A Birthday Gift from God

Today has been a memorable birthday for me. Our schedule and Jeanie’s schedule worked out best to go to the Yankari Game Reserve today, which happened to be my birthday. The beginning of the week had been pretty busy, so it was a nice day off. What a great day it has been! We left early this morning to make the 2 ½ hour drive to the main gate with another 30 minute drive in the park to the main facilities and swimming area. We first took a 2 hour safari drive through the park. Within 15 minutes of driving, we came upon a herd of elephants. The safari group that had gone just before us had not seen any elephants, and indeed some of our missionary friends have yet to see elephants at Yankari, even after many trips. We were right in the midst of them and only 20 to 30 feet away at times. It was fantastic! The safari was a great success. We encountered : a snake, elephants, water buck, bush buck, dik dik, crocodiles, baboons, wart hogs, guinea fowl, water buffalo, many birds, and tse tse flies. Seeing both water buffalo and elephants on the same trip is unusual. Hannah noted, “Dad, God gave you a birthday present today.” And indeed it was a much appreciated gift.

After the safari we had lunch with the wart hogs, which are very docile and have no problem begging for food.

We then went to the Wikki Warm Water Spring just down the hill, where we had a delightful time swimming.

We had heard stories of mischievious baboons stealing clothes, but we were lucky, we did not have any problems with the baboons, though we did get quite close to them just as we were about to load up to leave the park. Camille unknowingly rang the dinner bell so to speak when she rattled the plastic container containing peanuts. We had ten baboons scurrying to the back of the van. We shooed them away and were able to leave without incident.

We made it home before dark and most importantly before 7 pm curfew.

Michael Mitchell, MD

P.S. Interesting clinical pictures coming soon. I had quite a case this past Monday.

Medicine in the Seminary

Today I was invited to share ear, nose, throat medical advice to the seminary students. Every day the Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS) has a chapel service and guest speakers are often invited. Today I was the featured guest speaker. I spoke on basic ear care, avoiding colds, and taking care of the voice. The voice topic was especially interesting to the students, since most of the students will be ministers of some kind. The talk was well received.

Michael Mitchell, MD

Day 3 of Jeanie's Visit

Today was an exceptionally busy day. We began the day going over to a ministry in town: Mashiah Foundation. (You can see their website at www.mashiahfoundation.org). This ministry was started several years ago by a woman who wanted to help women who are affected by AIDS earn money to care for themselves. Their gift shop features the quilting and sewing work of over 100 women. Jeanie and I helped support many women today!

We continued on to the open market where we bought matching pieces of fabric. It’s a Nigerian thing to get matching outfits made out of the same fabric. After returning home for lunch, we made good on our promise to take Victor out for a birthday shopping trip. It was a first for me as well: going to Katako Market where most Nigerians go for their clothing and other second hand wares. Jeanie and I also both had our first taxi ride (see picture.) Fortunately, no chickens or goats went along for the ride and there were only 6 people crammed into the dilapidated Toyota Corolla. Victor is one happy boy now!

We had another game at Hillcrest and then came home for dinner where Jeanie had a very authentic Nigerian meal: moi-moi with red sauce (a ball of ground black-eyed peas and sliced boiled egg.) It’s one of Emily’s and my favorites!

Lisa

Welcome Lunch at Hillcrest/Immunization Clinic at Gyero

Jeanie made it! She's here and hit the ground running. After overnighting in Abuja, we arrived back home for a brief time to greet Emily and Michael and meet our household helpers. Then we were off for lunch at Hillcrest School to greet Hannah, Sterling, and Camille. The kids ran up and literally swept Auntie Jeanie off her feet. We sat down for our usual Wednesday picnic on the school grounds with our bonus visitor. Jeanie had her first Nigerian food: suya (barbecued beef), puff-puffs (not sweet doughnut balls), masa (prepared rice flour), and potatoes (fried potatoes.) So far, she likes Nigerian food . . .

