MARCH 8, 2010
Dear Friends,
JUST A NOTE TO SAY WE ARRIVED 35 HOURS AFTER WE GOT UP IN OMAHA. I DID MANAGE A COUPLE HOURS OF SLEEP BUT THE ROAD FROM YOLA TO HERE BEGAN WITH NEW ASPHALT BEING POURED , THEN PROCEEDED TO GET ROUGH. HEAVY RAINS HAVE WASHED OUT SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE MAIN ROAD BUT THAT IS THE REASON ALSO FOR THE BUMPER YIELD IN MAZE, PEANUTS AND RICE THIS PAST YEAR. THIS IS THE DRY SEASON JUST AFTER HARVEST AND EVERYONE IS WORKING ON THEIR HOMES. GRASS ROOFS ARE BEING REPLACED AND MUD BRICKS ARE PILED EVERYWHERE WAITING TO REPAIR OR BUILD A HOUSE. LOTS OF CEMENT BLOCKS TOO FOR THE WEALTHIER PEOPLE TO USE. GRASS ANDS CORN STALKS ARE WOVEN INTO FENCES TO KEEP THE CATTLE AND GOATS OUT OF THE GARDENS AND BUILDINGS. I REMARKED THAT THE ECONOMY MUST BE STRONG TO SEE ALL THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, BUT THEY TOLD ME THIS IS NORMAL REPAIRS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. GRASS FENCING AND ROOFS ONLY LAST ONE TO THREE YEARS ON AVERAGE.
NIGERIA HAS TWO SEASONS, HOT/DRY AND HOT/WET. WE ARE IN THE HOT/DRY WHEN THE ROADS TURN TO SAND AND ACT MUCH LIKE OUR SNOW. TODAY WE PUSHED OUT OF A DRY RIVER BED AND ONCE UP A SAND HILL. VERNA BROUGHT A THERMOMETER SO SHE COULD REGISTER HER MISERY. YESTERDAY IT WAS 94 OUTSIDE IN THE SHADE WITH A SMALL BREEZE, 96 IN THE DIRECT SUNLIGHT, AND 104.4 IN OUR TIN ROOFED HOUSE. THERE IS A REASON YOU SEE EVERYONE OUTSIDE BY NOON. LAST NIGHT IT DROPED TO 93 AND WE HAD A NICE BREEZE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.
WILMOT WELLS IS ALIVE AND WELL IN NIGERIA. TANKO KEFAS, VILLAGE WELLS COORDINATOR, PICKED ME UP AT 8 AM THIS MORNING AND WE VISITED THE FIRST FIVE WELL SITES WHERE EACH VILLAGE MUST HAND DIG THEIR OWN WELL UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF ONE OF TANKO’S SUPERVISORS. THEY ALSO HAVE TO SUPPLY ALL THE SAND AND ROCK TO MAKE THE CEMENT. WHEN WATER IS HIT, THEY DIG FURTHER INTO THE MUD SO THE WELL WILL HAVE WATER DEPTH EVEN THIS TIME OF YEAR(DRY SEASON). THE THREE PIECE STEEL FORM IS LOWERED INTO THE WELL AND THE CEMENT IS LOWERED IN A BUCKET TO BE POURED BETWEEN THE FORM AND THE DIRT WALL TO MAKE THE 4 FOOT DIAMETER LINED WELL. EACH FORM IS ABOUT THREE FEET HIGH SO NO MORE THAN TWO FORMS OR 6 FEET OF WALL CAN BE POURED AT A TIME. THEN THE FORM IS REMOVED, CLEANED, AND REASSEMBLED FOR THE NEXT POUR. TODAY I SAW ONE WELL ABOUT 12 FEET DEEP AND TWO OVER 85 FEET DEEP. IF YOU HAVE EVER STOOD OVER AN 85 FOOT HOLE, ONE’S FEARS CAN ONLY BESTED BY THE WORKER WHO WENT DOWN THE ROPE SAND WATCHES BUCKETS OF DIRT, AND ROCK BEING RAISED OVER HIS HEAD BY PEOPLE HE IS NOT RELATED TO. I HOPE MY PICTURES DO THIS PROCESS JUSTICE. OUR RECEPTIONS TODAY RANGED FROM ABOUT 25 VILLAGE PEOPLE WELCOMING US AND HAVING US TAKE THEIR PICTURE, TO THE SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO MARCHED OUT TO GREET US SINGING THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM.
