Last week I celebrated my 3rd birthday here in Nigeria. I remember my 1st was when I had just arrived, no one knew me, nor knew it was my bday until the day was almost over so it was a fairly humbling time. Last year was the pirate party (remember?) This year there was a bit less fan fare...and I was feeling cruddy. 
SO, a couple of the staff, knowing how much I enjoyed hiking, took me on a birthday hike to this place called Dutse Maimaiki = "Rock of Wonder." Made me think of "The Cave of Wonders" from Aladin...but sadly this place didn't talk in a creepy voice and swallow perpetrators (sorry for you non-Disney lovin' folk). Right, so this mountainous rock outcropping is a "wonder" because its top is laden with these uniquely pentagonal and hexagonal shape rocks. It looks like they were pushed through one of those playdough machines. 
I asked my guide what they thought caused the rocks to be formed like this and he replied, "God." Right. I have actually seen another place in the world where God chose to use His divine playdough machine to make these groovy rocks--the north coast of Ireland. While Andrew and I were there last year, we went to this place called "The Giant's Causeway" and they too, had these polygonally shaped stones. 
Clearly, Ireland is less godly than Nigeria because they think a giant made their wonder :) Anyways, God apparently used the hot furnace deep within the earth to form volcanic rock into crystal-like shape which eventually came bursting out of the ground during some tectonic plate shift. Cosmic playdough, a giant's rage, or tectonic movement... seeing this wonder on my birthday was a poignant and humbling reminder that the One who was there orchestrating the sculpting of these rocks was also there sculpting me in my mother's womb 26 years ago and He says that I am "fearfully and wonderfully made." (Ps. 139:14)
So MY day was pretty cool, but the following day,MAI DAY, is REALLY worth sharing about. A word of explanation: The “Mai” is the traditional chief of this area, encompassing 7 different people groups and a considerable amount of area. He’s very powerful, influential, and highly respected. His domain is referred to as his kingdom and his house is the palace, which we got to visit a few days prior. See Claudia and I assuming our thrones.
We knew several church leaders and local dignitaries were coming to visit today, but I didn’t fully brace myself for what that would mean. It should have meant that I was on my A-game, greeting them with a big American smile, spewing out my best Hausa and utilizing the few greetings in the local language I had picked up...but I wasn’t. In fact, I was being held to my thin mattress by an extra-strong gravitational force due to a splitting headache and serious sinus constipation (which would give way to nose diarrhea approximately every 7.5 minutes). Right! So I didn’t exactly see the entourage arrive. Somewhere in my barely conscious state I heard Claudia say, “We want to welcome the Mai...” and gravity released its grip as I bolted straight up. . As culture dictates, the Mai’s size was proportional to his status...so it wasn’t difficult picking him out of the line up of VIP’s. His entourage included a federal policeman, one of his afro wearing sons, two turbaned, traditionally dressed dudes serving as the tribal body guards, and another guy I’m going to call the praise singer(P.S.). The P.S. was dressed a bit less regally but what he lacked in attire he made up for with words. His job, whether official or self-appointed, I don’t know, was to affirm/bless everything the Mai said and repeatedly proclaim a phrase equivalent to “Long live the King!” I wonder if the Mai ever turns around and tells him to put a cork in it...I certainly would find it annoying. Ok, so I stumbled into the room with all of camp facing this platform of babas. Claudia is giving a schpill about ECYA and I can’t help but admire what she’s done here in Nigeria and how she can speak undauntedly regardless of the audience. Then the Mai responded and in listing off the important people he was addressing, he points to me with his elaborately decorated fat finger and says, “I don’t think I was introduced to you.”
Doh! Why am I still surprised that I don’t blend into a crowd of Africans?? So I did a curtsy bow, introduced myself and we moved on. This Mai expressed how impressed he was with the vision of ECYA, but wondered where the results were. Why doesn’t he see more shops being opened by campers selling these crafts they’ve learned to make? He had the staff who did own shops stand up and told each of them to come to his palace and collect N10,000 (~$100) to reward their work and encourage their business. He went on to say he would personally talk to the local government chairman and microfinance bank about getting any interested and committed campers some capital and loans to open up their own shop! Wow. I’ve never seen a leader that both challenged and immediately enabled youth to succeed. He put his money where his Mai mouth was. Claudia and I looked at each other and we both had tears in our eyes. This is exactly the sort of support the ministry and the youth need--helping to ensure ongoing impact in the community post-camp. At the end, Claudia gave a closing prayer, followed by the Mai’s benedictory prayer, and then this clogged-nose, head-swimming, deepened voice baturiya was asked to give the “final final prayer.” Then, I was ushered into the recessional parade and thrust next to the Mai (and company) for pictures. Pretty snazzy, eh? More stories about camp to come...in the meantime, check out the pictures from all the camps.
