Jos, Nigeria... (Part 2)

We had one day that we were taken around Jos. We boarded the bus provided by JUTH and experienced more of the sights and sounds of Africa.










The traffic convinced me that I would NEVER want to drive a car in Nigeria!! Motorcycles loaded with 2-3 people weave in and out of the traffic constantly. The driver honks when he passes; when he turns; when he cuts in; when he does anything, basically! Times that by EVERY driver on the road and all one hears is the honking of horns!! I lost track of the number of what I felt were 'close calls'.





The roadsides were filled with open markets and people selling their wares. Chicken anyone?












Or perhaps a small bag of peanuts from the top of one of these precious girls heads? How I would have loved to know the life story of one of these girls.....








The fruit stands are amazing and we had fresh fruit each day.. usually for dessert.












We went by the sight of a market that had been burned during one of the many uprisings. The couple we were with who had been missionaries there for 20 years spoke fondly of their many shopping experiences at the market and ached for lives and livihood lost in the devastation.


We did stop at 2 small shops and I was able to purchase a few things to bring back from our trip. Maybe another year things will be not quite as tense and we can move around more freely. For now being cautious was just ok by me.









Mangoes anyone?













Two of the Nigerian physicians that we came to know both work at the PEPFAR Aids clinic in Jos. We were able to get a tour of the clinic and hear about this AIDS relief program put into place by George Bush in 2003. Whatever your personal feelings are about Bush, this single act has saved thousands and thousands of lives. The Africans LOVE him and many are alive today because of this initiative. And Obama gets a Nobel Peace Prize. Go figure......




The children waiting in the children's waiting room were the hardest to see. AIDS continues to be epidemic in Africa. The clinic is currently treating over 20,000 Aids patients and diagnosis's 20 new cases every day. But the clinic has given them hope.








It was an incredible day. We then headed to a retreat center 20 miles out of Jos. More to come on our time there in my next post. I will also 'introduce' you to some of the people who we now call 'friend'.

Until Next Time....