WOW! What a day!
The early part of the morning was spent visiting with Mercy from ‘Project Happiness’. What a surprise to see her walk into the NEEDCSI office, not having seen her since 2007. She just graduated in economics from Univ of Jos and now has to wait a year, before then serving another year with the NYSC (National Youth Service Corps.) She then looks forward to finding a job.
After our visit with Mercy I met with Sani Sulaiman and Emmanuel Ivorgba in preparation for facilitating the second and third days of the conference regarding the 7 Principles of Reconciliation.
Then we headed off to a program sponsored by Apurimac Onlus for about 200 local students. There were a select few from each of the surrounding schools. We had the privilege to listen to students asking questions about how to promote peace. They wanted concrete answers as to how they could contribute. Their observations of the local situation were astute. They were amazingly honest and perceptive. I was able to close the event by singing with the students the song “RISE UP”.
Lastly we visited CMIA (Creative Minds Int’l Academy) and had the chance to visit with faculty and students.
There are always new connections being made, and old connections to renew. Amidst the set backs, electricity turning on and off twenty times a day, lack of reliable internet, problems with the lab at CMIA (which John is currently working on,) it always amounts to the people and wonderful connections that make our time here incredible.