Welcome to Nigeria!

Greetings are very important in Nigeria, so we've been welcomed to Nigeria many times over the past week. Tomorrow will be one week since we touched down in Abuja, the capital. We'll be working on catching up the past week in the next few days since we haven't been able to be online until this time.

Some initial thoughts about being here from Sarah:

• It's so nice to be in warm weather again! The cold was too much for me- I'm a wimp now!! This is the coolest time of year here, so it will warm up which is okay with me.
• Even though I've been gone for over six years, it's nice to come back to a place I've lived before. The adjustment period is so much easier- though I'll probably be in an adjustment stage our whole time here.
• Our nieces and nephews here have gotten so big, and while I've been gone I've always pictured them as the little kids they were before. I think only one is shorter than me!
• I always enjoy watching Uche interact with Nigerians because he adapts himself to Nigerian mannerisms and words. He's so amazing at adapting to wherever he's at, so when we're around Filipinos, he acts Filipino, and when we're with Americans, well, American Uche shows up! Now that we're surrounded by Nigerians, he's relearning how to be a real Nigerian!

And from Uche:

• I can't believe how much Abuja (the capital of Nigeria) has changed. Big beautiful houses are being constructed everywhere. There are new and expensive cars everywhere. There seems to be a disconnect between the poverty around me and the riches I see here. I even saw a brand new Porsche the other day!
• We've made it to Jos and I am starting to pick up my Hausa language. I am also glad that the town of Jos is calm and the people are still as friendly as ever. The city is divided into two sides, the different warring tribes are occupying each side respectively. The division breaks my heart.