june 16 to july 10...a lot has happened

access to internet proved far more difficult than we had imagined. i apologize for the scarcity of updates while we were in Nigeria, but as the weeks and months unfold and as things are processed, i hope that we'll be able to share that with you here.

we're back in Chicago now. i woke up this morning to CTA buses and the general orderliness of things. it's confusing. when we arrived in the city yesterday afternoon, i couldn't get over the neatness, the lines, and the choices. a trip to trader joe's with sarah proved a bit too overwhelmning...and boring...hah. i think i prefer buying my food from the person who grew it, in an INSANE market, with goats and chickens and yams and owkwa (the most delcicious "bread fruit" you've ever tasted) all around. it's good to be back, though.

i think i'm going to sleep a bit more, but i just wanted to say that we're back in the states and doing well.

i miss it very much and can't wait to return. there's a lot of good work to be done there, a lot of great people to do it with, and i hope that some of you will join us in it...we'll need all the help we can get!

i love you all and will update again soon, i promise!

rain rain

today we travelled to the bishops house, had breakfast with him at 6:30 am (I know me up early in the morning is crazy!)...we had a nice talk with him and everything seems to be working in our favor. its so amazing here...we met with the chief or king (what we call the mayor in the states) and his wife will attend our conference...i have never met so many prominent people and they are all so hospitable and willing to help!!!

so i have been bitten by 6 mosquitoes so far....and travis has not been bitten at all. i guess i have nicer skin!! (haha...sorry travis) NG's family house is amazingly huge, as with all of the other houses in the village...there are farm animals that run around the village and many trees with huge beautiful leaves

unfortunately there are also some huge insects, like the cochroach, eww....they are giganourmous and have wings...i went to the bathroom and saw one decided that he would not hurt me so would leave him alone and use the bathroom UNTIL it darted right for me!! i ran out looked a travis laughing at me and the darn bugger kept chasing me....i ran into travis' room and closed the door....BUT he still chased us...finally travis took out the big shoe and smashed him....man it was an adventure

the children here are absolutely adorable...BUT i think they are a little confused as to why we have such fair complexion...wherever we walk all of the children open their beautiful eyes and just stare. everyone is so welcoming though!!

ok i have "talked" too much now so ill save some for later
peace

the rainy season

means that is rains...A LOT. everything, we concluded, is bigger in Africa. the raindrops, the bugs, the smiles, the food...it's all big and let's you know it exists. everything encourages all the senses. it's all new for me (and stephanie, too) so the eyes, ears, nose, fingers, mouth, and heart are all working 110%...it's neat. i've rarely felt so alive...maybe never have i felt this aware of my place in this world as a human, as a brother, as a friend, as a person of faith...just trying to do something.

i'm still trying to find vocabulary that is appropriate for all i'm seeing and hearing and feeling. i'm working on that and will try to use that soon.

just know that i'm being challenged and that i'm having a blast and learning how to find joy and GOD in a number of new ways. i'm asking a lot of questions and not entirely sure i'm finding the answers, but that's ok. i'll share those questions soon.

we begin talking and being with the children tomorrow (tuesday) so please be in prayer for our hearts and our time with them.

we're here!

in Lagos! yes, equatorial Africa is hot and humid but its also really really wonderful! the people are beyond welcoming and the food is delicious. stephanie and i (well...maybe more me) are pretty enthralled with the lizards running around the grounds of the convent we're staying at.

we got here late yesterday evening and are adjusting to the time change pretty well, i think.

i wish i had adequate words to describe the energy here. it's unlike anything i've seen or felt or known before. maybe over the next several days i'll try to find a way to talk about it. until then, just know it's consuming.

we're here. we're safe. and we're very very glad to be here.

my soul is full and i am eager. i'll hand it over to stephanie now.

much love,
travis



hey all
so we made it safely to lagos last night! there are so many people who line the streets, and it seems like the airport is a hot spot...the ride to the convent was amazing. people were walking the streets and the cars on the road were driving so chaotically BUT everything had a pattern to it...apparently the horn is a method of communication NOT a hostile machine

its very humid here but it will probably be the best diet ever!! like travis said the food is delicious...

