September 5, 2013

I went to the bank today to do some transfers – went in driving rain – was about the only vehicle on the road apart from a few bicycle taxis with their brightly-colored, extended umbrellas sheltering driver and passenger alike.   Rainfall is heavy in this part of the Niger Delta – especially in Eket and Oron – towns so near the ocean.  The roads were flowing rivers of water today, which is especially hazardous in Eket, given the number and depth of the potholes and ditches along the way.  Those of you who’ve been here know what I’m talking about!

Anyway, as I sloshed through the deep water on the way to the bank, windshield wipers going crazy, pedestrians racing for cover, I realized I’d never told you what God did for me a few weeks ago, when the California team came to build the church at Esuk Ekong!  The rain reminded me!

In Nigeria, much emphasis is put on the testimony hour at church.  But the testimonies are of recent events in one’s life where God has shown Himself faithful.  And as someone moves forward to testify, they sing a chorus along the way.    

So, my chorus now, “I am a living testimony, praise the Lord, of what God has done-o, praise the Lord!”

First, the rain.  Here’s the thing.  We are in rainy season.  And as I said, it really, really rains here during rainy season…night and day downpours.  (Kind of like Seattle, only worse!)

Well, I had prayed and prayed that during the team’s ten-day visit, God would hold back the rain.  And He did!  During the ten days our visitors were here it rained one or two nights, completely stopping before 6 am., and at the work site, there were only two afternoons of very light sprinkles, lasting about 20 minutes each! 

The day before the team came it was raining so heavily that the roads were rivers.  And the day after they left, the heavy rain resumed its work.  And it’s been raining every day since then! 

That’s miracle number one.

Then there was that fateful day - that Thursday I will never forget.  The next day, Friday, I was to fly to Lagos to meet the team.  I’d scheduled Thursday to go to the bank, withdraw the money needed to buy groceries for the ten days, pay for my flight to Lagos to meet the team, pay for our hotel rooms there, taxis and flights back to Eket. 

I drove up to the bank.  This is Ecobank, by the way, a multinational institution well-known throughout the world.  Heavy gates and metal protectors fronting the building, normally open and welcoming at that hour, were chained shut!  I sat in the car, stunned, gaping at those gates!  Not believing my eyes! The security guard standing nearby waved at me, shook his head and mouthed, “Bank is closed today.  State holiday.  Closed tomorrow too.” 

This couldn’t be happening, I thought to myself.  No way.  I have NO money to buy groceries, fly to Lagos, feed us there, house us then get us back to Eket!  I punched in the phone number of my friend Mr. Ologun, the Ecobank manager with whom I work, someone who always answers at first ring and who has helped me enormously during my years here.  The phone rang and rang; no one answered.  I called his other line.  No response.  What was I going to do?  I rang both numbers two or three times again.  Finally Mr. Ologun called me back, but said there was nothing he could do.  The bank was tightly locked up ‘till Monday and he was on his way to Uyo to spend the long weekend with his family.

Realizing I was in BIG trouble, I just started praying that God would somehow make a way, where there seemed to be no way.  After some time of just sitting in the car, thinking and praying, I decided to go to the grocery store, ‘Testimony Plaza’,  and plead with the Igbo woman there, ‘Ma’, to extend credit ‘till Monday.  After all, I had shopped at her store for many years – a faithful customer!  Then I’d call the Blue Nest Hotel in Lagos and my taxi driver there, Mr. Nna Nna, and ask them the same favor.  That’s what I would do.

I drove to Testimony.  ‘Ma’ wasn’t there, but her minions were, (she has them sooo brow- beaten!  They jump at her every word and do NOTHING without her permission!)  Chukwu, John, Esther and Grace basically run the store for ‘Ma’ while she presides over her little kingdom perched on a high stool, clutching her vast leather purse!   I told these long-suffering staffers my problem and asked if I could get credit.  They said no way, that I’d have to wait for ‘Ma’, who was ‘coming’.  (In Nigeria, that means she could come in an hour, later that day, tomorrow or next year!) 

I asked if I could at least fill the cart.  I had a long list of groceries, after all, and it would be good if by the time ‘Ma’ showed up, that part of the work was done.  Chukwu and John finally agreed, so I filled the cart.

“Now, let’s make a list of my purchases and package them up, so when ‘Ma’ comes we’ll be ready to do business!”  (I knew I was really pushing it, but thought if all was in readiness ‘Ma’ would have no choice but to give me the credit I sought!) 

Chukwu sat down at the table and started to write the list while John packed the groceries into the cartons. 

Suddenly, in walked ‘Ma’.   Five faces turned towards her, expectantly, hopefully….

But when I told her the situation and asked her to extend credit until Monday, ‘Ma’ literally blew a gasket! 

“We NEVER do this!” she screamed!  “Chukwu, John, you know we don’t extend credit!  Have we ever done this before?  NO!  What are you thinking, making that list and packing the items?  Get those things back on the shelves NOW!”  Chukwu and John froze, not moving to empty the cartons.  Just waiting. 

I explained again, told the whole story of the visitors coming, of Ecobank being closed, of my return on Monday to pay her.  She would have nothing of it.

