Taking Things for Granted

(Note: This blog post was written 2 weeks ago)

Per the title, this update will chronicle the major blessings and deprivations that so contrast my life now from my life in the States. This is not a rant of frustration; neither is it a complaint. Rather, this is just an illustration of the way my life has changed—for better or worse—in the past week. And let me preface everything by saying that I LOVE my life here in Nigeria. I love it.

Item One: Power
As I write this, I am enjoying my first taste of electricity in 16 hours. NEPA (Nigerian Electric Power [nep’ uh]) lets the power go without notice, and depending on the time of day, the owners of my compound (Mr. & Mrs. O) will turn on the diesel-run generator. It’s happened a lot in one week, and now Jan and I just rejoice when NEPA comes back after a long break. I’ve got my trusty headlight (even though I look like a dork wearing it, I’ve got a picture for your viewing pleasure) which I hang on my doorknob so I always know how to find it in the dark. Our stove is gas-powered, so we can cook when the power goes off, but generally, we try not to open the fridge or freezer when there’s no power. It never stays off too long (if NEPA doesn’t come back, the generator will), so our food doesn’t spoil and our freezer doesn’t de-thaw. Even today, which was the longest I’ve gone without power, our perishables did not perish, praise God!

Item Two: Water
Today I took a cold shower that dripped. I have never appreciated water pressure more! Thankfully, the water heater that hangs just above my shower works fine as long as we have power. Also, I’ve been so happy with the taste of the water here at the house. I have not had to flavor it at all. The water at the compound is cleaner than city water because we have a separate well system that goes very deep into the ground. It does smell like rust, but I only notice that in my bathroom; I think the Katadyn water filter takes out the rust taste from our drinking water.

Item Three: Bugs
Right before I left for Nigeria, I killed a spider on the wall with my bare hands, and my friend patted my arm and said, “Oh, you’re gonna do great in Nigeria.” I’ve never had many problems with bugs I can see, and it’s a skill that’s benefiting me well here. The first night as I was unpacking the plastic-wrapped pillow provided for my use, I saw tons of tiny, almost-transparent red ants inside the plastic and crawling around the pillow. Not joking, I got that creepy-crawly feeling and threw the pillow across the room. The second pillow did not have ants but got zippered into a hypoallergenic case anyways. Then I discovered them on my mattress, on the walls, on the floor, and in my furniture. And not just ants: black bedbugs and tiniest little flea-like bugs you’ve ever seen. (I’ll admit that I don’t actually know what any of these bugs are, I just imagine what their American equivalent might be.) Oh, and let’s not forget my favorite: what I call the Cinnamon bugs. These hard-shelled beetles give off the distinct smell of cinnamon when touched or crushed. We have these only in our living room, thank God, because I don’t think I could get used to them crawling on me when I sleep.
So I’ve made friends with all the bugs that live in my room and just brush off my sheets before I get under the covers at night. I heard once that you eat about 8 spiders in your sleep in the course of a lifetime; I’ll probably have eaten twice as many bugs by the time this school year is over!
Here’s the principle by which I now live: Life in Nigeria is one eternal picnic. If you put down a pair of jeans (on the floor, bed, or folded in a drawer, it doesn’t matter) there WILL be bugs on it when you pick it back up. If you leave food on the counter, or scraps on a plate, there WILL be fruit flies or ants on it in about 30 seconds. The solution is simple: shake out all clothes before putting them on and seal all food scraps in plastic before throwing them in the garbage bin. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.
Addendum: Cockroaches, geckos, and lizards have now joined the fray. Cockroaches were promptly attended to with insecticide. Lizards and geckos have been left alone, since they eat the other bugs. Our gecko I’ve named Geico, obviously. The female lizard that lives in my room I’ve named Lizzie for two reasons: firstly, it is the name of the lizard in the Magic School Bus books I read as a little girl and secondly, it is the nickname of Elizabeth Bennett of Pride & Prejudice. Now that I’ve named them, I can seem them as pets and not be bothered by them. It’s all a psychological coping mechanism, really.

Item Four: Fruit
And now, the part of the update where I get to revel in the glories of Nigeria. I love fruit. There aren’t many fruits I won’t eat, honestly. Apples with peanut butter was my favorite after-dinner snack in the States, but I’ve discovered that apples here come from South Africa, so they’re very expensive to import.
Enter the Custard Apple. You haven’t tasted fruit until you’ve tasted the Custard Apple. I don’t know what it’s called in the States, although I’m sure I’ve never had it before, and I don’t know the “real” name, but I know that eating one is the closest I’ve been to bliss here in Abuja. It’s like a prickly pear on the outside, all bumpy and green, but when you peel it open and eat the white flesh, it has a thick, custard-like juice that tastes faintly of apple, with big black seeds encased in the flesh. I bought 2 more at the market yesterday and almost made myself sick from eating an unripe one last night.
My new favorite snack is a fruit salad with watermelon (which is pretty much the same as home, only smaller), papaya (which my roommate Jan calls pawpaw—she grew up in Guyana), and pineapple (not as sweet as the ones at home). The fruit is glorious, let me tell you. Jan just rolls her eyes and laughs when I eat custard apples, but honestly, it’s the highlight of my day.
Addendum: We recently bought white guava and coconut. And we’re anticipating the Mango Season.

