Navigation
Water is Thicker Than Blood -- Ben Light
Our final day in Nigeria was a whirlwind.
We started at 5:30am in time to see off the youth from Owerri. They had a 12+ hour drive to get home once they made it to Lagos and got loaded onto the bus. Many of the Owerri youth are from the rural areas surrounding Owerri which is Southeast of Lagos in Imo State. Owerri is in the middle of the area (known as Biafra) that is currently being contested by the IPOB and NDA, who are hoping to secede the majority of the Niger Delta from Nigeria. It’s been a contested area for over a decade but things seem to be intensifying a bit in recent weeks with NDA fighters downing a Nigerian Fighter Jet. In response, the Nigerian Federal Government stepped up efforts militarily in that area, and politically -- it will be interesting to see what happens in that area over the next several months to a year. Your continuing prayers for the protection of these young people and their families as that conflict widens are appreciated. 
A number of the Owerri youth with Mr. Moody, Mr. Akinbo, and I
With the Owerri kids gone we set about tearing down camp and we managed to get it all done and be on the boats headed back to the mainland by about 8:30am.
No one really slept the final night due to the storm that rolled through and drenched the camp. Many abandoned their tents due to the driving rains and wind and slept up in the cafeteria area. The gear was soaked which would mean a lot of extra work after we left with drying and cleaning all the gear, but we made it back to Dare’s and were able to get a warm shower, get our gear re-organized and our luggage ready to go. We spent some time visiting with everyone and reconnecting with the world via the internet before we finally said our goodbyes about 4:30pm.
Goodbyes were tough. With something like this -- there’s no real assurance you’ll ever make it back again. You honestly may never see any of the folks that you just met in person again, except via Facebook or WhatsApp or some other application. That’s just the way it is, you never really know what the future holds. I’ve thought about this from the standpoint of the young people. Many who have come from America in the past, they come once and often don’t return, I can imagine that it is hard on the youth to get to know somebody and then never see them again. However, like I told all the Nigerian kids who asked when I was coming back, I applied and paid for a single entry VISA. The Nigerian embassy was kind enough to give me a two year Multiple Entry VISA instead and it would simply be a shame to let that go to waste. I want to return and serve the brethren in West Africa in the future and God willing, I will be there again soon.
We said our goodbyes to Dare and Tohun, cleared airport security with minimal issue, did a little final shopping before settling our bags and ourselves into the long flight home. As our time in Nigeria drew to a close and we awaited our turn to taxi onto the runway and leave Africa behind -- as often happens when you finally stop moving -- your brain has a chance to begin to process the events of the weeks prior.
Something that Dare said the opening night of camp popped into my brain as we began to taxi down the runway and I reflected on the concept as the wheels of the plane left terra firma. He said to the young people and Youth Corps volunteers, “You’ve all heard the saying that blood is thicker than water. Well, I’m here to tell you that isn’t correct. Water, which is used in the scriptures as a symbol to represent the Holy Spirit... the Holy Spirit, water, is far thicker than blood.” He’s absolutely correct, I had left my home and travelled several thousand miles away to a foreign continent. A different country, a different culture. Yet, when I landed, I found brethren. Brothers and sisters, bound to me more tightly than blood by the Spirit of God. Brethren, who accepted us immediately and despite only knowing them for a short period of time -- they became like family.
What bound us together -- that collective Spirit of God, the essence of the Father and Jesus Christ abiding within us -- draws us together as family.
You have brothers and sisters in Nigeria too, and as I sit here at home in Oregon writing this final blog post about our time on the United Youth Corps Nigeria program, I miss them and my fellow Corps members all terribly.
Overall the 2016 Nigerian United Youth Corps was an experience that I will not soon forget. I am so appreciative of the opportunity that I had, and am so thankful for all of the prayers for the success of the program. Our Heavenly Father heard and answered those prayers -- thank you from the bottom of my heart.