what is this, the midwest?

Today was a cold, windy, rainy day, quite out of character for Nigeria. The sun came out just long enough to set, but I'm inside wearing a sweatshirt/jeans, drinking berry tea, & listening to jazz. Except this is West Africa in June, and it's 85 F.

So I guess it's all relative.

P.S. 15 days to takeoff.

when it rains it pours

Oh-ho-ho but the rainy season has hit. It rains almost daily now, with the inevitable loss of power, too (we're on generator as I write).

I woke up last night to the most powerful wind I've ever heard. If we'd been in the States, I'm sure it would have been tornado weather. The wind was absolutely screaming through the flat. The pressure changes even blew my bedroom door open.

You guys, I was terrified. (Shh...don't tell anyone.)

I'm not a big fan of storms to begin with. Thunder is fascinating and all, and I've seen some pretty incredible lightning storms since moving here, but I still prefer to be inside, warm and dry.

I huddled in the fetal position--my usual, but nonetheless comforting, sleeping stance--and honestly prayed that God would calm the storm! I even scoped out where to go if the wind started shattering windows. When I felt brave enough to look at the clock, it was 5am...nearly time to get up. The generator started soon after that, and the wind and rain died down as it started getting light.

When we left for school, we learned that the outdoor gazebo on the other side of the compound had blown down, part of the roof had been lifted off, the basketball hoop was ripped out of the ground, and the upstairs parts of the compound were flooded (our ground-level flat was completely spared!). Some of the shanties next to our compound blew down, too. We saw trees down all throughout the city, and a cement post fell on a parked car across the street from the school.

Mrs. O said she imagines this is what hurricane winds are like...and she said she prayed that God would calm the wind and rains, too! Glad I wasn't the only one.

Here's to crazy storms, protection, and staying dry!

I have a social life!

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back my social life! After an extended absence, featuring several instances of lesson planning on Friday nights and various weeks of going only to work and straight home, I'm pleased to announce that my extroversion has made a long-awaited appearance!

All joking aside, I spent Friday afternoon at the home of a lovely American coworker. She's been inviting me over since August, and we finally got around to it! Mrs. C is married to a Nigerian and has two delightful young boys. It was so wonderful to spend the afternoon and evening in the midst of a family. We had lunch - some delicious Nigerian rice and plantain and chicken - and the boys kept bringing me balloons to blow up for them. It brought me so much rest to talk about adapting to culture and staying in touch with family and making long-term decisions that affect everything.

Saturday morning Jan and I made our way to another friend's home. Their daughter is currently at Wheaton (my alma mater) but spent Christmas visiting her parents, who work for the U.S. Embassy. They made us brunch (Waffles and fruit? Sign me up!) and then we spent a delightful afternoon at their pool, chatting and catching up on everything Wheaton.

It was so refreshing to speak with someone who feels such a deep love for all that Wheaton is, as opposed to some of the disillusioned, jaded Wheaton "survivors" I spent the last year talking with. I share this young woman's appreciation for the ways Wheaton has shaped us as individuals and helped us grow, and it felt something like closure for me to reminisce on my Wheaton experience, reflecting on the positive, instead of the negative. The sunshine and 92 degree weather only sweetened the conversation. (Don't worry, Mom, I wore sunscreen!)

This morning was church, and though Sunday mornings look a lot different than it did in August, what with the absence of an official pastor, I know that God is still present in our continually-changing community.
I give thanks today for the blessing of a church family: people who noted my absence and welcomed me back, people who nodded with understanding when I said that leaving home this time was infinitely more difficult than in August, people who asked eagerly if I will return next fall because they want me to come back. People want me to come back. I am wanted here.
As difficult as it is to leave behind the familiar and come back for another 6 months in this place that is not home, it is easier knowing that my presence is desired, and that people will miss me when I leave (and come June 18, I will leave).

On that note, I have not decided yet if I will return for a second year. Some days I lean one way and some days I lean another. Making an objective decision is impossible--emotions are implicitly involved--so prayer is my method. I am praying that God will reveal His plan to me. You may agree with me in that prayer, but I will ask that you do not pray that I will come home (or, conversely, that I will stay).
I'm serving a holy God in a place that makes me uncomfortable, and I'm finding joy and fulfillment in that obedience. Obedience, then, is my primary objective. If obedience means Nigeria, America, or the Galapagos Islands, I will follow where He leads. Pray, please, that I will be obedient, whatever that means for my future trajectory. Thank you for praying. It is sustaining me in this Hot Season.

Home for the Holidays

I'm safe & sound, back on U.S. soil. It is so good to be home. Although, home looks a bit different than when I left in August. Firstly, it looks like this outside:

And like this:

There was an approximate 80-degree difference between leaving Nigeria on Saturday and arriving in Minneapolis on Sunday. Good times.

Home looked a bit different inside, too. Apparently, my mom is something of an elf...and has been working on a total bedroom makeover for me the past 4 months. I'm really enjoying the fruits of her labor:

There's been 3 floral prints adorning these walls for the past 16 years.

My initial reaction: "I have a big-girl bedroom now!" It's so beautiful. A million thanks to Mom, Dad, and Sarah, who helped get it ready by Sunday. I have a legit reading corner now! And throw pillows!!! I feel like such a grownup!

I'm just soaking up time with family and loved ones right now. Kinda like recharging my batteries for the next 6-month push.

It's bound to be a wonderful Christmas.


If you were keeping track...Christmas Countdown: 0.

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?

Happy 2 Months!

Dear Nigeria,

Happy 2 Month Anniversary! We've been in a relationship for 8 weeks so far, and I've loved almost every minute of it. I celebrated today by shopping at Garki Market, answering to the name "oibo," and sweating to the point of dehydration. Good times.

Look, Naija, I wanted to talk to you about something. You've been very good to me thus far--the very definition of hospitable--but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind turning down the heat. I mean, I know you and the Equator are really tight, but if you two decided to get in a fight and part ways for a little while, giving me a few days of sub-90 degree weather, I would really love that.

I'm sure we can sort this out. I mean, I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not giving up on you yet, Nigeria.

Love,
Maggie

P.S. We're taking a break for a few weeks in December, just so you know. I'm sure our relationship is strong enough for that kind of test. I'll come back to you, don't worry.