Africa, here I come!

So, since I am leaving for Nigeria soon (the 12th now, not the 5th...) I thought I would write some about what I do know about Nigeria, and what I know about where I will be going... We are still waiting on our Visas, which will hopefully be ready on the 5th. It has been quite the process getting the visas, so we are just trying to keep our fingers crossed. If all goes well, we WILL be leaving on the 12th! If I am delayed any longer, I may just hop on a plane...

First of all, I am going to be arriving into Lagos, which is in the south of Nigeria, along the Gulf of Guinea. From there, we will take a 6 or 7 hour car ride to Enugu, the state where we will be living. Enugu is a state in South East Nigeria. Just outside the city of Enugu is a small village called Awkunanaw, where Kerry and I will be located. There is a community of sisters there who we will be living with. The sisters run a primary school in the village, and Kerry and I will start our volunteering there. As we get more comfortable, we can branch out and find even more opportunities to serve.

Last week, Kerry and I met with Sr. Eucharia, a nun from Nigeria who is studying in DC. She was exuberant and so full of life and energy, that I was filled with excitement for the upcoming trip. She told us all about where we will be and what it is like there. One thing she said really struck me. She had been talking about violence in Nigeria with an American sister, who was worried about two young, american women traveling to Nigeria. She replied with, "I have been in your inner cities, I know dangerous. Nigeria is no more dangerous than any place here."

She described the people and said that is why people must travel to Nigeria. The people there are amazing. Full of life and color and joy that is unmatched. If they are anything like Eucharia, I don't doubt that she is right.

Another thing she made sure we knew about was the heat... It is hotter than anyone can possibly imagine. An American sister we talked to who has traveled there said it is 'blistering, unbearable and undeniable heat, like we cannot even imagine', she said to take the coldest Minnesota winters and basically invert them. I googled the climate in Nigeria, and it looks like a good day will be at least 100 degrees, and a cold day will be in the 80's. It is those days that the Nigerian sisters bundle up in sweaters... Good thing I am bringing lots of sunscreen!

Of course, I am excited most about the music! She said that music is everywhere, in everything. I am hoping to find a community in Nigeria that I can sing with. Even listening to the music will be more than enough.

I also found a quote in my West Africa book by Lonely Planet that says, "Chaotic and exuberant, yes, but never dull. If you don't visit Nigeria, you can barely say you have been to Africa".

Here is some information I found out about Nigeria. Nigeria has thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. The capital city is Abuja. The people of Nigeria have an extensive history, and archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. The Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original homeland of the Bantu migrants who spread across most of central and southern Africa in waves between the 1st millennium BC and the 2nd millennium AD. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the eighth most populous country in the world with a population of over 140 million. The number of languages currently estimated and catalogued in Nigeria is 521. This number includes 510 living languages, 2 second languages without native speakers and 9 extinct languages.

Wish me luck, and hopefully the next time you hear from me, I will be in Africa!