René's African Annals: SO, not under the radar

You know how when you arrive to a function already in full swing you just try to slip in under the radar? Ever tried doing that when you're the only white person within at least a 30 mile radius? Right. So this past weekend, I traveled to the delightful little ginger farming village of Kurmin Musa for a youth conference. Go ahead

and scratch out all visions of cushy hotels, conference rooms, stickers, and catered lunches. You can hang onto the picture of oodles of people, because over 2,000 Nigerians were gathered there in Kurmin Musa. OK, so I show up with my colleagues, Shammah and Joseph, and the outdoor conference in the middle of a field, is well underway. We weren't expected to present until the evening, so I'm thinking we'll just slide in the back,under the make-shift thatched shade somewhere, wait till a break, and then locate our contacts. Oh no, there would be none of that. Despite my attempt to blend in with Nigerian atire, I stood out like a polar bear on blacktop. Pretty soon we were being ushered to the seats of honor in the center of the U-shaped area, right behind the podium...while the speaker was still

talking (all in Hausa). About 5 mins after we sit down, I start to get the notion that we're going to be introduced. Sure enough, the emcee gives the mic to Shammah and he starts talking (all in Hausa) and then asks me to stand up. Shammah says a few more things (in Hausa) and then hands the mic to me saying, "Go ahead. Greet them in Hausa and then sing a song." !! What else could I do? There I was, singing...to 2,000 people...in Hausa...with body movements. As soon as we sat back down, I said, to Shammah, "Remind me to give you a bulala (beating) later." However, later on that evening, the fun only continued when we gave our presentation about camp and I found myself dancing by myself in front of this crowd. If there's one thing I know about winning the favor of Nigerians, I know you can't go wrong with some good dance moves. From the cheers and squeals of the masses, I think I did alright. Even more importantly, the youth seemed really excited about signing up for the camp we will host there in Kurmin Musa the 2nd week in January. Something else I found fascinating this weekend was the process of taking up an offering. First of all, they must have collected money at least 5 times just in the 24 hours I was there. You learn to carry small bills so you don't look like a schmuck for not giving anything. OK, so anytime an offering is being taken, the band (or just drummers) go to town and pound out a sweet beat that makes people want to dance. And dance they do, making their way to the bowl, basket, or bag up in front. Usually in churches, people are dancing down the aisles, dropping their money in, and dancing back to their seats. After all, God loves a cheerful giver! We're so used to having solemn music playing while the pretty trays shift down the rows, no wonder people don't look forward to the offering. Well, at this conference, when certain offerings were taken, people didn't just bring money, they brought sacks of grains and huge green bars of soap (see picture). Here, churches need these items for various functions, speakers, and pastors. Can you imagine doing this next Sunday in your church? Try dropping a bar of Ivory soap or a box of cereal in the plate next time. At least you're not dragging in a goat.