Images and imaginations

It's actually Saturday, the 8th, but because I got one photo loaded on Thursday, it shows that date. Internet difficulties and lack of time require that I leave these as is. If you want to see the pictures and there are only boxes, click the box and the picture should appear. I'll try to fix it when I have another two hours!! The above pics are from around the camp. The igret bird is high up in a palm tree. They are beautiful birds who especially love to hang around when the grass is freshly cut. These images took about two hours to load so I'll leave the rest to your imagination as I fill you in on some stories -- ever so quickly, of course!

Briefly, Prince's father's memorial service -- 2 days of feasting at his father's house. Prince was responsible for all of the food, etc. He rented 300 plastic chairs. His siblings helped with expenses, fortunately. At the end of it all, he still owed the village elders a goat in honor of his father. He didn't have the money and promised them he would deliver the goat as soon as possible. They were not happy but accepted his promise. Well, a man unknown to Prince arrived at the house and apologized to Prince that he couldn't get to the village earlier. He explained that he loved and respected Prince's father and that he wanted to present a gift -- yep, over near the road was a huge goat. So, the elders danced for joy that the duty had been fulfilled and all debts were settled. Before Prince left the village on Tuesday, the elders told him that if he marries and returns to the village to live in the next 5 years, they want to confer on him a chieftancy title. This is quite an honor. Already Prince is regarded as a source of wisdom for the villagers. He has sat with the elders on and off for years and has learned the entire history of the village. And he has great discernment. He says that when the first man arrived at his home to ask Prince for advice, Prince was only 17.

Ubadire Timothy Nwaogwugwu -- that's Prince's name. His father always called him "Prince!"
So, this guy has amazing stories -- if he hadn't learned, first hand, the fear of God if he lies, I'd think he was "shining us on" -- an expression I've told him about. But, we believe he's sincere and just a very stubborn adventurer -- including surviving in a small boat on the open seas for 2 weeks, without food and water for a few days. He says that they looked like dead men when they arrived on the shores of Equatorial Guinea. They frightened the local children away!

So, anyway, starting on Monday, I'm going to sit at my laptop and type while he talks. I told him we've got at least two books, here -- one about his life thus far and one about his village history. Lucy's had a hard time getting work done this week because Prince is such a fascinating story-teller!! Anyway, thanks, Linda for the idea. I'll get a draft finished and then start looking for a publisher, I think. I showed Prince a book about an American woman living in Lagos in the 60s and told him that people love this kind of stuff. None of the village history is recorded but it's all logged in Prince's brain!

The Mango Tree Fellowship (my name for the Friday gathering of workers for worship and teaching from noon to one) -- about 25 guys this time. One gal finally joined us, too. I don't know why more of the maids don't join us -- I couldn't even get Lucy to go. She likes to go back to her quarters during lunch break. Most of the maids live on the camp and most of the men live off of the camp -- maybe that's the difference -- the guys don't have anything else to do during lunch. Anyway, it was a great time. The preaching was the best I've heard in Nigeria. The teacher was the foreman of all of the workers. We are going to visit his church this Sunday. So much of the emphasis, here, is on gaining material wealth. It has disturbed us a bit -- 'seems like a "come to Jesus and he will make you a Big Man!" approach. So, it was refreshing to hear Freedom, the teacher, say "don't chase after miracles, chase after righteousness!! God is a God of miracles but, most importantly, He wants your whole heart!"

I had to have a straight talk with Christian yesterday. I'd been hearing reports that he lies and many of the residents won't buy produce from him. Well, it seems that he lied to me about his age. He says he didn't know is age -- which is entirely possible in the village, but he was born here in the city, so..... I'm skeptical. I told him that I can't work with someone who lies to me, that I didn't want to make a quick decision, that I needed to pray and think, but that I was very disturbed (a common word, here) and would not buy anything from him while I thought about it. (I don't need any ve-ge-tables, long "a," right now because we're eating out 4 days in a row due to a golf tournament in which we are guests -- they're recruiting future golfers and Jim's clubs are in the sea shipment.) He's very long-faced.

Speaking of the sea shipment. It's here in the port!! They are promising us that we'll have it in 3 weeks -- that's about 2 months earlier than typical so ... we'll see. But, in the meantime, they have Jim's passport. And mine is still in Abuja, awaiting a residency visa. So, we can't go anywhere fast. But we do have photocopies for emergency.

OK, gotta run! (Actually, strolling is the Nigerian way!) We're off to the golf tournament. Jim is working such long hours, this will be a welcome break!