Okay, we are ready to go to Nigeria, West Africa! Well, there might be a few hundred things left to do, but two of the biggest things are completed.😍
We now have our travel visas from the Nigerian Consulate in hand and last night we sat down and made the painful airline reservations. Yay!
I described part of the tedious process of applying for the visa a few weeks ago. We overnighted the application and our passports to New York City on a Thursday and the return overnight package arrived in Waynesville, Ohio eight days later. Wow! That is a record for us!
Not only did the Nigerian embassy process them quickly, but they also issued visas valid for 60 months! We always apply for the longest possible visa, but they usually give us 90 day/single use visas.
The longest time available to request this time was one year, but these visas are valid for multiple visits and 60 months. That is amazing. Hopefully, we can go at least three times over the next five years. That will spread the crazy visa costs over three full trips.
That soothes the pain a bit.😂
The flights are more expensive than we have ever paid in the past. These flights are about double our last visit. That hurts, but we have been watching the prices and expected it.
However, we have had some very cheap trips over the last 16 years so we are probably still in positive territory. The US and Nigerian governments make $1500 combined between the two tickets so I can not really blame the businesses providing the flights for wanting to make a little money.😒😊
School Supplies
While we are in Tulsa in a couple weeks, Kelly Jo and Odie will make a school supply run. We will use one of our luggage pieces to take 40+ pounds of brand new school supplies to Good News Christian School in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Pre-Covid we spent $300-500 to purchase the school supplies each trip. I imagine it will require a bit more now, but it is such a joy to help with the school.
The supplies we take are carefully chosen by Kelly Jo with three things in mind: what is needed, weight and how they travel. Some common school supplies are not suitable for transport or the harsh climate in Nigeria.
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We also help each year with salaries and construction projects at the school so we will be taking as much as we can for that too.
The Christian School in Ellisville, Mississippi has been a major help to us in supporting Good News Christian School the last few years and they are sending a great offering with us this year. Other churches and individuals have helped us prepare to give generously as well. Whatever else comes in will go right in with that.
Many of you have asked about helping with the school and the churches in Nigeria. If you or your church, school, company or organization would like to take on some of this as a mission project, that would be awesome. We will pass it straight to their hands. Please never feel any pressure. There always seems to be plenty.
Please do not send school supplies to us. Because of the logistics and circumstances described above, it is better for us to purchase what is needed, pack it properly and take it as luggage. Any extra money will be given directly to the school leadership to purchase what they need.
We are excited about making the trip, seeing our dear friends and enjoying the presence of the Lord. I am sure we will have more to say about the preparations in the next 60 days.
Thank you for stopping in today.
Davy