I just stood my ground, knowing that sometimes the Holy Spirit can work and minds can be changed.  Just stood there silently, along with Chukwu and John - Esther and Grace cowering in the background.  ‘Ma’ ranted and raved, paced the floor, shouted down the minions when they tried to defend my request.

Then ‘Ma’ said, relenting slightly, “Okay, if you’ll pay for half of the bill, I’ll give you credit for the rest ‘till Monday.”  Half of the bill would come to N25,000 or $160. 

“That’s my problem,” I answered.  “I don’t have half!  I don’t even have ten kobo, (cents,) to give you!”  And continued to stand there silently.

Then Chukwu, who was standing over to the side gave me a look, kind of jerked his head towards the door and went out.  So after a few seconds I followed him outside. 

There, Chukwu pulled out of his pocket a wad of bills, exactly N25,000, and pushed them into my hand.  “Take this,” he said in a low voice, “and pay for the groceries.  You can pay me back whenever you are able.  But don’t let ‘Ma’ know I gave it to you!  She’ll kill me for certain!” 

I was so surprised and touched by this kindness, so unexpected, so desperately needed, from this boy who hardly even knew me that tears sprang into my eyes.  I hardly knew what to say!

“Go and tell her you’ll go out and borrow the money – the N25,000 she demands!” Chukwu whispered.   “But please don’t let her know I gave it to you; she’ll sack me for sure!”

I went in and told ‘Ma’ I was heading out to find the money, and to please hold the groceries for me.  I then drove around Eket for a bit, praising God, went back to Testimony, paid ‘Ma’ and loaded the supplies into the car.  I thanked ‘Ma’ and said goodbye to the minions, promising to come back Monday with the rest of the money.  I wanted to hug Chukwu, but knew that would give the game away, so just smiled at him, hoping he knew how I felt!

So, one down…but could I expect the hotel in Lagos and the taxi driver, not to mention Network Travel, to extend me any credit?

I had just passed Ecobank, (still tightly locked up, I was sorry to see….could it not have just been a dream?) when my cell phone rang!  I looked at caller id.  It was Mr. Ologun!  My banker!  I swerved to the side of the road sending a wave of water over a poor passing cyclist, and answered the phone.

“You can come to the bank,” Mr. Ologun said without any preliminaries.  “Tell the guard to let you in.”

My heart beating joyously, I did a quick U-turn, nearly running into a van loaded with dried fish from Oron, and drove back to the bank.  The guard gave me a weird look, like, “Didn’t I tell you we were closed?” 

“Mr Ologun told me to come,” I explained, and calling Mr. Ologun, I handed the guard the phone.   Ologun told him to have me wait in the guard house, then just a few moments later, Ologun came walking out of a side door of the bank,  motioning me to follow him back inside.

It was very dark inside the bank, with only one dim security light by the door.  It was quiet; our footsteps echoed as we walked through the empty room.  Then I saw Mrs. Chibuzor Nmesirioye, another manager, standing motionless next to a table upon which were stacked five piles of N100,000 bills!  N500,000 – a little over $3,000! 

“Will this take care of your needs ‘till Monday?” Ologun smiled. 

This time, I was completely speechless.  That Mr. Ologun and Mrs. Chibuzor had taken their time to come in to the bank just for me, (Mr. Ologun had turned around and driven back to Eket to arrange it,) open the bank and the vault just for me….it was unheard of.  This never happens.  What wonderful people, and what amazing love they showed to do this thing for me.  I couldn’t thank them enough.

“I know women never hug men in Nigeria,” I told Mr. Ologun, “but just this once, could I please, please hug you guys?”  Mr.  Ologun and Mrs. Chibuzor shyly submitted to my request, then quickly bundled the money into my bag and me back outside the bank premises before any alarms or higher authorities could catch us! 

And so I drove home through the rain, filled to the brim with gratitude and appreciation for these people who had come to my aid when I needed it most, praising God for the way they had loved and blessed me.  And the way God had blessed me.  Because that kind of love can only spring from hearts linked to God’s heart, after all. 

These people were loving God and loving people, even as Jesus had commanded.  And that’s all we need in this world, to make everything alright.  Oh how I pray that I may show love to others, as it has been shown to me. 

So, I packed away the groceries, flew to Lagos, met the team, flew back….had food to feed them….!  

Of course, first thing on Monday I drove back to Testimony Plaza to pay ‘Ma’.  I was kind of glad she wasn’t around!  “If you wait awhile, she’ll be coming….” Grace told me.  “Nah….that’s okay!” I said! 

“No, I’ll just pay you the balance I owe.  Be sure you tell her when she comes!”  Of course I had the signed receipt, of which she also had a copy, so all was well.

And Chukwu was there, stocking shelves.  I went over to him and with a full heart, gave him back the N25,000 he had lent me.  I shook his hand and thanked him again, telling him what a blessing he was to me.  He smiled and waved off my thanks.

This, my friends, is my testimony.  I thank God for the way He is caring for me, through these wonderful Nigerian friends.  God continues to show me His protection, love and grace, and a multitude of blessings….most of which come in human form….in all shapes, sizes and colors! 

My chorus, as I ‘walk back to my pew’ goes like this: “Who has the final say?  Jehovah has the final say!  Who has the final say?  Jehovah has the final say.  He turned my life around, He turned my life around.  He made a way where there is no way!  Jehovah has the final say!”