Merry Christmas to me!

All I really wanted for Christmas was my visa...and I got my wish today!

I didn't get exactly what I applied for, but that's Nigerian Immigration for you. I did get an STR visa, and I will be returning to Abuja, as scheduled on January 1st, which is the whole point.

There are a couple conditions: it's only good for 3 months and is single-entry only. The practical ramifications mean that I can enter Nigeria in January and can leave at any time, but I will not be allowed back in (This is not an ideal situation, clearly.). Furthermore, I have 3 months to convert this visa into a semi-permanent work permit. This shouldn't be a problem.

So I'm headed back to Nigeria. And I'll be bringing my new Kindle. Which might be my second-best Christmas wish. Merry Christmas, indeed!

Delay does not mean Denial

It appears that Mrs. O and I received incorrect advice for the proper way to go about becoming a legal foreign teacher in Nigeria, and as a result, I have been refused the Temporary Work Permit I've applied for.

The Nigerian government has asked me to return home at Christmas and to reapply (from scratch) for an STR visa: Subject-to-Regularization. Once I have this type of visa in my possession, it will be possible to convert that to a Temporary Work Permit during spring of 2010.

In that moment, though, when Mrs. O told me there had been complications with the visa application, I was overwhelmed with fear--not that I would be unable to go home for Christmas--but that I would be unable to return to Nigeria in January. Nothing like the threat of not being able to return to make me realize how much I really want to be here.

To make a much longer and detailed story short, I will be getting an extension on my tourist visa, which will allow me to leave as scheduled on December 12th. Then the school will pay to rush my application for a new visa in order for me to return as scheduled on January 1st.

Crazy Hazy Days

The weather is definitely changing in Abuja. Firstly, the rains have stopped. As a result, things are dusty and dry. Secondly, I can't see the rocks anymore. Every morning on my way to work, we cross a bridge and looking east, I can see Aso Rock in the distance. The view is magnificent, and really starts my day off on the right foot. Lately, though, I haven't been able to see it at all because the mists hang so heavy in the air. "Mist" is just a euphemism for dust, but it does remind me of fog.

My weekend has been full of school, as usual. As you all know from my previous complaints, Friday was a working holiday at ICS. The kids didn't come in, but we had a day-long meeting and got home only slightly earlier than usual. Then this afternoon, the PTA put on a Family Day Out at the local Palmetium (park/plant nursery). They sold food and had a jumpy castle (I don't know what else to call it!) for the kids. It was even nice to see my students outside the classroom in a more relaxed setting.

On that note, it's still strange to me to be on the flip side of the teacher-student relationship. When I was a student (pre-college), I rarely saw my teachers outside of school. The proverbial "seeing your teacher in the grocery store" scenario never happened to me, but I think it would have been weird. I try to keep that in mind as I interact with my students...how many of them were weirded out by seeing me in jeans today?

This upcoming week is another Muslim holiday, so we won't have school on Thursday or Friday. I'm giving 5 tests on Monday, too, so I really only have to plan lessons for 2 days this week. It might not seem like a big deal, but trust me, these are the simple joys in my life these days.

I'm keenly aware that Thursday is also a holiday back home, albeit for different reasons. If memory serves me, this will be the very first Thanksgiving holiday I have spent without my family, and I'll be missing the fellowship of Mom's kitchen on that day. I'm going to make the best of it, however: Jan and I have decided to host our own Thanksgiving dinner at our flat and invite some of our neighbors.

Planning a holiday meal in a country which does not recognize said holiday poses some challenges, but we're making do. Turkey is almost impossible to come by, but some church friends have access to the U.S. Embassy's recent shipment of holiday turkeys (yep, all the way from the USA!), and we should be getting ours tomorrow. I don't know how big it is, but we're paying $56 USD for it, so I hope it's a good size bird!
Our menu so far includes: mashed potatoes, corn (out of a can; the Minnesotan girl in me just died a little), vegetables, dinner rolls, Jan's homemade stuffing, and an apple pie (we couldn't find pumpkin, but there's nothing as American as...). Mrs. O volunteered to bring Nigerian cranberries and ice cream to go with our pie. If I can track down a can of cream of mushroom soup, I might try a green bean casserole, too. We're also going to pay through the nose for real butter, but I'll be darned if I'm going to make mashed potatoes with anhydrous milk fat and emulsifier!

