I stepped out of the car into the BOMCA courtyard, ready to be received again on this my fourth mission trip to Nigeria. A little girl named Rosemary, who I know from previous visits, placed a small plant in my hands. Two others wrapped me in a colorful fabric and put a circular straw hat on my head. I laughed while thinking, “Why are they putting a sombrero on me in Africa?”
What unfolded next was an amazing welcoming ceremony replete with song, dance, prayer, and even a performance showcasing the works of mercy in response to the hardships of rural village life. A few students dramatized the healing of a crippled man by three good Samaritans, who come and pray for him and help him off the ground after he dropped his cane and fell.
Such dramas, in the context of welcoming visitors, are part and parcel of the extreme hospitality which distinguishes the Igbo tribe. But, there is a method to the madness. “We Igbo people imitate Abraham and Sarah, who offered hospitality to their Angelic visitor (c.f. Gen 19) and, as a result, Isaac was conceived”, explains Deacon Leo, HEAL Founder. So, for the Igbos and indeed for any Christian culture, showing hospitality to visitors is a key to receiving Divine blessing!
Students perform dramas not only to show hospitality to visitors but also to exhibit the self-emptying (c.f. Phil 2:6-11) spirituality at the heart of their character formation. “The children learn and practice self-emptying every day in the apostolic work of the Messengers of Justice, which includes visiting the sick, farming, and common prayers”, says Rev. Leo.
My reception by the BOMCA students was truly a “soft landing” after a long flight journey from Chicago. The experience inspires me to empty myself more in the work of forming them into Servant Leaders in their homeland and beyond. Join me in the fight for their future!