pk well her brother is about to pick us up to meet NG's family!! ttyl

steph


travis and stephanie can be counted among the two most courageous young adult americans. their energy is unbeatable. what started like a little conversation has become a reality among the three of us (the muskateers). sometimes i have to remind myself that stephanie and travis are with me in nigeria and not in america. all it takes to make a dream come true is hope into the plane and off. so here we are - still in lagos waiting for the june 12 to pass, the two americans to pay courtesy visit to their homeland embassy and we are off again to the east - where the sun rises on igbo-ukwu (the great igbo) that is my home-----.
... so the journey conts....
NG

in london!

...sitting at heathrow. my body is muy confused. there's been some napping but mostly just people watching. we depart for lagos in a few hours. so, we're half way there. at least we're on the other side of the atlantic now.

update soon?

we depart!

30 minutes before we leave. my heart is full. i have no idea what to expect. that's ok. i have no idea what kind of person i'll be in 30 days. that's ok. as i fortify my heart for this time, i ask you to help me do that.

we should have access to internet at various points and we'll update this blog at those points. i love you and can't wait to share this experience with you.

peace and blessings,
travis

what is?

lots of good food and planning last night at sister NG's house. i think i will enjoy Nigerian food very much. spiced chicken with fried plantains, squashes, other veggies, rice and delicious tomato mixture over the top. sunday, i think, we have ox tails...i'm actually quite excited about it.

we started asking questions last night. the biggest and the one which sticks with me today is how it is we define "poverty." it's a question that, while there, i want to think about, both for myself, for the people of Nigeria, and the world as a whole.

the western, capitalistic values which have come to dominate the world, i think it's easy to say, surely aren't the be all end all. in fact, in many instances i think some of these values have produced more harm than good.

i'm trying to revisit some of Amartya Sen's Development as Freedom in the coming weeks. what is the measure by which we determine a people's well-being? if it's soley based on GDP, import/export ratios, etc. then we're necessarily creating a context for injustice. people are often times lost in those kinds of numbers. stories aren't heard.

how, though, in the asking of these and other questions, in defining "poverty" or "success" do we still honor the story? and, more importantly, how do we prevent an entire people from being just another case study? that, just like strict economic calculations, allows the story of a person to be lost and thereby their human-ness is lost, too.

if we're doing justice we're loving others beyond anything else. i want to ask big questions, work towards big solutions, but more than that i just want to be. i want to be human. be american or white or protestant or gay or whatever else. but more than that, i just want to be with and in the human experience with others, near and far. hear their story and be in pain and joy and celebration and confusion with others. because in encountering the otherness we come to see we're not all that other, we're all human and we all deserve the same....love and the chance to make choices for ourselves.

a little scare, but moving forward

while the story is long and weird, the long and short of it is that an old, dorky egg allergy almost kept me from being able to go on the trip...

during my consultation with a travel doctor, i found out the yellow fever vaccine (which is pretty non-negotiable) is cultured on egg proteins. historically, i've been allergic to eggs and because of that, they weren't willing to go ahead with the vaccines until i was tested for the allergy.

well...the test happened and it came back negative. this means:
1. i can now enjoy omeletes and egg scrambles and that delicious-looking/smeling breakfast cassesrole i always see at potlucks but have never tried.
2. i can move forward with my vaccinations and GO TO NIGERIA! (obviously, i'm a little more excited about this one)

i guess that setback had its place, you know? we often times work very hard for something, hope for something, pray for something, and then life happens and glitches happen in the plan. it was an opportunity to be prayerful and faithful and move forward in an open way. those setbacks, then, have the potential to make us more grateful for the opportunities we've been given. i'm thankful, beyond words.

so we move forward. we pray and plan and hope for what is to come. i get my vaccinations in a couple of weeks and have started eating more foods that i'll be eating while there. luckily, i have a less than picky palate and i tend to enjoy and find tasty anything that someone, at some point, has called 'food.'

there are many things yet to happen between now and june 8, but the day is drawing close and as it continues to do so, we continue to seek your support and hopes. more updates soon...