It may very well feel like going through the motions, because what is Thanksgiving without my family and American football?, but it is still a good practice; I have much to be thankful for this year. God has blessed me with comfortable surroundings, a solid job, Christian community, and the ability to communicate with people back home. Nigeria is definitely at the top of my list. Not getting malaria is a close second, however.

Prayer Request: My work permit/re-entry visa has not arrived yet. I've been told I'm at the whim of the Nigerian government, which doesn't make me very comfortable. Please pray that I will hear back from the consulate this week in regards to my visa. I really would like to go home for Christmas.



3 weeks from right now, I'll be on a plane. But who's counting?

Christmas Music in October

While I usually keep to a strict No-Christmas-Music-Until-Thanksgiving policy, I feel it is a greater sacrilege that I'm seeing 95 F in October and missing Fall completely. Besides, I'm on a different continent...I'm playing by different rules here. My current soundtrack is Sara Groves' Christmas album. Don't hate.

I'll post something poignant and introspective later this weekend. Which is not to say I've already written something and am delaying in posting it to build suspense...those are just the standards I'm setting for the post-yet-to-be-written. Let's catch up on a few pieces of news first:

I'm almost legally allowed to work in Nigeria. Almost. The process of converting my visitor's visa to a temporary work permit is really complicated, involving a copy of a copy of a copy of a form that got printed off the internet at some point a long time ago. Anyways, the Nigerian government now holds copies of my passport, vaccination records, teaching contract, and college diploma (!) and we're pretty sure they're going to let me stay. :) But more importantly, they're going to let me travel at Christmas and reenter this beautiful nation to which I'm slowly losing my heart.

I went to the FIFA World Cup U17 match between Brazil and Switzerland tonight. I don't know how Nigeria got the bid, but the tournament is being played at the National Stadium (which is across the street from our compound). The teams are practicing on the American School's practice fields, so FIFA gave them a whole section of VIP tickets for the tournament. The teachers that go to my church invited me to tag along, and I'm not one for turning down a chance to be an annoying sports fan. :)
For my first soccer match, it was pretty cool. Let's just forget about the moment when I realized that U17 means the players are under 17 years of age. Nope, 17 does not mean the number of teams in the league, Mag; way to make the connection. Anyways, so the match wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it was, but I met some new people and made some new friends.

Speaking of which, the friendships are coming--slowly, but they're forming. My counterpart at the American School, M, is in her early thirties and hails from Wisconsin. She has offered to help me plan Literature curriculum and even borrow her lesson plans for next semester; this is a huge relief and another answer to prayer. She's a Green Bay Packer fan and easy to talk to. I'm going over to her apartment after church tomorrow to help her dye her hair. Yep, female bonding at its best. :)

I also got a chance to talk with our new neighbor, L, who just graduated from college on the East Coast in May. He's Nigerian-American, and has returned to Nigeria for a few weeks to visit Rachel's sons. We talked for a while last night over tea and it was just really good to talk to someone my own age with a Boston accent and an understanding of American culture. We commiserated about graduating, moving on with our lives, and living far away from home. It was really encouraging and was exactly what I needed.

For those of you faithfully praying for my health, I appreciate it very much. I can breathe through my nose again, which really is a bigger deal than it needs to be. I've just never been so grateful for my health.



Countdown: In 6 weeks + 24 hours, I'm going to be on a plane home. Get excited.

VISA

The doorbell rang at 10 this morning. My mom and I shouted "FED EX!" at the same time and I practically bowled her over to get to the door. My passport and visa arrived with 60 hours to spare! All systems are GO!

Continuing Down the Road

As we are rapidly approaching August 21st, I wanted to detail the work that goes into preparing for a trip of this magnitude. If you've spent any time overseas, this process is quite familiar to you, I'm sure, but since I'm a first-timer, the whole ordeal is so overwhelming my head hurts sometimes.