March 11, 2010
DEAR FRIENDS,
IT HAS COOLED TO 101 DEGREES NOW SO I WANT TO TRY WRITING SOME BEFORE GOING OUTSIDE. ABOUT EVERY DAY AROUND 3PM WE MOVE OUTSIDE UNTIL THE SUN SETS BECAUSE THE HOUSE GETS SO HOT HAVING A TIN ROOF AND NO INSULATION. IT GOT TO 108 THE OTHER DAY BUT IF YOU DO NOT LOOK AT A THERMOMETER, IT ONLY FEELS LIKE 100 OR SO. VERNA GOT HER ASSIGNMENTS TODAY FOR TEACHING SEMINARY STUDENTS, THE LADIES, AND SOME CHILDREN AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY. I THINK SHE WILL BE WORN OUT BY AFTERNOON. HER AFTERNOON LADIES’ CLASS WILL BE UNDER PAIR OF HUGE TREES AS IT IS TOO HOT TO BE INSIDE.
YESTERDAY THE VILLAGE WELLS GROUP LEFT AROUND 8AM FOR THE LONG TRIP TO THE NORTHEAST. WE PLANNED TO DELIVER CEMENT TO ONE OF THE WELL SITES THAT HAS COMPLETED DIGGING AND IS WAITING FOR THE CASING CREW TO ARRIVE. OUR TRUCK DEVELOPED A VIBRATION IN THE TRANSMISSION AREA SO WE ALL GOT OUT A FEW TIMES TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. WE KEPT LOOKING AT THE FORWARD TRANSFER CASE BUT WHEN WE FINALLY JERKED TO A STOP, IT WAS THE “U” JOINT HOUSING HANGING BY ONE OF FOUR BOLTS AT THE REAR OF THE TRANSMISSION. I AM SO PROUD TO TELL YOU THAT I WAS THE ONE TO FIRST SEE IT. I SAID” DOES THIS LOOK RIGHT TO YOU?” SO WE STOPPED A MOTORCYCLE TAXI AND SENT HIM TO THE NEXTVILLAGE TO GET TWO WRENCHES (THE RIGHT SIZE I MIGHT ADD). OUR DRIVER/MECHANIC, APPOLLO, TOOK TWO BOLTS FROM SOMEWHERE TO REPLACE TWO OF THE FOUR BOLTS AT THE PROBLEM SITE AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY IN ABOUT 40 MINUTES. I WAS SCOUTING THE AREA FOR A GOOD PLACE TO SPEND A COUPLE OF NIGHTS. I AM CONVINCED YOU CANNOT DESTROY A VEHICLE HERE, IT HAS TO DISSOLVE FROM UNDER YOU. I WOULD TELL YOU THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THIS TOYOTA BUT EVERYTHING THAT EVER HAD AN ID NUMBER IS EITHER GONE OR WELDED INTO ONE UNRECOGNIZABLE MASS.
