up truck. I was sitting in the bed of the truck w/ the Nyhus kids. It was dark out so the only light was coming from the headlights and taillights of the truck. We are driving down a red dirt road, kicking up lots of dust, heading to Baba’s home. As we drive through the village of Nalerigu I try and take in all that I see. Although it is dark there are still many people walking about. Women carrying very large bowls of fruit on their heads, several buses loaded with people and all kinds of bags piled on top of it. There is a crowd of about 50 people standing around 1 television watching a Nigerian movie. We swerve to miss running over goats that are crossing the street. We pass several donkeys rolling on their backs. There are very small toddlers wandering the streets, no adult to be found. We turn off the main road and I know we are very close. For tonight we are heading to little Clements home. Clement is just a few months younger then my Charlee. He is very ill. But I am so very anxious to spend time w/ this family.
Let me explain what their compound looks like so you can get the full picture in your heads. They live in several huts made out of mud. The roofs are made out of straw and then they are all connected by a mud brick wall. This is called a compound. It is the entire family, meaning Baba, Laadi and their 2 children live in one hut, siblings and their children live in another hut, BaBa’s parents live in another hut, and so on. It is a COMMUNITY.
As we turn to park the truck we were greeted by barefoot, half naked children before I was even able to hop out the back. Clement was on the back of his older sister, Portia, who is 6 years old. Baba met us at the truck w/ a flashlight and lit the path for us so we could see. He was very happy to see us. (and I him!) After greeting the entire family, which took quite a time since greetings are very formal, we prayed over our meal and then prepared to eat. I was so excited to try some ethnic food! They had prepared Tezet. (pronounced Tee-zjet) It reminded me of cream of wheat…made out of corn flour. They had also made a soup called Biri. It had meat in it, I’m assuming goat, complete w/ bones and all! J I loved it. Nana had a harder time getting it down but she was a trooper. I think she was able to eat half of her bowl before discreetly passing it to Greg for him to finish. We ate w/ our right hand, no utensils, and no left hand as that is offensive. So this is where I thought…”can this be for real?” here I am, in Africa, eating on the ground w/ my hand, in the best company of my brothers and sisters, under a huge African night sky…someone pinch me so I’ll wake up!
I cannot express to you how much I adore this family. Clement is a little ham. He loves balloons. I was able to snap a great picture of him at just the right time. He was eating his meal and he saw me w/ my camera and flashed me the biggest smile. I cannot wait to show you. Baba is warm, kind, outgoing, and gives off the most positive energy. You cannot help but feel joy just standing near him. His wife, Laadi, is very quiet. She does not know English, so this could be why, but she doesn’t make eye contact when you speak to her. I think she is just very shy and the language barrier makes her even more introverted. But as the night went on, she became a little more comfortable around us.
After dinner all the children sang for us, did a little dancing which was absolutely hilarious, and then I gave them some more Pop Rocks. Yes, I know…all of Nalerigu will have had some by the end of my stay. But they LOVE THEM! After this, Baba shared his side of Clements story. There was not a dry eye. I wish all of you could have heard him. It really is the most amazing story. And the best is yet to come!
I have to make sure and tell my dear friend Melissa O’Daniel, that I read Laadi the letter you wrote to her. (Baba translated) Melissa, it was a very emotionally charged moment. Laadi had tears spilling down her face. She looked at your picture and yes, I had to explain why you had on gloves, a hat and scarf. J I could tell it meant so very much to all of them. I was glad I read it aloud because it opened up some great conversation. My mom encouraged Clements grandmother as well. She told her that she too, understood how hard it is to have your grandchild far away but to lay Clement on the altar, an act of surrender, for our children to do not belong to us but to the Lord.
All in all, it was a night I will never EVER forget. I cried the entire night. It was surreal. It was tears of JOY, tears of PRAISE, tears of LOVE for this family I love as if they were my own relatives. There is no way to describe it other than Jesus. He allows us to love in this way.
So now I will close. I loved how I started my day “In the midst of God’s temple” meditating on “His unfailing love” and I also ended my day “in the midst of Baba’s huts” meditating on “His unfailing love”. My heart could not feel more full.
misty
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