And because I'm just that OCD, I'll break it down for you categorically.

Physically, I've already seen 2 doctors and will have my formal physical tomorrow with doctor number 3. (Make it 4 if you count the travel clinic where I got my yellow fever vaccine.) I'm taking sterile medical supplies, a whole host of natural supplements, and dozens of medications (No, literally, dozens. I wrote out my list for Customs tonight: 3 pages.)

Legally, of course, I've obtained a passport and am still in the process of obtaining my visa. My application should be walked through the Nigerian embassy tomorrow (Thursday) and prayers for unhindered processing and swift approval are greatly appreciated. The reality of this trip still hinges on the approval of the visa.

Mentally, I divide my time between intense concentration on Nigeria and pathetic distraction to keep myself from dwelling on it too deeply. It's an overwhelming feeling: trying to conceive what my life will look like in just a few weeks. A friend from church shared a similar bit of wisdom with me: part of the concern is that you just can't imagine how life will be different once you have made your new home in a foreign land. It is impossible to be completely prepared for what lays ahead.

Financially, I have sacrificed almost my entire personal savings to be ready for this trip. A new wardrobe, food supplies, camping gear, and updated technology are just some of the items I've purchased since starting out down this path. Allow me to clarify that without the financial support of my parents and grandparents, I would be headed to Africa absolutely and devastatingly ill-equipped. My grandparents are giving me the ability to communicate with friends and family back home; I can't attach a value to that gift--it is too great. My other grandparents are relieving me of a huge stressor by storing my car (free of charge) with the meticulous, loving care that defines my grandfather. My parents have sacrificed so much for me to be prepared for whatever lies ahead. When school starts in 3 weeks, I will look the part of a teacher because they've clothed me. I will eat things that remind me of home because they bought food. And I will wake up on time because my alarm clock runs on rechargeable batteries that my brother Jake provided! Moving to Africa is truly a team effort!

Emotionally, I try not to dwell on the loss that awaits me. I acknowledge all the things I will miss while I am away: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, my little nephew beginning to walk and talk, Jake's first year at Wheaton, and my college roommate's wedding next June. Nothing will prepare me for the crippling separation of my family, and if I can admit that now, I hope to accept it when it happens, even if it catches me off guard.

Spiritually, I am amazed at the presence and provision of Jesus Christ in every turn of this entire process. The timing of this opportunity was orchestrated perfectly, and I continue to trust that as I take steps of obedience, the Lord will align the desires of my heart with His own. I have been equipped for such a time as this, and want only to be used of God in situations I cannot even anticipate. I've also been overwhelmed by the spiritual support of friends and family, and not one but two church families! Prayers for safety, prayers for blessing, prayers for health and wellness have all been prayed over me and for me and I cannot contribute the peace I feel to anything less than these prayers and the saints that pray them.

I speak in faith when I say that my next update will include a positive response from the Nigerian embassy regarding my visa!

Makin' it work

Friday morning I finally spoke with the school's director (henceforth called Mrs. O.) and my fears and concerns were mostly allayed. She promised me all the paperwork I require via email or fax on Monday. After a small delay (attributed to a damaged internet cable under the ocean...nothing major haha), I received everything I needed to complete the visa application! Mrs. O had to enlist the help of a friend with Gmail in order to attach all the documents, but let me tell you, desperate times call for desperate measures.
I'm FedExing everything to the agency in Washington, D.C. today so that they can walk it through the Nigerian Embassy. Hopefully I will have a visa in 10 days!

On another note, I've taken over the dining room with all my supplies. Imagine packing for a year-long camping trip AND a year-long business trip at the same time. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around both concepts!

This little sucker is going to be a lifesaver: This is my water filtration unit, the Katadyn Gravidyn. It uses gravity to filter and store 2.5 gallons of water at each use. It stands about 3 feet high, and the 3 orange cylinders are the Candle Filters, made with ceramic and carbon granules. These bad boys filter up to .2 microns, including bacteria and parasites like E.coli and Salmonella Typhi and cysts like Giardia and Crypto. The filter also represents peace of mind. Just ask my mom. :)