peace to you.

paperwork's power

visa applications are in the mail. passports sent off. official communication with the nigerian embassy done. PLANE TICKETS PURCHASED!

it's funny how some forms, signed on the dotted lines, can propel one into the "wow this is really happening" mindset. it's working...big time. not that i want to turn back, but to do so now is not really an option.

we're going. we're praying. we're hoping and preparing.

a simple cab ride

it was very, very cold on saturday night. so cold, in fact, that it hurt to breathe. the painful air made me impatient. i was going to take the el to visit my friend liz, but i couldn't bear the thought of waiting outside in the sub zero wind. so, my priviledged self hailed a cab. i got in the cab, thawed a bit, and struck up the usual conversation with the driver.

you know, it's nice to talk to the cab drivers. i assume more than most passengers are intoxicated or in a hurry or just simply take the service for granted, but i've always been rather grateful for their work...especially on such a cold night. so i like to hear, if just a bit, some of their story.

after a few minutes of small talk, i come to find my driver, Abaku, is from Nigeria. he brought his family to the united states for opportunity. only he, his wife, two children, and a few suit cases came along. i respect them a great deal. i couldn't imagine the courage necessary for such a tremendous move.

their extended family remains in Nigeria and the deep sense of loss he felt by being thousands of miles from them was palpable. no people should be forced to leave their home, their context, their community for the pursuit of...survival.

Abaku's generosity overflowed. he offered to connect us with his family and their village and told us we could stay with them and they would "give you so much to eat and you would have so much fun with them!" i have nothing but gratitude for that kind of openness.

what i carried most from my time with him, though, was the sparkle in his eye when i told him i would be spending time in his home this summer. he lit up. there was a very real sense of place in Abaku and his love for that land was everywhere. it is my prayer that our time there does justice. it is my prayer that Abaku and his family will maintain that sense of place and community, despite the miles which seperate them from their loved ones. it is my prayer that they and millions of others around the globe will one day be able to not only exist but be able to thrive(!) in their home. i guess that's quite fundamental, to have a healthy and whole home. that's a right. i hope i can be a part of protecting that right. i really do.

so thank you Abaku for revealing grace and hospitality and identity to me...all those are quite Godly.

the ask

Dear Friends and Family,

What does the Lord require of us? We’re to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him in these precious lives we’ve been given. The words of Micah 6:8 have guided and challenged me for many years now, providing an unmistakable calling to be a person for others, loving blindly all those who call God’s creation home. Now, that calling deepens…

So it’s on this winter day that I come to each of you with brimming excitement and quieting humility, to share with you an opportunity God has placed before me to be in solidarity with His people in Africa. Last year, after coming to Loyola, I quickly made friends with a Nigerian woman, named Ngozi. A wise and passionate doctoral student, she has dedicated her life to coupling her education and her Calling to creating long-lasting change in her country. For months, I learned of the situation of children across Nigeria; I heard stories of hurt and hope from Ngozi; and over that time, I came to feel invested in their stories and in their lives, too.

So, God truly moved this November. In a passing conversation during class, Ngozi mentioned her plans to travel to Nigeria this summer to begin important work on children’s issues across the country. After some time, I was invited to join her on the trip, to see for myself her home, and to be a part of systemic change in the lives of Nigeria’s children.

Many years ago I committed my heart and my talents to following Jesus’ calling of being in full communion with the poor, the outsiders, and the “less-than-desirable” people of the human community. My life, loved ones, work, education, and the wholly wonderful movements of the Holy Spirit have all been instrumental in providing for me, this little guy from the mountains of Tennessee, opportunities to explore and expand upon my understandings of God’s message of hope and healing. For all of this, for each of you, I am truly grateful. Nigeria, the children, the struggles, and the beauty all await. My heart awaits the challenge and the grace. My fingers itch for the work to come. My hope is beyond measure and my faith can now only be placed at the foot of the cross. God has called us to a broken place, both to live His message of wholeness, but also to find the resilience of the human spirit and to nurture that resilience.