To reiterate, I love, Love, LOVE my new life. It’s taking some adjustment, certainly, but I love the landscape, the vitality, the rawness of life here. My life is simpler and I love that, too. I’ve given up trying to keep my feet clean, my hair straight, and my face not-shiny. In doing so, I’ve given up feeling self-conscious, and I feel more beautiful now than ever.

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.

I'm alive and well!

Hello, family, friends, and loved ones!

Big thanks to Mom for updating for me. This is the first opportunity I've had to use the internet for more than 30 seconds. It definitely is a luxury here in Abuja, at least from my perspective, since I really only go from home to school and back again. I am working on getting an international cell phone as my primary means of contact, and sending text messages are really really cheap from my end! It's the easiest way to communicate here - Jan's son Tom told me that it's more expensive to call a person sitting next to you in Abuja than to call from here to London! Texting is the affordable option, however.

It is a HUGE adjustment. Very little about my life now is similar to my life 2 weeks ago. But that is okay; the Lord is breaking me out of my box and I am experiencing a new life, a new home, and a new dependence on God, even for my daily bread. (No, really, my daily bread...my roommate Jan is on the Atkin's diet, so bread and carbohydrates are rarities at home, but I still buy them for myself!)

On that note, I am eating well. I am eating enough. I am satisfied. I am losing weight, but not dangerously so. Again, the Lord is preserving and sustaining me. This week, my roommate Jan and I went to the British Council building here in the Maitama area, where I had a Chicken Shawarma. The best way I have to describe it is like a burrito from Chipotle, with a thick, flat, Lebanese bread, chickens, onion, some more indeterminate ingredients, and about 5 times the spice. I'll be getting used the spice ASAP. Last night, Jan made us chicken wings fried in olive oil with cashews, green onions and mushrooms. It was delicious. You should be jealous. :)

I will never again take electricity for granted. I've already lost track of the number of times I've been without power in the last week. We have generators both at our compound and at the school, but even so, I've gotten used to feeling my way around in the dark. You know in that moment when the power goes out, when the lights go off, and Americans usually freeze, dumbfounded? Well, the Nigerians have absolutely no reactions whatsoever. They don't even blink. Seriously, it's just a part of their daily lives. And now it's a part of mine, too.

The Lord is so faithful. SO. Faithful. I love my home, complete with ants, fleas, spiders, and cockroaches. I love my fellow staff at ICS; they truly are a family that has welcomed me with open arms. I love the new culture I'm adapting to. I love the respect that everyone shows here: Muslim, Christian, Hindu, regardless. It's all about respect here.

School starts Monday. Please pray that the weekend would be fruiful work time for me. As it turns out, I'm adapting the existing curriculum for grades 6, 7, 8, and 9 and starting from scratch for 10, 11, and 12. We got new books this year, and I've had no training for curriculum planning. This is in addition to the standard lesson plans for each class (5 every day). But the Lord is equipping me. AMEN.

Blessings to you all from my little corner of Africa!

Arrival in Nigeria!

I (Audrey) am posting on Maggie's behalf.

Maggie arrived, as did her bags, in Nigeria on Saturday evening. Someone from the school was there to meet her as well as to lend a cell phone so she could call home to give a brief message of her arrival.

She called yesterday, giving me a little more information. Although her home has running water she says she's already lowered her standard of personal hygiene. She's already done some cooking and feels healthy at this point. With a quivering voice she said "I've never eaten so litle yet felt so satisfied."

Sunday morning her flat mate invited her to attend church. Maggie said that when she got into the car their driver was playing a Christian music CD. Sara Groves began to sing Maggie's favorite hymn, Come Thou Fount. Maggie said it was confirmation that God was with her and she was in the right place.

Her first day of school with the students is August 31st and is weighing heavily on her. She is unsure of books, supplies, etc. that she'll have to work with.

Internet is expensive and hard to come by. Both the school and her home rely on a generator for electricity. At this point Maggie does not feel she'll have internet access very often and hopes to get a cell phone of her own. Others have been gracious in lending their cells on the two occasions she's contacted us.

Maggie said it's going to take time to adjust to her new life...and the red ants that live in her home.

Final Goodbye

This is my last blog stateside until I am settled in Abuja. I am all packed, with 3 suitcases weighing in at 49.2, 48.5, and 48 pounds respectively. I also have a jam-packed carryon suitcase and a backpack!

My best friend Laura came over last night to assist with the packing endeavor. She ended up asking me all the tough questions ("Mag, do you really need this?" "Can you surivive without that?"), which was great because I was trying to take way too much. I halved all of my food supplies, which cut down significantly on weight, and will bring the rest at Christmas if necessary. It's amazing to me that when you get right down to the nitty-gritty, your perspective changes about what is really essential.

So here I am, 4 hours away from leaving for the airport. God is still faithful. I'm moving to Nigeria.