Before dinner, we attended Hannah and Sterling's basketball games where Jeanie met a significant portion of the mission community. Then came Christmas as we sat around the box Jeanie and Larry graciously packed up for us. We all took turns squealing with delight as we were handed the items we had requested. There were even some surprises from school friends who had thoughtfully prepared and delivered items to Aunt Jeanie just for the trip.

Today, we went with our neighbors Don and Kim and another friend named Kelly to Gyero. At this orphanage, we gave over 150 injections to children vaccinating them against measles, polio, hepatitis B, and tetanus. Jeanie helped give shots as well as draw up shots. We got a tour of the orphanage as well. Many of these children were on the streets before coming to Gyero and have no living parents. Others might have one living parent who cannot adequately take care of them. I had a lot of fun letting the girls select a bracelet off my arm (as a prize for being brave) and putting it directly on their own arm. Most of the girls looked at me with wide eyes and gave a little curtsy in thanks. The boys just got a piece of candy, "sweets", and were happy to get that as well. We really enjoyed getting to know the two Nigerian nurses Vicky and Salome who worked alongside us as well.

Lisa

She's coming . . .He's coming . . .

For those of you who think Africa is just too far away, you are about to be proven wrong! We are gearing up for not one, but TWO visitors from Vancouver, WA! Very soon, you will see pictures abounding on our blogspot of someone from a faraway place just like you pictured in the various settings that Nigeria has to offer . . .the crowded marketplace, a distant waterhole with elephants nearby, a high school basketball game with a mob of international parents cheering on, etc.

Who are these wild and crazy adventurers?

The first one is my spunky, daring sister from Vancouver who is about to bravely get on a flight solo to Nigeria. She is coming for 10 days. So far the plans are to blitz the trade shops for souvenirs, navigate our way through the side streets of the marketplace, spend a day at a nearby game reserve and natural spring, immunize orphans at a makeshift clinic, be a guest lecturer to eager Nigerian seminary students, drive out in the country to a nearby orphanage as guests for tea, and many more. After this whirlwind trip is over, I am expecting to need a vacation!

Crazy adventurer #2 is a colleague of Michael’s: Dr. Doug Meyers. He is also coming solo to work and experience all that Nigeria has to offer.

Anyone else want to come?

Conference

SIM Conference was definitely a highlight of the year, maybe even up there with South Africa. Every morning us teens would wake up at about 8:00 in the morning to eat a breakfast consisting of cereal, breakfast meats, and usually pancakes (which is quite a treat if you have lived here awhile). My friend Jordan and I would then take off to the chapel to go rehearse worship songs for the morning worship service. At the service we would play the songs and then all of the high school and middle school kids would leave to go have our own youth group. We would start off with a short game to have some fun and then we would watch a Rob Bell video. After the video finished we broke up into groups to discuss what was in the video. By the time we were done it was time for lunch so we would all head over and eat in our own area away from the adults. There were no plans for us after lunch so we could do whatever we wanted. Usually there was a hiking group going somewhere, people wanting to play ultimate frisbee, or airsoft wars to be had. On the last evening we had a Talent Show. Most of the acts were skits and there were some musical ones including me, Jordan, Ryan, and Caroline throwing a band together and playing Forgiven by Relient K. Our act would have pretty good had the mixing been better. Caroline was on guitar and it didn’t turn on until halfway through the song giving us a little bit of a shock. Overall Conference was really great, I was sad that it was over so soon.

Sterling (16)

Round the Cape and Return Home

We have safely arrived back in Jos all refreshed and ready to work again.

Cape Town, South Africa will go down in the Mitchell History as one of the best vacations ever! Why you ask?

-beautiful beaches

-German chocolate

-real movie theaters and malls

-real grocery stores with overwhelming selection (I actually got teary-eyed)

-picturesque mountains

-great hiking

-all the cheese, milk, and ethnic food you want

-fantastic dining at budget prices

-nice cool climate

-wonderful family time

-sleep that isn't interrupted by guards tromping around outside your window, occasional gunshots, and Muslim prayer calls and Christian church services over loudspeakers throughout the night

We are now getting ready for the annual SIM missionary conference. It will be a time of great encouragement, teaching, and fellowship with the other missionaries in Jos. Upon its completion we will begin our last semester in Nigeria.

