We're home as of 2:00 pm today, Dec. 1! We had a delightful time in Nigeria--basically an uneventful travel experience. Walking across the border in the heat while tackling potential crooked professional customs officers isn't an experience one craves, but our going and coming was nearly incident less. Kari proved to be quite an angelic distraction to the border guards. Just on our return trip across the border today she could have picked up 3 fiancés, of greater means than most in these countries since they most regularly stamp passports ladened with CFA (Benin's money) or Naira (Nigerian cash). They gazed into her face and forgot to insist on receiving an early Christmas gift from our hands. They were hoping for hers, instead! This act of giving gratuities for salaried border workers is not a common occurrence at all borders in West Africa, but is quite the reality at this one.

Going-after a 45 minute trip to the edge of Benin, boundried on one side by the ocean, we were picked up by a driver with a Baptist Mission van, which is a great blessing. Usually, when a van portrays the fact that those carried within are on mission with God, the numerous police check points let it pass. In our two hour ride to Lagos there were a mere 20 checkpoints at which all other vehicles were obligated to halt and show papers. The Nigeria Baptist Logo plastered on three sides of the van, was an amazing blessing!

We spent the night in Lagos, then left early the next morning, without a plane ticket, to purchase one with hopes to get on a plane at the same time (which we were able to do). Originally we were to fly from Lagos to Jos, but the airline that did so was grounded. Therefore we flew from Lagos to Abuja, where we were picked up by another chauffer for the Nigeria Mission and escorted another three hour trip to Jos.

Please note: the Lagos airport in the past had a notorious reputation for danger and deception. THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE. The airport is clean, modern, helpful and packed with security personnel from the parking lot to disembarkment gate. The Abuja airport was equally impressive and welcoming. Not one piece of luggage left the baggage claim area without the claim checks being checked!

And the roads in Nigeria--modern highways where we traveled this time around. If you've been to Benin you'd be shocked at the advancements in Nigeria! They have excellent breads in their bakeries, too!

Jos is 4,000 feet up. No snow, but it was only in the 60's mornings and nights, which kept me shivering, but made us all think even more of Christmas! If you know much about Nigeria you'll know that Hillcrest Academy (established as an MK school) is nestled in the arms of Jos and is an incredible establishment.

Our missionaries in Nigeria are doing an awesome job of sharing Christ with the unreached. Pray for our missionaries there. Electricity has become a problem for us, but they live with daily outages.