May 2010
2 posts
only in nigeria...
will you see two men and eight goats on a motorcycle
will you mistake gunshots for fireworks
will you see trucks so overloaded that they either fall over or cannot make it up a hill
will you have a lizard run across your window/floor/wall, etc
will people dress in in parkas, mitts, hats in +25degree weather
would a person have 2 or 3 cell phones
would you have to finish your evening...
April 2010
4 posts
community.
I came to Nigeria expecting to have difficulty developing friendships. Normally I am a very social person who doesn’t have problems making friends. But I was worried that I had lost my touch after being holed up working on my thesis for so long. And to be honest, I really didn’t think I knew myself anymore. I had forgotten my personality (who I am, what I like, what I dislike) and I really had...
more more photos. →
“Grace is not inactive. It should push you to work for righteousness.”
– Adapted from a sermon at ECWA JETS (Evangelical Church of West Africa, Jos Evangelical Theological Seminary)
March 2010
9 posts
funeral.
“oh, when the saints, go marching in, oh, when the saints go marching in. oh Lord, i want to be in that number. when the saints go marching in.”
i went to a funeral today. the wife of one of the guards died of a heart attack shortly after child birth. although she has a previous heart condition, this death was fairly unexpected. the newborn baby boy is healthy and doing just fine, but has now...
new pics, yo. →
everyone likes a little mail.
if you ever feel like sending me something…(probably sooner rather than later is better since the nigerian mailing system is like everything else in nigeria…unpredictable and on its own time):
Rachel van Oostveen
c/o SUM-CRC
PO Box 261
Jos, Plateau State
Nigeria, 930001
(ps - your mail is guaranteed to make my week).
things i miss about canada
• tim horton’s french vanilla cappuccino
• milk
• being able to snuggle under my duvet without sweating
• paved streets
• grocery stores
• not having everyone stare at me wherever i go
• meat (mostly a good piece of beef)
• no dust
• my blackberry
• my family and friends
• stairs/tall buildings
• constant electricity
• easy communication with people
• being able to walk on the streets after...
you can't be a chicken in Nigeria. →
the adventures of cooking in Nigeria! (pictures of the chicken cooking are @ the end, but feel free to look at the rest of the pictures as well!)
a wedding tradition.
i just had the craziest afternoon. i went to what they call a “send-forth”, where basically the entire neighbourhood of the bride came together to send her off into her marriage. there was about three hundred people, seated somewhat like a church would be and then a full out program started. there was an emcee to announce what was happening, and a dj that was pumpin’ the beats. the program...
a wedding tradition.
i just had the craziest afternoon. i went to what they call a “send-forth”, where basically the entire neighbourhood of the bride came together to send her off into her marriage. there was about three hundred people, seated somewhat like a church would be and then a full out program started. there was an emcee to announce what was happening, and a dj that was pumpin’ the beats. the program...
a common Nigerian greeting (written in English)
Me: Hello!
Nigerian: Hello.
Me: How are you?
Nigerian: Fine.
Me: How is your day going?
Nigerian: Fine.
Me: How is work?
Nigerian: Fine.
Me: How is your family?
Nigerian: Fine.
Me (thinking in my head): Wow. Nigerians sure are descriptive people. Give me something to work with!!!
February 2010
7 posts
displaced people.
today i got the chance to do some relief work in an town just outside jos called bukuru. this town was probably the hit the worst during the crisis in terms of burnt homes and businesses. there are many, many refugees that are without homes and have been forced to live with their extended family and neighbours.
when we first arrived, they had just organized/handed out the stuff (which includes a...
the tower of babel
“come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech”
sometimes i feel like i am living out this well known story here in Nigeria. if i had to pick one thing that i am struggling with (and it isn’t a huge struggle), it would be communication. for example, today i stood in a tailor’s shop (after having my measurements taken for my bridesmaid...
a note on landscapes.
nigeria is full of different landscapes. the country is split into thirty six states and each (from the ones that i have visited thus far) are quite different! i live in the plateau state, and surprise! it is on a plateau! which is apparently, the saving grace from the heat during the dry season. we get what is called “harmattan” which basically means that sand from the sahara desert gets swept up...
inside my mind.
so this might be a bit messy because i am just going to write about whatever comes to mind. i’ve been asked to be in a wedding party here. my friend tabari is getting married at the beginning of march (i work with him at the hospital). I’ve been asked mainly because i am white, and if you have “baturi’s” (white people) in your wedding party, your guests will think you are well off. they are using...
