They say that the last quarter of a tank of gas goes far
quicker than the first. While I
question the legitimacy of such a statement, the principle definitely holds
true when it comes to time spent amongst beautiful people and meaningful
experiences. I can’t believe that I am well into the final quarter of my final
year here at A.C.A. While I am excited to go back to my home country to be amongst
old friends and family, the thought of leaving my students and co-workers is
pretty devastating. I hate goodbyes. As the needle on my time-gauge makes its
way towards “E,” I am filled with a greater urgency to pray, speak truth, and
display love towards those God has placed in my life here in Ibadan. I pray that God would give me the
strength and direction to complete all that He has for me in this chapter of
life.
The last month has been filled with blessings, which I’ll
try to briefly summarize. As Spring Break approached, plans for the two-week
holiday were sparse and unstable. But, by the time April 4th rolled
around, my excitement about the vacation-time was through-the-roof. With the help of my compound mates, I
had thrown together a little retreat plan for my Discipleship Club girls. We
had been discussing in club the practical application of being disciples of
Jesus—that is, learning “to do all that [He] commanded”—that is, learning to
love and serve our neighbors. So, I decided we should center the retreat around
the theme of “Service” and provide some real opportunities for the girls to get
their hands dirty. So, during the course of the retreat, we set up a party for
the children of “Jesus Kids” (see last post) and brought them in for a day of
fun.
Many of my students had never interacted with or appreciated at all people
with disabilities, so it was a beautiful growing experience for them. Each girl
was paired up with a buddy (much like at Joni and Friends camp or Luke 14) with
whom they did crafts, rode horses, blew bubbles, took pictures, and danced. It
was a blast.
After driving the kids back to their facilities, we began the next
big project—cooking and setting up a nice banquet for the grounds staff here at
A.C.A.—gardeners, cleaners, guards, and gatemen. During the evening meal, the
girls presented gifts and Thank You cards to each staff member to appreciate
there often-unnoticed work. Through the course of these two service events, my
girls gained a huge appreciation for those who the world has deemed
unimportant. It was such a
blessing to see my students shine as they embraced with joy the opportunity to
be the hands and feet of Christ. I think many were transformed through the
experience, and I sure was encouraged.
When the three-day retreat drew to a close, exhausted though
I was, I began to prepare to travel to South Africa with Sam and Mr. Equi and
Mrs. Karen. The following week was a spectacularly serene experience. We flew
into Cape Town on Thursday and were picked up by some friends that we’ve gotten
to know here in Ibadan.
The beauty and luxury of the next few days baffled
me—from hiking atop Table Mountain, to wine and cheese tasting, to dancing on
the beach, to seeing fantastic animals on a safari. It was really too much to
take in. A couple of days spent with another friend in the midst of
Wellington’s wine farms, surrounded by mountains under a blue sky, was the
crowning jewel of our trip. God really spoiled us.
Coming back to Nigeria, where
quality in sights, smells, and organization is severely lacking, was a bit
difficult. But God quickly reminded me of the beautiful purpose for which He
has me here – to address the many emotional and spiritual needs of those around
me by loving them to Jesus.
A week after returning, many of our
staff and students were brought to our knees in prayer for our sisters in the
north who have been abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists (see more info here).
While it is sometimes easiest for us to separate ourselves from such
atrocities, a dream that one of our students was given brought the incident too
close to home. In the dream, a
group of men came into our school under the guise of preaching the gospel and
took, raped, and shot many of our girls. The dream was extremely vivid
and
demanded a response of intense prayer, not only for our own protection, but
also for the deliverance of the girls in the north who have been taken. When I
began to consider the possibility of my own students being taken in such a way,
I was struck with an emotional urgency to take up arms and fight until those
girls are returned to their homes. The school is joining together to do so
through prayer, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but
against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers
in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Eph
6:12). Please join us in asking that the one who led captivity captive would
quickly rescue these girls.
Finally, I’d be so grateful if
you’d pray along with me for direction concerning my future. My hopes of
starting grad school in the fall look to be falling through. I’m sure it’s
because God has something way better up His sleeve; I just have no idea what
that might be. So prayer for discernment and willingness to go where He leads
would be so appreciated. Until next time, O dabo!
