People

We left for Nigeria on June 1 from Dallas and eventually made our way to Abuja(Nigeria's capital city)around 4:30 am on June 3. By the time we cleared customs, got our luggage and got loaded and underway it was about 6:30 and we had a 4 hour ride ahead of us. As we wound our way through the city and on our way to Jos (capital city of the Plateau State) the one thing that was inescapable was the number of people. Nigeria is a country about the size of Texas yet is the most populated country in the entire African continent with more than 130 million people.

They were everywhere, walking along the streets, in huts as we passed, in fields working, riding the Chabahhs (little moped taxi's). I remember looking at my watch as it was only 7:30 and the sheer number of people that were up and down the roads was staggering. This many people in such a state of poverty . . . amazing. I was so tired yet did not want to sleep as I was afraid there was something I may miss.

What I did not miss was how quickly the Nigerian people were to smile. There is one thing about being in a city like Abuja or Jos that is different than our cities. In any big American city we see such a diverse population and various people groups. In Nigeria, being a white person, we stood out like a red wine stain on a white carpet. There was no missing us even behind the windows of our van. As we would slow to pass through a town or by a rail road crossing (this is a popular spot for street merchants) we would usually receive a wave and a smile. Everyone we met our two weeks there extended their welcome and a smile.

It all made me wonder, here these people are truly destitute, most of them hungry and without running water or electricity in their homes. The poorest of the poor, yet they smile, they welcome and want us to know they are glad to see us.

Here we are with all of the opulence the world could offer (today I sat at a restaurant with two of my Nigerian Trip teammates and we all commented on how many menu choices and how this concept would not sink in to one of our Nigerian friends) and yet we can barely summon up a smile for our neighbor or the cashier at the grocery store.

During one of our conversations with one of the elders at a Nigerian church we brought up the topic at how warm and friendly the people of his country were. He then smiled a great big smile and said "Nigerians love to smile because we know we have much to be thankful for!"
I wanted to ask "Really? You can't be serious!" I mean after all does he not see what is around him? Does he not understand all the stuff he is missing? And I guess that is what they get that we don't . . . its just stuff and it can never really make one happy.

More to come soon . . . still processing