This trip started off with 2 weeks of preparation which I think I wrote a little bit about. Our first week was in the wilderness in Colorado and then we spent the second week in a wonderful town call Decatur, Texas. The people that we met there and stayed with were amazing and I fell in love with the incredible hospitality and warm that came from everyone. SEND Ministries is based out of Decatur now, so that is why we were there, just in case that question was burning in your minds. We spent the week in a class room in the church and just began to spiritually prepare for this trip, we did a lot of bible studying and reading, praying and intercessory prayer.
Once we left for Nigeria our team was well acquainted with each other and we were anxious to get to where we would be calling home for the next 4 and a half months. We had a long layover in London which was just a nice little treat. We took an adventure out and saw the palace and Big Ben and my heart was just taken back by how much God just enjoys to enjoy life with us. We didnt have to see those sites, but it was a blessing that we were able to.
Nigeria welcomed us at 4 in the morning with warm humid air and a power outage in the airport. From what we have come to find out here is that the power is a little less then reliable, so we met Pastor Prince Lawrence, he is our contact here and we headed to his house. Explaining the driving and the lack of traffic laws here is a whole different entry, I could write endless stories of the hundreds of people that flood the streets and the countless honking horns you here and cars swerving in and out and all the close collision calls. But at the same time, there is almost a sense of organized chaos and though Ive had my times of closing my eyes in fear, I cant help but look around and be amazed most of the time.
We have been staying this whole month with the Pastor and his wife in there home due to some complications with our apartment. They have been so gracious to let 10 people crash in the living room, while they already have 7 people living with them in their 2 bed, 2 bath apartment. So if you just added that up, yes...close your mouth, its true....we've been living 17 people in a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment for the past month. Amazing right? There has been something so truly incredible about the whole thing. We have gotten so close to the family here and the girls they have adopted and I absolutely love to simplicity of it all. Im not going to lie, there have been its difficulties, but that happens in all things. Praise the Lord that He truly does cause ALL things to work for the good of those who love Him and are called -Romans 8:28.
We have become friends with some of the neighborhood kids, some are Christians and the others are Muslims. Its been great getting to know them and hanging out with them. Please keep these things in your prayers, that we may have more open doors and opportunities to share God's love and truth and that just our very presence would be a fragrance of God's goodness. We have spend some time going out on the streets and evangelizing and inviting people to church services that happen all through out the week. Have you ever been in a parade before? Neither have I, but walking through the roads here make me feel like Im in a parade. Everyone stops and watches us, smiles and I just start waving because I dont know what else to do. People want to know why we are here, why we would chose to come to Nigeria of all places. Some of the children here have never seen white people before and so they just start laughing and some come up to talk and others run away in embarrassment, its all very comical.
This last week has been very hard for most of our team. 7 out of 10 of us had Malaria symptoms flare up. Most of them had only minor cases and not a lot in their blood, but as for myself I had come down with a severe case of Malaria. For all of you that have had Malaria, I sympathize with you...our whole team feels your pain. Its a nasty thing to have and so this past week our home was filled with sickness. Praise God the medicine here is good and we have a friend at the church that is a nurse and she has been an angel to us, administering our medicine so we didnt have to stay in the hospital. We have all mostly fully recovered and this week we are starting back up all our ministries that we have been getting involved in.
dont and wont have a place to go to. The orphanage isnt in the best conditions either, but if you are wanting to send some treats or games or toys of any kind...anything would be a blessing to share with the kids while we are here. I will put the mailing address at the end of this blog for those that may want to send something.
Also, another prayer request is for the church here. Its been in the building process for a while now and there are walls up and one of the 3 walls have windows installed. People in the town see the unfinished building and they dont want to come because they think that we are just going to be asking for money. Here in Nigeria everything is about money, a lot of the churches here focus their services on getting as much money as they can out of the people attending. Please pray that God would open the eyes of people in the community to see our church as something different, its a place where the Word of God is taught in spirit and truth. Pray that God would provide financially for the church as well to finish there building.
I love the people here and I love the family that we have been staying with. When I think about leaving this place, though it is far off still, a piece of my heart hurts because I know its going to be so hard. God has been speaking to me a lot about what it means to have the heart of Christ and to desire to see His people brought back to His truth. This nation has a lot of Muslims and so many people even in the Christian churches live very much in lies and deceit. We spend a lot of time praying throughout the nights here, and we wake up to the Meka calls for prayer and I cant help but feel God's heart longing for His children.
Continue to pray for good health for our team and for those of us that are missing our families and longing for some familiarity. Its hard to be away from home, but I believe that God is at work not only in our lives as individuals but at work in the city we are living in.
I will try and send another update as soon as can and I promise it wont be as long as this one. For those of you still reading...I appreciate it and I give you props. You must be either my family or a true friend.
Our team is still in need financially as well, while we are here we are wanting to visit the hospitals, visit more of the orphanages and do a lot of other ministry but financially we are having restrictions. If you are in anyway feeling led to give please make your checks payable to SEND MINISTRIES and put my name in the memo (Rheanna Davis :) you can send your checks to SEND MINISTRIES at 885 East Vista Way. Vista, CA 92084
Also, to send a care package please send to Rheanna Davis care of: Prince Lawrence P.O. Box 4890 Garki Area 10 Abuja, Nigeria and like Ive already said, any gifts or treats you want to give to the kids would be awesome!!
You guys are amazing and I thank you so much for your love and support. Blessings to you all...until next time.
Seek Justice...love kindness...and walk humbly with our Lord -Micah 6:8
Ps. Veronica says HI :)
