I am back in Jimeta.

It has been over a week and a half since I updated Facebook or my blog. From Wednesday through Sunday of the last week of February I was attending the National Convention of the LCCN at the Demsa Convention Grounds about 40 minutes out of Jimeta. Elisabeth drove me there each morning except Saturday and we got back late and too tired to walk to the internet cafe. On Monday, March 1st I headed to Taraba State and the Bali Mission Field with Pastor Bunduku. From Tuesday until today I have traveling around the Bali area visiting the villages where Nigerian missionaries are living and converting people from traditional religions.

The Bali Mission Project is a companionship project between the Jimeta Cathedral and Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Excelsior, Minnesota. Since missions started in the Bali area the Aikaku (plural form of missionary in Hausa, Single is Aikake) have established approximately 200 churches in Taraba State. I have taken almost 400 digital pictures and movies during my visit to Bali. It will take a few evenings with power to sort through, reduce the size (the upload speed at the internet café is very slow) and post some on my blog and face book. This is a photo of Pastor Bunduku and me at Bandaguri. This is one of the more remote an hard to get to places. We took the short way by motorcyle. Just over one hour through stream, narrow paths, through several valleys and up steep hills. It was a rough hour each way on the back of a 125 cc Daylong motorcycle. I took a lot of short videos as we bounced up and down the hills. On Saturday after three straight days on motorcyles I had a red half moon on my forehead from wearing the hat backwards. My arms and back of neck looked like medium rare steak. During the visit I was able to meet 20 of the 24 Aikaku many of their wives and children.

I will be writing separate blogs on the Convention and my 8 days in the Bali Mission Field. Tonight at the Internet café I will be trying to catch-up on emails. Tomorrow, I will start on the administrative tasks of helping the LCCN organize a sustainable Water and Sanitation/Hygiene (WASH) Program.