January 2010
7 posts
the battle lines have been drawn.
i heard an interesting and incredibly true perspective on the “crisis in Jos” today. many people think of this battle as a fight between christians and muslims, and see it as an “us versus them” scenario. in many ways, they are right to do so. there are clear lines between these groups but the thing is, both sides are in the wrong. both sides are killing and hurting others in the name of their...
lost in translation.
tabea (my swiss physio friend): oh, i see he has sores on his...what do you call them?
me: on his what?
tabea: his wheels?
me: huh?
(she points to his feet)
me: ohhhh, his heels. yes, he does. you were close!
a note on traffic
if you think the amount of people on the road in toronto is bad, you need to come here and drive around. it is nuts.
to set the scene - picture the worst paved roads you have been on, add potholes (if they aren’t there already) that are about 10 inches deep and scattered everywhere. there are no such things as sidewalks, but its just wherever the pavement for the road drops off into a bunch...
sannu = hi
well, at long last, i am here. and let me tell you, it is not what i expected and it is what i expected all at once. i could probably write a novel right now based on all the information i have gathered over the past four days, but i will spare you the time and slowly tell it all while i am here.
so this will be short and sweet (mostly because my computer battery is dying and i won’t have...
December 2009
3 posts
january 6
is the ACTUAL date that i leave. which means i get to spend Christmas with the family and new years with the friends! and have a little bit more time to prepare for what is in store! prayers for preparing my heart and mind for this journey would be appreciated!
the date is set
well my good friends, it looks like i will actually be going on this adventure that i’ve been planning for quite some time. after carefully considering all of the many factors, i will be heading out on the 27th of december and returning the 18th of may! this allows me to spend christmas with the famjam, get a decently priced ticket there and back and spend about 5 months on the continent of...
November 2009
2 posts
my heart cries...
*for all the kids suffering from progeria, a disease that causes bodies to age 7x faster than normal
*for all the children that have lost their parents
*for all those people that have no dreams
*for the lots boyz of the sudan and the pain they went through
*for those who don’t appreciate the magic of music
*for all those girls that don’t think they are thin or beautiful enough
...
October 2009
9 posts
VISA!
I gots mine!
Woohoo!
testimonies and malaria pills.
so today was really cool! i got to go up during the sermon at chach today and tell everyone how i got to where i am right now. the sermon was on jeremiah 29 so it was quite fitting. it was fun and i don’t think i sounded too nervous, even though my heart was beating so fast. its weird, i would rather sing in front of a group of people than speak. public speaking is not my forte. but it went...
inclusion.
I don’t like being left out. I don’t like missing things. I anticipate this will be one of the hardest things about leaving to go to Africa. I am definitely going to miss things going on back home. Friends are going to hang out, family will celebrate Christmas and New Years, and I will not be there. I think the aspect that scares me the most though, is that while I am gone, people...
i have been approved!
i just heard word that i have officially been approved as a Ministry Volunteer for the Christian Reformed World Missions in Nigeria! so i guess this means that i can go! or something! i also just heard that donations are coming in - so thank you so much for those! keep ‘em coming! so things seem to be coming together for this trip. the fundraiser is panning out well and people seem excited...
ugh.
this is how i feel right now.
come to my fundraiser!
Please come! It seriously is going to be a great night - check out the band: www.isobellegunn.com OR http://www.myspace.com/isobellegunn to listen to their amazing music! And there will be art from local artists - which make great birthday and Christmas presents!
Hope to see you there!
my support letter!
hey friends! this is a copy of the letter i sent out to gather support and encouragement for my trip! if you didn’t receive this letter and would like a copy, or a pre-paid envelope (for your generous donation, of course!) then let me know! Dear Friends, Hello! I am writing this letter to give you an update on God’s call for the next year of my life and to hopefully find some encouragement...
question marks! or rather, ?
okay. so. here’s the earth. oh, that’s a nice earth. it certainly is! but where the heck do i fit in?? this question i am sure, plagues many of us. now that i have (almost) finished my degree, and i am fairly done with schooling at the moment (this may not be by choice but….hey), ive had to battle this question. and my decision? well, i’m going to Nigeria. crazy!!!! i...