My Journey to Africa was one of those long endless days that somehow stretches its bounds and leaves little left of the following or even skips a few and dumps you in a time you shouldn’t be at yet. It is impossible to keep track of the time much less the day. Constantly switching you watch forward and back, you have to keep it current with your current airport to know when you are supposed to board, you aren’t sure you trust it anymore. Thus it didn’t really surprise me that I had the following conversation with Mike Essien.
(sometime in the early morning, which day has yet to be determined)
“Hello Mike, I’m at the EMI Hotel here in Lagos, do you want to meet me here or at the airport?”
“I am flying in to Lagos around 1:30 I will meet up with you after that.”
“I can’t wait that long Mike, I have to catch a flight at 12:30.”
“I thought you weren’t flying out till Saturday.”
“Isn’t today Saturday?”
“No, it’s Friday.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay I will be here at EMI Hotel. Stop by when you get in.” Then turning to the receptionist, “Ma’am, I’m going to need the room for one more night.”
It was however I great joy to arrive and meet and greet once again our brothers in Christ in Lagos Nigeria. Mike Essien one of the sons of Pastor E. Essien brought along Pastor Essien Michaels, who is the pastor there in Lagos, and the three of us sat down for a long talk. The church in Lagos is still small and struggling, but they continue on by the grace of God and we pray He may bless Pastor Michaels’ work there. They have been able to buy their own land for a church, currently they are renting, and will have it paid off by next year at this time. After they pay off the land they will start building a permanent church building. Unfortunately I could not stay for Sunday Service since I was eager to move on to Port Harcourt and worship there with them, but I do have some pictures from last January of the members and the church. Therefore the next day, which was apparently Saturday in Africa I’m not yet convinced it was in the rest of the world, it was back to the airport for the short flight to Port Harcourt a town like Lagos located on the shore, a little east of Lagos.
– Matthew Ude
