Sea Container

Wednesday:
Thoughts are flying through my mind at a million kilometers per second (I kept it metric in honor of the Nigerian experience…and of course science!) It’s hard to know whether to spew them all or choose a few to expound upon. I vividly remember this overloaded experience happening the last time…so many notable things going on.
It was SO HOT last night! I turned the generator off at 10pm fully anticipated the much-talked about NEPA (city electricity) to come on from 12-6am. Don’t worry, the rest of the city got it, but something was wrong with the wiring to our house so we didn’t! I never slept inside at those temperatures when I lived here and it was pretty hot and miserable.

However, I survived and went on to have a ridiculously productive and fun day! I went with the Iowa team to the United Methodist Church of Nigeria Secretariat (offices) to unload the sea containers that were filled by United Methodist Churches from across the state of Iowa. Layette kits, health kits and birthing kits, pill bottles, hospital beds, crutches for the area Methodist Clinics, school kits for kids, classroom kits for teachers, tons of books, solar refrigerators and panels and countless other items many of which are either impossible or difficult to find here in Nigeria. As we unloaded and sorted the goods alongside area Nigerians, many of which are the leaders of the programs who will be recipients of these goods, I was reflecting on many things including the kindness and generosity of the donors, the effort and organization of the coordinators, the thankfulness of the recipients and the sustainability and efficacy of such a gargantuan task.

For the past two evenings I've had the opportunity to go visit my friends in their homes and eat their delicious food. It has been so great to reconnect!