One of the last things we did in Cape Town was to go to Cape of Good Hope. It was amazing to stand on the point where ships have struggled to round on this major trading route. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Lisa

A Trip to Egbe

Last month I took a surprise trip to Egbe with Phil Tait, the SIM director of Nigeria, and Tobias, one of the Swiss medical students studying at Evangel. Phil sent out an email saying that he was traveling to Egbe for the Centenary Celebration of 100 years of the gospel in Egbe and invited anyone who wanted to come along. Tobias and I decided to go because we were interested in seeing the mission hospital at Egbe. We did not know much about the celebration, but Phil explained that it was a celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the missionary Tommie Titcombe bringing the gospel to Egbe. Tommie Titcombe was a small man, barely 5’2” and 100 pounds, who applied to SIM back in the days when Africa was still considered to be the “white man’s grave” and SIM (still Sudan Interior Mission) was only accepting the hardiest individuals. SIM turned him down repeatedly, but he applied so many times over the course of several years that they finally gave up and accepted him. Tommie Titcombe started the first church in Egbe and his wife started a maternity care clinic. Beginning with the Titcombes’ effort in Egbe, the gospel spread to all of Nigeria. Eventually the churches founded by SIM became the Evangelical Churches of West Africa (ECWA), which is the dominant denomination in Nigeria today. The Centenary Celebration was a week long event celebrating the anniversary of Titcombe’s arrival in Egbe. It included dramatic reenactments, sporting events, speeches, traditional dances, and every night a worship service. Each night thousands of people attended the service, all seated on lawn chairs arranged in a semicircle around a central grandstand.

In addition to Phil Tait, Tobias, and me, there were two other groups from outside of Nigeria. One group was led by Don Campion, the son of the doctor who founded Egbe Hospital. The other group was accompanying Dr. Kantayya, who was the medical director of Egbe Hospital a few years ago. Dr. Kantayya, Don Campion, and Phil Tait were highly honored guests at the ceremony because they represented the missionaries who had over the years brought Christianity to Egbe. Even though Tobias and I had only come to visit the hospital, people saw our white skin and assumed that we were related to one of the famous missionaries being celebrated. I was asked if I was Phil Tait’s daughter, Dr. Campions niece, and even if I was a granddaughter of Tommie Titcombe himself. Tobias and I became guests of honor in a ceremony we knew nothing about. We were given seats in the grandstand, served meals catered by a company in Lagos that specialized in American food, and hailed like heroes as we walked down the streets.

The whole week was full of long ceremonies and important people dressed in fine robes. But the grand finale was the final closing ceremony. Whenever there is a wedding or an important ceremony, there will be an official cloth for the event. Everyone who is attending the ceremony buys the official cloth and has it made into their particular style. The official fabric for this event was blue with a big portrait of Tommie Titcombe on it. When we came to the ceremony there were thousands of people wearing this fabric. Tobias borrowed an extra shirt from Phil and I got an extra outfit from the Kantayyas.

At the evening worship services the pastor who spoke got so excited and was shouting in Yoruba so fast that the translator had to yell over him to keep up. At the beginning of his sermons he would start calmly, but by the time he reached the end of his sermon he was screaming in Yoruba, the translator was screaming in English, and the whole thing was completely unintelligible. The services each evening always started at least an hour late and went well into the night. On the last day, the final ceremony lasted 5 hours. During that time I managed to read the entire biography of Tommie Titcombe, a book I got from Phil the day before. The copy I read had a funny story associated with it.

Especially for the occasion SIM reprinted 1,000 copies of the biography of Tommie Titcombe written by Sophie de la Haye, “Tread Upon the Lion.” When the artists showed Phil Tait the cover art they had designed. They gave him two options for the cover that were exactly the same, except that inside the “O” of the word “LION” one had a picture of a lion and the other had a picture of a tiger. Phil selected the one with the lion, but instead the company proceeded to print 1,000 copies of the biography with a tiger on the cover. My family has jokingly been calling the book “Tread Upon the Tiger.”

- Emily