I hope, very much, as you read our letter of intent, that you too will be as inspired and enlivened as I was upon first hearing about it. I hope you’ll join us in our effort to bring empowerment, healing, and hope to the children of Nigeria. I hope you’ll pray mightily for us as we prepare for and embark on this world-changing endeavor.

Thank you, again, for the love and support which you’ve already given. I’m forever grateful to have each of you in my life and I look forward to sharing with you this experience once we’ve returned.

With Every Good Wish,

Travis
************************************************************************************
Pilot Immersion Trip to Africa by staff and students of Loyola University Chicago

***THE LORD HAS HEARD THEIR CRY AND WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING***


The Mission
The 1992 South African Children’s Charter states a recognition of the fact that “all children are created equal and are entitled to basic human rights and freedoms and that all children deserve respect and special care and protection as they develop and grow” In that same charter, they acknowledged that, “at the present time, children have not been placed on the agenda of any political party … and are not given the attention that they deserve”. This is 2007/2008, not much has changed for many of these African children since then. Nigeria (the Giant of Africa) can and has what it takes to lead the way in the human rights for Children/Women mission. Yet, when one visits Nigeria, one cannot miss the deplorable situation of Children and Youth in the country. The saddest situation is that it is almost becoming the norm and accepted way of life for these kids.

Therefore, we – Ngozi Udoye, Ph.D. in Educational Psychology a staff, Stephanie Toman, a premed sophomore and Travis Proffitt, a graduate student of social justice – all of the great Loyola University Chicago wish to embark on a Child Advocacy Mission to Africa, launching our first mission to Nigeria in June, 2008. We have decided to speak out for these African kids, to help them discover the power in them, and to make them less invisible before the government and the world community. We would like to synergize our efforts with those voices and groups who are already helping to give hope and life to the poor and victimized children of Africa.

Travel Plan:
The first trip will involve a lot of traveling within Nigeria. While in Nigeria, Dr. Ng Udoye will provide Stephanie and Travis the required room and board as well as the exposure to the experiential learning they need to have. This first trip will specifically seek to identify critical areas and the social realities in which children’s right to life, development and good health are violated. We are going to meet these poor children in their contexts. Areas of attention in our Child Advocacy Mission include, but are not limited to:
1. Street children
2. Child Labor
3. Children of HIV/AIDS parents
4. Child prostitution
5. Orphans
6. Domestic/sexual Child abuse
7. Child trafficking
8. Children Education issue
9. Premarital/pre-adolescent pregnancy
10. School drop-out
11. Child soldiers

Specifically, our first trip will target at:
· Visiting Nigeria in June 2008
· Identifying the victimized, abused youths, and children-at-risk.
· Listening to these children “Tell us their Stories”
· Documenting the children’s realities and our experiences
· Synergizing with existing agencies that champion the cause of human rights for children
· Upon returning to the U.S., reporting our findings to Loyola University Chicago and you our friends and family
· Developing an action plan from our experiences and reflections

These Loyolans have decided to take a leap of faith and they are relying on your help to enable them achieve this mission. We are working on soliciting funds from you, our wonderful families and friends, to enable us to realize success for our project. Hopefully, the report we will give upon our return and the experiences from this project may also prompt Loyola’s University Ministry to consider immersion trips to Africa in the future, continuing this important and good work. We cannot answer this call without your generosity. We need your financial and spiritual support to make the success of this mission achievable.

Your donations will be written in the hearts of those African Children. No amount is small. You can be a missionary to Africa without going to the Continent, while living here in the United States. LET US GO!

PLEASE MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MINISTRY.
Simply note “Nigeria” in the Memo line.

Thank you for your generosity. God loves a cheerful giver.


Yours truly,


Ngozi Udoye, IHJ, Ph.D. Stephanie Toman
nudoye@luc.edu stoman@luc.edu


Travis Proffitt
tproffi@luc.edu

in the beginning...

thus begins the journey and the search. in the coming months, i hope for you to journey with me as our time with the children of Nigeria approaches.

pray and be present to the hopefulness and the fear and the beauty which awaits...for this experience and for this world.

peace to you all.
Travis