November 30, 2006

Dear Family and Friends,
We are all fine here but are looking forward to school vacation starting Dec. 15 until the 10th of Jan. I don't know what things are being planned to do during that time. One thing is going to the LCN (Luth.Ch. of Nigeria)Synodical Conv. the first part of Jan. It will be at Obot Idom.
The last time I said I would write about a Nigerian wedding. This was the wedding of Ayuba and Racheal. Ayuba is a polio victim. he walks on his hand on blocks of wood and drags his legs. His parents didn't send him to school because he was handicapped. At 18 years old he decided to go to school. He put himself through and became a teacher He then with the help of a Mission in the States started a business of making hand propelled wheel chairs using bicycle parts. He became so busy he gave up teaching to make and give away these wheels chairs to any polio victim in Nigeria. He has given away 1200 of these chairs. He also make folding white canes for the blind. He gives a Bible with each item.
We were invited because Nathaniel did some fixing of electronic equip. The wedding was in a little village of 30 families about 1 1/2 hours from Jos. It was supposed to start at 10 but I think it started about 11. We were late so when we got there the church was full and the church surrounded by about 10 people deep. We were ushered into the church clear to the front to a row of chairs facing the cong. and facing the wedding couple who were seated in the front row.The service still lasted another 2 hours. It took a little longer because the speaker had an interpreter in the village lang. After the service the bride and groom went to the front of the aisle and had a plastic tub between them. As music was played people danced up the aisle and put money in the tub and cong. the couple.We drove to the reception that was held in a big field. They had 2 huge canopies, a smaller 1 for the wedding party. They bought out a cake and put it on a table and then singers and dancers provided the music and the people again danced up to the path the bride and groom would take to the cake and papered it with money. There were so many speakers because he was so well known. The dignitaries had to give their political speeches. There were van loads of handicapped persons, a van of blind people and there were many people who walked on their hands because of polio. They don't always use their wheel chairs in a field like that or they can't get the wheels chairs there.They estimated there were 1200 people there We left at 5:30 and the food wasn't close to be served yet. It isn't very safe to drive at night. The wedding clothes were a bit like in America but not as extravagant. Ayuba's wife was a pretty bride she was not handicapped. Ayuba was so esteemed by so many people and such a role model of Christian love.

The poinsettias have been in bloom for about a month now. The red leaves are at least 12 inches across and so pretty, they are large bushes. So much for this time. May God bless each one of you. In His name, Lois