Many people say that travelling by road in Africa is an adventure. I don't always pray for adventure on the road, usually its for protection and a safe journey. We certainly prayed this prayer as we left Abuja, Nigeria at 5am on Saturday morning. Final destination: Niamey, Niger Republic. This is usually a 2 day journey. The first leg would take us from Abuja to Sokoto (via Kontagora, Niger State) is a LONG journey - about 10 hours. The roads are generally good, except for one road that is paved with potholes for over 100 kms. Then the plan was to spend the night in Sokoto, drive the last hour to the border in the morning, cross, and meet our missionary host who would take us the final 5 hours on to Niamey.
God had a different plan in mind. Let me tell you what ACTUALLY happened...
Our trip to Kontagora state was good. We arrived before noon to pick up the rest of our passengers, and greet our fellow missionaries at Warari Bible School. On we pressed to Sokoto...
We were supposed to stay in Sokoto...but after checking a couple places they said that most places were full because it was weekend. They suggested we press on to the border town (Illela) that there was accomodation there. There wasn't. They said there was accomodation on the other side in Niger. So we pressed on. It was dark by the time we left the border and then had to find a place. It was kind of shady, but they were willing to let us pay in naira (that is Nigerian currency. The currency in Niger is CFA), and we didn't know anywhere else to go anyways. The doors to the room locked, and I'd brought my own sheet, net, and towel, so I was fine.
In the morning we left in a hurry because we finally got ahold of Henry, our missionary colleague, who was picking us up...he actually was staying in a nicer place 2 minutes away!! (We couldn't get ahold of him that night).
Here is a picture of some scenery along the way...
On the way, we stopped at a village church for service, and to see the Christian school there. This is a two room school started by the pastor of this village.
About 30 minutes later, our engine cut out. We were in the middle of nowhere.
Desert... The next town was about 25 kms away. It seemed that the radiator had sprung a leak, that would not even hold water for us to go bit at a time (nor did we even have enough water to do so).
Ok, so you are not going to believe this, but not 15 minutes later, a missionary Henry knows (SIM director) drives by!!!! In a pickup. And he stops.
He's got a tow rope, and is willing to tow us on to the next town! He finds us a mechanic and then continues on his journey. So we wait in Dogun Doutchi (the name of the town) for a few hours while they fix the radiator. It is SCORCHING hot...all we do is sweat, and sweat.
And make friends with a few children and adults who are watching us with interest.
No water is cold enough to bring relief...This missionary group (SIM) that we met actually has a house in the town that he offers to let us sleep in should it get to late to travel on. Our time limit was 4pm. We don't have any money in the right currency remaining. We search all over town for someone who will change dollars. Noone. We finally find someone who will change naira. We pay off the mechanic. At 4:05 the truck is ready and we continue on (Still 3 more hours till Niamey). Yipee!
Not 40kms down the road, the truck engine cuts out again.
This time we are in a little village. No missionaries drive past this time. But the villagers are finding us a rather curious sight. Henry can speak Hausa, so we are fine to communicate the problem. While there, we meet a guy who speaks English and spent a number of years in Nigeria. He goes off to find a mechanic for us. By about 6pm, the mechanic arrives ad gets to work. The radiator split in the exact same place as before.
This mechanic we were not too sure about. He is fixing the radiator with super glue, then a layer of ash. Then super glue and cotton, then super glue and ash, then soap and charcoal! During this time, I have made friends with all the village children who are having a blast as I take pictures of them and show them on my digital camera.
A duststorm comes and goes. The chief of the village comes to greets us and tells us if it is too late to travel on that we can sleep in the mosque! He also offers his house/hut. By 8:30pm we are on the road again. We have paid this mechanic the rest of our CFA currency. We stop every 40 kms to make sure there is no leak. We make it to the next town that has accomodation, and spend 30 minutes driving around trying to find any.
By 10pm we have a place (nicer than the night before) and crash.
This morning, we get up and search all over town for a place to change money so we can pay our hotel bill. We go to 4 different places, including banks and they are not willing to trade dollars. We finally meet an "Alhaji Mohammed" in a hardware store who trades - at a good rate at that too! We pay our bill, and are on the road again!
Thank God...no more wahala (this is a Hausa word for "trouble"). We finally arrive in Niamey 11:30am...
God is good. He kept us safe and together, using the most unexpected people in the most unexpected places. I pray my next 3 weeks will not be quite so packed with adventures!!!
