There was a sense of relief as our plane landed in Lagos, Nigeria. After spending a day and a half on airplanes and in airports I was ready to start our pilgrimage across the Dark Continent.
I smiled as we waited on our luggage. There was a large sign hanging over the exit that read, "Nigeria: The happiest people on earth." My initial reaction was, "Yea Right." I had heard stories about Nigeria; the violence, corruption and poverty. How could these be the happiest people on earth?
The next two hours were spent in cramped vehicles traveling to Calabar. As we drove through the crowed streets of Lagos I was a bit overwhelmed by the overcrowding and poverty. Again, I thought about the sign in the airport "Nigeria: The Happiest People on Earth." The blind, crippled and destitute standing in the streets begging for their daily bread, raw sewage running through the streets - who were they trying to convince?
I smiled as we waited on our luggage. There was a large sign hanging over the exit that read, "Nigeria: The happiest people on earth." My initial reaction was, "Yea Right." I had heard stories about Nigeria; the violence, corruption and poverty. How could these be the happiest people on earth?
The next two hours were spent in cramped vehicles traveling to Calabar. As we drove through the crowed streets of Lagos I was a bit overwhelmed by the overcrowding and poverty. Again, I thought about the sign in the airport "Nigeria: The Happiest People on Earth." The blind, crippled and destitute standing in the streets begging for their daily bread, raw sewage running through the streets - who were they trying to convince?
The next couple of weeks showed me a different side of Nigeria - the people living outside of the major cities. While there was still poverty and hardships I came to realize that many of the people working in the markets, or selling their wares on the streets lived life from day to day. They didn't have the luxury of worrying about tomorrow or next week, for as Jesus said, "tomorrow will bring its own anxieties" (Matthew 6:34).
Two weeks without the cell phone ringing, or the beckoning call of my internet browser was a welcome relief. I kept notes in a hand written journal and took daily walks on the campus or through the local villages. During that time I ate better, slept better and felt better about myself and about life. I realized how easy it is for my priorities to get completely out of balance.
I have returned home from mission trips before with a commitment to change my priorities, only to fall quickly back into old patterns of behavior. I pray this time that I can keep some of those promises I made to myself about simplifying life and taking pleasure in this day that God has given me.
I don't know if the Nigerian people are the happiest people on earth, but I found an inner peace and contentment during my short stay there. I pray that I can hold on to those feelings a little longer this time round.