THE THREE WELLS WE DID VISIT WERE ALONG THE BENUERIVER THAT DIVIDESTARABESTATE. ONE WAS ALONG A TRIBUTARY THAT FLOODS DURING THE RAINY SEASON INTO ABOUT FOUR SQUARE MILES OF SWAMP AND AS THE WATER DRIES UP, THE PEOPLE COLLECT THE CATFISH BY NET OR WITH THEIR HANDS . SOME ARE SMOKED DRY FOR SALE LATER IN THE MARKET. WE HAVE EATEN IT A COUPLE OF TIMES …. VERY SALTY, BONEY, AND FISHY. THE WELLS BEING DUG IN THIS RIVER AREA ARE ONLY 8, 11, & 12 FEET DEEP. MUCH OF THE LAND ALONG THIS TRIBUTARY WAS BEING IRRIGATED BY PUMPS FOR YEAR AROUND CROPS, CAUSING THE WATER TO DROP EVEN FASTER WHERE THE CATFISH ARE NOW TRAPPED.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN A TWO LANE ROAD SINCE WE GOT TO BAMBUR. SOMETIMES IT IS ONLY A SINGLE LANE MADE BY MOTORCYCLES SO WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO SCRAPE BETWEEN THE THORN BUSHES AND THE TREE STUMPS. AT OUR FIRST VILLAGE TODAY (MARCH 11) I SAW SOMETHING EVERY FARMER IN OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD SEE. A TRACTOR WITH STITCHED TIRES. THE FIELDS HERE HAVE LOTS OF OLD STUMPS AND SHARP ROCKS TO CUT INTO THE TIRES SO IF THE TIRE IS SPLIT OPEN, THEY USE NYLON BALING TWINE(LOOKS LIKE TO ME) TO SEW THE THING BACK TOGETHER. GET A NEW TUBE OR REPAIR THE OLD ONE AND ON WE GO. I HAVE PICTURES. ALSO, TWO OF THE TIRES ON OUR TRUCK HAVE STRIPS OF INNER TUBE BETWEEN THE RIM AND THE TIRE BEAD TO MAKE THEM SEAL TIGHT. THESE ARE MY KIND OF PEOPLE!! WASTE NOTHING.
WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I SAW IN ONEVILLAGE COMPARED TO THE LITTLE AMOUNT OF WATER THEY WERE COLLECTING. THEY MUST NOT NEED THE 3 QUARTS A DAY THAT I AM CONSUMING. AT ONE VILLAGE, THERE WERE ABOUT 80 PEOPLE WITH LARGE DISH PANS LINED UP TO TAKE THEIR TURN AT 8 OR 10 LARGE HAND DUG WATERING HOLES. THE HOLES WERE DUG DEEPER EACH DAY AS THE WATER TABLE DROPPED SO NEW WATER WOULD FILTER IN. SOME OF THE HOLES WERE 8 OR 9 FEET DEEP AND MANNED AROUND THE CLOCK BY SOMEONE GETTING WATER AS WELL AS TO KEEP THE LIVESTOCK OUT OF THE HOLES.
CHILDREN IN NIGERIA ARE STOLEN JUST LIKE EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD. WHEN I ARRIVE AT A VILLAGE, MOST OF THE ADULTS AND OLDER CHILDREN RACE TO SEE THE “BATURE” (WHITE PERSON) AND SHAKE MY HAND. BUT THE LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE NEVER SEEN A WHITE PERSON SO THEY WILL RUN BEHIND SOMEONE, CRY, SCREAM, AND HAVE TO BE COMFORTED. EVEN DRIVING THROUGH A VILLAGE, I HAVE WITNESSED THEM BOLT FOR COVER WHEN THEY SEE ME. FOR THAT REASON, I NEVER APPROACH THEM OR LOOK STRAIGHT AT THEM BUT JUST DO MY BUSINESS AND TALK TO THE ADULTS. BY THE TIME I GET READY TO LEAVE, MOST OF THE OLDER ONES WANT TO TOUCH THE PALE SKINNED FOREIGNER.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I WAS IN THE MARKET WITH MY HOST THE OTHER DAY WHEN THIS GIRL CAME UP TO US AND STARTED TALKING. IT WAS FLORENCE PETERS WHO STAYED WITH THE WILMOTS FOR A YEAR AND WAS IN MY SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS AT WESLEY CHURCH. I USED TO MAKE HER SIT BETWEEN ANDREW ALLARD AND BECCA MEERDICK WHO WOULD NOT STOP PICKING ON EACH OTHER. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE HER UNTIL SHE SPOKE ENGLISH AND THEN I KNEW SHE HAD TO HAVE BEEN IN AMERICA.
