First Things

Sorry for the repeat to those of you who are also on the e-mail list, as this is basically a reprint of my first e-mail. To those who may not be on the list and would like to be, just drop me an e-mail and include your address. Peace!

My dear, dear friends,

This morning, I was awakened at 4:00 by the combined effects of jet lag and the Muslim call to prayer that was sounding across the little city of Jos. I lay in bed and listened as the quiet of the street was gradually filled with the rumble of traffic, the chatter of voices, the calls of vendors and always, always the honking of the cars that is apparently a necessity for anyone to drive anywhere without crashing.

It is my first full day in the city of Jos, tho I have been away from home for about a week, first in Charlotte for orientation with SIM, and then spending a full three days travelling to finally make it to the Challenge Apartments in the compound where I am staying. The travelling was a bit of an ordeal that I feel fortunate to have survived, but I made it at last and am savoring my first encounters with Nigeria and its people.

It is so beautiful here and I loved my extended ride from Abuja, where my plane landed, all the way up to Jos. Everywhere people are hiking along the side of the road or trying to hitch rides, women are laying out corn to try on the concrete and my very kind driver, Audu, is doing his best to dodge the potholes in the road. I feel very fortunate to be here at this time of year because rainy season is just ending, so everything is beautiful and green, but the dry season will not start until the end of November, after I am gone. The weather right now is gorgeous. The past two days have been sunny and beautiful and the high elevation keeps us nice and cool. I am already discovering that so many of the bad things I was told about Nigeria were no more than stereotypes and I hope this trip will be the beginning of a lifetime love affair with this place.

I think the most stressful things so far have been the constant feeling of sensory overload and being overwhelmed by the differences in doing life here. It's like waking up one morning and suddenly everything that is part of your daily routine is so much more difficult. Making tea, grocery shopping, and even crossing the street are challenging, so I suppose it is little surprise that I feel overwhelmed. Furthermore, everything is new, and because I am so curious I often feel like I am trying to take in everything at once. Unfortunately, "everything" usually turns out to be quite a bit! I am trying to tell myself that adjustment will come in time and to accept it as part of the experience, but it is not always easy to be patient.

The other thing that can be a burden at times is a nagging sense of inadequacy I have developed since landing. It is hard not to feel like a lesser missionary because I will only be here for two months, or to feel like there is nothing that I could accomplish in such a short space of time. In addition, I seem to be consistently trying to sidestep a mountain of "can'ts," like: I can't be bold enough to use the language, I can't relate to people, I can't adjust to life here, I can't be effective in ministry. I want to have a spirit of humility, but also one of boldness, to be willing to be daring in trying what might seem difficult and to be optimistic about my time here. Please pray especially that I will be bold in forming the relationships that are SO important here in Nigeria.

But, on the positive side, everyone I have met here at the mission so far has been great, so friendly and welcoming and excited for me and my time here. And the long-termers seem really close too, so I have high hopes for developing good relationships.

Phew, and to think I wanted this to be a "short" update to let everyone know that I had safely arrived! Please keep in mind that if you think these updates will add to your already overflowing inbox, just drop me a line to opt out. And if you know someone who would be interested in hearing about what I'm doing, feel free to pass it along.

Until next time,
Grace and Peace,
S.