Church Advocacy Visits
The Church Advocacy visits started from the get go. Peter has me speak in front of a Church body, the first full day in Abuja. He couched me on a couple things to say, where I am from, why am I here, what will I be doing with Global Relief, and possibly to encourage others to come volunteer. This having to do some sort of a presentation, with only a day or even minutes notice in this case, was the norm for Peter, I would come to know. I find it frustrating, as Im the one who likes to be well rehearsed and knowing what to say. Yet, it seems to work out just fine.

We make two church advocacy visits the first Sunday I am in Abuja. Foursquare and Family Worship Center. FMC reminds me of Northview in Abbey a little, weathy, big... yet, here in this wealth, sits rights outside the church gate.

We attend different churches each Sunday, and meet with the Pastors to tell them about Global Relief's poverty reduction efforts. Every Sunday, excluding the one we spent traveling to Mikang, and the one where I was sick in bed. I enjoyed the diversity between the churches, the sit down, stand up of the Anglican, to the jump, down turn around Pentecostal.

One thing I found especially different about the churches in Nigeria, is their ritual of tithing. Its a big deal. Everyone files one by one to the front of the church to slip their envelopes into the front basket, dancing and singing their way to the front, and back to their seat. Sometimes they repeat this procedure several times... Im thinking, I wonder if anyone dares not to be apart of the congo line to the front of the church, not to tithe? I wonder if they tithe this way, to make sure the church recieves money? I wonder what people attending a church in Canada would think if they all of a sudden started to tithe in this fashion? It would make a show of those who tithed and those who don't... and on and on... I thought at first, wow these people are happy givers, dancing to the front to tithe, yet, there are those that dance big, and those that saunter slowly... its all an strange event to me... and somewhat fun.


Family Worship Center... A large, rather affluent church we attended in Abuja.



UMCA Chapel in Jos. The picture shows the actual size of the church, small but warm church.



In my Nigerian clothing, outside The Parliament, a pentecostal church in Jos.



UMCA Church in Abuja, the last Sunday in Nigeria, in Abuja. The pastor invited me to speak about my trip to Nigeria and experience with Global Relief.




Foursquare Church, in Abuja. The first Church we attended, and where Peter had me speak right off the bat. There are alot of half built buildings in Abuja.. the town is growing fast. Dont be decieved, the inside is pretty modern and well.