Danette: This blog was posted against my will. I was left with no choice but to post it after being threatened by A to stay longer than one night at the xrphanage.
Amanda: Saturday seemed to be a good day to have one of the students braid my hair, seeing as how we couldn’t go anywhere due to the election.
Rose came over at about 9 in the morning and started putting braids in my hair. (Danette had warned me never to get braids and that I should not get my hair braided.)
For those of you that do not know me, I usually have to find things out for myself. When I came to Nigeria a friend of mine told me that two weeks would be plenty, but being stubborn, I insisted that you need to be somewhere 2 months to really experience it.
I have definitely changed my mind and feel like one week would have been sufficient. I thought at least I have learned to listen to good advice and won’t make a mistake like that again.
Well, of course I was sure braided hair would be the easiest to manage and a lot cooler. After four and a half hours of sitting in a chair, Danette could not have described better how I felt. It felt like someone just threw a heavy rug on my head. I thought, “well, if I look better, it maybe worth a little suffering”. When I looked in the mirror I saw an alien with what looked like snakes coming out of my head!
I asked D how long she kept her braids in for and she told me, 2 long miserable weeks. I decided after less than an hour I just couldn’t do it. Being the good friend that D is, she helped me start taking them out.
We talked about how when we are in so much discomfort, why do we stay when we are capable of taking it away. Why do we have to prove something to others and ourselves? Why do we stay in misery that is pointless (braided hair) when it doesn’t effect anyone but ourselves?
Well, similar to the hair situation, I have to find out for myself how the xrphanage is. Danette has warned me that it will be nothing like I expected, but after two weeks of “resting” I think I am ready. After leaving the Internet today, we will be talking a car to another village where we will take a motorcycle the rest of the trip to the xrphanage. We will stay only one night and return with the baby Haruna on Tuesday.
I am sure I will know this even more so after leaving the xrphanage, but I can say with certainty Danette is an amazing person. No one will ever be able to understand her time here in Nigeria without being here to experience it. I could not imagine having the strength or endurance to stay four months. I don’t think she can either so it is a true testimony of God’s strength that is carrying her.
As we sat through a four-hour church service in the heat this morning and I wondered how she had survived. This question comes to mind all throughout each day. As we walked through the crowded market over piles of trash and by horrible smelling fish covered in flies, I couldn’t imagine Danette walking around alone. God knew I needed her here when I came to Nigeria because if she wasn’t here I may have never left the airport.
Today after getting home from the market we went into the bathroom to wash our feet. I was lying on the tile on my back with my feet in the tub trying to keep it together. Danette took the shower head and began washing my feet. I have never had anyone wash my feet and after walking on a dusty road through garbage it changes your thoughts about Jesus washing His disciples feet. Today I didn’t see Danette washing my feet, I saw the love and servant heart of Jesus. I know her time here isn’t what she expected it to be, but I know that the Nigerians have seen the love of God in her smile and willingness to serve.
(Danette is trying to convince me that the large hole behind us, where we draw water with buckets is a washing machine, and that by dipping our clothes in water they will actually become like new.)
Amanda: Saturday seemed to be a good day to have one of the students braid my hair, seeing as how we couldn’t go anywhere due to the election.
Rose came over at about 9 in the morning and started putting braids in my hair. (Danette had warned me never to get braids and that I should not get my hair braided.)
For those of you that do not know me, I usually have to find things out for myself. When I came to Nigeria a friend of mine told me that two weeks would be plenty, but being stubborn, I insisted that you need to be somewhere 2 months to really experience it.
I have definitely changed my mind and feel like one week would have been sufficient. I thought at least I have learned to listen to good advice and won’t make a mistake like that again.
Well, of course I was sure braided hair would be the easiest to manage and a lot cooler. After four and a half hours of sitting in a chair, Danette could not have described better how I felt. It felt like someone just threw a heavy rug on my head. I thought, “well, if I look better, it maybe worth a little suffering”. When I looked in the mirror I saw an alien with what looked like snakes coming out of my head!
I asked D how long she kept her braids in for and she told me, 2 long miserable weeks. I decided after less than an hour I just couldn’t do it. Being the good friend that D is, she helped me start taking them out.
We talked about how when we are in so much discomfort, why do we stay when we are capable of taking it away. Why do we have to prove something to others and ourselves? Why do we stay in misery that is pointless (braided hair) when it doesn’t effect anyone but ourselves?
Well, similar to the hair situation, I have to find out for myself how the xrphanage is. Danette has warned me that it will be nothing like I expected, but after two weeks of “resting” I think I am ready. After leaving the Internet today, we will be talking a car to another village where we will take a motorcycle the rest of the trip to the xrphanage. We will stay only one night and return with the baby Haruna on Tuesday.
I am sure I will know this even more so after leaving the xrphanage, but I can say with certainty Danette is an amazing person. No one will ever be able to understand her time here in Nigeria without being here to experience it. I could not imagine having the strength or endurance to stay four months. I don’t think she can either so it is a true testimony of God’s strength that is carrying her.
As we sat through a four-hour church service in the heat this morning and I wondered how she had survived. This question comes to mind all throughout each day. As we walked through the crowded market over piles of trash and by horrible smelling fish covered in flies, I couldn’t imagine Danette walking around alone. God knew I needed her here when I came to Nigeria because if she wasn’t here I may have never left the airport.
Today after getting home from the market we went into the bathroom to wash our feet. I was lying on the tile on my back with my feet in the tub trying to keep it together. Danette took the shower head and began washing my feet. I have never had anyone wash my feet and after walking on a dusty road through garbage it changes your thoughts about Jesus washing His disciples feet. Today I didn’t see Danette washing my feet, I saw the love and servant heart of Jesus. I know her time here isn’t what she expected it to be, but I know that the Nigerians have seen the love of God in her smile and willingness to serve.
(Danette is trying to convince me that the large hole behind us, where we draw water with buckets is a washing machine, and that by dipping our clothes in water they will actually become like new.)
1 comment:
Hey Amanda, nice hair! I hope you get this before you come home... Woman, you be careful. And tell D she has to be careful too. You both have to live till your old, ugly, and wrinkly, so I can find a Coffin that won't be jealous of you. You guys are too beautiful to be in a nasty old coffin. Lol. Ok, so now that that is out of the way. Lets catch up! Life has sucked without you here..... Joyce lost her mind and hired five new people, three since you've been gone. It's horrible:( Their all weird. Candace and Chris are trying to change half the rules, John is a little out there, and there is a guy named Rick James here too.... It's horrible.. Oh ya, did I mention that only one of them has a sense of humor? Ok so about me. I had an encounter with a teacher and said some words that I probably shouldn't have and got suspended... So tomorrow I'm going to be spending one glorious working or something. Then I'm going to go play in the snow! COME HOME PEEEEEZZZZZ:P I need my sanity back. Not to mention those amazing back massages. LOL
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